is the word religion just another form of hierarchy government and classification of beliefs that does not?

I guess you'd have to define 'Religion' First. There are lots of Spiritual practices (Buddhism) that are not hirarchical. However, most monothestic faiths certainly are. I would say it is a human addittion to the original version, however... St. Paul said that in the dominion of God there is no rich or poor, slave or free, Jew of Gentile, male or female... guess that got forgotten.