The essence of the founders of major religions—or more accurately, the messenger Souls who were sent to tell the truth of God and each GodSelf —is of the Christed energy realm, and none is superior to any other.   They consciously knew their Soul contracts and are to be revered for fulfilling them; however, their teachings were deliberately distorted and subsequently so relayed through the ages, with Eastern religions adhering more closely than any others to the authentic messages.  

“Is tithing a religious law designed by church potentates?”   Oh yes, it is exactly that.  Generously sharing one’s resources is indeed godly, but that was not the intent of tithing.  The same few people who ruled the early church also ruled the state, and they quickly saw that to wield absolute power, they needed to control people’s minds and money.   Therefore the laws they contrived mandated that ten percent of all money or goods must be given to the church, which not only enriched the powerful few, but further cemented their hold over the populace.  Truly beautiful huge structures were erected and adorned with exquisite items of religious nature—these were enabled by considerable sacrifices of the poorest as the price of their entitlement to worship as decreed by the church potentates.

But Church is not a building—it is all within the Soul.  It is one’s personal relationship with GOD or whatever name you choose to call the Supreme Being of this Universe.   And Prayer, which reaches the Source of All by whatever name, is actually how one lives—prayer is the energy of every thought, feeling, motive, word and action. When these are based in love, the radiance is beautiful to behold! If one wishes to pray for a soul at a specific occasion or even have a constant prayer registered, “for their highest good” is the most meaningful and really the most accurate sentiment because you don’t know what is in their soul contract. “For my highest good” is the most effective prayer for oneself, too.

MATTHEW: By definition an illusion is deceptive, something perceived as real but without basis in reality.  

The illusion of third density is that there is this one life on Earth, then you die and afterwards, according to many, there’s a nebulous place that’s either a blessed or a hellfire-and-brimstone “afterlife” where you stay forevermore.   
The reality is that this is but one of many hundreds or many thousands of experiences of a Soul that is living in many different forms and locations simultaneously in the Universe. 

The illusion is that you are your body, your personality, your characteristics, your feelings, your achievements, and incidentally, you have a soul that goes God only knows where when you die.
The reality is that you are the Soul, a part of GOD, inseparable from Him and all other Souls in this Universe; you are having the physical experience that you chose to balance other lifetimes; and you are an eternal being.

The illusion is, according to one’s religious affiliation, that the Supreme Being of this universe is correctly portrayed only by your religion and His laws as interpreted by your religion are absolute.
The reality is that the Supreme Being of this universe is subordinate to Creator, the Supreme Being of the cosmos; He is an amalgamation of all Souls, all life forms, throughout this universe and He knows every thought and feels every feelings of every life;
He cannot interfere with Creator’s law of free will when Souls veer from their pre-birth agreements so it is not His “will be done”;   
although we commonly say “He,” God, or the Source by your name selection, is the epitome of androgyny, the perfectly balanced male and female energy;
and He didn’t devise religions—a few of his misguided godself parts did. 

The illusion is that evil is the opposite of godliness.
The reality is that darkness is the absence of Light, the absence of Love and Spiritual Clarity.

The illusion is that Earth is a small, solid planet whose residents are the only verifiable intelligent life in the universe.
The reality is that Earth is a Soul with a planetary body that is home to beings within, on and above her, and her surface residents for the most part are far less advanced spiritually, intellectually and technologically than many other civilizations.

Yes, each Soul has his or her own illusion as it pertains to self, every facet of the lifetime, planet Earth, and the Source of All, but ultimately all will share the same Universal Reality.