Religion

These are just my thoughts/opinions, but while it may be true that these occult rituals exist to establish a connection between Christians (like myself) and god...I don't believe that these are the only means to establish a connection.

By loving and caring for others (especially those in most need) I believe that we establish a connection to god.
By being good stewards of the Earth, we establish a connection to god.

To me, saying prayers by rote has less meaning than someone saying a simple "Thank you" to a person who has helped them, just as a quiet, sincere whisper of "Please help me" can be a very powerful prayer.

In other words, one doesn't have to ignore occult rituals or established prayers (such as the Our Father or the Rosary) if they find these prayers and rituals helpful in connecting to the god they believe in. But by no means do I think that Christians in general or Catholics in particular have an exclusive way to connect with god.

I hope that makes sense - I apologize if I was unclear or did not answer your questions.

Wishing you well and peace.

Tim