I can definatly understand where you are coming from. The Relationship with Jesus is the utmost important thing. As a Catholic I can also say that some people can simply go through the rituals without any knoweldge of whats going on and without any care. However, I beleive that these people need to be taught what the rituals mean. In my faith I believe that having that personal relationship with Jesus includes those rituals and the Church I beleive he founded. Catholics beleive that we cannot just have a relationship with Jesus in the fullest sense apart from the church he founded for us(The Catholic church in our understanding). We cannot separate the head from the body so to speak. So to us faithful Catholics if we want to have the most personal relationship with Jesus we can we need to receive him the way he wants us to and set up for us in the sacraments. especially the Eucharist and Confession. And we need to be able to hear his voice clearly through his Catholic church because that is how he guides us in faith and morals.
We use the term religion in the older sense. It meant to "Bind to". Our Catholic Faith and Church should bind us to Christ. In other words for us it isn't a either or situation, its a both and situation.
At least that is the Catholic opinion.
God bless you all!
In Jesus through Mary,
Athanasias