Religion doesn't teach, people do.
Religions are a teaching of people. You can learn directly under someone or teach yourself from the plethora of resources out there.
Religious leaders choose what to focus on, how to interpret.
Of course they do. You can't escape interpretation. Not that you need to go to church or the equivalent in another religion to learn from religion. You yourself can read and interpret the scriptures - and you'll have to decide what to focus on and how to interpret it for yourself. Of course, for a more informed position you'll want to study beyond just your own private interpretation.
If the Bible or Quran were only seen as self-help guides, people individually could get whatever they see as beneficial to themselves.
Individuals can and do study these scriptures themselves and reap the benefits. I myself don't belong to any church or denomination, though I've gone to many different churches over the years. I got bored going to church from a young age because they don't teach anything beyond the sheer basics of their own doctrine. However, I've spent countless hours doing my own studying and debates of theology - and in many ways my theology has significantly changed over the years. You'd be hard pressed to find a church that reflects my views.
One of the big ones that I spent years on, for instance, was the Trinity. Even wrote a paper on the Ante Nicene Fathers VS the Trinity for my Senior Research Paper for my BA in Religious Studies. I'd spent the past 6 years or so reading through the Ante Nicene Fathers Series to determine if the early church was Trinitarian, as basically everyone Christian liked to claim, or not. For I had already, by this point, found the Trinity to be illogical and indefensible from the scriptures - but still had to question myself when everyone was claiming that the Church has always taught the Trinity doctrine. Of course, that was false - anyone who claims such has either never studied the matter or is lying to you.
Additionally, when I selected courses to study in college for my BA in Religious Studies degree, I focused on taking courses about other religions rather than Christianity. Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Confucianism, etc. I guarantee you that it is quite possible to study religion and the scriptures thereof without going to a single service. You gotta be willing to put in the time and effort, however. LOTS of reading.
What happens instead, as these religious leaders claim the authority of God they can control the masses. This is what religion does best, control folks. The Bible and Quran for the most part are used as symbols of authority. Authority given to religious leaders to dictate the will of God to the rest.
As I noted in my previous post, it comes as no surprise that SOME people would seek to abuse religion - that does not mean that that becomes all religion is. In the right hands religion is a powerful and beneficial power in our lives - individually and collectively. Look at people like the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. You are being intellectually dishonest to try to sum up religion as something that only exists for abuse and manipulation.
You want to use scripture because you see some personal benefit in it, ok. As long as you don't think it gives you any authority to tell anyone else how to live.
We all have freewill and must choose how to live ourselves - a God given right. It is our responsibility, however, as moral agents, to discuss what is good and right and to share the truth we have gleaned. It is also our responsibility to fight against evil and injustice. This all applies whether you are religious or not.
