Compare and contrast these two:
Religious Beliefs --and-- Superstition.
For instance:
Superstition:
If you break a mirror, you'll have seven years of bad luck.
Religion:
If you break a commandment, you'll be punished in the afterlife.
Superstition:
If you spill salt, you should pick up a pinch of it and throw it over your shoulder;
that will avoid the "bad" luck that would be caused by the original spillage.
Religion:
If you sin, you should confess to a priest, who will tell you to repeat
a certain prayer a certain number of times; that will absolve you of the sin.
Superstition:
If you are born in a certain range of dates, you will be a good athlete.
Religion:
If you pray, it will help others to be healed.
Superstition:
When getting married, be sure to carry one item of four categories (old,
new, borrowed, blue). Failure to do so could harm the future of the union.
Religion:
If you get married in a certain building, your marriage will last into the afterlife.
Superstition:
Avoid the number 13; it is "unlucky."
7 is a "lucky" number.
Religion:
The number 666 is somehow related to satan and evil.
Having 10 members of a group is important in some way; 9 is not enough.
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There are many categories of beliefs that nearly everybody will agree are "just superstitions" -- that is, obviously silly, unsubstantiated by scientific evidence. The premise of this question is that many, if not most, religious beliefs fit the same glove.
Do you agree or disagree?
Show me examples that help to support your view.
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