Today, I will like to explore a special topic with everyone, that is the relationship between people and folk customs with their taboos. People from every nationality have their own cultural customs. All these cultural customs shape the uniqueness of every ethnic group. As Christians, how do we differentiate which cultural customs are to be kept and even be developed and promoted? And which are the folk customs with their taboos that should be abandoned because of superstition? We need to handle them carefully in order to avoid misunderstanding that “believing in Jesus Christ is to believe in a western religion”. As a result, being Christians means that we are not Chinese and thus losing our identity as a Chinese.

The culture of Chinese religions emphasizes on doing good works and giving generously to earn merits. On the other hand, they adhere to the taboos of folk customs such as the selection of day for special occasions, feng shui, fortune telling, divination and various ways to please the gods, in an attempt to have luck and avoid calamity. This means that they want good things and avoid the evil so as to prevent clashes in the ‘eight Chinese characters’, curses and evil spirits. How do we view the taboos of folk customs, including ancestral worship according to the truth in the Bible?

First of all, let us see which are the things or events that are viewed as taboos in life?

1) People and animals that are taboos: death in the family, people in the midst of grieving. We do not welcome them to visit us as we are afraid that they may bring us misfortune or mishaps. Therefore, when the mourners are in the funeral procession, they will cremate the piece of mourning apparel that they wear on their arm. Other than that, the Chinese dislike the crows and the westerners do not like black cats.

2) Taboo things are: avoid stepping onto the paper money that was thrown onto the ground at the funeral procession, thinking that it will bring bad luck; cannot touch or move the idols at home and the talisman or eight trigrams on the lintel as they were thought to have powers from gods.

3) Taboo behaviours are: we cannot sweep the floor during Chinese New Year as the fortune will be swept away. Do not paint the face of sleeping children. If not, they cannot wake up from their sleep because their souls will wander out of their bodies in their sleep. When their souls return, they cannot find their own bodies. Do not turn the fish over when one eats fish on a boat otherwise the boat will overturn.

4) Some taboo occurrences are: hearing the cries of crows when one awakes; the right eyelid simply cannot stop twitching; the animals at home produce continuous sharp cries in the middle of the night; the workers breaking plates and bowls before they cut the trees. These are just some bad omens.

5) Taboo names: not to mention the names of dead people as once they are called, it results in death. In the past, the older generation of parents did not call their children the real names. They were called “pigs” and “dogs”. It meant that their children were low in status like the pigs and dogs and were worthless so the spirits would not set their eyes on them and harm them.

6) Taboo numbers: The westerners view “13” as an unlucky number and a day of bad luck. It is worse if it falls on Fridays. The Japanese as well as the Chinese do not like the number “4” because it sounds like “death” in Chinese. I once went to Lake Toba with my brothers and sisters-in-Christ. When we were in the hotel, there were people living on the first floor, second floor, third floor and then, on the fifth floor. I asked, “What about the fourth floor?” He said that there wasn’t a fourth floor! Why? It was because “fourth floor” sounded like “death floor”. It was very unlucky! Besides, the Chinese will hold their weddings and the grand opening of their companies on auspicious dates. They will use double numbers for weddings and single numbers for funerals. All these are the results of taboo mindsets.

Do you think that the taboos we have explored above are superstitions? According to the Chinese and the Webster dictionaries, definitions of superstitions are: “things that cannot be distinguished so they cannot be trusted to tell the right from the wrong.” “Superstitions produce fears of the unknown as a result of ignorance. They are also a kind of faith in magical things or things that are produced from fear and do not match the rational inner self.” All these are so-called superstitions! From such sayings, it is very obvious that the above taboos come from superstitious mindsets. In the past, people worshipped “the mother of lightning” and “the god of thunder” because they do not understand the natural phenomena. As they did not comprehend, they thought that the gods directed the nature behind them. Science is advanced now so they understand more and are no longer that superstitious.

In folk customs, people place emphasis on the almanac. After many years through the four seasons of spring, summer, autumn and winter, the ancient people had observed, recorded, deduced, calculated and produced 24 natural phenomena and formulated them. Every year, they would estimate based on this formula and that was how the almanac was compiled. In other words, the almanac originally was part of the ancient astronomy, providing information about changes in natural phenomena for the farmers and fishermen.

It is a pity that through historical changes, the almanac in present days has become a miscellaneous almanac. It contains a lot of content on superstitions, including the birth dates of various buddhas, the exact times for people to worship gods and ancestors and the folk customs with their taboos such as the auspicious times or times of clashes with the evil spirits. People have to follow its instructions. It not, there will be clashes. Whether it is a wedding, funeral, celebration or match-making for marriages, it can show people how to get to the ‘right’ path. As a result, a lot of innocent people are harmed in the process.

Brothers and Sisters, the almanac was originally good but it is full of superstitions now! When I was young, I went to a relative’s home. He used the almanac to predict my fortune –who I truly was and what my fortune would be in future! This is superstition! The more we believe in it, the more we will be under its control and finally be harmed.

Pastor Huang Ming Han once mentioned about a sad news that was published in the Taiwanese newspapers. A woman, who lived in Nantou, was happily anticipating the birth of her twin babies. Unexpectedly, she contracted pregnancy toxemia in her late trimester. The doctor thought that she needed caesarean section for delivery immediately but her husband’s family had already chosen the auspicious date for the caesarean section. The party involved did not wish to go against the elders’ opinions so the day for delivery was delayed. Before the auspicious date had arrived, this pregnant woman suddenly could not breathe and was sent to the hospital for an urgent caesarean section.  Unfortunately, she became a vegetable because of the shortage of oxygen in her brain for a prolonged period of time. Her elder twin daughter also became a vegetable and the younger twin daughter had serious cerebral palsy as a result of lack of oxygen in the placenta. Now, her husband had to face three unfamiliar persons - his wife and twin daughters. He regretted it. This was supposed to be a happy family but now, it has a tragic ending with broken dreams. Brothers and sisters, this is the consequence for superstition.

Next, I will like to explore the issue of ancestral worship with everyone. Ancestral worship is an expression of folk belief. Among the folk beliefs, ancestral worship is the worship of dead spirits. It is part of elf worship because it involves the worship of dead spirits which includes ancestral worship and totem worship. People believe that after death, they will become ghosts and ghosts will bring disasters or blessings for the people living in this world. Therefore, it is necessary to offer things to them. Ghosts are the perpetuation of people after death but they are different from ordinary people. The spirits world and the people living in this world are parallel to one another. Ghosts with higher official ranks will become gods or super powerful ghosts, for instance, his highness, the lord, the town gods and others. Evil people will become evil ghosts after death. What is the motive for ancestral worship?

According to the book of rites on sacrifices: “Human beings die and will return to the earth; that is called ghosts”. Shi Zi claimed that “the ancient people said the dead people shall return. Lie Zi in the Tianrui articles also mentioned that: “the spirit wanders off and each returns to its true form of being a ghost. The ghost shall return to its real house.” This means that after death, people will become ghosts. To be a ghost is to return to its home; return to its real house. Thus, the ancient people thought that after death, people will become ghosts.

The Chinese character for “ghost” was first invented in the early form of Chinese scripts, followed by the appearance of the Chinese character for “god”. What is “ghost”? It seems to be a strange creature with a big head and a human body. The Chinese character for “ghost” in the early form of Chinese scripts shows the difference between the ghost and human being. Below the head is the body with a posture of kneeling in reverence to show respect towards the ancestors. This is so-called ancestral worship.

Every one of us will become a ghost after death. Thus, every family will worship the dead spirits in his own family and each person will have his ancestral spirits. For a man to sacrifice to a spirit, which does not belong to him, is flattery. If I worship the dead spirits that are not from my family, that is to flatter it. The ghost, which has somewhere to go, will not be evil; if it does not return to where it is from, it will harm people. It means that if the ghost has a place of belonging, it will not be terrifying! If it has no place to go, it will harm people. Thus, we must worship dead spirits so that they will go in peace and have a place to go to.

Dear brothers and sisters, this is the motive or reason that many people worship ancestors. May the Lord help us! We know God and have a deep conviction that we will return to God after death. We do not become ghosts. A ghost is a ghost. A human is a human. God is God. God is not a ghost and vice versa. A human is not a ghost and vice versa. Such fundamental differences in nature is very distinct in Christian beliefs. Therefore, as Christians, we do not have taboos or let those taboos control us. We also do not worship ancestors. In the next episode, I will continue to share with all of us about ancestral worship.

Let us now pray together.

Dear Heavenly Father, we come before you in prayer. We know what to do and what not to do from the truth in your Word. We also understand about God and ghosts from your Word. Therefore, let us trust in you wholeheartedly because we know the true God in the light of your revelation. Let us abandon the false gods and sorcery, the superstitious thing. May we trust in you with all our heart. This is our prayer. In the holy name of Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.

<< Song title: It Is Well >>