As I converse with people online and in my daily going about, I have found that religion has left a very poor taste in people's mouths. I completely understand that. These same people, many of them are seeking God and salvation...but just can't seem to make the commitment. They don't want to be associated with what religion has to offer. Guess what? Jesus also admonished religious leaders and the doctrines of devils; so...if religion turns you off, you're in good company.
Religion hijacked God's word, the Bible; various religions interpret God's word in so many different ways, it makes your head spin. There are so many versions of the Bible...the closer we get to His return, the more polluted the Gospel will become. Sit at the feet of Jesus and listen to His plain teachings. The red letters. Once we do that, maybe everything else will make more sense that's in His word. Even the parts where "God seems mean". Jesus was God in the flesh. He proved it to many eyewitnesses of His time. He did this to pay our sin debt; He had to come and be crucified. Who does that?! God. He did. Instead of making us all robots down here, our Creator gave us minds of our own. 'Within a few decades of his lifetime, Jesus was mentioned by Jewish and Roman historians in passages that corroborate portions of the New Testament that describe the life and death of Jesus.' These folks believe Christ's miracles were sorcery because they hadn't seen anything like it! Because He was God. A God who challenged the religious leaders who loved to point their long, judgmental fingers.
Link: My Testimony! A short one :)