RE: In your opinion what causes christians to believe in Jesus
May 12, 2025 at 9:29 pm
(This post was last modified: May 12, 2025 at 9:56 pm by John 6IX Breezy.)
(May 12, 2025 at 10:34 am)Angrboda Wrote: ...far beyond any attribution to personal choice unfettered by coercive factors.
This last part is problematic for your theory, because autonomy is one of the strongest predictors in motivational psychology. People value control so much they’ll pay more just to keep it. The difference between influence and coercion is exactly how much autonomy is preserved. I wouldn’t be surprised if individuals raised in coercive religious environments were more likely to reject religion altogether.
Social environments do have an influence, but your autonomy, free of coercion, is a far better predictor of what beliefs and behaviors you'll adopt.