When does Religion become Superstition?

[Wm777]

Does anyone here have any good ways they discern religion from superstition?

I’m not really clear on what the definition of superstition is, but what I am trying to discern is when the mystical actions of our faith can become superstitious or even evil.

The church is itself defined as, “The mystical body of Christ”. As Catholics, we must believe in it, and we must realize the good in it. But, then, sometimes situations occur within the church, which seem to be nothing but confusing; and, then, instead of perhaps deciding and acting upon level judgement, people just blame things on God - saying, “If God wills it, then it will happen…”; or, if some good option doesn’t seem to their liking, they may say, “It’s not God’s will”, and then ignore the good only to blame the lack of good on God. In either case, however, God gives us free will to work cooperatively together, so -given the good choices God gives us - it seems more like things should work out by our deciding.

I’ve always thought that was the good news of our faith. But as I have gotten older, I dont get it, unless mankind is just that sinful and the devil is out to just ruin things for us.

My question is where or how to discern such situations.

I hope this makes sense. Feel free to comment if anything I’ve said is unclear. Even if I am not being clear, then simply pointing it out may help…

Ty. Blessings.

Wm

 

[adamhovey1988]

This is how the Catechism defines superstition 2111 Superstition is the deviation of religious feeling and of the practices this feeling imposes. It can even affect the worship we offer the true God, e.g., when one attributes an importance in some way magical to certain practices otherwise lawful or necessary. To attribute the efficacy of prayers or of sacramental signs to their mere external performance, apart from the interior dispositions that they demand, is to fall into superstition

 

[po18guy]

Follow the catechism.

 

[Wm777]

Thanks, Adam.

It doesn’t help much, but it’s good.

What I’m contemplating is sort of like when the Pharisees accuse Jesus of being in league with Beelezebul… but something not quite that bad…

It’s a dangerous area because that passage foreshadows the one sin that cannot be forgiven - a sin against the Holy Spirit…

Essentially, what the Pharisees did was misappropriate the work of God…

In response to the healing, what they said amounted to: 1. first saying, “No, that’s not God’s will…”; and, 2. then, they falsely cast Jesus as a demon.

So it kind of seems like - in the midst of the miracle - the Pharisees were being superstitious by denying it as a good work, and then not attributing the good work to God.

The “superstition” (and I’m not sure if I am using the term correctly) would be that the Pharisees thought they were in the right, and that God’s will wouldn’t have worked the healing. But Jesus did it, and it was a good deed, so the work was intended to speak for itself as coming from God though his only son.

On more minute levels, it seems like they should or maybe could have been doing many more good works themselves… But they weren’t… They just kept excusing what they should have been doing by hiding behind their interpretation of the Mosaic law in defense of the sabbath traditions…

The failure to act based upon belief in a false interpretation of scripture is what I am calling “superstition”, if I have it right… I am looking to fact check that notion here…

But the hard part to understand seems to be - if it is superstitious… it’s actually a sin of omission at first… then, after they then accuse Jesus of being in league with the devil, it becomes a misappropriation of culpability…

Is any of this making sense?

I’m not sure if I am following an application of the catechism here correctly or not.

Any positive help would be very much appreciated.

 

[0Scarlett_nidiyilii]

Superstition can be a real danger when you’re in a desperate situation.

Let me give you an example — if you’re praying for something you want really bad, and you’ve found some prayers and novenas that help you cope with the situation, that’s good.

If you start thinking that you can either force God’s hand through your prayers, or else get scared He won’t grant your request if your prayers aren’t “good enough” or you haven’t prayed them enough times, then you’ve slipped into superstition.

Just be aware that superstition can creep up on you. If you find yourself thinking this way, it might help to change your prayer routine,