>>279877658
Yes, other practices might be helpful but things like the four noble truths are objective so disbelieving in it won't get you too far
A non-believer could accumulate enough karma / merit to be reborn as a Buddhist in your next life though, so you don't necessarily have to believe in anything to get on the right path
>>279878413
I think you're talking about Jodo Shu, but it's good to note that while faith is less important there, the words you mentioned (the nembutsu) are specifically used to develop trust and faith in the Buddha. Anyone reciting nembutsu will benefit from it, but you won't be reborn in the Pure Land unless you sincerely wish to
>you can escape samsara if you follow the eightfold path regardless of whether you actually care about the buddha or not
This is true depending on what you mean by "care about the buddha", only the Pure Land schools really heavily focus on a personal relationship between adherents and buddhas / bodhisattvas, but regardless of sect you'll need to follow Buddhist doctrine to escape samsara
