於2013-11-07發佈

大使命43

基督教和馬克斯主義

這週我們繼續來研讀馬克斯主義的基本概念,正如我們上週已經談到,馬克斯主義的二個最基本訓誡是:1) 個人毫無價值。2) 沒有私有財產這種東西。在真正的馬克斯主義下,每一件事都關乎集體,每一件事都屬於集體─國家。

我們可能會抗議說,共產主義的中國現在擁有獲利很大的私有企業和產業。的確沒錯,中國政府從基本的馬克斯主義信條中做了意圖上與制度上的突破。在他們已發表對西方的研究報告中,他們開始瞭解個人的行動力是激發文明進步的力量,這些力量是透過基督教而來。

雖然有許多西方國家轉向敵視基督教,但他們昌盛的根基是建造在基督教的基本原則上,特別是經由宗教改革。在宗教改革以前,連教會都成為超大型的集體組織,要成為教會的會友才能得著救恩。宗教改革則強調救恩是個人化的,一個人必須擁有個人對基督的信仰才能得救。這給予個人無限的價值與重要性,還有責任。這當然與馬克斯主義的集體教義相反,馬克斯主義的論述是個人『毫無價值』。

在許多基本方面,馬克斯主義和真正合乎聖經的基督教完全背道而馳。馬克斯瞭解此,那即是何以他的其中一個基本目標就是要摧毀基督教。在他們的純正形式上,基督教和馬克斯主義無法共存。

若沒有對人民的控制,馬克斯主義便無法存在,包括對人民的思想和信仰上的控制。馬克斯主義無法容忍任何偏差,這就是何以奉行馬克斯主義的國家很快就變成充滿警察的地方。在奉行馬克斯主義的國家裡,每一件東西都屬於集體,特別是人。因此,他們可以隨時將你、你的小孩、配偶帶走,隨他們高興。奉行馬克斯主義的國家會在每一個群體或鄰舍中利用一些人,只為了讓人民恐懼,方便控制。

當鐵幕垮台了,那些曾在其背後生活的人終於可以沒有懼怕的來談論這些經歷,在共產主義之下生活的可怕故事,超遠過大部分西方人士所能想像。我花了好幾小時和東歐的人談話,他們的故事聽起來都很像。每一個晚上他們躺在床上,在天亮前隨時都可能被帶走。幾乎每一個晚上,他們都會聽到鄰舍的某某某被帶走了。

近乎世界一半的人口生活在這種從所未有的暴政下,現在他們漸漸在經歷自由,而那些生活在自由地區的人反而慢慢滑向極權掌控之下更可怕的暴政。現在實行馬克斯主義會比從前在東歐和亞洲的狀況更糟,因為現在要極權控制的科技太先進。令人匪夷所思的是,馬克斯主義的意識型態和哲學現在被許多西方的公立學校教導與稱讚,包括在美國的學校,其觸角正緊抓住不放。

『倘若你不改變方向,你最後會在你所前往的地方。』令人難以理解的是,若不改變方向,西方正朝向馬克斯極權暴政主義前進。你越瞭解馬克斯,就越清楚看見此。

當然,改變方向是我們的盼望,那唯有來自光照,而這是教會基本的委任─成為『世界的光』。我們必須起來對抗此終極黑暗─一個最致命與邪惡的地獄之門,否則大災難最恐怖的統治將臨到我們自己的國家。這是可以避免的,但若教會沒有甦醒過來,成為所蒙召的守望者,它將無法避免。

(摘自喬納 word for the week, Week 43, 2013)

The Great Commission, Week 43
Christianity and Marxism, Week 43
Rick Joyner

This week we continue our study of the basics of Marxism. As we already covered, the two most basic precepts of Marxism are: 1) Individuals have no value, 2) There is no such thing as private property. Under pure Marxism, everything is about the collective, and everything belongs to the collective—the state.

We may protest that in Communist China now there is a great proliferation of private enterprise and private property. This is true, and the government of China has made a very intentional and systematic break from the basic tenets of Marxism. In their published studies of the West, they began to understand that the power of personal incentive and initiative were the powers that have driven the advance of civilization and that these were released through Christianity.

Although many Western nations have turned against Christianity, the foundation of their prosperity is built on the basic principles of Christianity, especially through the Reformation. Before the Reformation, even the church had become a giant collective and salvation was attained by becoming a member of the church. The Reformation emphasized that salvation was personal—one had to have personal faith in Christ to be saved. This gave infinite value and importance to the individual, as well as responsibility. This is, of course, contrary to the Marxist doctrine of the collective and the Marxist statement that the individual has “no value.”

In many basic ways, Marxism and true, biblical Christianity are exactly opposite to one another. Marx realized this, which is why one of his basic goals was the destruction of Christianity. In their pure forms, Christianity and Marxism cannot coexist.

Marxism cannot exist without absolute control over people, including people’s thought and beliefs. No deviations could be tolerated, which is why Marxist states quickly became police states. In Marxists states, everything belongs to the collective, including and especially people. Therefore, they could come at any time and take you, your children, your spouse, and do with them what they pleased. It was the practice of Marxist states to seize some in every group or neighborhood on a regular basis just to keep the population in fear and, therefore, in check.

When the Iron Curtain fell and those who had lived behind it could finally talk about their experience without fear, the horror stories of their lives under Communism was beyond the imagination of most Westerners. I spent many hours talking to Eastern Europeans and the stories were virtually identical with each one. They were made to be sub-human automatons. Fear of seizure was constant. Every night they lay in bed expecting to be taken before morning. Almost every night, they heard someone in the neighborhood being taken.

Nearly half of the world’s population lived under this unprecedented tyranny. They are now gradually experiencing freedom, while those who have lived in freedom are gradually slipping under what will likely be an ever more terrible tyranny of totalitarian control. Applied Marxism now will be much worse than that which dominated Eastern Europe and much of Asia, because the technology for totalitarian control is now so much more advanced. As incomprehensible as it is, Marxist ideology and philosophy is now being taught and praised throughout many Western public school systems, including schools in the United States, and its tentacles are tightening their grip.

“If you do not change your direction, you will end up where you are headed.” As incomprehensible as it is, without a change of direction, the West is headed for Marxist totalitarian tyranny. The more you understand Marxism, the clearer this becomes.

Of course, the hope is that we change our direction. That will only come with illumination, which is a basic mandate of the church—to be “the light of the world.” We must stand up against this ultimate darkness, one of the most deadly and evil gates of hell, or the worst of the tribulation’s terror will come upon our own nations. This does not have to happen, but it will if the church does not wake up and become the watchman it is called to be.