Perhaps someone will frighten me into it someday with their stories about "lakes of fire" and the like. I suspect that almost all faith is ultimately born of fear.
It has been my considerable (multi-decade) experience arguing with religionists that it is indeed fear at the base of their faith. They talk love on the surface, but fear eternal hell and vengence most of all.
My point was that both exist. There is no need to reject one for the other. I am an ardent fan of science. But I am also realistic enough to know it doesn't come close to explaining our natural history yet.
No, that is a misconception. For a great many, faith is borne of love and hope and a deep attraction to complete goodness.
That's an interesting point. I don't know that I disagree with that entirely -- as the song says "Twas Grace that taught my heart to fear/ Grace my fear relieved/How precious did that Grace appear, the hour that I believed.
On the other hand, before Christ it appears fear of death was a far greater plague on humanity. Human sacrifice was fairly common to appease angry gods. There have been many reports of people sacrificing their own children.
My view is to believe things because they are true, not to seek a happy afterlife.