Again, L. Ron Hubbard existed, as did Joseph Smith, et. al for your examples. Whatever we may think of their deeds or their teachings, their followers did not make them up.
it's also quite possible that the whole thing was made up.
It is possible that twelve guys made up Jesus and everything about him: his teaching and followers, his basic biography and the crucifixion by the Romans. But it takes a lot more work to hold this as more plausible than he existed, was thought to be a healer and was crucified by the Romans. It takes a great deal more, and it goes contrary to the conclusions reached by scholars and historians.
On this single part, your wishing to believe, your "faith" is at least as strong as those you are debating against.
> Again, L. Ron Hubbard existed, as did Joseph Smith, et. al for your examples.
Did Xenu? Did the angel Moroni? Neither Hubbard nor Smith claimed to be anything other than a prophet of some type (AFAICR)... certainly not demigods like angels of the son of some god.
> It is possible that twelve guys made up Jesus and everything about him: his teaching and followers, his basic biography and the crucifixion by the Romans.
Just as one guy made up Dianetics and one other guy made up the whole book of Mormon.
> your "faith" is at least as strong as those you are debating against.
My "faith" in what? Faith in seeing a serious lack of evidence and thus not coming to a firm conclusion? That's just good science.