Mixing religion and spirituality is like mixing oil and water. Religion is nothing to do with spirituality.+

Upanishad says: ~ “The human goal is to acquire Self-Knowledge and they indicate that belief in the personal Gods, yoga scriptures, worship, and rituals are not the means to Self –Knowledge, then why anyone should indulge in it. The religion, concept of individualized god and scriptures are the greatest obstacle to realize non-dual truth or Self-realization because they are based on false Self.  The seeker of truth has to search the ultimate truth without losing himself in the labyrinths of philosophy, through deeper Self-search and assimilate and realize it.

Thus, the path of the wisdom is the only means. Then it is no use going a roundabout way, trace the Brahman which is the formless substance and the witness of the universe (mind).  By tracing the source of the mind or the universe one will be able to realize the Brahman (God in truth).

Sage Sankara: ~ “VC~ All this universe which through ignorance appears as of diverse forms, is nothing else but Brahman (God) which is absolutely free from all the limitations of human thought.

What is the use of arguing on the base of the birth entity, which is not the Self?

What is the use of knowing what happens after death when the Self is birthless? 

What is the use of thinking of heaven and hell when the ‘Self ‘is not an individual and it is never born and never dies?   

Before saying ‘I AM GOD’ one must realize what ‘God’ supposed to be in actuality.   Only ignorant says ‘I AM GOD’ without knowing what it means. 

People say I AM THAT ~ I am God, I am Brahman. But when Brahman is, how can "I" remain? Only Brahman remains, not I,  it is erroneous to use the word ‘I’ for the Self, because ‘I' represents the form, time and space whereas the Soul, the innermost Self is formless, timeless and spaceless existence.

Remember:~

Some Gurus and Self-declared Godmen say:  "I am God." This presupposes that they have the same miraculous and creative powers of God. They do not, however, display possession of such power. Such is the fallacy of their logic.

The Gurus who declare “I am God or “I am Brahman" is merely repeating like parrot words which they have read in the scriptures or heard. It does not prove that they have realized the ultimate truth or God or Brahman. With bookish or hearsay knowledge it is unable to prove that everything is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. One has to do lots of homework to realize the Soul, the innermost Self. 

A Guru who speaks of knowing Brahman within the body is thinking only of his head or heart, i.e. of his body. He is hallucinating. 

Some religious Gurus give medicinal herbs and cured people, the latter then falls into the fallacy of attributing their cure to the Swami's spiritual power, status or greatness. Those Gurus may have expert knowledge of herbs but that does not prove they are Gnanis. 

Remember:~

The stories of nonbeliever coming to a Guru denouncing him as a deceiver, and then suddenly being converted to faith in him are easily explicable. Both attitudes are merely emotional. One emotion succeeded another; it is in the nature of emotion to change. People are emotionally carried off their feet when they first visit a famous Guru.

Gurus who propagate Samadhi through sexual intercourse are not Gnanis. Sexual intercourse is nothing to do with the Soul, which is ever formless, timeless and spaceless existence.   Those who indulge in sexual activities to get enlightenment will permanently remain in the prison of the dualistic illusion.  They are unfit to acquire Self-knowledge.

Those Gurus who glorify themselves as God and collect money by promising people instant realization are frauds. Whoever speaks of knowing Brahman within us is thinking only of his body. He is hallucinating about getting instant realization because he is an intellectual. He thinks he has read and understood everything.   The Gurudom is nothing to do with the Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

Religious Gurus are concerned with the welfare of humanity to propagate love, peace, harmony and compassion to the populace.  

Humanity belongs to the dualistic illusion.  Spirituality is beyond the dualistic illusion. Mixing religion and spirituality is like mixing oil and water. Religion is nothing to do with spirituality.   Religion is nothing to do with the ultimate truth or Brahman.    : ~Santthosh Kumaar