Belief in the supernatural

Throughout the world, many cultures have formed supernatural beliefs. My religion says that people should not believe those ideas, yet my parents continue to believe them. For example if a black cat crosses the path they think that they should turn around and go back. I wonder how these ideas formed, and how they lasted so long. I asked my parents this question. My dad said that back in time people used to question why something bad happened to them, or around them. For example if someone went out for an important meeting, and things didn’t work out, they would wonder why it didn’t. People would ask the person questions like who was the first person you met? Or what was the first problem you had? Or did anything cross your path? And if the person said that he/she met so and so they would consider that person bad luck. And if something crossed their path, that would become bad luck for them. For example the black cat crossing idea. Then if a couple more people said they were in similar situations where a black cat crossed their path, and something didn’t work out, people began to think that black cats crossing your path were unlucky, and if a black cat was to cross their path then whatever they were out to do would not work out. Then I asked my dad that these are just ideas that people think up, it’s not really true so why does he still believe it. He said it’s because that’s what he grew up hearing, and it’s hard not to believe them. He says some of them are true because they happened to him.