They Told Us To Just Believe: Critically thinking about the origins of beliefs - Are they real?

by Daniel J Friedrich

"They Told Us to Just Believe" (Critically thinking about the origins of beliefs - Are they real?) explores the difference between religious beliefs that are factual and those that are something else entirely - it combines religious history and critical thinking to help readers of all beliefs to have "not-so-blind faith." More broadly, getting better at differentiating between what is real, what is fantasy, and what is unknowable makes us savvier about misinformation, less likely to be fooled or taken advantage of by others, and it makes us more tolerant.





I wrote this book for people like me, raised in a religion, and also for those raised in a non-religious family. We all "inherit" some beliefs and, to some extent, blindly believe or follow them. In my case, I always had some doubts - the sneaky suspicion that maybe this stuff, these beliefs, were fabricated. But I was persuaded to keep believing. You may have had some of these same reservations about your beliefs.





Never in the history of the world have we had so much knowledge available, and such a high level of literacy. There is no longer an excuse for people to be blindly led by their leaders because of illiteracy and ignorance which was a common occurrence for thousands of years.  





Most books written on the topic of religion and beliefs approach it from a philosophy of religion point of view about what you should think, or from an atheist point of view trying to prove why religions are idiotic and evil, or from a theologian or world religions history professor point of view who teach how wonderful all religions are in their own way. This book is more pragmatic and primarily goes after the question - "What's real and what's not?"

323 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 16, 2024

Reviews

[Carol gift · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to be careful with how I phrase this because the subject matter is sensitive, but I think this might be one of the more important books I've read in the past few years. Friedrich does something genuinely difficult: he writes about the origins of religious belief in a way that feels neither like an attack nor an apology. The historical detail is extensive, particularly around how scripture was compiled and by whom, and at no point did I feel like I was being steered toward a conclusion I hadn't arrived at myself. The book trusts the reader. That trust is rare.

[Antoine Tobiah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve been part of this challenge for a few months now, and most books I enjoy tend to blur together after a while. This one didn’t. It actually stopped me mid chapter and made me sit there for a bit before continuing. There’s something about the way Friedrich approaches the origins of religious belief from a historical and human angle that feels unusually clear without being simplified. I still find myself thinking about certain passages weeks later.

[Julien Brandon · Rating 5 out of 5]

The discussions around this book have been on another level compared to what I usually see in the group.

People aren’t just commenting, they’re opening up in a way that feels rare for an online space like this. I finally read it last week after watching the threads build and it made immediate sense why.

Friedrich writes with a kind of quiet honesty that doesn’t push you anywhere. It just gives you room to think, and that tone seems to carry into how people are talking to each other here.

[Thomas Charles · Rating 5 out of 5]

I almost didn’t vote for this one when it came up. It felt heavier than what I usually pick for the challenge and I wasn’t sure I was in the mood for it.

But the conversation threads kept growing and eventually I gave in.

I’m really glad I did. It doesn’t read like a lecture at all. It feels more like a long, thoughtful conversation with someone who has spent years sitting with difficult questions and is willing to let you sit with them too.

[Liam Jaxon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this alongside the reading guide that was put together for the challenge, and that combination really changed the experience for me.

The prompts in the guide don’t just repeat what’s in the book. They slow you down and make you actually reflect on what you’re reading.

I found myself going back and forth between the two quite a bit, which made it one of the most engaged reading experiences I’ve had in this group so far.

[Sophia Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

What keeps coming back to me is how fair Friedrich is throughout the book.

He applies the same level of scrutiny to all belief systems, both religious and secular, without slipping into cynicism or trying to prove a point for the sake of it.

That balance is rare, and I think it’s part of why the discussions in the group have stayed so open. Nobody seems to feel targeted. Everyone just feels invited to think things through.

[Amber Mason · Rating 5 out of 5]

Three different people in the group mentioned that this was the first time they felt their private doubts about religion had been taken seriously by a book.

That really stuck with me. There’s no dismissiveness here and no sense that you’re being guided toward a specific conclusion.

It feels like it was written for people who have been quietly wondering about these things for a long time without quite having the words for it.

[Brianna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I actually nominated this for the challenge because I had read it before and had a feeling it would resonate with this group.

It’s been interesting to watch that play out. The threads have been full of people connecting ideas from the book to their own lives in ways that feel specific and honest.

Some of the reflections people have shared have been surprisingly personal, and it feels like the book creates space for that kind of openness.

[Dorian Wells · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won’t lie, parts of it are dense. I had to slow down more than once, especially in the historical sections.

But the community really helped with that. Someone posted a breakdown of one of the more complex chapters and it made everything click in a way it hadn’t before.

That’s what makes reading something like this in a group worthwhile. The book deepens the conversation and the conversation makes the book easier to understand.

[Alaric Whitmore · Rating 5 out of 5]

I came into this one a bit skeptical and left it feeling like something had shifted, even if I can’t fully explain how.

Not in a dramatic or emotional way, just a quiet kind of change in how I’m thinking about things. The final chapter stood out the most to me. Friedrich sharing where his own research led him felt very honest and grounded.

I’ve been in this challenge long enough to know when a book is just good and when it actually stays with you. This one stays.

[Hugo Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve been in a few reading communities over the years, and I honestly can’t remember a book that’s generated this kind of response. People who usually stay quiet are showing up and actually engaging. There’s a chapter about how most of us inherited our beliefs before we were old enough to examine them, and that one really seemed to land with a lot of people here. In a good way.

[Ethan Spencer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finished it last night and came straight to the group, which I don’t always do.

I wanted to see if anyone else felt that same mix of being slightly unsettled but also strangely at peace, and it turns out a lot of people did. That’s not an easy balance to create in a reader.

Friedrich manages it without forcing anything, which made the whole experience feel more genuine.

[Elowen Tate · Rating 5 out of 5]

This feels like exactly the kind of book this challenge was built for. On paper it sounds like it could be divisive, but in practice it’s done the opposite. It’s brought people together around shared questions instead of pushing them apart over answers. The discussion threads have been thoughtful, open, and surprisingly generous in tone.