For much the same reason so many other folks "change" for the better through Buddha, Allah, and a hundred thousand other deities: Wish Fulfillment.

They *do* exist in the hearts & minds of the believer! ;-)

Thats hardly proof of God's existence? What about the people in the church who believe in God and do bad things? Any abusive priest, etc. That doesn't prove god doesn't exist, so how can you make that claim to prove god does exist? People can percieve a God to exist, and change under fear/etc of him, but it doesnt mean he exists. Hell, people can change because they are scared a unicorn one day will come out and ram them up the arse with its horn. Doesn't mean unicorns exist

Hmmm. That's bullshit btw. By the same logic, why is it that most convicted rapists, felons and murderers in the US are Christians. You can also ask, why do people change for the better when they become atheist, Buddhist or Zoroastrian? It has absolutely nothing to do with any imaginary sky daddy.

"It's the same as any other counseling or therapeutic services."

That's the easiest one ever. They're simply replacing one addiction with another. They go from stealing, doing drugs, having/giving black eyes, drinking, gambling, whatever to religion. At the end of the day, all these people have addictive personalities and need something to get them thru the day, whether it's a bottle of booze or an invisible friend, it makes no difference as long as it helps them avoid reality and live in Lalaland

Because they pray apon the weak and needy to gain support. Evolution would brand these people week and eliminate them.

There's two aspects to religion: beliefs and everything else. The "everything else" is what produces the positive effects. The beliefs are just the explanation, which is typically wrong and frequently full of myth. So what is the "everything else"? There's a lot of things about religion that are helpful toward healing the human spirit, toward reconnecting the individual with a larger sense of the possibility of life, with a larger sense of their identity with the whole of humanity. There are practices in religion which promote calming the mind. There are proscriptions to give up things that are harmful. There are recommendations which help people lose their attachments, and that helps them be more peaceful, etc. None of the things that are helpful depend in any way on the supernatural or mythical explanations, they all have a sound basis in cause-and-effect. Religion works, no question about it. It just doesn't work for the *reasons* cited by the believers.

Sometimes people change for the worse...i.e. Jim Jones...televangelist...etc. By the way, we prefer the term, "in recovery" to "druggies". Also, everyone has a past...even the best Christian is not innocent. Edited to add: I say this as a Christian.

hope

I have often thought about this and it makes me envious in a way, of people that are able to have faith. I have gladly accepted the fact that my mind is never going to work that way however.

anecdotal "evidence" is a poor way to prove anything. the giant hole in this kind of thinking is every religion can make the same thing. I have known many thugs who turned around after finding Islam. I have known people who stopped doing drugs after joining Scientology and a host of other beliefs religious and non-religious. Does the person who grows up in the church and leads a heinous life but then converts to something else and reforms proof that Christianity is false? I doubt you would believe that. people tend to turn around when they find something that gives them belief that they can change whether that thing is real or not. many cults prey on that desire to belong and reform .

That is a very naive point of view. It presumes that people cannot change for the better without religion. This is simply not the case. I can tell you honestly, that I have changed my life for the better since NOT believing in a god. I am healthier, more socially aware, and kinder since "losing my religion". Religion is only one vehicle for people to change there lives. There are many vehicles, but essentially the change comes from a change of your own personal values and trust in yourself. This has nothing to do with religion, although some tie it to that.

Not so much for the better. Most trade one addiction for another. The same bash and run strategy exists, only now it's for Jayssussah.

The change is from within,not because of a belief from without(this is my belief,and as a former drug addict,and as a person with bipolar disorder, I can say this in the light you are asking this from) The people I have watched/been to meetings with/shared fellowship with,who decided to,"take god into their hearts,and seek salvation through religious belief",or the faith through their interpretation of their 'higher power' and don't pursue the workings required to keep sobriety, steadily drop from the face of the program,they have ALL been back out,reliving the chaos of their 'old ways' ALL Of THEM. I stopped attending meetings many months ago,I don't follow any power beyond myself(and the medications) to maintain my sobriety and abilities to stay away from the chaos which seems to follow the people who have 'turned their will and life over to the care of a god of their understanding' No,My medications are not addicting,they do not make me see things nor do they control my mind or emotions,they DO assist in my balancing of chemicals in the brain,which allows me to function. Does GOD allow this to occur?Does belief in a god allow those of us who would be 'eliminated' by nature as we are defects to the 'natural world'? Does any god have the physical power to change anyone,,,you answer for your beliefs,I live for mine. The door to door religion bible thumpers have payed me another visit recently,they were surprised at my knowledge of their book.They wondered why I wouldn't be a part of their religion?I made my beliefs clear and the need for a god of my understanding was a non existent ,untouchable,unbelievable ideal that man made for the weaknesses of self image,to fall back on for their own benefit,much less the great amounts these 'churches' and religions which dictate 'spreading the word' so that others might benefit the beliefs they preach.(and just look at those coffers fill up with donations,which make the poor more poor, and the rich a justification to be the way they chose 6 days a week,then pay for redemption one day a week,and start it all over again.) Have you been donating your share? Does your god require something that others would find wrong?If so,how do you explain 'Your GOD' as different(and correct)one and only god then the other view? The popular view of Christianity is falling through the racks of justifiable information,where like minds can speak freely and without recourse from the zealots. As the past has shown from the Crusades(which started from a group of Knights in 1096 and lasted 200 years,8 in all,with only the first to achieve it's goal)and the Spanish Inquisition'(circa 1480's to 1830's)since then how many modern use of god has there been in the real world,how many miracles,how many of the 'revelations' have been shown true?(they were factual till they didn't come true) In closing,this information is to show an atheists view of god and religion as a whole.The idea of a person being 'converted' to a belief in something like a 'higher power' is for the simple need to have a place/being to fall back on when things don't come out as planned,and something to fall back to when they fail to be all they can be(in their own views or societies.)

Because a lot of what is in The Bible may give hope to many people when they can find nothing else, and they can easily adapt to it, which helps them deal with whatever their problem is, not to mention repentance and deliverance. For example, alcoholics have this; "Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God."-Corinthians 10:31-33 The Bible speaks both positively and negatively of alcoholism, what may be in most modern comprehension come from the New Testament. Some can attribute a better life to it, others no. It also has scriptures and verses for a lot of other common social problems, ones as old as humanity itself. But that doesn't mean that God exists, and if we were to take that logic, than we would have to attribute all the negative things done in the name of God, or attributed to God, and God knows there are plenty, and disregarding this, there are much more plausible explanations and causes for ruination, ones with logic and proof, unlike mere biblical attribution. Basically I see it the same as saying that you knew something was going to happen, and declared as much, but only after this incident occurred. This isn't fortune telling, anymore than people changing through God proves that God exists. It's a little too human, and branches off way too much for something as absolute as God, and such is acknowledge by MANY Christians.