I don't know. There's something to be said for Hawking's musing that heaven is a "fairy story for people afraid of the dark."
What about an afterlife makes any kind of sense? Do we believe because we're raised to believe? Do we believe because we're afraid that we'll never see our mothers or brothers or friends again and that we didn't get to say everything we wanted to them when they were alive? Are we afraid of nothingness? Do we just need some sort of purpose and getting up every morning to go to work (assuming we're lucky enough to have it) can't possibly be the answer?
I, myself, have a really hard time with organized religion. Oh, I want to believe. I think that I do believe, but I see so much hurt created by organized religion. Folks who use their holy books to oppress others; folks who use their beliefs to justify all sorts of cruelty. And yet.
I've felt my brother's presence many times in the past 10 years. My dad sat next to me in my car while I was on my way to the airport to rush home and say good bye to him (when I got to the airport - almost three hours from my home - I called my step mom to find out where I was supposed to go - hospital or nursing home - and was told by my stepsister's son's then girlfriend that he'd already died while I was on my way to the airport). In the 17 years since her death, I've had countless things happen and thought "I need to call mom and let her know".
My family is as real and present to me now as it's ever been. Why? Because I (desperately) need it? Because they are with me? I think it's probably a little of both - they're with me because I desperately need it. And if that's so (I know, it's merely conjecture) then how is that so unless there is something out there that we don't - or can't - understand using scientific observation?
Lots of questions; no good answers. Interesting interview with Stephen Hawking in The Guardian:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2011/may/15/stephen-hawking-interview-there-is-no-heaven
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