Modern man? What outdated terminology!

How? The same way modern people believe in political parties. Religion and politics are different aces from the same deck of cards. One has a dogma, the other has a party platform. Both subsist on selling fear, hope, and empty promises of a better life. Both demand unquestioned loyalty, etc.

Because most people are brainwashed practically from birth about God and Jesus.

They've been intentionally crippled since birth.

In a word, I think a lot of people really believe in magic, even if they don't see it that way. The insecurities of mortal existence can make some of us desperate enough to believe almost anything.

How many religious folk in the modern world think that the critical difference between themselves and ancient peoples long vanished is that they worship "the one true God?" Probably more than a few.

Parse religion strictly as a meme, an idea trying to survive by spreading from one brain to another, and what characteristics would be beneficial? Promising a reward that can't be disproven makes sense. Insinuating doom (that also can't be disproven) for disbelief seems like a pretty good choice too.

So, are core beliefs especially subject to Alexander Pope's recommendation on learning, "drink deeply, or not at all?" I don't think so. What is more critical than knowing a great deal about how the natural world really works is to understand that what is known was arrived at mostly by following the evidence wherever it led, even when what we found was not comforting, and revising our picture of reality when we achieved subsequent breakthroughs. Knowing vast amounts of detail is less important than knowing the central principle; an idea must be formulated such that we can prove it false, and if the idea survives repeated challenges we have solid evidence it's actually true. That's where we are in areas like atomic theory and the genetic code.

We also need to recognize that changing the details of what we know is normal, because we are still clarifying our picture of reality. We no longer have the perfect picture of reality we made up when all causes were opaque, but instead now have some details that are useful, that seem to reflect reality, and that we can continue building upon. The modern mindset requires some belief too, but it's a belief in following the evidence, and skepticism is just as important as belief.

A lot of people still believe in gods in a cultural sense, but there are far fewer people who really believe the mythology now, and those tend to be in pockets of (usually willful) ignorance. Modern man is still capable of believing some pretty ridiculous things (bigfoot, aliens, Trekkies, etc), only now it requires willful ignorance.

I think there are many reasons. The big one is fear. It's one thing be a rabbit running from a wolf because you have an instinctual urge avoid danger, and its another thing be able sit down, have a conference with people and discuss the risks and dangers involved with any given task. Reasoning and rationality is a double edged sword. We evolved this amazing tool that allows us to problem solve, predict, and imagine, while at the same time it causes us to solve problems that aren't real, predict events that may never happen, and imagine anything and everything. Our brains are now a mixed mess of prehistoric instinctual urges and faulty logical methodologies that only work when there is a small amount of information involved. Like Skepticguy pointed out, politics is almost completely parallel to religion, but religion is unique in that it can be immune to scrutiny with enough motivated reasoning and cognitive ignorance. Religions will come and go, or change and evolve, but religion will be apart of the human experience for a very, very long time.

I think the reason is that while science gives knowledge, religion gives meaning.

Have read some reasonable comments here and I do believe there is not one reason but many. One that I did not see mentioned though, and I consider near the top of the list is POWER. I think people need to feel they have some power over their world and if you can work with the, and get help from, a supreme power of the universe they have power.

From what I've seen there are several reasons. There are simple-minded people who are gullible enough swallow this nonsense, there are people like myself who were indoctrinated as a child, but as they grew older and became educated realized that there is no truth in religion. I recently talked somebody who admitted he knew there was no gods but believed just because he wanted believe. Still others who believe because they fell into the scare tactics I believe in God because I don't want to go to hell for all eternity.and then there's the people at the top of the game people running the masses, mind control, manipulate you out of for their own personal gains. Every year religion rakes in billions of dollars tax-, safe say all that is not going an invisible genie in The sky.

From what I've seen there are several reasons. There are simple-minded people who are gullible enough swallow this nonsense, there are people like myself who were indoctrinated as a child, but as they grew older and became educated realized that there is no truth in religion. I recently talked somebody who admitted he knew there was no gods but believed just because he wanted believe. Still others who believe because they fell into the scare tactics I believe in God because I don't want to go to hell for all eternity.and then there's the people at the top of the game people running the masses, mind control, manipulate you out of for their own personal gains. Every year religion rakes in billions of dollars tax-, safe say all that is not going an invisible genie in The sky.

As a soldier in Irak, while in dangerous situations, I felt the need to pray to be able to sleep. It gave me confident to carry on.

To feel part of a group makes us humans. We are social creatures for the most part and want to join together with each other however right or wrong it may be. My old college professor used to say "misery loves company" and I find that true in many cases. Belonging to a religion makes many people feel like they are doing the "right" thing. If one sheep falls off the edge of a cliff all the others follow. However, more and more people are realizing the truth about religion as science is punching many holes into it. Too bad I won't be around in a couple of hundred years to see if atheism is the norm and religion takes a back seat in the world. Wouldn't that be a laugh?

I think it just goes down from generation to generation. Possibly the biggest ongoing scam in modern history

The use of "God" has changed for modern people into not just an explanation for the unknown, or in many cases I think the I do not want to know so God did it. Rather it or she or he has become a tool for social power and a sense of place in a world increasingly polarized between the rich and everyone else and those who want to know even if the knowing hurts or is scary. Versus those (the majority I think) who want to believe far more then they want to know. Ironically the Internet and its access to information simply allows people to pick and choose facts as well as bend and alter them to fit a narrative. Also I feel there is a lot of backlash to knowledge. It is not just religion that is the problem I feel with nationalistic movements and any group that seeks the demonization of others as a tool to power or purpose also part of the dynamic which is and always has torn apart the world. Add in racial and gender identity to the mix. We as a species need two things; reason based governance and identifying all humans as equal irrelevant to any thing intrinsic to their identity and physical/neurological nature that does not directly harm others.

Because easy answers was only one small part of the reasons people believe in gods. There is also the emotional coddling.
I don't think being religious makes someone a racist, but it has never surprised me that the more notorious hate-groups in America are (a version of) Christians. Why? Because the center piece of monotheistic teachings is that there will be a separation of the sheep and the goats. The superior will be elevated and the unworthy will burn.

If you're a useless idiot with delusions of grandeur, god is the quick n' easy key to your supremacy; a lifetime of ego-boosting bullshit that reality can't touch.

Perhaps it's a coincidence. It is my two cents, anyway.

Well, from my experience as a child and son of a deacon in the church: What you are taught and have hammered into your brain on a daily basis becomes your version of "reality," even if it feels wrong to you. A child's mind is so malleable, coupled with the idea that your parents "know everything" when you're little, you are subconsciously brainwashed from the start. I was lucky enough to meet friends and a particular professor in college who welcomed my questioning of the bible and offered input and recommended readings to free my mind. Upon realizing the errors in the bible the blinders came off. Sadly, not many people are willing to even explore the concept (or maybe incapable) of thinking otherwise bc the religious trauma runs so deep that their critical thinking skills become nonexistent.

I think it is because the young a brainwashed and they belief what the adults tell them, something like the god virus, a god meme. I know that book was written, do not remember the author

Because belief and faith have no association with reason and for some, reason is an emotional flatland. Depth doesn’t come out of reason. Depth comes from asking ‘what if’. It doesn’t require gods but for many gods will do the trick.

It depends on how you view God.

To me God/Goddess/Gods is the air I breath. The trees in a forest. The sun and the moon. The food I eat. The water I drink.

Science hasn't proven whether god exists or not. When people talk about god they are usually talking about one of two different concepts.
The God of the universe, or the local God that supposedly interacts with peoples lives, rewards and punishes, talks to people, cares about the sex lives of humans, and likes to write books are the two.

Well "how can they" may not be as important as "will they anyway," and believe it or not this is all in the Bible in code, the "priest" breaks up Nehushtan, or ritual worship. God hates religion as much as you do ok

Because people are stupid. And parents drill relgion into their children and its very hard to escape it

They're still raised by the same duped parents and grandparents. It's a vicious circle. ... and when it's time to think for themselves, they become confused.