I think most people never even question why they have the religious beliefs they do. Then they just stick to them because it is easier to stay that way and not think about the important questions relating to spirituality.
Many others just stick to their beliefs out of fear and because they just want to fit in.
I'm like you. I don't like people trying to push their religion on me or trying to "save" me. I find it to be highly arrogant and patronising as if the other party is saying that they know what is best for you and that somehow you are wrong.
I suspect many people just say they are one religion or another to escape these kind of evangelists who see it as their mission to force their beliefs on everyone else.
I see organised religion as a mechanism of political and psychological control. It was created by people to manipulate other people. The world would be better off without formal religions.
What is wrong with having your own individual and private beliefs? A lot of the most "religious" and pious people I have met have actually been some of the worst people I have encountered.
They seem to revel in showing others how religious they are yet have absolutely no concept of spirituality. Worse still they seem to be more materialistic than the average person. Their "religiosity" is a function of their own personal narcissism and egocentric nature.
I'm sure I'm not the only one who has come across these sorts of people and frankly I can't stand them.
I agree. I left out some of the more heinous things that have been done to me by Christians. I was publicly humiliated in front of a large group of people, when the Christians pointed out the fact that my dad was a sinning alcoholic. They forced me in front of this group, and told the story of how my dad was found drunk, passed out in his car, humiliating me. Then they showed us a slide show with alcoholic drinks, pointing out the "devils" and wolves in the ice cubes. I broke down in tears crying, due to the public shaming. Yes, Christians have left their mark on my psyche, that is for sure. I was like 9 years old.
That's pretty awful.