You want answers to everything, but you can't handle the fact that nothing in life is certain, and that science can't always account for every single thing that happens.
I think it is the religious who are more in want of the answers to everything, I'm an atheist and I'm quite content with not knowing the answer to things, I come to conclusions based on as much scientific evidence as possible but realise that not every question can be answered.
By accepting the word of a religion you are doing so to have an answer to every question, but over time scientific evidence has proven many of the things said in religious texts to be wrong. As such I think it is inevitable that questions currently unanswered will slowly continue to be answered, though some will possibly remain unanswered and conveniently they all concern the beginning of the universe, I think trying to answer that is like counting to infinity, impossible. Religion attempts to make a beginning and an end to this, God and an apocalypse respectively and bases this on human existence.
My personal belief is that the result of death is something anyone who has been under general anaesthetic will know about, you fall asleep and then there is nothing, though with anaesthetic you wake up, with death you do not. That is the only difference. Science can't answer this, no one can die and then wake up again to tell the story, if someone is pronounced dead and then they wake up again, they were never dead. Nor can religion answer this, their answer is just one that is a glimmer of hope to provide a means of answering the complex questions such as the meaning of life and to provide acceptance of death (people who believe in reincarnation moreso, why worry about death when you become someone/thing else anyway?). The fact is that if you believe that there is an afterlife and there isn't, there is no effect on you, so you are more willing to take that risk than to believe that there isn't an afterlife and to be proven wrong.
As far as my beliefs on death go, I am convinced that mind is a state of the brain, you can live without mind, but you don't have a mind without life. The brain controls what you think and feel, it is a processing centre for senses from the body, without a body you cannot feel, therefore there is nothing to process and no new information can enter the brain/mind. The answer I give myself for the meaning of life gives me enough of a motivation for life, I don't believe that life is worthless just because there is nothing beyond the end.
Religion in my view is answering a question by guessing, if a prophecy in the Bible or other religious text comes true it is down to simple statistics, if you make enough guesses that are broad enough, some are bound to come true.
The same thing goes with the beginnings of life, the odds fell the Earth's way, that is why I think there is bound to be life outside of Earth, because with the amount of planets in the universe the odds of evolution is bound to bring about a second place where life can exist.
Science is about testable evidence, everything is scrutinised and peer reviewed, if something has reasonable doubt, new research happens to find out a way of proving or disproving the doubt. There are always going to be gaps in science, but ignoring centuries worth of evidence for the word of one book will never appeal to me.
Now obviously everyone can come to their own conclusions, from what I've read elsewhere in this thread there are many who disagree with the finer points of their religious teachings but accept things broadly, if there isn't scientific proof for something they default to religious teaching. Religion creates the perception of full understanding more than science ever can, no matter if it turns out to be false, I'm fine with someone believing what they want to achieve contentment in their own lives.
My acceptance of this falls over when someone won't accept that others have different beliefs and if someone doesn't except that there is a chance they could be wrong about something. If I see evidence to the contrary on any of my beliefs and understanding on the matters I've discussed above I'll certainly read them, I haven't obtained my current position lightly and I'd imagine if I read this post in ten years time there might be parts I disagree with, just like when I've read back some of my past political positions I'd argue against my own stance. This is because knowledge develops, as I learnt more about the world, I've had a shift in my views, the most recent change in my opinion is based on the death penalty, I used to be fine with its use for some crimes, but after I studied the issue deeply last year I've shifted my view, but on the other hand I've always believed in Universal Healthcare and Gun Control.
There is a difference between opinion, belief and fact. Fact is irrefutable evidence, it is the literal meaning of a proof. Opinion is a self made thought, I have an opinion on things where facts are not possible or are refutable. Belief is a rationalisation of fact and opinion. If you can't accept a fact you believe your opinion, if you accept a fact it becomes your opinion. Religious texts in my view are an opinion, they are a way of guiding your own beliefs, but they are not fact. Science can be fact, which is where the difference exists.
If religion can help you come to your beliefs that is fine, an answer's an answer. If belief in something can enhance your life, go for it. Just don't blindly follow.
(And yes, I don't expect anyone will fully read this, it is massively long, over 900 words in fact and fully expect all replies to be picking at a small part).
