Where's GOD At?

Religion in the "western world" we live in, shows God, (or the supreme high being, depending on the religion) as an external entity, existing outside of us, that grants us blessings and lashes out punishment based on our actions and decisions. We are also taught that our connection to a MOST HIGH depends on our connection to a church leader (i.e. pastor, priest, rabbi). This perspective tends to differ greatly from common religions of the East which seem to emphasize more of an introspective, inner-spirit experience. As a result, could religion in the Eastern world be more effective at providing spiritual preservation to believers? Has Western religion been immersed in an ongoing cycle of faulty tradition and contradictions which lead to ultimate suppression of the people. Tune in for this thought provoking debate on where GOD lives?