"And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men." (Matt. 15:9) "Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ." (Col. 2:8)

A young married lady was fixing a fancy ham dinner for her husband. As she was about to place the ham into the oven she took a knife and cut off the end of the ham. Her husband asked, "Why did you cut the end off of the ham?" She replied, "I don't know; that's the way mamma always did it." Later, at the family reunion the young couple asked mother why she always cut off the end of the ham. She answered, "That's the way mamma always did it." They went to grandmother and asked her why she cut off the end of her hams. She likewise replied, "That's the way mother always did it." They then found great-grandmother who was still living at the time, and asked her why she always cut the ham's end off, and she said, "I cut the end of the ham off because my pan was too small!"

Similarly, many today worship God according to the traditions of men, and it has far more serious consequence than losing the end of hams.