Organized religion and the devil

I know so many people turned away from christ because of religion it makes my heart sink. I know so many christians far from christ because of religion it makes my heart sick. I once wrote in my journal

"I wonder if organized religion is the devils way of tricking us into distracting us from God. As if to keep our minds busy about the rules and regulations, things to divide us, so we aren't just living like Christ and loving others and God, things to unite us."



I am reading Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller. In it he writes"

"I believe the greatest trick of the devil is not to get us into some sort of evil but rather to have us wasting time. This is why the devil tries so hard to get Christians to be religious. If he can sink a man's mind into habit, he will prevent his heart from engaging God." (Miller, Donald. Blue Like Jazz,  Nashville Tennesse, Thomas Nelson Inc., 2003. Pg 13)

Interesting. Apparently, I am not alone.