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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Yes. It is a delusion

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.

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.

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

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 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 think people are people and knowing that there are many possibilities but it's not easy climbing into someone's head.

People abuse religion like any other drug, and, like other addicts, will say anything to justify their heavy usage

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.

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 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.

I think that many get/stay involved with religeon, especially Christianity is because they want/need to believe in something/one more powerful than they are.
Someone to dump on when they pray or from whom to ask for the varsity team's victory, or when they do something wrong, to beg forgiveness from... Then they group up with those of the same mind and try to bring others in to their group. Those not in the group are damned. The damned go to hell. Those not in hell yet are the enemy who may recruit from them or create other non-believers and must be stopped. Change laws to make sinning illegal, incarcerate them...
Do they really buy this? I think they have themselves convenced that they do and if not, they can be forgiven over and over.
It's like a club where they all believe in the same lie, support one another and have an "expert" to tell you how to interpret their book and pamphlets and dogma and collect their money and build churches ever bigger and imposing to draw in more sheep, to explain how hate is a form of love...

I have family that truly believes everything that they have been preaching for years. They pray for me even as their children abandon there beliefs.

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.

I don't think people who get wealthy using religion believe at all...I would bet they are all atheistic confolk. As for the insecurity of faith, it has to be insecure at some level or you get zealotry, whatever the faith that you have.

There are some who may have normal doubt and are in denial about that doubt. They are afraid if anyone really discovered their doubt, or the doubting individual may hate their doubt because they may see it as a weakness in their faith or it may indicate to them that they are evil (you know, like those evil non-believers ).

I could be wrong, but I think a majority of religionists 'believe' because it's what they were told and simply do so out of fear.

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

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