Why do people believe their religion?
542607
i think it's funny how snotty you are. why do you ask these kind of questions when it obviously just annoys the s*** out of you. for some reason i find you very intriguing \nthough. to answer your question i don't have a "religion"\ni don't go to church. i don't think you need to in order to believe in Jesus. i have been to church and find the people\nanal and pretentious. and i cant stand the holier than thou\nattitude. I'm not a "bible thumper" as you say. i have read some of the bible i have read a lot of book about people who believe in Jesus. and what they have gone through in there life's because of it. books about martyrs\nyou've never seen anyone crucified for believing in atheism have you? because it easy."beliveving in atheism" but allot of people have died because they love Jesus. and i think it goes a lot further than blind faith.i read a book one time about a prison guard who use to torture people because they wouldn't denounce there faith in Jesus. and one day he had this guy in his torture room laying naked on a table and pounding his nuts flat with a mallet. and the guy looks up at the torturer and said . i still love you anyway. and bit more i cant remember verbatim but in the end this torturer ended up \nfinding Jesus through that experience and found him self back in that prison being tortured him self..\ni know you are probity sitting there lol. but i find this shit fascinating. would you be tortured for you belief in evolution?when it comes down to it i know my faith is no where near that. but i want to believe in jesus. and thats why i do...
1159015
Every atheist is different, but it probably stems from the fact that most people simply can't 'believe' that another person can't BELIEVE in something.  After all, they've been trained/ taught/ conditioned since childhood to believe in god or some kind of creator.  To not believe kind of boggles their mind.  So they pre-judge others on their on observations.
89223
don't u believe in religion?\ni  suppose those who realize the importance of believing in god,who realize dat after all dis hype u get in this life,there's gotta b sumthg more.....\nTHAT'S WHY THEY BLIEV IN RELIGION\nn personally,i find it extremely comforting dat i hav god 2 turn to when i hav no one else in dis world.\nit's important to bliev in god.n religion is d guideline u hav 2 follow if u really wanna follow ur god's wishes,how he wants mankind to live,\n2....riots,violence.those r NOT d result of religion.NO RELIGION IN DIS WORLD TEACHES IT'S FOLLOWERS TO CREATE VIOLENCE.violence is d result of all d ass holes who create propaganda , so dat others wuld bicker ovr small ishues n diffrences...it is all to d assholes' advantage\nAtleast dat's what i think.\nsorry it's a long answer
415339
Good question... people believe what they\nwant to believe, not necessarily what is\nright.  Belief in God requires faith...\nbelief in the media requires mental\nacceptance, which is much easier.\nThere is a way in life that seems right, \nbut will end in destruction.
759621
There are many religious people who simply believe what they're told to believe, they don't analyze it or question it, and if someone tells them that someone who doesn't believe in God is an enemy of God, they know from prior knowledge that the only enemy of God is Satan and so people who are the enemy of God must be worshippers of Satan.\n\nNot to say, at all, that any of this is true or believable, but that's the cultish Christian mind-state.
123810
Personally, I don't believe in a religion. Religion is man searching for his place in this world. Religion can be anything - money, success, power, family, and even church - that helps give a person a feeling of purpose. Most of these purposes are misguided and misdirected, even some of the good ones humans tend to worship as their religion.\n\nI don't believe in a religion that was created thousands of years ago. I believe in a faith that has been tested thousands and thousands of times by billions of believers before me. I believe that the way I worship God is not through a movement that was created thousands of years ago. I worship my God the way I feel led to worship him - by honoring him in my day-to-day life and sharing my faith in him with others.\n\nFor those that believe science over God, that's fine. That is your choice. But I just wonder, does it make you feel good that your life is the result of an accident? And that everything around you is an accident? Life must have a purpose. If all we are is just here momentarily then we are gone, what is the point in being here? All things must have some sort of purpose. By placing your faith in something beyond the power of your science, you can find that purpose for your life.
32498
because it's pointless to get into a fact based argument with a religious person. You have 'faith' in your religion - which means you believe what it tells you NO MATTER what else you may see or hear. That's why non-religious folks tend not to get into it with you.
642292
The blind faith that people have in a god is brought about by many causes:\n\n1.)  Their parents and family taught them to believe in God and participate in religious functions.  If they tell their family that God does not exist, they face rejection and persecution.\n\n2.)  God is a security blanket for some people.  Isn't it so nice to have someone that is always thinking of you and loving you and saving you (allegedly) from evil?  But don't forget that when your spouse dies in a car accident that it was part of God's plan.\n\n3.)  The fear of hell is a powerful psychological weapon used by the church to force people into believing in God.  Religious people fear that if they reject the concept of God that they will have an afterlife of eternal misery.  Parents pass this fear onto their children to convince them to "behave appropriately."  It is a vicious cycle that continues from generation to generation.\n\n4.)  Many people lack the intellectual capability to conduct an objective investigation of life and the universe.  For these people it is just easier to believe what soceity tells them and they are unable or unwilling to consider any possible alternative.  They do not want to step outside of their mental "comfort zone."\n\n5.)  And for the lucky religious leaders and people in power, the belief in God has endless benefits.  Pastors get people to donate money to their church, Bishops get prestige and admiration for being so holy, and even President Bush can get support (at least temporarily) for a questionnable war because he claims that God talks to him.
1158213
Very good question. I believe that its the Christians way to get you to believe in something blindly and accept it just like they do.
910258
well because they think their religion is a good thing and everyone should have it. if you dont understand exactly how thats a bad thing then look at it fro ma different perspective. what if christianity was a disease....and these people wnated everyone to have it.....\n\nthry care because theyve been told to care. they think beleiving in their god is a good thing (besides all the absurdities and commandments to kill).\n\ni reccomend you lay down the law and tell themto refrain from talking religion.
105933
People have a need to believe in something outside of themselves. Some people believe in reason. Some people believe in a god. It is what ever works for you and you should not try to put down another’s beliefs
428248
It is not that people are divided into two camps, "those who believe, and those who don't".  In fact this is a belief structure on its own.  Many atheist have strong beliefs, they are just different from your own.  So maybe the better question to ask would be, "why do you believe something other than what I believe?"\n\nMost people who question Christianity do so because it is very easy not to believe in it.  Remember that the foundation of Christian beliefs is FAITH.  \n\nFaith is not easy for people who believe in science and reason.  Many of the beliefs of the Christian faith are total unreasonable.  For example, "The world was made in seven days".  This is not reasonable at all, but one needs faith to believe it.\n\nFor myself, I don't believe that Jesus was any more the son of god than you are.  Why? Because it is totally unreasonable.  But I do believe in God.  Although the God I believe in is likely nothing like the one you imagine.  My God is universal, and impossible to understand, we are too small and simple to understand a truth that grand.  My God is totally unreasonable also, but I don't attribute Human characteristics to him like many Christians do.  My God is everything, and everywhere.  And my God is inseparable from us.  We are, and it is us, and everything else.\n\nThe sad thing is that most Christians hope that Jesus will figure it all out for them.  All you have to do is believe in him, and that's it.  So is it really faith, or is it desperate hope for lost people?  I find Christians simplifying life so often it makes me wonder if they really KNOW Christ like they say they do.
996630
Because people question what they don't understand, they trash it to make themselves feel big, and with that they think it will prove their believes to be true. \nOthers are afraid of it, what if it is true! and they are not one of those who believe in it!  \n\nThey shouldn't judge the Bible with what some Christian do, as we can judge all other people and what their's do.  Religion is a personal thing, and the Bible is a living book.  Think about it.
1109470
For most people, including me, it's because of their upbringing.  However, I found many unanswered questions in my religion so I began looking into all kinds of other religions.  I decided that there is no one religion which is totally correct.  So I've developed my own belief system which is a combination of my experiences and the good things that actually work from other religions.
352170
i think people claim that their religion is the best because they believe in it, because they are convinced that this is the best way to reach God. but as long as you respect the other persons' beliefs it is not a problem. the problem arises only when you try to force the others to believe in your religion or when you harm them for being the members of a religious group. this proves that the ones who do such things are not the servants of god.
432976
You are right. Inspite of the proofs--order in the universe, design in every living or non living things--some people choose not to believe. I really don't understand why. But I can only guess. Here are probable reasons:\n\n1. They were brainwashed into believing that big-bang theory. Just like putting metals into one big drum blowing them up with dynamite and presto you have a functioning car.\n\n2. These people just don't want to be governed by rules that don't fit their life styles.\n\n3. They just want to be different than the rest.\n\n   The Bible however gives us a perspective of their state of mind. "They say they are wise, but they are fools... Because those people refuse to keep in mind the true knowledge about God, he has given them over to corrupted minds..." (Romans 1:22,28, Today's English Version )
801944
Because deep down they realize that religion has no real basis in fact.  Therefore, they fear reasoned arguments by anybody else, especially non-believers.