What does God have to do with religion?

Not a whole lot. RELIGION may have been the invention of the Watchers or Fallen Angels. We can again know God without the middle man who might be the devil man. Follow scripture and teachings of those when you cannot understand scripture. Still pray for understanding and direction. This post was edited by O-uknow at March 12, 2017 1:39 AM MST

It was used as a moderating tool by earlier (kings) governments to control its subjects. If people stuck by the commandants, for example, they would be less likely to break the laws. Plus times were incredibly hard compared to today, of course. A lot more hardship, diseases and death. It was really needed. Try telling a mother back then that the four of her children who passed away from hunger, dysentery, plague, measles, or whatever that they didn't go on to another place.  

Let's stipulate, for the question, is that there is a god of some kind.

Our relationship with that god would be one, but only one, of the aspects of spirituality.

Religion, by contrast, is the bureaucracy of the soul. It's the regimentation of ideas through which religions and their apologists attempt to persuade their followers to 'worship' in a particular way. Consider, as an example, saying, "1 Corinthians 6:12-20 lays down some of the rules about sexual immorality." Now let's put it another way and say, "Section 1 of the Corinthians Act, Sub-section 6, paragraphs 12-20..." and you have the bureaucratic approach. 

There's a fable about an eagle that was hatched by chickens and, like them, strutted about the barnyard pecking at corn. Then one day it realised it's potential and FLEW!

That's the difference between religion and spirituality. Religion shackles; spirituality flies!

This post was edited by Benedict Arnold at March 12, 2017 11:03 AM MDT

To add on to what Righty said, prior to man made laws being invented, religion (and Gods) was (were) needed and used as a way to control the populace. This post was edited by Harry at March 12, 2017 7:16 PM MDT

The bible says religion is made up by men telling each other what to do, and God has a low opinion of it.

Doctrines of theist religions use deities as sources of authority to project power and value into their claims. In actual exercise of personal belief, one need not necessarily include the other.

To echo Didge's comment, one may observe or worship their god(s) without the regimentation of dogma, just as there are religions that observe no gods. 
 
Religion was man's earliest attempts at explaining the unexplained. God(s) became the place holder for man's ignorance; the all-inclusive source of those things for which no source could otherwise be discerned; and the unchallenged authority to back whatever claims were presented by religion. 
Gods and religions have all been fashioned according to the particular ideals of those who observed them. There have been psychological studies that show a percentage of people who are more predisposed toward belief and religion, outside of those who were compelled into belief (or the appearance of it) by outside forces, or lack of alternatives. 

not much

What does God have to do with religion?

First there were only Gods and Godesses. God with animal heads. Gods as planets. Fertility gods. Then men were considered gods. Why was religion needed?

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The answer to your first question, “What does God have to do with religion?” is encapsulated in the fact that religions link mankind to God. This also partly answers your second question “Why was religion needed?”

Religion can be said to arise from two needs:

a] To provide answers to the big questions about the universe and life, which have not been and perhaps cannot be provided in any other way

 b] To provide a neutral basis for the essential code of conduct in any communal living and one that everyone is more likely to accept and subscribe to because it is not prescribed by ruling individuals.