A lot of people are spiritual, they believe in a higher power or being. The 12 steps in AA lead you to a higher power, Allah and Muhammad, Hinduism, theism (just a belief in some form of god but not actually God). This is a topic I could really get into, but bore a lot of people quickly.
You can have a religion that believes in God and the Trinity, yet it still does not push a relationship with our father. (Catholics). I'm not slamming Catholics, they just don't teach a relationship in Catechism. There are many pentecostal preachers that are on TV that have vast audiences and huge megachurches that do not push a relationship with God and Jesus.
Catholics and some other christian religions teach a religious doctrine, they teach a belief, they teach a law, they teach things you have to do to be loved by the Father or to get to heaven.
As Jesus said, "He looks at the heart." It's not a religion, it's more like a friendship, but knowing he is I Am.
Lots of truth here and it may upset some, but what you say is true. Essential doctrine DOES matter.
