实用主义与教会 Pragmatism and the Church
作者: Rev. Lane
Keister 翻译: 骆鸿铭
第四颗“狼牙”是实用主义（pragmatism），这是非常有特色的。说不出来有多少次，我听到人们以此为基础来作决定，完全不管圣经说什么。这是Sittema对实用主义所下的精彩的定义：“实用主义的意思是，首先你决定一个行动是不是实用，它会带给你快乐还是痛苦，以此过程你决定这件事是对的，还是错的。”（67页）“对”的事就是会带给我快乐的事；“错”的事就是会增加我痛苦的事。你的婚姻有困难吗？实用主义的对策是：离开这个婚姻，不管这种的离婚是否有圣经的根据。不小心怀孕妨碍到你的生活？去堕胎，把小孩拿掉就好了。我们不需要担心圣经说什么，是吗？这就是实用主义的对策，而这是世俗生活哲学的重要组成部分。每一件事都要放在快乐和痛苦，或方便、对我有利的天平上来计算。但是你是否注意到这种哲学的结果是什么？圣经被抛诸脑后。突然之间，圣经说了什么都不重要了，重要的是，它很有效。另一个例子：如果教会中缺少愿意服事的弟兄，而既然我们需要领袖，为什么不选举一个女人来填补这个职位呢？实用主义就推翻了圣经的命令。这是非常阴险的哲学，因为它颠覆了神的律法，就构成了对律法的颁布者，神自己的权威的直接攻击。
The fourth tooth of
the wolf is pragmatism, and it is a real doozy. I can’t tell how many times
I’ve seen people make decisions on this basis, completely ignoring what the
Bible might say. Here is Sittema’s excellent definition of pragmatism:
“Pragmatism means first you determine whether an act seems practical, whether
its consequences bring you pleasure or pain, and by that process you determine
what is right or wrong” (p. 67). What is right is what will increase my
pleasure. What is wrong is what will increase my pain. Have a difficult
marriage? The pragmatic approach says get out, whether or not such a divorce
has biblical grounds or not. Have an unwanted pregnancy that will cramp your
style? Just get rid of the child in an abortion. We don’t need to worry about
what the Bible says, do we? This is the approach of pragmatism, and it is part
and parcel of the world’s philosophy of life. Everything is calculated down to
a nicety on the scale of pleasure and pain, or convenience, or advantage. But
have you noticed what happens in such a philosophy? The Bible gets thrown out
the window. All of a sudden, it doesn’t matter anymore what the Bible says.
What matters is what will work. Another example: if a church is getting low on
men who are willing to lead, then since we have to have leaders, why not elect
a woman to fill the spot? Pragmatism over-rides the Biblical mandates. This is
a very insidious philosophy, since it overturns the law of God, thus
constituting a direct attack on the authority of the Law-giver, God Himself.
Sittema说到，实用主义不是讲求实际（68页）。我们必须把“实用”（pragmatic）和“实际”（practical）分开。它们不是同一件事。真正的实际是把圣经说了什么，放在我们的对策中。“实用”的意思是把圣经抛诸脑后。因此，让人很难相信的是，有时候“实际”和“实用”事实上是完全相反的。
Sittema makes the
excellent point that pragmatism is NOT practical (p. 68). We must distinguish
between “pragmatic” and
“practical.” They are not the same thing. Being truly practical means putting
into practice what the Bible says. Being pragmatic means throwing out what the
Bible says. Hard to believe as it may seem, therefore, oftentimes “practical”
and “pragmatic” are actually complete opposites.
要如何对抗这种哲学呢？Sittema的建议是：1. 当长老探访他的羊群时，多问问“为什么”。实用主义并不是很难发现。多数的时候，只是茫无头绪地按直觉行事，完全不考虑圣经说了什么。2. 教导神的标准是永恒不变的真理。神不变的律法决定什么是对的，什么是错的，不是什么会带给我们世界的快乐。3. 和年轻人讨论一些案例，使他们看到人作选择的方式是如此地不同，让他们清楚神说了什么。我会加上第四点，常常把神的律法以及所有必要的警告摆在人面前要区别律法的三重功用，等等）。
Sittema’s suggestions for combating this philosophy: 1.
Ask “why” a lot as the elder visits his flock. Pragmatism is not that difficult
to detect. Most of the time, it is a simple “fly by the seat of the pants”
approach without any biblical considerations coming into play whatsoever. 2.
Teach God’s standards as eternal, unchangeable truths. God’s unchanging law
determines what is right and wrong, not what brings worldly happiness. 3.
Discuss case studies with the youth and enable them to see the radically
different ways that people make choices, and make clear to them what God says.
I would add 4. Keep the law in front of the people often, with all the caveats
that needs (distinguishing among the three uses of the law, etc.).
