I would so love to have a philosophical debate with you on the existence of a benign deity , however, I am caring for an elderly mother who rediscovered her faith in mid-life and continues to this day in her abject and painful way.
She utterly believes that god ( notice the lower case 'g') will relieve her of her suffering but that she can only go to heaven if she prays for an hour twice a day and must adorn her home with icons and other religious festoonery.
She have been in constant physical pain for over forty years. Prayer has done nothing. She now believes, as she is unable to leave her home now, that the reason her suffering is not abating is because she cannot go to church any more. She used to receive a home visit from her priest but he no longer visits ... probably because she had no money on her to give an offertory , so he stopped coming.
She still thinks it's her fault.
She's worried she'll go to hell.
If only your divine god could pop down and tell her that she doesn't need to worry.
Forty fucking years of feeling guilt, fear and despondency.
Dare I mention Sudan, Ethiopia, Gaza, Ukraine?
This entity does not exist else he/she'd sort it all out but he/she can't because there isn't a god.
Look at tribal cultures that worship the sun or moon or ghostly deities. Are they wrong? Are they right?
Pagans understand nature and it's cycles and that is more real than an unseen power that subjugates its people into untold acts of cruelty.
Dare I be a bit Pythonesque and mention The Inquisition? Or the burnings and hangings of women who harnessed the power of nature to help to heal?
Oh I could go on and on but given your history, I doubt anyone could convince that there isn't an aged, white man with a white fluffy beard who smiles benignly at us all ( despite his son being Arabic!)