Superstition: A Weakness

Man, by his very nature, must have a deity to worship. Since man cannot see God, he substitutes some visible thing for the invisible God.

According to an official of the Republican Party of the U.S.A., former American President Ronald Reagan used to keep a golden ferrule in his pocket. This ferrule was presented to him by one of his friends five years before he was elected president. Ronald Reagan held that this amulet’s powers saved him from the attempt on his life and many other misfortunes. He could not entertain the idea of parting with it. Once when a government official asked him whether he still kept it in his pocket, he replied: “I sure do.” Then he took the ring out of his pocket and showed it to him.

Without a doubt, this is just another form of superstition. If superstition can hold men’s minds in its grip, it is because life’s happenings are so often puzzling and mysterious and without any rational explanation. Certain unknown forces seem to be at work, which would appear to be responsible for success or failure. Moreover, these forces seem to function without any rhyme or reason. I once asked a successful businessman the secret of his success. He thought for a while, then replied, ‘Luck!’ Then he said if I wanted any more reasons, he would say luck, luck, and luck!

The mysteriousness that pervades our lives is due to an invisible God who remains behind the scenes. Since man cannot catch sight of Him, he substitutes some visible thing for this invisible God, be it a ring, a ferrule, or any other object.

Man, by his very nature, must have a deity. If he cannot find God, he replaces Him with something else.