Actually, I think humans can and do choose what they believe...to some extent. We always prefer to believe things that we understand and have some manner of control over...which is why God is an unpopular option.
He is?
I thought the vast majority of people believed in one deity or another. Am I mistaken, Phat, or was that comment of yours complete bullshit?
I agree that people life to believe in what they think they understand or have some control over - which is exactly why so many believe in God. "Goddidit," while completely lacking in any real explanatory function, is incredibly easy for the intellectually lazy. Relying on teh Bible for any and all significant answers is also easier, even though it's less effective than actually thinking through a problem yourself.
And of course people feel like their faith in God gives them control - for all the Christian bluster about how "Jesus has the wheel" and such, Christians honestly believe they can affect reality through
prayer. In fact, prayer is almost invariably the last resort of the individual who intellectually realizes that he has no control over the situation and is reaching out to
anything in an attempt to influence the outcome.
But saying "God is an unpopular option" is utterly ridiculous when the vast majority of the world's population believes in God. In fact, that statement would reflect the
polar opposite of reality.