I’ve given it very little thought.

That is an interesting question and I am inclined to think that it is not so much a matter of fitting in but more a matter of belonging to some group. I think it was the late Dr Thomas Szasz who said: "In most people the desire to belong is greater than the desire to understand, hence the popularity of religions and cults and the lack of the role of reason in human affairs".

I think almost all of them fake it to some extent. It's almost like a contest for them to be holier-than-thou, or most "persecuted". However, I suspect that a significant portion of Congress are agnostic or atheist. Given their level of education and generally higher than average intelligence, it is probably a statistical certainty that the ratio of nonbelievers to believers is higher in Congress.

If someone is just going along, to get along, and that's a commonplace human way of dealing with life... is that "faking it"?

In the Jehovah's Witnesses, it's a way of life and not just a religion. Everything - family, work, friends is bound up in the faith so if you have any doubts, you are under real pressure to fake it.

i think it's significant. the most obvious & nauseating are some of the leaders who would go to church on sun & then on mon order an attack on a supposed terrorist knowing that there would be many innocent civilians killed. they were the real despicable bastards & some of them occupied the white house.

Too damned many.
Cowards.

I honestly thought everyone was faking it, like Santa Claus, for almost the entire time I was at Sunday School (a fair few years as a kid). It was a shock to me that adults, people who were in charge of my world, actually believed. I couldn't have been more than 8/9, and for some reason someone was driving my brother and I home from somewhere, and she started encouraging us to pray that we'd have enough petrol to get home, but she didn't pull into a petrol station. I just remember having a really sense of shock that she thought it would work, because that's not how cars function.
After that I made it my business to find out what this God stuff was all about, and realised that it didn't make as much sense, nor preach as much love and joy, as the church had been teaching us.

I do. But I'd want to differentiate between those who know they don't believe and those who have never really thought about it.

Oh I'm certain there are those ' stray sheep' out there who, being afraid to stand alone, etc, are simply following along with the 'flock' and hoping desperately for acceptance.

Yes, it's easy to fake it. Sometimes it's easier for a nonbeliever to "pretend" to be part of the delusion just to avoid conflict or being segregated, looked down, judged... Life is too short and we are outnumbered, so it seems. Let's make things bearable. Besides, believers will believe what they want to believe anyway. Not my job to change them either.

I think a good 50 percent are hopefull believers, 25 percent know its bullshit but are afraid so they go along and the other 25 percent are just still sheep and haven't yet begun to think for themselves on the issue.

I think they are all faking it and are to brain dead to realize the lies they choose to tell themselves.

Most I'm sure. I did for several years

I would think more than a few, including quite a few politicians and most country singers.

Judging by their actions, probably 90% or more.

While it's "unknowable" statistically speaking, you have to imagine that it's fairly common. Even those who harbour doubts but have no one to talk to.

The preachers are the worst. And the ones who have the hardest time coming out.

Can really only speak for myself.Being a recovering catholic once excommunicated for marrying out side of the church.Then being reinstated following my mom's and wife's wishes.The church getting a few hundred dollars for the absolution.Now going to church it seemed to please others,then just at wedding's and funeral's because I felt obligated as I probably was.I was faking it and feeling hypocritical taking sacraments and all.Guess I waited till after my parent's died to finally come out of the closet as a non believer by posting atheist memes on facebook.Thinking I'm the first to do so with in my relatives on both sides.Wishing someone else would stand with me.I'm hoping to be on the right side of history

Saw this at the grocers today. Here is good example of hypocrisy ......underneath the "Jesus loves you" is a trump 2020 sticker

nope. i never wondered. i never met anyone who was faking it then again, i was raised in a secular jewish household. i didn't hang out with a religious gang (of any religion). so it never occurred to me to wonder.

g

I think some churchgoers are there simply for the community and fellowship and do not give the religious stuff much thought, yes.

I always assumed the number was low. The alternative is that humans are much more consistent in the application of logic than I have estimated thus far.

I don’t know about the percentage, but I personally did. Deep down I always knew it was all BS, but I wanted fit in.

How many "Lip service" Muslims are there in the middle east and North Africa?