Why do people believe in god?
I had this on my mind so I thought I would record my thoughts. All of the following is what I think are the top reasons why people believe in god (not in order).
Please note that this is what I am currently thinking about and that all of this is my opinion.
- Force: There is a place in the city where I live in and it is a place where homeless people can go to live and have shelter. To live in this place the people require the homeless to convert to Christianity, read the Bible, and go to church. So this place forces people to believe in god just so they can have shelter.
- Fear: When kids grow up in let’s say a Christian family they are taught at a very young age that if they do something bad (even if it’s a accident), doubt the belief of god, or whatever the parent doesn’t want the kid to do, that they will be dammed and burn in a fiery place called Hell, and be tortured and have unmanageable amounts of pain for the rest of eternity (eternity is defined as: “Time without beginning or end; infinite time.”). If I heard this as a child I damn well know that I would be afraid to do something bad or think outside the bubble of religion.
- Guilt: If someone has done something that is extremely bad or unforgivable, that person will have guilt and that guilt will build up until that person cannot handle the pain. At this point the person is vulnerable; he will do anything to relieve the pain. So, that person will turn to religion, when he accepts the religion he will be told that he has been forgiven. Being told that will relax his state of mind, and he will stay with that religion because that person is afraid that the guilt will come back if he leaves.
- Stupidity: This one is really simple. If someone is really stupid he will believe anything he is told. For example, you walk up to someone stupid, tell him that there is a god and it created everything. That person knowing nothing, will undoubtedly believe anything, and thus believe in god.
- Sociality: Many people believe in god just so that they make friends. People know that if they are lonely and want to have friends, they can just believe in god and they are now able to join a countless number churches, groups, and communities. Also something like a bible club…. This is also a great way to date, all you have to do is give up your free thinking and believe in something that makes you look primitive an stupid.
- Popularity: People will do things just because everyone else is doing it. If someone has no religion and lives in a place with a lot of religious people, he is going to do what is popular, in this case, join a religion. That person is also going to think that if there are so many people who are “insert religion here” then they must be right. But many people join a religion and believe in god because they just want fit in.
- Difference: Difference: People will believe in god just because they don’t want to be different……..Errrr that’s about it….
Hi
How are you?
Im okay like always
That’s an interesting subject to talk about.
I think the main reason why people believe in god or a god because there family also does.Like when a whole village is Christian is normal for the people who are born inside the community also follow it.
My whole family is Roman Catholic. So am I but my believe in God isn’t the same as theirs.
Why? because i don’t like to follow the same way they think about life.
Today i saw on TV a poor person was receiving charity money. And She immediately said “this must be a act of god”
I was thinking WTF.
btw: Do you follow a religion?
Crap
It seems im going off topic
( >_<)
But about why people believe in a god.
Reasons:
1) Follow family or community (this is related to your 2 and 7)
2) People need something to explain things they don’t understand.Like when people don’t understand why earthquakes happen they blame a god
3) People like the way how a religion thinks how to interact with people. (like dont kill others, dont steal)
4)Someone to talk to. It something like your number 3. If a god is forgivefull its possible to clean your conscious ness of guilt by joining a religion.
I think your number 6 is crap
Im wondering about your number 1. Where do those people sheltor for? Hardships in life or stuff like rain
Im ok,
If you haven’t noticed, I am Atheist. I do not like religion.
For #1 the place gives people a place to live in (aka: home, shelter) if the person has no home or anywhere to live.
i remember you mentioned it before.
But i wasnt certain about it and i didnt want to insult you?
Could you give some comment on my reply.
Do you agree or disagree with some of my ideas?
About your 1
I think if it is a good religion that offers people a shelter they wont force people to follow their religion.
Because most religion do charity and making more followers isnt part of the charity thing.
Right?
That’s one of the silliest ideas I’ve read so far on athiest vs christianity. If you’ve never felt God’s presence in your life, then I’m truly sorry. Your argument, however, doesn’t account or take into consideration that people have faith, or that people have actually *experienced* God’s presence in their life. It ignores that having faith can actually enrich ones life.
Furthermore, your argument also misconstrues faith for religion. Faith != religion. Religion, at its core, is flawed as it was created by man. Man, ultimately, botches all he touches. Faith is a belief in the unknown. Not necessarily thinking that God is real, but *knowing* God is real.
If you’re honestly curious as to why people believe what they do, then do some independent research about different cultures, religious beliefs, and how those beliefs effect culture. I’m sure you’ll find what you’re looking for.