I think you just are not capable of understanding religious thinking if you have to ask these questions. Try to put yourself in the shoes of someone premodern for whom God is every bit as real and present as the natural world. Even the most religious today are, in some respects, not on the same level as medieval people in this way.

I think you're not capable of understanding religious thinking of medieval people.

Your average medieval peasant was much more afraid of his local nobility than of god. Good part of nobility was much more afraid of mortal repercussions rather than the underworld. And clergy... Let's say today's clergy with their scandals is not that different from medieval times.

Do you think protestantism could have happened if people were so deeply religious both towards god and church? Even though god was much more real to many more people, church (and to extent - pilgrimages and church mythology) was seen as separate from god in many cases. There was plenty of questioning going on throughout history.

This view may or may not be affected by the fact that christianity came to my country only in late medieval ages. And took couple hundred years to be established. With remains of the old worldview still surviving in popular culture. People were more than aware that church teaching is not the single one available.