# Why do people still believe in God? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [December 19, 2005, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-still-believe-in-god/336228 "2005-12-19T00:51:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Floyd\_Remora](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecccb3/32.png) [@Floyd\_Remora](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floyd_Remora)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2005, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-still-believe-in-god/336228/1 "2005-12-19T00:51:31Z")
Well? ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2005, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-still-believe-in-god/336228/2 "2005-12-19T00:53:27Z")
Well Not? ---
**Author:** ![lonesome\_loser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c68b51/32.png) [@lonesome\_loser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lonesome_loser)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2005, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-still-believe-in-god/336228/3 "2005-12-19T00:53:32Z")
People cling to anything that gives hope. And in todays world, who can blame them. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2005, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-still-believe-in-god/336228/4 "2005-12-19T00:55:10Z")
Some think it’s genetic, or at least has a genetic component. > **[News](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/?xml=%2Fnews%2F2004%2F11%2F14%2Fngod14.xml&sSheet=%2Fnews%2F2004%2F11%2F14%2Fixnewstop.html)** > > Latest breaking news, including politics, crime and celebrity. Find stories, updates and expert opinion. ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2005, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-still-believe-in-god/336228/5 "2005-12-19T00:55:30Z")
Why do people still post in the wrong forums? ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2005, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-still-believe-in-god/336228/6 "2005-12-19T01:04:03Z")
Here’s an alternative hypothesis (sub required): > **[Is God an Accident?](https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2005/12/is-god-an-accident/304425/)** > > Despite the vast number of religions, nearly everyone in the world believes in the same things: the existence of a soul, an afterlife, miracles, and the divine creation of the universe. Recently psychologists doing research on the minds of infants... Short story: We are wired with 2 cognitive systems, one for things and another for people. They are separate. The social/people system can be hyperactive. There is a tendency to perceive motive where there is none. Hence, we have conspiracy theories. There is a tendency to perceive intent where there is none. Hence, we have religion. There are other theories of religion as well. This one is recent. I suspect that there will be more in the future. I am an empirical agnostic. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2005, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-still-believe-in-god/336228/7 "2005-12-19T01:05:27Z")
I think this one can best be expounded on in another forum. **samclem** GQ moderator ---
**Author:** ![Imasquare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Imasquare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Imasquare)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2005, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-still-believe-in-god/336228/8 "2005-12-19T01:15:48Z")
> [@Floyd Remora](#): > > Well? I believe in God because I just can’t accept that the Universe just popped out of nowhere by itself. I accept the theories of Evolution and the Big Bang, but I cannpt comprehend how the Big Bang could have happened without a creator to initiate it. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2005, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-still-believe-in-god/336228/9 "2005-12-19T01:27:20Z")
> [@Imasquare](#): > > I believe in God because I just can’t accept that the Universe just popped out of nowhere by itself. I accept the theories of Evolution and the Big Bang, but I cannpt comprehend how the Big Bang could have happened without a creator to initiate it. Then where did the creator come from ? Any answer that explains it’s existence could be used to explain the Big Bang _without_ dragging a creator into it. Occam’s Razor militates against the existence of a creator. Why do people still believe ? I think it’s partly genetic, combined with the intense indoctrination of the young. Also, it’s such a convenient excuse for any sort of evil you want to commit. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2005, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-still-believe-in-god/336228/10 "2005-12-19T01:37:16Z")
Why do people beleive there is no God? ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2005, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-still-believe-in-god/336228/11 "2005-12-19T01:42:24Z")
I believe in God because (among other reasons) I find the arguments to the contrary to be unconvincing. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2005, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-still-believe-in-god/336228/12 "2005-12-19T01:44:06Z")
> [@kanicbird](#): > > Why do people beleive there is no God? Because it’s the rational view,; because there is no evidence for God; and because belief in God is highly destructive. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2005, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-still-believe-in-god/336228/13 "2005-12-19T01:53:10Z")
> [@Der Trihs](#): > > belief in God is highly destructive. I’m an atheist and I disagree. Human beings are highly destructive. They just occasionally use belief in God as an excuse. I admit that as excuses go, it’s among the lamest. ---
**Author:** ![Seven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Seven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seven)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2005, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-still-believe-in-god/336228/14 "2005-12-19T02:01:13Z")
> [@Imasquare](#): > > I believe in God because I just can’t accept that the Universe just popped out of nowhere by itself. I accept the theories of Evolution and the Big Bang, but I cannpt comprehend how the Big Bang could have happened without a creator to initiate it. But you can believe a creator popped out of nowhere? ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2005, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-still-believe-in-god/336228/15 "2005-12-19T02:02:52Z")
> [@](#): > > Because it’s the rational view,; because there is no evidence for God; and because belief in God is highly destructive. Funny I would say that not beleiving in a God is a irrational view, the evidence points to such a God, and non belief in God is highly destructive. Oh well ---
**Author:** ![Metacom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecae2f/32.png) [@Metacom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Metacom)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2005, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-still-believe-in-god/336228/16 "2005-12-19T02:03:54Z")
> [@Seven](#): > > But you can believe a creator popped out of nowhere? I don’t believe that the creator popped out of nowhere. It always was. ---
**Author:** ![Seven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Seven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seven)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2005, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-still-believe-in-god/336228/17 "2005-12-19T02:05:08Z")
> [@kanicbird](#): > > Funny I would say that not beleiving in a God is a irrational view, the evidence points to such a God, and non belief in God is highly destructive. > > Oh well How would a non-belief in a god be destructive? ---
**Author:** ![UnwrittenNocturne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/6de8d8/32.png) [@UnwrittenNocturne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UnwrittenNocturne)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2005, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-still-believe-in-god/336228/18 "2005-12-19T02:07:08Z")
> [@Metacom](#): > > I don’t believe that the creator popped out of nowhere. It always was. The same can be said of the universe, negating the need for a creator once again ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2005, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-still-believe-in-god/336228/19 "2005-12-19T02:10:39Z")
> [@UnwrittenNocturne](#): > > The same can be said of the universe, negating the need for a creator once again The universe, according to the common definition, had a beginning at the Big Bang. It hasn’t been around forever. People don’t think deeply enough about the miracle of creation, existence and consciousness IMHO. Science isn’t currently offering much hope for figuring them out either. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2005, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-still-believe-in-god/336228/20 "2005-12-19T02:13:38Z")
The reasons for faith don’t reduce to one-liner sound bites, which seems to be the stock in trade for this thread. And, quite frankly, “Well?” doesn’t motivate me to write a ten-paragraph answer. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-still-believe-in-god/336228.md?page=2)