For most of our history, Americans have lived in a Judeo-Christian culture. But China, Africa, India, Asia – roughly two-thirds of humanity – practice paganism. We honor those passed on with graves, tombstones, and yearly remembrances. Most of the world worships the dead, appeases the dead, seeks to communicate with the dead, and even fears the dead. Ancestor worship is the norm from Tokyo to Beijing, Nairobi to Mumbai.
In Africa, witchdoctors deliver messages from beyond the grave. Hindus in India and Buddhists in Bangkok have altars in their homes with shrines containing pictures of the dead, lit candles, and food offerings. Some bow daily in veneration to the dead. There are strict rules determining how these ceremonies are conducted. If ancestor worship breaks protocol, the dead may unleash all kinds of evil for their perceived mistreatment.
In my blog of September 14, 2020, entitled “Witchcraft and Black Lives Matter.” I reported on attempts of BLM leaders to incorporate ancestor worship into their movement. They advocate pouring our libation liquids in rituals of necromancy to empower their protests. A recent “Wall Street Journal” article explained that during the COVID pandemic, Buddhist and Hindu priests were upset that ancestor worship rituals were being done virtually by Zoom. Detractors of high-tech necromancy warned that the spirits of ancestors need to physically reside in the body of pagan priests to properly carry out a successful ritual. One Nepalese Hindu priest warned that a Zoom ritual might make the ancestors “angry, sad, and curse the performers of such rites.”
As an exorcist, I frequently encounter cases of demonic possession resulting from ancestor worship. It’s okay to respect the dead, recall pleasant memories of them, and pay respect at gravesites. But hallowing dead spirits is an invitation for evil spirits impersonating the dead to enter the living. Beware ancestral curses that placate or invoke the deceased. If the dead are in heaven, rejoice. If in Hell, worshipping them is a superstitious hoax that will get you demons!
