Thanks, all those who replied. That's food for thought indeed. I tend to agree that organized religion is not the answer, since the external is not where 'enlightenment' lies.
The Conversations with God books I have read. I did find the humor in them somewhat immature and a little distracting, although many of the points he made were terrific and got me to thinking along different lines. There's a book called God without religion by Saranam Somebody or other, which I might read. I will also pursue the Krishnamurti angle too, see if that resonates.