Yes, there is a Creator, but that Creator is NOT what most religions have you believe as God. This is where I have the problem.
There are lots of good messages in many religions, yes, I don't disagree with that. The problem is that people don't follow the 'guidelines' like you said. And those that do, are far too harsh, like most Catholics I know. They tend to follow so closely and call themselves 'Good Christians', yet they are the first to cause harm. They are the first to steal. I've come to a theory on that recently, it occurred to me that because these people have at their disposal the 'Sacrament of Confession', they feel all they have to do is ask forgiveness from their 'lord' and it doesn't matter what they did wrong, all is forgiven.
I don't know if you've noticed, but lots of soldiers pray to god every day. Lots of soldiers are religious. Yet, if they followed their religion for what it is supposed to be, they wouldn't fight at all.
I'm not a 'religious' person. I can't follow things that contradict what I know to be good and right. I was raised a Catholic, but as soon as I was old enough to stay home alone, I stopped going to church. I've never been able to understand the "why". If God is around us all the time, why do we need to go to his "house". And, why do we need to dress up to go there if God doesn't care what we wear? He created us naked, right?
I believe there is a higher force that allows for us to exist in this form. Religion is currently serving the purpose of 'divide and conquer'. It is 'organized' religion that is causing most of the fighting in this world. If people could see past their differences in beliefs, they would see that we are all the same. And this is why I say, religion is there to control us and lead us astray.
Sorry, I do get quite passionate about these matters because I don't understand this world. I'm not like most people, I never have been, and I never will be.