Ancestor Worship祖先崇拜

Ancestor Worship is reverence granted to deceased relatives who are believed to have become powerful spiritual beings or, less frequently, to have attained the status of gods.祖先崇拜，是敬畏給予死者親屬的人，相信已成為強大的精神為本，或次數較少，以達到狀態的神。 It is based on the belief that ancestors are active members of society and are still interested in the affairs of their living relatives.這是基於這樣一種信念，認為祖先是社會的積極成員，而且還在有興趣的事務，他們的生活的親屬。

The cult of ancestor worship is common, although not universal.崇拜祖先崇拜是共同的，雖然不具有普遍性。 It has been extensively documented in West African societies (the Bantu and the Shona), in Polynesia and Melanesia (the Dobu and the Manus), among several Indo-European peoples (the ancient Scandinavians, Romans, and Germans), and especially in China and Japan. In general, ancestors are believed to wield great authority, having special powers to influence the course of events or to control the well-being of their living relatives.它已被廣泛記錄在西非社團（班圖和修納語） ，在玻里尼西亞與美拉尼西亞（ dobu和馬努斯） ，其中幾個印歐民族（古代北歐人，羅馬人，和德國人） ，尤其是在中國和日本。 一般來說，先人相信執掌巨大權威，擁有特殊權力的影響力的過程中的事件，或者以控制福祉，他們的生活的親屬。 Protection of the family is one of their main concerns. They are considered intermediaries between the supreme god, or the gods, and the people, and can communicate with the living through dreams and by possession. 保護家庭，是他們的一項主要關切，他們被認為是中介機構之間的至高無上的神，或者神和人民給的，可以溝通與生活，通過夢想和所藏。 The attitude toward them is one of mixed fear and reverence.對於他們，是一個混合的恐懼和敬畏。 If neglected, the ancestors may cause disease and other misfortunes.如果忽略了，祖先可能導致疾病和其他雪上加霜。 Propitiation, supplication, prayer, and sacrifice are various ways in which the living can communicate with their ancestors. propitiation ， supplication ，祈禱，犧牲，是通過各種方式使生活，可以與自己的祖先。

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Ancestor worship is a strong indication of the value placed on the household and of the strong ties that exist between the past and the present.祖先崇拜是一個有力地表明，其價值放在家庭和堅強之間現有的關係過去和現在。 The beliefs and practices connected with the cult help to integrate the family, to sanction the traditional political structure, and to encourage respect for living elders.該信仰和習俗與邪教組織有利於整合家庭，制裁傳統的政治結構，並鼓勵尊重老年人的生活。 Some scholars have also interpreted it as a source of individual well-being and of social harmony and stability.一些學者還解釋，它的一個來源個人福祉與社會的和諧與穩定。 Because it is practiced by family groups, ancestor worship excludes proselytizing and rarely involves a separate priesthood. It has no formal doctrines and is ordinarily an aspect of some larger religious system.因為這是實行家庭團體，祖先崇拜不包括從事傳教活動，而且很少涉及到一個單獨的神職人員， 它不具有任何正式的教義和通常的一個方面，一些較大的宗教制度。

John A. Saliba約翰甲薩利巴

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