13. 1. Retain – Cultural & Beneficial
• Family gathering
• Memory of ancestors
• Cleaning of graves
• Repair of tomb-stone
14. 1. Retain – Cultural & Beneficial
2. Reject – Religious & Demonic
• Ancestral worship – at
home and at grave-site.
• Food offered @ ancestral
worship.
15. 1. Retain – Cultural & Beneficial
2. Reject – Religious & Demonic
3. Redeem – Neutral
• Filial piety
19. Conclusions from 1 Cor 10
1. No participation in idol
feasts.
2. Don’t question source
of meat sold in market.
3. Eat whatever is served.
4. Abstain if informed.
20. Concluding Remarks
1. Non-essential matter
Our focus in life is to honour God in
all areas.
Teaching should be done.
Do not judge & condemn others.
2. Do not STUMBLE others
Christians
Non-Christians
22. Veneration:
• Profound respect or reverence;
inspired by the dignity, wisdom,
dedication or talent of a person.
Worship:
• Act of religious devotion
directed towards a deity.
Chinese Funeral Practices: Our Christian Response
23. 1. Theological Perception
2. The Practice
3. Our Christian Response
Chinese Funeral Practices: Our Christian Response
26. “Chinese” view on
DEATH & AFTER-LIFE:
1. Spirit world – continuation / mirror
image of human world.
Need
2. Interdependence between the living
and the dead.
Bless or curse
Theological Perception
27. “Chinese” view on
DEATH & AFTER-LIFE:
3. Concept of the soul … 3 souls:
Yin world
Ancestral tablet
Body of deceased
4. Shen and Kui
Theological Perception
28. “Chinese” view on
DEATH & AFTER-LIFE:
5. Reincarnation (Buddhism)
Death – transition from this life to next
Accumulated karmic forces activated
Transference of merits by the living
Rebirth @ end of 49 days
Ultimate goal Nirvana
Theological Perception
30. The Funeral Rite
Encoffining one of the 3 souls:
• Body is ceremonially washed.
• Personal items placed in coffin.
• Coin in mouth – bribe officials of Yin
world.
• Grains of rice in mouth – never go hungry.
• Pearl in mouth – light the way.
• Mirrors, statutes of deities covered up by
paper.
The Practice
31. The Funeral Wake
Assisting the 2nd soul on its trip to
Western Paradise.
• Lying in state, odd no of days, in
proportion to respect accorded to
deceased.
• Mourning period – 49 or 100 days,
cloth patch, no bright coloured
clothing.
• no marriage within 1-3 years.
The Practice
32. The Funeral Wake
• Volume of crying – professional
mourners hired.
• Immediate family members kneel to
side of altar.
• Mourning clothes
– “ranking”
differentiated by
colours.
The Practice
33. The Funeral Wake
• Visitors stand before altar, bow, offer
incense & turn to bow to kneeling
family members.
• “White gift”.
The Practice
34. The Prayer for the dead
Taoist rites and rituals –
• Assist the deceased to escape from
hell, either reincarnated into a
better life or enter the Western
Paradise.
The Practice
35. The Prayer for the dead
Taoist rites and rituals
• Family members, led by the eldest
son carrying a lantern, would have to
circle the coffin 10 times.
• Levels of punishment
in hell.
• Cross from Yin World
to Western Paradise.
Hawpar Villa, Singapore
The Practice
36. The Prayer for the dead
Buddhist Rites
• Reincarnation in 49 days.
• Chanting (contemplation of life &
transference of merit).
• Offering of dana to sangha
(community of priest)
transference of
merit.
The Practice
37. Burial of the Dead
• Do not face the coffin… leaving the
house, being lowered into grave
• Location of tomb… blessing & curses.
• Feng shui practice.
The Practice
38. Cremation of the Dead
• Buddhists’ preferred mode.
• Ashes:
• Scattered @ sea
• Placed in urn in Temple
• Placed in urn in columbarium
The Practice
39. Post Burial of the Dead
• Return from cemetery or
crematorium – cross over fire or pail
of water with flowers.
• Burning of the
cloth patches –
its superstitious
meaning.
The Practice
40. The Ancestral Tablet
• Rite to invite one of the 3 souls to
inhabit the ancestral tablet after 49
days, or 7-7.
• Incense urn & candles.
• Daily burning of joss-sticks.
• Offering on 1st & 15th of
each lunar month &
festivals.
The Practice
41. 1. Theological Perception
2. The Practice
3. Our Christian Response
Chinese Funeral Practices: Our Christian Response
42. 1. Should Christians attend
Chinese Funerals?
You are the light of the world… let your light
shine before men… (Matt 5:14, 16)
The One who is in you is greater than the one
who is in the world. (1 Jn 4:4)
It is better to go to a
house of mourning than
to go to a house of
feasting… (Eccl 7:2)
Our Christian Response
43. 2. Should Christians participate in
Chinese Funeral rites?
etain – Cultural & Beneficial
eject – Religious & Demonic
edeem – Neutral
Our Christian Response
44. etain – Cultural & Beneficial
Veneration – Honour & respect.
Proper & dignified “Farewell”.
Memories of the deceased.
Comfort to the living.
Help the grieving process.
White-gift.
Our Christian Response
45. eject – Religious & Demonic
Religious rites & practices.
Superstitious practices.
Worship of the deceased.
Our Christian Response
46. edeem – Neutral
Mourning & grieving.
Family “order” – by differing colours of
mourning clothes.
Ancestral “corner” – for photos of
dearly departed for ourselves & our
future generations.
Our Christian Response
47. Practical Consideration
Family / Relatives
• Be present.
• Be intentionally & actively involved
in all preparations, except religious
rites.
• Be financial contributor.
• Be tower of strength.
Our Christian Response
48. Practical Consideration
Non-family, Friends
• Be present, silent, bow in respect.
• Do not hold joss-sticks.
• View the body respectfully.
• Comfort the family.
• Pray with and for the family.
• Be a testimony.
Our Christian Response
49. 1 Peter 3:15
But in your hearts set apart Christ as
Lord. Always be prepared to give an
answer to everyone who asks you to give
the reason for the hope that you have.
But do this with gentleness and
respect…
• Do not criticize
• Do not ridicule
• Do not condemn
Our Christian Response
50. Practical Steps
1. Establish early the Christian
standard of living without
compromise.
2. Show filial piety in non-religious
or non-idolatrous ways.
Our Christian Response
51. 3. Honouring our parents while they
are alive:
• As acts of obedience to scriptural
teaching.
• Out of love and gratitude towards
our parents.
• To discredit any who might try to
accuse us of not
being filial.
Our Christian Response
52. 4. Remembering our parents after
they are gone…. Passing on legacy
to the next generation.
5. Share Christ with our loved ones…
and pray for their salvation!
Our Christian Response
53. Our Christian Response to Chinese Funeral Practices
Conclusion
1. Honour our parents / ancestors.
2. Glorify God in every aspect of our
lives.
3. Bible: the basis of all
matters of faith & conduct.
4. Obey God rather than men.
(Acts 4:19; 1 Peter 3:15)
Veneration or Worship?
