1. Define important terms:
parapsychology- the branch of psychology that deals with the investigation of purportedly psychic phenomena, as clairvoyance, extrasensory perception, telepathy, etc.
deplored- to disapprove of; censure.
condemned- To express strong disapproval of:
divination- perception by intuition; instinctive foresight
idolatry- the religious worship of idols.
Deity- a god or goddess
supersisto- to stand in terror of the Deity
placated- to appease or pacify, esp. by concessions or conciliatory gestures
Cajoled- to persuade by flattery or promises; wheedle; coax.
2. Summarize main idea:
Davies discusses the idea that things such as parapsychology, UFO's, miracle cures, and all paths to instant enlightenment are condemned, but superstition is merely deplored, possibly due to the fact that so many people are unknowingly so strongly swayed by superstitions. Because being superstitious implies that one is naive and ignorant, many people do not admit to being superstitious, although many people are. Davies explains that superstition takes four forms.
Vain Observances: Not walking under ladders and such things.
Divination
Idolatry
Improper Worship of the True God
Robertson Davies explains that superstition seems to run a submerged river of crude religion, below the surface of human consciousness. The more the teaching of formal religion declines, the less God appears to be a God of Love to people. Superstition appears early in life when children fear that stepping on cracks in the sidewalk will cause misfortune. Different people do different things due to superstition. For instance, Orthodox Jews place a charm on their doorposts, Middle European people believe that when a man sneezes, his soul, for that moment, is absent from his body, and they bless him unless his soul is taken by the Devil.
When Davies states, “Superstition seems to have a link with some body of belief that far antedates the religions we know-religions which have no place for such comforting little ceremonies and charities,” this represents a great deal of what superstition is about. Also, he says, “Superstition in general is linked to man’s yearning to know his fate, and to have some hand in deciding it.” People are so superstitious because they think that bad things will happen to them based on absurd thoughts and judgments, so they figure that if they can do things to prevent them from happening, they can control their fate.
3. Question for discussion:
Is superstition something that arises based on religion or is it just something psychological? Why are people so supertitious? Do they really think that they can control their fate, or does it accommodate them mentally into thinking they can control it? Do you think of yourself as being superstitious? Why or why not?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
10 comments:
I think that is reassuring to people to think that there is something watching out for them. So that no matter how bad a situation may be they can believe that is happening for a reason. I don't think I am very superstitious, but what I do believe is that there are bases for all superstitions. Take the" don't open an umbrella in the house" superstition. Maybe it was born as a way for people to keep from poking each others eyes out.
In my anthropology class we were assigned an essay about superstitions in baseball. It said that much of baseball is not skill but luck. Baseball players found comfort in the idea that they could control the outcome based on their actions. I guess it is the same with everyday life. People want to control what happens to them and their loved ones. A quote I remember from a movie, "Life is much less of a surprise when it is all planned out." I do not consider myself superstitious, but at times when bad things happen in life, I wonder if I could have done something different to change it.
I don't believe in superstitions but I can understand why someone would find comfort in them. Being christian, I believe in God, Jesus and the Holy Ghost, but I'm not superstitious. People look for ways to explain certain things. Most people don't actually know the origins of and reasons for superstitions. They are just social norms in there society which they've heard all their lives.
i think that the reason that people believe so strongly in superstition is based upon something that i had learned in my anthropology class. and that is that people like to be and feel in control of their situation. even if people know that they cannot truly control what happens by having a certain ritual such as a batter at a baseball game to tips his hat every time he comes up to bat. even though he knows that it will not improve his swing he still does because he feel on the inside that if he doesn't then something will surely go wrong but if he does it makes him feel more confident that things will truly go his way.
- Daniel Schonbrun
I believe that people know that superstitions do not exist but they do acts that make it seem like they believe in superstitions because they think that just in case that there is some chance that it may be true it can't hurt them to do these acts to give them a little bit of luck.
Bahram Kaminas
I believe superstition is something that arises from the society you're in. I think people are superstitious because they like to think that things happen not because of them or other people, but because of some higher power. I don't consider myself as being superstitious. And I don't believe superstitious people are ignorant or naive, it's just that they have different thoughts of fate.
I think that superstition can come from religion but it mainly comes from tradition. I have grown up just learning and thinking that walking under a ladder is bad luck and especially opening up a black umbrella indoors is very bad luck. I also think that people are not thinking that they want to control their fate its the fact that they do not want to have bad luck or anything bad happen to them. And i think of myself as somewhat superstitious..if i heard of one then i try to avoid it. I learned by experience too that one time i did open up a black umbrella in my house and when i closed it i cut my finger. So seeing is believing and that is the one superstition that i take seriously loll.
I do not believe in superstitions, I think it can just release people's fear and evoke their hope.
Its not religion is psychological because religion doesn’t tell you what to see as bad like in society and what to do as in ritual if you experience this "bad" your mind thinks. People are so superstitious because they are afraid they don’t want to experience something bad and if something they are taught is bad then they won’t do it because they don’t want something bad for themselves.
Superstitions reassure people of what they believe. It helps them to keep in mind of the things they truly believe for themselves and others. I don't think it's always based on religion. It could also be based on things that one wants to achieve or wishes for people to see. I personally do believe in some superstitions like the "don't open your umbrella indoors" or "don't stare at the black cat". I am very gullable when it comes to these things, I surely do not wish to have any back luck upon me!
Post a Comment