"Faith is believin' what you know ain't true" - Mark Twain
It's a very human thing, people believe what they feel they need to believe in order to cope. For some that could mean continuing to believe a spouse isn't cheating on them when everybody in their circle knows they are and in spite of evidence of the infidelity all over the place. They just can't bear to accept the truth so they don't.
Religious faith is necessary for many because the world can be a right scary place and it gives them comfort to believe in some uber-being taking an interest in our lives and well-being. Fear of death has a great deal to do with it as well, of course Granted that there is no real evidence of this, nothing you can measure, but that just makes it even more of a virtue to be a believer! (I always loved that one, I used to hear that all the time in Cathecism class as a kid.) As Mr. Spock would observe, you humans are so illogical.
It's a very human thing, people believe what they feel they need to believe in order to cope. For some that could mean continuing to believe a spouse isn't cheating on them when everybody in their circle knows they are and in spite of evidence of the infidelity all over the place. They just can't bear to accept the truth so they don't.
Religious faith is necessary for many because the world can be a right scary place and it gives them comfort to believe in some uber-being taking an interest in our lives and well-being. Fear of death has a great deal to do with it as well, of course Granted that there is no real evidence of this, nothing you can measure, but that just makes it even more of a virtue to be a believer! (I always loved that one, I used to hear that all the time in Cathecism class as a kid.) As Mr. Spock would observe, you humans are so illogical.
“To terrify children with the image of hell, to consider women an inferior creation—is that good for the world?”
― Christopher Hitchens
"That fear first created the gods is perhaps as true as anything so brief could be on so great a subject". - George Santayana
"If this is the best God can do, I'm not impressed". - George Carlin
― Christopher Hitchens
"That fear first created the gods is perhaps as true as anything so brief could be on so great a subject". - George Santayana
"If this is the best God can do, I'm not impressed". - George Carlin
