I think that for many people they stay with their conditioning because it is safer to fit in with other members of your tribe. It takes a lot of courage to step away from that and actually think on your own. Religion and politics both tell us not to think but to obey that higher power. Maybe it is like being in a terrible marriage and making up excuses about why you stay.

After years of brain-washing by church, family, and friends, many non-believers are reluctant to declare their true beliefs.

I never worried much about people in the closet until they jump out and screamed SURPRISE! To each its own.

All in all most people don't know what they believe in. Most have had some sort of Religion forced down their throat since childhood and as they mature they reach an epiphany as to what is real, which they keep to themselves for one reason or another and show a believing facade to whoever they encounter.

i am quite certain that there are MANY out there that don't believe, but are afraid to admit it for various reasons, mainly family. Probably there are even clergy people who don't REALLY believe the crap they are selling, to them it is just another day at the office trying to make a sale !!!

I concur!

[clergyproject.org]

Quite a lot apparently.

Yep. When I attended a United Methodist church in Morehead, KY, people in Sunday school were being taught that the Bible was mostly an allegory, and the Ten Commandments were just good citizen suggestions.

YET they were still preaching that god controlled everything, so every death or accident has a Divine reason for it. Just that inspired me to ditch the church.

yes, most societies are more secular than we think. The religious fundamentalist are just more vocal. Non-believers come out when it's safe. The more the movement gains, the faster the conversion to secularism.

Pretige heaven!

Agree. I think many claim a religion to fall into immediate societal fearing what friends or family may think if they oppose it.