7/04/2009

Hugo: God's breath, God's image and God's glory


在《The United States Declaration of Independence》(JULY 4, 1776)裡,有“All men are created equal”(所有的人是被創造平等的)的文字理念,漢文化的世界裡,總是將這句英文翻譯成“人人生而平等”,以此來省略“創造者” 與“被創造” 的概念,以此來充分地宣示其傳統無神論的立場。

事實上,人怎麼可能生而平等?不同人的身高、體重、智力、學歷、經歷、財富、能力、身體條件、家庭條件、社會地位、背景環境等,怎麼可能生而平等?這可以從人類社會,經常存在有專制、奴隸、等級制、差序位格、家長意識、特權、權威主義、種族沙文主義、法西斯主義、共產主義、大政府主義、政治干預主義等文化,可以得到充分的證明。

然而,《聖經》卻說,“So God created human beings in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.”(Genesis 1:27)、“Then the LORD God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.”(Genesis 2:7) 與“God created us for his glory”(Isaiah 43:1-7),因此“所有的人是被創造平等的”這句話,在表述“Man is created in God's image”的概念 ,是指“所有人身上所獲得的God's breath, God's image and God's glory是平等的”。

“God is Love”,因此“God's breath, God's image and God's glory”的本質源於“Holy Spirit”,“God's breath, God's image and God's glory”分別代表人內在存有的“本體、形式、內涵”;基於此本質,它產生了“Human soul”、“Human conscience”、“ Human love”、“Human justice”等存有內涵,所有的人都具有相同的“Human soul”、“Human conscience”、“ Human love”、“Human justice”等內在存有內涵。

但是,由於“The nature of human free will”、 “Sin comes from free will” 與“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23)等存在事實,因此每一個人所呈現出來的“Human soul”、“Human conscience”、“ Human love”、“Human justice”等特質程度,經常是不同的。

《聖經》說,“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”(John 3:16) 。

雖然,人類的始祖亞當與夏娃因不遵守God的誡命而犯了罪,但是主耶穌基督以其犧牲生命的贖罪祭(Sin offering),來讓人類能夠與God關係重新和解(Reconciliation) ,並且使人類可以透過對主耶穌基督的信、望與愛,來接受God's glory與獲得Eternal life,因此God給每一個人的選擇機會也是平等的。

主耶穌基督曾說,“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”(John 14:6)與“'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”(Matthew 22:37-40)

“Man is created in God's image”,但是在人類的世界裡,人人經常是生而不平等與“Lack of freedom”;然而人類只要願意遵循“主耶穌基督愛的福音與《十誡》”,那麼人類就可以將《聖經》裡的 “All man are created equal”理念,變成人類世界裡的“All men are born free and equal, and have certain natural, essential, and unalienable rights; among which may be reckoned the right of enjoying and defending their lives and liberties; that of acquiring, possessing, and protecting property; in fine, that of seeking and obtaining their safety and happiness.” (The Massachusetts Constitution of 1780)等實質內涵,不是嗎?

2009-7-4(Hugo Liberalitas:http://hugolovelordjesuschrist.blogspot.com/