Stop Press - Theological Research States the Bleeding Obvious

[Mr Pycroft]

Many Christian churchgoers are superstitious, research reveals
(http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0200wales/tm_objectid=17496720%26method=full%26siteid=50082% 26headline=many%2dchristian%2dchurchgoers%2dare%2d superstitious%2d%2dresearch%2dreveals-name_page.html)

Is it me or is this "research" stating the obvious?


The research, presented at the annual conference of the Network for the Study of Implicit Religion, was carried out by the University of Wales, Bangor.

And what is "Implicit Religion"? Does it oppose or compliment explicit religion?

[Skepticus Rex]

Many Christian churchgoers are superstitious, research reveals
(http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0200wales/tm_objectid=17496720%26method=full%26siteid=50082% 26headline=many%2dchristian%2dchurchgoers%2dare%2d superstitious%2d%2dresearch%2dreveals-name_page.html)

Is it me or is this "research" stating the obvious?

no it isn't. what they mean by superstition is the various folk beliefs of touching wood, throwing salt over your shoulder etc. which the judeo-christian tradition insists is complete bollocks.
although many people call belief in a god superstition, that doesn't fit with the definition: "A Superstition is the irrational belief that future events are influenced by specific behaviors, without having a causal relationship." (from wikipedia)

[wollery]

no it isn't. what they mean by superstition is the various folk beliefs of touching wood, throwing salt over your shoulder etc. which the judeo-christian tradition insists is complete bollocks.
although many people call belief in a god superstition, that doesn't fit with the definition: "A Superstition is the irrational belief that future events are influenced by specific behaviors, without having a causal relationship." (from wikipedia)
And you define prayer how?

[Skepticus Rex]

prayer would be appealing to a higher force to intercede for you and do something.
if that higher force existed, that would make sense.

the definition of superstition is "the irrational belief that future events are influenced by specific behaviors, without having a causal relationship."

belief in a higher power may well be irrational, but it's not superstition.

[wollery]

prayer would be appealing to a higher force to intercede for you and do something.
if that higher force existed, that would make sense.

the definition of superstition is "the irrational belief that future events are influenced by specific behaviors, without having a causal relationship."

belief in a higher power may well be irrational, but it's not superstition.


There is no evidence that prayer has any influence on future events, in fact I believe there have been studies done which show that it doesn't. Therefore there is no causal relationship between prayer and influence of future events. So believing that prayer will affect future events is, by definition, an irrational belief that future events will be influenced by a specific behavior (i.e., prayer), without any causal relationship. It thus fits the above definition of superstition.

[Skepticus Rex]

the definition of superstition has nothing to do with whether it actually happens or not.

superstitious people believe that there is no causal relationship to what happens. not they believe it despite there being no causal relationship.

people who pray believe that their prayers definately affect what happens (via higher powers). superstitious people believe that if they do something it will give them luck in general, not that doing it will make them win the lottery.

[asthmatic camel]

I refuse to consider the views of anyone who cannot spell definitely. Particularly when that person has already used definition in the same post and a spell checking tool is provided, free of charge. :P