Superstitions of Atheists

I share a very particular trait with thousands of Americans, including pretty much all of Washington’s political caste: I love House of Cards.  I don’t care that it’s unrealistic, or that it uses sexuality as a shock tactic, or even that its characters have less morality than a North Korean prison warden.  It’s a damned fine show, and the villainous protagonist Frank Underwood is a great guy (even if he is a sociopath).  He believes exclusively in two things, it seems—himself, and power.  Sure, he cares for ribs, his wife, Greek love, and breaking the 4th Wall, but just because he’s a pathological narcissist doesn’t mean he can’t also be a person!  In fact, it’s one particular trait of his I want to discuss.

See, if you watch the show, as you should, you’d know Frank Underwood loves to knock on wood.  Literally.  When asked about his habit of fist-banging every hardwood surface he encounters, he says that there are two reasons for it. 1. He wants to be prepared, so is hardening his knuckles. 2. He wants to be lucky. That’s right, the guy who fears neither God nor the consequences of his own evil actions is superstitious enough to knock on wood for good luck. It’s funny, but this is surprisingly common.  Think how many people rely on unfounded superstitions outside of their religion. Think how many Americans stay up til midnight on New Years for good luck.  In Japan, most people identify as atheists, yet they go to shrines every New Year to make a wish and receive a fortune of their luck for the New Year.  In Iceland, people who are not Heathens and have never seen an elf or troll still believe in the mythical creatures.  In Romania, the atheist leader of the Communist government, Nicolae Caeucescu had a personal witch he consulted with.  In Maoist China during the Great Leap Forward, women among the Yi began manifesting signs of spiritual possession in accordance to the tenants of their ancestral faith—a faith they had discarded under Mao and that many had forgotten. A friend of mine who is an atheist still believes in lucky clovers.  All of these are superstitions that exist as part of a cultural belief system manifesting in the absence of a religious identity. It’s surprisingly common, though, and this sort of behavior isn’t limited to elves, ghosts, and prophecies. Many American capitalists believe in the American dream, or the myth that if you work hard you will success and become economically rich.  Addicts in recovery give credit of their recovery over to a “higher power.”  Many gamers have lucky dice.  American police consistently label their shooting as “good shooting,” regardless of the circumstances, under the belief that they are the “good guys.”  Gamblers believe that if they haven’t won they are due to win soon, or that inversely they are on a winning streak and are more likely to win than not.  I believe that one day they may bring back Firefly. There is no more empirical data to support these beliefs than there is evidence in the tooth fairy or Balkan witch prophecies.  Yet still we believe. Perhaps people need to believe in something.  Perhaps humans are inherently susceptible to logical oversights.  Perhaps we are all just biased by the cultures we grow up in.  But whatever the case, even without religion, belief continues. So the moral of this ramble about belief?  Go watch House of Cards!  It may not seem logical, but at least one of us believes it’s the right thing to do.  And if you marathon all the episodes in one sitting, you’ll get three wishes.