Let's look at the people who turn to religion; they are looking for answers. Unfortunately, those who put themselves in a position to provide those answers or interpret the ancient texts find themselves in a position of great power. Then the people put their hopes and faith into the authority of the priests and ancient texts because it's all they have, and they find comfort in knowing that many others hold the same belief because they are born into the religion.
Now, on the people who don't turn to religion. They have seen the ancient texts and heard the claims of their perfection, and they have seen that the texts are flawed and far from perfection. The priests have shown that they are corruptible and use their power to abuse the innocent, leading an observant person to question how this god could be perfect if he allows this to happen. These inconsistencies lead a person to believe that if what they say is false, then so is the rest. This is a perfectly natural reaction.
But, they could be throwing the baby out with the bathwater. It's not their fault; we all work with limited information.
I agree that whatever happens is unavoidable; that is the truth after death. But whatever we believe can have an impact. The problem is not knowing what to think because of a lack of information.
