When you’re brainwashed from birth, it’s difficult to recognize you’ve been brainwashed.

The existence of one or more gods can’t be conclusively proven or disproven. So it makes sense to me that some people believe in it and others don’t.

Alternative ways of explaining the world have been around for like a century and a half, and religious conversion is slow.

Why we did religion in the first place instead of just “I dunno where stuff came from or why” is a much more interesting question IMO.

I mean… In my life I’ve gone from a (naive child that took my parents words for fact) theist, to agnostic atheist, all the way to whatever the fuck I am now. It’s all a matter of perspective.

You go deep enough into metaphysics you can trip yourself the fuck out.

If anyone wants to humor me, check out this seemingly innocuous video about a comic book villain. Let’s debate some metaphysics!

Research shows that we have the innate (ie. without being externally influenced) belief that there is a higher power. So we are socialized/influenced into NOT believing in God.

Atheism and secularism are big now but this only started to be so in the recent hundred years.

Personally I find my religion logically making sense more than what atheistic ideologies bring forth and their misuse of science illiteracy.

The scripture is preserved and I had the chance to learn the original language which allows to assess it firsthand.

In vsauses video “The Future of Reason” he talks about how logic is a best seen in a group context, (a group consensus). So if a group of people agree on something, that is how it is. You can also put in some “if its not important to change the consensus for the group, don’t change it” as to why belief in groups doesn’t change very fast. Also the social and economic aspect, groups have people, people need people, you can also more easily find skilled people in a group.
(both religious and secular groups). Examples of belief, god cannot be observed directly, but religious people still believe : scientists can’t find dark matter, but they still believe that it exists. The most important reason is that groups in general serve the people that are in them. Religions keep together well because the majority of people believe in the group consensus (e.g. god), and get to contribute and gain the benefits of the group. Universities are a good example aswell, as they provide employment, teach skills, and foster community and independence.

I believe in religion. It definitely exists. Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism etc. They all exist. Guaranteed.

How can you not believe in them?

I’m not religious at all. But in responding to your question OP: we don’t have to understand why people believe. Religion just isn’t for us, and that’s fine. Other people find it has value, and that’s fine too. The fact that religion has lasted this long with this many people is proof in itself that there’s some value people get out of it. We don’t have to get it to understand that.

All the comments here that explain religion solely as dumb or irrational are just as closed minded as the people they’re criticising.

Because they did in 2023

It is very difficult to accept mortality if you don’t believe in an afterlife. Religion brings comfort, and comfort improves mental health (at the cost of some delusion).

Why isn’t it possible for a creator to exist?

I think it’s comfort. That can be if different things for different people and it can be many things at once.

• Spiritual comfort that your god loves you.

• Emotional comfort that you can do no wrong.

• Community comfort that you and the people like you are the chosen people.

• Life/death comfort for what happens after death.

• Intellectual comfort to know all the answers.

• Vindictive comfort to hate the people you want to.

It can just keep going.

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Because there is no downside. I mean, the only thing that atheist think is appealing is that they can reason themselves out of religion. What makes you think that ‘reasoning yourself out of religion’ is attractive, desirable or a worthy goal? It just isn’t. It leads to existential crisis in most if not all cases. And then atheist take pride in surviving that crisis. Which, sure, admirable… But attractive? Of course not.

You can be religious and do anything in the world. Literally. I know that atheist love to focus on dumb fucks and literalists, and on how religions are being abused. But the truth is that religion is deeply personal and peoples relation with religion is completely their own. It’s extremely simple to pick and choose from the myriad of options within religion. Most religious people are not literalists.

And then you get connection with people, see them regularly, participate in rituals, celebration days, rules for engagement with life.

Plus, don’t forget, an extremely old and mystic piece of human history. The attempts of people to live in a world that has a God. Their struggles, their victories. In essence a reflection on the human condition. And you get to be part of that. Atheist are often too fast to explain religion as a sort of ‘failed science’, while it’s absolutely not. And of course if you can’t figure that out you’re going to ask why people want to believe in something like that.

There will never be a rational reason for the human condition. Religion will never ever not be part of humanity. As the only way in which the human condition can be contextualised is in a world that is created, and religions are the keepers of that knowledge.

It’s a good coping mechanism.