David_J,
Thanks for your interesting posts explaining things from the Jewish perspective i.e. that of the writers of the Old Testament.
What we are talking about here is the overall matter of "Spirituality" - which certainly includes, but is not limited to, religion / worship. The "spiritual" does not have to make rational sense; perhaps even in most instances it never does. However, as you have described, that in itself need not be a problem.
All the more reason, though, not to allow oneself to get too bent out of shape over the matter of religion! When I first agreed to the offer of what the JWs call a "Free Home Bible Study", certain others tried to warn me that, to quote "Religion is all-right, but in its place". Sadly, it took me a long time to wake up to what they were warning me about!
I have just finished reading Janina Bauman's Beyond these Walls. In that work, she, too, said very much the same as you did in the way the Jewish religion defines a people culturally. (Their family was not "practising" in its faith, considered themselves to be patriotic Polish citizens, yet still identified with their Jewish culture).
PS: I for one appreciate your posts, which have re-introduced a depth of discussion to this board, of a type not seen here for some time.