本人与神的对话越来越深入,涉及到科学与宗教的关系,宗教作用和神明对人类的期待等等, 没有掩饰,没有夸张。 本人当时就想,宁愿冒犯,也要把真实想法陈述出来。 神明对每一个问题都作了回答,这些答案有的可以用智慧和常识去领悟,有些则超出了本人的智慧。本人把这一切都仔仔细细的记录下来,也许有着更高智慧的读者能从本人与神明对话里领悟出本人力所不能及的东西。 “Can I conclude hitherto that you don’t have religious preferences?” I ask. “Do you? ” Mite asks. “I don’t, I am an atheist.” “Preference is a favoritism, poisonous and destructive, a diabolical intent and consequentially detrimental. Sibling strife comes from parental preferences, societal divisions are the result of ruler’s preferences. Religious acrimony are caused by religious preferences. I maintain absolute neutrality over theoretical differences as long as the doctrines are genuinely inspiring, encouraging and just.” I say: “Religious hatred has caused a great deal of blood and sufferings in the human history and there are sporadic spots of flaring around the world.” Mite says: “yes, unfortunately. The brushfires were ignited by devotion but the flames are fueled by greed and profligacy disguised as religious passions. Religions are not the cause. Religions are the eventual solution.” Darwinism is the deepest convictions by atheistic intellectuals like me. In early years of my life, I was actively involved in church activities, but stopped short of being baptized for being unable to reconcile the creationistic doctrines with my Darwinistic believing. The hurdle is just intellectually insurmountable. I tell Mite the story and say: “choice is already made, but I would still love to hear your perspectives.” Mite becomes serious: “evolutionary theory is an empirical study of the natural adaptive process evidenced by archeological discoveries and other findings. It is a great achievement with unanswered questions, the ‘missing link’- the transitional stage of lives between maritime lives and amphibious lives. This problem has been criticized scientifically and religiously. In 1990s on your calendar, fossils of the species called Tiktaalik were discovered and partial links were built, but not conclusively. Darwinism itself is a work-in-progress. Cognition and spirituality are also evolving over time.” I ask: “Religions shall be annotated to stay relevant with the changing reality?” “Yes,” says Mite. He signals to the sentinel. The guard opens the doors of the small rooms, all of them. I see a person in each room, dressed in ancient attire, writing manuscripts on a cloth paper, rolling down to the floor, very long. These people look familiar, but I can’t remember their names. I turn to Mite: “ are they amanuensis? ” “They are the saints, messengers or intellectuals of great influences in the human history. They have been working continuously for thousands of years to annotate the essence of all religions to be understood and followed as said by mutated human cognitions. ” I watch these great souls solemnly: “They are my inspirations!” I say to Mite. It is time for the most interesting and challenging question: “do you answer prayers?” Mite pauses for a few second, raises his head thoughtfully: “I hear every prayer from everywhere at all times. But I only answer pious and sincere cries for spiritual guide and comfort. Other calls for help will be at my discretion. I never leave empirical evidences for mankind to trace the grace. Holy miracles only exit in religions. I don’t need to prove anything, do I? ” “You don’t,” I agree loudly, “are you suggesting that human beings should become self-reliant and solve problems on their own?” Mite says: “I am not suggesting, I am challenging human brains to explore the expanse of the universe I created for their own benefits, philosophically, scientifically, technologically and religiously. Use whatever methodologies applicable and available, no restrictions. Your curiosity in macrocosm and microcosm does not impose a slightest threat or sacrilege to my supremacy. Environmental problems shall be solved ecologically, health problems neurologically, gynecologically, orthopedically, surgically etc. When you enter an impasse, a dead end, exhausted, desperate, you come to religions for spiritual rescues and inspirations.” I say: “There is a British philosopher called Francis Bacon who summarized it beautifully in sixteenth century. Let me quote it for you: ‘It is true, that a little philosophy inclineth man's mind to atheism; but depth in philosophy bringeth men's minds about to religion.’” Mite says: “well said indeed. There are brilliant human brains who proved to be closer to me than his fellow human beings. They are transcending souls to lead the human beings to enlightenments. They are human lighthouses built on my divinity power. I ask: “Can you name one?” Mite doesn’t hesitate, “Albeit Einstein. He blends science and imagination seamlessly to create a relative realty of the universe of time absorbing and space warping, beyond empirical proof but a close proxy of the Cosmo of the universe of my creating.” I am ostensibly delighted. Einstein is known as agnostic, skeptical of any deity. Mite proves to be beyond prejudice. I ask: “Any advice to the everlasting political saga on earth? ” Mite says: “Solve it wisely!” I laugh and say: “It sounds more like a wish than an advice.” Mite says: “It is a wish, but this wish goes to deaf ears. Miseries and sufferings caused by political strife are the results of human own stupidity. It is not my curse and I am saddened by it. It is a painful learning process for human beings and I choose not to intervene. It is the work of the cause-effect algorithms I created along with the universe, some religion calls it KARMA.” I ask: “ Is there an afterlife? ” Mite voice becomes stern: “You are nosy!” He sees me staring at the brightness behind him and knows what I looking for, his voice softens: “Eternity is an extension of a finite life.” I nod and lower my eyes. Knowing the end of the conversation is near, I ask the last question: “How to live a decent atheistic life?” “Live as if you never die, don’t die as if you never lived.” I stand up, bow slightly, walking slowly backward toward the wooden door. “That dove is a magician trick,” Mite raises his voice, jubilantly, “Dave Copperfield’s trick. ” Although unable to see Mite’s face, I can feel his smile. I smile back… 邂逅到此就结束了,灵魂回到了躯体。 疑虑依然存在,信念也没有改变,可心灵得到了一次从未有过的震撼和洗涤,轻松了,愉快了,升华了。。。 |