WHEN a group of psychology students placed a ladder against a wall on a busy London street, passersby faced a dilemma: stay on the curb and walk under the ladder, or step off the curb and dodge the traffic. Seven out of every ten pedestrians avoided the ladder.

Indeed, many people, if pressed, admit to harboring one or two pet superstitions.

‘I can’t see how avoiding a ladder, knocking on wood, or customs like that have anything to do with religious beliefs.’ Yet, there is a connection. Take the ladder superstition as an example.

Sometimes it is prudent to walk around a ladder to avoid a falling tool, yet is it not true that even when a ladder poses no danger, some people still avoid it to avert “bad luck”? But on what is the custom based? Well, a ladder against a wall forms a triangle. “And a triangle,” explains the Encyclopædia of Superstitions, “has always been symbolical of the Trinity.” Thus, walking under a ladder became tantamount to defying the Trinity, an intrusion into holy space, and that, notes the same reference, would “play into the hands of the Evil One.” However, is the Trinity a solid Bible teaching?

On the contrary, the Trinity teaching originated in ancient pagan religions. God’s Word, though, refutes the Trinity idea. It says that Jehovah is superior to Christ. (John 14:28; 1 Corinthians 11:3) Thus, the ladder superstition is based on a false religious idea.

Harmful​—In What Manner?

‘That may be true, but when I avoid a ladder or toss salt I’m not even thinking about the Trinity or the Devil, much less honoring those,’ you may object. ‘It’s just a habit. How could it harm me?’ In this way: If you know that certain superstitious customs are based on lies, but you continue to practice such customs, then you are like the person who knows that his chair rests on quicksand but says: ‘I just won’t think about the quicksand, so it won’t harm me,’ and sits on the chair anyway. (Revelation 22:15) He is in danger, and so may you be. Why?

You may begin to depend more and more on superstitions, and before you know it, they may rule your life. And since superstitions are based on lies, you could become, in effect, a slave of “the father of the lie,” Satan. (John 8:44) That, in turn, may lead to enslavement to another practice based on lies​—spiritism.

True, at first glance superstitions seem harmless enough, but give them another good look and you will discern what they really are​—at the least useless and at the most harmful.