The negative perception of peasant faith is based on several arguments associated with its rootedness in ancient rituals and superstitions, as well as the feeling of threat posed by new orders replacing tradition.

Cultural Collision: The Negative Perception of Peasant Faith

The negative perception of peasant faith is based on several arguments associated with its rootedness in ancient rituals and superstitions, as well as the feeling of threat posed by new orders replacing tradition.

Firstly, peasant faith is viewed negatively because it does not concern itself with theoretical questions about the existence of God, relying instead on an intuitive sense: the people believed there existed an unstable and sometimes hostile force that more often brought harm than good. In order to appease this force, traditional ceremonies and rites were required. As noted in the text taken from file link txt:

"The commoner preserved the remnants of the old faith most faithfully, even in an intensified and elevated form that differed slightly from superstition. Theoretical questions—whether God exists, and whether the gods revered by the state deserve veneration—lie beyond the people's scope. The people understood only one thing: that there exists something that sends both good and evil, more often evil; therefore, this something must be appeased, and appeasement could only be accomplished by traditional means—performing various ceremonies. Once Christianity appeared, which hindered the implementation of these decrees, the people realized that the gods, due to this, would get angry and punish not only the Christians but the entire empire..."
(source: link txt)

Thus, when Christianity replaced the established rituals, the once familiar ways of addressing the supernatural ceased to work, which triggered fear and misunderstanding among the people, leading to a negative assessment of the previous rites and peasant faith itself.

Secondly, the negative evaluation was reinforced by internal contradictions in the people's thinking. When traditional beliefs had already lost their stability and were replaced by new ideologies and reforms, people could not comprehend the abrupt break between the old and the new. As noted in the material from file link txt:

"Internal discord in minds, liberated and not yet fixed by a new truth, leads to such negative views. It is precisely for these reasons that the people perceive the newly introduced and the new not only with distrust but also with apparent fierceness, as if all things altered pose a threat to their security..."
(source: link txt)

Thus, the absence of stable alternatives to traditional rites and the harsh reaction to reforms contributed to the development of a negative viewpoint towards peasant faith.

Additionally, popular legends and superstitions related to apocalyptic images (for example, ideas about the Antichrist) further amplified fear and distrust towards changes in religious practices, perceived as a threat to the familiar world and the security of society (as reflected, for example, in the retelling from file link txt).

In summary, it can be said that the negative perception of peasant faith is explained by the following points:
1. Adherence to traditional ceremonies aimed at appeasing unpredictable forces, which gave way to a new, foreign religious order.
2. The lack of a theoretical basis in matters of faith, leading to strictly ritualistic and emotional perceptions of the world.
3. Internal disagreements and fear of new reforms that threatened the established way of life.

Supporting citation(s):
"Тhe commoner preserved the remnants of the old faith most faithfully, even in an intensified and elevated form that differed slightly from superstition. Theoretical questions—whether God exists, and whether the gods revered by the state deserve veneration—lie beyond the people's scope. The people understood only one thing: that there exists something that sends both good and evil, more often evil; therefore, this something must be appeased, and appeasement could only be accomplished by traditional means—performing various ceremonies. Once Christianity appeared, which hindered the implementation of these decrees, the people realized that the gods, due to this, would get angry and punish not only the Christians but the entire empire..." (source: link txt)

"Internal discord in minds, liberated and not yet fixed by a new truth, leads to such negative views. It is precisely for these reasons that the people perceive the newly introduced and the new not only with distrust but also with apparent fierceness, as if all things altered pose a threat to their security." (source: link txt)

These facts and arguments together explain why the popular consciousness views its own faith negatively and why such a perspective arises in conditions of cultural and social change.