Elements of Religious Traditions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Elements of Religious Traditions - Essay Example 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. Th ey 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. Wh at 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