The American professor believes he has figured out the psychology of religion. In his opinion, people believe in God only to satisfy 16 needs.
Professor Stephen Rice, a psychologist at Ohio State University in the USA, claims that he has finally managed to find an answer to why people believe in God. In his opinion, religion is only a means to satisfy 16 basic human needs, writes Express.
Curiosity, recognition, family, fame, idealism, independence, order, physical activity, power, love - all this, according to Rice, is given to a person by religion. In addition, faith in God allows people to explain the need to preserve life, social contacts, and food intake. Religion explains to people their status in society, gives them confidence in the future and is able to satisfy their thirst for revenge, the professor believes.
“It doesn't matter if God exists or not, as any religious belief is about fulfilling our basic desires,” Rice explained. "If you want to create a religion that has many followers, you have to collect all human desires in one way or another."
He noted that religion should address all 16 basic human needs, and the presence on Earth of a large number of different beliefs, according to the scientist, is caused by a different combination of these desires in human communities.
Professor Rice stated that a peaceful person would not choose a vengeful God and would prefer a God who forgives. He came to this conclusion after polling 100 thousand respondents.
“We investigated about 270 different religious beliefs and practices and how they resonate with basic human desires. I think that all religions are more or less an expression of one of the 16 main desires or combinations of them. For example, if you are very ambitious, and the result is above all for you, then the concept of God as the creator of the Universe should be considered the highest achievement for you for religion to hook you. If you are a repentant sinner, then an angry God is valuable to you, while peacemakers will not accept an angry God - they need a God who turns the other cheek,”added Rice.
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In some cases, by personality type, you can find out what religion a person adheres to and whether he accepts religion at all, the professor says.
He explained that some people value their independence and independence so much that they are not ready to lead their existence based on religion. At the same time, people with low self-esteem, for whom independence is not in honor, can easily be converted to some kind of faith.