the "disbelief is a belief" question again

[sophiaserpentia]

Does it take faith to disbelieve that breaking a mirror is bad luck? What about not believing that a black cat crossing your path is bad luck?

If not, how is this different from the same question applied to God?

If yes, what distinguishes a "valid" superstition like the ones listed above from "invalid" ones like the Flying Spaghetti Monster? What about supersititions from other cultures, like the belief that taking a picture steals your soul?

Is the difference that people in this culture were exposed since early childhood to believe in the superstitions listed above?

Comments

[neitherday.livejournal.com]

The doctor does not believe in your pain and your experience of it does not provide any evidence that it exists outside your mind. Inductively, why should the doctor simply not say "There is no God and there is no pain. No vicodin for you. Perhaps you'd like some Seroquel instead".

Many (quite possibly most) doctors do use this very logic, but I very much reject it as it is to close to logical positivism.

[daoistraver.livejournal.com]

me too.