Happy Halloween, Boo!

(On Why Many People Could Not Let Go of Their Superstitious Beliefs)

by aLfie vera mella

At this age and era, I still enjoy many of the festivities involved in Halloween celebration—especially the trick or treat for the kids, decorating the house with "scary" stuff, and most especially hitting the town in costumes—whether these costumes are scary or funny or simply outrageous.

However, even in high school and even before I finally became an atheist, I no longer believed in the existence of ghosts and other superstitious characters and "paranormal" activities. To me these are all lumped into beliefs arising from fear of the unknown and fanatic religionism.

The more broadminded, knowledgeable, and logical a person becomes, the less she becomes gullible and the more she becomes a non-believer of subjective stuff like religions and superstitions.

And that's the challenge many people just couldn't face——

They simply could not let go of their belief in superstition, ghosts, paranormal activities, etc...because they know deep in their hearts that all these are not different from their belief in their gods. Belief in the great unknown such as God and in superstitious characters originate from the same deeply rooted human fear of the unknown—all these are tied up or interwoven together. 

The moment they stop believing in ghosts and other superstitious beliefs, which have no scientific bases, they know that they should also stop believing in the existence of gods and other religious matters, which are full of illogic, inconsistencies, and contradictions. So, what happens is, they just keep on believing in all these just to remain "consistent." Because, to shed one is to reject also the other. And that is simply a great and bold decision to make. You earn the ire and ridicule of not only the religious authorities but also many of your family members and friends and, in general, the community at large in which you are residing.

I'm happy that I'm one of those who have long freed themselves from the chains and shackles of religions and superstitions. But this was not a short and easy task. The journey to this personal enlightenment took me years of studying, learning, honing my skills, and living by my own principles.

Enjoy the Halloween.