To view the English translation, please scroll down to the bottom.
基督徒之好評論、好用主觀判斷人，不是光針對非基督徒，而且還針對「自己人」。他們已成為「是非專家」了。什麼東西是神能接受的，什麼東西神不可以接受；誰會下地獄，誰不會下地獄，都由他們來定。基督教廣播電視電台有許多熱心的牧師，毫不諱言，以專家的身份詮釋聖經。許多聖經權威更是在各種特會、研討會，信心十足地發表他們對聖經的見解與分析。
基督徒開始組織他們自己的「精英俱樂部」──這個俱樂部有自己的章程和潛規則手冊，而且只有會員享有特權：「我們非常歡迎一般民眾前來跟我們一起參加聚會，但在你重生之前，對不起，你不屬於神的家庭成員」；「歡迎大家一起跟我們唱歌，但，不好意思，只有得救的人可以參加唱詩班 」；「歡迎大家加入義工行列，幫教會做打掃工做，但我們的規定是，只有基督徒才可以當招待、幫忙收奉獻，因為如果你不是基督徒，你不懂得奉獻的意義」；「歡迎大家來到主的聖桌前， 但很抱歉，只有受過洗的人才可以領用聖餐。」
聖經說：「要愛你的鄰舍如同自己。」（馬可福音12：31）基督徒把這句話提升到另外一個層次：你可以愛你的「同志」鄰舍，但要厭惡他們的罪；愛其它宗教團體的鄰舍，但不要掉落到他們的信仰陷阱裡。雖然聖經裡寫「神愛世人」（約翰福音3：16），基督徒有權利解釋，神所愛的這個「世人」是指誰，也有權利為「愛應該延伸的程度及範圍」來下定義。基督徒好像無論在這個世界的任何角落，都自覺擁有權益和支配他人的地位。因為聖經教導他們「不要以福音為恥。」 (羅馬書1：16）他們覺得他們已得到了別人的許可，可以毫不害臊地跨過他人的界線，告訴別人何為是、何為非 （參部落格：佈道策略）。
基督徒特別堅守他們的心和信仰。「你要保守你的心，勝過保守一切，因為一生的果效是由心發出。」（箴言4：23）他們被嚴格警告，世俗書籍（參部落格：參考書）的內容會如「無牧人，引領你如羊走迷」。 因此許多基督徒不願意再閱讀基督教領域以外的任何書籍刊物。他們最喜愛看一些感人的見證，敘述一個迷失的人如何尋找到上帝，重生得救成為基督徒；卻認為一個佛教徒如何決定剃度，成為修行和尚的故事索然無味。他們花許多時間，研讀一些如何能讓自己更屬靈的書籍；對於學者所發表，有關經文鑑別學的研究，和對聖經較有深入探討的爭議性文章，淡然置之。他們帶團去參觀「創世博物館」（Creation Museum）；但對進化論的學說，聽而不聞。他們教導下一代，清教徒當年是如何坐五月花號，飄洋過海，在美國建立新殖民地，為了能夠自由敬拜上帝；但不願面對多少黑奴，失去他們的自由，從非洲也是飄洋過海，被運送來美國服侍他們的基督徒奴主的事實（參部落格：奴隸制與歧視及殖民主義）。
當一個人認為「保守心」的定義是：「把自己侷限於定軸範圍內，只擴展到自己願意延伸的地步」時，他的眼光永遠只會停留在自己原有的階段，完全沒有能力超越自我敘述的視野。他更不可能認為別人的見識會比自己正確。最近我看到一個網上讀者書評寫的一句話，這句話把這種短視的心聲和態度，恰如其分地表達無遺：「撒旦透過許多作者和辯論來鼓吹世人。我選擇去聆聽那些支持我信仰的言論，而不去聽信從那些『假傳道』嘴裡所吐出來的信息。」
這些「哪些該做，哪些不該做」的繁瑣規則，本來就不應成為基督徒的律法。「我的弟兄們，這樣說來，你們藉著基督的身體，在律法上也是死了。」（羅馬書7：4)）基督徒號稱他們已不活在舊約的律法裡面了，他們所做的一切，都不是依照律法在做事，而是在自由裡渴望能夠更像耶穌。「基督釋放了我們，叫我們得以自由。所以要站立得穩，不要再被奴僕的軛挾制。」（加拉太書5：1）雖然基督徒自以為他們得到自由了 ，但其實他們是活在另一整套完全不一樣的律法與規範之下。這些新發明的條例往往是黑白分明 （參部落格：二元論），沒有灰色地帶。葛理翰（Billy Graham）牧師曾說 「聖經清楚地教導我們，這個世界如果不是受到宇宙間狡猾欺騙與咒詛的轄制，就是受基督上帝聖靈的引領；這兩者之間没有中立的立場。界線是由聖經劃定的。」基督徒最不喜歡模擬兩可，因此這些清晰的規則，能幫助基督徒做分辨：區別哪些是重生得救的「真」基督徒，哪些是自稱基督徒的「假」基督徒；劃分哪些是「活在肉體」的基督徒，哪些是「活在神裡」的基督徒。
他們不僅把這些束縛捆綁在自己的身上，也捆綁在別的基督徒身上。他們避免去看限制級的電影，因為他們不想接觸到污穢的言語和性淫亂的畫面（至少表面上在公眾場合是如此做）。「汙穢的言語一句不可出口，只要隨事說造就人的好話，叫聽見的人得益處。」（以弗所書4：29）「你們要逃避淫行。」（哥林多前書6：18）他們覺得重金屬搖滾樂屬於撒旦，有毀壞作用；但是基督教搖滾樂是屬靈的，有鼓舞作用。事實上，這兩者平分秋色，分貝都同樣震耳欲聾，唯一的不同，只在於歌詞內容。基督徒反對去酒吧，因為這是不好的見證 。「我們不可給弟兄放下絆腳跌人之物。」（羅馬書14：13） 他們也認為中國的氣功跟印度的持咒冥想有可能會招惹魔鬼附身（馬太福音12：43-44），因此基督徒必須「晝夜思想神的律法」（詩篇1：2）才能從邪惡的勢力中得勝。
若有任何人「漂流失喪」，離開了神的道，做一些不討神喜悅的事時，依程度的嚴重性而定，基督徒必須主動去找這些「迷失的羊」，把他們引領回到正道。「我的弟兄們，你們中間若有失迷真道的，有人使他回轉。」 （雅各書5： 19）基督徒早已設立好了一套完善的系統，來彼此對互相做承諾、承担責任。這個系統幫助他們合一，能繼續持續跟外界有黑白之分。
不管基督徒用的是「分別為聖」、「保守心」、「遠離撒旦」或「不屬世界」等等的屬靈字眼，它和「排外」之不同有時只在一線之隔；不管基督徒如何為自己的「自由」下了什麼定義，它和「捆鎖別人」之不同有時也只在一線之隔。
Exclusiveness
The inclination of Christians favoring criticism and subjective judgment is not limited solely toward non-Christians, it often extends to their “own people.” Christians have somehow become experts in judgment: They decide what is acceptable to God and what is not. They decide who will go to hell and who will not. Furthermore, Christian radio and television stations feature numerous dedicated pastors who openly interpret the Bible as if they are the only experts. Meanwhile, numerous Bible authorities assert their interpretations and analyses of the Bible with confidence during various conferences and seminars, often acting as if they hold absolute authority.
Christians have established their own “elite clubs”. These clubs have their own constitutions and unwritten rulebooks, and only members get to enjoy the privileges. Here are some of the hidden rules: We warmly welcome the general public to join us in gatherings, but we are sorry, you don't belong to God's family until you're born again; Everyone is welcome to sing with us, but only the saved individuals can officially join the choir; Feel free to volunteer in helping with church cleanup, but only Christians can serve as ushers and assist with collecting offerings because you don't understand the significance of tithing; You're welcome to come to the Lord's table, but only those who have been baptized can partake in holy communion.”
The Bible says, “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:31). Christians take this statement to another level: you can love your “comrade” neighbor but detest their sins; love neighbors from other religious groups but avoid falling into their faith traps. Although the Bible states that “God so loved the world” (John 3:16), Christians also have the authority to interpret to whom God's love, as mentioned in the term "world," refers, and they define the extent and scope of love as they see fit. It seems that Christians, no matter where in the world, feel entitled to control and assert their influence over others. Because the Bible teaches them to “not be ashamed of the gospel” (Romans 1:16), they believe they have been granted permission to confidently cross the boundaries of others and dictate what is right and wrong ( Please refer to my blog post: Evangelical Strategies).
Christians are particularly steadfast in guarding their hearts and faith. “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it” (Proverbs 4:23). They are sternly warned that the content of secular books can “lead them astray like sheep without a shepherd.” Consequently, many Christians are unwilling to read any books or publications outside the Christian domain ( Please read my blog post: Reference Books). They prefer heartwarming testimonies of how a lost soul found God, was reborn, and became a Christian, but find stories about how a Buddhist decides to become a monk and embark on a spiritual journey tasteless. They invest a lot of time studying books that can make them more spiritual, but they remain indifferent to scholarly research on textual criticism and controversial articles delving deeper into the Bible. They lead groups to visit the “Creation Museum,”(Note: a facility built in Kentucky, USA to promote the physical account of creation as seen in the book of Genesis) but turn a deaf ear to the evolution theory. They teach the next generation about how the Pilgrims sailed on the Mayflower, braving the seas to establish a new colony in America for the sake of worshiping God freely, but they are unwilling to confront the fact that many Black slaves, who also crossed the seas from Africa, lost their freedom and were brought to America to serve Christian slave owners (Please see my blog posts: Slavery and Discrimination and Colonialism).
When the concept of "guarding one's heart" is understood as confining oneself to a limited space, expanding only as far as one is comfortable, it permanently confines one's perspective within the initial boundaries, preventing the ability to transcend his self-constructed vision. He is even less likely to consider that someone else's insights might be more accurate than his own. Recently, I came across an online book review that succinctly captures this narrow-minded sentiment and attitude: “Satan promotes himself through many authors and debates. I choose to listen to statements that support my faith rather than heed the information coming from the mouths of false teachings.''
All these intricate rules of “what to do” and “what not to do” were never meant to become laws for Christians, because it says in Romans 7:4: "So, my brothers and sisters, you also died to the law through the body of Christ". Christians claim they no longer live under the Old Testament law, they insist that everything they do is not based on the law but on a desire to become more like Jesus within the realm of freedom. “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery” (Galatians 5:1). Though Christians believe they are now free, they actually live under a completely different set of laws and standards. These newly devised regulations often leave no room for gray areas. Rev. Billy Graham has been preaching about how the Bible teaches us that this world is either under the cunning deception and curse of cosmic forces or the leadership of Christ our God (Please refer to my blog post: Dualism); there is no neutral ground between them, and the lines are drawn by the Bible. Christians dislike ambiguity, and these clear rules help them distinguish differentiate between “true born-again Christians” and “false self-proclaimed Christians”, help them to categorize those who “live in the flesh” from those who “live in God.”
Christians not only bind these restrictions upon themselves but also upon other fellow Christians. They steer clear of watching R-rated movies because they don't want to be exposed to foul language and sexually explicit scenes (at least publicly). “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen” (Ephesians 4:29) and “Flee from sexual immorality” (1 Corinthians 6:18). They view heavy metal music as a corrupting influence from Satan, while Christian rock is seen as spiritual and uplifting. In reality, both share the same decibel and rowdiness; the only difference lies in the lyrics. Christians object to going to bars because it's considered a bad testimony. “Let us not put a stumbling block in our brother's way” (Romans 14:13) . They also believe that practices like Chinese qigong and Indian mantra meditation may invite demonic possession (Matthew 12:43-44). Therefore, Christians must “meditate on God's law day and night” (Psalm 1:2) to triumph over evil forces.
When Christians observe someone straying from the truth or deviating from the path of God, engaging in actions that displease God to varying degrees, it is their duty to proactively search for these "lost sheep" and lead them back to the correct path. "My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back,"(James 5:19) Christians have long established an elaborate system to make commitments and hold each other accountable. This system helps them remain unified and maintains clear distinctions from the outside world.
When Christians employ phrases such as "set apart," "guarding hearts," "avoiding Satan," or "not being of the world," the distinction between these spiritual concepts and exclusivity can often be just a fine line. Regardless of how Christians define their "freedom," the distinction between their concept of "freedom" and "restriction" ultimately appears rather subtle.
Comments