Why do people believe what they believe?

 Mostly it allows people to go on living to believe whatever they believe instead of running screaming off a cliff.

In studying comparative religion like I did in my early 20s in college with a friend I realized this about all religions. However, I would say that since about 25 or 30 I would not consider myself to be a religious person.

Instead I would consider myself to be "Spiritual but not religious".

I suppose the reason for this is I have found religions tend to "Lie for Money" so you cannot trust them for this reason. And it really doesn't matter what religion it is worldwide this appears to be the problem of religions in general.

It's not that religions don't do a lot of Social Good too it's that on a purely individual level religions tend to destroy people's lives. This has always been my personal experience.

So, unfortunately, there are billions of "Mind prisoners" who are financially imprisoned by their religions worldwide through terror and fear of being forced to give money to people they shouldn't be giving money too.

And yet, many people are also helped in various ways to various religious charities worldwide.

So, I suppose I see religions and governments the same way as "Necessary Evils".

But, I find I do not need personally the EVIL that religions naturally are here on earth so I keep my distance because of this.