An old Russian story from the days of early communism.
A young party man shows up in a small village talking about the revolution, the people, and religion. The party is atheist and the people should be as well. An old woman edges closer and finally gets to ask a question, you say that God does not exist and I think that he does. What do I lose if I pray every day and try to keep God's law but find on my deathbed God does not exist? Why nothing mother, said the young man. The woman continues, what do you lose if you flout God's laws and disbelieve...and you find that God does exist after you die?