Elements of Religious Traditions - Essay Example

 Elements of Religious Traditions We have different religions with different systems of their workings. Each culture, has a set of believes and guidelines in which they practice in the daily life. This practices are  referred to as religious traditions. However, as much as the religions differ, every religion composed of; doctrines, rituals, morality rules and prayer practices. This paper seeks to examine the elements of religious traditions, what they say, what they do and how they are organized in terms of leadership. What religious Traditions say Religious tradition has got commands under which human beings tied to to. Separating oral traditions from the written ones are one of the requirements of the religious traditions. Most of the religions that are already established has got well furnished oral tradition and sacred texts (Isicheri 2000). However, to many religions, this is still a dream. Written tradition is common among the religions worldwide. For instance, in Islam religion, the holy Qur’an. They believe in the teachings from the holy book. They also practice orally by being able to recite the teachings orally. Every staunch Muslim knows the laws and the rules in the Qur’an and his daily life; he lives according to what it says. In Judaism, there was Oral Torah and the written Torah in Judaism. The written Torah is which is known as the Hebrew Bible. Religious traditions base their foundations on teachings, stories, myths and texts. These are basic foundations that guide a particular group of people. They give the meaning of a group as a community and impact a sense of unity among the group. The myths are manifested in most cases as they try to explain the manner in which the universe began. They are also manifested through explanation of where human beings and other living things started. For instance, in Judaism and Islamic, it is believed that God is the creator of the universe and all that is in it. The divine couple izanagi and izanami are believed to have the explanation of the origin of the Japanese islands, in Shinto’s religion, which is prominent in Japan. They are convinced that the couple stirred up the ocean floor with a trident from the heavens, and the waters separated forming the islands. This is a form of a myth. Old people in some religions had a responsibility of passing information from one generation to another by telling the young ones stories and teaching them issues concerning life. They were supposed to ensure that their culture is not forgotten. What Religious traditions do Religious traditions play a significant role in shaping our societies. Religious acts such as worship, pilgrimage, ritual and prayer are evident in our societies. Each religion has special dates in life when they perform rituals; birthdays and the day when a person dies are some of the examples when religious rituals are carried out. Religious actions also surround life transitions by giving them some definitions that help the community to go through them. For instance, in the Igbo religion circumcision of male people is an example of a transition from boyhood to manhood (Isicheri 2000). In this religion, one has to go through various rites of passage which entails almost all the life cycle. A fascinating one is the rite of passage known as itu-anya, which is the initiation to a Diviner. Here, one is given the authority of being a Diviner. Religions also take into consideration on how funerals are conducted. Rituals are performed during this event, where a religion believes its system is in line with a super-natural power they believe. Access to sacred places is also a key issue among the religious traditions. Sacred places are the places guarded for special functions concerning the religion. It entails time for prayers, worship and sacrifices or offerings in different religions. The sacred issues may differ in relation to the type of religion is in question. For instance Christians all over the world recognizes the Easter as a sacred day, they believe this is the day when Jesus Christ; the Savior suffered for their sins. Hence, they take this moment an extraordinary one, sacred time. The Muslims usually have a whole month of fasting every year. During these sacred times, there are people who are assigned to perform specific duties, not everyone could offer sacrifices in certain religions. This means that not everyone was able to access the sacred places. How religious traditions are organized Leadership is given a priority in religious tradition. Isicheri (2000), every religion has an organized structure concerning its leadership. Many religious traditions are organized in such a way that they have an overall leader who oversees the doctrines of religion and its functions. Under him, there are other leaders who are his assistants. A leader in every religion is obliged to praying or interceding for the faithful. He is the connection between people and divine powers. They also play a prominent role in ensuring the laws and rules of the religion are followed. In some religion, leaders are people who have unique gifts such as interpreting dreams, prophesying or even fortune tellers. In many occasions, people seek guiding and counseling from their religious leaders. To some extent, they have authority to judge wrong doers in the community. Religious institutions are used in a wide range to reach the sacred places and to communicate to the power that a religion worships. This type of organization is seen in different religious traditions. There are special functions which cannot take place anywhere other than in one of the institutions. For instance, the issue of Holy Communion among some of the Christians is to be done in the church gatherings conducted by the leader. Conclusion This paper has cut across religious tradition, outlining its components. The requirement of a religion in terms of its teaching, myths and texts, have also been discussed. Religion plays a key role in shaping the believe and behavior of a society. Lastly, different religions are organized their own unique way. Special roles are designated to the leaders. Reference Isichei, Elizabeth.(2000). "Igbo Worlds: An Anthology of Oral Histories and Historical Descriptions," London. Macmillan Read More