you *said* that religion was a thing that existed seperately from the follower:

"the problem with religion is that, done properly, it doesn't answer questions so much as help you to work out which are the questions you really want to find answers to. and gives you a framework and a frame of reference for finding them."

so, in your own words, religion is a framework or a set of principles by which the follower seeks answers. religion therefore has to be a seperately existing set of premises or a pattern if you will that is accessed by followers.

so confused...