I don't have a problem imagining that there is some higher being that created the universe (Paley's watchmaker theory) or that this/these deity(ies) is/are using evolution as a means to instigate life on our planet. Note that this way of thinking doesn't place a special emphasis on human life any more than beetle life, lion life, or oak tree life; here humans are not a special act of creation. We came about in the same manner as any other species. It's fun to ponder about as long as one doesn't get to depressed that we'll never know the answers.

I view modern religions as a controlling agent for people. I hate how the leaders of these religions arbitrarily take the words of their holy documents literally at some places and figuratively at others at what seems to me like nothing more than a matter of convenience for them.

These documents are not "ancient" either. Scientific evidence has found hominid remains that are 4-5 million years old and homo sapiens (that's us) remains as old as 300,000 years. The earliest civilizations began only around 10,000 years ago, thus the religions that are around today at the oldest are like 2-4,000 (Judiasm might be older I guess since it was around during egyptian times) years old. Nevertheless, when considered on a time scale starting when the first humans appeared on our planet (300,000 years ago) until now, these "ancient" texts are really quite modern!