I agree that belief in the power of belief does more harm than good. Positive thinking won't get you a million dollars, and thinking real hard and wishing for things in church/mosque/synagogue isn't going to get you eternal life. I'm not sure it's exactly a waste of time, but it's certainly not helpful to encourage (let alone coddle) those who participate in such ancient superstitions.
I think that "belief in belief" is gasping it's last breaths. It won't be in our lifetime, but in a few hundred years it will run it's course. It's frustrating, but then again every generation gets dealt a better hand than the one before it, so it could have been worse for us. Make the best of what you have and the things you can enjoy in life. I've found myself getting distracted and angry about the state of humans' belief systems, but that takes away from my enjoyment of every day life. Staying sober keeps me on track. Carpe diem and whatnot.