Do we really believe in god(s)?

[Sweetdeath]

I don't like these new gods with their mamby pamby forgiveness, give me a good old smitey god with some kind of offensive weapon. 

Yeah what happened to the "I let you live, you are on my time; I handed you life and I will snatch it back; kneel before me, love me, do as I command for I am benevolent, but if you don't do what I say I will beat you, rape you, torture you, then kill you". Ahhh the good old god fearing days.

Yes! And he must have a beard and float around on a cloud.

With a drapey white robe/tunic?

[Genericguy]

Ok, compartmentalization makes sense. I, apparently, didn't fully grasp it's meaning and the severity of its potential.

Your whole thesis seems to be built on a deep misunderstanding of the nature of the Christian message. It's not that "God will understand and agree with me that this isn't actually a sin." It's that "God knows that I'm a sinner, and yet because I believe in him, and ask for his forgiveness, his loving nature means that I will be forgiven my sins."

I willingly admit that I was wrong, but I wouldnt agree at all with the bold statement. I see you used the word "seems" but I just wanted to be clear. I was, and still am (less adamantly, though), implying that the "Christian message" does not match reality if we remove doubt. Compartmentalization is a nice fit, though.

[xSilverPhinx]

I don't like these new gods with their mamby pamby forgiveness, give me a good old smitey god with some kind of offensive weapon. 

Yeah what happened to the "I let you live, you are on my time; I handed you life and I will snatch it back; kneel before me, love me, do as I command for I am benevolent, but if you don't do what I say I will beat you, rape you, torture you, then kill you". Ahhh the good old god fearing days.

Yes! And he must have a beard and float around on a cloud.

With a drapey white robe/tunic?

Zeus resurrected?

[Ecurb Noselrub]

I think that people who tell me that "deep down you know God exists whether you can admit it to yourself or not" are simply incorrect. By the same token, I cannot agree that "deep down all Christians have doubts" is a correct statement. Some do, some don't. Also, there are plenty of Christians (and other theists) whose intuition tells them that their god or gods exist. I cannot buy into the thesis of the OP.

A true believer can compartmentalize and rationalize just as well as anybody, and perhaps better. As well, out of sight, out of mind, and "God will forgive me" can explain a lot.  

People look for validation of their beliefs because validation feels good. I don't need to read any more into it than that.

In all honesty I have doubts from time to time, but on balance personal experience sustains my faith. There are Christians who have no doubts, as you note, and by the same token, most atheists I have encountered have no trace of belief whatsoever.  I do know some who are in the "maybe" category, but most aren't, at least among the ones I've known. The presence of some doubt it not antithetical to faith in my view, as faith proper does not claim absolute knowledge. If there were absolute knowledge, no faith would be required under my definition of faith.  However, most Christians I know claim absolute certainty of God's existence. I consider that an error of logic, but very few of them care what I think.  I just go on with my not-absolutely-certain faith.

[Stevil]

However, most Christians I know claim absolute certainty of God's existence.

Can you understand how these people claim to have 100% faith in god but still are weary about cooking chicken and pork properly or in not eating meat that is too old, or being worried about snakes or poisonous spiders.
The bible says that they will be immune to poison.

Also how can these people commit crimes when "no-one" is watching but be on the straight and narrow when being watched?

[Ecurb Noselrub]

However, most Christians I know claim absolute certainty of God's existence.

Can you understand how these people claim to have 100% faith in god but still are weary about cooking chicken and pork properly or in not eating meat that is too old, or being worried about snakes or poisonous spiders.
The bible says that they will be immune to poison.

Also how can these people commit crimes when "no-one" is watching but be on the straight and narrow when being watched?

As has been pointed out before, various forms and degrees of compartmentalization does the trick.

[OldGit]

And as I have pointed out before, in my experience christians are in a class of their own when it comes to compartmentalizing their dissonant beliefs and experiences.

[Sweetdeath]

Hi, I'm an atheist, and i worry about snake bites and poison when I am in the grasslands. 

[Genericguy]

Wouldn't doubt be the cause of compartmentalization? Intuition conflicting with indoctrinated beliefs, for example.

[OldGit]

That's how I see it.  You have to hold two contradictory versions of reality in the same head.

[Ecurb Noselrub]

That's how I see it.  You have to hold two contradictory versions of reality in the same head.

It can be called a "supplemental version" of reality rather than a contradictory one. Sort of like Euclidean Geometry works fine at some distances but not others. 

[Recusant]

It has been pointed out before that some people's intuition is that some higher power, some all-encompassing creator must exist. I think that some who fall into this category are also the ones who say to atheists that, "deep down you know that God exists." They say that, not to be purposely overbearing, but because they actually believe it; their intuition tells them that their god exists, and they can't imagine how somebody else's intuition says anything different.

It may be that your intuition tells you that no god exists, Genericguy, but if you insist that believers' intuition must agree with yours, you are simply making the same mistake that the overbearing believers are.

[Dobermonster]

It has been pointed out before that some people's intuition is that some higher power, some all-encompassing creator must exist. I think that some who fall into this category are also the ones who say to atheists that, "deep down you know that God exists." They say that, not to be purposely overbearing, but because they actually believe it; their intuition tells them that their god exists, and they can't imagine how somebody else's intuition says anything different.

It may be that your intuition tells you that no god exists, Genericguy, but if you insist that believers' intuition must agree with yours, you are simply making the same mistake that the overbearing believers are.

I would disagree with this for a few reasons. First, that I have never met a Christian that has never struggled with doubt at times. Doubting God and 'the faith' is a fairly common subject of discussion in the context of how to overcome them, especially between youth pastors and their young following. Doubt is discussed in the Bible in several areas, typically with the lesson that one must have faith in the face of it and will be eventually shown that their faith has been justified. When someone tells another person to "have faith", it is an encouragement to disregard the doubt and carry on in the hope that God is paying attention and will affect an outcome in the way he knows is best. There are also the features of repetition and reinforcement within the religion that hint at the natural tendency to lose or lack faith when isolated or exposed to the world of unbelievers. There may indeed be people who have never had cause to question or falter, and are 100% secure in their belief, but I highly doubt that they are the majority.

[xSilverPhinx]

It has been pointed out before that some people's intuition is that some higher power, some all-encompassing creator must exist. I think that some who fall into this category are also the ones who say to atheists that, "deep down you know that God exists." They say that, not to be purposely overbearing, but because they actually believe it; their intuition tells them that their god exists, and they can't imagine how somebody else's intuition says anything different.

It may be that your intuition tells you that no god exists, Genericguy, but if you insist that believers' intuition must agree with yours, you are simply making the same mistake that the overbearing believers are.

I agree with this. Some theists I've talked to repeatably say that the existence of god is self evident, and they're sincere in their beliefs. When I asked them how their god is self evident, they treat it more or less like a mathematical proof (which is weird) or comparing it to 'love'. How they go from 'some higher power exists which created an ordered universe' to 'the god of this particular cult with these particular views exists' is beyond me. A whole load of non sequiturs.

I can only imagine a self evident god would be the projection of a believer's own face onto the universe, and there are good evolutionary explanations behind this.

[Genericguy]

It has been pointed out before that some people's intuition is that some higher power, some all-encompassing creator must exist. I think that some who fall into this category are also the ones who say to atheists that, "deep down you know that God exists." They say that, not to be purposely overbearing, but because they actually believe it; their intuition tells them that their god exists, and they can't imagine how somebody else's intuition says anything different.

It may be that your intuition tells you that no god exists, Genericguy, but if you insist that believers' intuition must agree with yours, you are simply making the same mistake that the overbearing believers are.

It's incredibly rude of you to say "you insist that believers' intuition must agree with yours" as if it's the driving force of my argument. The only reason I believe all people have doubt is because I have evaluated the potential reasons a theist might "sin". At the moment, all potential causes can be linked to doubt. I am 100% open to other explanations, though. My belief in this is not steadfast and I don't care in the slightest about being right. My only concern is analyzing reality. I sincerely apologize for not being able to accept your assertion that some people are without doubt, but I can't change the way my brain works. Simply saying some people are without doubt is not enough for me to concede and based on the explanations provided, I am not yet convinced.