Why Do People Believe In God?

In those days when I listened to a great preacher, Paul Washer, I remember him referencing God with the line, “If God exists.” What often followed was his affirmation, “I believe he does.” Back then, I would say, “I believe, too,” or think, “Who was I not to believe if a man of such stature did?” (That's not to say that my belief in God was dependent on the preacher's affirmation; I had personal convictions to that effect.)

However, my subsequent exposure to the broad spectrum and magnitude of great minds who objected to the existence of God with a negative statement such as “I don't believe God exists,” sparked my curiosity. This conflict of minds is something I'd love to explore in another discussion.

This conversation is centered on the topic: Why do people believe in God? It becomes necessary to consider why, especially considering the fact that there are many people who don't and that we have so far not been able to provide definitive evidence to suffice the claim.

What Is Belief In God?

Belief, a noun closely related to faith and confidence, describes a personal conviction in the truthfulness and trustworthiness of something. In a religious context, it refers to an individual's subjective attitude toward a proposition, rooted in a conviction that transcends empirical verification that would suffice to prove the truthfulness of a claim or thing.

"God" is a concept that describes a hypothetical source of all things, the ultimate and supreme being of all beings. Therefore, belief in God is the conviction that such a being is real, true, and trustworthy. Through this belief, one expresses a subjective attitude of acceptance toward specific claims or propositions about what God is.

Do People Believe In God?

As I noted in the introduction, people do believe in God. According to Statista, it is estimated that around 85% of the world's population identifies with a religious group, including Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Judaism, among others. Among them are those who claim to believe in God. However, these believers differ in what they mean by God, which God they believe in, and why. 

Many believe in a theistic God, personal creator; a single being, tripartite being, or multiple beings concerned with, and actively involved in the affairs of this world. Others believe in a deistic, impersonal creator. There are those who believe that the source and all that exists are one ultimate being — the pantheistic. But the common usage of the word “God” is to reference a personal, theistic being(s).

In the Bible, we are told that not only do people believe in a personal God, but the devil does, too. The devil here is an adversarial figure many believe to function in opposition to their God, who is considered the source of all existence. This sounds quite interesting. I wonder what the devil thinks about God, which one, and why.

Do you believe in God? What God do you believe in? An all-knowing, all-powerful, and all-loving God, one that is neither of the three nor of their amalgamation, or one that is one with nature? What about why you do? Mind to share?

Why Do People Believe In God?

Let me tell you a story. A believer in God decided to give people reasons to believe in God, starting with, you've got nothing to lose. The other was: it takes more faith to believe in evolution. I gave a wry smile and exclaimed, wow!

The following statement, attributed to the French writer and philosopher, Voltaire, highlights the utility of belief in God. According to Voltaire, “If God does not exist, it would be necessary to invent him.” So, why do people believe in God?

The invention of God (or gods) stems not just from a mere attempt to resolve a problem, but the need to make sense of the reality in which we find ourselves. Whether or not you believe God created us and claim to know what that God did, Voltaire said, “If God created us in His image, we have more than reciprocated.” This supposes that we've not only invented a God, but one in our image, after our likeness. That's why, when I consider the different gods that people believe in, what I find is not the inherent nature of God but the projection of the inner self believing in God.

While that may seem complex for some, the general belief in God is not so complicated, as we can identify different reasons why people believe in God. Some of which are as follows:

1. People believe in God because of the need to explain the experiences we have no definitive explanations for. Take, for instance, reports of near-death experiences, unusual coincidences, and other claims from personal experiences.

2. People believe in God in order to cope with uncertainties. The fear of death, the ignorance of the future, and the need to cope with loss and grief, plays a pivotal role here.

3. People believe in God to make meaning of life and our existence. Questioning our existence, who we are, why we're here, and so on, lead people to assume the existence of God and ask, Why did God create us?

When you consider the amalgamation of the three main reasons I listed above, it would result in a very common reason why people believe in God: the comfort it offers. This includes both the immediate consolation and long-term purpose for living.

Life is full of challenges and mysteries that we have yet to unravel, and the easing way to sail through the difficulties is to find solace in the divine. The idea of an unseen being that is loving, protecting, and watching over us as we explore our everyday life is one that many people find attractive and consoling. It keeps them holding onto the hope for salvation, and perhaps a liberation from all their struggles.

Culture and societal upbringing are significant reasons why people believe in God. Most individuals brought up in religious communities and families are introduced from childhood to the concept of a creator responsible for their existence. They are taught that it is not their visible parents but a spirit being they cannot see. Such exposure instills in them the need to acknowledge that being through prayers and other rituals in their sacred texts, depending on the circumstances in which they find themselves. The downside is that many of such people tend to ignore other explanations for their existence and experiences that exclude that being in whom they believe, such as scientific inquiries and facts.

Another significant reason cited for belief in God relates to moral realism. I find it fascinating that people contrast the reason why they believe in God within the framework of moral realism. They claim that without God, people cannot ground objective morality. Therefore, they believe in God as the grounding and motivation for doing good to themselves and those around them. While this is a debated, not universally accepted view, and such that I question due to its ignorance of other ethical views, including individual and societal well-being, I can only conclude that it is a reason why people believe in God.

Do you believe in God? If yes, why do you believe in God? If no, why don't you? As I step aside, I hand over the floor to you; the floor is yours. Share your thoughts.