Superstitions are beliefs or practices which lack rational substantiation; most people would readily admit to holding onto some irrational beliefs or superstitions despite knowing better.
Many believe that sneezing while saying, “Bless you” will bring good fortune, while knocking on wood can serve to protect against evil forces.
Some Christians dismiss the worship of saints, holy wells and significant relics as superstitious.
Belief in the Power of the Evil Eye
Eyes are believed to have special powers in many cultures; eye contact can convey everything from love to hate; shifting eyelids subtly betray liars while steady gazes demonstrate power and authority. Blinking eyes may even signal surprise, fear, boredom, scorn or envy!
The evil eye is a belief shared across cultures, often linked with jealousy. Ancient peoples believed certain individuals (usually widows and outsiders) possessed the ability to cause harm with one look from an evil gaze – this belief may have inspired Proverbs 23:6-7: “Do not eat of him who has an evil eye; do not desire his delectable meats”.
Envy-related superstitions concerning the “evil eye” exist throughout the world and may relate to gender, wealth, health, beauty and age. Women, children and the elderly are particularly prone to receiving evil glances from others and acting upon these superstitions can serve as an expression of hatred or rage directed toward another individual or group.
No matter their source, fear-based superstitions from the Bible, like the left eye twitching, are deeply rooted in fear and can have dire repercussions for their victims. Therefore, it is vital for Christians to develop an approachable biblical response and read here to address this issue with care and kindness.
Life Science reports that an evil eye can produce various physical symptoms, including vomiting, depression and hiccupping. More serious outcomes include loss of jobs or death. Furthermore, it’s important to remember that Jesus Christ has defeated Satan and does not want us to live in fear – those who accept Him as their personal Savior won’t succumb to superstition or fear because God’s perfect love dispels all fear.
Belief in the Power of Numbers
Superstition can be defined as any belief or practice which appears to lack rational grounds, be they religious or secular in nature and personal or collective in scope. Superstitions often arise due to ignorance and lack of rational thought.
Superstitions often stem from a belief that certain objects possess magical powers, used as tools to either control the environment or gain spiritual guidance. Many superstitions involve numbers; ancient numerologists believed certain letters of the alphabet contained hidden messages or were signs from God while others (such as 13) should not be mentioned at all.
People often believe it to be unlucky to break a mirror because doing so brings seven years of bad luck. Others consider sneezing three times in one breath to be a sign that death will soon follow; such beliefs constitute superstitions which rely solely on fear-based thinking without rational foundation.
Christians tend to dismiss superstitions as ridiculous or unnecessary; however, it is essential that we remember God is ultimately in control and all things are under His influence and control. He created all things around us so we must trust in His authority as the one true authority.
Not all superstitions are the same, however. Some can be straightforward like “don’t break the mirror because it might cause yourself an injury”, while other, like saying “bless you” when someone sneezes has more complicated histories – sometimes due to pagan practices and idolatry.
Belief in the Power of Good Luck
Luck-related beliefs have long held sway over human thought. Their influence stems from our need to control or influence events outside our direct control; whether that’s superstition, crossing one’s fingers for good luck, or tossing salt over our shoulders to bring good fortune, luck-related beliefs have an immense power both positively and negatively on our lives.
Most people believe the number 13 to be unlucky and avoid going out on that day. Additionally, many will avoid touching wooden surfaces, knocking on wood or crossing their fingers for fear of tempting fate – though tempting fate can have dire repercussions! Some individuals take the risk, believing the advantages outweigh risks when adhering to superstitions.
Superstitions often stem from religious beliefs. There have been numerous examples throughout history; for instance, Judaism is notorious for practicing superstitions that center around their belief in God and luck being an indication that He is orchestrating their lives according to His divine plan.
Hicks notes that luck plays an integral part of human experience across cultures and that human beings tend to attribute events or circumstances to some form of chance or fate, making religions as well as Eastern spiritual traditions which believe bad actions from past lives have an impactful bearing on current life a source of luck for many people.
Belief in the Power of Spirits
Superstition refers to any belief or practice with no rational basis, including superstitions such as placing salt over one shoulder for good luck or thinking Friday the 13th is bad luck. Superstition also encompasses animism; which involves belief in spirit beings who inhabit animals or inanimate objects and vice versa.
These spirits are usually considered benign; however, if treated carelessly or disrespectfully they can become potentially dangerous. Some individuals believe that evil spirits possess them and control their lives; likewise some individuals believe that visiting a curandero (witch doctor) may help cure any illness or injuries they are experiencing.
At some point in human history, people have believed in supernatural forces. Some of these beliefs may be founded in reason while others don’t adhere to scientific reasoning – some even becoming part of our culture such as crossing a black cat or breaking a mirror being unlucky and Friday the 13th being fear-inducing (known by its technical name: paraskevidekatriaphobia).
Superstitions have long been an issue, yet it is critical to recognize that God views them as an insult to Himself. He warned the Israelites against adopting the superstitions and religious rituals of surrounding pagan nations such as sewing magic charms on sleeves or using veils for hunting souls as well as casting spells to bring death (Ezekiel 13:17-21). Praying to God or believing miracles are also acts against Him and should be disapproved of by believers.
Belief in the Power of Spiritism
Spiritism, or the belief that souls survive death and can communicate with living people after they have left this realm, is an overarching worldview prevalent across African traditional religions.
Spirits are believed to be powerful beings capable of both good and evil acts. They act as sources of mysticism, magic, and witchcraft.
Mystical powers and forces can be used to influence human affairs for good or ill, so anyone with close ties to spirits – known as mediums – is capable of receiving immediate or secret knowledge from them either directly or through the power of an evil spirit that works through them.
Mediums are often sought out by those suffering from illness and dying for guidance and advice, and also use their powers to perform miracles such as healing, resurrection and exorcism.
Spiritualists believe that everything in the physical world, from inanimate objects like rocks to living beings like humans, is interwoven with spiritual forces. Spirits are believed to govern every aspect of human life as well as controlling social and cultural structures of society.
Spiritualist beliefs tend to revolve around Allan Kardec’s all-embracing system of spiritualism, commonly referred to as theosophy and similar in some respects to 20th-century new age movement beliefs and practices such as reincarnation, astrology and ritual magic. Additionally, most Spiritualists subscribe to Allan Kardec’s theosophy, which often bears similarities with new age concepts in some respects. Furthermore, most Spiritualists follow Allan Kardec’s all-encompassing spiritualism which closely resembles 20th-century new age movement beliefs in some respects compared with new age movement beliefs from 20th-century new age movement whereas this belief system also incorporates elements from both Western religious concepts as well as Eastern philosophical practices, such as reincarnation, astrology and ritual magic from Eastern traditions.
Although many of these beliefs are widely held to be abhorrent by Christians, they still continue to flourish around the globe. Belief in spirits is an effective deception which leads people away from Bible-based faith and into false teachings that contradict its doctrine of God’s providence and Christ’s mediatorial work on the cross.