Why People Believe in God

One word: Uncertainty

To deal with uncertainty in a universe dictated by interacting probabilities, we believe in a God who knows all and can make anything happen, thereby reducing uncertainty to a belief that all is known (or certain, somewhere), and intended, and from a divine source, and therefore good.

Let me spell it out for you in 3 examples:

1. The butterfly effect.
Reality is such that if any one of us breathes the "wrong" way, we could unleash a devastating hurricane. Maybe, even, the same principle applies to earthquakes. Or drought?

Anyway, if reality is that crazy, we need to make sense of it, especially for our children, and a "God" is the easiest explanation.

2. Pressure points.
The body works in mysterious ways. Apparently, if you get poked or pressed or punched in 5 spots, in the right sequence, you'll die (sometimes, up to a few days later). This kind of thing is also pretty crazy.

3. Insemination.
To think that your child, your future, maybe even history itself, could be radically changed from one microscopic sperm to another is pretty damned crazy. The same goes for choosing a mate, which can be a split second decision on a dance floor...

Dealing with a mad, mad, mad, world leads us to seek refuge in God, who is crazy sane, and who we praise and believe to be on our side, guiding us toward happiness and well-being.

I do my best.

(People also believe because of: 2. a hope for immortality, and 3. the sense of the "other" in themselves, and 4. as a/the source for happiness, and 5. as an explanation for things. I think that about covers it.)