“Feare of power invisible, feigned by the mind, or imagined from tales publicly allowed, Religion; not allowed, Superstition.”Thomas Hobbes · Leviathan · 1651 · Partea I, capitolul 6
Religion and superstition are the same fear; the label is decided by whoever holds power.
Hobbes notices that the human mind, unsettled by causes it cannot see, invents invisible powers. The difference between religion and superstition lies not in content but in authority: who approves the tales. A faith recognized by the state or dominant church is religion; the same faith, rejected by those in power, becomes superstition. A historical example: Christian cults persecuted under Rome were superstition to the authorities, then religion after the Edict of Milan.
If the label depends on power, then these names describe relationships, not beliefs. Whoever names decides what counts as respectable. This shifts the question from what people believe to who has the right to name. Think of a neighbor leaving food at the gate for spirits: some call it a pious custom, others call it nonsense, and his belief has not changed at all. Only the commentators have. The next question comes naturally: why do we need public approval before we can call a fear religion?
Why it matters The observation still helps anyone who wants to see clearly: the labels of religion or superstition say more about the power issuing them than about the belief described.