Why people are religious

[jcvamp]

What's your opinion on why people are religious?

I think it's purely emotional. I think people can't cope with the idea of not knowing how the world works, so they cling to some kind of explanation that they can make sense of. They fear death, and can't cope with the idea of not existing in some form. The prospect that their life has no greater meaning is depressing.

I think that's why logic doesn't work. Logic doesn't give a religious person the same comfort that their religion gives them. Their religion is like a warm comforter that tells them they will live on after death. It tells them that there's a higher power who think they're special and has a plan for them.

What do you think?

[Longhorn]

I think it's patronizing to assume what someone's reasons behind their worldview are, especially if it's done in a way that makes them sound emotionally weak and/or damaged and that different people have different reasons to believe different things

In short, ask them.

[Mystic]

I would say religious is usually due to family/parents or society. That is a different reason to be spiritual (ie. believe in God, afterlife, soul).

However I wouldn't try to explain the vast majority of people. Rather try to see the few people who have searched and came to conclusions. The people who thoroughly thought about the issue.

It maybe you may find no one who is justified in believing in religion, but it maybe that there is a true religion out there. It maybe you don't know anyone who can guide you, but there is a person who can guide you. It maybe you don't know any proof of any person being guided, but there is proof of a certain person being guided who is meant to guide you as well due to that proof they have.

Of course a lot of people don't really think about the issue and just follow religion blindly. What most people do shouldn't effect your decision.

[Whateverist]

I would say religious is usually due to family/parents or society.

^This^

[Faith No More]

I take the view that religion is a lot like a drug. We all crave a certain level of neurotransmitters in our brain, and the comfort and meaning people derive from religion releases neurotransmitters that their brain craves. The brain then craves more of those neurotransmitters, causing the person to want to repeat that comfortable feeling they have. The person essentially becomes addicted to that comfort, making it extremely hard to convince them it's not real.

Surely it's not an all-encompassing explanation, and I don't claim to speak for anyone. Each person is unique and has their own reasons. But given the way our brains operate and how our thoughts and beliefs affect that, it's definitely a viable theory.

[abaris]

Assuming you're not a troll or Poe or whatever (sorry, we have our share recently), they're religious because people need some hand. They need to associate with a group where they feel secure. They're also religious because they're not comfortable with the lights out of death, because they hope to meet some lost loved ones again.

All in all, being religious is entirely human.

[jcvamp]

I think it's patronizing to assume what someone's reasons behind their worldview are, especially if it's done in a way that makes them sound emotionally weak and/or damaged and that different people have different reasons to believe different things

I think that everyone can be emotionally weak; we're all human. I think that everyone has things about themselves that is due to some kind of weakness or other, and we all have things that are due to our strengths. My emotional weaknesses, for example, make it difficult for me to sustain relationships.

It wasn't meant to be patronising or insulting. My experience is that generally when religious people are presented with facts that contradict their beliefs, they tend to react emotionally rather than logically, which leads me to believe that the basis of their beliefs must be emotional.

In short, ask them.

If you ask a religious person why the believe what they do, they'll tell you why they think they believe what they do, but it's not necessarily the full answer. I used to say that I believed what made sense to me, but it was only when I stopped being religious that I realised that I was clinging to ideas that I wanted to be true. I wanted the universe to be divine, and I wanted there to be something beyond this life, but I found myself making illogical justifications for my beliefs that seemed logical at the time.

I would say religious is usually due to family/parents or society. That is a different reason to be spiritual (ie. believe in God, afterlife, soul).

I think that accounts for the particular religion they follow, and why they're initially religious, but not necessarily why they keep their religious beliefs.

However I wouldn't try to explain the vast majority of people. Rather try to see the few people who have searched and came to conclusions. The people who thoroughly thought about the issue.

It maybe you may find no one who is justified in believing in religion, but it maybe that there is a true religion out there. It maybe you don't know anyone who can guide you, but there is a person who can guide you. It maybe you don't know any proof of any person being guided, but there is proof of a certain person being guided who is meant to guide you as well due to that proof they have.

I'm not sure what you mean, sorry.

[Kingpin]

We need to stop generalizing and painting with broad brushes. Why people are religious varies and a lot of the reasons have been mentioned. It boils down to each person is their own individual and has their own reasons for their worldview, so as Vic said, ask them.

[jcvamp]

Assuming you're not a troll or Poe or whatever (sorry, we have our share recently),

I don't know what a Poe is, but I'm not a troll; the question is geniune.

they're religious because people need some hand. They need to associate with a group where they feel secure. They're also religious because they're not comfortable with the lights out of death, because they hope to meet some lost loved ones again.

That's essentially my point. The community thing is another part of the comforter I was talking about.

All in all, being religious is entirely human.

I agree.

[Mystic]

I would say religious is usually due to family/parents or society. That is a different reason to be spiritual (ie. believe in God, afterlife, soul).

I think that accounts for the particular religion they follow, and why they're initially religious, but not necessarily why they keep their religious beliefs.

They keep their particular religion though more often then not. Their bias is there towards their family. 10% of society changes from their initial religion into something else. And even then, a lot of them go back to their religion.

If it was just after life and what not for comfort, well I believe in that stuff for five years with no religion.

What I meant by that, is you shouldn't let your search of whether there is a true religion or not, be determined by the fact most just follow it blindly or with severe bias towards their brand.