So.... What's the difference between religion and superstition?

[funflower]

Just thought I'd throw that one out to you snarling beasts.

[Richard Steele]

1. Uniforms.

:hide:

[ngant17]

2. religion vrs. superstition

I am not aware of any wars which have been justified purely in the name of superstition.

IMHO monotheistic religions evolved from ancient sun worship.
link(s) <http://geocities.com/ngant17/natural.htm>

Superstitious beliefs probably arise when one is lacking in basic rational and logical thinking-skills. Correlation does not imply causation (if so, then "umbrellas cause rain"!).

Once a set of superstitious beliefs becomes organized, I guess it becomes an orthodox religion. In other words, once a set of irrational and illogical beliefs becomes organized, it takes on a life
of its own, it is accepted as gospel and another new religion is formed.

[ClintonTyree]

3. Religion has a fatter bank account....

for one. There's plenty of good money to be made fleecing the flock. I wouldn't say that the two are mutually exclusive from one another. Much superstition is embraced by religion.

[manic expression]

8. Yeah,

cause the Taoists, Buddhists, Confucians, Shintoists, African Animists, Native American Shamans, Pagans, Hindus, Zoroastrians and many others make SO much money. :eyes:

You could argue that there is some superstition in religion, but they are mutually exclusive, for the most part, for many reasons.

[Proud_Democratt]

32. Great job in pointing out the more humble religions!

I agree with you.

[obxhead]

4. Religion starts wars and

fuels hate.

Superstition is an irrational fear that causes one to avoid confrontation.

[Proud_Democratt]

27. Great point!!! It's sad what RELIGION has done to the belief in

Gods or gods. Maybe if religion wasn't about group comformancy....more people would believe in spirituality.

[arwalden]

5. Gold

[TechBear_Seattle]

6. The differences are...

Religion has better organization, a more systematic outlook and much better PR.

[Proud_Democratt]

28. Money. Religions have learned to harness and organize

superstitions and rename them to keep the "scare tactics" fresh in the minds of their followers.

[manic expression]

7. Superstitions

are less formal. Superstitions are not organized.

The big differences are that superstitions do not have a real world view, they do not try to explain the same questions. Religion seeks to answer many things in the world, and that is not the same with superstition.

Those are just a few thoughts.

[NMMNG]

9. The general public scoffs and laughs at other's "superstitions"

And expects everyone else to give the utmost respect to their "religion".

Other than that, there is often very little difference between the two.

[Zhade]

10. Organization.

NT!

[The Straight Story]

11. Whats the difference between religion and political belief?

Each is based on ideas and philosophy. Why are democratic beliefs any better than republican ones?

[Donald Ian Rankin]

12. It's like the difference between a country and a mountain,

or a house and a brick.

A religion is a system of beliefs, rules, and social structures. A superstition is a single belief. You can argue that many of the specific beliefs of a given religion are superstitions, but not that the religion itself is.

Also, "superstition" implies not merely "not true", but "non-controversially not true"; it has the clear connotation that it's a belief and the views of those who hold it don't deserve to be taken seriously. Describing something someone believes
as a superstition is a clear insult; describing it as a religious belief isn't.

There are also some things, like some Jewish stories about the prophet Elijah or Christian ones about various saints, that are "religious superstitions" - stories associated with a religion that the believers don't claim are true, but which are nevertheless associated with the religion closely enough to arguably be part of it.

I always get annoyed by people who answer "there isn't one" to this question, and think they're being clever.

[Spider Jerusalem]

13. Religion is organised and has a codified set of beliefs.

Superstition isn't and doesn't.

[sutz12]

14. My beliefs are religion...yours are superstition.

[Inland]

15. Baseball players have superstitions, football players have religion. nt

[nemo137]

16. Superstition is when I throw salt over my shoulder

or knock on wood, or throw a coin in the fountain. It's a rote, reflexive action of propitiation or supplication. Religion is when I look for some sort of order or meaning in my life or the universe, or gather with others to do that. Religion can degenerate into superstition (look at the blab-and-grab megachurches and the "pray for our president" emails).

[Inland]

20. A serious answer.

And the crickets chirp away, as they often do when somebody actually gives a serious response seriously in R&T.

[trotsky]

21. Superstition, n.

1 a : a belief or practice resulting from ignorance, fear of the unknown, trust in magic or chance, or a false conception of causation
b : an irrational abject attitude of mind toward the supernatural, nature, or God resulting from superstition
2 : a notion maintained despite evidence to the contrary

Definition 2 matches up pretty well with many kinds of religious faith.

The crickets chirp too when fundies spew forth their garbage, and "good Christians" (and/or their supporters) utterly fail to confront them, choosing instead to bash atheists in their own little war against "fundamentalism."

[TallahasseeGrannie]

17. What is the difference between me and you?

[Inland]

18. No DUers take the time and trouble to shit on superstitions

in order to claim a moral and intellectual superiority. There are others, but that seems the one that leaps to mind.

[trotsky]

19. Though there are certainly some believers in both

that shit on skeptics "in order to claim a moral and intellectual superiority." Very, very common.

[Proud_Democratt]

30. I would say that we choose which is which....according to our

religious and/or social orientation. Otherwise, there is not much difference.

[SidDithers]

22. Superstition is an individual belief, religion is a group belief..

The superstitious also rarely try to legislate that everyone MUST throw coins in a fountain, or everyone MUST NOT be permitted to walk under a ladder. Whereas the religious...

Sid

[nemo137]

23. Not necessarily

you can have shared superstitions, look at how "knock on wood" is part of the English language. Or all the people who actually do throw coins in wishing wells, or avoid walking under ladders. Does that make me and my fellow non-ladder-underwalkers a religion?

[NAO]

24. Religion has pre-made explanations for when the spells don't work

[Proud_Democratt]

31. Good point!!! It reminds me when I ask religious people; "why do

innocent children have to die of a disease?" They ALWAYS give me the same lame ass EXCUSE, "It must be God's plan".

If God has a plan.....then WHY must you pray? Are you going to change God's mind?

[TreasonousBastard]

25. A religion is a philosophy, including...

epistemology, cosmology, an ethical system...

Superstition is simply blind belief in the irrational.

And, yes, they do cross paths at times.

[Inland]

26. Another serious answer. And more crickets. nt

[Proud_Democratt]

29. David Koresh and Jim Jones had "blind followers"....

and so do TV faith healers, fooling the public with their deceptive healings!!!

[nemo137]

33. and I'd argue that faith healers are what happens when religion decays

into superstition. It's the same rote supplication, but with a veneer of ceremony over it.

[Ready4Change]

34. Fear.

To me, superstitious practices are nearly always based on fear. Step on a crack, break your mothers back. Even superstitions about things that are good luck, like rabbits feet or lucky t-shirts, etc... are based on the fear that, if you don't follow them, you wont get that good luck.

Religions, otoh, may be based on other things. Enlightenment, for example. Not that there aren't fear-based religions. The idea of Hell is a classic example.

Personally, I think many religions, when you get down the to root of them, or how people behave in their beliefs, are fear based superstitions. For example, some say Jesus told us to be good to each other. But some so-called Christians say you must believe in Christ or God will Smite you. Love converted to fear.