Why do people believe in anything other than the Holy Bible?  Like Scientology or Allah, or Buddha?
477516
The bible says "There a way that seems right to a man but in the end is death." Most people believe with as much sincerity as you may about God and the Holy Bible as they would about Allah or Buddha. I belief in Jesus Christ as God in the flesh, some say he was an angle, others would say he was just a man, and the ignorant would say he never existed.
791049
I think you've answered your own question. ;-)  That being said, let me tell you what I think.\n\nSome people of some religions have this elitist notion that their religion is the one, right, true and only way.  They think that everybody else is a Satanist or the like.\n\nI've learned about, and in some cases gotten deeply involved in, quite a few religions and spiritual traditions.  Just about every one of them that I can think of has some sort of moral or ethical code.  In Buddhism, the religion I was raised with, as well as in Hinduism, one must take responsibility for one's actions and have compassion for others.  Wiccans try to live their lives in such a way as to avoid harm to others and to accomplish what they were put on this earth to do.  Judaism and Islam all have moral rules that are to followed.\n\nChristians seem to be particularly divided on the issues of Christian morals and ethics (though few of them seem to realize that this division even exists!).  To many Christians, Jesus' teachings in the New Testament replace the Ten Commandments.  To them, the point is to love their neighbor as themselves, avoid judging others, to do to others as they'd have others do to them, etc.\n\nTo other Christians, the point is to follow the Ten Commandments.  Still to others, the point is to see the Bible as one big, literal law book.\n\nWhat fundamentalists in any religion fail to understand, seemingly (or perhaps they understand it all too well and are just bullies) are the following:\n\n1. That they might be wrong.\n2. That other religions have morals and ethics, too.\n3. That other mystical experiences are equally valid.\n4. That there are fundamentalist of other religions who thank THEY'RE wrong and that THEY'RE going to burn in Hell.\n\nSome fundamentalists claim that they've had these mystical experiences that "prove" that they're right.  What they don't realize is that:\n\na. Lots of people in lots of religions have all sorts of mystical experiences, but that they may have mystical experiences involving some other conception of Divinity.  For example, a Hindu might have a mystical experience of Krishna.  A Native American might have one of an animal spirit.  A Christian might have one of Jesus, a saint or an angel.\nb. Just because we have interesting psychological experiences, doesn't mean that some Deity or spirit is really talking to us.  It might be all in our head.\nc. There's a difference between objective reality, to which I think we're better off turning to science, which is based on impericism and logic rather than faith, and subjective experience.  Our subjective experiences are valid for ourselves.  If some God or spirit comes to us in a dream and tells us, maybe that's useful.  Who can say?  If we get something out of that, does it really matter whether or not that Being really exists?\n\nFor example, fundamentalist so-called "Christians" (personally, I don't see how anyone can be a true Christian and be so judgemental as the fundies) love to tell everyone they meet about their mysical experiences of Jesus.  But, if some Hindu told them about a mystical experience of Vishnu, they'd say that Vishnu is a demon.  So, Fundies like these are hypocrits.\n\nPersonally, I'm sick and tired of fundamentalists telling me that I'm going to be tortured eternally if I don't believe that their mytholgy is the literal word of their conception of God.  What makes them think they know anything?  To brow beat someone into believing in your mythology by telling them that they'll be tortured forever if they don't believe it is abuse!  I can only come to two conclusions about their behavior:\n\n1. That they really DO want to abuse the rest of us, because it makes them feel superior.\n2. That they're ignorant of other religions, were taught to be fundamentalists when they were growing up and never really stopped to think that
43803
Atheists are usually people who center themselves completely in reality and to the laws of science. They don't believe in the devil (technically there isn't really a religion of "satan/satanism") but they just don't have a belief system. They might believe there are powers around them or powers higher than them, but most likely, these are people who are mainly focused only in the world of logic they see in front of their eyes. \nThey might give a harsh response if you were to ask them if they believe in god and why they don't believe in a god; but then, how would you feel if someone asked you something and tried to convert you into something you really didn't believe? You can't just think that Christianity/Catholic is the only religion out there and that everyone should experience it.
87135
Because many many people see the horrors of religion in general, the absolute lack of reason in involved with "faith" and are not afraid of death.  \n\nThe world is a teeny tiny place in the realm of the universe and whatever is beyond what we can see.  Many people need to be comforted by believeing that there is something "out there" taking care of the human race.  \n\nMany feel the need to have something to guide them (could it be that their moral principles are not strong enough, or that they just need SOME kind of purpose to not feel like a waste of flesh?).  \n\nFor some, it is just easier to be blind to reality and accept a made up god than to actually use their brain to ask the questions which might be able to actually provide any comprehensible answers.
563230
I don't have a religion...I see no proof that a god does exist so until I see proof I choose to not believe...There are way too many bad things happening in the world to think that somewhere there is a god/higher being that could make it be better and just chooses to do nothing.
497209
Thankfully there are more choices than just the two.  I am Wiccan, i don't believe in the Bible as the Holy word of God, but I do believe that there are good messages in the Bible and that Jesus was a good person.  I don't know that much about Scientology, but I hate Tom Cruise.
34025
Good question, I think people is desperate to believe in something. The idea of not existance of a god must be to overwhelmingly for they.
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.
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.
436570
By the same token, why do Muslims, Hindus, Jews, ..... believe in something which has no empirical evidence?\n\nReligion has no affiliation with concrete proof, actually, it is quite the contrary. Most religions do not need to make secular sense since people want to believe in it in a spiritual way, and that's a choice they make.
105933
People have a need to believe in something outside of themselves. Some people believe in reason. Some people believe in a god. It is what ever works for you and you should not try to put down another’s beliefs
738284
There are very clear psychological reasons for why people believe in these things.  People want to find reasons for tragedy, the unknown, etc. \n\nBefore we understood them, people thought eclipses were bad omens... that gods were upset, that trouble was ahead.  They simply didn't understand what was happening.  Today, we still cannot explain everything we observe through science, but that doesn't mean that they aren't explainable.  It's simply easier to believe that something is controlling the outcome of what we experience.  As time goes by, we understand more and more... things that appeared to be magic previously.  \n\nSome people find this depressing and choose to believe in god and they think this creates purpose in their lives.  But it's narrow sighted and simplistic. I and most atheists, have no problem finding meaning in our lives... I am not amoral, I am not evil, etc.  Religion has had thousands of years to evolve.. It's a formidable opponent to reason because it teaches to ignore reason.  Only through free-thinking can you successfully question belief and your understanding of the world.  For some people it's a matter of stupidity, for some people it's a matter of ignorance... but for many, it's purely indoctrination in a manner that has been nearly perfected over the last thousands of years.
676138
When a human being wholehartedly believes in what he/she thinks is the truth, automatically tends to believe that the truth he/she found is THE TRUTH, and that everything else is false. Why? Because humans don´t like to make high stakes on something that may not be real. So, if they did make high stakes, the desperately NEED their beliefs to be TRUE, what immediately means that the others´ are not. \nSo they argue, they fight and they even would kill (take a look at history) in the name of their God.\n\nI´m an atheist, but I don´t want to convert everyone. To each his/her own! Even religious people accept that "the paths to God are diverse".\n\nTolerance should be the natural outcome of a little humbleness... which humans tend to lack.
408081
There are a minority of people who regard religion as a general set of beliefs, not necessarily involving a supernatural power.  However, most dictionaries and most people I know regard religion as a set of beliefs that do involve a higher power or god.\n\nThis is really just a matter of I say Tomayto you say Tomahto.  Two different definitions being intermixed and causing confusion.\n\nPersonally, I am an atheist, and I regard religion as something that absolutely involves some sort of supernatural or higher power.  Therefore, I consider myself non-religious.\nJust realize the differences in people's interpretations.
592256
I think it is important to believe in SOMETHING. Whether it is Jesus, Allah, the Jewish God, gods, or no God or gods at all. I think it is very important to make an informed decision on your belief rather than say "the world sucks, there is no God" or something similar.
266774
OK WELL BEFORE ANYONE GETS AFFENDED IM NOT GOING TO SIT HERE AND JUDGE NO ONE IM JUST GOING TO HELP ANSWER UR QUESTION.THE WAY I SEE IT PEOPLE HAVE THERE OWN BELIEFS AND THEY GO BY WHAT THEY HAVE BEEN TOLD AND RAISED TO BELIEVE.WE ARE ALL HUMAN WE ALL MAKE MISTAKES AND IF SAYING THERE IS NO GOD JUST MIGHT BE A MISTAKE TO CERTAIN PEOPLE. I BELIEVE IN THE LORD AND IT IS TRUE THERE ARE SO MANY RELIGIONS WHEN IN FACT THERE IS ONLY ONE GOD THAT IS WHAT I DON'T UNDERSTAND BUT SEE EXACTLY WHAT I SAID WE ARE RAISED TO BELIEVE IN WHAT WE ARE TOLD SO THAT IS WHY PEOPLE WORSHIP OTHER GODS. SO CHRISTIANS ,CATHOLICS EXT... ALL HAVE THERE DIFFERENT BELIEFS. YOU ALSO HAVE PEOPLE WHO BELIEVED IN GOD AT ONE POINT IN TIME BUT SOMETHING HAPPENED SO BAD IN THERE LIFE AND THEY PRAYED AND THEY FELT THEIR PRAYERS WEREN'T ANSWERED SO THAT CAN BE ONE REASON BUT THERE MIGHT BE DIFFERENT REASONS WHY PPL DON'T BELIEVE IN GOD. IT SUCKS BUT ITS TRUE!
762456
I personally don't believe any of them,without some actual proof I see no reason to bow my knee to what is nothing more than mankinds feeble attempt to explain his existence. That said I find it interesting that the earliest translations of the Bible refer to the making of man as "we will make him in our image" which of course others have said referred to God the father and his son, but since this was before the fall of man it makes no sense. And if there are no other actual Gods then what of the admonition that "you will have no other Gods before me" a statement made clearly in a way that would lead one to clearly believe that there are in fact other gods.\nGood question though,and to answer the questtion posed by migz 07 the reason half the world worships based on the monotheistic ideal(Islam Judaism and Christianity) is because these are the three religions that not only teach but enforce their religion upon their people,in different parts of the world at different times rejection of these religions could mean societal rejection or in many cases even death,that's a pretty strong incentive to worship as required.