The difference between religion and superstitions

[Segev Moran]

Hi All,
I just saw a movie the other night and in one of the scenes a man asks someone to loose he's purple tie as it brings bad luck ( and mentions it is just a superstition )

I Would really love to hear a theist POV regarding superstitions.
What is the difference between those and believing that If you pray, for example, God might answer your prayer?
As I see it, There is no real difference other than the latter dealing usually with superficial things, but the main idea is the same.

Cheers

 

[jeager106]

I see zero connection between an act of faith like prayer
and superstition like wearing a rabbits foot.
Wasn't very lucky for the rabbit now was it.
I see no "superstition" in believing in a Power greater than mankind.
Now I admit that I've attended some services, usually a funeral, where
there seemed to be a whole lot of superstition involved.
Most Christian church services I've attended, and it's a lot, aren't
hawking superstition in any way.
Some are rotten with superstitious acts that morphed into church
dogma.
Seems bowing to an idol and lighting incense and candles makes one
more connected to the spirit world by a physical, observable, act.
Much the same as strangling a bird, or cutting a lambs throat I
guess.
Everyone with any sense KNOWS that the way you tie your shoes in
the morning sets the tone for the entire day.
I mean really! Do some things need explained?
"Where is my lucky key chain anyway?"

 

[YmirGF]

Religion = Superstition... Get over it.

 

[Revoltingest]

Religion = Superstition... Get over it.

No, there is a difference.
When a superstition acquires real estate for its group practice, it then becomes a full fledged religion.
(I was a licensed broker....I know.)

 

[jeager106]

su·per·sti·tion1
/soòpər stísh'n/
Noun

1. an irrational, but usually deep-seated belief in the magical effects of a specific action or ritual, especially in the likelihood that good or bad luck will result from performing it

Faith is confidence or trust in a person or thing; or the observance of an obligation from loyalty; or fidelity to a person, promise, engagement; or a belief not based on proof; or it may refer to a particular system ofreligious belief,[1] such as in which faith is confidence based on some perceived degree of warrant.[2][3] The term 'faith' has numerous connotations and is used in different ways, often depending on context.

Many religious performances appear superstitious.
I.E. Kneeling before an idol and lighting a number of candles in the
hope that "God" will bring about a desired result.
I've known many people that carry a small vile of "holy water",
that blessed by a priest, in the hope the vile of water will somehow
protect the faithful.
Then they get run down by a street car.
I dunno.
When General Motors was firing supervisors at an alarming rate
and I was one a union buddy gave me a vile of Holy Water he had
blessed by his Priest in order to help me keep my job.
Didn't work. I got the ax week later.
That is an example of religious superstition.

 

[interminable]

For atheists definitely there shouldn't be any differences

Just those who believe in a god or something special or a prophet and act according to their teachings can consider something that is out of their orders as Superstitions

 

[YmirGF]

su·per·sti·tion1
/soòpər stísh'n/
Noun

1. an irrational, but usually deep-seated belief in the magical effects of a specific action or ritual, especially in the likelihood that good or bad luck will result from performing it

Faith is confidence or trust in a person or thing; or the observance of an obligation from loyalty; or fidelity to a person, promise, engagement; or a belief not based on proof; or it may refer to a particular system ofreligious belief,[1] such as in which faith is confidence based on some perceived degree of warrant.[2][3] The term 'faith' has numerous connotations and is used in different ways, often depending on context.

Many religious performances appear superstitious.
I.E. Kneeling before an idol and lighting a number of candles in the
hope that "God" will bring about a desired result.
I've known many people that carry a small vile of "holy water",
that blessed by a priest, in the hope the vile of water will somehow
protect the faithful.
Then they get run down by a street car.
I dunno.
When General Motors was firing supervisors at an alarming rate
and I was one a union buddy gave me a vile of Holy Water he had
blessed by his Priest in order to help me keep my job.
Didn't work. I got the ax week later.
That is an example of religious superstition.

Mind you, if the union worker had given you a vial of "holy" water, rather than a small amount of vile water... Then again, you can't expect much better from union folks...

 

[jeager106]

Mind you, if the union worker had given you a vial of "holy" water, rather than a small amount of vile water... Then again, you can't expect much better from union folks...

Funny. +1

 

[Guy Threepwood]

Hi All,
I just saw a movie the other night and in one of the scenes a man asks someone to loose he's purple tie as it brings bad luck ( and mentions it is just a superstition )

I Would really love to hear a theist POV regarding superstitions.
What is the difference between those and believing that If you pray, for example, God might answer your prayer?
As I see it, There is no real difference other than the latter dealing usually with superficial things, but the main idea is the same.

Cheers

easy one!

Faith,

A superstition is blind faith, a belief which doesn't recognize itself as such. e.g. atheism

 

[GoodbyeDave]

Well, evidence for a start. And if we consider superstition to be blind faith without evidence, that brings in the atheists

 

[Revoltingest]

easy one!

Faith,

A superstition is blind faith, a belief which doesn't recognize itself as such. e.g. atheism

Is it blind faith to not believe in Santy Claus?

 

[Guy Threepwood]

Is it blind faith to not believe in Santy Claus?

It would be a matter of faith to believe that your presents spontaneously appeared under the tree by chance

And it would be a matter of blind faith, if you didn't recognize this.... but instead tried to frame your belief as just a 'disbelief' in the existence of any gift giver.


But this analogy is complicated further, when the gift giver, let's say my wife, buys something they really wanted for themselves, and pretends it was for you...

 

[Revoltingest]

It would be a matter of faith to believe that your presents spontaneously appeared under the tree by chance

Does this mean that you do believe in Santy Claus?

But this analogy is complicated further, when the gift giver, let's say my wife, buys something they really wanted for themselves, and pretends it was for you...

So does this mean that you claim any disbelief in any mythical entity is blind faith?

 

[Guy Threepwood]

Does this mean that you do believe in Santy Claus?

As an a-naturalist I make no positive assertions, I simply refuse to believe in spontaneous naturalistic gift givers until evidence is provided!

So does this mean that you claim any disbelief in any mythical entity is blind faith?

It means that for her birthday, she's getting a 30 gal, 420cc truck bed air compressor with 18 SCFM @ 90 PSI, overhead valve gas engine w/ electric start and recoil backup.

...In blue to match her eyes..

 

[George-ananda]

Hi All,
I just saw a movie the other night and in one of the scenes a man asks someone to loose he's purple tie as it brings bad luck ( and mentions it is just a superstition )

I Would really love to hear a theist POV regarding superstitions.
What is the difference between those and believing that If you pray, for example, God might answer your prayer?
As I see it, There is no real difference other than the latter dealing usually with superficial things, but the main idea is the same.

Cheers

I see the difference as that there is evidence for the existence of the supernatural=paranormal in real world happenings.

 

[Unveiled Artist]

Hi All,
I just saw a movie the other night and in one of the scenes a man asks someone to loose he's purple tie as
I dont claim to know anything about your culture but we accuse pedephiles based off US sociatal standards, religious christian views, and our laws. So, to say say anyone overseas whose norm is to marry what "America define" as underage would totally disrespectful to those cultural norms. I assume "underage" females who marry in countries of Islam arent harmed within their marriages (as a general religious rule?)?

If they are just "underage" I wouldnt see how Muhammad would be a pedephile


Unless, by definition, he was Attracted to children under 18ish ('bout US laws). Attraction isnt agains Islamic beliefs, right? Just action?

I havent read the full Quran. Just guessing by youe title and OP.



it brings bad luck ( and mentions it is just a superstition )

I Would really love to hear a theist POV regarding superstitions.
What is the difference between those and believing that If you pray, for example, God might answer your prayer?
As I see it, There is no real difference other than the latter dealing usually with superficial things, but the main idea is the same.

Cheers

I dont think believers like Us are giving credit of how bith relate without feeling belittled by calling two similar ideas by different names.

I pray at my altar in front of my grandmothers pictures. To an atheist this may be irrational but to me it is complitely rational. Whether its rational or not is not the definition of belief and superstition.

My grandmother told my mother to put a horse shoe upside down at the entry of each door way. We are tols that salt in corners of our home protect.

These Beliefs are the same intent and meaning as my prayer. I pray to my grandmothers for protection just as an object is used as protection.

Yes. Prayer and supersition can be linked but what believers are bothered by is prayer is personal.

Here is the thing....the salt in corner is personal to me just as how I dance does X and the types of prayers does Y. They are all personal

Too...

So, in all honesty, the only reason I see they are different is that other believers get put off by the word superstition as if it belittles their beliefs. It just means Our beliefs cannot be proven rationally/scientifically and those "magical practices" we call by different name. I think the dictionary is trying to generalize but in religion thats not possible.

So there is no difference in intent and objects. How one prays in Islam has the same "superstitious" meaning as how I pray.

Let a Muslim tell me how their prayer is diffferent than mine other than theirs is postrations and mine is dance.

 

[sun rise]

Religion answers the "why" question - why does the universe exist and the "how" question - how did the world come into being. In other words, it provides a reason and a frame-of-reference for existence. Superstition does not instead providing just a magic ritual designed to cause some result.

A followup question is naturally what parts of religion are based on superstition because in practice the two are often intermingled.

 

[Segev Moran]

su·per·sti·tion1
/soòpər stísh'n/
Noun

1. an irrational, but usually deep-seated belief in the magical effects of a specific action or ritual, especially in the likelihood that good or bad luck will result from performing it

Lol, As I see it, You just posted here the of Religion definition of religion
Unless you claim that religion is a rational thing:

ra·tion·al

1. 1.
   based on or in accordance with reason or logic.

rea·son

1. 1.
   a cause, explanation, or justification for an action or event.

This makes Reason a subjective thing (Which I truly think it is)
Which in turn makes Rational a subjective thing (Agreement on my end also)
Which makes religion a subjective thing... Thus, Religion is nothing but a subjective belief that as such, might be considered a superstition, no?

 

[Segev Moran]

I see no "superstition" in believing in a Power greater than mankind.

That's the exact idea of superstitions.
Believing that something might have a mystical effect on a result of something...
When I, for example, believe that seeing a black cat will reward me with bad luck, It's not because I think cats can manipulate my reality, rather, there is a force that might affect my reality and a black cat is a sign that its effect will be for the worse. (Which, if you ask me, is a B.S. of course)

 

[Segev Moran]

easy one!

Faith,

A superstition is blind faith, a belief which doesn't recognize itself as such. e.g. atheism

Lol... It almost sounds like you think Atheism is a belief system .. hehe.
Please, Please, Please, explain to me how not believing in something is considered a belief system... lol.