93。善与恶,悔改与饶恕:美女子体操运动员性侵受害者的证词
作者:小草
2018年1月底,美国庭审前女子体操队队医 Larry Nassar 的性侵案。Larry Nassar被指控,在他长达几十年的行医生涯中,性侵了众多的女童和年轻女子体操运动员,据报有100多起。在听证会上,一位16年前的受害者,美前女子体操运动员 Rachael Denhollander 的证词特别引人注目。Rachael 是一位基督徒,在她的证词里,她勇敢、清楚地表达了她从基督教信仰而来的理念。
(注:图片截自《今日基督教》 The Screenshot was taken from Christianity Today)
Rachel 的勇敢和坚毅,不仅受到美国基督教界一些牧者的欣赏和支持,当场也受到法官的赞扬,法官称,Rachael 是她在法庭上见过的最勇敢的女子。美南浸信会神学院院长 Albert Mohler 称赞 Rachael 在法庭上作了美好的福音见证。昨天(1月31日),美国 Christianity Today《今日基督教》杂志也发表了对Rachael 的长篇访谈。在 Rachael 的证词里,有下面这两段话,我觉得讲得很好。
第一段是有关善与恶。在当代善恶不分,甚至是善恶颠倒的时代,唯独圣经能清楚地教导我们何为善,何为恶。Rachael 说,善恶的分界线是存在的,这个分界线不是基于任何个人的看法。当一个人丧失了善恶观,他也就不知何为善,也不再能享受美善。
Rachael 的原话如下:
Larry, I can call what you did evil and wicked because it was. And I know it was evil and wicked because the straight line exists. The straight line is not measured based on your perception or anyone else's perception, and this means I can speak the truth about my abuse without minimization or mitigation. And I can call it evil because I know what goodness is. And this is why I pity you. Because when a person loses the ability to define good and evil, when they cannot define evil, they can no longer define and enjoy what is truly good. When a person can harm another human being, especially a child, without true guilt, they have lost the ability to truly love.
第二段是有关饶恕与悔。面对罪恶,不少所谓的基督徒说,谁没有罪?大家不都是罪人吗?神饶恕我们,我们也要饶恕人。这样的说辞,不仅不谴责和对付罪,还反过来指责指控罪恶的人是自义,这样的作法完全不是圣经所教导的。神在世上设立政府,赐予他们权柄,叫作恶的惧怕,政权“不是空空的佩剑.他是 神的用人、是伸冤的、刑罚那作恶的。”(罗13:4)所以,作恶的当受刑罚,而不是以爱的名义对罪恶纵容,否则公义怎么彰显?
经上说,“ 遮掩自己罪过的,必不亨通;承认离弃罪过的,必蒙怜恤。”(箴28:13)不认罪悔改的人,其罪恶是不可饶恕的。唯独承认离弃罪过的,才能得怜恤被饶恕。Rachael 说得好,饶恕不是来自做好事,好行为不能抹去罪恶,饶恕只能来自悔改。
Rachael 的原话如下:
You spoke of praying for forgiveness, but Larry if you have read the Bible you carry, you know forgiveness does not come from doing good things, as if good deeds can erase what you have done. It comes from repentance. Which requires facing and acknowledging the truth about what you have done in all of its utter depravity and horror, without mitigation, without excuse, without acting as if good deeds can erase what you have seen in this courtroom today.