A religion which lets its followers choose what to do is not even a religion. Can a person choose to be a criminal because it suits him? Everyone can freely follow what they want. However, a person who does as he or she pelases is not an Astika. These types of believes are normally propagated by the people who want to attract the new generation and give up the Shastras while doing so. To attract the young generations they say things like "Hinduism allows questioning. You can be an atheist and still be Hindu. Hinduisms believes in equality...".
I am from advaita smarta sampradaya. Hence, what Ramanujacharya and Madhvacharya say is not important to me. Adi Shankaracharya's words are true, set in stone for me. Similarly for other sampradayas, they must follow their acharyas scrupulously. Smritis written by Rishis before Adi Shankaracharya, Ramanujacharya, and Madhvacharya are common to all. To know what you must follow, ask the elders of your family. Do not search online where random people post random things.
I want to remind you, I am not telling you to follow me. I am telling you to ask the elders in your family to know your Sampradaya and learn how to live from the acharyas of your sampradaya, be it Vaishnava, Shaiva, Shakta, ... Sampradaya.
Next, what I posted is not a blog. This is from a book called Hindu Dharma which is a compilation of volumes 1 & 2 of Deivathin Kural, a book which contains various discourses / speeches of Mahaperiyava, compiled by Ramachandran (Ra) Ganapathi, who had known Periyava.
Lastly, you quote Bhagavad Gita "Sanatana Dharmam allows us to choose what we want to follow and what not. Bhagwan in the BG says you may discredit what I myself say if it does not suit you; therefore, technically, even the Vedas have no power over a practising Hindu. Take what you want and leave the rest." Did Shankaracharya, Ramanujacharya, or Madhvacharya give such a meaning to the verse in their commentaries? You have no authority to read on your own and produce a meaning based on a direct translation. You have to specify who gave this verse such a meaning. If any of the three above acharyas said you can choose whatever you think suits you, why did they create three sampradayas and tell their followers to follow something? Why did Shankaracharya correct people from following Mimamsa if it "suited them"?
Again, I am not expecting you to change your opinion. I am writing these texts around once in three days, just with the goal of making sure "modern so called Hindu" beliefs do not misguide Astikas.