Why do we believe in something which we cannot prove?

Question

Such as religion!
Why do we believe in it? We cannot prove that gods exists, yet we believe in them all the same.

Answer 1

I have proof that Jesus Christ is god, He exists, and the Bible is His word.
Yes, I said, PROOF.

Can you PROVE that there is no god? If not (and you can't) then why not believe?

Answer 2

We all believe things for which there is evidence, but not proof, all the time--such as evolution, relativity, that genocide is bad, etc. Actually, when you think about it, how much of what's in your life can you actually prove for yourself? Do you set about proving the chair you're about to sit in will really hold you? Of course not! Why, you ask? Because it's just unreasonable, impractical, and futile. There would be no living life if we had to prove every last detail so we resort to shortcuts such as appealing to authority, experience and logic.

Answer 3

For context, I am speaking as an athiest, but this is my perspective:

I think people choose to believe in a religion because it adds to their life, either by providing the individual with identity and community (friends etc) as well as a perspective or viewpoint from which to understand and interpret the world. Further to this, I think many can find thier religion to be comforting and emotionally/psychologically satisfying as well as spiritually fullfiling.

From my perspective, there is no problem with people following a religion, provided that it adds value to their lives and causes no harm to either themselves or others. To this point, although there is no actual proof to support religion, neither is there an alternative outside of religion (ie science is not a religious pursuit, nor does it explain the ultimate origin of existence).

Answer 4

You say "we", but you mean "some of us". The reason is because you're scared, stupid sheep who need a crutch to get you through life, the promise that there's something nice waiting for you when you die, somebody in charge who makes sure the good are rewarded and the bad are punished and - most importantly - somebody to tell you what to do. The shepherd - what irony!!!

I am neither scared, nor stupid. I'll believe what can be proved and accept I am neither significant nor eternal in this infinite (probably) universe. When I'm dead, the decomposition of my body will nourish the earth with carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, etc., my friends and family (if they outlive me) will be sad and in a couple of hundred years, it's unlikely that anybody will know I ever lived. Consequently, I'm going to make the most of this life and if there does turn out to be something after it, well that will be a bonus.

The world is lead by power hungry bastards they are followed by morons who neither know, nor deserve any better. It's not fair and there's little justice. Got to get your kicks where you can.

Answer 5

Scientifically speaking? It appears to do with something called a "cognitive bias." In this particular case, one where people seek out evidence that confirms their hypothesis and ignore evidence that can deny it.

But this misses the point that faith by definition is related to trust, not proof.

But I suppose it was inevitable in a scientific age that people would try to find 'scientific' proof or otherwise for the existence of god. But ultimately I don't think believers or unbelievers can be moved from their positions since the facts will continue to be interpreted according to their respective cognitive biases!!

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Answer 6

We often believe in things that can not be proved because we have a need to believe in something. We need to feel as if there is a purpose to life (other than for the fun of it) and to attempt to take away some of the unknowns of death. Religion is a way of assuring ourselves that we are not here for no reason and when we die we will fade into nothingness.

Answer 7

We believe in many many things that we cannot prove. "Proof" is FAR too strong a standard - we can't prove that rain is condensed water vapor, or that the Earth goes around the sun. This black-and-white "we shouldn't believe it if we can't prove it" thinking is a large part of why we have the creationism problem still.

A better way to think about it is to separate beliefs into those that are proven (the facts of math and logic), those supported by the best current evidence (our understanding of the world - things like rain as water vapor, evolution, etc.), and those unsupported by reason or evidence (religious claims like the existence of god, ESP, UFOs, etc.).

My respects to the religious folks who acknowledged that their beliefs are based in faith - that's perfectly fine, and I can't think of a reason to belittle that. Those who claimed to have proof of God, on the other hand, should be ashamed of themselves. That's simply a lie, and one that does religious belief no good whatsoever. What the heck do you think faith is for, if you're going to run around claiming to have proof of gods?

Answer 8

I ask the same question because they ask me how can I not believe in one

I think they find more comfort in believing that there is someone watching over them instead of us just being little ants on this planet living and dying like the other animals on this planet, they probably find it like a security blanket, that once they die there is more, I just think that once we die, that's it, why are we any more special than other animals, they find god to be an answer to everything, they find satisfaction in it, otherwise they feel like their lives would have no meaning, they always assume that my life is meaningless, but of course i think you make whatever you want of life and I think we're meant not to have an answer to everything because that would satisfy the thirst for curiosity, I think that some of life's mysteries will always be life's mysteries

people just find more comfort in being dependent than independent

Answer 9

Simple.

People need to attach meaning to their lives; to "believe" that it is not all just some random occurance, that there is an "afterlife."

Now, I may share some of that hope, but not in what you'd call a "traditional" sense.

Google the term "deist" and "deism" and see what you find. There are people who see the hand of a creator in almost all things, but they don't subscribe to traditional displays of religion/worship.

I saw an interesting piece on TV about atheists, and they explained that if you don't believe in an afterlife, if you believe that this life is all there is, it sort of encourages you to be kind and benevolent to people.

Answer 10

Its a very complicated Answer to a simple Question. It all revolves around security and the need to have all the pain and suffering in life mean something. It feels good to have someone, an omnipitant someone, watching over you it makes us feel important and cared for. That everything may be a test to find out if were worthy of a life of eternal peace, its very comforting. Just think about our relationship in the UK with the government and Media.........

Answer 11

I think it has something to do with coming to terms with our own destiny. As intelligent beings, it's really hard to imagine that one day our bodies will die and we will cease to exist. Maybe it's about finding meaning in our existence. I'm not particularly religeous but I do find it interesting that religion exists in every different sector of society across the world. And many religions occurred totally independently of each other, often hundreds or thousands of years ago.