I want to break free

Reading Fay Vietmeiers post BREAKING FREE recently, immediately an association came to my mind.
In 1984 The band Queen launched a hit with the single «I want to break free».
This song talks about someone who feels trapped in a relationship and wants to ‘break free’ of the lover. Here is some of the lyrics to show:

I want to break free
I want to break free from your lies
You're so self satisfied I don't need you
I've got to break free
God knows, God knows I want to break free

But life still goes on
I can't get used to living without, living without
Living without you by my side
I don't want to live alone, hey
God knows, got to make it on my own

So baby can't you see
I've got to break free

Although the song was originally intended to be a male perspective of the women’s liberation movement, it was then taken on as somewhat of an anthem for one’s own personal freedom for a person who finds his/herself in a situation where he/she feels repressed and wants to ‘break free’ of his/her circumstances and to show the person that he/she really is.
Unfortunately, the song became most known by its video, all band members dressed up as women, an idea which came actually from one of the band members girlfriend and was meant as a parody to the women in the British soap series Coronation Street. The band, having done some serious, epic videos in the past, wanted to have some fun and wanted the people to know that they could still laugh at themselves.
The video became a hit, but not in the US. Some got offended by the dressing up as women and seeing the video as an empowerment to transvestites and, coupled with Freddy Mercury›s bisexuality, the video proved too controversial in the US and was even banned on MTV.

Now, Breaking free does not necessarily mean to me literally leaving everything behind. You can break free by clearing your mind, release your mind (and body, if needed), from things as stress, blockage, negativity and captivity as well. This can be done by techniques as meditation, yoga and/or by focussing on positive thoughts/things (without the «Tsjakka» feeling though ;-)).
A huge and well-known example to this personal belief, is someone who went from violent protests into captivity for many years, who kept his free spirits despite his endurance, got the courage to change his opinion on violence, got physically free eventually and even became president of South Africa, Nelson Mandela.

In her post, Fay mentions God as a formula that leads to freedom: “More of God ~ less of me”.
«The “desire-ability” to apply the formula will result in being God-centered instead of self-centered.»

Personally, I respectfully disagree. As a historian, I am very conscious that religions, in the name of God, have in the past brought (and sometimes still do) the very opposite of freedom for many people.
Here I can't share the view of most religions that, for example, people of different sexual orientation are not accepted at all, as a way to freedom. And how can some strict religious rules be considered as a formula to freedom? In an afterlife maybe, but not on here in this earthly world.
Now, being very personal at that, I do consider «God» as being apart (or above as you like) from whatever Church or religion. Churches and religions are made by and for people, with all its flaws and good sides.
Even if I were to choose to see God as a universal, all-encompassing form of love and freedom (which I actually do), I would still be left with the dilemma of all the misery in this world: the famines, the wars and so on. How can this be a path to freedom, if God accepts all this?

I am aware that this last question will arouse even more questions or discussions. Please feel free to join this topic in a serious and respectful way, because it is not my intention to offend any religion or believes, just to share some thoughts.