Well, in response to your first point, Photon. I have to apologize, I did not intend to generalize non-believers as simply being unable to understand. I was attempting to state that a life-long journey of faith is a private matter, relegated solely to an individual's cognitive experience. Perhaps my over-defensive attitude was related to the fact, that often as a moderate person of faith, I feel that my beliefs are placed upon an "Inquisitional" stand and made to stand a test, even though I feel that I have no obligation to defend them to anybody. If I'm minding my own business, I have the right to be allowed to mind my own business.
I do personally feel that on an individual-to-individual basis, the beliefs of both believers and non-believers can be debated in a reasonable manner. Certainly, the arguments against religion are valid and reasonable. I also believe that the arguments for a personal faith are valid and reasonable. I do feel that many of arguments used by atheists depend upon a basis of generalization. The accusations of intolerance are only valid, if ALL religious people have an underlying tolerance that is unique from that shared among the general human population.
In general, it's hard to comment on the cause for faith or religious experience. I've been reading quite a bit of critical analysis of the Bible and I have a growing interest/knowledge of the historicity of the Church and the Judeo-Christian experience. I'm definitely not the best person to answer that question, I know that there are way more knowledgable posters, like Textcritic who could answer your question from an academic standpoint.
It's interesting to me as well how many people base their faith upon a real-life experience. I even talked to someone who believed in God for literally opening an unlocked door. I personally think that faith precludes these acts and makes belief in them possible. But even so, I don't believe that was what faith was originally intended to be by the early Christian church. Popular Christianity has turned faith into sort of a cosmic lifeline between you and God. You grab the life-line and you get stuff. That seems to be how it works. I don't feel that is true to the original intent of Christ or the early Church. To me faith is a something a bit more complicated, a following of the social and moral teachings of Christ, to end of transforming human nature. My faith has had an "real" impact in my life that can only be measured by the way I treat my fellow human beings. It has impacted my kindness, my generosity, and my humility.
As for St. Paul's conversion, I'm not really certain. I do know that it appears that he underwent a conversion from a rabid Grand Inquisitor of the Christian faith, to a radical social activist of the Jesus Movement almost overnight. Why is this? John Newton once said, "God works powerfully, but for the most part gently and gradually". Maybe it's not the same for everybody. I don't really know.
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