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.