I've been thinking if it's true that people who study philosophy are less eager to believe in folk religion.
The history of Santa Claus is very interesting. Especially the Swedish tomten which is only one way figure who become Santa Claus. At least in Sweden.
People who were Christians (Catholics or Protestant) and believed in folk religion don't seem to have been educated in philosophy.
Today we have some Mexican Catholics who believe in the figure they call Death.
Had they studied philosophy they could have come to the conclusion that death is not a figure/person. But then again we could say that philosopical reasoning is so natural to us that one just automatically will argue that death isn't a person.
We still have great Catholic philosophers believing in guardian angels, house blessing, demons and only water but this I would not call folk religion even though it is relatera to it in some way or another.
Are there a relation between folk religion and people who never really looked into philosophy?
But then again we are all born to philosophize about life which means that folk religion is not about being uneducated?
What do you think?
Are there and practical implications of all this?