Rule Oriented

Why is institutional religion so rule oriented?  Christianity for instance is based upon God becoming a human person in Jesus of Nazareth.  As I recall his Dad, Joseph, found out that the wife, Mary, was pregnant and not by him.  Rule says, he could have her stoned to death and she along with baby would die.  Case solved.  But he decides to divorce her quietly, not quite the rule, but he is a nice guy, compassionate and caring for the pregnant girl.  Then he decides, from a dream, to take her into his home as wife, care for her and the baby when born.  He is breaking rules, so Jesus comes into world through rule breaking.  So I sometimes bend a few rules or don’t follow them very strictly.  I do pray to Saint Joseph!.