ANCIENT ECHOES PODCAST: WHY I NO LONGER BELIEVE IN GOD (JESSUP PA)

WRITTEN BY: JERIC YURKANIN

Throughout human history, people have believed in gods, spirits, angels, demons, miracles, heaven, hell, and countless supernatural claims. Nearly every civilization that has existed has developed stories explaining where the world came from, why suffering exists, what happens after death, and whether unseen powers influence human affairs. These beliefs have shaped cultures, laws, governments, wars, moral systems, and individual lives for thousands of years. Yet one question continues to be asked by skeptics, historians, philosophers, and even many believers themselves: Why do people believe things that cannot be directly seen, tested, or proven?

The answer is complex because religion is deeply intertwined with human psychology, culture, community, and the search for meaning. Human beings naturally seek explanations for life’s greatest mysteries. Long before modern science existed, people looked to religion to explain thunder, disease, death, natural disasters, dreams, and the movements of the stars. In many ways religion was humanity’s first attempt to understand the world. It provided answers when no other answers were available.

At the same time, religion has not only been a source of comfort and meaning. It has also been used as a tool of authority, influence, and control. Throughout history kings, emperors, priests, prophets, governments, and religious institutions have often claimed divine authority to justify their actions. When people believe a leader speaks for God, that leader gains tremendous power. If a ruler can convince people that obedience to him is obedience to God, questioning that ruler becomes difficult. This reality has existed across many religions and cultures throughout history.

One of the most powerful forms of authority comes from claiming access to knowledge that others cannot verify. If someone claims that God personally spoke to them, how can anyone prove otherwise? If someone says they visited heaven and returned with a message, how can others test that claim? If a preacher declares that God revealed a special prophecy, who can independently confirm it? Throughout history such claims have often been accepted because they appeal to people’s hopes, fears, and desire for certainty.

Historians have documented countless examples of religious figures who claimed visions, revelations, prophecies, miracles, or supernatural experiences. Some may have genuinely believed they experienced something divine. Others may have misunderstood natural experiences. Still others may have knowingly exaggerated or fabricated stories. Human motives are often difficult to determine, especially centuries later. What historians can observe is that extraordinary religious claims have frequently been connected to the growth of movements, institutions, and followers.

The promise of heaven and the threat of hell have also played significant roles throughout religious history. The desire for eternal reward and the fear of eternal punishment can be powerful motivators. Religious leaders throughout history have often used both. For many believers these concepts provide hope, justice, and comfort. For critics, however, they can also function as tools of social control. If people can be convinced that questioning authority risks eternal consequences, they may be less likely to challenge religious institutions.

This does not mean every religious leader is dishonest or manipulative. History contains countless examples of sincere believers who dedicated their lives to helping the poor, caring for the sick, defending human rights, and serving their communities. Many religious movements have inspired acts of compassion and self-sacrifice. The challenge for historians is to separate sincere belief from institutional power and to recognize that both have often existed side by side.

The rise of wealth within religion has also generated controversy throughout history. Jesus himself warned about the dangers of wealth, greed, and religious hypocrisy. Yet many religious institutions eventually accumulated enormous wealth and political influence. Cathedrals were built. Empires were blessed. Religious leaders sometimes lived in luxury while preaching sacrifice to others. Critics have long argued that religion can become a profitable enterprise when fear, hope, and authority are combined.

In the modern era this debate continues. Television ministries, bestselling books, online influencers, conferences, fundraising campaigns, and megachurches have created new opportunities for religious leaders to reach millions of people. Some use their platforms responsibly. Others have been exposed for financial scandals, false prophecies, manipulation, and abuse of power. These cases reinforce the concern that extraordinary religious claims should be examined critically, especially when they generate money, influence, or personal gain.

One of the most fascinating aspects of religion is humanity’s tendency to create God in its own image. Throughout history people have often imagined a deity who supports their existing beliefs, cultural values, political opinions, and social structures. Different groups have claimed that God supports monarchy, democracy, war, peace, slavery, abolition, capitalism, socialism, nationalism, and countless other causes. As societies change, religious interpretations often change as well. This raises an important historical question: Are people discovering divine truth, or are they creating versions of God that reflect their own desires and assumptions?

When examining Christianity specifically, many historians note the difference between the teachings attributed to Jesus in the Gospels and the later development of Christian institutions. Jesus spoke frequently about loving enemies, forgiving others, serving the poor, rejecting greed, and pursuing humility. Yet Christian history also includes religious wars, political alliances, wealth accumulation, doctrinal conflicts, and struggles for power. This contrast has led some scholars to ask whether the religion that developed after Jesus always remained faithful to his original message.

The question is not whether religion is entirely true or entirely false. The question is how religion functions within human societies and why people continue to believe. Some find faith through personal experiences. Others through tradition, culture, philosophy, or spiritual conviction. Some reject religion because they find the evidence insufficient. Others continue believing despite unanswered questions. Human beings are complex, and the reasons people believe are rarely simple.

Perhaps the most important lesson from history is that claims should be evaluated carefully regardless of who makes them. Whether a claim comes from a politician, scientist, preacher, author, or religious leader, evidence matters. History teaches that human beings are capable of honesty, self-deception, exaggeration, and outright fraud. For that reason, skepticism and open inquiry remain essential tools for understanding both religion and ourselves.

As we continue examining the historical Jesus, the rise of Christianity, and the evolution of religious belief, one question remains central: How much of what people believe today comes from the original teachings of Jesus, and how much comes from centuries of interpretation, tradition, institutional development, and human influence? The answer to that question may be one of the most important religious and historical investigations a person can undertake.

Human behavior in religion is not unique. The same psychological tendencies that influence religious beliefs can be found in workplaces, schools, politics, social organizations, and everyday life. People often exaggerate stories, add details they never personally witnessed, or present rumors as facts. Sometimes this is done intentionally, and sometimes it happens without people even realizing it. Human memory is imperfect, and people naturally reshape stories as they retell them.

In many workplaces, for example, information can become distorted as it passes from person to person. A simple event may begin as a minor misunderstanding and eventually become a dramatic story that barely resembles what actually happened. Some individuals may add details because they want attention. Others may want to appear well-connected or knowledgeable. Some may present themselves as having inside information from management, administration, supervisors, union representatives, or other authority figures. The more important the information sounds, the more important the person sharing it may feel.

Psychologists have long studied this phenomenon. Human beings often gain social status by appearing informed. Being seen as someone who “knows what is really going on” can create a sense of importance and influence. This is why rumors often spread quickly in schools, workplaces, churches, and communities. In some cases, people exaggerate facts to strengthen their position within a group. In other cases, they may unintentionally fill in missing details with assumptions, speculation, or personal biases.

The same pattern can occur within religious communities. Throughout history, some individuals have claimed special knowledge, divine revelations, visions, prophecies, or personal conversations with God. Such claims can elevate a person’s status within a religious group because they appear to possess information unavailable to others. Whether these experiences are genuine, misunderstood, exaggerated, or fabricated is often impossible to determine. What historians can observe is that claims of special knowledge frequently increase a person’s authority and influence.

This tendency is not limited to religion. A coworker may exaggerate a conversation with management to appear influential. A union member may present speculation as certainty to appear connected to leadership. An employee may claim to know what supervisors are planning when, in reality, they are repeating rumors mixed with personal assumptions. In each case, the underlying human behavior is similar. People often seek significance, status, credibility, and recognition from others.

History repeatedly demonstrates that information should be evaluated based on evidence rather than the confidence of the person presenting it. Whether the claim involves religion, politics, workplace gossip, social media, or organizational decisions, confidence is not the same as accuracy. Some of the most confident people can be completely wrong, while some of the most accurate people speak with humility and caution.

For this reason, critical thinking remains essential. Asking questions, seeking evidence, verifying sources, and distinguishing facts from rumors are important skills in every area of life. Human beings have always told stories, shared information, and interpreted events through the lens of their own experiences and interests. Understanding that reality helps us become more careful listeners, better thinkers, and less likely to be misled by those who exaggerate, speculate, or claim certainty where certainty does not exist.