Purpose of Religious Ritual

Sorcery: The attempt to control the supernatural through words and ritual

Religion: The (normally collective) attempt to interact with the supernatural through words and ritual

I don't think the line is fine, but I do think there is danger in treading it carelessly. Sometimes in the practise of religion there is a worrying tendency to think of ourselves as in control, to think of God as accountable to us, to forget, as C.S. Lewis put it, 'He's not a tame lion'. Religion should help us recognise our dependence on God, not fool us into thinking He can be won over to do our bidding, if only we say the right words with the right rituals.