How do atheists explain there own superstitions?

Question

They know they have them. Isn't superstition a primitive form of petitioning a higher power?

knock on wood, cross your fingers, bet on the Raiders.

Answer 1

In the field of psychology, a superstition is an operant conditioning where the Conditioned Stimulus is not causally tied in reality to the Reinforcer.

I wear a certain shirt. Something good happens. Later I wear the same shirt, something else good happens. This happens a few times.

Consciously, I may know the idea that this shirt has NOTHING to do with the good stuff... I may even find the superstition silly. But my neurology is bound by principles of conditioning and learning, even if I reject the inclination, I will still 'feel' lucky when I wear that shirt.

Answer 2

Superstition as placating or petitioning the powers, the gods, the fates...? Undoubtedly, historically.

But just as church-going may persist in the absence of real belief in a deity, so may other rituals.
Cultural left-overs, often passed on in early conditioning of children by parents.
Remnants. The appendixes of the belief world.
Cut them out if they give trouble, but otherwise it's not worth the bother.

(I don't have any superstitions, touch wood...)

Answer 3

I dont have any superstitions - I dont worry if a black cat crosses my path, I don't think certain items make me lucky (my definition of luck is something fortunate happening rather than a luck as a force that can be influenced), the number 13 doesn't bother me in the slighest.

I'm a bit wary about walking under ladders but that's simply common sense because something could hit you on the head.

Answer 4

Are you sure you have a point...? - What's your evidence that most scientists hate religion? - Nobody is suggesting that a picture of a dog is actually a dog. Are you on crack? - Where is your proof that 90% of photos in the media are doctored? And how do you know it's been proved if you only read it somewhere - text is just splashes of ink on a page or pixels on a screen... - Scientists DO cure diseases. Have you not heard of chemotherapy? - Not all scientists are American you know. And how many have you PERSONALLY seen attacking people or have you only seen them in the "100% fake" "90% doctored" media photos and read about it words which you only think are proof, and not an apple? I think you need help. Or a tinfoil hat.

Answer 5

Real atheist don't believe in superstitions, for instance I don't believe in destiny, fate, or anithing like that.... things just happens, we made our fate and our luck, maybe some superstitions remains from our childhood but at the end we don't buy them. Maybe some called atheists don't believe in the god they was told but some of them believe in a higher power and that isn't real atheism.

Answer 6

I don't have superstitions.

(And that includes knocking on wood, crossing my fingers, and betting on the Raiders)

Answer 7

No, superstition is a belief that there are mysterious and unknown forces (the supernatural) that affect our lives. It does not necessarily point to a higher power, and it especially does not indicate a belief in the Christian god.

Answer 8

Their-possessive, try that one.

No, I do not have any superstitions. I believe in the possibility of aliens, as the probability that other life out there is in existence is incredibly high. It ends there.

Answer 9

So, you know all the atheists in the world, and have verified that they all have superstitions, and have verified that they are all based on a secret longing for deities to exist and not just a habitual/ reflex action?

(insert sound of crickets)

Okay, so what are my superstitions?

Answer 10

Atheists do not have a uniform set of superstitions. Those of us who do have them generally tend to have fewer than theists, though.