Belief is important in some contexts. The Declaration of Independence is one example of a document where very pragmatic men expressed certain normative beliefs.

I believe that there are unidentified flying objects. Every time I see an object suspended in or traveling through the air and I can’t make out what it is I tell myself “Eureka!” in Spanish and chalk one more UFO sighting into my own personal collection.

I don’t believe in god because, unlike UFO’s of the sort that I’ve described and which I have seen and expect to continue seeing all the time, I have never seen god. And from the description that the people who claim to have seen god provide, I’m certain that if god existed there would and could be no question about it. It just makes no sense to me that such a powerful being would spend an eternity playing hide and seek with us.

Good post. I too want evidence rather than blind belief. Or else I want to be able to think that it doesn't matter. I am convinced that blind belief has caused more than half the world's problems