Religious endeavours
Unlike other human endeavours, for instance government and science,
it is religion that does not need to have a structure and an
organized public form.
On the basic issues that count in religion such as God, life in the
hereafter or the before; etc. every person is on a level playing field
with everyone else. Everyone includes so called religious experts,
religious books, clergy. They may argue and present evidence to
try to support their claims, but there is no reliable evidence.
Don't be fooled by them. In reality they don't know anymore than
you do. In science there are reliable truths.
In religion truths are relative to your beliefs -- you know as much
about these basic issues as anyone. The only factors that limit the
truthfulness of religious ideas are their agreement with science and
their ethics. In this way many religious claims and ideas can be judged.
In religious issues there are no experts, except with the restrictions
mentioned above. The so called experts may have church power to
persuade or force you to believe they are experts, but at your peril.
Unlike science, for instance, everyone including myself can present and
suggest religious ideas that you may or may not accept. But none are
experts in that they do not have a monopoly on absolute religious truths.
A person may be an expert in a given belief system, but not an expert
in basic religious truths.
In other words, formal religious organizations and
beliefs are not
necessary for a person to be religious.
See more about Organized Religion