Why do people blindly follow unjustified beliefs?

Question

So many blindly follow religious beliefs that have no reason and hurt other people. What's the point of following a belief if it has no reason besides the fact that you were told to do so? i.e. a belief that women are weaker than men, or those who blindly follow every word of the Bible, Do people like that just have no independent thought or ability to reason things out? After all, is following the words of God verbatim without questioning them sensible, and is it even compassionate since they discriminate so much since they were written in the time when slavery was legal and wifes were property? Oh and to all of those out there who will tell me "You're going to hell" or things like that... I appreciate you proving my point.

Btw, I never said anything about rejecting religion, I never even mentioned my own beliefs. But one thing is for sure, I think it's idiotic and wrong for people to fight against each other over small pointless religious differences. I mean, after all, historically, religion has been the motivator of millions of deaths in fighting over who believes who. I mean come on, I just think that's dumb.

Answer 1

What's a "justified" belief?

Answer 2

To a point, you are correct -- a great many people do blindly follow a particular religious belief, and a great many more blindly reject certain religious belief systems. Both are wrong. Truth claims should be carefully investigated. While many will claim to have a pretty good knowledge of the Bible, I'm confident that few have actually ever read the entire Bible (much less acquired a working knowledge.) I know that I only read the Bible completely for the first time when I was about 36 years old.

Answer 3

You are correct that many people blindly follow beliefs. Why because it is easier than taking the time to research, and study
and soul search .

But from further elaboration of your question it would seem that what your question really is why do people blindly follow the unjustified beliefs of the Bible?

Truly if there were people out there who followed every word of the Bible, the world would be a much nicer place. The deal is God gave us all free will and no one follows every word of the Bible, blindly or otherwise.

Answer 4

People usually blindly follow a belief system because they are afraid of the consequences. They are followers not leaders. They don't question what they 've been told because they've been told if you question something you don't really believe it and you will go to hell or some other horrible punishment the leader has in store for them.

Many are uneducated, some do it because great great grandpappy told them it was so , so they continually do it , vote it , believe it.

Others do it out of laziness, too hard to think independently when someone has it figured out for you already .

Some look for external rewards, 72 virgins for example , or getting into heaven where non believers don't , so they have a ' special ' status over other people.

The reasons for blindly following are endless. However coming to a belief system after examining it from all sides and deciding to follow it , is something entirely different.

Answer 5

Christian Lady if you've never met anyone like that I ought to introduce you to my mother and her entire family.

Personally I don't always blame them for thinking like that. The simple fact of the matter is that social and religious indoctrination is a frighteningly powerful tool for controlling people, particularly if you get started at an early age. It once convinced people from countless cultures to offer themselves up as sacrifices! In a manner of speaking it still does in the Middle East.

If someone is taught to associate all of the good feelings and beautiful scenes and sunrises and baby laughs life has to offer with a particular religious "school", it becomes part of the mechanism of their thinking. It's simply how they've learned to comprehend the world around them. Giving that up is a terrifying process, and few people have the fortitude to do it.

Answer 6

Well, for all the people who do follow those beliefs, they cannot help it. All - well 99% of them have been brought up thinking thats the right thing to believe and practise. You can't blame them for their actions as they do not know any better. Some of them though just need the right someone to show them the right way. Not talking about God or Jesus either. Just a normal human being to teach them why and how its wrong.

Answer 7

because of the fact they are cowards, and that they do no longer opt to be distinctive. i'm a Jehovah's Witness because of the fact this faith teaches from the Bible, and we don't carry on with guy-made doctrines. mockingly, i've got come for the era of lots of people who properly known that we teach the actuality, yet they do no longer connect the organisation because of the fact they are apprehensive of what others might think of. i'm no longer afraid, and neither are the 7 million JW's international. We teach the actuality approximately life after dying, the trinity and God's destiny objective for mankind. - Eccl 9:5, John 3:sixteen; Psalms 37:10,11 - as properly, Jesus reported the worldwide might hate his disciples.- John 7:7; John 15:19

Answer 8

People blindly follow many things, e.g. religions, PeTA, Greenpeace, political parties, con artists, etc. Many people seem to want to believe something so desperately that they have no discrimination what it is. You are right that all too many people cannot reason at all and must have someone tell them what to think. I knew two men who repeated drivel they read in newspapers or heard on TV. One told me I should see a movie the critics all loved. Guess how I felt about it. I hated it. I recently quit subscribing to PLAYBOY, for they want to tell you how to think. I don't want anyone telling me how to think, whether it be mags, papers or religions.

Answer 9

I have very definite spiritual beliefs. Including the belief that the bible and the qua ran were written by men. God did not write anything! Sin and hell or man made words. The God I believe in would not spout bigotry and hatred, it is humans that do that. They think the bible justifies their bigotry., It does not!!

Answer 10

Some don't know any better; they are taught one thing and never bother to see if it's really true.
Others have spent their whole lives supporting a belief system (many through personal loss) and they don't want to admit they're wrong.
Still others follow the crowd so they won't stick out.
Last, some people are convinved - but they have been convinced with bad 'facts' so they are very certain of their (actually) false beliefs.

Answer 11

There is nothing blind about following Christ. There is plenty of evidence for what you read in the Bible. I suggest that you do some reading not only in the Bible since you seem to be skeptical but in areas of archeology, history (like Josephus, a roman history, not a christian.) Some of todays strongest followers of Christ were once blind just like many people with you point of view. Open your eyes and SEE, open your ears and LISTEN. Jesus loves you.