There is certainly some utility in "believing" in God, whether or not one's beliefs translate into literal truth. Belief in God provides people with a justification and framework for a whole set of other precepts, such as moral codes, creation myths, etc., which help us live our lives and illuminate persistent issues and themes that many of us encounter in our lives. Over time, belief in God has also provided a foundation for many of the institutions and developments that helped civilization advance: governmental structures, increased literacy, recognition of civil rights for less-powerful members of society, etc.

For many people, the utility of the belief is enough; they don't concern themselves terribly with whether their beliefs are literally true. It reminds me of the well-known "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus" column that was published many years ago in a New York newspaper, which spoke of the magic of childhood, the love and comfort that Christmas brings, etc., and pointed to these concepts as "proof" (in a sense) of Santa's existence.

The question for our times, it seems to me, is whether the value of belief in a deity still outweighs the baggage that comes with it -- the literalism that conflicts with advancing scientific knowledge, the competing scriptures (and interpretations of scripture) that give rise to religious conflicts, etc. Many of us feel that humanity might be better off, at this stage, in basing our moral codes, our illuminating myths, and our sense of wonder, in soemthing other than literal belief in God.