Mental Defense Mechanisms
The evidence supporting the non-existence of a personal god is overwhelming, yet many people refuse to accept the scientific evidence and the facts at hand.
Why do religious people observe the evidence against their belief realize they are wrong, but then shove the evidence aside and assert that they are right?
-The answer is simple their minds have developed a defense mechanism against anything that goes against their personal beliefs.
The truth is people tend to develop a powerful emotional connection with their imaginary friend (God) and any other higher being under them (Jesus, Saints, Muhammad, etc). This emotional connection creates a feeling that someone greater than them loves them unconditionally, and love is a bond which is very difficult to break. This feeling does not prove that they are correct about the outrageous claims they are making with their religion. This bond grows even stronger within people if they have experienced the death of a loved one and now believe that person is with God(s). The emotional bond grows stronger everytime they pray or credit these higher beings with good occurrences in their lives. People do not want to let go of the satisfying and nice feelings they get from their belief and therefore ignore the evidence as if they never heard or read it.
People associate God/Religion with Good, and what is good can't be wrong. Individuals create a perfect, beautiful, loving, caring, powerful image of God which remains in their minds throughout their entire lifetime. If you really think about it though this image of God simply lives in their mind, not outside of it. Santa Clause once lived in our minds, and still lives in the minds of millions of children. Since people associate God with good they shove aside any evidence against him/her.
A great part of our population is senior citizens, and they have a very strong defense mechanism set up in their minds for two main reasons :
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They have dedicated the majority of their lives to a certain religion and do not want to admit that they wasted their one and only life away in worship of a being who never existed
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Since they know they are close to death the feeling of a perfect afterlife is very satisfying and comforting (The comfort and solace that religion brings does not prove its claims correct!)
A religious mind does not come about overnight it take years for a person to become fully deluded in their belief and it usually starts from the innocence of childhood when you are introduced to it by your parents/guardians.
To keep you in check religions tend to have a love and punishment system setup. (ex. Christianity/Catholicism have the love of the heavens, but the punishment of hell for not believing) This fear of hell is paralyzing and the best defense mechanism known to humanity, it is a fear so powerful that many will not leave their belief no matter how much evidence. Who wants to live in a fiery pit for all of eternity right?
Ridding yourself of your personal belief is not easy, but the rewards are a peaceful understanding of your place in the universe.
Enjoy this video on the various elements of the Christian Defense Mechanism
