To wonder how anyone can believe in a religion?

Many people of faith find rich meaning in ritual, community and traditions which connect them to “divine being”. They don’t always think that all other faiths have no validity. Many people of faith work together for good such as in running food banks or doing interfaith projects.

This is literally what Christian means

Perhaps you don't need to go outside science to explain how we got here. I don't see the need.
I guess you could try to explain consciousness, but that's a whole different thing (and itself an accidental by-product of our existence).

That's quite a reductive account of what religion is for.

But even from that perspective, is your assumption that there is nothing other than the physical world that science looks at? How would you come to that conclusion without going outside of science?

Religion typically has three major elements - this is more or less the kind of framework you would see discussed in a comparative religion context.

One is a set of ideas about the underlying fabric of reality, and reality itself. That may include ideas about god or gods, or the spirit world, or the afterlife. Often also creation stories and myths.

One is a set of ideas about meaning and ethics. What is good and evil, what does it mean to live a good life, why are we here.

The third is a set of practices that tie these elements together and help people live together and live according to their ethical frameworks - these are often very practical. Community connections and connection to the past and future are also important here.

One of these elements isn't necessarily more important than another, and they aren't always separable. So for example, many Orthodox Christians would say you can't understand Christianity simply as an intellectual exercise, nor even from a historical perspective; you have to experience the practice within the community to begin to see what it is all about.

You also see religion very often discussed with two (or sometimes three) types of primary expression. Poetic religion (like the Greek myths.) Philosophical expression (what you see with theology.) Or also historical expression, like parts of the New Testament. Most religions combine these but also they often emphasise one or another. But you can't look at theology and myth the same way, or historical narrative like either of them.

A belief in an idea that is bigger than you, that makes you feel connected, whether to other people or a higher power, is a very human need. Lots of research shows people in a religion are happier than those who are not.

Getting rid of religion does not stop people having this need. Look at modern gender/ trans ideology. This is patent nonsense. Not of it makes sense, it’s utterly incoherent, can’t define or defend its key concepts. it lacks an evidence base, in fact the evidence contests it, and it’s clearly harmful. Yet it has fervant devotes and has swept the western world.

Peter's vision in Acts 10 and in particular Acts 10:28- pretty clear on this.

You're not alone in wondering, OP; as you say, it's not so much about having faith as this apparent need to attach it to man-made entities which are always likely to have agendas of their own - and not always admirable ones

I wonder if some appreciate having their beliefs codified, if that makes sense?
As in being given a framework of "how to do it" instead of working it out for themselves?

Interesting that some of you say that people believe for the benefits in this life. What about persecuted Christians ( there are many countries where you can be imprisoned or killed, just because you are a Christian.) Look up the Open doors watch list for the current most dangerous countries, it may surprise you. Also those who become Christians, leaving Islam, they can be terribly persecuted. They are not doing it for a benefit but because they think it is true. Often persecuted Christians aren't able to enjoy worship and community together, things that are often stated as reasons people go to church.

The knitting community has actually had massive drama in the last few years.

The best way to answer questions like this is to get a very good basic history of the theology of the Christian church, say up to the Renaissance, and read it.

Because there are answers to why Christianity observes some parts of the Torah, and not others, and all the other thousands of questions you could ask, but you aren't going to get much of a coherent sense of it by asking pretty random questions on a discussion forum with almost zero background.

I didn't bring up metaphysics or epistemology. I'm simply saying that both religion and science are attempts to explain how we got here - I believe that a scientific approach does it better. That's it, nothing more to my argument than that.

Most discussions about the existence of god, or the underlying realities of being, fall within the area of metaphysics. Sometimes they fall within the field of epistemology.

So how would a scientific approach be useful?

I was raised by atheist parents and wondered the same thing, how could people believe everything in their religion. I always thought that I could never join a religion even if I wanted to as how could I sign up for all those beliefs. Then I read a book called The Believers by Zoe Heller and it was really enlightening. There's a character of a young Jewish woman who returns to her faith and its practices and her ultimate conclusion is that faith and religion is not something you believe but something you do. As an non-believer it looks like you have to believe all the stuff but I think from inside the religion it's more about practicing the religion, doing it, the rituals, etc. than a pure belief in every single thing. It's what you do with your family and friends, it's how you celebrate and get comfort and it may provide a framework for spirituality or higher being beliefs that means you don't have to try figuring it all out yourself.
I also saw an interesting tiktok about why so many people who are autistic are atheist and how certain thinking styles lean to religious belief whereas others lean to atheism.

I agree

I think the way you're defining belief is close to fundamentalism.

Sophistry.

Or, philosophy, but you have to define what you mean by the terms you use.

Either way, you are still going to say 'ouch'.

For many people it's indoctrination, the community aspect and it is a comfort to them. I was brought up a Catholic and so many of my older family members have strong faith however the younger generation are exposed to so much more information now with the internet and social media that they pick and choose the areas they believe in. The older generation were brought up a lot more disciplined and compliant. I think an increasing number of people in the modern world aren't as 'religious' for want of a better word as years ago. There is a lot of hypocrisy in religion and this idea of a set of man made rules that people must adhere too are to me ridiculous. However I can see the appeal of the idea of heaven and community and there is comfort in routines, services and celebrations. It's a way for people to come to terms with their own mortality and try to make sense of why the world exists in the first place. Makes people feel less alone.