Keakea Long Olketa Kastom wea God No Laekem

AOTSAED long wanfala haos long Africa, wanfala case for man wea dae hem open and hem stap long hot sun. Taem pipol kam long case hia for lukim man wea dae insaed, wanfala olo man hem kam and hem gohed standap long there. Hem barava luk sorre tumas. Hem putim feis bilong hem klosap long feis bilong man wea dae and sei: “Hao nao iu no talem mi iu bae dae? Why nao iu lusim mi olsem? From iu go bak nao, waswe, bae iu gohed for helpem mi?”

Long nara part bilong Africa, wanfala baby hem born. Parents stopem eniwan for lukim baby hia. Gogo, parents tekem kam baby aotsaed long haos for mekem pipol savve lukim, and olketa duim wanfala ceremony for nemem datfala baby.

Maet hem hard for samfala minim disfala wei for story long man wea dae finis and for no letem pipol lukim wanfala niu baby. Bat, long samfala kantri, samting wea affectim tingting bilong pipol and samting olketa duim saed long dae and taem baby hem born, hem wei for biliv strong hao pipol wea dae finis gohed for laef.

Wei wea pipol barava biliv strong long diswan showaot long olketa kastom, and hem affectim klosap evri samting wea pipol duim. Olsem example, planti million pipol bilivim hao olketa important part bilong laef—olsem wei for born, kamap teenager, marit, garem pikinini, and dae—olketa hia nao olsem wanfala isisi wei for change wea leadim man go long ples wea olketa laen dadi gohed for laef long there. Pipol bilivim hao man wea stap long datfala ples gohed for affectim olketa wea laef yet, and then bihaen hem savve lusim ples bilong olketa spirit and laef moa olsem man.

Pipol duim olketa kastom samting for mekem man savve go thru long olketa change hia. Olketa kastom hia kamaot from disfala biliv wea sei taem man dae hem garem wanfala spirit wea gohed for laef. Olketa tru Christian stap klia long eni kastom wea join witim disfala biliv. Why nao olsem?

Pipol wea Dae Finis Hao?

Bible story klia abaotem olketa wea dae finis, taem hem sei: “Olketa wea laef savve olketa bae dae; bat olketa wea dae finis nating savve long eni samting . . . Love bilong olketa, samting olketa heitim, and jealous fasin bilong olketa hem finis . . . Nomoa eni waka or plan or savve or wisdom stap long Sheol [grev bilong olketa man], wea hem nao ples wea iu bae go long hem.” (Ecclesiastes 9:5, 6, 10) Olketa tru worshiper bilong God tinghae long disfala tru teaching from Bible. Olketa minim hao soul savve dae and finis evribit. (Ezekiel 18:4) Olketa savve tu hao bihaen man hem dae hem no garem wanfala spirit wea gohed for laef. (Psalm 146:4) Long taem bifor kam, Jehovah givim strongfala komand long pipol bilong hem for barava stap klia long eni kastom wea join witim wei for bilivim hao olketa wea dae finis savve affectim olketa wea laef yet.—Deuteronomy 14:1; 18:9-13; Isaiah 8:19, 20.

Olketa firstfala Christian tu stap klia long eni kastom wea join witim olketa teaching bilong false religion. (2 Corinthians 6:15-17) Distaem, Olketa Jehovah’s Witness long olketa difren kantri and tribe barava rejectim eni kastom wea join witim datfala false teaching wea sei samting insaed long man hem gohed for laef bihaen hem dae.

Wanem nao savve helpem iumi olketa Christian for disaed sapos hem fitim for followim wanfala kastom or nomoa? Iumi mas mek sure diswan hem no join witim eni teaching wea againstim Bible, olsem disfala biliv wea sei olketa spirit bilong pipol wea dae finis savve affectim olketa wea laef yet. And tu, iumi mas careful nogud wei for followim wanfala kastom or join insaed wanfala ceremony savve mekem pipol stambol from olketa savve finis wanem Olketa Jehovah’s Witness bilivim and teachim. So iumi tingim olketa point hia taem iumi lukluk gud long tufala samting wea savve mekem problem kamap—taem wanfala baby hem born and taem samwan hem dae.

Ceremony Taem Baby Born and Kasem Nem

Planti kastom wea join witim taem wanfala baby hem born, olketa fitim nomoa. Bat long olketa ples wea pipol bilivim hao baby wea born hem lusim ples bilong olketa relative wea dae finis and kamap man moa, olketa tru Christian mas barava keakea long datwan. Olsem example, long samfala ples long Africa parents keepim niu baby insaed haos and no savve nemem baby hia go kasem taem wea kastom hem markem for duim datwan. Nomata namba bilong olketa day wea parents mas weit bifor olketa nemem baby hem depend long ples wea olketa stap, long end bilong datfala taem olketa duim wanfala ceremony for nemem baby. Parents savve tekem baby aotsaed long haos and showim hem long olketa relative and fren. Long datfala taem nao, olketa announcem nem bilong pikinini.

Datfala buk Ghana—Understanding the People and Their Culture hem explainim hao disfala kastom hem important long pipol hia and hem sei: “Long first sevenfala day long laef bilong baby, pipol bilivim hao hem ‘visit kam’ and hem gohed for change from wei for wanfala spirit and kamap man. . . . Planti taem, parents keepim baby insaed haos and olketa klos famili member nomoa savve kam lukim.”

Why nao olketa mas weit firstaem bifor olketa duim ceremony for nemem baby? Datfala buk Ghana in Retrospect hem sei: “Long tingting bilong pipol, for first sevenfala day datfala baby hem wanfala spirit yet. Olketa ting long hem olsem hem join yet witim ples wea hem stap kam long hem.” Datfala buk gohed for sei: “From nem nao samting wea mekem baby kamap man and no wanfala spirit, sapos parents fraet nogud maet baby hem dae, planti taem olketa delay for nemem baby go kasem taem olketa feel sure baby bae gohed for laef. . . . So disfala ceremony wea samfala taem olketa kolem, showim baby long pablik, hem barava important samting for datfala baby and parents bilong hem. Hem samting wea mekem datfala baby lusim ples bilong olketa spirit and stap witim olketa man.”

Planti taem, wanfala long olketa grani bilong famili nao hem lead long datfala ceremony for nemem baby. Olketa samting insaed disfala ceremony savve difren lelebet long olketa difren ples. Bat planti taem olketa mas pourimaot samting for olsem wanfala sakrifaes, prea long olketa spirit bilong olketa relative wea dae finis for talem thankiu for wei wea baby hem arrive kam and hem sef, and olketa nara kastom samting tu.

Main part bilong ceremony nao hem taem wea olketa announcem nem bilong baby. Nomata mami and dadi nao mas nemem baby, olketa relative tu savve barava affectim wanem olketa disaedem saed long diswan. Long languis bilong pipol long there, samfala nem savve join witim disfala kastom biliv, olsem “Go and kam bak,” “Mek-tu taem wea mami kam bak,” or “Dadi hem kam moa.” Olketa nara nem garem kaen mining wea hem for stopem olketa relative wea dae finis for tekem datfala pikinini go bak long ples bilong olketa wea dae finis.

Hem tru, hem no rong for evriwan hapi taem wanfala baby hem born. For givim nem bilong samwan long baby and for givim wanfala nem wea join witim samting wea gohed taem baby hem born, and tu, for disaedem wanem taem nao for nemem baby, hem samting wea man seleva nao savve disaedem. Bat, olketa Christian wea laek for mekem God hapi stap klia long eni kastom or ceremony wea maet mekem nara pipol tingse olketa agree witim datfala biliv wea sei niu baby hem samwan wea “visit,” long wei wea hem lusim ples bilong olketa spirit and kam long world bilong olketa man.

Nara samting, nomata planti pipol long community ting long disfala ceremony olsem wanfala important samting for mekem baby hem kamap part bilong disfala world, olketa Christian shud tingim conscience bilong nara pipol and hao wei for join insaed kastom hia savve mekem olketa garem rong idea. Olsem example, wanem nao maet tingting bilong samfala sapos wanfala Christian famili no letem eniwan for lukim niu baby bilong olketa go kasem taem olketa duim ceremony for nemem datfala baby? Tingting bilong pipol bae hao sapos famili hia givim wanfala nem long baby wea againstim olketa tru samting olketa teachim from Bible?

Dastawe, taem olketa Christian mas chusim wanfala nem for pikinini bilong olketa, olketa mas trae hard for “duim evri samting long wei wea givim glory long God,” nogud samting olketa duim mekem nara pipol for stambol. (1 Corinthians 10:31-33) Olketa no forgetim olketa komandment bilong God mekem olketa savve gohed for followim olketa kastom wea honorim olketa wea dae finis. Olketa givim honor and glory long datfala God wea laef, Jehovah.—Mark 7:9, 13.

Change From Dae Go Long Nara Laef

Long tingting bilong staka pipol, dae, olsem wei for born, hem wanfala change nomoa. Man wea dae hem lusim disfala world and go long ples bilong olketa spirit bilong pipol wea dae finis. From staka pipol bilivim hao olketa spirit bilong olketa relative wea dae finis garem paoa for panisim or givim reward long man wea laef yet, olketa bilivim hao sapos olketa no duim olketa kastom samting taem man hem dae, olketa spirit hia bae kros. Disfala biliv hem barava affectim samting wea pipol duim long wanfala dae.

From goal bilong olketa funeral hem for mekem olketa spirit hapi, pipol wea attend savve showimaot enikaen difren feeling. Olketa savve krae big and singaot witim sorre, and then, bihaen olketa berem man, olketa savve gohed for enjoyim wanfala feast. Long olketa feast hia, pipol savve ova tumas witim kaikai, olketa savve drunk, and dance followim laod music. Pipol ting long olketa funeral hia olsem samting wea barava important. Dastawe planti taem, nomata hem hard tumas for olketa duim, olketa famili wea poor barava trae hard for kasem selen wea olketa needim for wanfala “funeral wea fitim” nomata maet olketa faendem datwan hem hard tumas and hem mekem olketa garem big kaon.

Long olketa year wea go pas, Olketa Jehovah’s Witness barava showimaot klia hao olketa kastom olsem hem no followim Bible.a Insaed olketa kastom hia hem wei for gardim body bilong man wea dae, pourimaot samting olsem wanfala sakrifaes, askem olketa wea dae finis for givim help, duim wanfala celebration evri year long day wea man hem dae, and olketa nara kastom wea kamaot from datfala biliv wea sei samting insaed man hem gohed for laef bihaen hem dae. Olketa kaen kastom olsem no honorim God, olketa “no klin” and olketa “giamanim” pipol bikos olketa followim “olketa kastom bilong man” no truth wea stap insaed Word Bilong God.—Isaiah 52:11; Colossians 2:8.

Hevi for Followim Kastom

Samfala faendem hem barava hard for stap klia long olketa kastom olsem, especially long olketa kantri wea pipol ting long wei for honorim olketa wea dae finis olsem wanfala barava important samting. From Olketa Jehovah’s Witness no followim olketa kastom olsem, pipol garem daot abaotem olketa and talem hao olketa Witness no laek join witim pipol long community and olketa no respectim olketa wea dae finis. Wei wea pipol tok olsem, and tu, disfala hevi for followim olketa kastom hia, kosim samfala Christian for fraet and no laek for difren from pipol long community, nomata olketa minim gud truth insaed Bible. (1 Peter 3:14) Long tingting bilong samfala, olketa kastom hia hem barava wei bilong pipol, wea mekem hem hard tumas for stap klia evribit long olketa. And long tingting bilong samfala moa, wei for no followim olketa kastom olsem savve mekem pipol long community for againstim pipol bilong God.

Iumi trae hard for no mekem pipol feel nogud. Nomata olsem, Bible warnim iumi hao wei for hol strong long truth bae mekem disfala world wea stap farawe from God no laekem iumi. (John 15:18, 19; 2 Timothy 3:12; 1 John 5:19) Iumi willing for strong for followim truth from iumi savve iumi mas difren from olketa wea stap long spiritual darkness. (Malachi 3:18; Galatians 6:12) Long sem wei wea Jesus againstim temptation bilong Satan for duim samting wea God bae no hapi long hem, iumi mas againstim hevi wea iumi kasem for duim samting wea God no hapi long hem tu. (Matthew 4:3-7) Winim wei for fraet long man, main samting wea olketa tru Christian tingim nao hem for mekem Jehovah God hapi and for honorim hem olsem God bilong truth. Olketa duim datwan long wei for no letem hevi from olketa narawan stopem olketa for followim olketa standard bilong Bible.—Proverbs 29:25; Acts 5:29.

Honorim Jehovah Long Wei wea Iumi Ting Long Diswan

Hem normal nomoa for barava feel sorre taem samwan iumi lovem hem dae. (John 11:33, 35) Wei for laek rememberim samwan iumi lovem and for mekem wanfala funeral wea showimaot respect, hem wei for iumi showimaot love wea fitim. Nomata olsem, Olketa Jehovah’s Witness savve deal witim bigfala sorre taem samwan hem dae and no followim eni kastom wea God no hapi long hem. Diswan hem no isi for olketa wea growap long kantri wea pipol long there barava fraetem olketa wea dae finis. Hem savve hard for keepim wei for balance taem iumi barava feel sorre from samwan iumi lovem hem dae. Nomata olsem, olketa faithful Christian kasem strong from Jehovah, wea hem nao “God bilong evri comfort,” and olketa kasem loving help from olketa nara Christian. (2 Corinthians 1:3, 4) Strongfala faith wea olketa garem hao olketa wea dae finis bae laef moa from olketa stap long memory bilong God, givim olketa Christian gudfala reason for stap klia evribit from olketa kastom wea no agree witim teaching bilong resurrection.

Iumi barava hapi hao Jehovah hem ‘kolem iumi kamaot from darkness go long nambawan laet bilong hem.’ (1 Peter 2:9) Taem iumi enjoyim taem wea baby hem born and long semtaem deal witim sorre taem samwan hem dae, wei wea iumi barava laek for duim stret samting and bigfala love wea iumi feelim for Jehovah God shud muvim iumi for “gohed for wakabaot olsem olketa pikinini bilong laet.” Iumi no laekem eni kastom wea no fitim olketa Christian and wea God no laekem for mekem iumi dirty long spiritual wei.—Ephesians 5:8.

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