Many believe, absolutely. The guys who flew the planes into the towers were believers, believe me!!!

I think it's convenient after a while. They may have believed as children because of fear or as newly converted because they needed purpose in their life. Once that initial fear or high wants, then they hold on to it because they are supposed to and that somehow makes them a good person.

Nobody has the personal experience of everything there is to know. In fact, if you think about it, MOST of what you "know" is not personal experience at all. In the modern age, we have television and the Internet to show us things we have not, or will not, personally experience. So, when I "believed" in god, it was like something I never personally experienced, but by authority of my parents, I was told it was true. It never made sense to me, that you would have a "personal relationship with Jesus". You could talk to him all you want, but never is he to answer back. The concept is total BS, under those circumstances. So, at some point, I came to the realization that what I was told, was complete nonsense. There were also so many other things wrong with religion. Like how people who were supped to be religious, didn't act in a completely moral way. And there was the phrase "true believer" being spoken. I got the impression that lots of people didn't take it so serious. Fact is, I think it's taking it serious, is why I don't believe. I think a lot of people are just going with the crowd and don't really take it all that serious. Not unless their life is in danger or other such trauma.In that case, they HOPE it's real. I think most people don't really believe. Their actions show it. It's peer pressure and culture, that pushes them to say they believe. Of course, that is not everyone. Some do believe, and act accordingly, most of the time.

As to Holly Rollers speaking in Tongues and other such acts it is hard to tell. But some studies done years back would suggest many really believe they are being possessed by God. But the Tongues part is something found in other religions beside Christianity, such as in some African and South American spiritual groups. It is an interesting study if you are curious. It was some 20 years ago when I read some in that area.

I believe they do, as much as is possible without actual objective facts. In my Bible College days and later as a Minister I would say I believed as much as possible. But at some point ZI left the ministry for personal and family reasons but continued as a faithful believer. But that lasted only a few yeasrs befor l wandered off. A few years of wandering I came back with some serious questions. I set out on some personal study of theological problems posed in a book by a well known conservative author at the time,1990. I studied with an open mind, getting out my Greek and Hebrew texts, and in the end I did not see the answers in the way the author did. It eventually led to my denying the Bible as the Word of God literally. I went through several phases of sesrching and tesdting other religious and Spiritual ways both Christapian and non Christian. And finally around 2003 I declared myself an Agnostic. Studying and understanding helps when dealing with Christians and Spiritualists. It is not necessary but like all knowledge and experience it helps to understand those we disagree with. I have walked in the shoes of the True Fundamentalidt Baptist type religion. I also walked in the shoes of the far right in the mid 70s to late 80s. I have read many of the books by the John Birch Siciety, which was the far right in my day. They would be of the Ayn Rand philosophy, which is the prevalent view of the far right today.
As the old indian saying goes, don't judge until you have walked in the others moccasins for a few miles. Loose translation. Basicly the same as some old theologian/philospher said. I think it was Kant, but not sure.

I think some do, some are afraid not to, and some don't but will not admit it for different reasons.

I believe many have varying levels of "faith" (belief without evidence) Some believe, yes. Look at the (insert expletive here) people that blow themselves up so they can make it to the holy lands and receive their virgins. . etc. For those peddling ((faith) belief without evidence) trash as "Truth", Some. Not all. I've run into priests (about half of those I have taken the time to talk to for extended periods of time) that admit their religion is not based on truth.

I don't care what the religious believe.

When I believed, I genuinely believed.

Yes.

I think you are correct. I found in Pentecostalism people who had to be a center of attention. The religion gave them this as they spoke on tongues and rolled on the floor. Did they really believe what they were taught? Probably not. They had theater and drama. They were taught a way of life. Every now and then they could "sin" and act up. Why not? They could always ask for forgiveness and be a center of attention again. Then if that denomination does not believe something that you do, you can always go on to the next one.

Some believe some just hope

I used to believe, and I did actually believe. I can't even remember when I stopped believing but I do remember being afraid of even daring to question if it was all true or not. There was this ever present, all powerful being, reading my every thought, so angry that I would dare to question it's existence. But the more you think about it, the smaller and less powerful it gets.

So yes, I think they do actually believe. The worst part is I think they all believe. They all believe the lies they were told and they all pass on these lies to their children who also believe the lies and in turn pass the lies on the their own children.

The only way out is education through debate. I would love to ask them:

"How strongly do you believe in your religion?"
--"100%"
"When did you first find god?"
--"It's always been with me"
"So you got it from your parents/culture"
--"Yes"
"So you would have a different or no religion had you been born elsewhere?"
--"...Yes"
"How strongly do you believe in your religion now?"

My take is this: There is much propaganda on their camp on the promise of what to expect in the afterlife. That is religion's main weapon. Sin, Hell, Salvation. Let us take all three right now: Sin cannot exist because we were created by the universe and it does not have a mindset called sin. Hell, is that a planet? Not likely. And Salvation, salvation is born with you and it is created in your mother's womb. You are saved by the time you come out. This is because your destiny is to gain experiences here on Earth (good and bad) so you can share them with the Universal Intelligence when you pass. This is the reason why the flesh must die. This is because we are born with an electromagnetic neuronal soul-pair spirit whose only mission is to record all your experiences so as to deliver our minds to the dark of night and the bright stars. That is the idea of Nacrea, your creator, nature. For the most part, religious folks live a totally confused life. But have little choice because, for them, what's the alternative? Stop believing? Some do, but must remain in doubt even here with us. The only way to change that - and to eliminate our own doubts too - is to show that nature is the god we all seek. That is my mission.

It takes all kinds. There are always people out to take advantage of others, and I expect that there are plenty of them involved in religion. Many people just go with the flow, some are authentic, and some aren't. Just like everything else about humans, really.

That actually sounds pretty reasonable, I guess I never thought about it that hard before. I wonder if that goes along with the overall victim/martyr mentality of most Christians, and the whole "the ineffable is testing me" attitude.

I think the human mind can't really do anything completely. Look at how distracted you are. Body needs, idle thoughts, random memories etc.

It's not like they go around every moment of the day believing. They have doubts, confusion, idle thoughts, concerns just like you do. Do you spend every waking second not believing?

"I think people who get "possessed" or the holy rollers that throw themselves onto the ground or those that hear voices... they must know they are acting. Right?" Not the one's I've known...including my past self.

Yes. As a former believer, I was passionate about it. I always had questions about faith and knowledge and was very confused that so many people seemed to think they were the same thing. Their statement, "I KNOW God lives and loves me!" would be how their faith was strengthened, just creating an endless cycle of using faith and knowledge interchangeably.

If they really believed that "God is in control and everything that happens is His will" they wouldn't buy insurance, or take their children to the doctor when they're sick.
They wouldn't want to thwart "God's will."

I don't need to go to weekly atheist meetings to reinforce my world view. But the religious need the constant reaffirmation of their shaky beliefs by attending church every Sunday. They tend to shun the company of those who do not believe as they do out of fear, I think, of being exposed to ideas that might buoy their secret misgivings. Threats of crucifixion or being burned at the stake make them cling ever tighter to their irrational thoughts as admitting to their doubts would be a more difficult situation with which to deal. For some irrationality is easier to live with than acknowledging there are no concrete answers.

I think there are those who truly believe, and plenty who are on the fence, but they have been so brainwashed that information contrary to what they have been taught to believe is "the devil" and should be feared, that they are scared to embrace the logic.

The more insecure ones, like you say, are the ones most likely to brashly trumpet their drivel over and over, because they need that reinforcement to remain steadfast in their beliefs.

Some do. I've learned to never underestimate a person's capacity for blowing smoke up their own ass.

no, I don't.
Well many of them don't.
They believe in a big picture way,
ask and they say they believe.
Pin them down to the detail, no they don't believe this, this, this or this.
They don't actually believe all the little things that make up their belief.
They believe in the Bible "book", just not the actual things written in it.

Some believe it, some do not. The cynic in me says that the non-believers use it as a means to power and money.