How can otherwise rational, educated people be so susceptible to religious superstitions?

Because even rational people have an emotial or spiritual side to them.

Atheists make a lot of noise but there gonna have to come up with some proof if they want me to take them seriously. Rather than sneering at others.

Many brilliant minds have believed in a Deity! A substandard mind could only believe that everything you see hear and feel and all of our existence is nothing but a mere accident and that there is no power or greater knowledge higher than the human being. The deity may not be as prescribed by most organized religions but a good argument can be made that some a higher power exists there is control on nature and all things do have an order to them that has to come from somewhere.

I'd argue that the urge to want to believe in a higher power is build into us genetically. I bet in some way that urge has actually helped to create a better more efficient society at least in ancient times.

EG complete anarchy would not be good for the human race. But some reason to not go around killing each other and advising you to partner up and raise a bunch of kids for eternity likely set the stage for a more civil society. Darwinism at its best.

Also humans believe in things that are wrong naturally all the time. Google monty hall problem. It goes against human intuition but is mathematically correct. Thing is things like this aren't as big a deal in your everyday life if you don't understand the answer to it so people don't go around bitching about how people don't understand it.

When Stephen Hawking, in his book A Brief History of Time, describes the universe as remarkably structured then goes on to claim the universe is an accident, I think there is a major intellectual disconnect. I realize he is a genius. But, so was Einstein and he purposely tried to rewrite the his own General Theory of Relativity because the possibility of a singularity sounded too much like divine intervention. Sounds like he was pretty religious in his convictions. Even smart people are prone to narrow mindedness.

How is it irrational to believe that some higher power or intelligence had a hand in it all, but, it is completely rational to explain existence as sheer dumb luck?

What kind if superstitions are you specifically talking about?

I am very educated and believe in some things. Ghosts for one, as I have seen them multiple times in my home (the last owners died here in the house and I have seen both of them).

Don't believe in stigmata, the holy resurrection, etc.

Who the hell am I anyway? I am just a human being and cannot prove or disprove things I don't know about, like the denial or existance of a higher power for example.

Because they WANT to be susceptible, life can be short and cruel and people look for an escape anywhere they can get it. Religion offers promises of unconditional love, eternal life in paradise, and the chance to be reunited with family members long past. People don't WANT to wake up from the Matrix, they would rather happily swallow the blue pill, than to take the red and see the world as it actually is, beautiful, harsh, majestic, unforgiving, fulfilling, cruel, and inspiring, this is much too complicated a truth for most people.

In most cases, it's what they've been brought up to believe. One only need look at the demographics of world religions to see it's a socially driven belief.

Once people come to believe something, it takes many, many times the effort in the opposite direction to get them to believe the opposite. A single, rational argument isn't enough. It's for similar reasons so many refuse to let go of the idea that feminism is about equality despite so many obvious examples to the contrary.

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there are literally hundreds of liberals (or Democrats) who're deeply religious. i think of the distinction is they are able to understanding the distinction between faith, and the political technique or subjects. to no longer point out.. somewhat interior the final election, most of the main advisers have been properly everyday for their use of psychological manipulation, to apply concern somewhat of subjects because of the fact the main platform. frequently everyday that McCain employed the suitable comparable persons who smeared him, to choose Bush in 2000. edit strictly from a rigid perception stance.. faith does base lots on rigid perfect/incorrect positions. And no.. I won't get right into a debate to whether there is or isn't a God. i will agree most of the thought technique does open some persons to rigid thinking. yet.. no longer all of them.

The same way YOU and other non-religious people can believe something that cannot be proven. Live and let live is a good philosophy.

Not particularly religious but also tolerant of religion.

Rational, educated people discovered that the universe had a beginning. Cause utterly unknown.

Rational, educated people discovered that if the laws of the universe were "tweaked" by even a part-per-million, life and all the complexity that we know would not be possible.