If Religion Is Not Just a Metaphor for Superstition, [View all]
why do people wear St. Christopher medals as necklaces or have a statuette of that saint in their car and expect to travel safely? How is that different from carrying a rabbit's foot or avoiding walking under ladders or throwing spilled salt over your shoulder?
Why are there "Patron Saints" to pray to for all sorts of human activities? How is that different from "knocking on wood" to prevent bad outcomes?
Why are relics of saints so revered in the Roman Catholic Church? How is that different from wearing a MAGA hat?
Why is saying the Rosary multiple times while counting the repetitions on a set of beads seen as an act of faith, and not one of pure superstition? How is that different from a child avoiding stepping on cracks while walking down the sidewalk or two parochial high school football teams praying for victory at the same time?
No evidence exists that those ritual and superstitious habits have any impact on the probability of anything happening or not happening, so why do religious or superstitious people expect them to have such an effect?
How is religion distinguished from superstition? Both involve expectation of results from unproven beliefs and practices.
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