有一個常聽到的說法:「你如果肯認真研究的話,你就會知道聖經是真的了!」然後接著便舉一些例子,有一個有名的例子就是寫「鐵證待判」的麥道衛 (Josh McDowell),說他「本來是無神論者,為駁斥聖經而研究它,結果成為一個基督徒。」
講難聽點,從「鐵證待判」一書的種種笑話論點來看,麥道衛實在不曉得在研究什麼,神智不清就被拉去信教的人也多的是,不過由於上面的故事已經聽到煩了,隨便看看他的見證,發現他老兄並不是跟一般信徒們說的那樣。
麥道衛官網:
My interest in apologetics began back in college when I was challenged by several students to examine the claims of Jesus Christ. After much study, I could only come to one conclusion Jesus Christ is the Son of God, He was crucified, He died, and He was resurrected on the third day.Soon after this discovery, I accepted Jesus as my Savior and Lord. As one who had set out to prove Christianity false, I now found myself in the perfect position to proclaim the Truth I had found.
「我對護教學的興趣始於大學時被許多同學挑戰檢視耶穌基督的聲稱。在多番研究後,我只得到一個結論:耶穌基督是上帝之子,他被釘上十字架,他死了,他在第三日復活。
在這發現之後,我接受了耶穌為我的救主。身為一個要證明基督教為假的人來說,我發現自己正適合宣揚我發現的真理。」
完全不提自己的「無神論」。很奇怪?挑語病?我們來看他另一篇見證:
首先,一開始他老兄在談自己如何一直在尋找人生的方向,去參加教會參加到「早中晚都去」但覺得沒用就「放棄信仰」,接著他唸大學時發現一群同學之間相處甚歡,因此他...
Like the average student, when somebody had something I didn’t have, I wanted it. So, I decided to make friends with these intriguing people. Two weeks after that decision we were all sitting around a table in the student union–six students and two faculty members. The conversation started to get around to God.
「就像一般學生一樣,當別人有什麼我沒有的,我就想要。所以我決定和這些人做朋友。下決定兩週後我們坐在學生會的桌子旁--六名學生兩名教師。話題就開始圍繞在上帝。」
接著就是同學們挑戰他找聖經的錯誤,研究後他覺得裏面的內容是真的,怎麼個研究法,實在很令人懷疑,如果搞了半天是「鐵證待判」那本的話,研究等級大概只相當於「合理化」。
不論如何,研究完「發現居然是真的」後他還不想信教,所以他覺得很困擾,但還是跟他們待了一陣子...
Whenever I was around those enthusiastic Christians, the conflict would begin. If you’ve ever been around happy people when you’re miserable, you understand how they can bug you. They would be so happy and I would be so miserable that I’d literally get up and run right out of the student union. It came to the point where I’d go to bed at ten at night, and I wouldn’t get to sleep until four in the morning. I knew I had to get it off my mind before I went out of my mind! Finally my head and my heart connected on December 19, 1959, at 8:30 p.m. during my second year at the university–I became a Christian.
「每當我在這些富熱忱的基督徒身邊時,衝突就會發生。當你鬱悶時在許多快樂的人身邊,你就知道他們會如何煩你。他們會很快樂而我會很鬱悶以致於起身奔離學生會。這嚴重到我會在晚上十點上床睡覺,但不到凌晨四點睡不著。我知道我必須在失去理性前把它去掉!終於我頭腦和心靈在1959年十二月十九日晚上八點半連在一起,在我大學第二年--我成了基督徒。」
可見從「研究」到「信教」之間,還是有很長的一段過程,中間來往很顯然就這八個信徒,又在困擾的心態下,會有什麼結果不問可知。
說到「很長的一段過程」,「鐵證待判」一書是 1979 年出版。拖稿?
麥道衛的故事,仔細看的話,其實就和一般「心有困擾,蒙神關愛,然後信教」的故事沒兩樣,遑論他整個時間,都在八名想拉他入教的信徒旁邊。
這個故事除了展示基督教的疲勞轟炸外實在不值得沾沾自喜。
PS.
研究過聖經,依舊不信的人也一堆:
http://www.skepticsannotatedbible.com
http://www.creationtheory.org/Essays/SkepticTheology101.shtml
遑論對聖經毫無概念的「重生信徒」也不少:
http://www.religioustolerance.org/chr_poll4.htm
60% 講不出十誡中的五誡
75% 認為聖經講「天助自助者」(其實是富蘭克林講的)