90后第二代：我们需要勇气(中英双语/音频)
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我们需要勇气
文 | 胡晟宇 筱益译 婷婷校
北美动态专稿
编者按：本文作者胡晟宇（Sheng Hu）4岁半来美国。大学毕业工作几年后，于2015年蒙神的呼召就读三一神学院，获得道学（MDiv）学位；现于土桑华人基督教会英文堂事奉。
本文为作者的“种族问题浅谈”系列文章之五，为筱益弟兄翻译，婷婷姊妹审校，英文原文附后。本文也将在本教会的网页及教会微信公众号“旷野沙漠之州”发表（参教会网页：http://www.tcccaz.org/race_issue-series_overview/?）。本刊允准播发，特此致谢。
目前华裔年轻的第二代对“社会公义”、“种族歧视”等议题，与第一代的父母亲可能持不同观点。作者身为在美国长大的90后青年传道人，力求从圣经角度出发来探讨今天年轻人所遇到的挑战。相信他的文章及证道，会对同代人有启发，有帮助。
欢迎各位读者将此文转发给您的子女或教会中的第二代。
本文为作者“种族问题浅谈”系列文章之五，请阅读前4篇文章：
以下音频为胡晟宇传道6月28日证道信息（英文），其中内容比文章更加丰富，敬请转发给读英文的亲友：
我们需要勇气
THE NEED FOR COURAGE
(后附英文原文)
今天，关于“社会公义”的讨论中最缺的不是内容的诠释，福音派学者已经在来回的争论中将问题讨论的很清楚了。真正缺的是说真话的勇气。太多的基督徒不敢公开反对所谓的“社会公义”。最近，越来越多的教会领袖也屈从压力，随波逐流，尽管他们并不认同这种“社会公义”。
现今有许多豪言壮语，说应该“为无话语权者发声”，“为弱势者维权”。我绝对赞同这些口号。然而，毫无例外，这些言论适用于经济上处弱势地位或历史上特权较少的人（比如有色族裔，尤其是黑人）。这种做法有两个问题。第一，我们不再是活在18世纪。历史一再证明，没有权力的人可以获得权力，拥有权力者也可以一夜之间失去权力。
第二，权力不是只取决于金钱的，而是会受多种因素的影响。比如，一位250磅的运动员比普通人的体力更强，一位亿万富翁比他公司里的雇员的经济支配权更大。派对上一位美女比想和她约会的男士的主动权更大。没有魅力但却有钱的男人在家里对妻子言听计从，这也很常见。可见，金钱不是获取权力的唯一途径。
有一个显而易见、却没有人愿意公开承认的事实是，在目前的文化环境中，性取向正常的男性白人由于在经济地位、历史成因和人口比例上所占的优势，在种族平等的议题上反而成了最没话语权、最弱势的群体。他如果不认同那些激进的左派政治理念或者“黑人生命宝贵”(BLM) 的诉求，马上就会被贴上种族主义者、性别歧视者、同性恋恐惧者、排外主义者等标签（此类标签总是与日俱增）。教会内外都一样。唯一的区别是，在教会里会显得客气点，不直说他是极右的种族主义者，只说他“不够敏感”，“缺乏爱心”。
不管那个男性白人提供多少圣经根据和统计数据，除非有一个多重特性背景的人站出来支持他（编注：intersectional person，用来描述有“政治正确”特性的人，比如女人，移民，同性恋，有色种族。），他的意见就不被接纳。同样的话从男性白人口里说出来时，只有一半的份量。有意思的是，这让我想起耶稣在世上的时候，女人的见证只有男人见证的一半份量。耶稣不赞同这种做法。有些错误的解经者完全忽视了当时的背景，误用这个例子，说耶稣偏爱女性。其实，耶稣并不偏爱女性多过男性，也不偏爱外邦人多过犹太人。耶稣愿以公平对待所有人。耶稣的时代，遇遭不公的是女性和外邦人。今天的公众领域内，受歧视的不是女性和外邦人，而是性取向正常、也不会改变性别的男性白人。
我曾对白人福音派领袖不敢发声对抗所谓的“社会公义”感到沮丧，现在不会了。他们受威胁，所以害怕。他们没有足够的多重特性背景的人支持，无法为自己发声。也许，我可以。这样说有点傻，但那些人敢夸口，我也敢。他们的先人曾被白人欺压？我也是！美国历史上最严重的种族屠杀是1871年在加州的洛杉矶，针对华人的。他们是马克思主义者？我也曾是！我生在红色中国，长在红色中国，小时候还得向毛和马的照片鞠躬。他们觉醒了？我曾经更是！我上的大学很有可能是全美最自由派的；我当时的女朋友在一场女权运动大会上介绍讲员Gloria Steinem（活跃的女权运动人士）。那时，我还没有归信耶稣。
亚裔弟兄姐妹们（当然不限于亚裔，请自行对号入座），你们中的许多人都知道美国今天到底正在发生什么，也知道今天教会正在发生什么，你们眼看着BLM和左派思想渗进教会，但你不愿意说出来，你找各种借口保持沉默。
“哦，些许小事！他们支持的也有好东西！”是，有些好的方面。美国有没有种族歧视？有。但不管怎样的种族歧视，都要看对待不同种族的不同行为，而不是看不同结果。当前的社会公义诉求背后的观念并不符合圣经，而是世俗化的。整个运动就是一个特洛伊木马。仅仅因为认同这些运动想要达到的部分目标，并不意味着就该火上浇油，让整个国家最终被无神的世界观奴役。我们不能因为认同一个运动的30%，就支持其余完全错误、不合圣经的70%。这样做充其量只能达到短暂效果，却是以牺牲国家和教会的整个基督与犹太教的道德框架为代价。这样做与以扫没啥区别，等于为了一碗红豆汤出卖长子名分。
我看现在很多教会的声明都在“走钢丝”，试图两边都不得罪。教会领袖们在脸书上贴黑方块，好让左派放他们一马。然后，他们说他们只是支持BLM这个组织，这样右派也不难为他们。他们含糊其辞地“支持受压迫者”，却不愿透露细节，也反对抗议中的暴力行为。一块蛋糕，你们既想留着，又想一饱口福。你们真的在乎事件本身吗？还是你们只想不受任何骚扰，每天回家安心刷剧？
毫无疑问，每次的警察枪击事件都有细微的差别。但是，如果我们在属灵层面，看潜在的意识形态之争，那个差别就是再明显不过的了。我们是要坚守一个以上帝的话语为根基的世界观体系，还是要支持一个不看个体性、只追求结果均等的社会主义世界观？只有两个立场。我们应该先奠定思想基础，随后所有细节差异都应该纳入该世界观中考虑。
还有另一个借口：“这真的不关我们啥事。白人和黑人之间有种族张力，也许，我应该置身事外。”许多亚裔基督徒嘴上不这么说，心里却这么想。我怎么知道？因为我心里冒出过同样的念头。这种想法，从神学角度来说是懦弱，从历史角度来说是无知，我必须抛开所谓的“政治正确”，把这些说出来。
他们接着会冲你来。
这个运动的整个理念并非真正关乎白人与黑人，而是关乎特权与非特权。只是眼下，白人恰好占了蛋糕的最大一份，他们就冲白人来；解决了白人，他们会冲犹太人来；解决了犹太人，他们就会冲你来。
别忘了纳粹兴起、攫取权力的时候，德国牧师马丁.尼莫拉袖手旁观，事后沉痛地忏悔：
“起初，他们抓共产党人时，我沉默，因为我不是共产党人。他们抓犹太人时，我沉默，因为我不是犹太人。他们抓工会会员时，我沉默，因为我不是工会会员。他们抓天主教徒时，我沉默，因为我是新教徒。最后当他们抓我的时候，没有人站出来为我说话了。”
各位，“白色”不再单指肤色了。简单地说，“白色”指那些从美国的社会与政治体制中不成人口比例地获得更多利益的人群，比如富豪（利益不单指财富）。别以为左派不知道亚裔上名校的比例不成比例的高！即便你是有色人种，他们会暂时放你一马，但迟早还是会冲你来的。不为别的，就因为你是基督徒；即使你不是基督徒，他们也会因为你认同传统婚姻而冲你来；即使你不认同传统婚姻，他们也会因为你认同核心家庭而冲你来；即使你不认同核心家庭，他们也会因为你认同两种性别而冲你来。因为Marxism 与基督信仰不兼容，就像水与油融不到一起。即便黑人和黄种人基督徒，只要不跟他们站队，都不会幸免。
许多读者可能不认同我对美国的分析，甚至还会生气。对于那些出于良知而不认同我的人，我心里没有芥蒂。相反，我认为基督徒的正直要求我们在对话中保持耐心，也相信上帝掌管一切，叫爱祂的人得益处。
许多读者知道我写的是事实，也愿意为真理发声，但不想被扣上种族主义者、面黄心白的虚有其表者、或汤姆大叔（对白人卑躬屈膝的黑人）的帽子。所以你害怕，不敢发声。或许，你不知道怎么说；或许，你找到一千种理由把真相给压下去；或许，你害怕失去你很珍惜的友情。我懂，也同情你。我没要大家去推特或其它社交媒体上当硬汉，但最起码你不能回避自己的真实想法。如果你是一位领袖，你有责任在你的圈子里（比如教会和小组）发挥影响力。
我要跟你说真话：我对我们国家未来的走向并不乐观。我不能说现在就开始了帖撒罗尼迦后书2章3节所说的“离道反教的事”，但也不能保证你不会在某个时间点被扔进集中营。你可能会被杀害。你肯定会被噤声。基督信仰不是为胆怯者预备的，唯有那些忍耐到底的必然得救。
人若因我辱骂你们，逼迫你们，捏造各样坏话毁谤你们，你们就有福了。（马太福音5：11）
有些教会领袖明明知道真相，却故意回避他们作为先知的职责，方便时就认同真相，不方便时就避重就轻、选择性地谈论某些事实；他们把世俗的准则掺进圣经真理，兜售一半的真理；他们害怕得不到世界的称许，胜过害怕得不到上帝的称许。对这些领袖，请记住这段经文：
惟有胆怯的，不信的，可憎的，杀人的，淫乱的，行邪术的，拜偶像的，和一切说谎话的，他们的分就在烧着硫磺的火湖里。这是第二次的死。（启示录21：8）
THE NEED FOR COURAGE
By Sheng Hu
The greatest lack in the conversation about social justice today is no longer exegesis. Among the evangelical intelligentsia, all the back-and-forth regarding this issue has been laid bare. What is lacking is the courage to speak the truth. There are plenty of Christians who are afraid to speak up against social justice. And recently, more and more leaders have caved in, even those who do not actually believe in social justice.
I hear a lot of rhetoric today about how we need to “speak up for the voiceless” and to “stand up for the powerless.” I absolutely agree with this statement. However, this is applied – without exception – to those with less privilege on the economic and historical axis (i.e. people of color, especially blacks). There are two problems with this. First, we do not live in the 18th century. History has shown over and over again that those who have no power can gain power and those with power can lose it overnight.
Second, power is not univariate. Power can operate across multiple axes. For example, a 250-pound athlete has more physical power over the average human. A billionaire has more financial power over the average employee at his company. A beautiful woman at a party has sexual power over the men who want to date her. It is not uncommon to see an unattractive, but rich, man in a marriage where the wife wears the pants. Money is not the only avenue of power.
There is an obvious truth that no one is willing to admit out loud: the heterosexual white man, for all of his economic, historical, and demographic privileges, is the most voiceless and powerless person in the current cultural milieu regarding any civil discourse pertaining to race. If a white man disagrees with the political ideologies of the radical leftists and Black Lives Matter agenda, he is instantly labeled a racist, or a sexist, or a homophobe, or xenophobe (the list always grows with time). This happens both outside the church and inside the church. The only difference is that in the church, we’re nicer about it. We don’t call him an outright racist, merely “insensitive” and “unloving.”
No matter how much biblical and statistical data he procures, the white man is only correct in so far as he has an intersectional figure standing behind him agreeing with him. The white man can say the exact same thing as an intersectional figure, but his testimony carries half the weight. Funny enough, this rather reminds me of Jesus in his days, when women’s testimonies counted for half that of a man’s. And Jesus wanted nothing to do with that. Dishonest exegetes love to misapply this example to say that God favored women as if we share the exact same context as first-century Israel. God does not favor women over men, or Gentiles over Jews. God wants impartiality for everyone. In Jesus’ days, it just so happens that women and Gentiles faced partiality. In today’s public square, it is not women and Gentiles, but the cis-gendered, heterosexual, white man.
I used to get frustrated at white evangelical leaders for not speaking up against the social justice issue. But I no longer do so. They are intimidated. They are scared. They do not check enough of the intersectional boxes to speak up for themselves. But perhaps I do. Whatever anyone else dares to boast about- I am speaking as a fool- I also dare to boast about. Are they oppressed by the white man? So am I. The largest lynching in America was against the Chinese in 1871 in LA California. Are they Marxists? So was I. Born and raise in Communist China, I was bowing to Mao and Marx since I was a kid. Are they woke? I was more. I went to, very possibly, the most liberal college in America (my girlfriend at the time opened for Gloria Steinem at a feminist conference! I wasn’t converted at this point in my life).
To my Asian brothers and sisters (though not exclusively to them, feel free to wear the shoe if it fits), many of you know what’s really happening today in America. Many of you know what’s happening to our churches. You know that movements like BLM and the leftist ideologies are infiltrating into the church. But you just don’t want to call it out. And you make various excuses for staying silent.
“Oh, it’s a nuanced issue! There are good things that they affirm!” Yes, there are some. Is there racism in America? Yes, there is. [But whatever racism there is needs to be founded on disparate actions toward different groups, not disparate results.] The ideologies that stand behind this push for “social justice” is not biblical, it is secular. The overall movement is a trojan horse. Just because you can agree with some end goals of these movements does not mean that you should fuel the fire that will ultimately enslave an entire nation to a godless worldview. You cannot, out of agreement for 30% of a movement, support or enable the other 70% that is completely wrong and unbiblical. At best, to do so is to obtain a temporary goal while giving up the entire fabric of Christian-Judeo ethical program for our churches and our nation. You trade your birthright for a pot of stew.
I see so many church statements now that try to “tread the line.” Leaders will post black squares on their Facebook, so people on the left will let them alone. But then they’ll qualify their support for the BLM organization itself, and thus people on the right will let them alone too. Leaders vaguely “stand with the oppressed” without ever willing to go into details about what that means. Then they qualify their objection to the violent aspects of the protests. It’s like you want to have your cake and eat it too. Do you even care about the issue at all? Or are you simply just interested in not being bothered so you can just go home at night and binge-watch the next episode of your favorite Netflix show?
There is nuance within individual cases of police shootings, granted. But if we’re talking about the underlying ideological battles taking place in the spiritual realm, the lines could not be any clearer. Are we going to affirm a systematic worldview founded on God’s word, or on a socialistic worldview founded on equality of outcome with little to no regard for individual agency? There are only two sides. Whatever nuances have to be qualified into the worldview after the basic ideological foundations are set in place.Here’s another excuse: “This really isn’t about us. Racial tension is between whites and blacks. Maybe I should just sit this one out.” No one says it like this, but that’s how many Asian Christians feel. I know because I have felt the same temptation. With all due respect, this thought is so theologically pathetic and historically illiterate that I need to respond with my PC [political correctness] filter off…
They’re coming for you next.
The entire ideology is not really about white vs blacks. It’s about privilege vs less-privilege. It just so happens that white people have the largest portion of the pie… for now. They’re coming for the white people, and after that, they will come for the Jews, then they will come for you.
Let’s not forget the words of Martin Niemoller, the German pastor who sat out during the Nazi’s rise to power:
"They came first for the Communists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist. Then they came for the Jews, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist. Then they came for the Catholics, and I didn't speak up because I was a Protestant. Then they came for me, and by that time no one was left to speak up."
“White” does not mean skin color anymore, folks. “White” simply means those who disproportionately benefit from the American social-political machinery more than other groups, i.e. the rich. You think the leftists don’t know that Asians go to most of the elite schools in this country?? And even if they let you off because you’re a POC [person of color], they will come for you because you’re a Christian. They will come for you because you believe in traditional marriage. They will come for you because you believe in the nuclear family. They will come for you because you believe in two-sexes. They will come for you because Cultural Marxism and Christianity do not mix like water and oil do not mix. And this is true for black and brown Christians who do not toe the line either.
Many reading this now will not agree with my analysis of America, and will probably be angry. I hold no grudge for those who in good conscience disagree with me, and I think Christian integrity demands that we show patience in the form of civil discourse. I trust in God’s sovereignty to work everything for the good of those who love him.
Many reading this know what I’m writing is true. And you want to stand up for the truth. But you just don’t want to be called a racist, or a twinkie, or an Uncle Tom. You’re afraid to speak up. Or you don’t know how to say it. Or you’ve allowed the truth to be suppressed at the hands of a thousand qualifications. Or you’re afraid of losing friendships that you hold to dearly. I get it. I sympathize with you. I’m not suggesting that anyone go Rambo on twitter or on your social media. But at the very least, you cannot shirk from what you believe. And if you’re a leader, you do have a responsibility at the very least to your own circle of influence (esp. your church and small group).
I’m also going to keep it real with you: I’m not optimistic about where our country is headed. I cannot say that this is the beginning of the great apostasy in 2 Thess. 2:3. But I also cannot tell you that you won’t eventually get put in a concentration camp at some point. You might be killed. You will definitely be silenced. Christianity is not for the faint of heart. But those who endure to the end will gain their lives.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. – Matt. 5:11
As for those leaders who know the truth but purposely choose to shirk from their prophetic duties, who affirm truths only when it’s convenient, who selectively give disproportionate weight to certain truths, who peddle half-truths, who massage every ounce of biblical truth with a pound of sociological citations, and fear the disapproval of the world more than the disapproval of God, do remember these words:
But to the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and sexually immoral and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their place will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur. This is the second death.” [Rev. 21:8]
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