When Chinese People Use Their Ethnicity to Resist the Gospel of Jesus Christ

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As today is Chinese New Year’s Eve, I personally believe that there are ways to celebrate Chinese New Year without the superstitions. For example, make it like a traditional December 31 dinner but go with a Chinese theme. It could go with serving Chinese ham instead of regular ham. However, I have noticed that there are Chinese people who use their Chinese ethnicity as a justification to remain in their unbelief. The same can be said for several people, whether Jew or Gentile alike. Several Jewish people have been so stuck with their manmade traditions that they rejected God’s Word. The same can be said about the Chinese–several of them are using their long-held age traditions to continue rejecting the Gospel!

The Confusing World of Chinese Syncretism

The Chinese New Year is coming, right? I’d like to point out that I grew up with a syncretic background. I wasn’t only raised Roman Catholic but also a part-time Buddhist and a part-time Taoist. I did almost want to convert to full-time Buddhism at one point in my life. I only told 1/3 of the truth when I said I used to be a Catholic or I used to be a Buddhist. I didn’t want to admit outright that I was practicing three religions at once. This is what’s called syncretism–that’s when one combines two or more religious views. I could say I was called out of syncretic faith and not just Roman Catholicism.

Praying for the Deceased Souls in Purgatory This Chinese Ghost Month?

The Chinese Ghost Month started last July 29, 2022, which is the first day of the seventh lunar month for this year. Various superstitions just can’t be avoided. I remembered growing up with not one, not two, but three different religions–Catholicism, Buddhism, and Taoism. It was something to have a Catholic altar and a Chinese altar, and the images of Catholicism, Buddhism, and Taoism tend to be mixed into one altar. I remembered attending Catholic masses and praying in Buddhist temples and Taoist temples. It wasn’t surprising to see an image of Mother Mary on one side and an image of Mother Guan Yin (referred to also as Avalokitesvara in Sanskrit, Gayatri in Hindi) on the other. Some people may have had an image of Sto. Nino (Child Jesus) at the center while Fat Buddha was on the left (sometimes called Maitreya) and the Chinese earth god (Tu Di Gong) were at the left and the right. Even more disturbing is that a Buddhist and a Catholic rosary are on the same altar. Some Taoist interpreters attend masses in a Catholic parish, have a Catholic devotional, and a family altar can have a Catholic Bible, a Catholic prayer book, and a Buddhist prayer book.