Exposing Ancestral Worship

i
ii
ISBN978-983-804-017-4
EXPOSING Chinese Ancestor Worship

Copyright © 2007 by Steven Wong
Cover Design © 2007 by Firstfruits Sdn. Bhd.
Scripture references are taken from the Modern King James Version
(MKJV), the Message Version (MSG), Good News Bible Version (GNB),
King James Version (KJV), and the God’s Word Version (GW).
All Rights Reserved

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or
by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying,
recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without
permission in writing from the author.
1st printing April 2007

2nd printing August 2007
Designed and Produced by
Firstfruits Sdn. Bhd.
Malaysia
Printed by
Akitiara Corporation Sdn. Bhd.
Malaysia
iii
CONTENTS
Page
Foreword v
Preface ix
Introduction xi
Chapter 1
What Is Ancestor Worship? 1
Chapter 2
History Of Chinese Ancestor Worship 7
Chapter 3
Ancestor Worship In Other Cultures 13
Chapter 4
Ancestor Worship Through Technology 17
Chapter 5
Practices Of Chinese Ancestor Worship 19
a. Funeral Practices
b. All Souls Day (Qing Ming) Practices
c. Wedding Practices
d. Festival Practices
e. Other General Practices
Chapter 6
The Catholic Church And Ancestor Worship 29
Chapter 7
The Protestant Church And Ancestor Worship 33
Chapter 8
Is Filial Piety The Same As Ancestor Worship? 35
Chapter 9
The Christian Answer To Ancestor Worship 41
Chapter 10
The Christian Substitute To Ancestor Worship 47
Chapter 11
A Quick Comparison Between Ancestor
Worship And The Bible (Word Of God) 55
Chapter 12
Frequently Asked Questions 69
Chapter 13
Interview With Brother KS Lai,
A Former Staunch Practitioner
Of Ancestor Worship 85
EXPOSING CHINESE ANCESTOR WORSHIP

v
FOREWORD
I am very encouraged to see this comprehensive treatment

on a sensitive subject. One glance at the contents page
tells us that this book covers the length and breath of the
terrain. The author even has a chapter on “ancestor worship
through technology”. Despite the seriousness of the matter,
I can't help being amused at the latest technological
innovation. At the same time, the book is easy to use. Those
needing an immediate answer to a burning question may
turn to chapter 12 on “Frequently Asked Questions”.
This book is timely. Disillusioned with the empty
promises of pure materialism, people are once again seeking
out “spiritual” experiences. Ancestor worship holds a certain
mystical attraction and is expected to draw many into its
fold. A warning needs to be sounded to the unwary.
This book is also for all times. As long as the Chinese
inhabit the earth, it will come in useful. The modern/Western
mind cannot even begin to grasp the extent of bondage
experienced by someone steeped in the practice of ancestor
worship since young. A thorough understanding of the
FOREWORD
vi
subject is crucial in breaking the bondage. Also, the danger

of syncretism is very real among Chinese converts to
Christianity. The pressure to conform causes many to keep a
foot in the practice of ancestor worship. This book draws the
line between culture and religion.
The author exposes ancestor worship for what it is. He
takes a firm stand against it, but does so with love. What I
like most about this book is that it throws in bold relief the
contrast between God's method and Satan's. Satan makes as
if he gives us good things, but secretly and effectively he
takes away. Jesus, on the contrary, came to give life,
abundant life (John 10:10b). He requires us to give up
everything for Him, but then He gives even more in return
and there is no way we can out-give Him. In the case of
ancestor worship, He does not only free us from bondage,
but provides holy substitutes, which in fact serve better the
purposes of filial piety. I am reminded of Abraham, who gave
up Isaac but got him back in a better way.
It is my hope and prayer that this book will be fully utilized
by those seeking answers and those reaching out to the
Chinese community.
Rev. Wong Kim Kong, J.M.N.

Secretary-General
National Evangelical Christian Fellowship (NECF)
Malaysia
q
vii
This is a book about ancestor worship from the Biblical

perspective. I am impressed and I believe this book will be of
help to Christians who are seeking the truth in this matter.
The Bible says, "And you shall know the truth and the truth
shall set you free."
Pastor Peter Lim

Senior Pastor
Calvary Life Church Malacca
Malaysia
FOREWORD
ix
PREFACE
I n the learning of anthropology (the study of humanity) of

the Chinese people, the topic of ancestor worship has
always been intertwined with the culture of the Chinese race.
A study of the details of Chinese social networking, social
behavior, kinship patterns, beliefs, the laws, politics,
ideology and other expressions of its culture seem to draw
us to such a conclusion. The fine line between ancestor
worship and culture had blurred and integration had already
taken place.
It is with this understanding in mind that the author

attempts to draw out some of these complex details and
compare vis-à-vis with the Scripture. By putting them side-
by-side and comparing them, I want to be able to mark out
a conclusive line of division between what is ancestor
worship, what is culture and what is the stand from a
Christian perspective.
Why this book now? Someone commented that today

there are more than 1.3 billion Chinese in Mainland China
PREFACE
x
alone, excluding the millions of Chinese all over the world.

With such a huge percentage of the world's population
dominating this planet earth, there will be an increasing
desire to export to the rest of mankind the cultural and
social etiquette of the Chinese people. Many will want to
embrace them out of respect and particularly because China
(also referred to as the Middle Kingdom) is where the action
is now, economically and politically speaking. With both the
keenness to share and to embrace the colors of the Chinese
culture; Chinese ancestor worship, whether accepted as
good or bad, will undoubtedly also be propagated.
As Christians, we should not accept all cultural practices
blindly, irrespective of how wonderful their sights and
sounds are. We should be able to use our minds intelligently
and learn how to be able to come out convincingly to our
own reasonable and standard core values of belief. This
should be based on an open-minded and knowledgeable
understanding of what ancestor worship is all about and
what the Scripture warns about such practices.

xi
INTRODUCTION
T his book deals with ancestor worship only in a Chinese

cultural context. It does not cover ancestor worship in
other cultures in much detail. However, in Chapter 3, a brief
attempt is made to give some general understanding of
ancestor worship in other cultures. For various reasons and
for many centuries, Chinese ancestor worship is closely tied
to the Chinese culture and its religious practices. It is
difficult to separate ancestor worship with the culture and
many if not most of the practices of ancestor worship are
filled with religious connotations or have spiritual and
religious influences.
MY BACKGROUND
I am a Chinese by birth and also a born-again Christian.
For many years, I had a difficult time understanding the
depth and weight that ancestor worship had over the lives of
the dear Chinese people. Being English-educated by the
early schooling system laid down by the colonial British did
not offer me any clues to the understanding of such a
INTRODUCTION
xii
religious yet cultural practice. This has been a great

stumbling block to my Christian service and my desire to
share the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the Chinese people.
It was only when I uprooted my family and myself from
living in the city of Kuala Lumpur (a vibrant metropolitan)
and migrated to a small rural town of Segamat, located in
the state of Johor in West Malaysia, that I began to
experience a totally different kind of Chinese culture. I am a
true-bred Chinese but it was a sort of cultural shock for me
too. A culture that I was not accustomed to and not brought
up to understand. You see, though I was raised up in a
typical Chinese family setting, my parents had welcomed
and embraced the English culture unashamedly and
wholeheartedly. But after many years residing in this town, I
began to start to understand the spiritual influence and its
powerful demonic bondage that has bound the Chinese
people through ancestor worship.
The practices of ancestor worship have been one of the
most powerful hindrances to the proclamation of the
Gospel. Many men and women of God in times past, had
labored with much sweat and tears, often to face a barrage
of rejections by Chinese steeped in ancestor worship. Praise
God, the lessons that I have learnt whilst in this town, and
am now sharing with you from this book, are a result of
seeing the revelation of God's Word over and above ancestor
worship. I thank God for the Christian believers, of whom I
had the privilege to fellowship with, who were set free from
these bondages and now are giving liberated expressions of
praise and worship to the Lord Jesus Christ.
MY INTENTIONS FOR THIS BOOK

It is my intention that this book will give some measure
of understanding to the English-educated minds of fellow

xiii
Christian believers on what is ancestor worship and how we

can approach this topic with understanding so that Christian
ministry within the Chinese community can be more
effective. It is for this very reason, to reach more for Jesus
Christ that this book was written.
After reading it, it is my humble intention that firstly, you
reevaluate your own personal attitude and belief about
whether a practicing Christian should or should not be
involved in ancestor worship. Secondly, that your greater
faith in the Scripture would be able to quench all the fiery
darts of ancestor worship that you face in your Christian
service among the Chinese people. My direction of thought
throughout this book is to help you draw your answers from
the Bible, the Word of God, so that in the event of any doubt,
God's Word shall be your strength and guidance.
As the Lord Jesus himself said,
Matthew 24:35
The heaven and the earth shall pass away, but My
Words shall not pass away. (MKJV)
And the apostle Paul under the inspiration of the Holy
Spirit reminds us:
2Timothy 3:16
Every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one
way or another-showing us truth, exposing our
rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live
God's way (MSG)
Note: Some of the descriptions and pictorials depicted here may be a little bit too
unacceptable for your reading. My objective is to expose these practices as what they
really are. However, if you find that you are not comfortable with some of the
descriptions or pictures, then please do not continue reading the material.
INTRODUCTION
xv

CHAPTER 1
WHAT IS
ANCESTOR WORSHIP?
WHAT IS IT?
A ncestor worship is also known as ancestor veneration. It

is not a religion but is basically a religious practice even
though some may strongly deny this fact. This belief in
the continuous living of a person even after his or her
death is quite common among the Chinese and in many
other societies.
The underlying belief is that a person's ancestors possess
supernatural powers and have the ability to use their powers
to influence circumstances whether to their advantage or
disadvantage. The worshipers recognize the supernatural
element involved in ancestor worship - a power that is
beyond human rule or control. This recognition has elevated
their ancestors as equal to gods, angels, saints or demons.
TWO BASIC PRINCIPLES

The basis of ancestor worship comes from two fundamental
principles:
i. those who have “died” and gone ahead to the nether
WHAT IS ANCESTOR WORSHIP?

2
world are still interested in providing benefits to the

daily affairs of their relatives who are still alive.
ii. those who are alive continue to worship their ancestors
for fear of the harm that may come upon them if they
stop worshiping their ancestors.
DEAD BUT REINSTATED

To the worshipers, when a particular person has “died”
and is reinstated as an ancestor, he/she then is deemed to
continue to partake in all the social and communal events as
when he/she was alive in the past. The person's status in this
reinstatement is not as a haunting ghost, but as a living
spirit still providing relevance for the present society. If the
person was an influential figure such as a clan leader and
was invested with authority, then the activities of ancestor
worship in his/her family will be greater in accordance to the
person's status, ranking, past social influence and political
inclinations. In other words, the higher the social status and
the wealthier the deceased had been, the more sophisticated
and elaborate the practice of ancestor worship.
DEATH AND BAD LUCK

For a non-Christian involved in ancestor worship, death is
a terrible thing. Most family members especially the elderly
are superstitious and avoid discussing the topic of death
openly. The lack of such discourse results in a lack of
understanding of death and thus induces fear. The fear of
death is very real to the Chinese and they are actually in
despair because they do not have that inner conviction as to
what really happens to them after they die. It could be
because of this that they are willing to spend huge sums of
money in all manners of rituals to confidently ensure that

3
their needs, when they depart for the other world, are
provided for.
Death is also commonly associated with bad luck. So
non-Christians will protect themselves from misfortune and
bad luck by wearing charms, carrying holy paper, drinking
blessed water, or having temple priests to chant over them.
For this reason, ancestor worship has been infiltrated with
all these rituals and procedures instituted to ward off bad
luck and evil influences.
CHRISTIAN VIEW OF DEATH

But for a Christian, there should be no fear of death
because Jesus Christ has conquered death. To depart from
this world is to be in the presence of a loving God. To
spend eternity in God's bosom is the outcome of accepting
Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior. The resurrected
Lord Jesus Christ now holds the keys of life and death. That
means for a Christian, the time to live and the time to die
are in His hands.
Revelations 1:18
I am the First and the Last, and the Living One, and I
became dead, and behold, I am alive forever and ever,
Amen. And I have the keys of hell and of death. (MKJV)
Hebrews 2:14-15
Since then the children have partaken of flesh and
blood, He also Himself likewise partook of the same; that
through death He might destroy him who had the power
of death (that is, the Devil),
and deliver those who through fear of death were all
their lifetime subject to bondage. (MKJV)

4
Jesus has destroyed the power of death and through his

resurrection from the dead; He has broken the fear of death
over all those who believe in Him (1 Corinthians 15:55-58).
There is no need for charms because God has the absolute
power and authority to protect His children. Charms are
associated with the devil and its tactics, and the Word of
God is very clear against having charms. Christians who
continue to retain charms in their possession will risk a
personal invitation to the devil to bring spiritual harassment
and bondage into their lives.
INFLUENCE OF ASTROLOGY
Chinese astrology has also influenced the practice of
ancestor worship. In astrology the heavenly bodies like the
sun, moon and stars have influence over the destiny of every
person. In the context of ancestor worship, astrology will
determine the date and time that the dead should be buried,
the number of days that the deceased should be kept before
going to the burial ground, the time that the funeral
procession should begin and the time the ancestors should
be worshiped during certain festivities. The Almighty God
prohibits His people from consulting Chinese astrology. It is
an abomination in God's eyes.
Deuteronomy 18:9-13
When you come into the land that the LORD your God
is giving you, don't follow the disgusting practices of the
nations that are there.
Don't sacrifice your children in the fires on your altars;

and don't let your people practice divination or look for
omens or use spells or charms, and don't let them
consult the spirits of the dead.

5
The LORD your God hates people who do these

disgusting things, and that is why he is driving those
nations out of the land as you advance.
Be completely faithful to the LORD. (GNB)
THIS IS ANCESTOR WORSHIP

So convincingly, you can conclude that ancestor worship
is not just another cultural practice but it is fully corrupted
with much spiritual infiltration that comes from the devil. If
Christians do not reject ancestor worship totally and make a
clean break from it, the devil will continue to use this
spiritual practice to intervene into their affairs and
eventually cause such a massive downfall in every spectrum
of their lives.

CHAPTER 2
HISTORY OF
CHINESE ANCESTOR WORSHIP
ANCESTOR WORSHIP STARTED

FROM THE EMPERORS OF CHINA
A ncestor worship had been practiced in China since the

time of the early Emperors. It had held many
generations of the Chinese people in bondages of fear and
spiritual blindness. It was presumed that the first Emperor
was regarded or revered as the most powerful man on earth.
He was ranked the highest among all fellow human beings
and he took upon himself the title “Son of Heaven”, a rank that
was worthy of all future ancestor worship.
When he died, he allegedly became the ruler over all the

spiritual beings in the spiritual realm. Thus, subsequent
rulers began to worship and invoke the spiritual counsel of
the early Emperors in administrative and judicial matters of
the country leading to the beginnings of ancestor worship.
The Emperors after him began to take upon themselves titles
such as “children of Heaven” and “associate of Heaven”, demanding
that they too shared a status worthy of personal worship.
HISTORY OF CHINESE ANCESTOR WORSHIP

8
The practice of offering sacrifices to ancestors dated back

to the time when the Emperors erected the Ancestral
Temple. The newly crowned
Emperor Shun (2255 - 2205
B.C.) was seen offering meat
and food sacrifices to
worship his ancestors as a
preparation for his ascension
to the throne of Emperor
Yao, his predecessor.
Following the Emperors'
examples, the common
Chinese people continued this
ancient tradition. Since then,
ancestor worship began to
take its root in the Chinese
culture and the two became
inseparable.
The first Emperor of China on

drawing
ANCESTOR WORSHIP, CULTURE AND THE BIBLE

Do not be confused or mistaken. There is nothing wrong
with Chinese culture or any other cultures for that matter. It
is only wrong when the practices of that culture contradict
the teachings of the Word of God i.e. the Bible. To quote the
Lausanne Covenant, “Culture must always be tested and judged by
Scripture. Because men and women are God's creatures, some of their
culture is rich in beauty and goodness. Because they are fallen, all of it
is tainted with sin and some of it is demonic. The Gospel does not
presuppose the superiority of any culture to another, but evaluates all
cultures according to its own criteria of truth and righteousness, and

9
insists on moral absolutes in every culture” (International Congress on

World Evangelization at Lausanne, Switzerland (July 16-25, 1974)).
ANCESTOR WORSHIP WAS PASSED

FROM ONE GENERATION TO ANOTHER
In early China, there was great reverence for ancestor

worship practices and much of this was because of the
teachings of the elders that were passed down from the
older generation to the younger generations. This was the
obligated duty of the superiors. The elders must teach the
younger generation just as the master must guide the
servant. This was possible because in the past, several
generations of one family would live together in a big house
occupying many rooms and they would meet regularly if not
daily, such as during meal times. The Chinese always had
high regards for harmonious and respectful relationships
between family members. The moral requirement of
honoring your elders, both living and dead had been
ingrained in the Chinese culture for centuries and there was
a high regard for the elders' advice and sayings even until
today. Their teachings whether verbal or written, were
seldom contested by the younger generation. There was a
general saying that the elders “eat salt more than they eat rice”
seemed true and therefore, much of what they transpired
was assumed infallible and dependable.
THE ORIGIN OF ANCESTRAL HALL
The practice of ancestor worship was originally an

internal family affair. If the family had a big house, there
would be a hall within the house termed the “ancestral hall”,
where ancestor worship would take place. In this hall, the

10
ancestral tablets would be kept there and if there were any

portraits of their ancestors they would be hung up along the
walls. (The rich would
commission a painter
or an artist to paint or
draw a good portrait).
Sometimes, the hall
was used as a `venue for
teaching or schooling
the younger generation.
So this hall was very
important then because
the ceremony of ancestor
A modern day ancestral hall specially worship was considered
constructed to contain ancestor tablets of one vital aspect of family
past Chinese immigrants in Malaysia
education.
SCHOLARS TAUGHT
THE THREE PARTS OF THE SOUL
It was taught by early Chinese scholars that the soul of a

deceased existed in three places at the same time. When a person
died, one part of the soul
would go to another world
to be judged for all the
past deeds done and that
would determine whether
that person would go for
shorter or longer periods
of torture in hell. Another
part would remain in
the grave while the
Photographs of past ancestors kept in a
modern-day ancestral hall as a memorial third part resided at

11
the ancestral tablet. If these ancestral tablets were kept in

temples, then worship, prayers and offerings would be
offered at the temples. If the physical remains of bones or
ashes of their ancestor were kept in an urn, then normally an
ancestral tablet would also be placed next to it.
ANCESTOR WORSHIP INFLUENCED

THE BURIAL SYSTEM
This practice of ancestor worship extended to an

elaborate burial system, which included visiting the graves
yearly (Qing Ming festival - the Chinese version of All Souls'
Day). The Chinese were taught that Qing Ming participation,
as part of ancestor worship, was a necessary component of
filial piety and that families were obligated by tradition to
comply with its rituals. These rituals did produce a strong
sense of family unity and solidarity. A Chinese who did not
contribute to the practices of Qing Ming, was often
misconstrued to be disloyal and non-submissive.
COMMUNISM CHANGED ANCESTOR WORSHIP
In ancient China, up until the time of the Communist era

led by Chairman Mao Tze Tung, the rituals of ancestor
worship were always incomplete without the act of giving
adoration to Confucius, the famous scholar who drew up the
tenets of filial piety. It was a mark of respect and honor to be
given to a great teacher. When the Communist Party took
over China, many of the practices of ancestor worship were
either toned down or abolished completely. Qing Ming Day
was scrapped in 1949. Ancestor worship was disallowed in
atheist Communism. However, it was observed that with the
opening up of Mainland China to the world today, many of

12
the recent officials have recommended to the central

government of China to reintroduce the Qing Ming Day.
ANCESTOR WORSHIP WAS BROUGHT

ALONG DURING THE CHINESE DIASPORA
How are the feelings of the Chinese towards ancestor
worship in other parts of the world today? From the time
Communism took over China until the present day, many of
the Chinese began to migrate to other parts of the world due
to their rejection of the Communist political ideology. This
was called the Great Chinese Diaspora (source:Wikipedia).
Many emigrated from China to South East Asia, United
States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Western
Europe. In their newfound countries, many found
opportunities to acquire a greater increase in personal
material wealth. This new affluence, however, did not tempt
them to discard ancestor worship totally. Many could have
discarded their traditional gods which are often deemed to
originate from superstitious beliefs but they have never
slackened in their faithful devotion to ancestor worship.
Thus, today it remains a great challenge for the Christian
Chinese all over the world to expose ancestor worship as it
really is.

CHAPTER 3
ANCESTOR WORSHIP
IN OTHER CULTURES
T here is a need to understand how entrenched ancestor

worship is in other cultures, besides the Chinese,
without diving into too much details. This may enable many
who are serving in those cultures to comprehend how best
to present the Gospel and grasp the barriers facing their
Christian services.
“CIVILIZED” SOCIETIES PRACTICE ANCESTOR

WORSHIP. INDIGENOUS NATIVES DO NOT
Many other communities also practice ancestor worship.
They too attach rituals and religious forms of prayer to
venerate their loved ones who have passed away. This form
of worship is commonly found among the various ethnic
groups of India, Africa, Malaysia, Polynesia etc. Some
aspects of their practices have their roots traced back to the
early Egyptian and Roman civilizations. However, it was
observed that natives, aborigines or indigenous people do
not particularly practice ancestor worship as a standalone,
since they already believe in animism, which is the worship
of all things.
ANCESTOR WORSHIP IN OTHER CULTURES

14
Attitudes towards ancestor worship vary from society to

society. Some societies present sacrifices to their ancestors
reverently while other societies offer their worship only if
they are able to obtain special favors to enjoy their present
lives. The presumption is that they deserved to be favored
since they are their actual descendants.
THE POLYNESIANS AND ANCESTOR WORSHIP

In Polynesia, the people are supposed to be direct
descendents of their gods. The gods were presumed to have
a closer relationship with the higher-ranking people rather
than the lower-ranking ones. The social rank of the deceased
plays an important part in the amount of reverence and
worship offered to them. So, if your ancestor is a high-
ranking officer or from a high social class, then more
elaborate worship is given as compared to a lower one.
THE AMERICAN PUEBLO INDIANS

AND ANCESTOR WORSHIP
To the American Pueblo Indians, the dead are believed to
be reunited with their mythical forefathers, the kachmas.
During their worship ceremonies, the people would wear
masks to impersonate the kachmas and then prayers would
be offered to the dead through the impersonated kachmas so
that the living can continue to enjoy the blessings of rain,
fertility and happiness.
THE AFRICANS AND ANCESTOR WORSHIP

Ancestor worship is very common in most parts of Africa.
The dead are still affirmed to be living family members
walking among them.

15
In West Africa, the ancestors are divided into three

classes or ranks. The first class consists of the ancestor
spirits who founded their clan. The second class is of
those who have died before any genealogical records were
kept. The third class of ancestors is the group of known
relatives who have passed away and gone ahead of them
into the other world. Yearly, the people would worship
their ancestors with dancing and the ancestral spirits are
known to spiritually enter and possess the male dancers.
This is similar to Voodoo practices and is a form of
demonic possession.
THE JAPANESE AND ANCESTOR WORSHIP

In Japan, ancestor worship is known as family worship. It
is done out of a sense of duty to the elders and ancestors.
The government is also encouraging such practices
especially, for its social and political cohesion, and they
have modified it to include a reciprocal obligation of parents
to respect and honor their children.
THE ROMANS AND ANCESTOR WORSHIP

In ancient Rome, the deceased join the company of the
household gods in the family. The Romans worship their
ancestors together with their gods and it is strictly a family
get-together ceremony. They believe that the dead continue
to live with them on the earth even though they do not have
any direct spiritual influence over their lives.
THE AMERICANS AND ANCESTOR WORSHIP

In America, Memorial Day was initiated after the Civil War
to commemorate the fallen heroes who died in the War. It
ANCESTOR WORSHIP IN OTHER CULTURES

16
was a day to remember the dead and it is different from

worshiping them. Generally, the American people do not
worship the dead because they consider ancestor worship to
be a barbaric or pagan ritual. However, today there is a
conscious effort among some to connect with the dead, in a
form of spiritualism, during the Memorial Day in expressing
devotion or worship. Even then, the modern Western world
(a term defining those countries that have their origins in
the European culture) has not emphasized family ties as
much as compared to the Asian counterpart. Thus, it makes
it more difficult for a Westerner to venerate one's ancestors
without an emotional attachment of knowing who they are
or a kindred feeling of some sort of connection somewhere.
THE MALAYSIANS AND SINGAPOREANS AND

ANCESTOR WORSHIP
In Malaysia and Singapore, the ancestral tablets, believed
to contain the spirits of their dead ancestors, are important
items of worship. When Chinese families move from one
dwelling place to another, they will carry their ancestral
tablets along with them. The spirits of their ancestors are
always thought to be close by and are concerned with the
old traditions of life that they have left behind. Some
Chinese migrants erect ancestral halls in their new
homeland to carry on the practice of ancestor worship.
Typically the ancestor from a particular clan, who was the
pioneer settler or immigrant from Mainland China, would
establish the hall. Different clans would have their
respective halls. The grandeur of the halls will reflect the
economic status of the clan and the extent of their power or
territorial control of the new land. The clan leader will
attempt to utilize this cohesive force of worshiping common
ancestors to strengthen the collective vigor of the community.

CHAPTER 4
ANCESTOR WORSHIP
THROUGH TECHNOLOGY
ANCESTOR WORSHIP VIA THE INTERNET

n modern hectic Singapore, busy Chinese can offer
I ancestor worship by logging in and paying a fee through
the Internet. A company has designed a website to benefit
commercially by putting this process online. By paying for
your offerings online, using a credit card, you can purchase
computer generated smoke from digital joss sticks. It comes
complete with digital candle flames and images of fruit
offerings on an altar, similar to a real genuine Chinese
ancestor worship ceremony. This is usually popular during
the Qing Ming Day (sometimes called Tomb Sweeping Day),
which is a day to honor the deceased with sacrificial
offerings at tombs and altars.
The Ji Le Memorial Park's website in Singapore allows
users to type in their ancestor's name and a picture of the
deceased will appear on the screen. They then can select
whatever worship packages they want. These can range from
merely presenting a bouquet of flowers to their ancestors to
an elaborate array of food, joss sticks and candles. Payment
ANCESTOR WORSHIP THROUGH TECHNOLOGY

18
is made through credit card or direct transfer into a bank

account belonging to the company. Within a few seconds,
the website will create the altar according to the selected
offering package that was purchased earlier and the whole
paraphernalia will be displayed before the digital picture
of the deceased. At the actual Ji Le Memorial Park itself,
the monk or priest will place the real offering before the
plaque or tablet bearing the name of the deceased, or the
urn containing the ashes of the deceased and prayers will
be chanted.
ANCESTOR WORSHIP IN MODERN CHINA

In today's Web savvy modernized China, web surfers can
pay respects at some of the online services with virtual
carnations, memorial messages and songs. Earlier when the
Communist Party came into power, ancestor worship was
disallowed. Since then, the authorities have been graciously
obliging to the wishes of the citizens to practice ancestor
worship again. The authorities would urge them to respect
and care for a cleaner environment, during Qing Ming Day
where they pray at ancestral graves and offer food and burn
paper money. Realizing the commercial opportunity, several
cemeteries and funeral parlor companies have established
online virtual memorial halls giving 365 days a year Internet
access to customers. Shanghai Funeral Service Centre
introduced the online service in 2001 and claims to have 40
million online users who religiously pay their respect to their
ancestors from their computer.
Technology has created a unique way for busy people to
continue in this ancient practice of ancestor worship innovatively.

CHAPTER 5
PRACTICES OF
CHINESE ANCESTOR WORSHIP
THE RITUAL ACTS IN ANCESTOR WORSHIP
I n the Chinese culture, the Chinese have the honorable

desire to look after the welfare of the deceased even
though they are physically not living here on the earth
anymore. The practice of ancestor worship involves
elaborate rites. The Chinese would burn sacrifices and
offerings in an effort to provide for the welfare and needs of
the deceased in the next world. Some have burned paper
toothbrushes, toothpaste, combs, towels, slippers, shoes,
houses, servants, cars, computers and all kinds of other
material possessions made out of paper or other
Hell bank note of 10,000 Hell bank note of 500,000,000

denominations denominations
PRACTICES OF CHINESE ANCESTOR WORSHIP

20
inflammable substance. These so called material

possessions for the afterlife range from the simple
necessities to the ridiculous such as paper cellphones and
paper aeroplanes. Similarly, paper money printed as hell
bank notes are burned in plentiful amount to ensure that the
deceased live in luxury. The act of burning is to make sure
that the deceased receives them. There is a underlying
psychological fear that if their ancestors are not adequately
fed or cared for, then they may return as “hungry ghosts” or
malicious spirits who would roam and create bad luck and
disaster for their descendants.
I SCRATCH YOUR BACK, YOU SCRATCH MINE TOO

The Chinese believe in a reciprocal relationship with their
deceased ancestors. They believe that their deceased
ancestors, after receiving so much of paper material
possessions, would in return bless them or at least return
similar favors to them during their lifetime. Their ancestors
are regarded as “guardian angels” possessing supernatural
powers similar to gods, angels, spirits, demons or other
types of heavenly beings and are able to bestow favors.
Some of these favors could mean saving them from disasters
or accidents, guiding their daily affairs including prospering
them financially. To the Chinese, blessing means being
bestowed with favors of wealth, success, abundant harvest
and many offspring.
ANCESTOR WORSHIP EVOLVED FROM A MIXTURE OF

CONFUCIANISM, ANIMISM, BUDDHISM AND TAOISM
Most scholars believed that the present Chinese ancestor
worship evolved from a mixture of the teachings of
Confucianism, Animism, Buddhism and Taoism. Confucianism
contributed moral and intellectual teachings to the Chinese.

21
Animism added beliefs in spirits in everything living or

dead. Buddhism contributed to philosophical and
metaphysical teachings. Taoism introduced mystical and
occultic beliefs. To the Chinese worshiper, the different
religious identification, whether it is Confucianism,
Animism, Buddhism or Taoism, will emerge conveniently
depending on the occasion or situation.
CONFUCIUS INFLUENCE IN ANCESTOR WORSHIP

It was recorded that when Confucius was asked about
filial piety, his reply was:
The Master said, “While [the parents]
are living, serve them with li; when they
die, bury them with li; sacrifice to them
with li”. (Analects II.5.3)
The expression of li refers to the
proper etiquette within certain
relationships. Thus, it is proper
etiquette to serve your elders and this
is not limited to their physical lives on
earth! In short, Confucius meant that
ancestor worship is filial piety unto
the living and the dead.
An earlier drawing of Confucius

in past archives
A PARADOX IN ANCESTOR WORSHIP
It is interestingly observed that a man may have been a

scoundrel, a liar, and an adulterer, a societal disease or a
bad parent who had made his children's lives miserable. He

22
may have neglected his family for years and contributed

nothing to their upbringing. In short, he is a useless bum
who does not deserve any sympathetic tears. But when he
dies, he becomes an ancestor. He is now believed to be
given the clout to intervene in the lives and affairs of his
descendents in the same way as any other ancestor. He may
be thought of as the source of illness, misfortune or evil
disturbances in their lives. It can sound so contradictory and
ironical but the superstitious hold of ancestor worship on its
followers demonstrates that there is a blanket of spiritual
blindness over the minds of its followers.
a. FUNERAL PRACTICES
In some Chinese communities, the seven weeks after the
death of a relative is crucial to the spiritual journey to the
next life. Normally, a priest would be paid a huge fee to
chant meditations to smoothen the passage to the nether
world and to pray for peace for the departed soul.
The portrait picture of the deceased is usually placed at the

altar to identify the face of the departed person. If the
deceased is an important official, then the portrait tends to
be more sophisticated and decorated commemoratively.
Sometimes wooden plaques are placed beside the portrait
with the name of the deceased written on it and a short
inscription of his or her life's achievements.
Funeral clothes
All the family members related to the deceased will put
on funeral clothes and the type of material will depend on
the genealogical nearness of the relationship between
the deceased and themselves. In the past, they would
wear sack clothes or dirty rags to make themselves look

23
dirty or poor but this practice is seldom adhered to

nowadays. The immediate children will normally wear
black while the grandchildren will wear blue. Great
grandchildren will wear green while the great, great
grandchildren will wear red, a symbol of having a long
life for the deceased. This may sometimes vary
slightly for different Chinese dialect groups. The dark
colored clothing symbolizes respect for the deceased.
Light colored clothing like red and yellow are
generally not worn. In this modern age, some
contemporary family members just wear a black piece
of respect band or a black colored piece of cloth
pinned to their shirt or blouse.
The eldest male offspring of the deceased will

customarily lead in all the proceedings and acts of
worship in a typical Chinese funeral. This would involve
many repetitions of bowing and kow-tows (prostrating or
kneeling on the floor with foreheads touching the
ground). The females in the family are by and large never
asked to lead in the worship. The reason is that the males
are seen as the carriers of the family name and are by
tradition the inheritors so they are required to lead.
Paper money
A large amount of paper money is commonly burned for
the departed to use because it is thought that the
deceased has just started his or her life in the new
world and would therefore, need lots of financial
assistance. Paper money is also scattered on the road
to buy the goodwill of malicious wandering spirits, that
they may not obstruct the path of the deceased on its
way to the grave.

24
Funeral wake
During the funeral wake, which can last from three to
seven days, sweets are served to relatives and guests to
symbolically remove the bitterness (sweet taste is better
than bitter taste) of the loss. Groundnuts and melon
seeds (signifying fertility) are served so that the living
might have more children to help to “replace” the loss.
Visitors at the wake are usually given a strand of red
thread or small red packets containing two coins to
ensure that they get rid of any bad luck.
After the funeral, the period of mourning may last for 100
days. Some families believe that there should be no
celebration such as birthdays, marriages and Chinese New
Year festivity during this period.
b. ALL SOULS' DAY (QING MING DAY) PRACTICES

Origin of Qing Ming Day
This celebration of Qing Ming Day originated from the
Agrarian Fertility Feast in China where offerings were
placed on ancestral graves so that the living can ensure a
good harvest of crops in the following year. Today this day
is also called Grave/Tomb Sweeping Day where the
graveyard site and its surroundings are cleaned and fresh
plants may be planted to beautify the site. The ancestors
are worshiped and prayed for protection. Food offerings
will be laid out as an appeasement for their blessings in
return. Freshly cut flowers are displayed and paper money
such as hell bank notes will be offered either by burning or
spreading liberally around the grave.
When the painted letterings that were carved on the
memorial stone become faded over time, the family
members will repaint over them to make them more
outstanding and legible.

25
c. WEDDING PRACTICES
Inquiring ancestors through divination
Even in modern days, ancestor worship may be performed
to invoke the dead to give approval and endorsement to
upcoming family weddings or engagements. Sometimes
relatives inquire of the ancestors through divination to
ask for a good date and time for a wedding or the name of
the first child of a pregnant wife, to ensure a bright future
and success of the marriage and its family life. When the
newly wedded couple comes before the ancestral tablet,
they will offer food by placing it on the altar, pouring
Chinese wine on the floor as a wine offering and burn
joss-sticks to the ancestors.
Other traditions in marriage
In some towns of China, such as Chenjiayuan of Shanxi
province, located in the parched lands of the Loess
Plateau along the Yellow River, some grieving parents
whose bachelor sons had passed away, will ensure their
son’s contentment in the afterlife by searching for a dead
woman to be his bride. Once a corpse is obtained or
purchased, they will bury the pair together as a married
couple. This happens quite often when younger people
die. This custom is known as “minghun” or afterlife
marriage and is rooted in ancestor worship. The living
believe that they are tending to their needs. Traditional
Chinese beliefs hold that an unmarried life is incomplete,
which is why some parents worry that an unmarried dead
son may be an unhappy one.
d. FESTIVAL PRACTICES
On special Chinese festivals, the dead are not left out of
the celebration. Some families would display before their
ancestors roasted pork, whole cooked chicken, colored

26
buns, Chinese wine etc. as food offerings to them. In

order to make it easier for their ancestors to partake of
them, several bowls of cooked rice complete with
chopsticks would be provided. The wine is offered by
pouring out the contents from the cup onto the ground
with a vocal invitation to the ancestor to drink of the wine
offered. Of course, the physical food is never consumed.
Some may be thrown away but most would be shared
among family members in their dinner gatherings.
e. OTHER GENERAL PRACTICES

In some homes, pictures of deceased parents are placed
on altars or prominent places. Offerings of a fruit basket
or bowls of food such as cooked rice and vegetables are
then placed as a symbolic token of feeding their
ancestors. The family would put out food that the
deceased would normally enjoy eating while they were
alive. The food is usually replaced daily but the fruits are
placed longer because they last longer. At the very least,
incense sticks are lighted everyday by sticking them in an
ash-filled container as an act of reverence to the
ancestors.
Period of sacrifices
Sacrifices made to the ancestors normally occur on the
first, third and fifteenth of the first moon (Chinese New Year
season); the fifth of the fifth moon (Rice Dumpling Festival);
the fifteenth of the seventh moon (Hungry Ghost Festival);
the fifteenth of the eighth moon (Moon Cake Festival); the
ninth of the ninth moon (Nine Emperor God Festival); on the
last day of the year; on special occasions, such as
weddings etc. Each moon means a full lunar month. On
the Hungry Ghost Festival Day, a special celebration is

27
held on the fifteenth of the seventh moon “for the benefit

of the hungry ghosts who have no descendents” so that
they do not miss out on the provisions offered and that
they will not perform any malevolent deeds on earth.
Christians are forbidden to participate in any of these
festivals. Non-participation includes not helping in
preparing the food to be offered on the altar table and not
folding the paper money used for burning.
Commercial benefits from ancestor worship

Commercially, all these practices are fueling a huge
multimillion-dollar industry. The paper money and other
paraphernalia benefit only the manufacturers and the
retailers of such items. The selfish motives of the
suppliers continue to fan the purchasing ambition of the
Chinese people by creating ridiculous items made out of
paper or wood that will eventually be burned. A huge joss
stick of about 10 feet high and 2 feet diameter can cost
about RM20,000 (USD$5,000) each. In order not to lose
face and the desire to outdo each other in providing a
good show, some wealthy Chinese are willing to cough
out thousands of dollars just to acquire an item that will
later be thrown into the roaring fire.

CHAPTER 6
THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

AND ANCESTOR WORSHIP
PURGATORY
T he Catholic Church believes in the existence of purgatory.

However, this belief is controversial and is rejected by the
mainstream Protestant Church. The early Greek and Roman
churches invented purgatory to mean a temporary and
intermediary realm. In this place the souls of the departed
have to work to repay their wrong doings done during their
lifetime on the earth. With this thought in mind, their friends
and relatives engage in intercession for them to make their
lives in purgatory bearable or to have a speedy release from
the pains.
How did the Catholic Church come to accept such a

pagan practice? It can be led to the book of Machabees in
the Catholic Bible that contains the history of the Jews under
their leader Judas Machabeus. He said, “…It is therefore a holy
and wholesome thought to pray for the dead that they may be loosed
from their sins”. (The book of Machabees is only found in the
Catholic Bible and not in the mainstream Protestant Bible).
THE CATHOLIC CHURCH AND ANCESTOR WORSHIP

30
It should be noted that the issue of purgatory is not based

on the mainstream Bible and that the Word of God does not
support prayers for the dead or to the dead and thus such
prayers have no value at all.
THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN SOUTH KOREA
In South Korea, the early Catholic Church was more

biblical. In 1791, when one of the early converts (mother of
one Catholic called Yun Chi-Chung) to Catholicism died,
there was great social upheaval because the practicing
Catholics did not adhere to the Confucian mourning rituals
and ancestor worship ceremonies. The early Church
considered these as idolatrous. The community then
attacked those Catholics because they were proclaimed to
be followers of an immoral religion. The Confucian
government of Korea arrested Yun Chi-Chung and sentenced
him to death for violating the Confucian moral teachings. He
was the first Christian martyr in Korea. After him, thousands
of other Catholics were caught and martyred because they
did not follow the ancient code of ancestor worship. These
Christians refused to take part in the traditional culture of
ancestor worship but preferred to die for their beliefs
because they found the truth in the Lord Jesus Christ. It is
ironical that Korean Catholics today are taught to
participate in ancestor worship by their church leaders when
their early followers died for this very cause. This idolatrous
and cultural accommodation was shown when lately the
Cardinal Stephan Kim visited and bowed six times,
according to the Confucian practice, before the tomb of one
of the influential Confucian leaders of the first half of the
twentieth century, Kim Chang-Sook. (“A case for a dialectics

31
between culture and faith” presented April 3, 2003 at Calvin College, Grand
Rapids, Michigan, by Young Ahn Kang, Sogang University, Seoul, Korea).
WHAT ABOUT ALL SOULS' DAY?

St. Odilo of Cluny, France instituted All Souls' Day in the
year 1048. It was celebrated on the 2nd of November by the
Roman and Greek churches to remember the departed souls
who are still in purgatory. Traditionally, it began as a
Catholic practice.
BLESSING FROM THEIR ANCESTORS SIMILAR

TO BLESSING FROM THE SAINTS
One of the main differences between the Catholic faith
and the Protestant Christian faith is that when a Catholic has
a need in a particular situation, they would pray to one of the
dominant Catholic saints for blessing and direction. For
example, if a Catholic fisherman wants to go to sea to fish,
then most likely he would pray to Saint Peter, the patron
saint of the sea, instead of going to the Lord Jesus Christ. It
could be for this reason that a Catholic can accept the
practice of ancestor worship more easily than the Protestant
Church. To the Chinese the ancestors were like their leaders,
much like the saints in the Catholic faith.
THE CATHOLIC CHURCH AND ANCESTOR WORSHIP

CHAPTER 7
THE PROTESTANT CHURCH AND

ANCESTOR WORSHIP
I n general, the early Protestant Church did not face such

compromising problems as compared to the Catholic
Church. There may be some minor exceptions but the church
teachings on ancestor worship have by and large been very
much inline with the Bible.
WATER BAPTISM MADE THE DIFFERENCE
The Protestant Church has always stressed the

importance of water baptism for all new believers. This act
of obedience by the believers in water baptism has been
accepted by the unbelievers that those who have been water
baptized are generally not going to comply with the family
tradition of ancestor worship. To the non-believers, it is like
a point of no return. The Christian stand is a complete break
away from all its practices. Sometimes when whole families
are water baptized, ancestral tablets are destroyed by
throwing them into the fire or otherwise disposed of in a
very strict manner. Some non-Christians may interpret this
THE PROTESTANT CHURCH AND ANCESTOR WORSHIP

34
to mean that their Christian family members are non-filial or

have cut off all ties with the family.
WHOLESOME FAMILY ACTIVITIES

TO REPLACE ANCESTOR WORSHIP
It is my humble opinion that a greater effort is needed to
build stronger family ties through other means. Other
wholesome activities for family building must be done to
replace those past practices of ancestor worship. Even
though there is a need to destroy ancestral tablets or
ancestor worship altars, wisdom should dictate that these
somber acts be carried out far away from the presence of
non-Christian members so as not to inflame them during
their time of ignorance.

CHAPTER 8
IS FILIAL PIETY THE SAME AS

ANCESTOR WORSHIP?
F ilial piety is one of the cornerstones of Chinese ethics. It

has also emerged as the focal point of ancestor worship.
It had been said by early Chinese scholars that there are three
ways in which a son can show his filial piety to his parents:
“Feed them while they live, mourn for them when they die, and
offer sacrifice to them after they die. In feeding, the important
thing is obedience; in mourning, it is the sadness; and in sacrifice,
the respect. When one has done these three, one can rightly be
called a filial son”.
FILIAL PIETY TEACHING CAME FROM CONFUCIUS

Filial piety originated from the teachings of Confucius.
Confucius was not just a philosopher and a moral teacher but
also a political theorist. He believed that a united family unit
would lead to a successful and united nation. His core
teaching centered on a respectful regard for relationships and
that our lives and mannerism in relationships must be
harmonious if we are to exist together peacefully. Confucius
said, “To serve those now dead as if they were living, and those departed as
if they were still with us: this is the highest achievement of true filial piety”.
IS FILIAL PIETY THE SAME AS ANCESTOR WORSHIP?

36
Children thus, are obligated to care for their parents

when they become old or unable to care for themselves.
This has been a cultural tradition.
RESPECT AND CARE FOR YOUR PARENTS AND

ELDERS IS HONORABLE FROM A CHRISTIAN
PERSPECTIVE
When considered from a Christian perspective, this is
most honorable because the Bible teaches us in:
1Timothy 5:8
But if any do not take care of their relatives, especially
the members of their own family, they have denied the
faith and are worse than an unbeliever. (GNB)
The basic meaning of filial piety is not ancestor worship.

It is actually a very good virtue and a goodness all of us
should desire to have. As Christians, we can accept and
understand that filial piety is right and biblical, but the
recipients of filial piety is only restricted to those who are
still living physically on this earth. If this is the absolute
stand on filial piety, then all Christians should proclaim from
mountaintops that God Almighty has ordained filial piety
thousands of years ago (even before the Chinese started
ancestor worship) during the passing down of the Ten
Commandments by Moses from Mount Sinai.
Exodus 20:12
Honor your father and your mother, so that your days
may be long upon the land which Jehovah your God
gives you. (MKJV)
So, filial piety is not something new but is taught in the

Bible, both in the Old and New Testament.

37
In a famous essay by Ou Yang Shieu, a noted scholar and

statesmen in the Sung Dynasty, he said, “It is more important
to provide respectfully and affectionately for the needs of the parents
when they are alive, rather than worship them by burning paper money
and spreading a feast before ancestral tablets which are mere
superstitious practices”.
In order not to introduce confusion into the meaning of
filial piety, a Christian should find better ways and means to
show filial piety and respect for their living family members,
that are culturally appropriate and scripturally right. This is
better than just totally segregating oneself away from the
mainstream Chinese community. The issue is not to cut off
all contacts with them but to change our practice of
showing respect to one that is consistent with the Word
of God.
The Church at large should have bible teachings on how
to show ways of respect towards the living elders and
honoring them as God-given forerunners who were used by
God to bring us into this world.
FILIAL PIETY WITHIN ANCESTOR WORSHIP IS

DIFFERENT FROM FILIAL PIETY IN A CHRISTIAN
PERSPECTIVE
But, to an unbeliever, filial piety is not just confined to
those who are alive today. In the Chinese culture, it extends
even to those who have died and the living have to continue
their filial piety through the practices of ancestor worship.
These practices play a great significance to the behavior of
family life. The spirits of their ancestors seem to be
dependent on their descendents to provide incense, food,
money and worship and to disregard this practice is similar
to ignoring their needs. This concept places a heavy

38
responsibility on the future generation to carry on a tradition

that is ungodly and sometimes deemed demonic.
THE FIRST-BORN HAS TO SHOULDER

THE RESPONSIBILITY OF ANCESTOR WORSHIP
It has been culturally stressed that the privilege and
responsibility of this practice lies only with the first-
born son, who is expected to carry on the inherited duty,
and to uphold the family name and honor. This explains
the present-day thinking regarding family succession
and the pride or “face” associated with one's first-born
son. It becomes more honorable to have a son instead of
a daughter.
The first-born son has the duty to tend and to protect the
graves of his ancestors. He has to supply food offerings,
sacrifices and perform the ceremonies to ensure that the
departed soul is not starved or lacking in material needs. For
this reason, in some families, a man cannot sacrifice directly
to his deceased mother's brother but must have the latter's
son do so on his behalf even though he and his uncle may
have had a close bond before.
AN UNDERSTANDING MIND BASED ON

THE BIBLE HELPS TO OVERCOME THE DIFFICULTIES OF
ANCESTOR WORSHIP PRACTICES
My questions on ancestor worship are as follows: Is
worship or prayer necessary for the departed soul? Is the
welfare of the dead in peril when their children neglect to
offer food offerings? Does the spiritual soul partake of
physical substance? Does the departed suffer lack of
material possessions?

39
For a new Christian believer, there will always be a

struggle to live up to a stronger stand on ancestor
worship. Unless the Christian makes an effort to study the
Word of God and to comprehend that all the material
provisions made by the living to the dead is unnecessary
and deceptively misleading, he or she will succumb to
peer-pressure and partake in the rituals of ancestor
worship. Teaching new believers about what happens to
people after they die is very important. A consistent life
of discipleship in submission to the Living God is the
only sure protection against the ever-changing winds of
evil deception.
Ephesians 4:14 - 15
So that we no longer may be infants, tossed to and fro
and carried about by every wind of doctrine, in the
dishonesty of men, in cunning craftiness, to the wiles of
deceit.
But that you, speaking the truth in love, may in all
things grow up to Him who is the Head, even Christ;
(MKJV)
It should be highlighted to all Christians that it is more
significant to provide for the needs of the parents or loved
ones when they are alive instead of spreading a sumptuous
feast before their altar and burning paper money on the
suggestion of some superstitious inclination. Be a positive
witness for Jesus Christ in the home. Jesus said that we are
the light of the world so as lights we should shine forth that
which is good and true. We need to show the true meaning
of Christian filial piety of love, respect, devotion, helping in
household chores, being there for them in times of need,
spending time together, playing and doing things together,
giving financial assistance etc. Such deeds will speak louder
than words.

CHAPTER 9
THE CHRISTIAN ANSWER

TO ANCESTOR WORSHIP
“To forsake one's ancestors is too big a price to pay for

becoming a Christian!”
T his statement has been one of the most disturbing and

challenging obstacles that confront a Christian Church
when witnessing to the lost Chinese world for the Lord
Jesus Christ.
The concept and conviction of ancestor worship is so
strongly and deeply rooted in the Chinese culture, that at
times even when a Chinese becomes a born-again Christian,
and idols of gods have been destroyed, the ancestral tablet
however, still remains behind. It acts as a reminder of their
past spiritual link. It could be for this very reason that non-
Christian parents have often refused to allow their
dependent children to undergo water baptism for fear of a
break away of ancestor worship on their part, and thus, a
breakdown of filial piety. This is particularly more serious if
it is their first-born son who is baptized and becomes a
THE CHRISTIAN ANSWER TO ANCESTOR WORSHIP

42
Christian. It is just like not producing any sons at all to

continue the tradition of their ancestor worship.
ONLY GOD IS WORTHY OF ALL WORSHIP

For a Christian, we know that worship is only to be given
to God. God alone is worthy of all worship. God is the Creator
of the whole universe. God is almighty, all-powerful and
holds everything in this universe together. Ancestor worship
is not from God and is never found in the Bible. Worship is
not to be given to anyone else except God Almighty. Man
whether alive or dead does not deserve any worship at all.
Man is only a created being and in the course of his or her life
on earth has lived a sinful life as far as God's measure of
holiness is concerned. We live a life that is always falling
short of the standards of God. No human being can be
elevated to the level of God.
Romans 3:23
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
(KJV)
For a sincere Christian who stands against the cultural
practice of ancestor worship, there is that real human fear of
persecution and mockery, the likelihood or probability of
making adversaries of former friends, the frequent attacks of
doubt and other trepidations.
Romans 12:1,2
So then, my friends, because of God's great mercy to us I
appeal to you: Offer yourselves as a living sacrifice to
God, dedicated to his service and pleasing to him. This is
the true worship that you should offer.
Do not conform yourselves to the standards of this
world…(GNB)

43
Do not for a moment think that ancestor worship has no

spiritual influence. It is a religious practice and not
otherwise. It emphasizes the influence of the deceased over
the lives of the living. On the contrary, the Word of God
teaches that the deceased do not have any influence over
the lives of those who are alive. It clearly states that the dead
do not live lives that are parallel of the life on earth, such as
having the same physical need for food, shelter, clothing and
money. In Matthew 22:30, Jesus reminded the Sadducees that
there is no marriage in Heaven even though marriage exists
on the earth. In Ecclesiastes 9:5-6, the dead are said to be
ignorant of all the human affairs of the living. They are said
to have nothing to do with those who are alive.
DECEPTIVE SPIRITS AND FAMILIAR SPIRITS

IN ANCESTOR WORSHIP
At times, the non-Christian Chinese will swear that the

departed has shown himself or herself to be present among
them when they recounted incidences of having seen the
shadows of the deceased or heard the voices or footsteps
of the deceased. According to the Bible, such
manifestations are the impersonation of the deceased by
evil spirits or familiar spirits to deceive the non-Christians
thus making them more entrenched in their beliefs about
ancestor worship.
Deuteronomy 18:10-11
There shall not be found among you anyone who makes
his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that
uses divination, an observer of clouds, or a fortune-teller,
or a witch,
or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a
wizard, or one who calls to the dead. (MKJV)

44
2Kings 21:6
And he made his son pass through the fire, and observed
times and used fortune-tellers. And he dealt with
familiar spirits and wizards. He worked much
wickedness in the sight of Jehovah, to provoke Him to
anger. (MKJV)
If you are a Christian who knows God and fellowships with

Him through worship and prayer, you have given God the
sole right to influence your life sovereignly. If you are a
Christian not walking right with God, you may have opened
the door of your life to the devil, called Satan, to influence
your life. Your dead ancestors have no power or control over
your life but Satan may exploit your ignorance of this
knowledge to bind you in his worship practices, which lead
you deeper into hell and darkness.
2Corinthians 2:11
Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not
ignorant of his devices. (KJV)
Hosea 4:6
My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. (KJV)
Isaiah 5:13
Therefore my people are gone into captivity, because
they have no knowledge: and their honorable men are
famished, and their multitude dried up with thirst.
(KJV)
Thus, it is true and right that Christians cannot continue

in their ancestor worship practices after they are born-again.
To make a complete break with such practices, their
ancestral tablets must be burned or thrown away.

45
THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST LIBERATES US FROM

ANCESTOR WORSHIP
The best answer to ancestor worship is found in the
liberating Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Gospel (or Good News)
of Jesus Christ takes away all fears and anxieties over whether
the needs of the dead in the other world are met or not. The
victory of Jesus Christ over sin and death has also given
Christians the same victory over the fear of death, spirits,
bad-luck, adversity and the devil. The assurance of eternal
life, a life of fellowship with God throughout eternity, is the
greatest desire of all Christian believers. Death only becomes
a temporary separation of the deceased from the living.
The Christian must then share the Gospel with other non-
believing family members so that they can find the answer
for deliverance from the dangers of ancestor worship. In
order to do that, one has to make a clear personal stand
concerning one's faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and that he or
she cannot compromise the faith as far as ancestor worship
is concerned. To compromise for the moment will mean that
he or she will find it harder to share the Christian answer to
ancestor worship to others in future. This may mean
persecution or ridicule from your own family members now
but the cost of standing up for doing the right thing, is worth
going through all the present suffering.
To make a stand for the Lord Jesus Christ does not mean
an arrogant proclamation that Christians are better off than
non-Christians. If your desire is to touch other family
members with the Good News of the Gospel, then you need
to put on humility and gentleness in any confrontational
encounter. Seek to approach your non-believing family
members with humility by saying sorry over any
misunderstandings that would have happened. Proceed to

46
share your faith and what you stand for in this issue of
ancestor worship. Assure them of your love and loyalty
towards the family and that in no way are you deserting them
in this time of emotional struggle of having lost a loved one.
This will help them to see that you do have love and respect
for them and that only on certain matters that are against the
Christian faith, you would have to differ. Continue to follow
up your words with action by assisting them in other
practical means. Once they begin to see that you are firm in
your faith, they will eventually accept your stand.

CHAPTER 10
THE CHRISTIAN SUBSTITUTE TO

ANCESTOR WORSHIP
N ow that the ancestral tablet has been disposed off, how

does the Christian faith provide a substitute to the
practices of ancestor worship? Do we just ignore that we
have no ancestors, that we are not mindful of them and that
we have no other alternative to show our respect to them?
RESPECT FOR YOUR ANCESTORS IS RIGHT

I believe that you as a Christian should be able to show a
much greater respect for your ancestors than the non-
Christians. It is by no co-incidence that the Book of Matthew
in the Bible begins with the listing of all the ancestors of our
Lord Jesus Christ.
Matthew 1:1
The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of
David, the son of Abraham…(MKJV)
Similarly, the genealogy of Adam was listed and often
read out in Jewish ceremonies so that all Jews, descendents
of Adam, should remember their ancestral roots.
THE CHRISTIAN SUBSTITUTE TO ANCESTOR WORSHIP

48
Genesis 5:1
This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day
that God created man, he made him in the likeness of
God…(MKJV)
So, remembering your ancestors is a right thing to do. I
want to list some substitutes that you as the Christian in the
family should be able to perform, deeds that are both
culturally right and scripturally aligned. By constant practice
of these suggested alternatives, I
hope that the future generation of
Christians will not forget their
ancestral roots and at the same time
introduce a gradual transformation
of the Christian Chinese culture as
far as filial piety to ancestors is
concerned. The main point here is
to honor your ancestors and not
worship them.
Uplifting Jesus even when we
remember our ancestors
Some of the substitutes are:

a. Emphasize on the command to honor your ancestors and
to claim the blessing of God for showing such respect.
Deuteronomy 5:16
Honor your father and your mother, as Jehovah your
God has commanded you, so that your days may be
made longer, and that it may go well with you in the
land which Jehovah your God gives you. (MKJV)
Exodus 20:12
Honor your father and your mother, so that your days
may be long upon the land which Jehovah your God
gives you. (MKJV)

49
In practical terms it means caring for your aged parents.

Do not send them to some rundown old folks' home,
unless it has the welfare facilities of a well-maintained
institution, in an attempt to get rid of them. They gave
you life by bringing you into this world and raising you
into the person that you are. They deserve to receive from
you the same treatment that they gave you if not even
better. Even if they had been irresponsible parents, the
Bible requires that all Christians should continue to
honor them and not be disrespectful.
You can show your respect by remembering them on

special days such as their birthdays, Father's Day,
Mother's Day, their wedding anniversaries, and special
holidays. You should keep in touch with them frequently
by phone, video conferencing, emails, cards, flower
deliveries and other surprises such as ordering their
favorite food. These extra little thoughts and gifts will go
a long way in building strong relationship bonds between
you and your parents.
b. Prepare a Christian funeral instead of the traditional

idolatrous ceremonial type.
When there is a death in the family, you can create a
Christian-ambience funeral instead of the conventional
non-Christian manner. As a replacement for the traditional
mourning and chanting, a Christian funeral should be a
happy or joyful occasion. Treat the Christian funeral like a
festival because you are celebrating the arrival of the
deceased (provided he or she is a Christian) at the bosom
of Jesus, a place where there is no pain, sorrow, sadness
or sickness. During the funeral, you should have a time of
Praise and Worship towards God. Other church members
should encourage the bereaved family by providing moral

50
and spiritual support. This will reflect the love and

concern of the Christian community. Encouraging words
and testimonies can be shared to guests or visitors to
communicate about the faithfulness of God and to give
thanks to God. Use the opportunity to assure the family
members that you are going to meet the deceased in
heaven one day and you will all be together again (1
Thessalonians 4:16-18).
Make use of this wonderful opportunity to preach an
evangelistic Gospel message because more than likely,
many of the relatives or guests would never have heard
the Gospel before. Most pastors or church leaders would
be glad to preach for you, as many of them will rejoice to
see people come to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior.
c. Replace the ancestral tablet with a framed picture of

the deceased together with an appropriate or favorite
Bible verse.
Prominently placed Bible verses can also be very
meaningful for the occasion especially those placed
within a framed picture of Jesus Christ, such as the Lord
Jesus praying in the Garden of Gethsemane. A picture
showing the words of the Ten Commandments or a
picture of an open Bible showing the appropriate Bible
verse is also proper. If you need to put up a framed picture
of the deceased, put his/her favorite Scripture verses at
the bottom of the picture for all to see. All these can
augment the testimony of the Christian faith.
You can also put up photographs of your ancestors along the
hallway. Photographs speak volumes of the honor and respect
accorded to them through continuous remembrances. You
can also display vertical banners describing the charitable

51
acts or generous works of your ancestors besides their

photographs.
d. Carry out memorial services in the home or in the

church on the death anniversary of a loved one.
During the memorial service, you can have a time of
singing praises to God with a message reinforcing the
goodness of God towards His beloved Christians. You can
gather other Christian believers to be present for such
services as a support to comfort the bereaved. These
meetings will impact the non-believers that the
memories of those who have departed are always
remembered and honored.
During the service, preach and teach from the Bible. The
purpose of the service is to minister to those who are
attending the meeting. It also shows to the bereaved
family that there is a support group available to help to
share the loss. Most importantly, the service should
always end with the hope that all those who believe in
Jesus Christ have a place in heaven prepared in advance
by our Lord and one day, when we go back to Him, we
will be reunited.
e. Do a bit of research and maintain proper genealogical

records of your family and your ancestors.
You can do some historical survey and obtain genealogical
data to produce a proper family tree. Most Chinese
migrants would not be able to trace their ancestral roots
and if you are able to uphold and preserve such records,
this would be highly admired and well regarded by your
non-Christian relatives.

52
f. Establish a Scholarship or Welfare Fund in memory of

the deceased.
This is particularly excellent if the family is financially
sound and the deceased had been philanthropic when
the person was alive. The establishment of such a
scholarship or fund will also benefit other scholars or
recipients who are in financial need. The good name of
the deceased will be continuously remembered for years
to come.
g. Keep a record of the names of your ancestors in a

large family Bible and keep this Bible in the center of
the living hall.
The early American pilgrims started this customary
tradition when they migrated from their British
motherland. This is a good practice to imitate. Keep this
Bible on a special table displayed for all to view.
h. Choose one day in a year and celebrate it as an Annual

Ancestors' Day in the church.
The leader of the church should initiate this and it can
coincide with the celebration of All Souls' Day. This is
practiced in churches in some parts of China.
i. Plant memorial trees and inscribe a memorial plaque

in memory of a past ancestor.
Plant durable trees that can endure all seasons and
are able to survive for a long time. Place memorial
stones or plaques at the base of the trees and inscribe
the name of the ancestor that is commemorated.
j. Retain family records in the church.

This is an alternative to the non-Christian version of an
ancestral hall where the records of ancestors were kept.

53
When the British and the Dutch built their churches in

Malaysia in the early 1800s, many of these churches
displayed solid marble slabs that showed the names,
date of birth, date of death and a short message in
memory of their church leaders and their relatives. These
slabs were prominently displayed in the worship hall for
all to view. This practice seems to be lost today but a
simple record book can be maintained in memory of all
those who worshiped in the church in past years.

54

CHAPTER 11
A QUICK COMPARISON
BETWEEN ANCESTOR
WORSHIP AND THE BIBLE
(WORD OF GOD)
T he Bible is known as the Word of God. It is the final

authority to decide on what should be done in the event
of facing any questions or doubts about ancestor worship.
Thus, your behavior and actions must be tested and judged
by the Word of God.
Matthew 4:4
But He answered and said, It is written, “Man shall not
live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out
of the mouth of God.” (MKJV)
The following Table offers a quick guide for comparison
between some of the beliefs and practices of ancestor
worship and what the Bible (Word of God) says:
Basic Beliefs of Bible

Ancestor Worship (Word of God)
The basic belief of ancestor There is no two-way merit

worship is: a two-way merit system. Once a person
system. If I do good to you, dies, he is no longer here
you will do good to me. on earth. Once he is gone,
A QUICK COMPARISON BETWEEN ANCESTOR WORSHIP AND THE BIBLE

56

he is gone forever. The

dead cannot earn any
merits from the works of
the living.
Job 7:9-10
As the cloud falls and vanishes
away, so he who goes down to
the grave shall come up no
more.
He shall return no more to his
house, nor shall his place know
him any more. (MKJV)
For the Christian, it is
better to be away from the
earth and to be with the
Lord Jesus Christ.
2Corinthians 5:8
… then we are confident and we
are pleased rather to go away
from home out of the body, and
to come home to the Lord.
(MKJV)
The dead either go to
heaven or to hell - there is
no such thing as one part
here and another part
there.

57

The sacrifices and offerings A great divide separates

done by the living members the dead and the living.
will bless the dead. See the story of Lazarus
(Luke 16:20-31). The rich
man cannot go back to the
earth after he had died and
other people cannot help
the rich man. Even Lazarus
cannot help the rich man
because of the great divide
between Heaven and Hell.
The living who practice The living will not suffer

ancestor worship will not harm nor receive blessings
suffer harm but receive from the dead. The dead
blessings, good fortune has no contact with the
and good health. living. The dead goes
before God to be judged by
According to the Taoist God.
belief, there is within each
person the (-ve) and the Hebrews 9:27
(+ve) elements - called And as it is appointed to men
the “yin” and the “yang”. once to die, but after this the
The yin is the evil part and judgment. (MKJV)
the yang is the good part.
Physical death will separate If you want to receive healing,
the yin and the yang. If the deliverance, salvation and
deceased is not bestowed blessings, then only God can
with many provisions, his give these to you. You do not
yin (-ve) element will have to work for them or to
manifest. There will then earn them through merit.

58

be endless suffering for the Blessings come from God

deceased. There will be no alone. He is in absolute
heaven, no reincarnation control.
and eventually ceased to
exist anymore. Before that Ephesians 2:8-9
happens, the deceased will For by grace you are saved
cause trouble for the living through faith, and that not of
by causing disaster and yourselves, it is the gift of God,
misfortune. But if the not of works, lest anyone should
living relatives provide boast. (MKJV)
burnt offering for the Blessings come when we
deceased, his yang (+ve) obey God and His Word.
element will appear. The
deceased will then bless Deuteronomy 28:2
the living and will stay in And all these blessings shall
the three places as come on thee, and overtake
believed - one part in hell, thee, if thou shalt hearken unto
one part in the grave and the voice of the LORD thy God.
the last part in the (KJV)
ancestral tablet.
Blessings come when we
honor our parents when
they are still alive.
Ephesians 6:2,3
Honor your father and mother
(which is the first commandment
with a promise),
so that it may be well with you,
and that you may live long on
the earth. (MKJV)

59

The dead does not have

the yin and yang elements.
The dead can neither
cause you any trouble nor
do any good to you.
The dead do not stay in
this world anymore.
Ancestor worship believes God's Word never states of

in the journey of the soul any journey that the soul
when a person dies. This of the deceased needs to
journey of the soul has undergo. There is no such
been depicted graphically journey of the soul and no
in one of the tourist resort requirements for the soul
garden in Singapore called to go through any obstacle
the Haw Par Villa Garden. course. We are immediately
in the presence of God.
It talks about the journey
that the soul takes at the When the thief that was
time of death and along hanging at the cross next
the journey, the deceased to Jesus turned to God,
will face ten obstacles that Jesus promised him that,
are located in ten halls in that very day, he shall be
hell. To overcome these with Him in heaven:
obstacles, the living will
assist the deceased by Luke 23:43
doing a few of the And Jesus said to him, Truly I
following rituals: say to you, Today you shall be
with Me in Paradise. (MKJV)
a. A pearl is put in the mouth
of the deceased - to signify
a bright and good journey.

60

b. A stick is placed at the The Bible says, our body

right hand of the body of that is made of dust will
the deceased to beat off return to the ground. If we
the dogs that may attack had chosen to be on God's
the deceased along the side, our spirit will return
way. to Him. If we had chosen
not to be on His side, we
c. Some glutinous rice is
will not return to Him.
placed in the hand of
the body to feed the Ecclesiastes 12:7
dogs and to pacify them. …then the dust shall return to
the earth as it was, and the
d. A hand fan is placed spirit shall return to God who
next to the body to cool gave it. (MKJV)
down the heat.
When we die, what remains
e. Several coins are placed on this earth is just dust.
in the left hand as
payment to the James 2:26
guardian spirits along The very moment you separate
the way. body and spirit, you end up
with a corpse. (MSG)
f. Shoes are placed inside
the coffin to ensure a There are no obstacles for
comfortable and safe those who have Jesus in
journey. their lives. Those who
belong to Jesus are
g. The eldest son will carry blessed even when we
the urn, tablet or joss depart from this earth.
sticks and lead family
members to walk Revelations 14:13
several times around And I heard a voice from

61

the body to ensure that Heaven saying to me, Write,

the deceased can also Blessed are the dead who die in
undergo the full journey. the Lord from now on. Yes, says
the Spirit, they shall rest from
h. Water will be collected their labors, and their works
from outside the house follow them. (MKJV)
of the deceased and
placed next to the body Psalms 116:15
for the deceased to Precious in the sight of the
wash. LORD is the death of his saints.
(KJV)
i. Family members will
offer prayers when they Those who die without
have to cross any Jesus as their Savior dies
bridges or streams on without belonging to God.
the way to the gravesite. God no longer has any
interest in those who have
j. Banners written with chosen not to belong to
well-meaning Chinese God.
characters will lead the
funeral procession. Ezekiel 33:11
Tell them, 'As sure as I am the
living God, I take no pleasure
from the death of the wicked. I
want the wicked to change their
ways and live. Turn your life
around! Reverse your evil ways!
Why die, Israel?' (MSG)

62

Ancestor worshipers believe Question: Are we to follow
that the part of the soul that the non-Christians and
is to depart to the other perform these practices?
world should not stay back Does a Christian believe in
with the living and linger as bad luck? Does a Christian
a ghost. Thus, they make observe rituals to overcome
some provisions to ensure bad luck?
that the soul should go
Answer: No, because the
and do not remain behind
Bible tells us not to believe
to bring disasters and bad
in them. If we imitate the
luck.
unbelievers, God will not
The rituals for this belief bless us. Our counsel,
can stretch up to 49 days wisdom and guidance come
(7 x 7 days). The face of the from God. We do not
body in the coffin is made depend on luck.
to face the main front door
Psalms 1:1
and not inwards. All the
Blessed is the man that walketh
mirrors and glass surfaces
not in the counsel of the
in the home of the
ungodly, nor standeth in the
deceased are covered with
way of sinners, nor sitteth in the
white paper believing that
seat of the scornful. (KJV)
the soul may inhabit
inside the glass if they are
not covered.
Ancestor worshipers believe The Word of God says

in providing for life hereafter. Christians do not need all
these things.
To do that, they offer
sacrifices and burn paper Why?
houses, cars, servants, Because Heaven is:

63

furniture, clothing, hand - a happy place

phones, hell bank notes etc. (Rev 7:14;21:4)
- a beautiful place
Subsequently, the eldest (Rev 21:15-21)
son will walk around the - a bright place
coffin with a bamboo to (Rev 22:3-5)
show that the deceased - a glorious place
has received these things. (Rev 21:22-25)
After the 49th day, the - a pleasant place
deceased will not return to (Rev 7:16)
bring trouble to the living. - a blessed place
(Rev 22:1,2,14)
- A PERFECT PLACE
For the unbelievers - there
is no enjoyment because
Hell is:
- a place of punishment
(Matt 25:46; 2 Thes 1:8-9)
- a place of torment
(Luke 16:23; Jude 13)
- a place of fire
(Rev 9:1,2;19:20)
- a place of worms
(Mark 9:44,46,48)
- AN ETERNAL PLACE OF
SUFFERING
Question: Can the deceased
receive all these sacrifices or
things burned for them?

64

Answer: No, of course not.

Many of these manufacturers
invent new items out of
selfish commercial interest.
Ecclesiastes 9:5-6
For the living know that they
shall die; but the dead do not
know anything, nor do they
have any more a reward; for
their memory is forgotten.
Also their love, and their hatred,
and their envy, is now perished;
nor do they any longer have a
part forever in all that is done
under the sun. (MKJV)
Ancestor worshipers try to The spirits that ancestor

please other gods and worshipers pray to are
spirits so that they will not fallen angels or evil spirits
trouble the deceased. that were cast out of
They give money such as heaven (Luke 10:17-18).
coins and hell bank notes They are also called unclean
to the river god to obtain spirits (Matthew 10:1; Mark
water as symbolic for 1:27). Jesus cast out unclean
washing the body. spirits and similarly Christians
They give money to the are to cast them out too.
road god for permission to We are not to bow down to
transport the body during the spirits or to please
their traveling. them. If we do that, it is an

65

They burn incense at abomination to the Lord. It

embankment of bridges to becomes a cursed act.
appease the bridge god
and obtain permission to Deuteronomy 18:12
cross the bridge. For all that do these things are an
abomination unto the LORD.
The Taoist priests are paid (KJV)
to offer prayers, food
sacrifices and loud gong These are demonic practices
sounds to appease the and we are to flee from
spirits. them. We are to avoid all
forms of demonic works.
The mourning with loud
wailings to show to the
spirits how esteemed the
deceased was and filial the
family members are.
(Jesus met these professional
mourners in Mark 5:39 -
when He raised a little girl
from the dead).
Non-Christians believe that God's Word is against any

death is bad luck. In order to belief in luck whether it is
ward off the bad luck, they will good luck, bad luck or hard
handout red strings, red luck.
sweets, red ribbons tied to
These superstitious beliefs
vehicles because they believe
are against the teachings of
that red color is good luck.
the Scriptures. To believe
If the deceased died outside in luck is to proclaim that
the house, his/her body God is not in existence in

66

must not be brought back your life or God does not

into the house; otherwise care for you anymore.
it would bring bad luck.
When we accepted Jesus as
During the first one our personal Savior, He
hundred days after the becomes a personal God
funeral, the family members who cares for us and is in
are not allowed to engage control of every area of our
in social visits otherwise it lives. He is also in control
would be bad luck for the over the daily circumstances
family and the people of our lives.
whom they visit. During this
period, they are also not Proverbs 20:24
allowed to attend any The LORD is the one who
festivities or celebrations such directs a person's steps. (GW)
as birthdays, weddings etc. Psalms 37:23
A person's steps are directed by
the LORD, and the LORD
delights in his way. (GW)
Ancestor worshipers frequently Consulting of spirits

consult the mediums, temple through the intermediary
priests and astrologers who of mediums is against the
interpret the stars. Word of God. Mediums are
They believe that the heavenly controlled by evil spirits
bodies control a person's and they themselves are
destiny and therefore a deceived by them.
medium or priest is consulted Deuteronomy 18:9-14
as to the day and hour of When you come to the land that
burial. the LORD your God is giving
you, never learn the disgusting

67

In fact, many non-Christian practices of those nations.

Chinese consult mediums You must never sacrifice your
for almost everything in life sons or daughters by burning
from the day they were them alive, practice black magic,
born till the day they die. be a fortuneteller, witch, or
sorcerer,
cast spells, ask ghosts or spirits
for help, or consult the dead.
Whoever does these things is
disgusting to the LORD. The
LORD your God is forcing these
nations out of your way because
of their disgusting practices.
You must have integrity in
dealing with the LORD your
God.
These nations you are forcing
out listen to fortunetellers and to
those who practice black magic.
But the LORD your God won't
let you do anything like that.
(GW)
Only sons can lead in Firstly, ancestor worship is

ancestor worship. wrong. It is not from the Word
Confucius said: “Funeral of God and it is demonic.
rites can only be performed by Secondly, in God's eyes, there
sons”. is no difference between
This has led to the belief that male and female. Both are
sons are more important precious in His eyes.

68

than daughters and you are Galatians 3:28
not filial if you do not There cannot be Jew nor Greek,
produce any sons. there is neither bond nor free,
there is no male nor female; for
In certain parts of China, you are all one in Christ Jesus.
some families kill their first (MKJV)
born if the child is a girl.
Ancestor worship is filial Filial piety in its true sense

piety. is honoring your parents,
grandparents and relations
Confucius said in his when they are alive. Taken
Analects 2:5 “This piety is a in this meaning, it is right.
duty consisting of serving one's
parents when they are alive, Ephesians 6:2
burying them when they die and Honor your father and mother
sacrificing to their spirits later (which is the first commandment
on”. with a promise). (MKJV)
But God forbids a relationship
At the funeral, the children of
with the spirits of the dead.
the deceased are supposed
(See Deuteronomy 18:9-14 above).
to bow before the body, crawl
backwards, mourn loudly etc. Therefore it is wrong to burn
Any refusal to do so is joss sticks and incense to the
considered a lack of filial dead. Many innocent people
piety. are deceived when familiar
spirits imitate the voice or
actions of the deceased thus
duping them into greater
superstition and bondage.

CHAPTER 12
FREQUENTLY ASKED
QUESTIONS
T his chapter cannot attempt to answer all the questions

concerning ancestor worship because of the diversity of
practices even among the various Chinese dialect groups.
However, as a general rule, it is wise to check the
practices with the following self-assessment:
i. Is this practice against the teaching of the Bible, the
Word of God?
ii. Does this practice get in the way of my spiritual
relationship with God? That means would Jesus be
happy standing besides me when I engage in this
practice?
iii. Does this practice stumble the faith of other
Christians who are standing by or who will hear of
what I did?
If any one of the answers to the above questions is Yes,
then refrain from practicing that very act.
Question:
Should I bow my heads towards the pictures of my ancestors or family
ancestral tablets if I am asked to do it?
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

70
Answer:
In some Chinese communities, bowing is an expressive act
of worship or showing reverence towards somebody or
something. In others, bowing is just an act of respect (like in
a wedding, where the married couple bow before their
parents and their in-laws). In the case of pictures of
ancestors such as your grandparents, etc. the pivotal
question you should ask yourself would be, would your
bowing down be acknowledged as an act of respect by the
bystanders or would it be construed as an expression of
worship? If there is even a tiny hint of doubt that at least one
of them will consider it as an act of worship, then do not
bow. If every one of them are of the same mind that bowing
is just an act of respect (which is very unlikely), then by all
means bow.
In the case of family ancestral tablets, it is always centered

on worship. That means bowing down to an ancestral tablet
is always taken to mean an expression of worship and
veneration to the ancestors. In this situation, do not bow.
In some situations, it may be more appropriate to make a

salutation, like what a policeman would do when they
meet with a superior. This will avoid the controversial
issue of questioning whether bowing is considered an act
of respect or an act of worship. The act of salutation
definitely indicates an act of respect. Another way of
showing our respect is to stand still with heads slightly
bowed for a minute in silence.
Question:
Can Christian mourn by wearing sackcloth or a piece of sackcloth
material pinned to the existing clothing?

71
Answer:
Yes. It is all right for a Christian to wear sackcloth.
Nowadays, modern day Chinese wear a small rectangular
piece of sackcloth material pinned to the shirt or blouse.
King David called on his people to wear sackcloth to mourn
the death of Abner.
2Samuel 3:31
David ordered Joab and all the men under him, “Rip
your cloaks into rags! Wear mourning clothes! Lead
Abner's funeral procession with loud lament!” King
David followed the coffin. (MSG)
In some families, professional mourners are employed to
mourn on behalf of the family. The professional mourners do
not have any sympathetic relations with the family or the
deceased and they do it for the wages. This is false wailing
and it is not a good custom to follow. Mourning must be
sincere and genuine. There should be no forcing or any
pretension. Anything else is hypocrisy.
Question:
What would be a good family activity when members gather together
during or after the funeral proceedings?
Answer:
Do not be involved in the non-Christian practice of praying
for a smooth journey for the departed or praying for peace
for the soul of the departed. The Bible teaches that the spirit
departs from the body when a person passes away and no
amount of prayers by the living can alter the course already
taken by the deceased.
Do not get involved in folding the paper money or in any
of the rituals initiated by the monk/priest for the family

72
members to participate such as carrying the urn of joss

sticks (or lantern) and following the priest, lighting joss
sticks and bowing before the altars. If we follow the
priest, we are saying that we agree with him in all that he
is doing. There is no agreement between the Christians
(who are the temple of God) with idols (2 Corinthians
6:16). Abstain from every appearance that is tainted with
evil (2 Thessalonians 5:22).
A good family activity during and after the funeral would be

to:
- Discuss what the Word of God says about death.
- Share testimonies to remember the good times that the
deceased had when he or she was alive on earth.
- Remember some of the good qualities of the departed
and how his or her life had made an impact in the
betterment of your life.
- Make use of that opportunity to share your testimony to
the non-Christians gathered for the occasion.
- If there is a leading, engage in preaching a Gospel
message asking for people to repent from their sins and
turn towards a living God.
Question:
How can I show respect at the funeral of my relative who has passed
away without offending the non-Christians and stumbling the
Christians present?
Answer:
There are many ways of showing respect to the deceased.
These are only some of the suggestions:
- Buy flowers and place it near the coffin.

73
- Observe a minute of silence with your heads bowed when

standing before the coffin.
- Buy flower wreaths with meaningful words and display
them at the side of the gathering.
- Decorate the gathering place with memorial banners with
Bible verses or words of condolences.
- Read out to the gathered congregation a memorial essay
to express the life of the deceased.
- Participate in greeting the visitors in fruitful conversation
by speaking well of the deceased past life.
Question:
Can I assist to clean the body of the deceased and to dress it up before it
is placed inside a coffin?
Answer:
Yes, you may, provided that your intention of cleaning and
dressing up the body is to make the body presentable when
viewed by guests or visitors. As Christians, we understand
that the real person is no longer in the body. The spirit of the
person, which is the real being, has departed and what
remains is only the physical body that will eventually decay
and return to the dust of the ground when it is decomposed.
Genesis 2:7
God formed Man out of dirt from the ground and blew
into his nostrils the breath of life. The Man came alive-
a living soul! (MSG)
In my opinion, if the funeral parlor undertakers are available to

dress the body, let them do it because they will do a much
better job than you. Furthermore, they actually do this everyday
for a living. It is not easy for you to dress up a stiff corpse.

74
Question:
Can I offer money (also known as white gold) that is collected for the
expenses of the funeral?
Answer:
Money is normally collected in a collection box assisted by
helpers at a funeral. The money is used to pay for the
expenses spent for the funeral proceedings. A large
proportion of that amount of money actually goes towards
the fee in engaging the services of the priests who chant at
the funeral. As a general rule, I am not too pleased that my
money should go towards them. But if most of the money
goes to other expenses that have nothing to do with
chanting or worshiping, such as buying food for the visitors,
buying of the burial plot, purchasing the coffin, then it is all
right. If it is necessary to give money to the remaining family
members to help them through their immediate financial
problems, then it will be better to give money to them
directly, face to face, and without the requirement of
recording your name and amount in the collection book,
which is done either during or after the funeral.
Question:
In a funeral on the way to the graveyard, can I ride along in the hearse
vehicle carrying the coffin?
Answer:
Yes, you can. There is no superstition involved in the
transportation of the body to the graveyard. However, do not
participate in the throwing of paper money or other offerings
out in the street during the ride. The underlying belief for
this is to pacify the evil spirits whom they may encounter
along the way. Do not believe in such a ritual and do not take
part in this practice.

75
Question:
Can a Christian participate in the feast that is celebrated on the 49th
day after the funeral?
Answer:
No. This feast is an evil celebration with the participation
of demons and evil spirits. It is believed that food must
be offered to them up to 49 days so that no trouble will
take place.
1Corinthians 10:20-21
But I say that the things which the nations sacrifice,
they sacrifice to demons and not to God. And I do not
desire that you should have fellowship with demons.
You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of
demons; you cannot be partakers of the Lord's table and
of a table of demons. (MKJV)
The Christian must not eat any food offered that is

connected with a spiritual or religious nature because:
- the food offered and sacrificed is actually sacrificed
to demons;
- the Christian must preserve a clear stand and testimony
to his non-believing family;
- other Christians who have weaker conscience will be
stumbled in their spiritual walk with God.
Question:
My family wants me to mourn for 100 days for the dead. What should
I do?
Answer:
In some families, it is customary to mourn for the dead for a
period of time. Some may mourn for 100 days and some up

76
to 2 years! But nowadays, the modern-minded Chinese,

especially the migrants, do not carry out such a long
mourning period due to other work or business
commitments. The long mourning period will interfere with
their existing lifestyle. At the most, they may wear a colored
band or a piece of black material on the sleeves of the shirt
or blouse to signify that they are still in the midst of the
mourning period. The exact period that a person may mourn
is up to the individual. The Bible does not forbid mourning
for the dead. However, the Scripture is against unbiblical
forms of mourning such as mutilating their body, tattooing
themselves or to inflict their bodies.
Leviticus 19:28
Don't gash your bodies on behalf of the dead. Don't
tattoo yourselves. I am GOD. (MSG)
Deuteronomy 14:1
You are children of GOD, your God, so don't mutilate
your bodies or shave your heads in funeral rites for the
dead. (MSG)
After the mourning period is over, there should be a clear
discontinuing of all types of mourning for the deceased. It
has been found that prolonged periods of mourning,
unnecessarily invites evil familiar spirits into one's life
creating unhealthy soulish bonds between the living and
the dead. This is a form of deception created by the evil
spirits to engage the living in continuous bondage to an
unhealthy soul tie.
Question:
What should I do when I have to go to the graveyard on Qing Ming Day?
Answer:
If you have to go to the graveyard on Qing Ming Day, then
offer your services to the family that are not related to

77
ancestor worship such as pulling of weeds, cleaning of the

floor and memorial stone, providing refreshments to those
who are present, placing flowers as tokens of remembrance
before the memorial stone and if possible, offer to pray to
God on their behalf in praise and thanksgiving for all the
goodness God has given to you all.
Do not join in the partaking of food that has been offered to

the dead. Do not perform any expression of worship, such as
bowing, kow-towing or lighting joss sticks to the dead. Do
not talk to the dead as if the deceased is still there.
If it were possible, go to the graveyard several days before or
after the actual Qing Ming Day. This is to disassociate
yourself from the peer pressure of relatives to engage in the
acts of ancestor worship. Furthermore it is unwise to expose
yourselves to situations where strong demonic worship
takes place (In the same manner, you do not hang out at
Chinese temples). Some have found themselves to be
oppressed, depressed or spiritually attacked after
associating with ancestor worship.
Question:
As a Christian, can I place flowers before the pictures of my ancestors or
in front of the memorial stone at the graveyard?
Answer:
Yes, this is a good and appropriate act to do. Displaying of
flowers is a suitable and proper expression of showing
respect and love.
Question:
Should I ignite firecrackers on Qing Ming Day or other celebrations?
Answer:
This depends on the purpose of lighting the firecrackers. On
Qing Ming Day, non-Christian Chinese light firecrackers to

78
frighten off the presence of evil spirits. On the contrary,

Christians drive out evil spirits in the mighty name of Jesus,
not with firecrackers. So we do not join them during these
occasions to light firecrackers. However, if there is a family
gathering to light firecrackers on non-religious occasions,
say on Chinese New Year Day, then lighting firecrackers
becomes an entertainment and therefore has no spiritual
association. On such times, then it is all right. However,
beware that lighting firecrackers can be dangerous and
sometimes banned by the authorities.
Question:
Should I buy food such as pork, chicken and buns and place them before
the pictures of my ancestors or before the memorial stone in the
graveyard?
Answer:
No, as a Christian, you should never offer any food offerings
to the deceased. (See Deuteronomy 26:14). The spirit of the
dead is no longer at the picture or the graveyard. This act of
offering food to the dead is an expression of appeasing the
dead and looking after their needs. We need to understand
that the dead can never taste nor appreciate your offerings.
Actually, this act seems more of satisfying one's conscience
that you have done your duty as a living descendant.
Question:
Should I get rid of my ancestral tablet now that I am a Christian?
Answer:
Yes, you should and you must. The family ancestral tablet
has always been the spiritual contact point between the
living and the dead and it has always been associated with
worship. (Note: the Chinese term for the ancestral tablet is

79
called “shen-wei” literally meaning, “seat of god”). In fact, the

temple priest invokes the spirits of the deceased ancestors
to reside in the ancestral tablet. We know that biblically, the
spirit of a person cannot be called upon to come or go at the
command of a priest or any human being. The spirit of a
person will only go to the destination that he or she has
chosen to go when they are alive, i.e. either to go to heaven
to be with God or to hell to be with Satan, the devil. They
made this choice when they were alive. Due to the worship
invoked by the priest for the tablet, an evil spirit will then be
invited to dwell in the tablet. More often, it will be an evil
familiar spirit.
This tablet, normally made of wood, should then be

burned in an environmentally safe place or just thrown
away in a place where nobody is able to retrieve it. Do not
send it off to the temple or give it to a priest, because the
keepers of the temple will continue to pray to your
ancestors on your behalf!
In some Christian Chinese Associations, they have

replaced the ancestral tablets with a Genealogical Chart
showing the lineage of the departed. At the right positions,
photographs of the departed are placed showing their
relationships in the family tree. This is an excellent way to
keep in memory those who have passed away and to pass
on the heritage to the present and future generation. Most
of the time, the present generation cannot even remember
the names of their first cousins, what more naming the
lineage roots of their ancestors.
Question:
Can I join in with the family to talk to the dead by asking the medium
or priest to speak on behalf of the deceased?

80
Answer:
No. This is an abomination to God. This activity is called
necromancy or divination. This operation of inquiring of the
dead is commonly practiced in funerals and in temples. They
consult the dead for the purpose of enquiring about the
future. In other situations, necromancy employs trances,
dreams and visions, common forms through which the dead
communicate their wishes. This is a demonic practice and
even though the voice of the priest/medium may seem to
sound like the deceased, it is actually an evil spirit (the Bible
calls it a familiar spirit), which impersonates the personality
of the deceased to deceive the living. It is a demonic
deception and demons can do that because they know the
past history of the deceased. Oftentimes, out of ignorance,
the family only wants to communicate with the deceased to
find out if he is happy, well fed and well housed in Hades.
Deuteronomy 18:10-12
There shall not be found among you any one that
maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire,
or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an
enchanter, or a witch,
Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a
wizard, or a necromancer.
For all that do these things are an abomination unto the
LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD
thy God doth drive them out from before thee. (KJV)
For the uninformed, the art of “feng-shui” is closely linked to

divination, which is communication with the dead and the
spirits that are hovering around the locality. (Feng-shui
practitioners claim that they can read the flow of the
mystical life force of the universe and try to live in harmony

81
with it). The intention is to live in peace with the spiritual

beings and to obtain their blessings in all their endeavors
and matters of this life. Thus it is wrong also.
Question:
How can a Christian show his/her filial piety to his/her parents?
Answer:
A Christian shows filial piety while his parents are still alive!
Malachi 1:6
A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if
then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a
master, where is my fear? saith the LORD of hosts unto
you. (KJV)
Jesus Christ said in:
Matthew 15:4
For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and
mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him
die the death. (KJV)
Proverbs 6:20
My son, keep your father's commandments, and do not
forsake the law of your mother. (MKJV)
God has pronounced a curse on those who dishonour their

parents. (Leviticus 20:9; Proverbs 20:20). If we are disrespectful
towards our parents God will punish us.
Exodus 21:15,17
And he that strikes his father or his mother shall surely
be put to death.
And he that curses his father or his mother shall surely
be put to death. (MKJV)

82
Proverbs 30:17
The eye that mocks at his father and despises to obey his
mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the
young eagles shall eat it. (MKJV)
To honor and respect our parents is to have reverence for

God because our parents function as God's representatives
to children on this earth. We should take full advantage of
this while our parents are still alive and are able to enjoy a
relationship with us. They brought us into this world,
nurtured and fed us and gave us the good things in life. It is
only right that we should honor them in return.
We honor them by being obedient to them in the Lord,

caring for them, not humiliating them in their old age, and
by consulting them when making any major decisions.
Communicate with them now and not when they are dead.
When our relationship with our parents is warm there will be
ample opportunities to witness to them about Jesus Christ.
Too many Christians, though concerned for the salvation of
their parents, have failed to take time to cultivate a warm
relationship with them. As a result, they will find it difficult
and awkward to discuss spiritual matters with them when
the opportunity is there.
Ephesians 6:1-3
Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.
Honor your father and mother (which is the first
commandment with a promise),
so that it may be well with you, and that you may live
long on the earth. (MKJV)
When our parents are still alive, it is the responsibility of

children to feed and support them. In feeding one's parents,

83
the important thing is not the richness of the food, but the
pleasure and happiness shared during fellowship with the
parents. Jesus set for us a good example. While on the cross,
He entrusted His earthly mother to the care of His disciple,
John (John 19:26-27). In the Old Testament, we find Joseph
taking care of his father for 17 years when he was the Prime
Minister of Egypt. When his father died, he personally
brought his remains back to Canaan for burial. Joseph served
his father with respect when he lived, and buried him with
respect when he died.
When our parents are still alive, we must exhort them gently.
They are not sinless! Do not rebuke them openly before
others. If a believer has unbelieving parents, he must
encourage them gently and lead them to the Lord. Helping
one's parents to know Jesus as their personal Savior is one
of the best filial piety deeds.
When our parents are still alive, be thankful for them. The
saddest thing is that when we want to express our
thankfulness to our parents, they may not be alive to receive
it. Do it now when they are still with us. Bring them out for
lunch or dinner. We do not have to wait until Father's Day or
Mother's Day to do so. There was one grandmother that
used to say, “Don't buy flowers and visit me when I'm dead,
do it when I'm alive so I can enjoy it.”
When our parents are no longer alive, be like Joseph in
Genesis chapter 50; honor them by giving our loved ones an
honorable funeral. We do not need to overspend, but we
need to give our loved ones a decent burial. We can also
remember the anniversary of their death by publishing a
word of remembrance of the person in the newspapers.

84

CHAPTER 13
INTERVIEW
WITH BROTHER KS LAI
A FORMER STAUNCH PRACTITIONER
OF ANCESTOR WORSHIP
Author: Before you became a Christian, how many years

were you involved in ancestor worship?
Lai: I was born in a typical traditional Chinese family and
had been involved in ancestor worship since I was a
child. My parents taught me that we must follow this
tradition and so without understanding the
implication of the action, we as children followed it
blindly. I became deeply involved with it about 15 years
ago, when I became a committee member for three
Chinese temples.
Author: Why did you want to lead others in this practice

of ancestor worship?
Lai: I had already been involved in it for so many years
and was very well versed with all the rituals,
practices and proceedings. I also stood in as a
temple medium whenever there was a need. Other
leaders handpicked me so that I could be trained to
continue this tradition. They found that I was active
in community affairs, educated in the Chinese
INTERVIEW
86
culture and a responsible person. So it was a natural

process that I should lead others in this area of
ancestor worship.
Author: What made you decide to give up on ancestor
worship and its practice?
Lai: I became a Christian a few years ago and I realized
that ancestor worship is wrong and created much
bondage in my life. I was also directly involved in
putting bondages in other people's lives,
especially those who put their faith in us as
leaders of the temples. We tapped into their fears
and benefited financially ourselves. The whole
charade became commercialized to profit us
personally as individuals. That means, the more
money they gave to us, the more the gods and the
ancestor spirits will bless them and remove their
problems. I couldn't continue on in this deception
so I gave it up.
Author: Why did you become a Christian?
Lai: I was touched by the love of God that was
demonstrated through the Christian brothers and
sisters from Charisma Assembly. My wife was sick
with cancer and the people from the church came
and visited us, comforted us and prayed for us even
though we were not even Christians! My other
friends who were together with me in the temple did
not show such concern and that made me
questioned what I had been believing in all these
years. Subsequently, I decided to become a
Christian after hearing the Good News of Jesus
Christ and also being touched by the genuineness of
the faith as shown by the people from the church.

87
Author: Were there any changes in your life after you had
given up on ancestor worship?
Lai: Praise God, now my life has been free from fear,
anxiety and bondages that were in me when I was an
ancestor worshiper. I do not have to remember all
the birthdays of the gods and ancestors and my faith
in Jesus helps me to overcome all the fear of
retribution that I thought would come upon me if I
gave up on them. All the superstitious beliefs are
gone and all my idols and ancestral tablets had
been removed. I realized that I was deceived in the
past and that now there is only one true and living
God in my life. I can live my life truthfully and
joyfully in the Lord Jesus Christ and He gives me all
the strength that I need daily.
INTERVIEW

Exposing Ancestral Worship

Загружено:

Сведения о документе

Оригинальное название

Авторское право

Доступные форматы

Поделиться этим документом

Поделиться или встроить документ

Параметры публикации

Этот документ был вам полезен?

Это неприемлемый материал?

Авторское право:

Доступные форматы

Exposing Ancestral Worship

Загружено:

Авторское право:

Доступные форматы

i

EXPOSING Chinese Ancestor Worship

All Rights Reserved

1st printing April 2007

EXPOSING CHINESE ANCESTOR WORSHIP

I am very encouraged to see this comprehensive treatment

subject is crucial in breaking the bondage. Also, the danger

Rev. Wong Kim Kong, J.M.N.

This is a book about ancestor worship from the Biblical

Pastor Peter Lim

I n the learning of anthropology (the study of humanity) of

It is with this understanding in mind that the author

Why this book now? Someone commented that today

alone, excluding the millions of Chinese all over the world.

EXPOSING CHINESE ANCESTOR WORSHIP

T his book deals with ancestor worship only in a Chinese

religious yet cultural practice. This has been a great

MY INTENTIONS FOR THIS BOOK

EXPOSING CHINESE ANCESTOR WORSHIP

Christian believers on what is ancestor worship and how we

EXPOSING CHINESE ANCESTOR WORSHIP

A ncestor worship is also known as ancestor veneration. It

TWO BASIC PRINCIPLES

WHAT IS ANCESTOR WORSHIP?

world are still interested in providing benefits to the

DEAD BUT REINSTATED

DEATH AND BAD LUCK

EXPOSING CHINESE ANCESTOR WORSHIP

CHRISTIAN VIEW OF DEATH

WHAT IS ANCESTOR WORSHIP?

Jesus has destroyed the power of death and through his

Don't sacrifice your children in the fires on your altars;

EXPOSING CHINESE ANCESTOR WORSHIP

The LORD your God hates people who do these

THIS IS ANCESTOR WORSHIP

WHAT IS ANCESTOR WORSHIP?

ANCESTOR WORSHIP STARTED

A ncestor worship had been practiced in China since the

When he died, he allegedly became the ruler over all the

HISTORY OF CHINESE ANCESTOR WORSHIP

The practice of offering sacrifices to ancestors dated back

The first Emperor of China on

ANCESTOR WORSHIP, CULTURE AND THE BIBLE

EXPOSING CHINESE ANCESTOR WORSHIP

insists on moral absolutes in every culture” (International Congress on

ANCESTOR WORSHIP WAS PASSED

In early China, there was great reverence for ancestor

THE ORIGIN OF ANCESTRAL HALL

The practice of ancestor worship was originally an

HISTORY OF CHINESE ANCESTOR WORSHIP

ancestral tablets would be kept there and if there were any

It was taught by early Chinese scholars that the soul of a

EXPOSING CHINESE ANCESTOR WORSHIP

the ancestral tablet. If these ancestral tablets were kept in

ANCESTOR WORSHIP INFLUENCED

This practice of ancestor worship extended to an

COMMUNISM CHANGED ANCESTOR WORSHIP

In ancient China, up until the time of the Communist era

HISTORY OF CHINESE ANCESTOR WORSHIP

the recent officials have recommended to the central

ANCESTOR WORSHIP WAS BROUGHT

EXPOSING CHINESE ANCESTOR WORSHIP

T here is a need to understand how entrenched ancestor