If we were to search through every class of society in China for the one spiritual force that influences and dominates them all, we should find it to be ancestor worship. 【A1】There is no other in the region of belief that would take its place for a moment. A man, for example, may worship the idols or not; he may profess a belief in them or he may express his utter skepticism about them, and no one cares a button what he thinks. Let a man, however, neglect the worship of the dead, and 【A2】 he is looked upon with the utmost scorn, both by his own kindred and also by his neighbours. The bitterest taunt that the Chinese can hurl against the convert to Christianity, and【A3】 the one that stings him most, is the sneering statement that he has no ancestors.

This worship dates back to the very earliest times of Chinese history. Confucius, in his “Record of Rites”, 【A4】 lays down minute rules as to the etiquette that should be observed in its performance. It would seem, however, as though its character has materially changed since his time. Then, the services in the ancestral temples were simply memorial ones, 【A5】in order to keep alive the recollection of the loved ones who had passed away and to prevent their memory from fading out of the minds of the living.

【A1】

【A2】

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【A4】

【A5】