Religion and rituality

[Godscreated]

So when you pray, you literally hear a voice in your head answer back? I can't be the first to suggest this but I think you should go to a mental health professional. You could be suffering from schizophrenia

Please no ad homs.

GC, you are right, many religions do not necessarily involve an alteration of your state of mind. You are also right in your distinction between prayer and ritual.

But if god is so "personal", what is the need of worshipping in company with others?

The church serves the function of several things and ritual can distract from it's purpose. The church is a family in which Christians can find support, take for instance in Egypt at this time, who would the Christians there depend on with them being targets of another religion that shows nothing but hate for them. The church (family) finds it's strength in relationship with each other and with God, the church serves the purpose of teaching those who are newly entering Christianity. The church is a witness to the community as to who God is when the church is serving the community, that's one reason the church is referred as the bride of Christ, we are representing Christ in the community. If we did not worship together we would not find the strength nor have the strength to help those in need. Christ is the foundation on which the church is built, without Him there would be no church. Christianity is a personal relationship with God and the family of God just as family members have personal relationships with other family members and the family as a whole has a relationship with a family member, for what ever reason that family member might need. All strengthens the one and the one strengthens the family and God strengthens us all.