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.

Fear of the unknown and death.

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

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.

Take a child and the time it is able to start putting words together, tell them myths that religion spouts....it's called brain washing. ..and when its done constantly, it takes alot to overcome. Many don't, and go on to perpetuate the evil

Many people are innately gullible. That seems like something that evolved to help us to stay in groups. But by not being constrained to facts or truth testing, religions can make up whatever kinds of stories that sound good to people. Religion will always have that advantage over truth.

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.

Because they are weak-minded people

It is a startling question. I for one cannot figure it out but then again who can figure out Trump supporters. Facts just loose their meaning when speaking to a mind that is chained up in a cage.

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.

I still remember, as a child, being taught the song "Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so". The next verse talked about how children especially are under his protection because "they are weak but he is strong". It would be very comforting to accept the message that there's a supernatural, omnipotent protector right now looking out for me. I think that's part of the answer; as Wilhelm Reich postulated, people often seem to desire a dictatorial protector to run their lives, and a God person would fulfill that role. However, I accept personal responsibility for my life, and I know that scientifically there is almost certainly no God. (I wouldn't mind a Goddess, though...)

Because they feel small and want to think they are not ultimately in control of their life. Organized religion remains to try to control the crowd and to extort money from them.

Trump's 35%-40% approval rate shows you that some people will believe anything even though they know they are being lied to! I view that as more of a mental deficiency than an actual chosen belief!

I believe it works the same way we fall in love with the wrong people initially believing them be the one ! Only difference here is it's possible break-up and move on, but with God it's a million times tougher.

Different reasons. It is hard to get away from what you have been indoctrinated to believe in and some people need hope.

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

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.

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

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

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.

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.

It depends on how you view God.

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.

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 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.