Reasons people believe or say they do. Can we list them? (born, reject)

[PegE]

1. fear of hell or eternal torture for being imperfect and not worshiping a so-called jealous gawd
2. fear of family rejection because the family prefers ditching a loved one to #3. below
3. fear of social rejection, lost jobs and friendships or romantic relationships
4. low IQ and can't see beyond what they're taught or told
5. indoctrination at a young age so it's their "reality", haven't yet outgrown what was taught
6. sociopaths and the need to control others for money or sex
7. sociopaths can claim a new revelation to make changes as needed to control the sheep

Fear, low IQ, sociopaths, youthful naivete. What else?

[Mightyqueen801]

The tenets of the belief ring true on some level to the individual

A supernatural experience that seems to validate a belief

The sense of something otherworldly or the sense of a connection to something not physically discernible

The need to be part of a community or culture of which the belief is a core factor

[Grandstander]

Originally Posted by PegE

1. fear of hell or eternal torture for being imperfect and not worshiping a so-called jealous gawd
2. fear of family rejection because the family prefers ditching a loved one to #3. below
3. fear of social rejection, lost jobs and friendships or romantic relationships
4. low IQ and can't see beyond what they're taught or told
5. indoctrination at a young age so it's their "reality", haven't yet outgrown what was taught
6. sociopaths and the need to control others for money or sex
7. sociopaths can claim a new revelation to make changes as needed to control the sheep

Fear, low IQ, sociopaths, youthful naivete. What else?

I'm unsure how to reduce this to a pithy sentence so that it fits neatly on your list, but I would add the person who has made a complete wreck of their life, reduced to alcoholism or drug addiction, who decides that embracing Jesus is the path not just to a post corporal reward, but the salvation of his or her life on earth.

[Mightyqueen801]

Originally Posted by Grandstander

I'm unsure how to reduce this to a pithy sentence so that it fits neatly on your list, but I would add the person who has made a complete wreck of their life, reduced to alcoholism or drug addiction, who decides that embracing Jesus is the path not just to a post corporal reward, but the salvation of his or her life on earth.

Sometimes this is referred to as exchanging one addiction for another.

I know a woman, an Episcopal deacon, who is a recovered alcoholic. She knows and is obsessed with all the ancient symbolism of Christianity, all the saints' names and dates, traditions, etc. She's quite the informational resource if you need to know something like that.

[Miss Hepburn]

-They read a verse or heard a pastor and got swept away in an inspirational feeling they
never experienced before.
-Had a baby and looked into their eyes and again had an inspirational feeling and got swept away.
-Started investigating the Universe, got overwhelmed, thought intellectually, no particular emotion,
and said,"No way was this haphazard...some genius mathematician
beyond anything did this. And wow."

[KaraZetterberg153]

Originally Posted by Grandstander

I'm unsure how to reduce this to a pithy sentence so that it fits neatly on your list, but I would add the person who has made a complete wreck of their life, reduced to alcoholism or drug addiction, who decides that embracing Jesus is the path not just to a post corporal reward, but the salvation of his or her life on earth.

Fear/desperation. If this is a reason (and I believe it is), then the connection to lower intellect and religiosity is clear. There is, rightly so, more fearfulness inherent in facing the universe with less mental acuity. Of course, there is a sliding scale: real ignorance is bliss, and not knowing what you do not know may be more carefree and peaceful--even fun.

I have a student like this, slightly lower IQ due, according to mom, to being born premature. Doesn't get things right away. Takes them two or three times longer than average to grasp skills. And yet very committed to their study, happy all the time, giggling and laughing at lessons, very responsive to support and praise.

At first I was disappointed-- teachers like accomplished students who reflect well on the teachers. But now I feel this one may be the most important one.

[Harry Diogenes]

Originally Posted by PegE

1. fear of hell or eternal torture for being imperfect and not worshiping a so-called jealous gawd
2. fear of family rejection because the family prefers ditching a loved one to #3. below
3. fear of social rejection, lost jobs and friendships or romantic relationships
4. low IQ and can't see beyond what they're taught or told
5. indoctrination at a young age so it's their "reality", haven't yet outgrown what was taught
6. sociopaths and the need to control others for money or sex
7. sociopaths can claim a new revelation to make changes as needed to control the sheep

Fear, low IQ, sociopaths, youthful naivete. What else?

First you need to define what you mean by believe. Why many people believe in gods or why they believe in a certain god (or pantheon)?

Because the answer depends on which category. Part of the reason people believe in gods is because we evolved to see purpose behind events. Our subconscious brain uses rules that are quick but not always accurate, which allows us to respond to events without the slow process of consciously thinking about them. This often leads to mistakes, but is an advantage when there is a real danger. It is called teleology. We are also aware we are conscious, so we project our consciousness onto the universe (and an afterlife).

I believe most of your reasons are why people believe in certain religions, such as following the religion of your culture or family, and fear of rejection.

Point 4 is a problem as there are many intelligent theists, so a low IQ does not sound like a good reason for believing. Cognitive bias is more probably one of the causes.

[TRANSPONDER]

Being indoctrinated from infancy or being evangelised later on. The latter does seem to need regular reinforcing, so as to stop drifting away.

There's also a powerful link between religion and cultural identity.

[Mightyqueen801]

Originally Posted by TRANSPONDER

Being indoctrinated from infancy or being evangelised later on. The latter does seem to need regular reinforcing, so as to stop drifting away.

There's also a powerful link between religion and cultural identity.

I agree, and while we see that with Judaism, Islam, and various Christian sects, in some cases, it faded away with the culture.

For example, I am an American primarily descended from Dutch people (although you would immediately recognize my English last name--that side came from Manchester) who settled in northern New Jersey. In my parents' and grandparents' time, the The Reformed Church of America that was birthed by the Dutch Reformed Church was the center of the community. Our town was still heavily Dutch when I grew up. We had a windmill on our front lawn, like a lot of other people, as did the municipal building.

I remember from my childhood older relatives who still spoke Dutch, and the tasty Dutch baked goods and overcooked, unseasoned meat and vegetables that were the staples of church dinners. Our childhood activities were youth group, junior choir, Pioneer Girls/Stockade. Sunday was Sunday School and a long, boring church service, and another church service at 6 p.m.

Sunday dinner at 1 p.m. was a big deal and you stayed in your "church dress" and good shoes and weren't supposed to run around and make a lot of noise, because it was "the Lord's Day".

There was a lot more in that culture, a dark sin/death/hell shadow cast over everything, but that's why God made psychotherapists. (A shrink in the neighboring town once told my mother that people who'd grown up in the RCA were the most neurotic he'd ever met, and they kept him in business.)

My mother still lives in that town where she was born 90 years ago, but the town has gone from sleepy semi-rural to full-fledged New York City suburb in the past 40 years. Only about 13% of the town is still Dutch, from what I last heard, and most of them are probably related to me and closer to my mother's age than mine. Nobody I know speaks Dutch anymore, although there are a lot of Dutch place names still in the NY metro region.

Her church merged years ago with another Reformed congregation, and last time she was able to go, only about 25 people were showing up on a Sunday. Another Reformed church in town was sold to a Muslim community for a prayer center. That old Dutch cultural community has dissipated and is dying, with just a few holdouts still in places like Iowa and Michigan that were heavily Dutch-settled (those two states plus New York and New Jersey were the traditional Dutch strongholds).

On the other hand, some cultures linked by religion remain strong, like Judaism, or have grown, like the LDS.

[Huckleberry3911948]

Interesting post -my grandfather was an atheist a very enlightened man
Why do I believe in god?
Because if it’s just luck -if I were that lucky -considering where I came from and what I had to do and go through to get to where I am now -
If I were that lucky -I would go to the Indian casino down the street right now and clean them out in an hour