本人與神的對話越來越深入，涉及到科學與宗教的關係，宗教作用和神明對人類的期待等等， 沒有掩飾，沒有誇張。 本人當時就想，寧願冒犯，也要把真實想法陳述出來。 神明對每一個問題都作了回答，這些答案有的可以用智慧和常識去領悟，有些則超出了本人的智慧。本人把這一切都仔仔細細的記錄下來，也許有著更高智慧的讀者能從本人與神明對話裏領悟出本人力所不能及的東西。
“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, it is 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 solutions.”
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…
邂逅到此就結束了，靈魂回到了軀體。 疑慮依然存在，信念也沒有改變，可心靈得到了一次從未有過的震撼和洗滌，輕鬆了，愉快了，升華了。。。
譯文 （不全）：
本人與神的對話越來越深入,涉及到 科學與宗教的關係,宗教作用和神明對人 類的期待等等, 沒有掩飾,沒有誇張。 本 人當時就想,寧願冒犯,也要把真實想法 陳述出來。 神明對每一個問題都作了回答, 這些答案有的可以用智慧和常識去領悟, 有些則超出了本人的智慧。本人把這一切 都仔仔細細的記錄下來,也許有著更高智 慧的讀者能從本人與神明對話裏領悟出本 人力所不能及的東西。
“我能否認為您並沒有宗教的偏好?” 我 問道。
“你有嗎?” 麥特反問道。
“當然沒有,我是無神論者。”
“偏好是一種偏袒, 百害而無一利,蓄意不良,後果嚴重。 父母的偏袒導致兄弟 姊妹間的不合;統治者的偏袒造成社會的 分裂。 宗教上的偏好形成宗教間的仇恨。 所以,我對於教義勵誌,鼓勵人行善向上 的宗教持絕對的中立態度。”
達爾文主義是我們無神論者知識分子 信奉的真理,我早期曾積極參與教會活動, 但由於無法調和宗教的創造論和進化論之 間的分歧,終於退卻,沒有受洗禮。 這種 分歧對於我來說難以克服。 我告訴麥特這 個過程,然後說:“雖然主意已經拿定,但 還是想聽聽您的看法。”
麥特口氣變得嚴肅:“達爾文學說是一 種建立在化石和其他證據上的生物進化學 說,成就巨大,但疑問頗多。最引人入勝 的疑問莫過於所謂的 „海洋生物?和„兩棲動 物?的鏈接性動物化石從未被發現。這個遺 漏一直為宗教和科學所質疑。這種質疑一 直到你們日曆上的 20 世紀末期提帶腿的塔 利克魚化石被發現才得到部分解答,但尚 未形成定論。 所以, 達爾文主義本身也在 „進化?,人類的宗教認知和精神追求也在不 斷的變化之中。”
我問: “所以,宗教會隨著社會現實和科 學的發展而變遷?”
達爾文主義是我們無神論者知識分子 信奉的真理,我早期曾積極參與教會活動, 但由於無法調和宗教的創造論和進化論之 間的分歧,終於退卻,沒有受洗禮。 這種 分歧對於我來說難以克服。 我告訴麥特這 個過程,然後說:“雖然主意已經拿定,但 還是想聽聽您的看法。”
麥特口氣變得嚴肅:“達爾文學說是一 種建立在化石和其他證據上的生物進化學 說,成就巨大,但疑問頗多。最引人入勝 的疑問莫過於所謂的 „海洋生物?和„兩棲動 物?的鏈接性動物化石從未被發現。這個遺 漏一直為宗教和科學所質疑。這種質疑一 直到你們日曆上的 20 世紀末期提帶腿的塔 利克魚化石被發現才得到部分解答,但尚 未形成定論。 所以, 達爾文主義本身也在 „進化?,人類的宗教認知和精神追求也在不 斷的變化之中。”
我問: “所以,宗教會隨著社會現實和科學的發展而變遷?” 。。。。
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