Yes, for the most part I think the average believer does really believe.

But the loud mouth, hypocritical tel-evangelists, I think are in it for the money and will say whatever they think will help line their pockets. The only thing they believe in, is themselves.

I think if they truthfully believed, they would be ready to die. They wouldn't fight so hard to stay alive. Chemo, surgeries, radiation, medications, exercise, eating healthy; they would be ready to go to heaven if they really believed.

Some of them do. The more intelligent, educated, and exposed to different ideas people are, the more likely they are to question their beliefs. Whatever those beliefs might be...

I think the, "possessed", and proselytizers are driven by fear and insecurity. They may not be self aware enough to realize it. So they are looking for acceptance and confirmation. Don't underestimate the power of denial. I learned in grad school that denial means I don't even know I am lying...

I agree with you, but I also believe there are many "true believers," who are fully duped.

Some believe some just hope

I believe that my best friend completely buys into his Catholicism and it seems to control his life beyond common sense and to the point that it makes him a single issue voter, which to me is the worse kind. It has caused him to vote for people that would violate the Constitution to enact religious laws that he feels should rule the country. It has caused a severe rift in our friendship and I do not know if it will ever be the same.

I believe that most Christians are gambling that their religion is true.

Yes. It is a delusion

Most believers live their life as if there is no god. They commit actions which under their own religious codes of conduct are wrong, yet they do not even realise or care for the most part

I think most of them WANT to believe. They have been so brainwashed with the guilt and fear of their actions they are willing to go along with just about any nutty, hair brained idea. Don't put obstacles in their path because it means they will have to think and actually do something but their confusion only adds to their fear of doing the wrong thing.

The majority of them do not follow what they preach. They use the bible for convenience. They break all of the commandments that they claim were given by god for all mankind to follow. They pick and choose part of the bible that fits whatever their agenda is at the time, and any part of the bible does not fit their agenda, they change the meaning of it to make it fit.

Some of them, definitely yes. Those pastors who knock people over with the power of Jeebus must know they're just pretending, playing on the gullibility of the audience. It's plausible to think that their congregations must know the exact same thing, and are just trying to convince themselves of their magic sky daddy's might.

Deep down, I think all humans have some form of critical thinking skill. Whether or not it's stifled, it's still there.

Even the more moderate believers are partially motivated by fear. I've got two Catholic friends. They're TERRIFIED of not believing. Every time we have a discussion on the issue, they either get aggressive or they plead with me to stop, because they cannot contemplate a world in which there is no god. Suppressed knowledge that it's wrong or open terror that it might be. Which is worse?

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.

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?"

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 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.

Religion and Religious Beliefs are the Crutch of the Weak and Feeble Minded just as are Placebos to the Hypochondriacs.

Whether they believe or not. I can't see why they love God, when they look at the world around them. I personally could not live among them or with God in Heaven. There seems to be a lot of questions about God and religion on this unbelieving website.

Maybe similar to the supposedly religious preachers who fervently protest gay rights and are then exposed to be gay themselves, there are people who present themselves as devout believers who don't really believe at all.

No they don't. Or they would never visit a hospital. That's why they want so bad for other people to believe as they do. To validate their ignorant beliefs. They want so bad for it to be real I think because most of them are afraid of Dying. Can you imagine the fear people would feel if they knew God to be real. They would never sin or try to own anything. They would live like the lie they are telling us to live. I think part of it may be that the church gives them a sense of belonging because they were raised in that environment so to leave the church would almost be like losing family but to belong they have to play the part. They all know but none of them will be the one to say this is stupid

I think they want to believe it for various reasons - some have and continue to do horrible things and like to believe they've been forgiven, the "God's will" aspect removes personal responsibility for actions and decisions and rich people believe they're rich because god sees them as superior and poor people are being tested for the ultimate reward that awaits them for knowing their place as inferiors.