Are some cultures more valid than others?

So the main question that this post attempts to answer is.  Are some cultures more valid than others?  In order to answer this question I need to make sure that we are all on the same page first.  A culture can relate to a nation, family, group of people, holiday, or event.  Culture is the total sum of the beliefs and practices that are associated with said nation, family, group of people, holiday, or event.  Valid can be determined as how healthy the culture is for both societies and the individuals in those societies.

An example that was recently presented in my class was as follows.

First a culture where when the husband died before his wife then the wife would be burned with the husbands body.  This started where a woman was so distraught at her husbands death that she cast herself onto the fire.  Families would then turn to the widow and say something to the effect of "Don't you love your husband as much as she did?  We will watch after your children, with this you do not have to suffer without your husband."

I found myself surprised that most of the class would not say that some cultures are more valid than others, they stated that this was a valid culture, it was up to the women and those people, and that to the mourning women it was quote "Valid to them."

I would simply say that "Yes, some cultures are more valid than others."  I got alot of interesting looks when I stated that as well.  Part of what forms my belief is that I do belief in absolute truth, or that something can be true and a fact even if no one else believes it.  Regarding the previous example I would not support a culture that involves suicide and encourages a practice that strips children of both of their biological parents.

By saying that some cultures are more valid than others I am not saying that I am part of a perfect culture; however, I am saying that all cultures have practices that they should probably drop.  For example, the Christmas culture.  Their is a commercial Christmas culture that I despise.  It involves greed, pride, selfishness, envy, a lust for that which is worldly, and in general is destructive to individuals and society.  I am even going to be so bold as to say that certain "Christian Christmas" cultures are indeed more valid than a "Commercial Christmas" culture.

I think it is important to look at what we do and evaluate if it is good or bad.  Cultures can change, I have first hand witnessed families where drinking and abuse were prevalent.  They changed their "Family" culture.  We should take a close look at the cultures we involve ourselves in to see if they are good.