... certain beliefs over others often because there is a positive payback ... Christianity offers eternal life ... whereas Odin offers nothing. Smart choice, IMO.

My belief that Obama is not a natural born citizen is a rational conclusion based on two factors:

1) Obama was born shortly after Hawaii became a state ... anyone in Hawaii could apply for a birth certificate regardless of where they were born, and with little or no credentials because many, if most native-born Hawaiians had no official birth certificate prior to statehood. His mother could have brought him to Hawaii after being born in Indonesia or Kenya, and she could have applied for a birth certificate after the fact.

2) Obama could quell the speculation by producing the original, but chooses so not to do, which arouses suspicion. Many politicians are known to be liars.

Totally logical, conscious process. No reason to change my belief. My belief, however, did not result from something positive, but negative ... I feel cheated because the President of our United States does not have the balls to reveal the incontrovertible truth ... just like he does not have the balls to quit smoking.

On the other hand, I can flip-flop at will about my belief in life on other planets in other solar systems because it makes no practical difference in my daily life what I believe one way or the other in that regard.