Religion is tool for giving samskara or conditioning to be, to behave, to believe, to live according to its code of conduct, in family and society to live peacefully honestly loving the humanity with the fear of GOD

Religion is tool for   giving   samskara or conditioning to be, to behave, to believe, to live according to its code of conduct, in family and society to live peacefully honestly loving the humanity with the fear of GOD.  Thus region is belief centric not truth centric.     

Religion makes one getting stuck with the reality of the practical life within the practical world. Religion is nothing to do with the Self-knowledge or brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana because it is based on the formless soul, which is the innermost self, whereas religion is based on the form or waking entity (ego).   Therefore mixing religion with spirituality or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana and trying to realize the truth is like trying to find snow in the desert.     

The one who thinks religion and yogic path is for moksha or nirvana escapes from realizing the fact that, the self is neither waking entity nor the self is dream entity but the self is formless witness of the three states.   Therefore, one has to realize the existence of the three states, which is apart from the three states.    The waking entity (ego) or waking world (mind or universe) is nothing to do with soul or consciousness, which is the innermost self and it is ever free from experience of form, time and space. 

Every religionists, yogis and theorist (ignorant) are saying their own accepted truth, over and over again. They are merely propagating their truth, but none of them are able to establish it with certainty, which can be verified here and now, not in the next life or next world. 

That is why Sri Sankara, indicated  in Bhaja Govindam says: - [Jnana Viheena Sarva Mathena Bajathi na Muktim janma Shatena] - one without knowledge does not obtain liberation even in a hundred births, no matter which religious faith he follows. 

Then it is no use going roundabout way, trace the Brahman which is the formless substance and witness of the universe, which is in the form of mind.  By tracing the source of the mind or universe one will be able to realize the Brahman. 

Thus, Self-Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana  is meant only for those who have intense urge, and courage to accept the truth with humility and reject the untruth. Since people start comparing with their scriptural knowledge, it becomes impossible to assimilate and realize the non-dual truth.   Therefore, there is no need to convince anyone other than our own-selves to get the firm conviction. 

So they clearly indicate rituals and theories are not meant for those who are searching for the higher knowledge or wisdom.   The path of wisdom is the only means.  

All the orthodox Advaitins indulge and immersed themselves in ritualistic oriented life style and follow the path of karma and upasana which is meant for lower and middling intellect   and not for realizing the Advaitic truth.  Many chose these orthodox scholars as their gurus. But these gurus are good to learn the conceptual Advaita meant for those orthodox who believe their conduct oriented life style leads to Moksha [liberation].  But religious based Advaita is not   the means to acquire self –knowledge or non-dual wisdom.  Those who are seeking truth have to do their own homework in order to acquire self-knowledge.