(By David)
I would define religion as a system of thought, entailing a system of rules, which steers the spirituality of people in a way, that they see it as their duty to submit to persons or spiritual entities, who they perceive as being above them, so they can be brought into service to a social system.
I consider not only thought-systems which actually use the title "God" or "gods", but also the present monetary/banking system to be a religion. Communism and Fascism have been called political religions. Evolutionism is a religion.
Communism and fascism are a worship of the human spirit, and so is Humanism. Evolutionism is the worship of the right of the fittest to survival, and the present banking system is a religion of the worship of money inciting greed and fear.
Also Consumerism is a religion, people worship non-essential consumer goods and the pleasure they can bring, more than they value justice and love for human beings. The religion of consumerism binds people to commercial society and motivates them to become slaves in it so they can afford to buy consumer goods.
Religion instills unquestioned behavior patterns and mindsets in its adherents, which control people and blind their spiritual vision, so they do not see their potential to be unlimited lovers.
Religion creates a social system of subordination through fear, either the fear of God or gods, the fear of the stronger (Evolution), or of those who claim the right to rule using force as their last resort (Communism, Fascism), or the fear of having no money as in consumerism.
I see Walking with God, the way we practice it as opposed to Religion. Our relationship with God is completely voluntary, a love relationship; any compulsion is absent. God does not wish for us to relate to him/her as above us but rather as equals in a love relationship. No human being is above the other (or should be).
We all need each other, and I feel we need God and God needs us; and Love brings us all together.
Proof that a social system is truly functioning should be that compulsion is absent, that obedience is not demanded, but that the members of that social system strive to develop a world-view of understanding and voluntary cooperation.
Many people cannot imagine a society without compulsion, but walking with God instilled such a vision in me because my relationship with God is free from compulsion and God's love continues to transform me.