Your Superstitions

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**Cheesecat**

Krellnus wrote:
Janthkin wrote:
chromedog wrote:
I try to lead a life based on rational thought, so no primitive superstitions for me.

My wife's family are catholic. I'm an atheist. When they say grace - I don't join in - I just remain silent. I let them have their primitive superstitions.
Personally, I find atheism to be the most extreme of all religions - it is the belief that you know, with certainty, what isn't out there.

That said, tolerance is a virtue, but politeness is mandatory on Dakka - let's avoid intentionally inflammatory or derogatory language here, please, when discussing religion. It can look suspiciously like trolling, which can result in Bad Things happening to your ability to post.

Atheism is NOT a religion (as religion is an organised collection of beliefs in some form of higher power), many people think it is (perhaps because the idea of being non-religious, especially for countries like America, is an alien concept, but that is out of my ability to comment), it is merely the lack of acceptance of a proposition due to lack of evidence, not the proof of a negative.

In logic, the default stance would be atheism (the absence of belief of a higher power, or more broadly, the supernatural, purely for convenience I will use supernatural to mean both).
Religion makes the claim of the existence of such powers (a positive statement).
Burden of proof is therefore on religion.
Depending on an individual's perception of the world there is either not enough evidence (such as in chromedog's and I's case) in which case, the claim is dismissed due to lack of evidence or there is (such as the majority of posters on this discussion board) in which case, belief in higher power.

Now to add a little more to that, you can be gnostically atheist, agnostically atheist, gnostically theist or agnostically theist. If someone is gnostic, then they also believe that the supernatural can be empirically verified whether it exists or not (theist or atheist respectively) If someone is agnostic then they also believe that the supernatural cannot be empirically verified whether it exists or not(theist or atheist).

As an example to end this on. I am a gnostic atheist, this means that I do not believe in the existence of the supernatural and/or higher powers and I believe that the existence of such can be verified whether it exists or not.

This is the most convoluted description for agnosticism that I've heard, all an agnostic is, is someone who is unsure if god exists.

**MrDwhitey**

Don't be absurd Cheesecat, they could also be a baker.

I try to avoid ladders.

**Cheesecat**

MrDwhitey wrote:
Don't be absurd Cheesecat, they could also be a baker.

I try to avoid ladders.

Also I don't think he knows what Gnosticism (either that or he doesn't know how to spell agnostic) is.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gnosticism

**d-usa**

The only real superstition I have relates to working in the medical field and accidentally opening pediatric medical equipment. Started back in the days of working on the ambulance and continues today.

If any piece of pediatric equipment even gets a corner of the package opened up, then the entire kit has to be turned in/replaced/sealed up/whatever. Mandatory anti-pediatric patient dance is mandatory.

Nobody wants to run a full arrest on a kidambu-, and if you have an open package then there will be a situation that forces you to use it.

**yeri**

I've got a lucky hoodie that I wear to all my tests, and it works like a charm.
this next part may sound crazy, and while I consider myself a rational man I have had instances when I knew something would happen before it did. apparently it runs in the family because my grandma begged my grandpa not to go to work on the day he was murdered. he didn't listen. also at 7:00 AM EST on 9/11 I was sitting with my father at the breakfast table and I looked over at him and said: "something bad is going to happen today." he looks over at me and says: "I know." we didn't know what was going to happen, and usually when we get those feelings it's something personal, but we both got that gut feeling that day that something bad was going to happen.

**ENOZONE**

I wear plastic to keep other people from getting wet. Usually girls. Never works >

**Ensis Ferrae**

Cheesecat wrote:
Krellnus wrote:
Janthkin wrote:
chromedog wrote:
I try to lead a life based on rational thought, so no primitive superstitions for me.

My wife's family are catholic. I'm an atheist. When they say grace - I don't join in - I just remain silent. I let them have their primitive superstitions.
Personally, I find atheism to be the most extreme of all religions - it is the belief that you know, with certainty, what isn't out there.

That said, tolerance is a virtue, but politeness is mandatory on Dakka - let's avoid intentionally inflammatory or derogatory language here, please, when discussing religion. It can look suspiciously like trolling, which can result in Bad Things happening to your ability to post.

Atheism is NOT a religion (as religion is an organised collection of beliefs in some form of higher power), many people think it is (perhaps because the idea of being non-religious, especially for countries like America, is an alien concept, but that is out of my ability to comment), it is merely the lack of acceptance of a proposition due to lack of evidence, not the proof of a negative.

In logic, the default stance would be atheism (the absence of belief of a higher power, or more broadly, the supernatural, purely for convenience I will use supernatural to mean both).
Religion makes the claim of the existence of such powers (a positive statement).
Burden of proof is therefore on religion.
Depending on an individual's perception of the world there is either not enough evidence (such as in chromedog's and I's case) in which case, the claim is dismissed due to lack of evidence or there is (such as the majority of posters on this discussion board) in which case, belief in higher power.

Now to add a little more to that, you can be gnostically atheist, agnostically atheist, gnostically theist or agnostically theist. If someone is gnostic, then they also believe that the supernatural can be empirically verified whether it exists or not (theist or atheist respectively) If someone is agnostic then they also believe that the supernatural cannot be empirically verified whether it exists or not(theist or atheist).

As an example to end this on. I am a gnostic atheist, this means that I do not believe in the existence of the supernatural and/or higher powers and I believe that the existence of such can be verified whether it exists or not.

This is the most convoluted description for agnosticism that I've heard, all an agnostic is, is someone who is unsure if god exists.

To throw this into the ring: Atheism CAN be a religion. Here in America, it is most commonly known as the Unitarian Universalist (church?? not sure what to call their organized group)

For myself, I have a fairly Christian belief set, yet I detest almost all organized forms of it, as the things that people have created are imperfect and there are some definite things I don't agree with with most organizations.

As to the OP, I am similar to Kalashnikov... I get kinda weird if my back is to a door in a public place, I absolutely MUST know where my outs are as soon as I walk in. I hate crowds, even if it's my own family. Yeah, sure much of this is more due to training and experiences had in the military, but still....

Also, when I have opportunity to institute a weight training regimen, I CANNOT start a week on anything other than lower body day... I guess there is just nothing better than to start the week with squats.

In the more generic superstitions, I watched a documentary on the evolution of Metal, in which the talk about the origins of \m/ (the horns). According to Ronnie Dio, he started doing them on stage, because of his superstitious grandmother, who always used them as both a ward and curse... Basically, if you "send" the horns to someone, you either think they are evil, and are protecting yourself from it, OR you are trying to place a slight curse on them... Kinda cool, and kinda funny, IMO.

**Kovnik Obama**

I have faith in the fact that my cat loves me.

**Some_Call_Me_Tim?**

Frazzled wrote:
Don't breath in while passing a graveyard.
Eat black eyed peas on important dates.
Don't wear rubber bands on my wrist.
Bribe TBone to go out every hour I'm there during the day.
Avoid vegetables whenever possible.

That explains a lot of your posts.

_Tim?

**master of ordinance**

yeri wrote:
I've got a lucky hoodie that I wear to all my tests, and it works like a charm.
this next part may sound crazy, and while I consider myself a rational man I have had instances when I knew something would happen before it did. apparently it runs in the family because my grandma begged my grandpa not to go to work on the day he was murdered. he didn't listen. also at 7:00 AM EST on 9/11 I was sitting with my father at the breakfast table and I looked over at him and said: "something bad is going to happen today." he looks over at me and says: "I know." we didn't know what was going to happen, and usually when we get those feelings it's something personal, but we both got that gut feeling that day that something bad was going to happen.

Ive had something similar to those before. Can be incredibly usefull

**Some_Call_Me_Tim?**

Might as well mention this: I have tons of deja-vu experiences. They started around age 14, and have become pretty much the norm for me, to the point where I don't get rattled by them. Actually, I've noticed that these moments tend to mean I'm on the right track, and when I stop having them I get nervous that something bad will happen.

Knock on wood.

_Tim?

**Lt. Coldfire**

Some_Call_Me_Tim? wrote:
Might as well mention this: I have tons of deja-vu experiences. They started around age 14, and have become pretty much the norm for me, to the point where I don't get rattled by them. Actually, I've noticed that these moments tend to mean I'm on the right track, and when I stop having them I get nervous that something bad will happen.

Knock on wood.

_Tim?

Hmm, back in the day I use to have a lot of deja vu as well. It's definitely a weird feeling.