Humans.

@divegeester said
Because in only giving your preferred two options you are trying to limit responses to replies which only suit your purposes.

Why not just ask your question and leave people to respond as they choose to, not how you chose them too?

Just forget it.waist of time.

@eye-of-horus-42 said
Just forget it.waist of time.

Your OP is the waste of time!

@KellyJay said
How about because God is true, no matter what we get out of it?

Truth is not causative of belief. Do you not remember we discussed the reasons why people believe things? In that thread, you agreed to the proposition that truth is not causative of belief. People believe things for many reasons, but truth is not one of them. The proof of that is that many people believe things which are manifestly false (the Democrats stole the election, Pelosi is a socialist, Harris is a communist) and refuse to believe things which are obviously true (Donald Trump is lying when he says he won the election).

So, the question arises, what are the actually operative motives and reasons whereby people come to believe things? What are the psychological and social factors involved in people's coming to believe whatever they do believe (and then later claim that their beliefs are 'true' )? What do people "get out of it"? is a very pertinent question.

What does Trump get out of being president? What does Trump get out of lying through his teeth to become president? A get-out-of-jail-free card, that's what. He's got 34 felony convictions .... and sentencing is yet to come. He's desperate to get re-elected, his fear is palpable in every speech he gives.

Now ask the same question about why people believe in God or gods. They must be getting something out it, whether or not it's true. Don't say that what they get out of it is heaven, because that's later (if ever). What do they get out of it now?

Truth by itself moves nothing. 1+1=2 -- there's a truth for you; absolute, undeniable, but you can't live your life by truth alone, it does not move anything. There must be something else in it. Comfort? Community of like-minded people?

@moonbus said
Truth is not causative of belief. Do you not remember we discussed the reasons why people believe things? In that thread, you agreed to the proposition that truth is not causative of belief. People believe things for many reasons, but truth is not one of them. The proof of that is that many people believe things which are manifestly false (the Democrats stole the election, Pe ...[text shortened]... move anything. There must be something else in it. Comfort? Community of like-minded people?

If the truth of the matter reality is meaningless to carry one towards anything to believe in, you are left with your internal wants and desires. If the goal is not to accept the truth no matter what it is because that is reality, then what, because I feel like it, that is how I want it to be so I feel good about my choices in life! The truth could very well force me to alter myself, my wants, my desires, and my views on right and wrong. If you are not seeking truth, you are making the universe fit you, changing everything to suit you and your wants and desires, if they don't, no matter what, you will squeeze them and shape them to suit you, accept this piece of the whole but not that part together they form something to your unliking, or simply say we don't understand enough, we cannot know, and go your happy way.

@KellyJay said
If the truth of the matter reality is meaningless to carry one towards anything to believe in, you are left with your internal wants and desires. If the goal is not to accept the truth no matter what it is because that is reality, then what, because I feel like it, that is how I want it to be so I feel good about my choices in life! The truth could very well force me to al ...[text shortened]... g to your unliking, or simply say we don't understand enough, we cannot know, and go your happy way.

Do you think you're any different in this regard, just because you are convinced that what you believe is true and you think what other people believe is false? Does it not occur to you that everyone else is just as firmly convinced of something else?

@moonbus said
Do you think you're any different in this regard, just because you are convinced that what you believe is true and you think what other people believe is false? Does it not occur to you that everyone else is just as firmly convinced of something else?

So what? Does it matter we are each convinced we are right, that only shows the great confusion nothing more. It also should serve as a warning that the only one’s truth views should we hold for the greatest scrutiny is our own. Since obviously we cannot be right about everything and if we refuse to move away from a point of view we are wrong about, then it is not truth we really care about!

@KellyJay said
So what? Does it matter we are each convinced we are right, that only shows the great confusion nothing more. It also should serve as a warning that the only one’s truth views should we hold for the greatest scrutiny is our own. Since obviously we cannot be right about everything and if we refuse to move away from a point of view we are wrong about, then it is not truth we really care about!

So, answer the question. What are the operative psychological and social factors involved in coming to believe in God or gods, since we are all in the same boat as far as knowing anything at all about the transcendent? What do you get out of believing? Comfort? Community of like-minded souls?

@moonbus said
So, answer the question. What are the operative psychological and social factors involved in coming to believe in God or gods, since we are all in the same boat as far as knowing anything at all about the transcendent? What do you get out of believing? Comfort? Community of like-minded souls?

If truth isn't your goal you can put whatever you want to call important.

@KellyJay said
If truth isn't your goal you can put whatever you want to call important.

Still not answering the question. You state the blindingly obvious: everyone believes that what he believes is true; no one, not even the criminally insane, believes that what he believes is false. You're no different to anyone else, just because you believe that what you believe is true. That does not answer the question, why some people believe in God, why some people believe in gods, why some people believe in something else (karma or evolution or nothing at all). Have another go .... see if you can address the question.

@moonbus said
Still not answering the question. You state the blindingly obvious: everyone believes that what he believes is true; no one, not even the criminally insane, believes that what he believes is false. You're no different to anyone else, just because you believe that what you believe is true. That does not answer the question, why some people believe in God, why som ...[text shortened]... se (karma or evolution or nothing at all). Have another go .... see if you can address the question.

It suits them.