Religious Traditions​—Worshiping God in Truth?

“SALGA, salga, salga” (“Come out, come out, come out”). The plaintive cry emanates from a darkened cemetery on the island of Janitzio in Lake Pátzcuaro, Mexico. There a devout Tarascan Indian beseeches his dead relative with the aid of a written prayer. “Let the Holy Rosary break the chains that bind you,” he implores.

It is the Day of the Dead. From the early hours, women and children have bedecked their family burial places with flower petals and decorated wooden frames. They have placed offerings of fruit and pastries in front of the graves. And now they brave the chill of night to chant prayers or keep a silent vigil in the pale light of thousands of flickering candles lighted on behalf of the dead.

What seems strange or even bizarre to an outside observer is for these people a time-honored religious tradition: the Catholic celebration of All Souls’ Day. In many Latin American lands, tradition dictates that thousands of believers flock to the graveyards and offer written prayers and gifts for their dead.

Latin America also has numerous traditions regarding religious images. Images of Christ and of Mary are ubiquitous, adorning most homes and shops. Get on a bus and you will invariably see small pictures of Mary displayed above the driver’s seat. Statues of Mary, adorned with flashing colored lights instead of candles, are even affixed facing the center aisle of the bus.

In Colombia immense figures of Christ and of Mary stare down from lofty mountain heights above many cities. The famous peak of Monserrate is topped by a church that is full of highly revered images. During special holy weeks, thousands of Bogotá’s inhabitants climb to this rocky summit, some crawling on cut and bleeding knees.

Images, crucifixes, festivals​—these are part of the religious traditions that have become an established way of life for people all over the world. These traditions have been handed down from generation to generation, and people tend to view them as sacred.

Worshiping in Truth?

While perhaps most are content to follow traditions unquestioningly, for many professed Christians these traditions pose a disturbing dilemma. After all, it was Jesus Christ himself who said: “The true worshipers will worship the Father with spirit and truth.” (John 4:23) Yet, many religious traditions are plainly derived from, or at least astonishingly similar to, non-Christian religious rites. For example, All Souls’ Day virtually parallels the Buddhist festival of “Ullambana,” a day set aside for “the expression of filial piety to deceased ancestors and the release of spirits from bondage to this world.” (The New Encyclopædia Britannica, 1976 edition, Micropædia, Volume 1, page 260) Are followers of such traditions really worshiping in truth?

Some argue that the mere acceptance of traditions into the church justifies them. Said the Second Vatican Council in 1965: “It is not from sacred Scripture alone that the Church draws her certainty about everything which has been revealed. Therefore both sacred tradition and sacred Scripture are to be accepted and venerated with the same sense of devotion and reverence.”

What, though, if there are fundamental conflicts between man-made tradition and God-inspired Scripture? In answer, let us take a hard look at traditions in the light of the Bible’s counsel.

Religious Traditions and the Bible

“YOU make the word of God invalid by your tradition.” These were the words of no one else but Jesus Christ. (Mark 7:13) Like many people today, the Jews in Jesus’ day faithfully adhered to a complicated pattern of precepts and customs. And like many of today’s clergymen, their religious leaders viewed these traditions as more important than the Bible.

To illustrate: God’s Word specifically commanded that children honor their parents. (Exodus 20:12) This obviously included assisting parents who fell into dire financial straits. However, a Jewish tradition developed that provided a convenient way to evade this Biblical obligation. A selfish individual merely had to pledge that his personal property was later to be donated to the temple, setting the property aside by declaring it “corban.” This word meant “a gift dedicated to God.” Although the Jewish worshiper was evidently free to continue to use this corban for his own personal gain, he could piously deny it to his parents.​—Mark 7:9-12.

Jesus, though, challenged this and other Jewish ‘sacred traditions,’ saying: “You hypocrites, Isaiah aptly prophesied about you, when he said, ‘This people honors me with their lips, yet their heart is far removed from me. It is in vain that they keep worshiping me, because they teach commands of men as doctrines.’”​—Matthew 15:3-9.

In view of what Jesus said, can a Christian really regard any religious tradition as being on a par with the Bible? Hardly. No matter how much sentiment or emotion may be tied up with a custom, a Christian’s concern is whether it harmonizes with God’s Word or not. As a case in point, consider some traditional religious acts described in the Catholic book Liturgy​—An Elementary Course, by María A. Lombillo Clark, T.D. How do these traditions compare with what the Bible actually says?

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LITURGY GOD’S WORD

Freed From Harmful Traditions

Many popular religious traditions are therefore not pleasing to God and thus are harmful. Interestingly, though, the apostle Paul wrote: “Now I commend you because in all things . . . you are holding fast the traditions just as I handed them on to you.” (1 Corinthians 11:2) These traditions, however, were wholesome, beneficial practices based on God’s Word​—not empty, man-made rituals. They replaced the “fruitless form of conduct received by tradition” that many in the first century practiced before becoming Christians.​—1 Peter 1:18.

Likewise today, a God-fearing person must scrutinize and reject any tradition that proves unscriptural. Surely, one’s relationship with God is of far more value than any man-made forms of worship! Of course, rejecting unscriptural traditions is by no means easy. It often requires adjusting long-established patterns of conduct. One young man in Colombia, for example, was steeped in religious tradition. From childhood he had a burning desire to be a Catholic priest. He would often play at ‘saying Mass’ with his sisters, even receiving “confessions” from them. Years later he gained entrance to a preseminary school, eventually enrolling in a Catholic university. There, religious traditions were embedded yet deeper in his life.

One day, one of Jehovah’s Witnesses visited his home. While his parents would hardly allow the Witness to express himself, the little that was said impressed this religiously minded youth. Later he arranged to study the Bible secretly with this Witness. “My genuine desire,” he recalls, “was to get to know the Bible from a different point of view without changing my religion. I had an intense desire to serve God as a priest, to try to effect changes in people’s hearts. After studying the Bible for a month, a conflict arose within me, inasmuch as the traditions and rites of my religion fought against the pure standards of the Scriptures.”

His family pressured him to desist from studying the Bible, and finally he was forced to leave home. Nevertheless, he says: “After two months of studying the Bible, I became convinced that I was in great error, and I left the university and my work as a teacher in a religious college and devoted myself to preaching from house to house. Now my life has changed and also my customs. I felt especially happy that unforgettable day that I symbolized my dedication to Jehovah by baptism.” This young man now serves full-time in helping others free themselves from God-dishonoring traditions.

If you are a fervent devotee of religious tradition, you may also find it necessary to make some changes. Recall again what Jesus once said to the Samaritan woman at the well. She and her people had the time-honored custom of worshiping God on Mount Gerizim. Jesus, however, showed her that this was a worthless tradition, saying: “Believe me, woman, The hour is coming when neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you people worship the Father. . . . The true worshipers will worship the Father with spirit and truth, for, indeed, the Father is looking for suchlike ones to worship him.”​—John 4:19-23.

Are you one that “the Father is looking for”? Do you have a burning desire to worship God in truth? Then the apostle Paul’s warning at Colossians 2:8 is most appropriate: “Take care not to let anyone cheat you with his philosophizings, with empty phantasies drawn from human tradition.” (The Holy Bible, Ronald A. Knox) Follow, instead, the teachings of true Christianity, which can lead you to everlasting life!​—John 17:3.