why are people religious when their belief system is a tissue of lies?
412435
UH-OH! Another non beleiver!\nSince you have soo many questions, perhaps this will help you.
1116052
Because when we were young our parents infused some false and true things into our brain that made us believe. We want to fit in with a group, so we pick whatever religion we like. And we know when we are young that if we don't like the religion, than we are in trouble.\nAlso, people WANT to believe in an afterlife, and a good one or they know they will be scared as heck. Then they get used to the fear, and are overcome by the "evidence" that the religion is completely true. Like i've said before, religions are completely man-made, and those men/ women have also done bad things in their lives. The bad things just aren't officially in documents to make them look good.\n\nThis is my opinion...
518933
Some people can't comprehend anything outside to boundaries of tradition.  They don't have facts... they have beliefs
359535
some people have a large amount of "brain" and "logics"\nthey don't believe what they couldn't see, couldn't touch, couldn't feel.\n\nand some people thing that even some atheist doesn't believe in god, that people is blessed also.
395801
You can believe--or not believe--in anything you choose. It's nobody's business but your own. However, there are some people in the world who are profoundly insecure in their faith, and are simultaneously laboring under the delusion that they have all the answers. How lucky for them; it must make one's life easy to have all the answers all the time. And since they feel they have the answers, they feel threatened by questions that challenge their pre-fabricated worldview. These types of people are unable to see shades of grey, so their world is a very two-dimensional black-and-white place. Arguing with them is an exercise in futility, so the best that you can do is wish them peace and carry on with your life.
554941
I think many believe in their religions entirely, they are just very good at rationalizing their own departures from religious laws because, like all human beings, they put themselves before others. Moreover, that fact that all they have to do in some cases is ask for forgiveness or perform some act of repentence makes it that much easier for them to sin and still claim to be a believer. It doesn't help matters that in many cases, scripture is confusing or contradictory, giving people of faith the opportunity to classify certain behaviors as an exception to the rules, or allowing them to argue against certain laws by citing other scripture that seems to differ.
880122
religion men lie a lot. many of them are going to hell.
472525
Cause humans are mostly insecure and conformistic.\nThey thus need an easy way out of their dilemmas as well as the relief of afterlife and the feeling of low responsibility adhered by religions(even if their dogma claims otherwise).\nMoreover there is a natural tendency in humans to belong in groups. A strongly structured group requires an opposing group. Religious groups provide both these features in abundance.
974
If you don't believe you don't believe.  It is OK.  Why should you believe in somehting of which there is no proof?  \n\nIn my personal opinion, there are only three reasons people become religious:\n\n1)  They are fearful.  Fearful of death, fearful of not knowing the purpose of their existence, fearful of losing everything that they value in this life (which you will, gauranteed).  Fear is a powerful motivator and when someone offers you a way to manage that fear through a belief system it can be tempting to accept.  There is no need to resort to philosophy, science or psyhcology.  There is no need to accept that there are rational and scientific explanations that we as humans simply don't know yet.   Just believe that someone's making it all right in the end and you're all set.\n\n2) They are seeking a path to redemption for past sins.  They are having difficulty coping with the consequences of some bad action they have taken in thier life, and or are trying to control some compulsive behavior that has caused hardship in their life.  Either they were in prison, got caught with a prostitue, or drank themselves out of job and their family, or simply told a horrible lie that they feel guilty about.  Religion offers instant redemption and rituals to help you ease your mind through repentance.  \n\n3)  They have a strong natural desire for community and companionship.  Having someplace to go every Sunday with likeminded people or having rituals to follow when someone dies, or having a language or framework to use when communicating your values with others can be very comforting.  If your family already subscribes to these beliefs you even may feel pressure to accept things that your logical mind tells you are impossible and&#92;or unlikely.\n\nYou can deal with these three situations through patience, meditation, compassion, seeking help from others, and community activism, or you can choose to believe in supernatural beings and mythology.  My personal opinion is that there is no easy way out of any problem so that when a christian says I can instantly have my sins forgiven or a Scientologist tells me that body thetans are causing my suffering, or some guru tells me that my Shakras just need alignments, I usually take a pass.
996333
I agree, people worship Jesus and Pastors/Ministers/Bishops/Popes/. Per God's word in the "original" Bible false Idols are Blasphemous. That has never sat well with me. As the "original" Bible stated "God is within you". Making everyone God. Meaning you have the power. I am not religious, religion is such a crock! I have studied many religions and all seem to have been basically enacted to stop humans from animalistic behavior by scaring them. All religion was created for was to keep order, stating that if you acted un-Godly you would end up in an Eternal Hell. The only problem with this is that nature still exists. In nature animals kill, rape, are homosexual, and live un-Godly. Yet most say all of God's creaturs end up in Heaven. HUH? Just live by the Golden Rule (do unto others as you would have them do unto you). Not for God's sake, but it really does make life easier. If you yell at someone they will yell back, if you reason with someone they will reason with you.
803908
I believe that religion is passed down the line like a virus. If you're a spiritually-minded person, there's nothing wrong with having a belief in the existence of (or teachings of) God, Allah, Jesus, Confucious, Buddah, Satan or whatever else. As long as you're not subscribing to any doctrine so blindly that you'll willfully follow any asshole waving around a Holy Book like an assault rifle. In the wrong hands, religion is much worse than any other weapon that any person on this planet has ever manufactured.
1149510
Let's be honest. All the religions are based on lies.
275114
There is no true religion, because all religions are founded on a set of beliefs that can not be proven to be facts. The basis of religion is lack of facts, which is why it religion's are hostile toward science, which is the system of discovering the truth behind things by finding the facts, through first seperating the opinions.\n\nI don't believe in any religion, because they rely on opinions, super heroes, and etc. I accept facts instead of fiction and use the logic of science to make opinions. Usually people of religion have a hard time making difficult decisions without help from uneducated and or bigotic priests, however men of scientific logic and reason can make decisions individually.
612651
I think that people get caught up on one single aspect of their faith a lot of times.  This causes them to lose sight of their complete faith which can lead to misinterpretion or a lack of understanding of what their faith teaches and believes.  Homosexuality is a very good example.  I'm not saying that I believe its right, but you still have to step back and realize this person is still a person.  You also have to realize that you are not perfect either in some other way, and a lot of people forget that.
667875
Yes, it is.  My religion does not preach this, and it's one of the reasons that I chose to believe what I do.  Actions have consequences.  People should be made to deal with them, even if it's just a guilty conscience.
711570
Religion is a "mind virus" it grows and spreads, like a virus. Inhabiting each victim with a belief system that is 2,000 years old. At a time when there was very little knowledge of the actual world and the Universe. These beliefs are spread from person to person, inhibiting people from believing and understanding truth, logic and reason. Something that science, atheists and in most cases, agnostics can understand. Science carries the human consciousness to a higher level. Religion lowers it.
722668
It's not so much the religions as it is the politics of the religion. Having faith is just having a belief - it's the religious DOGMA (telling you how to live, etc.) thay causes the problems. Why everyone wants to think that everyone else should believe in their particular brand of faith is beyond me. Why can't we all just get along. Different strokes for different folks, is what I say.