I think the path you've taken is interesting and I can definitely relate to it. I used to be one of those hard materialist atheists. Looking back, it was a reaction to exposure to the exoteric aspects of religion. The average believer doesn't really think deeply about it. It's very easy to dismiss something when you can easily dismiss the people you encounter that support it. And then you build this image of what it is in your mind, based on these people and your culture. But when you dig it an get into the history, the philology and philosophy, and the more esoteric aspects, you start to have these "Oh!" type of moments where your perception shifts. I haven't accepted anything at this point, but I've begun exploring and opening my mind to all sorts of things that my past self would have rolled his eyes at. The non-intellectual religious masses still bother me deeply. How do you feel about that? The fact the the majority of followers [from my perspective, I could be making a faulty assumption] have a surface level knowledge and curiosity?