I think you explained it quite well. And I agree that they have no sincere convictions. But then the Ancient Mystery's always consisted of three circles or groups of people. The inmost circle is where the "ones who know," or the adepts and initiates were. They were the ones 'closest to god.' In circle two were the wizards, magi, dream-interpreters which today is what Thomas Sowell calls the cult of experts. Circle three is the largest and is occupied by true-believers, skeptics, mockers, scoffers. Outside of the three circles were the subhuman infidels, or Christians today.
Seems like circles all right, but more like Dante’s Circles of Hell, to my reckoning ;)