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Traditions

The Jews had 2000 years of tradition at the time of Jesus. The Roman Catholic Church has had 1700 years of tradition since Constantine.

Evangelical American Protestants have 30, 50, 200 years of “traditional American values” and somehow we think it’s a virtue and a grand heritage. It includes, Ozzie and Harriet, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Norman Rockwell, Thomas Kincaid, Santa Claus, John Wayne, the Easter Bunny, and Trick or Treat.

Jesus said, “You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men.” Mark 7:8

You may have another list of traditional American values than the list above, but they are still “traditional” values. They are not biblical; they are not Christian.

I grew up in the 30’s and 40’s of the last century. The values, then, were decadent. You may think that our current values are more decadent. That may be true, but let’s go back to the Bible; let’s not go back to an imaginary era that we worship as an idol. Compared to the previous hundred years there has been a spiritual revival in the last 50 years. Let’s consider the phrase, “traditional American values,” as fictitious values and a dirty expression. The phrase is part of the nice guy’s political correctness.

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