Resist Ungodly Traditions!
“THE truth will set you free,” said Jesus Christ. (John 8:32) Yes, Christianity sets people free—free from enslavement to superstitions, free from belief in false doctrines and hopes, free from bondage to degrading practices.
As in ancient times, however, Christians today often face pressures to return to former traditions. (Galatians 4:9, 10) Not that all popular customs are harmful. Indeed, a Christian may choose to follow local customs that are wholesome and beneficial. But when customs run counter to God’s Word, Christians do not compromise. Jehovah’s Witnesses are thus well-known for refusing to take part in Christmas celebrations, birthdays, and other customs that conflict with God’s Word.
This courageous stand has often resulted in much ridicule and opposition from acquaintances, neighbors, and unbelieving relatives. Particularly has this been the case in some African lands, where a vast array of traditions are commonly observed at funerals, weddings, and births. The pressures to conform can be formidable—often including threats and acts of violence. How can Christians there stand firm? Is it possible to avoid confrontation without compromising? In answer, let us examine how faithful Christians have dealt with some unscriptural traditions.
Superstitious Funeral Customs
In southern Africa there are numerous traditions related to funerals and burials. Grieving ones commonly spend the entire night—or several nights—at the house of mourning, where a fire is constantly kept burning. The bereaved are forbidden to cook, get a haircut, or even take a bath until the burial has taken place. Afterward, they are to wash themselves in a special mixture of herbs. Are such customs acceptable to Christians? No. They all reflect a belief in the immortality of the soul and a morbid fear of the dead.
Says Ecclesiastes 9:5: “The living are conscious that they will die; but as for the dead, they are conscious of nothing at all.” Knowing this truth frees one from having a fear of the ‘spirits of the dead.’ But what should a Christian do when well-meaning relatives demand that he or she participate in such rituals?
Consider the experience of an African Witness named Jane, whose father died. Upon arriving at the funeral house, she was immediately told that she and the rest of the family were to dance around the corpse all night long so as to appease the spirit of the deceased. “I told them that as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, I could not engage in such practices,” relates Jane. “However, the following day after the burial, elderly relatives said that they were going to bathe the bereaved family members as further protection against the spirit of the deceased. Again I refused to participate. At the same time, Mother was kept secluded in a house. Anyone who wanted to see her had first to drink of an alcoholic beverage prepared for that purpose.
“I refused to get involved in any of this. Instead I went home to prepare some food, which I took to the house where Mother was staying. This really disappointed my family. My relatives thought I was not normal.” More than that, they mocked her and called down evil on her, saying: “Since you have rejected our tradition because of your religion, you will be troubled by the spirit of your father. In fact, you might not even bear children.” Still, Jane refused to be intimidated. The outcome? She says: “At the time I had two children. Now I have six! This has put to shame those who charged that I would never bear children again.”
Sexual “Cleansing”
Another custom involves ceremonial cleansing after the death of one’s spouse. If a wife dies, her family will bring to the widower a sister-in-law or another woman closely related to his deceased wife. He is obliged to have sexual intercourse with her. Only then can he marry whomever he wishes. The same takes place when a woman’s husband dies. The practice is thought to purify the surviving spouse of the “spirit” of the dead mate.
Anyone refusing to undergo such “cleansing” risks incurring the wrath of the relatives. He or she may be isolated and subjected to mockery and pronouncements of doom. Nevertheless, Christians refuse to follow this custom. They know that far from being a sort of “cleansing,” sex outside of marriage is defiling in the eyes of God. (1 Corinthians 6:18-20) Furthermore, Christians are to marry “only in the Lord.”—1 Corinthians 7:39.
A Zambian Christian woman named Violet lost her husband. Afterward, relatives brought a man to her, insisting that she have sex relations with him. Violet refused, and as punishment she was barred from drawing water at the public well. She was also warned not to walk on the main road, lest harm befall her. However, she refused to be cowed either by relatives or by fellow villagers.
Later Violet was summoned to a local court. There she unwaveringly explained her Scriptural reasons for refusing to engage in illicit sex. The court ruled in her favor, saying that it could not force her to adhere to local customs and traditions that went contrary to her beliefs. Interestingly, her staunch refusal to compromise served to reduce the pressure on other Witnesses in the village who later faced the same issue.
An African Witness named Monika withstood similar pressure after her husband died. The man’s family insisted on giving her another husband. Says Monika: “I refused, determined to obey the command at 1 Corinthians 7:39.” The pressure did not let up though. “They threatened me,” Monika recalls. “They said: ‘If you refuse, you will never get married again.’ They even claimed that some of my fellow Christians had secretly been ceremonially cleansed in this way.” Nevertheless, Monika stood firm. “I stayed single for two years, after which I remarried in a Christian way,” she says. Monika now serves as a regular pioneer.
Miscarriages and Stillbirths
Christians in southern Africa must also deal with customs surrounding miscarriages and stillbirths. Such tragic occurrences are the result of human imperfection—not of divine punishment. (Romans 3:23) But if a woman miscarries, some African traditions demand that she be treated as an outcast for a period of time.
One woman who had recently miscarried was thus surprised to see a Witness walking toward her house. As he got near, she called out to him: “Do not come here! According to our custom, a woman who has just had a miscarriage is not supposed to be visited.” However, the Witness told her that Jehovah’s Witnesses take the Bible message to people of all sorts and that they do not observe the local customs regarding miscarriages. Then he read to her Isaiah 65:20, 23, explaining that under God’s Kingdom miscarriages and stillbirths will not occur. As a result, the woman accepted a home Bible study.
Superstitious customs may also accompany the burial of stillborn babies. When a Witness named Joseph attended such a burial, he was told that all present had to wash their hands in some herbs and rub the medicine onto their chests. This was said to prevent the “spirit” of the infant from coming back and causing them harm. Joseph respectfully declined, knowing the Bible’s teaching that the dead cannot harm the living. Still, some tried to pressure him into applying the medicine. Joseph again declined. On seeing this Christian’s fearless stand, others in attendance likewise refused the herbs.
Avoid Confrontations, but Stand Firm
Fear of the living and a dread of being made an outcast can be powerful forces for compromise. Proverbs 29:25 says: “Trembling at men is what lays a snare.” The preceding experiences demonstrate the truthfulness of the latter part of that verse: “But he that is trusting in Jehovah will be protected.”
Nevertheless, confrontation can often be avoided. For example, if a Christian is invited to a relative’s funeral, he should not wait until he finds himself in a potentially compromising situation. “The shrewd one that has seen the calamity has concealed himself; the inexperienced that have passed along have suffered the penalty.”—Proverbs 27:12.
It would be wise to ask tactfully just what customs will be followed. If these are objectionable, the Christian could use this opportunity to explain just why he cannot participate, doing so “with a mild temper and deep respect.” (1 Peter 3:15) When a Christian respectfully explains his Bible-based stand in advance, his relatives are usually more inclined to respect his beliefs and less inclined to use threats and intimidation.
Whatever the response of relatives, a Christian simply cannot compromise by following God-dishonoring traditions—no matter what threats or abuse may be heaped upon him. We have been liberated from superstitious fear. The apostle Paul urged: “For such freedom Christ set us free. Therefore stand fast, and do not let yourselves be confined again in a yoke of slavery.”—Galatians 5:1.
[Picture on page 29]
Many believe that a person who has just died can act as an intermediary and deliver messages to long dead relatives