Fear of the Number 13 and Black Cats

[jy76]

These phobias are massively unreasonable but held by some. It's also interesting to note that fear of cats, though maybe not black cats alone, may have massively contributed to the Black Plague. Anyhow, the US was originally 13 colonies, so what is so bad about 13?

 

[TheKnight]

Some of my family claim the number 13 is unlucky because 13 people sat with Jesus Christ in the Last Supper. One of those people that sat with him was Judas which was the person that betrayed Jesus Christ. He was also the 13th person to sit at that table. This one is a religious reason.

 

[fuzyon]

Those are superstitions and while I don't try to belittle anyone that believes in them I think they're pretty silly. When I was a kid my mother believed in many traditional superstitions here in Romania, she didn't let me whistle inside the house because she thought that would bring unwanted guests together and also not look in the mirror for very long. She isn't that firm on them anymore though.

 

[Alexandoy]

I don't subscribe to supertitions but I admit that I sometimes feel a little scared when I see a black cat crossing my way at night. But when it is morning, no issue there. We have lots of myth and folklore here about nocturnal spirits and characters that can really make the night scary that's why I always sleep with the lights turned on in our bedroom, simply to avoid those scary thoughts that may rob me of my sleep. Can you imagine waking up at midnight and think of scary beings? But with superstitions, as I said I am not much affected unless it is night time.

 

[jy76]

I have a black cat at my house and it's no big deal. All in all, this stuff is just enslaving people to superstitious fear. Note, I am not a radical atheist or have some massive grudge against organized religion. Nonetheless, I think people should think logically when possible, and not be of a childish mind.

 

[tyche]

I think the fear of the number 13 can also be linked to "Friday The 13th", which is supposedly associated with bad luck. I also have a black cat, and no accidents or anything untoward has happened to me at all. So I never believed in those superstitions at all ever since.

 

[jy76]

Some of my family claim the number 13 is unlucky because 13 people sat with Jesus Christ in the Last Supper. One of those people that sat with him was Judas which was the person that betrayed Jesus Christ. He was also the 13th person to sit at that table. This one is a religious reason.

Wow! That's interesting. I never heard that one before!

Anyhow, despite my dislike of superstition, I do believe in karma. Therefore, I don't think it's a good idea to treat people bad, cause I really believe negative actions will come back to you. However, being a sinful human, sometimes what I consider evil differs from what others consider evil, or I make excuses for my own vices.

 

[TheKnight]

Wow! That's interesting. I never heard that one before!

Anyhow, despite my dislike of superstition, I do believe in karma. Therefore, I don't think it's a good idea to treat people bad, cause I really believe negative actions will come back to you. However, being a sinful human, sometimes what I consider evil differs from what others consider evil, or I make excuses for my own vices.

I don't believe in superstitions either but I don't believe in Karma as everyone does. I do believe in karma but maybe not in the same way many do. Some people describe karma as an entity or rule in the world that gives it the ''what goes around, comes around'' definition.

My definition of karma is simply that people will fall due to their own negative energy. When people treat others wrongly, someone isn't going to stand for his foolishness one day and lash out at him. If they create too many enemies, one of them might cause that evil person pain and such for what he has done. It comes back to the ''treat others the way you wish to be treated'' so in the case of an evil person, people will treat him as trash as he treats others. This doesn't always happen, though.

 

[jy76]

My definition of karma is simply that people will fall due to their own negative energy. When people treat others wrongly, someone isn't going to stand for his foolishness one day and lash out at him. If they create too many enemies, one of them might cause that evil person pain and such for what he has done. It comes back to the ''treat others the way you wish to be treated'' so in the case of an evil person, people will treat him as trash as he treats others. This doesn't always happen, though.

Well, actually, according to many people's religious beliefs, they get some sort of justice in the next world or life, even if they didn't get it in their lifetime.

Those are superstitions and while I don't try to belittle anyone that believes in them I think they're pretty silly. When I was a kid my mother believed in many traditional superstitions here in Romania, she didn't let me whistle inside the house because she thought that would bring unwanted guests together and also not look in the mirror for very long. She isn't that firm on them anymore though.

I don't like to belittle others for religious beliefs either. However, Iv'e seen radical atheists who constantly exhibit a superior attitude toward traditional people. This elitist attitude has lead to a massive conservative backlash in some areas. In other words, it may not be a good idea to push people's buttons.

 

[TheKnight]

Well, actually, according to many people's religious beliefs, they get some sort of justice in the next world or life, even if they didn't get it in their lifetime.

I don't think that would be considered Karma as most people believe then. That goes best with my personal definition of the word. Karma is dealt by a physical being or gets that result because of the wrong they did. It isn't a law, it's a decision.

 

[misszerable]

I've known about superstitious beliefs about cats since childhood because I heard it from older playmates. I've outgrown it, though, because I've learned to love cats. I've only learned about the unlucky 13th when I joined a real estate forum while working in a construction company. Some posters claimed that some buildings have no 13th floor in them believing it to be unlucky. I was working on the 5th floor then but the discussion got me curious and I decided to check if the building has no 13th floor. True enough, the building did not have a floor named 13th floor. What was supposed to be 13th floor was called Annex and the next floor up was 14th.

I have nothing bad to say against people who hold such superstitious beliefs so long as these beliefs do not interfere with the way other people live.