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First, you say your main problem with religion is "that belief in one particular religion automatically negates another." This isn't actually a function of religion, but a function of logic. Christianity claims that Jesus is God; Islam claims that he is not. One or the other has to be right, but both cannot be. Put another way, the acceptance of a set of beliefs entails the rejection of any belief that is the denial of one of those beliefs.
Second, it's easy to say "Well, you're just a Christian/Muslim/Buddhist because of where you were born." But in at least some cases, this isn't true. Consider first the existence of converts -- the fact that some people change their religious beliefs means that belief cannot be strictly determined by the set of beliefs they grew up with. But even people who grew up in a faith, and have stuck with it, aren't necessarily doing it just out of habit. Many people have critically examined their faith, and stick with it because they believe it is true, not just because they were born with it.
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"Die Deutschen meinen, daß die Kraft sich in Härte und Grausamkeit offenbaren müsse, sie unterwerfen sich dann gerne und mit Bewunderung:[...]. Daß es Kraft giebt in der Milde und Stille, das glauben sie nicht leicht."
"The Germans believe that power must reveal itself in hardness and cruelty and then submit themselves gladly and with admiration[...]. They do not believe readily that there is power in meekness and calm."
-- Friedrich Nietzsche
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