Superstition v/s Religion, both are equally fucked in opposite directions...

A superstition is an irrational response to a negative life experience, whereas Religion is an irrational response to a positive life experience.

Superstitionists have developed certain behaviors or rituals for the sake of avoiding a negative recurrence which they base on some action they took at the time of the occurrence which for an unexplainable reason seeming to alter the results. Thus a superstition forms around a desired avoidance of "bad fortune"


Religionists are offering irrational appeasement to a Deity which they believe is in control of the outcomes in their life. Thus Religions form around unexplainable "good fortune" and set up a system of worship and appeasement to try and convince the Deity to continue giving them "favor". it usually involves some form of "sacrifice" to show the Deity loyalty.

This is why BOTH superstition and religion are complete crocks of shit! Both are seeking to alter the human experience by practicing a "ritual".

If there is a Deity/Force/super-natural out there, then why would it give a fuck if we sit on a rug and whip ourselves, recite endless "Hail-Marys"/"our Fathers" while frantically fondling a set of beads, twist and contort our bodies into various "animal shapes", or ceremonially swing an incense-burner around a room??

If there was a Deity that wanted to extend 'Grace" to our lives, wouldn't the only REAL motivator for that Deity to do ANYTHING on our behalf simply be out of "Love"? Isn't "Love" the only reason that anyone does anything for anyone for a non-self-gain reason?

If Such a Deity existed, what would be the only way to cultivate "Love" with that deity? By relationship, spending time considering and contemplating eachother is the basis of the love-relationship in the human experience, and if we were "created" by a Deity and in it's image, then it's likely that would be a trait passed down to us and probably the only thing such a Deity would want from us in return. Everything else is PURE SHIT!


-- Modified on 1/11/2009 3:49:59 AM

I am not religious and I am often frustrated at how religion keeps those who are ardent followers from acting on the here and now, especially Christians who seem content to let the entire world collapse out of fear that they will anger the god that will come and bail them out when all seems lost. Yeah right.

But the value religion has over simple superstition is the mass value it has in keeping the masses motivated to keep the wheels of society moving. Those independent thinkers who don't see any personal value in religion must recognize that most of the population don't have the ability to think rationally without aid. Surely it would be hard for many to deal with the hard realities of life, especially nowdays, without some sort of force or belief in a better world after this one, this keeps them motivated to simply live. It motivates them to go out and keep society running despite their frustration with many things, again especially valid in the here and now.

One of my favorite philosophers once wrote of an experiance he had as a youngster at camp. He didn't believe in religion and shared his views with another youngster at the camp. He explains all of the inconsistencies and hypocrisy, and hocus pocus of the bible as being something not based in reality. The next day the camper he had discussed these things with came up to him and said that he was right. But this individual was very downtrodden at this news, he seemed to lose all life and energy afterwards.

So you see, religion has as its main value the supplier of fuel to deal with the harder rwalities of life for the majority of the population who just aren't naturally equipt to deal with these realities. I would say that only about 5% of the population can successfully do combat with life without this aid. Not to say that all of this 5% are good or evil, they are simply independent thinkers.

Simple Superstition simply doesn't have the written and time tested history organized religion does, thus doesn't hold as much weight with most, though some might value their own treasured superstitions as a way of dealing with harsh aspects of reality.

Religion is what you personally believe, even if you choose to believe in not believing.

Superstition is what somebody else believes, or doesn't believe.

Religion without philosophy is ritualism which is where superstition arise.

Philosophy without religion is mental speculation. Another place from which superstition arises.

When you blend philosophy and religion you get spirituality and self awareness.

Some believe thy need to go to church, synagogue, mosque, temple and build bigger and bigger of these things. They also believe God needs all the money God can get but God doesn't need any of it.

We have plenty of religious leaders teaching people ritualism and few teaching spirituality and self awareness, why? It is not in their best interest.

Certainly one of the differences is theology, which is an exploration of the imperative that many feel to act in a moral way and an idea, common to many peoples, that this imperative would not exist without a greater moral agent than themselves.

I think your statement about causality and teleology doesn't hold water. Yes, it is true that many ancient texts, certainly the Bible endorse a causal relationship between actions and God's grace, but no one with any intelligence at all who is religious adheres to that sort of thing. That's a caricature of thoughtful religious people. You may disagree with their thinking, but in some cases it is pretty nuanced.

Do I get the scotch now?

is usually based on ignorance.