In normal, ordinary everyday life we exercise a certain amount of rational common sense. If we didn't we would be dead by sunset.
You can go through your whole life without a shred of actual correct information about a lot of things and not be at risk in the practical world.
For instance, you can believe the world is flat and that the sun goes around the Earth. It won't make a bit of difference. You can believe the stars are pinprick holes in a crystal firmament and it means nada.
But, when it comes to crossing the street, lighting a fire, taking medicine and cashing a check you need enough practical sense to get by.
Superstitious people are of the opinion that ordinary practical everyday life needs more than correct information about "things" to be safe. You need a rabbit's foot, a horoscope, a ritual and a prayer. Fine with me.
If I think numbers are magic and yet I can balance my checkbook; so what?
Silly nonsense is silly nonsense. Live and let live.
But, when it comes to religion we enter a valley of thorns and thistles.
Living, as we do, in a world of things and practical necessity it becomes rather difficult to live much above a subsistance level if we don't have a bit more than basic information. A "higher" education is higher because it takes you above subsistance. You have to be able to negotiate with reality and make it work FOR YOU. The people who don't learn that hurl themselves against a brick wall expecting the wall to yield. Their bruises testify to their stupidity. But, they may call it persecution or testing.
Yesterday at the boostore where I work a middle aged lady who kept praising Jesus in every other breath bought a basketfull of religous living books. She said she couldn't afford them and that she wouldn't have any money left---but---ready for this:
"I am an heir! Praise Jesus!"
And she spent her $74 and left with an armful of books I'd call "pep talk" nonsense.
She "believed", oh she believed!
The nature of such belief is detached from the practical world. To the extent our fluffy superstitons conflict with the practical world our life goes into the toilet.
Ask yourself how many people are able to keep the balance. How many can hold ridiculous notions in their head that aren't true, but; which they believe anyway--but--who can STILL NEGOTIATE WITH REALITY without falling off the edge??
I'd compare it to alcoholics who can drink and still put in 8 hours of work and not slur their sentences. The fact that they put everybody else at risk when they get behind the wheel we will ignore for the moment.
Remember that analogy.
Here is an aside from me to you: THERE ARE NO CONTRADICTIONS IN THE REAL WORLD. So, you put yourself at risk (sooner or later) when you hold contradictions in your head which don't match the real world.
You'll see this among JW's when their child needs a blood transfusion and their "belief" lets the child die. You'll see it when the dad JW takes a lousy paying job and makes his wife stay home while their quality of life erodes.
You are free to hold any outrageous thought in your head you wish to. But, life has a way of stepping on false views. Look at where you are, what you have and what your prospects are and ask yourself "how did I get here?" The answer is: by means of what your BELIEVE.
There is an invisible guy in the sky who wishes us dead, but; who wants us to live? Okay
He is LOVE, but; he sent his son to be tortured and murdered? Okay, why? So that he could change his mind about killing us. Right.
Think what you want--it won't keep the mail from coming or the weeds from gnawing at your roses.
Just don't expect me to join you.