[信奉一位完美、理想的神]
中世紀基督教及天主教神學裡有所謂「完美論」。
信徒們信奉一位完美、理想的神。
An ideal and imagined God:
Omniscient 全知
Omnipotent 全能
Omnipresent 全在
「完美論」作了兩點假設：
1. 抽象和完美的東西一定存在。
2. 我們給予抽象和完美的東西一個名稱：「神」。
所以「完美論」認為神一定存在。
如果我們相信有一個創造宇宙萬物、全知全能、完美、
完全不需要去蕪存菁的神，
那麼天使和魔鬼當然都是神所創造的，
那麼這會是一個怎麼樣的神，的確耐人尋味。
祂是否一位一直在袖手旁觀，看著魔鬼做壞事，
並且命令天使們一起袖手旁觀，等待魔鬼悔改的神？
直到永遠，阿門？
如果是這樣，我們看見別人強姦時，是否應該袖手旁觀？
並且對強姦者說：神在等待你悔改！
我們是否應該這樣想：
既然神和天使都拒絕出手，我們當然沒有資格插手。
我們有理由相信這個完美、理想的神，
其實是很多中世紀哲學家和神學家想像或創造出來，
一個自己心目中理想的神：
If God created us in his image,
we have amply returned him the favour.
( Voltaire )
If God did not exist,
it would be necessary to invent Him.
( Voltaire )
所以有哲學家甚至認為神是人所創造的：
人以自己的形象創造了神，
而並非「神以自己的形象造人」。
It is not as in the Bible,
that God created man in his own image.
But, on the contrary,
man created God in his own image.
( Ludwig Feuerbach )
He was a wise man who invented God.
( Plato )
Which is it, is man one of God’s
blunders or is God one of man’s？
( Friedrich Nietzsche )
李天命先生已經證明了
「根本沒有可能有一位全能的神」，
所以我們只能夠相信一位有大能的神。
根據聖經《創世記》記載，
自從人類吃了「分別善惡樹」上的果子之後，
創造人類的神就失去了全知的能力，
不能夠肯定忠心僕人的思想，
所以這位並非全能、又並非全知，但有大能的神，
就需要測試僕人的忠心，
所以《創世記》裡神要試驗亞伯拉罕，
叫他將自己的兒子以撒獻上祭壇。
結果在這場心靈博弈戰之中，亞伯拉罕贏了耶和華！
筆者相信亞伯拉罕一早就知道神必定輸，
因為亞伯拉罕知道「神就是愛」，
如果神毫無緣故地要了他的兒子以撒的命，
神就是否定了自己！
[ 筆者這個想法源自江大惠牧師，謹此致謝。]
至於基督教裡的「信」，西方人有這樣的看法：
I still say a church steeple with a lightning
rod on top shows a lack of confidence.
( Doug McLeod )
In Burbank there’s a drive-in church called
Jack-in-the-Pew. You shout your sin into
the face of a plastic priest.
( Johnny Carson )
It’s OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
( Regina Brett )
關於「神蹟」miracle，西方人有這樣的看法：
I got quite annoyed after the Haiti earthquake.
A baby was taken from the wreckage and people
said it was a miracle. It would have been
a miracle had God stopped the earthquake.
More wonderful was that a load of evolved
monkeys got together to save the life of a child
that wasn’t theirs.
( Terry Pratchett )
And what can we do to silence these Christian
athletes who thank Jesus whenever they win,
never mention his name when they lose？
Not a word. You never hear them say
“Jesus made me drop the ball”
“The good lord tripped me up behind the line
of scrimmage.”
According to these guys Jesus is undefeated,
meanwhile these assholes are in last place.
Must be another one of those “miracles.”
( George Carlin )
由於「宗教精神」裡的「愛」，
重視給予對方抉擇的自由，
所以必然是在一種不能全知情況之下所作的賭博。
有了「愛」才會有「信」、才會有「望」；
有了「愛」才會有「失信」、才會有「失望」，
所以神就需要測試僕人的忠心。
「愛」和「全知」根本就是互相矛盾！
To love at all is to be vulnerable.
( C. S. Lewis )
Every time
we make the decision to love someone,
we open ourselves to great suffering,
because those we most love cause us
not only great joy but also great pain.
The greatest pain comes from leaving.
When the child leaves home,
when the husband or wife leaves
for a long period of time or for good,
when the beloved friend departs to
another country or dies…the pain of
the leaving can tear us apart. Still, if
we want to avoid the suffering of leaving,
we will never experience the joy of loving.
And love is stronger than fear,
life stronger than death,
hope stronger than despair.
We have to trust that
the risk of loving is always worth taking.
( Henri J.M. Nouwen )
Of all religions, the Christian should
of course inspire the most tolerance,
but until now Christians have been
the most intolerant of all men.
( Voltaire )
問題的關鍵，當然在於「完美的定義」！
一般人心目中的完美概念從何而來？
怎樣才算是完美？
Under certain circumstances, profanity
provides a relief denied even to prayer.
( Mark Twain )
參考：《完美主義》(上) 《完美主義》(中) 《完美主義》(下)