I think most religion is selfish, or at least self-interested, both in learning why we're here and what we're supposed to be doing. I think the moment of transcendence comes when you realize that the purpose of the universe is not you--it moves on "within you and without you" (great line, one of the beatles best), but that you are somehow connected to that larger something.
Don't worry about believing in God if that is a barrier to your intellect. Believe in yourself and the authenticity of your own experience and you will be brought to God. That is, your true self, not the self foisted upon you by illusion (TV, pop culture, parents, etc.). I think this is the truly subversive message of the Beatles. They used pop culture to preach transcendence of inauthentic Levittown selves. Find your true self and you move beyond the concept of self. I think this is what John Lennon experienced in a song "given" to him such as "Across the Universe" or Paul in "Let it Be." Both are highly spiritually charged songs. A connection happens. The singer becomes the song and ceases to be a limited finite self.
I think that's one of the main reasons the Beatles are so important. They cut through to something forgotten, authentic, that the world desperately needs now. That's why religion comes up on this board and why the Beatles are far more important than bands like the Stones who playact magic and satanism, but do not cut through to authentic spiritual experience (at least not every often).
The Beatles each gave up part of themselves to become Beatles. In the post-Beatle period they floundered, but once they had lost the sacrifice of themselves, they filled up the missing parts of their identity with inauthentic show-biz crutches (with the exception of POB and ATMP) where enough of the Beatle unity carried over.