第六讲、处境化中国神学的第二主题

——从基督教角度看当代中国的国家目标

 

6 .0. The importance of China’s goals today:6.0.1. China’s momentum: in economy, next to and approaching U.S. (and the state-owned investments spreading over the world); in military, No.2 (except nuclear  weapons); in world affairs, ever greater influence;  a new superpower?

 6.0.2. Unlimited political power and abuses; imbalance and irrationality in economy; pollution of air, water and soil, exhaustion of resources; chaos in social life; confrontation between government and people; problems in urbanization, destruction of the rural social structure…

6 .0. 今日中国国家目标之重要性

6.0.1.  国际上中国之权重经济上,总量仅次于美国(国有企业进入全世界)军事上,可称为世界老二” (核武器除外); 对世界事务影响增大(超级大国心态?)…… 

 6.0.2. 国内弊端常态化:权力无限与行政违法经济不平衡不合理;空气、土地和水污染,自然资源耗竭;社会道德混乱,官民贫富对立城市青年成蚁族乡村老幼守空巢……

 6.0.3. 这样一个人口庞大、资源丰富、处于全权主义领导之下的大国其目标必然不仅影响中国人民的未来,而且还会影响人类的未来。

因此,关于中国国家目标的反思和讨论,其重要性怎么强调都不为过。

基督教作为世界第一大宗教、中国第二大宗教,有着几十亿信众、两千年的历史经验和丰富深刻的国家学说,从基督教角度思考这个问题,对于中国的社会政治发展,有着巨大的参考价值。

6.0.3. The goals or the end of such a nation with the huge population and the enormous means and resources under a totalitarian leadership, will necessarily exert influences not only on the future of the Chinese people, but also on the future of the humankind.

Therefore, we can never pay too much emphasis on the importance of reflections upon and discussions about China’s goals; and as a healthier social factor, Christian idea of the issue will be very valuable.      

6.1. The State: the End or the Means ?

6.1.1. a. Contemporary China has been taking the state itself as the national end rather than the means, or as the goal rather than the tool;  since 1949, all natural, social, political, cultural and spiritual resources have been mobilized for advancing the state, even often at the expense of human lives.

6.1. 邦国目标还是手段 ?

6.1.1. a. 当代中国一直以国家本身作为国家的目标而非手段,目的而非工具;

1949年以来一切自然资源、社会资源、政治资源,甚至文化和精神资源都被动员起来为国家服务,都被用来提升国家的力量甚至常常以人的生活、人的生命为代价。

6.1.1. b.  We could see this in the system design, political campaigns, social measures and educational objectives since 1949; and in the system maintenance, resource deployment, social control and thought indoctrination since 1978.

6.1.1. c. Even the reason of the leadership of the Party has been said to be for the state’s benefice; and the “Chinese dream” is said as a great revival of the Chinese nation, that means a wealthy and strong “state” !      

6.1.1. b. 1949年以后的制度设计、政治运动、社会措施、教育目标等等,全都体现了这一点;

1978年以后的制度维系、资源配置、社会控制、思想灌输等等,也都体现了这一点。

6.1.1. c. 即使维持党的领导的理由,也被说成是为了国家的利益(一些反对者的理由也相同!); “中国梦被说成是中华民族的伟大复兴”, 这意思是指国家的富强 !      

6.1.2.a. According to the Bible, the Christian tradition and political ideas, Christians should take the state not as the end but as the means--- negatively, as a means for maintenance of social order which is a basic condition for human living, and positively, as a means for realization of sanctification which is the ultimate end of human beings;        

6.1.2.b. Anything in the world has its ground and end just outside itself; in universal perspective, God is the end, in social perspective, man is the end.   

6.1.2.a. 按照基督教的圣经、传统和政治理念,国家不是目标,而是手段——从负面说,是维持秩序( 人类生活基本条件之一)的手段从正面说,是实现圣化(人类生命的终极目标)的手段;        

6.1.2.b. 世上任何事物,其根基和目标都在自身之外;从宇宙角度看,上帝是目标从社会角度看,人是目标。

6.1.2.c. All states and kingdoms should be relativized (1 Samuel 8-10; Matthew 4:17; John18:36);

Obedience to the states’ authorities is just for the effective use of the tools or means (Paul, John, and Irenaeus of Lyons, Augustine of Hippo, Thomas of Aquinas); People’s conscience is above earthly law(M. Luther); Rulers are under the law of God(J.Milton),etc..  

6.1.2.c. 一切国家都应当被相对化 (《撒母耳记上》 8-10; 《马太福音》 4:17; 《约翰福音》18:36); 服从国家的权威,是为着有效地运用这工具或手段 (保罗、里昂的爱任纽、希波的奥古斯丁、阿奎那的托马斯); 人民的良知在尘世的法律之上(马丁·路德); 统治者在上帝的 律法之下(约翰·弥尔顿)……  

6.1.3.a. “The people is the most valuable, the state is the second, the monarch is the least”; “the king’s way” should take the people as the end rather than means (Mencius, Wang Fu-zhi, Huang Zong-xi, etc.);

6.1.3.b. Even non-Christian and non-religious political thinkers agree to the ideas (the state is the means for protection of natural man--T.Hobbes; the state is the means for class oppression—K.Marx; the means for adjustment of interests of different social groups—F. Engels, etc.);    

6.1.3.a. “民为贵社稷次之君为轻”; “王道” 应该以人民为目的而不是手段 (孟子、王夫之、黄宗羲……);

6.1.3.b. 绝大多数非基督教和非宗教的政治思想家也都赞同这一理念!(如霍布斯认为国家是保护自然人的手段;马克思认为国家是阶级压迫的手段,所以要消亡;恩格斯认为国家是调节不同社会集团利益的工具……);    

6.1.3. c. The state itself is not the end or goal, but the means or tool for the people’s life in this world----this is the general conclusion of the most political theories on the state’s essence, since the Christian era began.

6.1.3. c. 国家本身不是目标而是为此世的人民生活服务的手段或工具——这是基督教纪元开始以来,绝大多数政治理论在国家本质问题上的一般结论。

6.2. The National Goal: the Former or the Latter?

6.2.0. Then, what should be the national goals which the decision-makers of the state should mobilize her resources to attain?

The modern history of China has provided us with 3 pairs of preferences as following;    

according to the Christian idea of the relationship of state to the people, which one should we take, the former or the latter between the two in the pairs?

6.2.0. 那么国家决策者应该动员所有资源去达到的国家目标,应该是什么呢 ?

中国现代史已经为我们提出了以下三对选择按照基督教关于国家与人民关系的理念我们在每一对选择中两个优先之间,应该选择前者还是后者?

6.2.1. Preference to the citizens’ rights, or to the state’s powers ?

A. A Christian answer: to the former;

B. The Bible: Deuteronomy 17:16ff…

C. The tradition: Ambrosius; Magna Carta; theories of “two kingdoms”, of “civil obedience”…

D. The logical conclusion;

E. The historical situation.

6.2.1.“ 公民权利优先还是国家权力优先 ?

A. 从基督教角度看,回答是前者;

B. 圣经的依据《申命记》17:16以下……

C. 传统的依据:  安布罗修(Ambrosius;《大宪章》(Magna Carta; “两个国度论(奥古斯丁、马丁路德);公民抗命论(加尔文……

D. 符合逻辑的结论;

E. 符合历史的处境。

6.2.2. Preference to the equity and justice, or to the wealth and strength ?

A. A Christian answer: to the former;

B. The Bible: Exodus 9:27;Deteronomy 32:4; Judges

5:11; 2 Chronicles 12:6; Psalms; Isaiah; Matthew 23:23; Luke1:75;John 17:25; Romans 3:4;   1Corinthians 1:30; Ephesians 5:9,6:14; Revelation 19:2…

C. The tradition: Isaiah and the whole history;

D. The logical conclusion;

E. The historical situation.

6.2.2. “公平正义优先,还是富国强兵优先 ?

A. 从基督教角度看,回答还是前者;

B. 圣经的依据:《出埃及记》9:27;《申命记》32:4;《士师记》 5:11;《历代志下》12:6; 《诗篇》;《以赛亚书》;《马太福音》23:23;《路加福音》1:75;《约翰福音》      17:25;《罗马书》3:4;《哥林多前书》1:30;《以弗所书》 5:9,6:14;《启示录》19:2……

C. 传统的依据以赛亚和整个基督教史;

D. 符合逻辑的结论;

E. 符合历史的处境。

6.2.3. Preference to the peace of the world, or to the rise of a nation ?

A. A Christian answer: to the former;

B. The Bible: Matthew 5:9, 5:13-18;Romans 14:17;

     1 Corinthians 12:13, 12:26; Hebrews 12:14; James 3:16-18…

C. The tradition: the whole history;

D. The logical conclusion;

E. The historical situation.

6.2.3. “天下太平优先还是一族崛起优先 ?

A. 从基督教角度看,回答又是前者;

B. 圣经的依据:《马太福音》5:9, 5:13-18;《罗马书》14:17;《哥林多前书》12:13, 12:26;《希伯来书》12:14;《雅各书》3:16-18……

C. 传统的依据整个历史;

D. 符合逻辑的结论;

E. 符合历史的处境。

he Pathogenesis or the Remedy ?  

6.3.1. The social disease has its origin in the old system which was set up in the political campaigns during 1950s, 60s and 70s and characterized by state’s powers whelming over citizens’ rights,  (the search of) wealth and strength over equity and justice, rise of a nation over peace of the world; 

6.3. 旧制:
6.3.1. 当今的社会病症起源于这样一种旧体制,它建立于1949-1978三十年不断的政治运动之中,其特征是国家权力压倒公民权利、富国强兵压倒公平正义、一国崛起压倒天下太平

6.3.2. The long-term effect of the system is the distortion of human nature: stealing of public property became more often and tolerable in the system of “ownership by the whole people”; lying in the suppressive political situation became necessary for self-protection and even for survival; the two evils are the origins of all the corruptions spreading all over the nation.

6.3.2. 这种制度的长期效应是人性的扭曲:全民所有制” stealing of public property became more often and tolerable in the system of “ownership by the whole people”; lying in the suppressive political situation became necessary for self-protection and even for survival; the two evils are the origins of all the corruptions spreading all over the nation.

6.3.3. Some people worrying for the disease see the old system as a remedy; in fact, conversely, that is the very cause or the pathogenesis.

Therefore, whether the system could be transformed or reformed shall decide the future of China and the world ! The Chinese Christians should make some contribution to the difficult and great transformation.



Last modified: Tuesday, September 12, 2017, 1:55 PM