Steve, Just so we are speaking the same language, the definition of "belief", (from the free online dictionary) is below. It includes religious beliefs, and also much more, including what you accept to be true, your opinion or your conviction:

belief [bɪˈli¢°f]
n
1. a principle, proposition, idea, etc., accepted as true
2. opinion; conviction
3. religious faith
4. trust or confidence, as in a person or a person's abilities, probity, etc