I have such mixed emotions on this subject and honestly it's hard to pin down exactly what I do believe. Through my own experiences I believe in what is real and right in front of me, but the thought of an afterlife is more intriguing than just becoming nothing upon death. I was raised in a Christian home and we went to church, not every Sunday but most. I have been baptized and in my younger years I "believed" because it made sense and most children don't question things like religion. Without boring you guys with the details there was a time in my life where I thought I was going to die and I called out to God hoping that I would have some feeling of something putting me at ease and rewarding my faith. I wasn't expecting the clouds open up or any of that jazz but I wanted something-anything to help me through and say it's ok. I can't say that I felt anything in that moment of humble desperation but silence and a sense of loneliness.
I talked to preachers and close friends of mine who are devout Christians about that time and each of then just reassured me that God was there and that he just works in mysterious ways. Each of them had such conviction and I wanted to believe them, especially my close friends when they said that they just opened up and let God into their lives, but I have never gotten that feeling through all of my years of following without question. From then until now I just find myself agreeing with both sides when an arguement makes sense and just trying to be a good person to my fellow humans.

I've never posted in a religious thread on here because from the looks of it you guys are far more knowledgeable, but just my .02. Sorry for the wall of text