Old and wicked traditions or rituals, which are passed on from generation to generation, are still practiced today. Some of these traditions might have been considered “right” and acceptable by the society long time ago, but they are certainly not acceptable now, as our world have developed, and is completely different from how it was hundreds of years ago. If people are still carrying on wrong traditions or religious rituals, then it is evident that people are reluctant to reject outdated traditions, ideas, rules, laws, and practices. In the story The Lottery written by Shirley Jackson, the villagers continue with the tradition of the lottery even though the result is disastrous. Stoning someone to death is a completely terrible and wrong tradition, and yet, the villagers do not move on from it even though none of them are too keen about being stoned to death. The image above shows Aztec people performing human sacrifice, which is one of their religious rituals. In the Aztec religion, human sacrificing is an important aspect. The people often capture and offer human sacrifices to please their Aztec gods. Living hearts are also required because the Aztec people believe that their gods and goddesses require a human heart for nourishment. The way the humans are sacrificed in this ritual is absolutely inappropriate and horrifying- the captives are taken into temples or pyramids, where they have their living heart removed and burned. After, their corpses are pushed down the steps of the pyramids or temples. Not only is human sacrificing wrong, but the way the people are being sacrificed is completely inhumanly. Both of these two media show that cruel traditions are still being practiced now, and the people practicing them are unwilling to move on from it, and take part in the newer and more developed world.
