Vanishing Cultural Practices

Keeping God in the Home

 

There was a time in American culture when just about every family I knew of had its very own family bible and in it you could find the names of every member of that family sometimes as far back a generation or more. Funny thing about living in a rural area you can run into some familial things when making a run down to the dumpsters. Not too long ago my ex told me not to try and change my kids, because as far as she was concerned they were individuals. Now I am not trying to get personal but it seems to me that this nation sure has changed culturally speaking of course. Seems like the American society I knew when I was growing up still had some vestiges left of family traditions. Traditions that go way back into my generations and maybe even yours if you search a little closer. But what’s even more of a curiosity to me is how easily overlooked our rapidly disappearing family traditions and cultural practices can mean so little to many of us. The family bible once a staple of almost every family has almost gone completely by the wayside along with the old neighborly gestures of tipping your hat or waving hello at a stranger when passing. Oh yes, here in the Bible belt church activities and meetings are still vivid and popular in many communities but if you ask the average pastor you’d find out that participation has dropped substantially within the last few decades. Another sign of Americas changing cultural ways. The closer you get to the big cities the further you get from the old familial cultural practices that were the fiber that kept many communities together. Why am I bringing this subject up you may ask? Because, I think it’s worth mentioning. It also seems to me that more time is spent bickering about the differences between denominational congregations instead of what is common among them. In my opinion, I think the reason for the loss of much of this nation’s once proud cultural heritage appears to be. That, generation after generation, has fallen into the muck and mire of caring less and less about keeping up with the cultural practices; that came along with helping to maintain the values and morals that helped to strengthen the character we inherited from our forefathers. I would love for you to prove me wrong by just writing me and telling me about your cultural familial practices.