Ah, but that's the rub, isn't it? To base a religion or one's religious beliefs strictly upon fact makes it merely a study or even a scientific observation. The basis of most (if not all) religions is on Faith, on believing something that you cannot prove. I am not a fervently religious person by any means -- I am strictly an ECH Catholic (Easter, Christmas, and Home-visiting-my-parents) -- but the life of Jesus (using the example I am more familiar with) can only be discovered to a minimal degree by "facts", since the time he lived was 2000 years ago. One of the stronger tenets of Catholic teaching is of his disciple, Thomas, who (as the story goes) only believed after physically encountering Jesus after he rose from the dead. Whether this actually happened can never be proven by fact -- period. But it is the faith that determines your view of this, either as a believer or as a "Doubting Thomas".

Brian...