Is religion required to access God?

Sadhvi Bhagawatiji explains that religion is a way to connect with the Creator. It is not the only way, but for most people religion is a wonderful way and a helpful means to connect with God. She shares the example of coming down to bathe in the waters of holy River Ganga. She says that there could be multiple ways to go to Ganga. There could be ghats or some places with no ghats but beaches. You can choose from any of these, or you could choose to directly jump into Ganga from a cliff. But for most people having steps and chains eases the process. In the same way, one could directly jump into the ocean of the Divine without religion. But for many of us, religion helps us and eases the process. Just because there are so many different and often-times confusing religions does not mean we throw it all out. We can learn to explore and find what works for us to connect.