thread: 2006-09-08 : Ben on breaking tradition
On 2006-09-09, Rev. Raven Daegmorgan wrote:
Ben,
I'm sorry. I think this is wrong. Sometimes, numerous times, following tradition causes suffering, more suffering than breaking with tradition. So much so that keeping to tradition is not the way to go "in terms of your own happiness and safety as a person."
The main reason I say this is because tradition does not make everyone who follows it happy. It's a fact. Therefore, the premise that breaking tradition causes suffering or is dangerous is flawed.
Thus, when you argue that breaking tradition is stupid, that there are no good reasons to do it, the argument falls apart for me. Because many times, there are good reasons—not just "I think they're good" but actual, real good—real happiness and safety reasons for the individual.
Female genital mutilation, "stand by your man", accepting slavery, being Christian, being heterosexual, getting married, having kids, etc. There are very good reasons for an individual to abandon these, and following them can and does cause great suffering to people when they choose it over something else.
So dismissing tradition is not just for crazy nutjobs bucking the system, trying to find new ways, but for real people who say, "This is not for me. This does not make me happy. What you do, what is good for you, causes me pain."
That's not a non-reason, that's not even a bad reason, that's a GOOD reason: it's not even a "I THINK this will be good" reason...it is a "I KNOW this is bad" reason and trying to find something that works instead.
And that's not crazy or bad or psychologically damaging. In these cases, you suffer MORE if you follow tradition.
Now, in some (many?) cases, you're right: in those cases, abandoning tradition is going to cause more suffering to you or those around you. But it isn't a case of saying "following tradition brings safety and happiness, abandoning tradition causes suffering" because the truth is much more complex than that.
