@Helveticus indeed. i don't have beliefs as much as conceptual models. as a youth i set on a line of inquiry to determine if there was any reason to remain alive and this of course included the question of whether a divine reality or not. over decades using every method of investigation i could find, i arrived at explanations that work for me only. i am not a believer as such, but i do respect certain of my experiences as valid. i promote open-mindedness not belief and critical thinking.
Part One - You sound a bit like me in the sense that we keep an open mind! But in my case I long ago decided that religion, while it has many good sides, is a human invention destined to control minds, especially juvenile and gullible ones!
I differ with you in the fact that I find critical thinking (critical is not synonym with negative) is essential to understand and navigate our reality!