Athiesm and Belief

As an athiest, sometimes I ask myself what do I believe? That is, what are those things I don't have proof for, yet I nonetheless believe. My core belief is that the scientific method will yield the closest thing to truth. While I may not understand the exact science behind, say, carbon dating, I believe that there are people who do understand it to the limits of human ability and our current state of knowledge, and that there is sound basis for their understanding. I believe that if it represented a flawed understanding, that other scientists would make their careers out of correcting the flaw. And that over time, the model will become more and more accurate.

But even this "belief" is subject to revision. Perhaps the scientific method itself will be improved upon.

Science has learned humility, which is why it now speaks more of "theories" than "laws". Einstein's theory of relativity refined Newton's laws. Science has learned that it must make all knowledge provisional... that any bit of understanding may be replaced by a deeper understanding. At each point, we have a picture of how the world works, but that understanding is subject to revision. Perhaps String Theory holds the key to the next breakthrough in understanding. If so, it will have to prove itself to a skeptical scientific community.

Skepticism is so important to progress in science. Any new idea has to prove itself to a skeptical community. This means it can take a long time for a new idea to become accepted. When I was a child, I remember a crazy notion that birds evolved from Dinosaurs. Now it is accepted dogma. Sufficient evidence was accumulated to convince a skeptical scientific community.
It is the combination of skepticism with a high burden of proof that makes it possible for science to advance in a sure-footed way. This is part of the scientific method, and one reason I can believe in the scientific method. I know that accepted scientific theories have been subject to intense skepticism and scrutiny, and have passed the test.

Can the same be said of religious belief?