Question for those not raised in religious homes

[robvalue]

I agree with this. Until I spent a lot of time looking into the psychology of religion and the kind of practices that go on, I couldn't understand it. I thought it was just a load of crazy people.

I still do. I consider the vast majority of "religious" people to be faking it because that's what is required of them by their society. Hopefully there will be some tipping point where being non-religious is finally acceptable.

Sure, there are probably many people faking it, either for fear of not fitting in, or for the very real consequences they may face if they are found out. And I think that even among genuine believers, there is an element of exaggeration among some of them regarding exactly how far their beliefs go.

I don't think people realize how much their actions, and even their words, betray their own professed beliefs; the human brain is very good at this kind of compartmentalising. There is also the fear of change, and of having to reconsider everything from the ground up, if they allow their beliefs to be properly dug up and analysed. This isn't just a religious phenomenon either.