From: carl@SOL1.GPS.CALTECH.EDU (Carl J Lydick)
Newsgroups: sci.skeptic
Subject: Re: Reincarnation
Date: 27 Sep 1992 17:39:00 GMT
Organization: HST Wide Field/Planetary Camera
Reply-To: carl@SOL1.GPS.CALTECH.EDU
NNTP-Posting-Host: sol1.gps.caltech.edu

In article <1992Sep26.145922.22060@hfsi.uucp>, ata@hfsi.uucp (John Ata - FSO) writes:
=>But how does one differentiate "religious beliefs" from "superstition"?

=Rich, the dictionary defines religious beliefs as those beliefs
=concerning the cause, nature and purpose of the universe
=especially belief or worship in God or gods.  Superstition, on the
=other hand is defined as an irrational belief in the ominous
=significance of a particular thing or circumstance.

Hmmm.  That seems a rather odd definition of superstition.  It means, among
other things, that a belief that a rabbit's foot will bring good luck is *NOT*
a superstition.  Please let us know what dictionary you use, so that we can
avoid repeating your mistake in purchasing it.

Now, according to _Webster's_Ninth_New_Collegiate_Dictionary_:
	religion:  1a1)	the service or worship of God or the supernatural
		   1a2)	commitment or devotion to religious faith or observance
		   1b)	the state of a religious
		   2)	a personal set or institutionalized system or religious
			attitudes, beliefs, and practices
		   3)	(archaic) scrupulous confirmity
		   4)	a cause, principle, or system of beliefs helt do with
			ardor and faith
	religious: 1)	relating to or manifesting faithful devotion to an
			acknowledged ultimate reality or deity
		   2)	of, relating to, or devoted to religious beliefs or
			observances
		   3a)	scrupulously and conscientiously faithful
		   3b)	FERVENT, ZEALOUS
	superstition:
		   1a)	a belief or practice resulting from ignorance, fear of
			the unknown, trust in magic or chance, or a false
			conception of causation
		   1b)	an irrational abject attitude of mind toward the
			supernatural, nature, or God, resulting from
			superstition
		   2)	a notion maintained despite evidence to the contrary

Now, it appears to me that there's considerable overlap here.  

=Therfore, in my mind, if somone has a set of beliefs that deal basically with
=the first definition, then even if the set of beliefs consist of
=something which we may think as irrational doom & gloom, I would
=put it in the first category.

In other words, some superstitions can be religion, and vice versa.
=If however, I have an isolated
=belief e.g. if I knock on wood three times, I am averting
=disaster, this would be a superstition since it does not tie in
=any way with the first definition.  Does this make sense to you?

No, and furthermore, it doesn't answer the question.  For example, is praying
to God in the hopes that this will keep you from spending eternity in hell
religion or superstition?  Sure sounds like both to me.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Carl J Lydick | INTERnet: CARL@SOL1.GPS.CALTECH.EDU | NSI/HEPnet: SOL1::CARL

Disclaimer:  Hey, I understand VAXen and VMS.  That's what I get paid for.  My
understanding of astronomy is purely at the amateur level (or below).  So
unless what I'm saying is directly related to VAX/VMS, don't hold me or my
organization responsible for it.  If it IS related to VAX/VMS, you can try to
hold me responsible for it, but my organization had nothing to do with it.