I'm sure some people use religion in the way you describe, but there is tautological induction in religion that makes it cult-like. For instance, you say people go to church to reflect on how they can do better at being "good" next week. Well what is "good"? "Good" is what the church defines, of course. And unsurprisingly "good" comes to mean something like oppressing those with different view points and spreading all the "goodness" of the church to others. This type of organization has a pathological tendency to spread via coercion and oppression, and that makes it cult-like.
Good mostly as you define it yourself.
That’s why they say don’t judge others, that people will be judge by "God"
There is also norms anchored in long tradition, like the commandments.
But yes, there is also a tendency to try to explain everything and reject what doesn’t fit in the explanation ex: homosexuality.
