People often ask me, “What do you believe?”  Most times I get around the question by saying some things I do not believe. Conversion for instance.  I do not believe in conversion.  I see everybody making choices consciously and unconsciously about how they want to feel, think, remember, be perceived, believe, live and consequently die.  All the while trying to find something that works for them.  That something provides a useful purpose or they find something else that does.  One hopes.
Many people have strong beliefs.  They believe in God(s), heaven/hell, a savior, redemption, resurrection, rapture, enlightenment, a holy book, words of a prophet, sinners, saints, miracles.  They distrust or don’t understand those who do not hold those same beliefs and seek out those who do in order to reaffirm their views.  Whether by conditioning, habit or some other factors they choose this behavior pattern.  We can judge, analyze, criticize all we want, also a choice.
I want to look at this condition called belief as a factor of dukkha, the catch-all Buddhist term for suffering.  Belief represents a view to which we have developed a strong attachment.  For instance I believe I like cheese.  I eat cheeses I like.  I avoid cheeses I don’t like.  Maybe a taste, an odor, a desire drives my choice.  I don’t eat just one type, and I eat several selections and in quantity given the chance.  Feel like I don’t want cheese cut out of my life.  Starved if you do.  Starved if you don’t. 
Beliefs can have strange consequences, like now that I made cheese an object of my desire/attachment more people will think I want huge offerings of cheese or have greed/hunger issues.  I don’t make their decision I just made an example using plain language.  Cheese, give me a break.  If you want to know what I really believe just ask.