Why are people beholden to ancient superstitions?

Doug Mason

How is it that in a world that is so technological, scientific, fact-based, evidence-based, and so on, that many people are superstitious - even more so, the superstitions of ancient cultures?

Doug

Comatose

I think lots of people enjoy it. It's the same reason they watch horror movies. Being creeped out or scared can be fun. Just an opinion and not easily backed up.

Like throwing spilt salt over your shoulder, or not walking under a ladder, or not opening an umbrella inside the house, or believing you'll have 7 yrs. bad luck if you break a mirror, or knocking on wood?

I wouldn't know. I've never believed in all that stuff. My ex believed if you watch a person drive away from you until they're completely out of sight that it's bad luck on the driver. I tried that one out but it didn't work - he came back every time. ;)

W~

Simon

Just because people are better educated doesn't mean they are more intelligent.

There are more opportunities for religion to spread their hysteria, more reports of disasters etc... that they have the "answer" for.

cofty

I think people have difficulty accepting the capriciousness of life.

Superstition offers an illusion of control.

rebel8

Ancient superstitions came about because they met a variety of human needs.

Those needs still exist.

Cold Steel

By “ancient superstition” do you mean religion?

If ancient religion didn’t write the book on what’s good and what’s evil, then what did? If there’s such a thing as nobility, who defined it? I think it’s cynical to believe that science can explain the phenomenal organization and beauty in the universe. True, the JW version of Jehovah is silly at times, and certainly doesn’t reflect the wisdom, love or intelligence of the God of Israel, but it’s the shallow reflection of God as they see him. But it’s also equally shallow to think of God as a mean, vindictive, bloodthirsty deity.

We Mormons were criticized back in the 1830s for believing in angels in a day of locomotives (as if locomotives defined the pinnacle of man’s ingenuity). But science and technology have fallen far short in being able to fill man’s spiritual needs. But weren’t we to expect that? Ever learning and never able to come to a knowledge of the truth.

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....................http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEmcL6M0S4s

snare&racket

Look up the science, I would start with pigeon boxes and superstition.....

designs

Religious people invest a lot of themsleves in their belief's and it shatters one's world to give them up without a new and better explanation of reality.

I dialogue with some YECs on facebook, it is incredible their blindness to the advances of science in the past 300 years. We certainly were guilty as JWs for similar guilibilty.

MadGiant

Why are people beholden to ancient superstitions?

You just have to look at the dictionary to find the answer to your question. Sadly, all the definitions apply.

[a] A superstition is an irrational belief arising from ignorance or fear.
[b] An irrational belief, practice, or ritual that a person feels he needs to embrace or perform in order to bring about good luck or a desired outcome.
[c] A belief, not based on reason or scientific knowledge.

Bold mine.

Ignorance and fear are the key.

Take care,

Ismael