Tradition or Truth

Well, on my case, I've never been really one to uphold traditions of any kind. Let's say in example, around here when a man turns 18, he must attend the army for between 6 months and 1 year (depending on the line that you are specializing) or attend non-military service for a year. Everyone in my family have attended the military services expect my cousin and I'm going to take the path of non-military service as well which my father doesn't really accept. He doesn't say or express it but I just know it, being the old stubborn man he is.

Breaking the rules and traditions has been a great part of my life ever since I understood what rules are. I got bad grades in school for not attending to classes because it felt wrong that someone was tying me up to do something which I cannot decide myself (mainly meaning that the law states that you have to get education whether it's issued at public, private or home school). The same goes with the law that you have to attend the army whether you like it or not (non-military services are still connected to the army as they just educate you on how to serve your country during war), so I've been trying to avoid it as long as I can, though after two years I have to attend or the police are going to make my live a living hell (if they find me, ha!).

Traditions of religion have never been really strong around here, so religion hasn't never been a meaningful theme in my life. I've never really believed in God because in elementary school I didn't really understand what they tried to teach us about God, and once I knew what they were trying to preach, I just stopped listening. Sure, I went to confirmation school (I don't know if you guys have it in the U.S., it's a week or two long religious camp where you gain the right to be a godfather or godmother and the right to marry in a church) but it was just because to most of the teens it is more of a social gathering than a chance to study religion.

For me, rules and traditions have been unnecessary things that I've been trying to avoid and I will do so in the future as well. I don't like being tied down by traditions that everyone expects me to follow.

 

Well, it's part of Lutheranism branch, and that's tradition right there. Around here it is required of you go through confirmation school to gain the right to marry in church and to be a godfather.

Also, I forgot to mention about the army system in our country - if you do not go through the military or non-military service, you are toss into prison for a year if I recall correctly and it gives you bad papers which effect your whole life from that moment on. The only thing how you can avoid going to the army is either to be a Jehovah's Witness or move away. Even how I'd love to go to prison for that short period of time, I wouldn't get a job or a school after that because the papers state that I have been in prison. So be glad that it's not the same how things work there.

That's a country stuck into it's traditions.

 

Hmmmm, well tradition hold a place in all societies and cultures. It'd what brings them together and preserves their cultures. This discussion reminds of the movie Fiddler on the Roof, a musical very much about questioning tradition but also seeing the value with it. Jewish tradition in particular is extremely valued because well Jewish people have been persecutor long before the horrible, horrible Holacaust. So naturally they hold to their traditions as a way to prevail through the thousands of years of injustice done to them.

Of course there are different dominations of Judasism just like Christianity, and we all know the difference between a simply church attender to a Westboro Baptist member. There are some more extreme traditions out there that have no place in the modern world.

Sooo? Tradition holds a place in our many, mant different cultures but that doesn't always make them good and up to date with progress. I would say there are some simple basics of right and wrong we can all agree on like murder, rape, assault, and etc are all horrible things. I say as long as no ones traditions upholds those in favor and don't try to force them down our throats, who cares?

 

I am not keen on the idea of doing something a certain way because of tradition(for example, singing the National Anthem). I don't believe that traditions are wrong but it is rather pointless to do things because "it has always been carried down like that". Of course, since most people grow up with tradition, they don't question why it's done that way. So long as people are content in tradition, is there any need to tell them the "truth"?

I'm actually not sure, though, what kind of tradition you are referring to. It seems like you're actually just talking about limited knowledge(the world is flat), as opposed to actual traditions(say thank you, otherwise you'll come off as impolite).

What I really dislike, however, are traditions like these:

-John is shopping with his mother. His mother runs into a work friend and waves at her friend. However, John doesn't say hello, as he doesn't know the person. John is chastised for being rude and 'ignoring' the work friend.-

I personally don't like things like that. It would be absolutely pointless to greet a stranger or an acquaintance who you hardly know, unless you intend to actually converse with that person after 'hello'. However, you come off as rude if you don't at least acknowledge that person's presence. It really isn't a big deal because saying hello doesn't require much effort, but it's a pointless tradition in my opinion and if you don't folow the tradition, you seem like a bad person for something which isn't actually impolite at all. Does that make sense?

 

I think traditions are our tie-in with the past, and those we've left behind. Contrary to what I've read in the thread for the most part, I think traditions are one of the things that define us as individuals (that and perspective).

We all have our traditions, if you look at them a certain way. I have a very ethnic, traditional Christmas dinner with my family every year, for instance. It's my way of remembering and sharing in my family's presence, as well as having a tie back to my ancestral roots.

Even something as menial as brushing your teeth in the morning can be thought of as a tradition, if you associate a positive memory (such as doing it together with your spouse). Such a tradition can be 'modified' temporarily, up to a point (ie. if your spouse passes away). At which point, the tradition becomes static, a memorial rite.

While in this 'memorial rite' sense, traditions cannot change, we must not be afraid to start new traditions...which I believe is a more accurate description of what happens when we 'change' traditions.