I've been thinking lately, I wonder why certain people get pushy about their beliefs? Why do they feel the need to try and "make" you believe in something that you don't? And if you don't sit and explain in every little detail why you believe what you do, they think you're stupid? But if you disagree with their beliefs you're trying to "force" them to believe in what you do when that isn't even the case. Yet they do it to you? I don't get it. Everyone has free will. We're allowed to believe what we want, and just because we don't want to "explain" it to you, doesn't mean we don't have facts and good reasons why we believe what we do. Not everyone is going to agree on the same beliefs. That's what makes life so great, we don't think the exact same thing.

In many cases I would say it is almost impossible to say what someone's exact motives are for being pushy or aggressive with their beliefs but I think it all boils down to what a belief is at the most basic level. If a person has a belief they probably think their view is correct / true / better than an alternative belief, otherwise why would they believe it? I mean thats what a belief is, something a person sees as being true; If they don't then it's not a very strong belief. I think it is only natural that people try to persuade others to believe in the same "truths" as them.

As for their exact motives, they probably see the other people as getting some sort of benefit from it. Let me give you an example of where it's obviously a good thing to force your beliefs on someone to get my point across. Alright... there is a person who for whatever reason thinks they can fly and tells you that they are going to go jump off a building and fly away. I assume most people agree its a good thing to make them believe otherwise at all costs. I realize this is a bit of an extreme and unlikely example but it displays what I mean and its happened before (people thinking they can fly).

With that being said I think there is a time and a place for everything. For example, I am an atheist and never shy away from having a friendly debate of a religious or spiritual nature , however I wouldn't go to a funeral and start claiming that their dead friend / relative wasn't going to go to a non existent heaven. Now if someone is trying to "make you believe" in lets say this debate forum, I would consider that the correct place to do so as that is the entire point of a debate.

Perhaps some people can get pushy with their beliefs in ways that aren't exactly fitting or friendly. That's just part of the beauty of life, we aren't all the exact same and don't act the same. We are allowed to believe in what ever we choose and likewise we can act how we choose. There may be repercussions but that doesn't limit ones ability to choose.  Maybe they just believe that belittling people to try and persuade them is the best approach.

smotpoker86 : If it's a respectful and friendly debate I don't mind listening. What I am referring to is someone telling me "I'm stupid" for not believing what they do. Insulting someone for not agreeing with you is definitely not the way to get them to believe what you do. And telling them that your beliefs are wrong and there's is right isn't the way to get me "on your side". See what I'm saying. But your approach is a lot more respectful and calm is the words that come to mind. Thanks for replying.

warmaker : Honestly religious people have never been pushy with me, I seem to get it from people who don't believe in any kind of religion or have a religious affiliation.

SunflowerGaming : Then I misunderstood the question.  Some people feel superior because of what they believe, be it religion, atheism, sports teams, food, geography, whatever.  People feel better and smarter than others.
It's why women-based programs are about sad stories.  To help women feel better about themselves.

So, people want to feel good and accepted.  They criticize others because they aren't comfortable about themselves.

warmaker : I was thinking it had something to do with someone not having very good self confidence, seems like they feel good if they feel they hold power over others.

I feel people who insult others for not believing the same things as them are horrible people. The only exception is if the person believes something that goes against very well-established fact. For instance if someone believed the Earth was flat... I think it's fair game to call them stupid for that one because you can prove this to not be the case and such a belief really sounds either uneducated or delusional. But for anything that can't be actually proven plainly, you have no right to call anyone dumb for not feeling the same way you do on the matter.

For example... it's neither stupid to believe in God or to not believe in God. God is not something that can be proven with concrete evidence one way or another. There is no fact regarding the existence of a deity... it is all up to one's personal beliefs. I believe this is something we as humans will never figure out for sure because it involves concepts that are beyond our ability to truly comprehend.

The same would go for anything that doesn't have an easy and clear way to prove one side is factually correct.

"What I am referring to is someone telling me 'I'm stupid' for not believing what they do. Insulting someone for not agreeing with you is definitely not the way to get them to believe what you do."

You've almost answered your own question, Sunflower. It's just elitism. Nothing more. Why do people do it? Arrogance. And that's all she wrote.

I think people tend to push their beliefs onto other people just because they read a certain type of information and get a different view than others might have.   Some people feel that in Christianity that they have to push people into the Christian kingdom because if they don't then the poor souls will be going to hell.   Now that could possibly be true we aren't sure that is why Faith exists to believe in what is unseen.   The problem behind it is that there are extremists that take that content much farther to the point that if you don't believe what I think then you die.   It is a power type struggle for them, they try to fear you into following what they say and how they feel, to increase their following of fearful people.   What should really be happening is an open and waiting belief and group that is patient and let people come and believe at their own desire.   We all have our own opinions on what we get from any text, so there is no real reason to push your own on to that of others, but to find the common ground and grow together in your beliefs.  

Your thread title was terribly vague, so I edited it to describe what the thread is actually about.

Anyway, I've never been the kind of person to push my beliefs onto other people. So I don't know really know why people do it. I suppose elitism is a decent explanation, but I feel like there are people who attempt to do it while still meaning well.

I think they are just trying to just to prove that their beliefs is the best or something. AT least they should leave them alone if they don't want to believe in that beliefs.

soxfan849 : I don't think it's vague at all. 
Okay, belief pushing:

Not everybody pushes their beliefs, so what I am about to say applies only to those that do.  People that push their beliefs have an inherit desire to share them with other people for a couple of reasons...

First of all, those people usually believe strongly in whatever it is they believe.  For example, people that go around and preach against divorce are very strongly opinionated on the subject.  They simply view divorce as something damaging in some way, and they desire for others to not be harmed by it.  They may not realize they are coming off in the wrong way, because their focus is very streamlined:  Convince other people that what they are doing is harmful.

The same kind of streamline thought comes from the less 'friendly' pushers.You know, like the debaters who say something like "You're just stupid if you believe the sky is blue. It's purple and I can prove it to you by...yadda yadda".  I think these are the people that are easily offended and therefore feel a need to make a very aggressive stand on whatever they believe.  I don't think it -has- to be arrogance, though being easily offended often stems from either being arrogant or from lacking self-confidence.

Other people that debate (the more 'friendly' pushers) may do so in a two-way-road type of focus.  They want to push their beliefs because they want to hear what other people have to say on them.  I think this usually comes from the desire to either affirm their own beliefs, or consider the other side of the debate if they're on the fence about a subject.

Basically, I think three things spur people to push their beliefs: passion and a desire to ensure other people are safe, happy, and healthy; arrogance or lack of confidence causing them to be easily offended; or in a curiosity about the other side of the coin, or in desire to affirm their own beliefs.

Debaters who have to resort to calling names only do so because they can't defend themselves.  If they start calling you names, it's only to try and offend you so that you are blinded to how pointless or fruitless their argument might be.  For some odd reason, many people I have debated with seem to think that if they start throwing out personal insults, they are suddenly winning the debate.