Forgot to answer LJ's point:
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I was interested in hearing the answer from a believer. What explanation have they been given, that they found to be acceptable enough to be the cornerstone of their religion?
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It's different from believer to believer. For me, it was the logic that finally pushed me over the edge, so to speak. Nobody elses' god changes lives so profoundly and completely.
Look at it historically. It ties back to the "was Jesus telling the truth about himself" question. The 12 apostles of Christ were not completely on board with Jesus throughout his ministry. They constantly questioned him, and none of them actually believed that he would physically raise from the dead. They were Jews - they were waiting for a messiah that would free Israel from the Romans. They fought among themselves to be Jesus' closest "advisor" so they would be in a better position when he set up his kingdom in Jerusalem and overthrew Herod (considered to be a puppet of Rome by his followers). When Jesus was arrested, they scattered. ) One of them stayed long enough to take a swipe at a guard (remember, they thought of Jesus as the future king and themselves as his "posse"), but they were gone soon after. They stayed in hiding until the crucifixion was over - none were present at the execution (I don't think so, anyway...fuzzy on this point). At the time of the resurrection, they were still in hiding, trying to figure out an escape plan. When Mary (not mom) ran in saying the tomb was empty, a couple of them went with her to check it out. When they saw that it WAS empty, they were at a loss.
Even then, not all of them believed, e.g. Thomas. Yet by the end of their lives, every last one of them was murdered for preaching the gospel. They were stoned, crucified, crucified upside down, beheaded....I think there was one that simply died in prison, but I don't have a bible in front of me at the moment. The point is, that's a big change. The disciples didn't believe because of faith, they believed because they SAW what happened, and were willing to devote the rest of their lives preaching it. But, as Jesus said, "You believe because you have seen. Blessed are they who don't see, and still believe" (paraphrased).
That's the cornerstone of my faith, personally. Again, another believer might have a different answer.