Tradition v. Testimony

Yesterday in Sunday School we had an interesting debate-lightly-disguised-as-a-conversation about tradition v. testimony - those who practice religion because it's "tradition" (everyone else in the family does it, so why not?) versus those who practice religion because they have a testimony of the core principles, ordinances and beliefs.

I was amazed at how many people who said they were glad to be born the religion they were, because they could never change something that was so deeply ingrained as a tradition in their family.

For some reason, that bothered me.

I am the same religion as my parents. I was baptized at age 8, attended religion classes throughout high school and college, teach Sunday School and (try to, at least) follow the principles and precepts of said religion.

However, while I was introduced to the religion by my parents and grew up learning the principles and precepts from childhood, I don't stay because it's "tradition." Indeed, it requires far too much effort to stay because my family thinks it's a good idea. I've long done little things to prove I am my own person within the family group.

For instance, I am the kid who got a lime-green retainer, not because I wanted one but because my mom said, "You can get any color but green." (She thought it was gross. I thought if she couldn't come up with a better reason, it was a perfectly legitimate way in which to safely rebel).

I registered for the "other" political party upon turning 18, just to prove a point - which was largely that I could make my own decisions (we'll dispense with whether or not it's a good idea that an 18-year-old can legally be allowed to make his/her own decisions).

I chafed at being told how to fold towels, so I started folding them my own way when I left home (only to relent to my mom's version several years later, once I realized why she was so picky about it).

I thought washing baseboards - a weekly activity in our household - was a dumb idea, so I didn't do that either. Until I realized how gross they get if one never cleans them.

I even went through a (gasp) not-going-to-church-much phase, as I worked out my own place in the world and my own theology and philosophy.

The point being, it would take a lot more than my parents' dedication to a religion to make me go to church at 1 p.m. on a Sunday afternoon just for the heck of it, for example. Among other, larger things.

I don't doubt that the people who said they could not change religions because of family tradition have a testimony (to some degree) of the religion in which they profess to believe. Yet, I often wonder how many show up on Sunday because they feel obligated to and leave feeling as if they've done their "religious duty" for another week, only to metaphorically put it on a shelf until the next Sunday rolls around.

I did that. It didn't work out so well for me. I'm far from perfect (my list of "sins of omission" could create an epic-length decree), but I try (some times harder than others) and I believe (not "try to believe" but trying and believing - just to clarify). For me, while I was introduced, and certainly influenced, by my family - I don't stay because it makes mom or dad happy. I practice (some times more faithfuly than others) because I truly believe. Because it brings peace. Because enough of it makes sense to my logical self to ground me and there is enough hope and reassurance to make my emotional self not feel left out. Because it works for me.

That said, I can't say that I don't love some of the family traditions that have evolved as a result.