Superstition

Superstition

Superstition has had numerous definitions over the years. In 1828 Webster defined it as an Excessive exactness or rigor in religious opinions or practice that are both an extreme and unnecessary form in the observance of rites not commanded, or the belief of what is absurd, or belief without evidence.

Why Persecute Christians

Christians are mentioned in Suetonius' biography of the Emperor Nero (Nero 16) as among those persecuted by him around AD 64 which was the year of the Great Fire of Rome. In this passage Suetonius describes Christianity and its excessive religiosity using the term superstitio as do others like Tacitus and Pliny.

At first there was little distinction between Christians and Jews prior to Nerva's modification of the Fiscus Judaicus in AD 96.

What is the source and cause of their contempt, bias, and bigotry toward Christians?

If we understand that writers like Suetonius and Tacitus had a bias for the Senate who were the Consctipi Patri, Conscripted Fathers, and Christians would call no man father upon the earth because of the directive of their King who they called the Son of God instead of Caesar, the foundation for a Christian conflict was there from the beginning.

Religio et superstitio

It has been reported that Lucius Annaeus Seneca, the Younger, once said "Religion is regarded by the common people as true, by the wise as false, and by rulers as useful." Atheists and anti-religion factions love to quote him but I find no evidence that he ever did actually say or write this statement as we read it.

In fact, he makes a distinction between the two Latin words that are each sometimes translated as “religion”. One is “riligio” which he regarded as virtue and “superstitio” which he believed became a vice.

"... religio denotes the pious and sound worship of the gods, whereas superstitio stands for instrumental worship as a result of unreasoning fear."

"religio becomes “obligation”, an objective bond between the believer and his God."

"But it was the enlightened view, the philosophic view of the rationalizing Romans which dissociated religio ‘religious scruple’, authentic worship, from superstitio, a degraded and perverted form of religion." Chapter 7: Religion and Superstition

The Ionic Greek term thrēskeíē is unknown in Attic Greek appearing in the first century B.C. a complex system of beliefs and practices can be considered religion as in the performance of a duty.

Seneca did write, “...just as religion does honour to the gods, while superstition wrongs them, so good men will all display mercy and gentleness,...”

He went on to connect religion with duty like the weightier matters of Christ and the whole list of Social virtues that appear in true fellowship described by Paul and the apostles who considered faith with out the works was dead. Seneca points out that it is avarice that degenerates society:

“ ...[Philosophy’s] sole function is to discover the truth about things divine and things human. From her side religion never departs, nor duty, nor justice, nor any of the whole company of virtues which cling together in close-united fellowship. Philosophy has taught us to worship that which is divine, to love that which is human; she has told us that with the gods lies dominion, and among men, fellowship. This fellowship remained unspoiled for a long time, until avarice tore the community asunder and became the cause of poverty, even in the case of those whom she herself had most enriched. For men cease to possess all things the moment they desire all things for their own.”

Superstition is a belief in the mind, an ideology, while religion is the performance of a duty and pure Religion is the performance of that duty unspotted by the men and means of the world who exercise authority.

A New cult

A cult included the doing and performing of tasks, duties and obligations.

Cicero explained ‘Those who rehandled (retractarent) diligently and so to speak relegerent all the things which relate to the worship of the gods, were called religiosi from relegere, like elegantes from eligere and diligentes from diligere. All these words have in fact the same sense of legere as religiosus.’

Suetonius can speak of 'Christians' as members of a new cult that was doing contrary to the Imperial Cult of Rome. Those who had become accustomed to funding their temples with the immoral practices forcing the contributions of others, counted as strangers, so that some could continue to live at the expense of others had their conscience seared.

Public Cults

Romans, like the first Americans, in their early history, in their youth as a nation had considered taxing others for their personal benefit or gain as an immoral practice.

In the days of the Libera res publica of early Rome there was no Imperial Cult of Rome but there was social virtues and the “Summum Bonum”.

Polybius had, centuries earlier, warned Rome and us of the consequences to the masses who engage in such covetous practices. Plutarch had also warned that those benefits and dainties destroy liberty. David, Paul, all the Prophets to say nothing of Proverbs explained that such systems of social welfare would be a snare.

Jesus said such covetous systems like the Corban of Herod and the pharisees made the word of God to none effect.

Suetonius, Tacitus, FDR, and modern Christians did not or do not see that those benefits were and are not only the wages of unrighteousness but they erode the social bonds required to maintain freedom and even their liberties.

Rites and practices

Superstition was considered to be "False religion; false worship" which was seen in the "Rite or practice proceeding from excess of scruples in religion." As well as a "Belief in the direct agency of superior powers in certain extraordinary or singular events, or in omens and prognostics."

While, in the same dictionary religion was seen including the truth or perfections of God as revealed in man's obligation and "accountableness to God" in true godliness with the practice and "performance of all known duties to God and our fellow men".

Today, superstition is a belief or practice resulting from ignorance, fear of the unknown, trust in magic or chance, or a false conception of causation. b : an irrational abject attitude of mind toward the supernatural, nature, or God resulting from superstition.

The blending of public religion, which included public welfare with tutelary deities some times brought in elements of mysticism or dream interpretation as we see with Nanshe the goddess of social justice and social welfare we see in early Sumer.

A rite or ritus is a word that designates the "The prescribed or customary form for conducting a religious or other solemn ceremony:

In Polybius' writings he saw the use or at least the practice of religion at that time was becoming a "superstition". There were those who reduced the wisdom of the ages to more mindless superstitions by unmooring the precepts from the metaphors and allegories of the wise. They believed in the symbols of the ancient stories rather than their wisdom.

Polybius saw the degeneration of the masses and the downfall of the republic a 150 years before the first Emperor of Rome and 175 years before the birth of Jesus Christ and John the Baptist.

Polybius used the term "superstition" to described what was seen as a mysterious establishment of "cause and effect". Many did not understand by reason nor personal revelation how the Law of nature and Natures' God worked. They believed an unseen spiritual realm had an influence on the world around and sought comfort against the unknown in the hope of incurring a divine ally who could protect them from "the dark".

The Greek goddess Tyche and the Roman Fortuna, according to the memes of mythology presided over the fate and fortune or prosperity and plight of the cities nof the people, as well as their personal destinies, both good and evil.

Blaming the misfortunes of life on God or gods rather than taking responsibility for our own choices has been one one the first memes and practices of man.

While religion was originally a duty to god and your fellowman superstition was an abdication of that duty

Polybius saw this "superstition in ancient Rome" as an "instrumentum regni" a term used by Tacitus meaning "instrument of rulers". Tacitus said there is "No better instrument of good government than being good friends" He used the phrase to express the exploitation of a form of legal religion by State as a means of controlling the masses. These practices of Public religion through legal charity degenerated the social bonds of communities and weakened the people to achieve political power and control over a more compliant population.

Public religion and legal charity could make the people extremely dependent upon the State and its free bread while they forgot the ancient ways of charity but clung to the symbols rather than their essence and meaning. The ancient ways were forgotten as the people indulged in the dainties of the rulers often at the expense of their neighbors.

There has been a sacrifice of truth and the hands of Sophistry of those who would use the ignorance of people to control them by unmooring the meanings of the Memes of culture from their purpose.

What was the purpose of the golden calf?

It was not mere superstition that motivated them, but practicality and a lack of faith. The people literally deposited their gold on the altar of the golden calf. Gold was deposited into a large statue for all to see. The wealth and the community was melded together into a common purse.

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