立足圣经原则 智慧参与政治

注释

Wayne Grudem, Politics According to the Bible: A Comprehensive Resource for Understanding Modern Political Issues in Light of Scripture: (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2010), 23–53。古德恩着重强调了关于基督教徒和政府的五种主要观点；他认为，这些观点都是错误的：政府应该强迫宗教，政府应该排斥宗教，所有政府都是邪恶的和属于魔鬼的，“传福音，而不问政治”，“做政治，就不要问福音”。他提出了一种模型，他称之为“基督教对政府的重大影响”，第55-76页。有一种对基督徒与文化和政治的关系的经典分类。即H. Richard Niebuhr, Christ and Culture (New York: Harper Collins, 1951)。尼布尔提出的五种选择是:“基督教反对文化”、“文化中的基督”、“基督高于文化”、“悖论中的基督与文化”和“基督改变文化”。
Carl Henry, The Uneasy Conscience of Modern Fundamentalism (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1947), 65.
事实上，这种认为基督徒将自己信仰带到公共场合中的做法违反了“政教分离”的理念，是进步派世俗精英普遍提出的一种批判观点。然而，这种批评并不公允，因为它误用了开国元勋的意图，这些立国者并没有打算在所有对上帝信仰的表达和公共生活的各方面之间竖起一道“隔离墙”。这种认为基督教神学在某种程度上与法律或政治对立的观点，乃是根植于一种观点，认为公共广场必须彻底去神圣化，只有世俗世界观才是允许的。
但是将上帝和圣经价值观从公共广场上撤离的作法，却是对世俗主义者的不必要让步，因为他们要求一种“价值中立”的公共广场。正如理查德•约翰•纽豪斯(Richard John Neuhaus)多年前提出的，必须将宗教信仰排除在公共话语之外的观点是错误的，其根基在于世俗价值是非宗教的错误信念。每个人走进公共广场时都会带着某种世界观，但归根结底什么才是正确的基本信念；每个人都有由总体元叙事构成的一种认同。
2006年，当时的参议员奥巴马强调政治道德基础的重要性。奥巴马明白，解决某些问题需要道德上的转变，他知道，在制定政策时，认为宗教信仰不起作用是错误的。他说:“世俗主义者要求信徒在进入公共广场之前离开宗教信仰，这是错误的。弗雷德里克·道格拉斯（Frederick Douglass）、亚伯拉罕·林肯（Abraham Lincoln）、威廉·詹宁斯·布莱恩（Willian Jennings Bryan）、多萝西·戴（Dorothy Day）、马丁·路德·金（Martin Luther King）——事实上，美国历史上大多数伟大的改革家——不仅是被信仰激励的，也在反复使用宗教语言来为自己的事业辩护。因此，说男人和女人不应该把他们的“个人道德”注入公共政策辩论中，这乃实际上是一种荒谬的主张。从定义上讲，我们的律法是道德的编纂，其中很大一部分是建立在犹太教和基督教传统的基础上的。” 奥巴马的内容引自: Michael Sandel, Justice: What’s the Right Thing to Do? (New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2009), 246.
Jonathan Leeman, Political Church: The Local Assembly as Embassy of Christ’s Rule (Downers Grove, Ill: IVP Academic, 2016), 83. 李曼引用朱迪斯·斯奎尔斯的观点认为，“政治” 如果构思得当的话，会成为一个比国家机构更广泛的概念。
Grudem, Politics According to the Bible: A Compre-hensive Resource for Understanding Modern Political Issues in Light of Scripture, 44.
Leeman, Political Church: The Local Assembly as Embassy of Christ’s Rule, 186. 李曼认为，关于《创世记》第9章我们要追问的制度性问题是，上帝赋予了谁权力去做什么？他认为，“上帝赋予人类使用刀剑的权力……这两节不可逃避的也是不可避免的含义就是，生活在社会中的各个群体必须组成或支持某个政府，一套有秩序的公开承认的制度程序，旨在公正地运用这套上帝所赋予的公义机制。”见李曼上文中的著作，第186-188页。
Timothy Keller, “How Do Christians Fit Into the Two-Party System? They Don’t,” The New York Times, September 29, 2018, accessed May 10, 2019, https://www.nytimes.com/2018/ 09/29/opinion/sunday/christians-politics-belief. html.
Leeman, Political Church: The Local Assembly as Embassy of Christ’s Rule, 85.
Kevin DeYoung, “The Church at Election Time,” The Gospel Coalition, October 3, 2018, accessed May 10, 2019, https:// www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/kevin-deyoung/church-elec- tion-time/
在世界上其他存在多党制的地方(如欧洲和加勒比地区)，基督徒必须与政府议会制度的复杂性作斗争。虽然在多政党国家的基督徒可能以不同方式参与政治，但本公开报告提供的问题分析仍然适用。
即使今天在这些系统已经就位的地方，也没有一个明确的“基督教政党”让这些国家的所有基督徒团结起来。
Alexander Hamilton, “The Federalist No. 22,” December 14, 1787, Constitution Society, accessed May 10, 2019, https:// www.constitution.org/fed/federa22.htm.
Leeman, Political Church: The Local Assembly as Embassy of Christ’s Rule, 50.
DeYoung, “The Church at Election Time.”
Frank Freidel and Hugh Sidey, “Millard Fillmore,” The White House, accessed May 10, 2019, https://www.white- house.gov/about-the-white-house/presidents/millard-fill-more/.
更多关于圣经对未出生的人的教导，请参见大卫·克洛松，《反堕胎参与的圣经原则：人格、圣经和教会历史》，家庭研究委员会，2019年; online at: frc.org/ unborn.
For more on what the Bible teaches about marriage and sexuality, see FRC.org/worldview.
“Republican Platform 2016,” 2016 Republican Na- tional Convention, 2016, https://prod-cdn-static.gop.com/media/ documents/DRAFT_12_FINAL%5B1%5Dben_1468872234. pdf.
“2016 Democratic Party Platform,” Democratic Platform Committee, 2016, 17, https://democrats.org/wp-content/ uploads/2018/10/2016_DNC_Platform.pdf.
“Bill Clinton on Abortion,” OnTheIssues, accessed May 10, 2019,https://www.ontheissues.org/Celeb/Bill_Clinton_Abortion.htm.
“1992 Democratic Platform,” The American Presidency Project, accessed May 10, 2019, https://www.presidency.ucsb. edu/documents/1992-democratic-party-platform.
“2016 Democratic Party Platform,” 33.
Maggie Astor, “How the 2020 Democrats Responded to an Abortion Survey,” The New York Times, November 25, 2019, accessed April 17, 2020, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/25/ us/politics/democratic-candidates-abor-tion-survey.html.
Sam Sawyer, “Explainer: What New York’s new abortion law does and doesn’t do,” America Magazine, January 30, 2019, accessed May 10, 2019, https://www.americamagazine.org/ rha2019.
“Kathy Tran Presents Virginia Third Trimester Abortion Bill in Committee,” The Republican Standard, January 29, 2019, accessed May 10, 2019, https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=OMFzZ5I30dg.
“VA Gov On Abortion: ‘Infant would be resuscitated if that’s what the mother and the family desired’,” Hannah Cortez, January 30, 2019, accessed May 10, 2019, https://www. you- tube.com/watch?v=SkTopSKo1xs.
Ben Sasse, “Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act,” No.S. 311 (2019), https://www.congress.gov/bill/116thcon- gress/senate-bill/311.
包括参议院少数党领袖查克·舒默(纽约州民主党)在内的几名民主党人，就该法案公然散布谎言，声称它会侵犯妇女堕胎的权利。然而，正如该法案的发起人Ben Sasse(内布拉斯加州共和党人)多次指出的那样，该法案只适用于那些在失败的堕胎中存活下来的婴儿。最后的点名投票结果是53 比44(需要60票)。没有共和党参议员投反对票，只有三名民主党参议员(曼钦、琼斯和凯西)投了赞成票。参见Alex Swoyer，“参议院民主党人阻止共和党的反杀婴法案，”The Washington Times, February 25, 2019, 33 accessed May 10,2019, https://www.washingtontimes.com/ news/2019/feb/25/ senate-demo-crats-block-republicans-antiinfanticid/.
To view video of 75 of the 80 requests, see: https://www. youtube.com/watch?v=vaA5PA2BOcw&list=PLytHy7PQx- OT7cvLIwmh0zqDPQ336uN9yS.
For the full efforts undertaken by House Republicans related to the Born Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, see: https://www.republicanwhip.gov/endinfanticide/.
参议院在“有痛苦能力”的表决中以53票对44票，在“生而有生命”的表决中以56票对41票。投票在很大程度上是按照党派路线进行的。两位民主党人(凯西和曼钦)投票支持“痛能力”，三位民主党人(卡西、曼钦和琼斯)投票支持“生而有命”。所有共和党人都投票支持Born-Alive，而两名共和党人(柯林斯和穆尔科斯基)投票反对Pain-Capable。目前正在竞选总统的三位民主党参议员(克洛布查、桑德斯和沃伦) 没有出席投票，尽管过去所有人都投票反对这两项措施。参见大卫· 克洛松，《冷酷无情:参议院未能维护人类尊严》， Family Research Council, Febru- ary 26, 2020,accessed April 27, 2020, https://www.frcblog.com/2020/02/ callous-and-cruel-senate-fails-uphold-hu-man-dignity/.
“Statement of Administrative Policy,” Executive Office of the President Office of Management and Budget, February 25, 2020, https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/up-loads/2020/ 02/SAP_S-3275-and-S-311.pdf.
“Republican Platform 2016,” 2016 Republican National Con- vention,10,31,https://prod-cdn-stat-ic.gop.com/media/docu- ments/DRAFT_12_FINAL%5B1%5D-ben_1468872234.pdf.
“2016 Democratic Party Platform,” Democratic Platform Committee, 2016, 17, 41, https://democrats.org/wp-content/ uploads/2018/10/2016_DNC_Platform.pdf.
U.S. Congress, House, Equality Act, HR 5, 116th Cong., 1st sess., introduced in House March 3, 2019, https://www. congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/5/text.
Leeman, Political Church: The Local Assembly as Embassy of Christ’s Rule, 377.
“Civil Rights Act of 1964,” H.R. 7152 (1964), https://www. govtrack.us/congress/votes/88-1964/h182. 在众议院，有153 名民主党人和136名共和党人投票支持该法案; 91名民主党人和35名共和党人投了反对票。在参议院，46名民主党人和27名共和党人投了赞成票；21名民主党人和6名共和党人投票反对该法案。
“Final Vote Results For Roll Call 215,” U.S. House of Rep- resentatives, accessed May 13, 2019, http://clerk.house. gov/ evs/2018/roll215.xml.
“Criminal Justice Fact Sheet,” NAACP, accessed May 13, 2019, https://www.naacp.org/criminal-justice-fact-sheet/.
David Closson, “What human dignity has to do with criminal justice reform,” Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, July 12, 2017, accessed May 13, 2019, https:// erlc. com/resource- library/articles/what-human-dignity-has-to-do-with-criminal-justice-reform.
“Databases, Tables & Calculators by Subject,” Bureau of Labor Statistics, accessed May 13, 2019, https://data.bls.gov/ timeseries/LNS14000006.
Paul Davidson, “Jobs report: Black teen unemployment fell to 19.3 percent in September, lowest on record,” USA Today, October 5, 2018, accessed May 13, 2019, https://www. usato- day.com/story/money/2018/10/05/jobs-report-blackteen-un- employment-lowest-record/1536572002/.
Andrew T. Walker, “Why we should work to overturn abortion laws,” Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, August 28, 2018, accessed May 13, 2019, https://erlc.com/ resource-library/ articles/why-we-should-work-to-overturn-abortion-laws/.
Jeff Stein, “We asked 8 political scientists if party platforms matter. Here’s what we learned.,” Vox, July 12, 2016, accessed May 13, 2019, https://www.vox.com/2016/7/12/12060358/ political-science-of-platforms
“Albert Mohler | T4G Ask Anything,” Southern Seminary, April 15, 2020, https://www.youtube.com/watch?timecon- tinue=2451&v=E5TxKP7uiGo&feature=emb_title. Mohler’s comments on the 2020 presidential election begin at 41:00; the quote cited here begins at 47:17.
请注意，美国基督徒在政治方面面临的挑战并不是独一无二的；我们在其他国家的兄弟姐妹也面临着同样的紧张局势。这是因为没有“基督教”政党；即使是在几十个政党参加任何一次选举的国家，也没有哪个政党会完全符合圣经。在到达天堂之前，有信心的基督徒总是要从不太完美的选项中做出选择。智慧、祷告和忠告，乃是基督教政治参与不可或缺的要素。生活在允许公民参与选举进程的国家的基督徒，应该为他们享有的自由感恩，并牢记世界各地的许多基督徒没有这些特权。因此，虽然没有一个政治制度是完美的，但能参与选择政府的基督徒应该怀着感激之情这样做，并寻求根据本出版物中概述的圣经原则来作出决定。