Pete. What the studies I have seen show is that human beings are susceptible to seeing agency in inanimate objects. At a trivial level it could be swearing at the car because it won't start. No god in that, but how about when a thunderstorm spoils the harvest for the third time, or the sun won't shine on it? Having invented a god the idea of divine creation is but a small step when one needs a story about where we came from.

Other people being superstitious does not validate one's own superstition. Usually the contrary - it presents a threat.