I like to think that everyone on earth is misguided, because they think that any of the past means anything for their future.
A study of commodity futures proves that studying the past is only of so much help for the future.
So while studying the thousands of years of religious history, the past performance of those religions will not guarantee future results.
This is especially true if you subscribe to the idea that there is no afterlife, no nothing after death. There is no pre-birth, and no after-death. That is it.
When we die, that is all. We're done. Nothing. Nada. Zip.
Think about it. What was there before we were born? Nothing. Nada. Zip. Why has nobody ever spoken about pre-birth experiences? It is all just after-death experiences. Humans can be dumb and not logical.
If you really really think you are going to have an afterlife, then you better try and wrangle your head around the idea of having a pre-life. If in your head a pre-life is not possible, then an afterlife cannot be possible as well. So you are back to the root of the problem. There is no pre or post. There is only the now.