Why Do People Believe in God/Religion (NO FLAMING!!)

Hi I have looked through a lot of threads on ATS about religion, God and Atheism. I have a slightly different question to ask all of you ATS'ers. I would like to know WHY you believe in a god, higher power etc. I am not looking for the creation/evolution/unexplained mysteries bit, what I am looking for is more psycological and philosophical.

I am wondering if people who believe in god/creator/higher power do so because of what they were taught, or because of logical reasoning, or the need for companionship, need to feel accepted/belonging to a group etc. This has always puzzled me.

I will share my personal thoughts on this later when I hear some responses, and I will tell you why I have come to the conclusions I have.
And please people lets not get into a flame fest over who is right or atheists vs religious please.

I'm an atheist and I'd like to just put my two cents in. But I think it has to do with the thought of god and the bible being true and such was something that was very enforced in their childhood. And in their adulthood they cling to their beliefs in fear of going to hell if it turns out there is a god.

I think that will be the prevailing answer here (although i'm sure no-one would like to admit it), but I am also curious about the athiests and what they think about believing/not believing in God/religion as well.

Looking forward to hearing all viewpoints!!

Hi!

I don't remember when I didn't believe in God, it's almost as if I was born knowing. Perhaps we're all born knowing and some/most forget over time.

STM


[edit on 8/6/2007 by seentoomuch]

So seentoomuch would you say that might be because you were raised this way by religious parents or possibly the thought of God was logical, or made sense in your life? Not trying to pry into personal info, I would just like to know a bit more so I can fully understand the mindsets that are on both sides of these debates.

Thanks!!

My parents weren't very religious, but our housekeeper was. I was about 2 1/2 or 3 when she started with us. My memories of another place, a very special place that some might call heaven were earlier.

Here's a link to a thread about it:

www.belowtopsecret.com...

After reading it you might want to put me in the ? category, though I believe other people out there have experienced similar. Also, I am considered very stable by my family, friends, neighbors, etc. I am not on any medication and I don't channel or meditate, it just simply happens from time to time. It's a shame I even need to state my medical condition, but in this day and age anything out of the norm needs to be verified.

STM

I was not raised in a religious home and I believe in a higher
existence. Why? good question. I have pondered that same question
for many years, and I came to conclusion that, hey what have I got to lose?
If science ever gave me a solid explanation on how the universe was made
then maybe and just maybe I will stop believing. Until that day comes
I am a believer.

Originally posted by norbin
But I think it has to do with the thought of god and the bible being true and such was something that was very enforced in their childhood.

This is exactly right.

Most people don't chose their religion rather they were born into it. For the vast majority of people religion wasn't really a choice it's something they've been fed their entire lives.

I didn't chose to be a Christian but I did chose to stop being one

Cool. Thanks for the reply STM, and for equinox it seems like you have been slightly persuaded by the 'if nothing is there, you are safe, and if something is there then you are also safe' category. I could also be completely wrong though You also mention that if science could explain the universe then you might stop believing. This may be the biggest thing I come across on ATS in the Religious section - the mentality that a creator explains everything that science can not. Seems like a lot of people just want the answers and whatever can give them those answers is what they believe.

Anyone else care to elaborate on that thought process, or maybe this is the answer to the great 'WHY' in the OP.

I used to believe in the christian god simply because I was born into a family who had a christian backround. If I was born in Iran I'd be a muslim, and if I was born in India i'd probably be a hindu instead.

I had never really practiced though. And after a certain period where I was desperately looking for holes in the scientific theories or evidence to justify my beliefs I finally gave up and abandonned the idea.

My personal view is that they , we , are looking for the truth. Now religion in general says that this is the truth. All religions are a teaching of learnings and while learning these truths by reading them makes sense to those who understand them. I think in my own mind that when confronted by a learned responce that is true then all other learning from what is written must in therefor be true or have a truth based on a fact. Now I have not been trained by any orginized religion , but made my mind up by trying to understand the meaning of the written word. Its true that people get there own interpetations while reading from religous text. But I have found out by reading them and understanding what the writer ment in my mind does find truth hidden. It sometimes takes decades to understand, to some it takes only one reading. But in gereral, people are looking for answers of why. And since there are religous text out there telling us the reason, we tend to flock towards these truths.

My Personal Opinion, This May Not Be Everyone, But I Think That People Believe In God For Safety And Comfort And To Know Not to Fear Death And That There Is Something To Look Forward to After You Die.

To be someone to believe in God/religion then a part of them is weak and they need to believe in something to "anchor" them down and give their life meaning and purpose.

Its alot like believing in Santa and the Tooth Fairy when your a kid...it gave you some comfort to think that there was a Santa or Tooth Fairy or even the Easter Rabbit and once you got older and found out there really was not a Santa then you moved on with your life.

the same is true with "god/ religion"...it brings those of weak spirit comfort that there is a God even if there is'nt one.

Heh, I never believed in Santa / Tooth fairy.

I was quite rational even at a young age.

Well, it is very simple. Isn't is always? Back in 2003 or so, scientists (physicists) came up with proving "Exact Uncertainty" meaning Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle. Now, either you can expect that Humans will not know everything because of Uncertainty, or that because of "Exact Uncertainty" everything then enters into the realm of religion and a belief that there will be a guiding force for insight, instint, intuition, and other paranormal happenings often proved by mothers who suddenly know that something is wrong say like with another family member even if the other family member is thousands of miles distance from the mother.

Thus at the point of "Exact Uncertainty" you either believe that God Exists and can help guide through the guiding spirits, angels or saints that are talked about, or you start believing in nothing else. I think I rather at that point give religion a chance, because nothing else will make any human smarter than never knowing exactly how anything can happen or exist.

Call it a Leap!
Good or Evil!

I have read this post with a smile on my face, It looks like most people here don't believe in God. They have no experience of what God does in peoples lives so they just state what they think, and it is so far off the mark, it really is.
I suppose i could compare it to a crowd of people stood outside a sports stadium and can't get in. they can only assume what is happening by the noises they hear. Unless you watch the game you will never know what is going on.
I know some of you were brought up as christians and went to church. Did you see God at work? probbley not. Why is that? Because you have to be where it is happening, if you don't become part of say, a healing ministry, you won't see people healed. If you are not part of a team that visits the elderly and prays for them then you won't hear the testemonies of what God is doing in thier lives.
You have to be where it is happening, and once you are, God is a very powerfull presence indeed.
So Back to the question of why do i believe in God?
Because I have a relationship with him and i see him do so much for so many people. Oh yeh, and I have a season ticket to get into the stadium for every game.
cheers
Jon

Originally posted by jon1
I know some of you were brought up as christians and went to church. Did you see God at work? probbley not. Why is that? Because you have to be where it is happening, if you don't become part of say, a healing ministry, you won't see people healed. If you are not part of a team that visits the elderly and prays for them then you won't hear the testemonies of what God is doing in thier lives.

"What god is doing in their lives", i'm sure there are more plausible causes that explain things much better. The rest is all collective hysteria and seeing things that are not really there.

i believe in God because, A, i was/am being brought up that way and B try to think of what will be there when you die, if you don't believe in God try to think of absolute nothing-ness in which you don't exist, can't can you?

thats my point if you go through life with nothing to look forward to, why live?
therefore it is both logical and easier on your mind to believe in a greater form of life. i personally do not fear death because i believe that there is life after death.

just my two-cents.

Roswell.

Originally posted by roswell1
i believe in God because, A, i was/am being brought up that way and B try to think of what will be there when you die, if you don't believe in God try to think of absolute nothing-ness in which you don't exist, can't can you?

thats my point if you go through life with nothing to look forward to, why live?

Why are god and the afterlife necessarily associated? It's possible that there is an afterlife but no god, as it's possible there's a god and no afterlife!

[edit on 7-8-2007 by DarkSide]

Originally posted by DarkSide

Originally posted by jon1
I know some of you were brought up as christians and went to church. Did you see God at work? probbley not. Why is that? Because you have to be where it is happening, if you don't become part of say, a healing ministry, you won't see people healed. If you are not part of a team that visits the elderly and prays for them then you won't hear the testemonies of what God is doing in thier lives.

"What god is doing in their lives", i'm sure there are more plausible causes that explain things much better. The rest is all collective hysteria and seeing things that are not really there.

This is what i mean by not knowing what is going on. When i say "what God is doing in thier lives" you then assume that i am talking about every day things that could have happened to anyone. i'm sorry but you are way out of the ballpark when it comes to knowlege about God.
So, it's either all things can be explained away as normal and/or christians are hysterical and see things that are not there.
Yep, that just about sums up what people think, and you wonder why christians with far greater knowlege than i never try to put thier case forward on here. My wife thinks i'm mad for even trying.
They who have ears will not hear and those that have eyes will not see.

[edit on 7-8-2007 by jon1]

[edit on 7-8-2007 by jon1]