To get truth realization or freedom no qualification is actually needed.

Religion is looked upon essentially as a path of truth but it is not so because it is based on the false self (waking entity or ego) and false experience (waking experience) therefore it is path of falsehood. The religious orthodoxy is nothing to do with pursuit of truth. By  leading a religious way of life observing all its code of conduct is not a qualification to acquire Self-Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.   Self-Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana stems from direct realization of what is truth and what is untruth and mentally rejecting the untruth. 

Religious truth is individual truth.  To get truth  realization or freedom no qualification is actually needed. It is possible to have the realization of the non-dual truth here, in this very life.

• What is religion? 

           Religion in the present context is belief system.  
 

Whatever is based on the belief based system is religion whether the belief is based on God or no god has to be considered as religion. Even atheistic belief system like Buddhism and Jainism has to be considered as religion.   They may not have belief in god but they believe in worshiping Buddha or Mahavira in place of God.  Thus they are atheistic belief system.  

Pursuit of truth as a search for transcendence, thinking beyond the form, time and space to realize the fact that, the experience form, time and space is mere illusion created out of consciousness, which is the innermost self.

It's said that the only way to understand ultimate truth is to realize it. Through soul-centric reason, one perceives its transformative power. The path that that remains in the realm of concepts and ideas is not path of wisdom. The robes, ritual and other trappings of religion are not the means to Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.    

Every religion has its own idea of God, heaven, hell paradise, sin karma, code of conducts thus they are not universal truth. Religion is based on the false self(waking entity or ego)  and false experience(waking experience or universe).   Thus religious truth  is individual truth therefore  it cannot be accepted as ultimate truth or Brahman. Thus religious oriented Self-Realization is not the means to acquire Self-Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.  The religion is the greatest obstacle in the path of wisdom or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.