I neither accept nor deny any religious faith and belief of philosophy and that includes atheism and other philosophy. Philosophy is faith and belief by argument for a unknown. I have no new argument or fact or knowledge that would either prove or disprove any philosophy and for that reason for me it simply remains unknown. Philosophy is both rational and irrational. It is both destructive and a benefit to mankind. Until significant knowledge or all things are known as fact, philosophy will mostly determine mankind and the progression or digression of mankind.
I am not of Descartes and believe that most of what is around me can be determined by my senses. Although the reliability of my senses is not proof or a 100% truth and sometimes fail me, there is a method that tests my observation by the senses and I rely on that method.
Your method works well!