From the Jain point of view, your concern is valid.

1) Jainism does not accept a creator God

Jain philosophy does not say that some God created the universe, created souls, or controls destiny. The universe is beginningless and endless. So the question, “Who made God?” or “Who made the creator?” does not arise in Jainism, because there is no creator God in the first place.

In Jain thought:

• Jiva = soul
• Ajiva = non-soul matter and principles
• Karma binds the soul through its own actions
• Liberation comes through self-effort, not divine favor

So Jainism does not need a first creator to explain existence.

2) Why do rituals exist then?

In Jainism, rituals are not supposed to be the final goal. They are meant to be supportive tools.

Properly understood, temple worship and pūjā can serve these purposes:

• to cultivate shraddhā and reverence
• to reduce inner impurity like pride, greed, anger, and attachment
• to remind the soul of the ideal of the Tīrthaṅkaras
• to create discipline, mindfulness, and purity of conduct

But if someone thinks:

• “God is physically seated here and will grant my wishes,” or
• “I can buy worldly favors through ritual,”

then that is not the higher Jain view. That is a misunderstanding.

3) In Jainism, the highest worship is bhāva-pūjā

Jain tradition distinguishes between:

• dravya pūjā: external worship using flowers, water, rice, lamps, etc.
• bhāva pūjā: inner worship through purity of thought, faith, knowledge, and conduct

External ritual without inner transformation is incomplete. The real aim is to purify the bhāva.

4) Why does ritualism become so prominent in practice?

Because many people find external actions easier than deep introspection.

Rituals are visible, social, and comforting. Swādhyāya, self-inquiry, and detachment are much harder.

So in practice, many people remain at the level of:

• habit
• emotion
• social identity
• hope for worldly benefit

But this is a weakness in practice, not the essence of Jainism.

5) What is the Jain emphasis really?

The Jain path centers on the Ratnatraya:

1. Samyak Darshan — right faith
2. Samyak Gyan — right knowledge
3. Samyak Charitra — right conduct

Without these, ritual has limited value.

The goal is:

• purification of the soul
• destruction of karma
• realization of the pure self
• liberation (moksha)

6) What about people saying all suffering is only past karma?

Jainism does teach that karma is the cause of suffering. But that does not mean passive resignation.

Jainism strongly affirms purushārtha — right effort.

A proper Jain understanding is:

• past karma influences present conditions
• but present effort determines future bondage or liberation
• one should not become lazy, fatalistic, or careless

So if someone says, “It is only karma, so I need not act,” that is incomplete understanding.

7) Why so little focus on swādhyāya and self-knowledge?

Ideally, there should be much more focus on:

• study of scriptures
• reflection on the soul
• contemplation of karma
• meditation
• ethical purification
• restraint and non-attachment

Jainism absolutely values gyaan. In fact, knowledge is one of the three jewels. If a community becomes overly ritual-centered and neglects study and inner discipline, that is a distortion in practice, not the full teaching.

8) On “residing with God after death”

That idea is not Jain doctrine.

In Jainism:

• liberated souls do not go to live with a creator God
• there is no creator God
• liberated souls attain siddha-hood
• they reside at the Siddha-śilā
• they exist in pure, eternal consciousness, free from karma

So the Jain liberation ideal is not “going to God,” but becoming free from bondage.

9) So why are rituals still respected?

Because when understood properly, they are a ladder, not the destination.

Rituals can help beginners move toward:

• reverence
• discipline
• detachment
• spiritual memory

But the Jain scriptures and teachers ultimately direct the seeker toward:

• self-purification
• self-knowledge
• right conduct
• liberation

10) The real Jain answer to your criticism

Your critique matches a genuine Jain concern: external religion without inner transformation is incomplete.

Jainism would not defend blind ritualism as the highest truth. It would say:

• rituals are useful only when they support inner purity
• knowledge without conduct is incomplete
• conduct without knowledge is blind
• devotion without understanding becomes mechanical
• the soul must be awakened through samyak darshan, gyan, and charitra

11) In one sentence

In Jainism, ritual is meant to be a means, not the goal; the real goal is self-realization, karmic purification, and liberation through one’s own effort, not through any creator God.

If you want, I can also give this answer in a more scriptural Jain style with terms like ratnatraya, bhāva-pūjā, dravya-pūjā, moksha-mārga, and purushārtha arranged point by point.