i think what walterick said pretty much sums up my thoughts on this. I am agnostic, leaning towards atheism, but I have a couple very religious friends. from the discussions I have had with them, bringing up this exact point, they have made me understand one thing. They don't need proof. The sheer act of believing that there is a god is really what gives them strength, and they need something to believe in. It's not about whether he/she/it actually exists or not, it's just about the faith that he/she/it does.

I personally don't buy into it for the sheer fact it goes against just about EVERY other kind of reasoning in the world. It's kind of like turning in a physics problem, your professor saying no, this is wrong because of (insert reason here) and you saying, "no it's right because I believe it's right, there's no proof, but it just is." When else except religion does that type of reasoning work? Not very many places, that's for sure. But at the same time, I can respect the views of those who do, and I can see where they are coming from. In some instances. In others, such as terminal patients who are praying to god, I find it ironic that they are praying to the very being who put them there (in their belief) to help them out.

In the end, you can believe what you want to believe and I won't attack you for it. Unless you try to force religion on me. In that case, you'd best be ready for a good argument, because anyone who knows me knows I like arguing, and I certainly don't like backing down from a point I believe in.