Hi Rusty,
I've been out for 30 years and still don't know if religion is anything but a way to feel some comfort about death. I haven't found any proof of the bible being God's word but I have to admit I don't have proof of anything about God. When I see nature I wonder about the bad there, as well as the good. Too many natural disasters, including sicknesses for animals as well as humans and plants.
I attend a church right now to just see what it claims to do for people and the results of being saved. So far it seems to help some people be more moral and many of the ones there are good people. I don't know if it is a result of some spirit of a God or just mental or emotional feeling. Religion's history isn't very good, it seems to depend on the leaders and how they feel about God's leadership. In the Hebrew days there was killing all the time and in the days of the early christain movement's control the same thing happened.
I guess you will have to do what makes you feel happy, if you can find that in your life.
Ken P.