Superstitions are Everywhere!

The article I chose was titled "Which Secular Superstition do You Believer" where Logan Paul Gage tries to prove that both science and religion have superstitious beliefs.

He proves that both groups believe in superstitions. These superstitions eventually bring about discoveries of the unknown. One of the main truths that Gage is trying to present is that both religion and science are dependent on each other. He argues that science and religion always try to argue when in fact they depend on each other.

To back up his argument Gage uses data from a Baylor Religion Survey and explains its significance. The data shows that non-religious people believe in superstitions more than religious people.

He then says “Ignoring available data such as these, prominent atheists continue to claim that religion breeds gullibility and superstition while letting go of God hastens enlightenment.”

He then explains how religious superstitions perpetuated the discoveries of science.

As I look into the truth which Gage was trying to present it is possible to see that his belief was influenced by culture and is culturally shaped. First off Gage’s view is based on his own opinion and the opinion of the culture he is in. By using the survey, which was taken from a certain cultural perspective, Gage take a position. The information which he uses in his article is information to which he was exposed to which is quite limited. This information was also created by a certain culture. The examples of ideas and superstitions which he uses are also limited and are only the ones Gage is aware of. These are just a few things which Gage uses to form his argument.

Therefore, because he uses everything from his own perspective and the culture to which he was exposed, his truth is culturally based. The limited knowledge which he has obtained is used to lead him to a conclusion and then present HIS truth. I think another thing which he did was write his argument in a format which he thinks will best fit the society. He brings out data, quotes, and other sources to back up his argument. I think that this usage of his personal knowledge and his usage of language backs up the idea which Bourdieu and “Beyond the Realm of Reason” present which states “our rhetoric is always shaped by our habitus and our sense of linguistic marketplace.”(224)