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Why Do People Believe In Religion?
4 years ago
General
So, Easter came and went. I had my share of anger filled tweets and moments today. But, I spoke to more moderate Christians today. It's to feel less judged, but that fear and stigma is still there whenever I engage. One of them proposed a wonderful question that I want to meditate on tonight. And below I have 5 main reasons that I've noticed from people that still cling to their faith in whatever God they wish.
1. Indoctrination and Fear
Okay, okay... before you stop reading, just hear me out. I'm not hear to bash believers or claim this is the number one reason many believe. However, it is still a prevalent part that plagues my home here in the USA and in other places of the world. But it makes sense when you really think about it. And plus, I want to give the most negative reason out of the way first.
Certain believers will simply feed lies and mistruths to everyone, citing unreliable sources in their sermons while also tying in the political angle to every issue. And so a distrust in authority and the secular world at large is established. There's even an outright denial of news outlets and experts in fields defending secular viewpoints. Many make sure children are fed this terrible information as they grow up, so it's harder for them to escape this toxic mindset when they get older. Some go even as far as to cannibalize sects in their own faith. I can't tell you how many times my old church bashed people like the Catholics or 7th Day Adventists or Pentecostals.
Not to mention, fear has been a powerful tool to keep members faithful to their "absolute truth". If you're wrong, you simply pay the ultimate price and suffer for eternity. What higher stakes can be possibly imagined? Also fear of social shame comes into play. If you're counter to traditional religious doctrine, people are going to see you as less worthy and sub-human even. Judgment begets more judgment, and many believers deny this is the main reason why they believe. But I met people that strongly tie to my other reasons below.
2. Personal Experiences
Some claim they converted through unexplainable near death experiences. Others are quick to point to how happy things were while in the church. They get this unexplainable feeling about a connection with God. And perhaps, their teachings have made them into the "Little Jesus's" that they aspire to be. Where they leave everything to God to solve and merely lead by example. I can respect people like this, because of their passive approach to life. They'll talk about the gospel, but also know when to back off. Let people choose for themselves instead of coercing a following through avenues like federal law and the public sector. This is definitely a valid reason for anyone to believe in their God. But personal experience also helped me be driven away from the church in general. I simply felt less and less welcome among my peers. Being part of a service felt too fake for me. I didn't belong any longer to a place like church.
3. Community
There is little doubt that the church provides a wonderful place for like minded people to mingle. Friendships for life can be forged there without much trouble. Children can receive good moral instruction, but the parents should ensure they know what they are feeding their kids, pulling them away when things get too negative or political. And plus, church services are basically half concerts by nature. Where else can you sing in unison and not feel judged? Where you can connect spiritually and feel like you're part of something bigger than what other things say you are. So if people are going to be so glued to a faith structure, it's because they don't want to alienate and lose their human connection there. Starting over anew is a lot of work and stress for people. So even if they have doubts, these people will remember the good of their community. At the same time, this reason can be easily shattered if there's an exposed scandal in the church. People do react to various, troubling situations different. Some go as far as not seeking proper punishment for such wayward members, instead making excuses to demand forgiveness from others. So while this is a valid reason to believe in a religion, it's one that people should be careful to put their stock in.
4. Utter Ignorance
If people are stuck with one culture and way of thinking for so long, they just lose the need to seek out alternatives. They may start to doubt things about their faith, but are not aware about validity in other thought structures to pursue then. Certainly, this can lead into a more toxic reason to believe as stated before, but it can also open the door for a stronger faith. I do feel like it is important for all faith heavy people to research what their competition believes in. And do it THEMSELVES versus having their church leaders spoon feed them information likely edited to suit their own agenda. For example, many Christians would be flabbergasted if they bothered to look into what the Church of Satan believes in. It's not as "evil" as they think it is. Blasphemous, sure, but I assure you, it's nothing compared to the bloody and barbaric Law of Moses from the Old Testament. Unfortunately, this reason stems from believing a book like the Bible is inerrant and perfect. A "True Word of God". Thanks to the rise of information sharing nowadays, a quick search into the history of the Bible's origins is going to reveal how suspicious and dubious it was. There's not a single firsthand account registered in the Bible, after all. So if you're going to be ignorant of the origins of holy texts, there's no point in having a discussion about your faith in the first place.
5. Fear/Discomfort of the Unknown
Lastly, this should come as a no brainer. Humans don't simply want to settle on the possibility that life ends after death. We want a reason to make our life here grander than what a nihlistic attitude suggests. So rather than take the risk of becoming an Atheist to deny faith, such people will do whatever they can to hold on. Fear of death and loss is natural for humanity. So it's understandable that you want to assure somebody that something better is laying ahead when you're at their death bed. I can't really fault this reason ever, because it is super scary to think like life can amount to nothing once you're gone. From dust you were born, to dust you shall return. But at least, people can stick with this hopeful view on faith and ignore the more negative parts of it.
And there you have it. 5 of the most common reasons to believe in a religion. I'm curious to what my theistic friends use as their justification in believing. If I missed another big reason, feel free to comment below!
1. Indoctrination and Fear
Okay, okay... before you stop reading, just hear me out. I'm not hear to bash believers or claim this is the number one reason many believe. However, it is still a prevalent part that plagues my home here in the USA and in other places of the world. But it makes sense when you really think about it. And plus, I want to give the most negative reason out of the way first.
Certain believers will simply feed lies and mistruths to everyone, citing unreliable sources in their sermons while also tying in the political angle to every issue. And so a distrust in authority and the secular world at large is established. There's even an outright denial of news outlets and experts in fields defending secular viewpoints. Many make sure children are fed this terrible information as they grow up, so it's harder for them to escape this toxic mindset when they get older. Some go even as far as to cannibalize sects in their own faith. I can't tell you how many times my old church bashed people like the Catholics or 7th Day Adventists or Pentecostals.
Not to mention, fear has been a powerful tool to keep members faithful to their "absolute truth". If you're wrong, you simply pay the ultimate price and suffer for eternity. What higher stakes can be possibly imagined? Also fear of social shame comes into play. If you're counter to traditional religious doctrine, people are going to see you as less worthy and sub-human even. Judgment begets more judgment, and many believers deny this is the main reason why they believe. But I met people that strongly tie to my other reasons below.
2. Personal Experiences
Some claim they converted through unexplainable near death experiences. Others are quick to point to how happy things were while in the church. They get this unexplainable feeling about a connection with God. And perhaps, their teachings have made them into the "Little Jesus's" that they aspire to be. Where they leave everything to God to solve and merely lead by example. I can respect people like this, because of their passive approach to life. They'll talk about the gospel, but also know when to back off. Let people choose for themselves instead of coercing a following through avenues like federal law and the public sector. This is definitely a valid reason for anyone to believe in their God. But personal experience also helped me be driven away from the church in general. I simply felt less and less welcome among my peers. Being part of a service felt too fake for me. I didn't belong any longer to a place like church.
3. Community
There is little doubt that the church provides a wonderful place for like minded people to mingle. Friendships for life can be forged there without much trouble. Children can receive good moral instruction, but the parents should ensure they know what they are feeding their kids, pulling them away when things get too negative or political. And plus, church services are basically half concerts by nature. Where else can you sing in unison and not feel judged? Where you can connect spiritually and feel like you're part of something bigger than what other things say you are. So if people are going to be so glued to a faith structure, it's because they don't want to alienate and lose their human connection there. Starting over anew is a lot of work and stress for people. So even if they have doubts, these people will remember the good of their community. At the same time, this reason can be easily shattered if there's an exposed scandal in the church. People do react to various, troubling situations different. Some go as far as not seeking proper punishment for such wayward members, instead making excuses to demand forgiveness from others. So while this is a valid reason to believe in a religion, it's one that people should be careful to put their stock in.
4. Utter Ignorance
If people are stuck with one culture and way of thinking for so long, they just lose the need to seek out alternatives. They may start to doubt things about their faith, but are not aware about validity in other thought structures to pursue then. Certainly, this can lead into a more toxic reason to believe as stated before, but it can also open the door for a stronger faith. I do feel like it is important for all faith heavy people to research what their competition believes in. And do it THEMSELVES versus having their church leaders spoon feed them information likely edited to suit their own agenda. For example, many Christians would be flabbergasted if they bothered to look into what the Church of Satan believes in. It's not as "evil" as they think it is. Blasphemous, sure, but I assure you, it's nothing compared to the bloody and barbaric Law of Moses from the Old Testament. Unfortunately, this reason stems from believing a book like the Bible is inerrant and perfect. A "True Word of God". Thanks to the rise of information sharing nowadays, a quick search into the history of the Bible's origins is going to reveal how suspicious and dubious it was. There's not a single firsthand account registered in the Bible, after all. So if you're going to be ignorant of the origins of holy texts, there's no point in having a discussion about your faith in the first place.
5. Fear/Discomfort of the Unknown
Lastly, this should come as a no brainer. Humans don't simply want to settle on the possibility that life ends after death. We want a reason to make our life here grander than what a nihlistic attitude suggests. So rather than take the risk of becoming an Atheist to deny faith, such people will do whatever they can to hold on. Fear of death and loss is natural for humanity. So it's understandable that you want to assure somebody that something better is laying ahead when you're at their death bed. I can't really fault this reason ever, because it is super scary to think like life can amount to nothing once you're gone. From dust you were born, to dust you shall return. But at least, people can stick with this hopeful view on faith and ignore the more negative parts of it.
And there you have it. 5 of the most common reasons to believe in a religion. I'm curious to what my theistic friends use as their justification in believing. If I missed another big reason, feel free to comment below!
A lot of the traits you have beef with are often more tribal than religious, in their nature/motivation. the flexibility of interpretation allows for a great deal of alternate views. especially if you cherry pick.
To bastardize a kurt vonnagut (i think it was from timequake) quote i can't easily find/remember verbatim: "It takes a strong will to be a humanist. most people can't handle it. I respect the hole it fills so that they can go on with their life. I have no right to steal that from someone."
if you want a good atheist argument; read/listen to richard dawkins' book, "The blind Watchmaker."
your argument discounts most of the gray area within the faithful. yes their are extremes to that extent, though they are not the majority. If you are seeking response from the religious, you can't put it in such a derogatory fashion. One must present humility: an openness to new information. yours felt more like a, "prove me wrong" presentation. ^^;
Yes, a lot of my criticisms stem from anger from how religion has treated me personally. It's just very hard to find the grey area in other people when it's very easy to fall back on doctrine as their shield from actual criticism.
I'm trying to open more avenues of discussion, and I hope this journal appeared to be less hostile than my previous three on the subject.
i can't always practice what i'm preaching, though have found it to be the most effective when done well. the less social i've become, the worse my skills get. lol
from my own experience in such debates, there are a few tactics i think worth mention.
1: only questions/no answering opinions. to start a debate or just a discussion on things, don't start it like a contest. ask questions and when you find someone willing to talk with, rather than at; you can have an effective debate. in your above form, it's more asking for an essay response. well apt, not attractive to many. ^^;
2: Leading their logic. can be challenging but god is it satisfying when you pull it off. *smirk* basically, lead them like a TV court drama witness. start with focus on confirming the facts of an argument. once there is an agreement on those necessary for your logic, then walk them through your conclusions bit by bit, asking for their thoughts on every issue with attentive interest. really push home that you're really listening to what they say. if it feels like a setup, you've killed the tactic. hence why so hard.
3: question the logic of a third party. some people can never feel safe when 'their' beliefs are on the line. that's a lot of where you get those dismissing statements that don't really mean anything. they're done and fine leading you in circles till you tire yourself out. to a lot of them, that's a win. that said, ask their opinion about someone they feel comfortable judging. if its friendly in nature, i find it best to ask if it can get personal, before questioning the contrasts between their and another's logic. it goes a long way to wards showing you are curious well respectful.
lastly, do you know richard dawkins? militant as he can be on religion issues, he has some astounding incites and a greatly readable dissertation. "The Selfish Gene" is my fave book of his. it's also where in invented the term 'meme'...all the way back in the 70's XD