Susan,

I once carried out an experiment in a rat lab with a starving (very hungry) rat in a Skinner box. I placed the rat in the box with a feeder bin that could either be controlled by the rat (pushing on a lever)--or by me (pushing a button). At first, the rat circled the floor unaware of the lever/food association--so I pushed the button whenever the rat was in the vicinity of the feeding bin. One time the rat brushed against the lever with its tail and managed to elicit a food pellet.

From then on, the rat stayed near the food bin and periodically rubbed its tail against the lever: superstitious behavior.

In this case, superstitious behavior was failing to discern the appropriate connection between behavior and reward, but, luckily, making an inappropriate response that was associated with the reward.

Are you saying that my Christianity (or any organized Religion) is the wrong (superstitious) behavior that finds the reward anyway--or that there is no reward?

Ray