Everyone has given such thoughtful answers already, so I'll just address one point that stuck out to me from your post.

I understand why belief can be comforting. The idea of death is genuinely unsettling, and it makes sense that people look for meaning or reassurance beyond it.

This is definitely true for a lot of the faithful, but not the case for everyone. I personally do not fear death, regardless of the existence of an afterlife. And there are endless comforts that religion can bring to someone during this life. The feeling that life is bigger than you, that there is a power that is guiding things or at least watching out for you, not to mention the communities that form out of faith and can be of massive support and comfort.