How can people be so incredibly stupid as to believe in God?

Answer 1

Whoaaa there, champ. I'm an atheist and you are kind of stepping over a line here. Everyone comes to their own path in their own way for their own reasons due to their own circumstances. I don't think it is very productive, fair, or mature of you to be throwing around words like "stupid" here to describe an entire class of people that believe a vast range of beliefs involving god. I believe that believing in God is pretty silly actually, however I'm not going to go on here and say that the *people* that believe in God are silly. Some of them are and that is really obvious. However, not ALL of them are. Being stupid isn't the exclusive province of the religious (as I think you have done a bang up job of illustrating) . Attacking a belief is one thing (a belief in god) attacking the people is another. There ARE a lot of good people that do a lot of good work (with charity and stuff) through churches and religious organizations. I don't point that out to downplay the atrocities handed out in the name of religion, but those atrocities aren't the exclusive domain of the religious either (look at how many people died under various forms of secular Communism). Like ANY group of people, there are genuinely good, bad, and misguided people in religious groups (in various mixtures and degrees). Heck man, some of my best friends are atheists, but that doesn't mean that there aren't annoying militant atheists that make the rest of us look bad with their posturing, arrogance, and self-righteousness.

*cough cough*

Just think about the question you asked for like 1 second. Say it out loud to yourself if you have to. Don't you notice the fact that you are attributing a particular belief set exclusively to intelligence? Beliefs or ideas *can* be exclusively a product of superior or inferior intelligence. However, often they are simply a result of where and how you were raised (especially if you were indoctrinated early by a strong family influence) and intelligence has nothing to do with it. Sometimes people believe in god because of things like that (and are taught to selectively filter out information that is contradictory to their world view) and it isn't because of some mental deficiency or defect in character.

The fact that you can't see that might lead a lot of people into making a snap judgement about YOUR intelligence After all, the fact that you can't see something so incredibly obvious (the diversity in range of circumstances leading to a person believing in god) makes YOU stupid......right?
Not necessarily.

I don't personally think you are stupid, but you sure could stand to use a bit more grey matter before you speak up (or at the very least...you should be questioning your motivations). Personally, you come off to me like a newbie kid atheist that is intoxicated with being "right" and is using a good philosophical position to make yourself feel superior to other people and bully people into feeling inferior.
That is just speculation though based on the snide and arrogant way you formulated your question. Perhaps you are just misguided or having a bad day? See? Aren't you glad that I didn't just write you off as "incredibly stupid?"
I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt because I can't see inside your head or see your circumstances. I don't know what you are dealing with or what is going on in your world. It would be arrogant and assinine of me to try to definitively make statements about your character or intelligence when I clearly don't have an abundance of evidence here.Normally I wouldn't even speculate, .but I wanted to show you how you might be coming off to other people.

Keep in mind...YOU don't have an abundance of evidence about all religious people either. Have you met every single person on this planet who believes in god or even a statistical majority of those people (around 2.5 billion people)? Have you heard their stories or walked in their shoes? I'm guessing you haven't. You do realize that some 90 percent of people on this planet (and that is being generous) believe in some form of god right? You aren't really placed in a position to make sweeping comments about religious people their condition are you? All you can really do is make broad generalizations (by saying they are "incredibly stupid) based on the people that YOU have seen or read about which isn't really logically sound.

A 2 word label (like "incredibly stupid") ignores so much context, depth, and subtlety that it cannot be taken seriously by most people...even the ones that are atheists like you!

Your statement basically says, "90% of the world is incredibly stupid compared to us brilliant atheists. Why is that?

Can't you see the problem in formulation a loaded question like that?

Giving someone the benefit of the doubt when it comes to *how* they arrived at their beliefs or statement preserves their overall dignity and gives them room to explain themselves in an enviornment that might be pressured but isn't overtly hostile. Nobody is perfect, so I think that room to clarify or explain yourself is absolutely necessary and warranted (and you have to give it to get it).

I have no beef with you, so why would I call you stupid? Calling you stupid would just starts a fight and make you (or anyone) close their ears to what MIGHT actually be something important. Think abou the religious kids who say, "You are going to hell if you don't believe as I do." They aren't really persuading anyone and neither are you. You obviously have beef and are striking out at religious people with your labels ("incredibly stupid") which just makes you look like a kid looking for a fight.

I hope you actually read this and think about this and don't just blow me off here.

I'm going to leave you with a quote here:

"Better to be silent and thought an idiot then to open your mouth and remove all doubt." - Mark Twain


-E

Answer 2

Honestly said, I asked myself the same question, just the other way round.
How can people be so incredibly stupid as not to believe in God?

Answer 3

How can people be so incredibly stupid as to not believe in God?

Answer 4

It really depends on which God you are talking about.

I agree that there are some pretty strange ideas circulating out there about God.

You need to remember that a lot of these people were told nonsense about God when they were just little children. Then they were frightened with lies about God being judgmental and punishing people in a place called hell. This does not make them stupid.

Remember just because someone tells you lies about God does not mean that God isn't real.

Love and blessings Don

Answer 5

Well, I wouldn't call it "stupidity", its more of just ignorance. young children can easily be brainwashed with whatever ideas imposed on them, and so they maintain those beliefs without question because it's what they were taught. (you can compare it to something taught in school, children will generally accept it as fact because the teacher said it). The belief will probably be weaker or stronger depending on how religious their family or surroundings in general are. Personally for me, it was easy to not believe in God because since no one forced me to believe, I was able to come up with my own conclusions. This is just one of the reasons but i think it accounts for a lot of the people that believe in God; the way people are nurtured.

Answer 6

People belive in god because it gives them a sense of security to think that everything is part of a plan, somewere. Also it brings comfort to genuinely belive that if you lead a good life there is some kind of final reward in the end. What do you stand to lose if you belive and are wrong? But what if you disbelive and are wrong? Only one way to find out.

Answer 7

Please read "The case For Christ" it is about a journalist who asked the same exact ?, he went and had done searches and ended up regreting for every second he denied the existance of God.. Also, use your mind..who created the trees, the universe, and you.. yes he created you.. and he loves you because you are his creation.. he died for you though he knows how you deny him, he is standing right there on the cross waitinf for you to run into his bosom and he will forgive you.. use your life as a chance, I fear that you would deny your creator for your whole life and when your life is over, you stand in judgment day not knowing what to say.. I am glad you asked this question maybe it will be your door to salvation

Answer 8

The Chicago Tribune reported a survey in 2005 , which says most U.S. doctors believe in God .
Why push your infantile anxiety on others ?

Answer 9

Who's god are you talking about? Maybe you have had the unfortunate experience of being introduced to a god that in my belief doesnt exist either. u no what i mean. Explore your own truth. Wander where theres no path. The way to God is the road less traveled. Dont give up. Dont give in. Give thought. Begin with "I am".

Answer 10

The same reason people ask incredibly stupid questions...

Answer 11

I know what you're asking - just leave the subject alone. Humans have been infactuated by the subject of gods for thousands of years. And god is just a human concept.