A boy's beliefs

For the past year, I was an athiest. My mother was disappointed but I adamently stuck to my beliefs. It is only after some thinking and discussions with my father that I have come to a temporary conclusion. The "gods" that we believe in like Vishnu, Siva, etc are not completely true. They are simplified versions or stories created by the "enlightened" to get us started on our journeys since we, at our current stage cannot truly understand/comprehend what they percieve as "gods". Like how some professors explain complex concepts in a simple way to students so that they can get a feel for what it is. For an analogy, the enlightened who created these stories are professors who research while we are kindergarteners who have just started our journeys. I have decided to trust and follow the sages and saints of the dharmic religions who have given a general layout/guidance for our journeys. I do not want to be ignorant. Hence, I have set attaining moksha and being enlightened as my goals. I would like for others to consider my beliefs and opinions and evaluate it (without bias if possible). What is moksha? What is dharma? Can dharma be evil as what society deems it to be? What do you guys perceive it to be? How to attain moksha? I prefer the paths of knowledge and meditation to attain moksha rather than devotion and selfless help.