IMO, the decision to believe in God or be religious is supposed to be kinda like...choosing to dedicate yourself to practicing a martial art, having a military career, or anything that requires a lot of discipline. The merit is really found in making the journey and sticking to it.

it's really not about reaching any particular goal per se, it's supposed to be about you becoming a better person through the discipline, focus, and self-sacrifice it takes to walk that path. the kind of person that you become as a result of that commitment usually sells itself. ppl tend to admire/respect/look-up-to these folks because the way they carry themselves as a result. in the bible it tells you that when ur really living the Christian life...it'll naturally draw others...the whole light of the world thing. i dont see kung fu masters beating down doors looking for pupils every saturday LOL. when the student is ready, he'll seek out the teacher.

when you look at it like this, whether or not God really exists becomes almost irrelevant. nobody debates if the seven Immortal kung fu masters really existed because it doesn't actually MATTER. them existing or not doesn't take away from value of the lessons offered. ppl shouldnt be religious for fear of going to hell or whatever. this totally misses the point. the idea is to do it because living by those guidelines can make you a better person and have a more fulfilling life.

the problem is ppl have used religion to gain power and control over ppl. it's been twisted into something ugly. It happened with Christianity back in the 1st century or so - we see what a mess that made. The Dark Ages, the Crusades, etc. That's the main reason science and western religion is at odds today. And we're actually watching and living the same process happen to Islam right now. but you dont have to throw out the baby with the bath water.

leave the job of explaining the universe and its workings to science. got a lot more to say but this is getting too long just my $0.02