Question 111

What do you think (in general) triggers God belief or disbelief?

• I think that it has to do with ones upbringing. How a person is taught to question or not, and also what is pushed upon them. I have realized that the people in my life that believe do not think critically about anything, and do not question anything. They have been brought up with this belief, are taught to accept anything that is spoon-fed to them, and never really learn to think critically about anything. I think a combination of these over time allows for unquestioning faith (Ernest Dumenigo #1613)

• Belief: Betrayal of the child by those [parents and relatives] who are supposed to protect and nourish.

  Disbelief: Possibly the realization of the betrayal combined with rational thinking and the realization that Superman[tm] [who stands for truth and justice and has morality-unlike the xtian daemon]doesn't exist. (Stoney #9)

• Institutionalized brainwashing. (kalle helenius #907)

• Okay, in generalities, here are my thoughts:

  God belief grows from a fear of the unknown and the need to explain it away. God disbelief grows out of the acceptance of the unknown and the courage to embrace and explore it. (Dr. Monkeyspank #371)

• Belief: "We live in a hostile universe, and we are all going to die!" Disbelief: "So what!? Let's enjoy what we have and try to make it even better!" (Matthias Weiss)

• Three things

  1. Indoctrination in childhood.

  2. Lack of education in science, so that the mysteries of the world stay mysteries - or a lack of capability to understand the science training that we get.

  3. Need for an answer to why? - even if no answer is reasonable or required. (Scott Davidson #1045)

  a) Brainwashing as children b) Fear of Death c) Traumatic Experience (The Doomster #1644)

• In general, god-belief is a desire for something beyond this life; for something greater than ourselves that abides beyond death.

  More specifically, a very strong survival instinct is hardwired into our DNA. Since we possess conscious thought, we invent a variety of mechanisms to satisfy this instinct. One of these mechanisms is the idea that some part of ourselves continues on after death, often guided by a force or entity we do not comprehend.

  Disbelief comes when one realizes that the above is wishful self-delusion. (chibiabos)

• You have to get them while they are very young; constantly hammer in the stories, and discourage any form of serious questioning or critical thought. Once critical thinking skills appeat, religion becomes a harder sell.

  Adults in shitty circumstances sometimes become suckers for anybody who will alleviate thier suffering and are easy prey for the religion sellers. (Erikc #2)

• While I do agree with other responses on this thread, that one of the major factors is upbringing, I don't think it has to be directly related. By that I mean that one does not have to be brought up in a theistic household to be discouraged from asking questions, demanding explanations. It isn't necessary to be told 'Goddit', only to be brought up on vagueness, contradiction, mystery or even outright lies. All that is required is that one is taught that thinking in certain ways, (like having one's own opinions, coming up with one's own conclusion) is wrong. When one adds physical or emotional insecurity (like an inferiority complex, for instance), or a certain laziness of mind, then the person may be vulnerable to proselytizing.

  Disbelief, it seems to me, comes about from confidence: the confidence that it's all right to say 'I don't know', the confidence to say 'I think ....' and know that your opinion is valid. (Diem 1459)

• The basic trigger for most theists is their parents' belief. My parents took me to church every Sunday, I went to Sunday School, all the adults I came into contact with told me that this xian god existed. At that age one relies on adults for all one's information. They generally seemed to be right about things like the iron being hot, knives being sharp, that sort of thing. It isn't until we mature ourselves that we realise that adults are capable both of being wrong, and of lying. If our parents tell us that all green things are red, and all red things green, we will believe that. When we find out we are using the words the wrong way round, it would take considerable effort for us to reverse that teaching.

  As far as the trigger of disbelief is concerned, I was in church one time listening to the pastor preach, and I suddenly thought: "Hang on! This is garbage!" When I thought about it further, and took into account the existence of all the other religions, past and present, and the complete lack of proof available for any of them, I recategorised theism as a crutch for weak minds and an ego-trip of immense proportions, and decided I wanted no part of it. (Goatboy #1684)