Are Traditions a Bad thing?

I was watching a video online about a miliatary school that my son is considering attending.. I watched a word get flashed on the screen over and over again and the word was "Tradition".... the video tells about how they must polish their belt buckles... because it's tradition.. now it is not necessary to polish belt buckles is it? Yet, they feel it is a time honored tradition that causes them to remember their attention to detail...

so many other traditions were talked about and they held those traditions in such regard... that I begin to think about the church... and I it makes me ask... "Are all of our traditions" bad? Is "tradition" a bad word... or does it not provide us with a measuring stick.. a guideline to keep ourselves in check.. to remind us of the barriers that we should not cross?

I am really wondering why such institutions as the military honor TRADITIONS OF MEN while we discard and vilify them? Realizing that many things our forefathers preached against will not send one to hell... but does it hurt to hold to those traditions as benchmarks, guidelines.... ?

Without some of those traditions do we not push the limits too far? Do we not in an effort to get rid of tradition... get rid of the good that came from those traditions.....?

LEt's talk about traditions... Should a particular church have a tradition of women being seperate from Men by wearing dresses.... although breaking that tradition might not send one to hell.... does it not tear down a guidepost, a dividing line that perhaps should not be torn down?

Again.. why do we despise traditions? Sure they might not be heaven or hell issues and have been wrongfully preached as such in the past.. but what is wrong with a church establishing safe guidelines.. parameters for a Christian to follow? Traditions of the church

[BrotherEastman]

Originally Posted by Dr. Vaughn

I was watching a video online about a miliatary school that my son is considering attending.. I watched a word get flashed on the screen over and over again and the word was "Tradition".... the video tells about how they must polish their belt buckles... because it's tradition.. now it is not necessary to polish belt buckles is it? Yet, they feel it is a time honored tradition that causes them to remember their attention to detail...

so many other traditions were talked about and they held those traditions in such regard... that I begin to think about the church... and I it makes me ask... "Are all of our traditions" bad? Is "tradition" a bad word... or does it not provide us with a measuring stick.. a guideline to keep ourselves in check.. to remind us of the barriers that we should not cross?

I am really wondering why such institutions as the military honor TRADITIONS OF MEN while we discard and vilify them? Realizing that many things our forefathers preached against will not send one to hell... but does it hurt to hold to those traditions as benchmarks, guidelines.... ?

Without some of those traditions do we not push the limits too far? Do we not in an effort to get rid of tradition... get rid of the good that came from those traditions.....?

LEt's talk about traditions... Should a particular church have a tradition of women being seperate from Men by wearing dresses.... although breaking that tradition might not send one to hell.... does it not tear down a guidepost, a dividing line that perhaps should not be torn down?

Again.. why do we despise traditions? Sure they might not be heaven or hell issues and have been wrongfully preached as such in the past.. but what is wrong with a church establishing safe guidelines.. parameters for a Christian to follow? Traditions of the church

I spent 14 years in the Military, and yes you must pay attention to detail and polish that belt buckle.

[OnTheFritz]

Originally Posted by Dr. Vaughn

Again.. why do we despise traditions? Sure they might not be heaven or hell issues and have been wrongfully preached as such in the past.. but what is wrong with a church establishing safe guidelines.. parameters for a Christian to follow? Traditions of the church

I don't think there is anything wrong with that at all. I think it can be good to set guidelines well within the "safe" range, if you will.

Often, the problem is that the differences between what is tradition and what are actual heaven/hell issues is not clearly presented. In the wrong hands, they become dangerous distractions. Just my opinion.

[rgcraig]

Originally Posted by DerrickS

I don't think there is anything wrong with that at all. I think it can be good to set guidelines well within the "safe" range, if you will.

Often, the problem is that the differences between what is tradition and what are actual heaven/hell issues is not clearly presented. In the wrong hands, they become dangerous distractions. Just my opinion.

Exactly what I was going to say.

So is the answer now the other extreme? Or is there anything wrong with keeping those traditions?

[Rico]

The problem is when traditions become law.

[OnTheFritz]

Originally Posted by Dr. Vaughn

So is the answer now the other extreme? Or is there anything wrong with keeping those traditions?

The answer is subjective -- which is the point, to some extent.

[pelathais]

Originally Posted by Dr. Vaughn

I was watching a video online about a miliatary school that my son is considering attending.. I watched a word get flashed on the screen over and over again and the word was "Tradition".... the video tells about how they must polish their belt buckles... because it's tradition.. now it is not necessary to polish belt buckles is it? Yet, they feel it is a time honored tradition that causes them to remember their attention to detail...

so many other traditions were talked about and they held those traditions in such regard... that I begin to think about the church... and I it makes me ask... "Are all of our traditions" bad? Is "tradition" a bad word... or does it not provide us with a measuring stick.. a guideline to keep ourselves in check.. to remind us of the barriers that we should not cross?

I am really wondering why such institutions as the military honor TRADITIONS OF MEN while we discard and vilify them? Realizing that many things our forefathers preached against will not send one to hell... but does it hurt to hold to those traditions as benchmarks, guidelines.... ?

Without some of those traditions do we not push the limits too far? Do we not in an effort to get rid of tradition... get rid of the good that came from those traditions.....?

LEt's talk about traditions... Should a particular church have a tradition of women being seperate from Men by wearing dresses.... although breaking that tradition might not send one to hell.... does it not tear down a guidepost, a dividing line that perhaps should not be torn down?

Again.. why do we despise traditions? Sure they might not be heaven or hell issues and have been wrongfully preached as such in the past.. but what is wrong with a church establishing safe guidelines.. parameters for a Christian to follow? Traditions of the church

Personally I don't despise" traditions. Do whatever you feel is important for you to be doing, that's my theme.

What I object to is the man-made alterations to the Gospel. Why do people want to openly rebel against the plain teachings of the Bible by declaring things like: only the pretty girls can expose their ankle bones to the bright sun?

[StillStanding]

Some traditions are harmless, such as the tradition in baseball of a seventh inning stretch singing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame".

The problems start when traditions become legislated into rules that are forbidden to be broken. This is the case with the traditional holiness standards. Do what you want, but leave me alone!

[OnTheFritz]

Originally Posted by Pianoman

Some traditions are harmless, such as the tradition in baseball of a seventh inning stretch singing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame".

The problems start when traditions become legislated into rules that are forbidden to be broken. This is the case with the traditional holiness standards. Do what you want, but leave me alone!

Haha. I know that feeling.

Dr. V., you have to understand that there is bound to be an inevitable backlash when people realize that they were fed a lot of incorrect information for such a long time. The rejection is not because of the traditions themselves, but rather the chaos all of this causes because some don't seem to value the difference between truth and tradition.