Major Locations in the world
The belief systems of ancestor worship, Confucianism, and Taoism can be found in varying degrees of popularity all over the world. They are all most commonly practiced in eastern Asia, with the most popular country for Taoism being Taiwan, and China for Confucianism. Ancestor worship is also practiced in parts of Africa along with in eastern Asia. Though these belief systems are located primarily in one or two regions or the world, they still interact with many other belief systems, though sometimes not as the founder(s) intended.
Ancestor Worship interactions
Ancestor worship (also called ancestor veneration) is able to coexist with belief systems today. Because the main belief of ancestor worship is the veneration or worship of family spirits after they are dead, it can be incorporated into any belief system that does not contradict the deceased spirit's ability to affect our family's fortune or our world while in the afterlife. For an example, Confucians believe strongly that filial piety (respect to parents and ancestors) is one of five key relationships between people necessary for harmony. Ancestor veneration supports this through the deceased family members being respected and honored after death, therefore it has been interwoven into Confucian beliefs and customs. Confucianism does not reject the idea of spirit's ability to take part in our world, and so they are able to practice ancestral worship along with Confucianism. This is an example of how ancestor worship can interact peacefully with other belief systems, and not just specifically with Confucianism.
An example of a belief system where ancestor worship can interact harmoniously with but does not combine its ideas is between it and Christianity. Ancestor worship is not commonly practiced among Christians. Though honoring or respecting one's family after death is in no way prohibited, the belief that the deceased spirits can influence events or fortune is not accepted. Christians believe that once a person has died, their soul goes to be judged by their God, and is then sent to either Heaven or Hell. From Heaven or Hell, they cannot interact with our world again. Because the majority of Christians live outside of eastern Asia--where their belief system is actually discouraged by governments in countries like China--there is little to no violence between Christians and ancestor worshipers. In this sense, the followers of these two belief systems do interact peacefully overall, but their greatly differing beliefs disagree with each other and are not able to mix. The interaction between ancestor worship and Christianity is an example of how ancestor worship can interact peacefully on the outside with other belief systems, but in the inside contradict each other. But ancestor worship is able to interact with other belief systems despite having differing ideas.
Ancestor worship does interact with other belief systems today the way the founders intended because it deals specifically with personal family veneration, and doesn't create violent conflict with other belief systems. Believers of ancestor worship mainly reside in eastern Asia, where this belief system easily coexists with the others there, such as with Confucianism and Taoism. Also, there is nothing in ancestor worship that requires the practitioner to choose between it and another practice, which allows it to be incorporated with other beliefs. Violence is not common between those who do or do not practice ancestor worship, nor has it ever been, because followers believe that your own ancestors will cause your family to have bad luck or not aid the family in any way for not continuing veneration towards them. Ancestor worship was never the belief system that had to be the one "lens" through which you viewed the world, only your family.
An example of a belief system where ancestor worship can interact harmoniously with but does not combine its ideas is between it and Christianity. Ancestor worship is not commonly practiced among Christians. Though honoring or respecting one's family after death is in no way prohibited, the belief that the deceased spirits can influence events or fortune is not accepted. Christians believe that once a person has died, their soul goes to be judged by their God, and is then sent to either Heaven or Hell. From Heaven or Hell, they cannot interact with our world again. Because the majority of Christians live outside of eastern Asia--where their belief system is actually discouraged by governments in countries like China--there is little to no violence between Christians and ancestor worshipers. In this sense, the followers of these two belief systems do interact peacefully overall, but their greatly differing beliefs disagree with each other and are not able to mix. The interaction between ancestor worship and Christianity is an example of how ancestor worship can interact peacefully on the outside with other belief systems, but in the inside contradict each other. But ancestor worship is able to interact with other belief systems despite having differing ideas.
Ancestor worship does interact with other belief systems today the way the founders intended because it deals specifically with personal family veneration, and doesn't create violent conflict with other belief systems. Believers of ancestor worship mainly reside in eastern Asia, where this belief system easily coexists with the others there, such as with Confucianism and Taoism. Also, there is nothing in ancestor worship that requires the practitioner to choose between it and another practice, which allows it to be incorporated with other beliefs. Violence is not common between those who do or do not practice ancestor worship, nor has it ever been, because followers believe that your own ancestors will cause your family to have bad luck or not aid the family in any way for not continuing veneration towards them. Ancestor worship was never the belief system that had to be the one "lens" through which you viewed the world, only your family.
Taoism and Confucianism Interactions
Taoism overall does interact with other belief systems today as the founders intended. Because hatred or unnecessary violence is not generally found in nature, Taoists (who follow the way of the Tao: the spirit of nature and life) are meant to follow the example of nature and not give into those desires as well. Taoists should also not be condescending toward other beliefs and ideologies because that creates hateful feelings, and so prohibits harmony with life. Instead they should be concerned with their own lives, and not judge or interfere with the lives of others. And so while belief systems such as Confucianism that have different ideas (like how people should interact with each other) than Taoism, Taoists are able to get along with them. Because Taoism is so tolerant over these belief systems, they are even able to merge ideas in some cases. One example would be people practicing ancestor worship and Taoism, and especially if Taoism is looked at from a philosophical (though rare of practice today) viewpoint with no deities. Confucianism is another belief system that interacts closely with Taoism. Harmony with people and being virtuous are important factors with both religions, but Confucianism emphasizes education and working with a society by doing your part in it to achieve harmony instead of living specifically in harmony with nature. By maintaining peaceful and respectful relationships with everyone, conflict is avoided within a society and with others.
These two somewhat conflicting belief systems were created around the same time, and have not had many if any major issues with each other as a whole since then. This is because they were able to got along with each other and others by not judging each other and differing belief systems. This is how the founders intended for them to interact, along with ancestor worship, but there are other belief systems with the same goals that fall short. The reason these specific three could do it also lies partly with their size and with the hardships they've faced. With smaller belief systems comes less clashes of specific ideals because their are less influential sects that branch off from the original. Belief systems in countries like China are just now beginning to majorly come back and expand from years of the government limiting religious practices. They are still gaining back their strength, and the people are less inclined now to jeopardize their new sense of religious freedom by creating violent conflict with others, or even being distracted with conflict at all.
These two somewhat conflicting belief systems were created around the same time, and have not had many if any major issues with each other as a whole since then. This is because they were able to got along with each other and others by not judging each other and differing belief systems. This is how the founders intended for them to interact, along with ancestor worship, but there are other belief systems with the same goals that fall short. The reason these specific three could do it also lies partly with their size and with the hardships they've faced. With smaller belief systems comes less clashes of specific ideals because their are less influential sects that branch off from the original. Belief systems in countries like China are just now beginning to majorly come back and expand from years of the government limiting religious practices. They are still gaining back their strength, and the people are less inclined now to jeopardize their new sense of religious freedom by creating violent conflict with others, or even being distracted with conflict at all.
Not such a good thing...
Even though ancestor worship, Taoism, and Confucianism are able to interact peacefully with each other and differing belief systems, in some ways this is not a good thing. On one hand, peaceful interactions between belief systems prevents violence and negative feelings towards each other, which in itself is not bad, but it increases the chance that the core ideas of a belief system will lose themselves to another. The more belief systems come into contact with other ones (an act that is made increasingly common with the level of media and technology today), they risk losing their identity. When this happens to belief systems, they become less important as distinct, independent religions, and are over time abandoned or bear little to no resemblance to their original state. With these changes--though they may still interact with other belief systems in current times the way the founders might've intended--their ideals and beliefs on what is important in life based on the society they evolved from vanish. This effect is ultimately nothing like the founders intended for their belief system: to have their beliefs evaporate.