没有基督教，没有兄弟之爱，美国将一无是处（中英文版）

今天我们在讨论美国社会时，再也听不到兄弟之爱这几个字，当问到什么是美国人时？大多数人认为能够信奉、信仰美国宪法就是美国人，所有的美国人都应该团结在宪法之下，这些也是公民常识教育中所传授的内容，美国入籍的宣誓词也是支持与捍卫美国宪法。许多人移民美国，就是冲着它的民主、自由、平等以及能带来财富、事业的美国梦，我想现在没有人移民美国是为了兄弟之爱这四个字了，也没人知道温斯罗普这个国父，更没人知道他前往北美建立山巅之城，建立未来美国的目的是为了兄弟之爱。可没有了兄弟之爱，真的有民主、自由、平等？真的有美国梦吗？ 

我们可以发现，民主选举除了在新教国家可以稳定地维持几百年，在其他社会都很难长期存在，为什么会这样？因为新教国家大家共同信仰上帝，信奉同一本圣经，相信上帝之下人人平等，大家充满着兄弟之爱，在处理如何产生自己的管理人员，解决矛盾、争端等重大事务时，因为坚信每个人都是完全平等的兄弟，任何人都没有凌驾于别人之上的权利，所以一定会以大多数同意的民主原则，决定这些重大事务。所以这里包含着三个至关重要的内容：其一由于民主选举与宗教信仰紧密关联的。而宗教信仰总是永生、永恒，终极世界联系在一起，人们必然会神圣虔诚地对待手中的选票，不可能出现贿选、赂选，更不可能出现其他更严重的败坏选举的行为，因为这些行为必然定会被认为是亵渎上帝、忤逆上帝的，是败坏堕落的，将使人们失去进入天堂的机会。其二是，民主选举是与人人平等联系一起。因为只有信仰人人平等才可能坚持多数决定的原则，否则，将是另外一回事。例如在没有信仰的世俗社会里，呈现在每个人眼前的事实就是，人与人之间明显是不平等的，作为强者根本就不可能认为民主选举有何用？他们打心眼里瞧不起弱者，更不可能让自己的命运由他们决定？在这样的社会里即使实行民主选举，这些强者必然会使用贿选、赂选等各种手段去破坏控制选举，最后赢得选举自然是他们。他们认为这是理所应当的事，人有三六九等，高低上下之分，最后掌控社会必须是强者，否则整个社会必将乱套，必将陷于混乱无序中。这种现象，我们可以在除了新教国家外的大多数所谓的民主国家中发现，东南亚、非洲、拉丁美洲，甚至欧洲的一些天主教国家也是如此。可以这么说即使与新教一样同为基督教的一部分，但没有一个天主教国家可以逃脱，由民主选举堕入强者独裁的命运，法国的拿破仑、德国的希特勒、意大利的墨索米尼、西班牙的佛朗哥等等，因为天主教不相信上帝之下人人平等，他们信奉等级制的教阶，信奉教皇、红衣主教、大主教、主教等，依次而下的等级秩序，欧洲的天主教国家尚且如此，就更不要说其他社会了。其三是，民主选举与兄弟之爱是密切相关的。在一个充满着兄弟之爱的社会里进行选举，由于大家长期以来互相关心、互相关爱，有着兄弟般的情谊，所以胜固可喜，败也欣然，大家互相尊重，绝不会有任何败坏选举的行为。

欧洲天主教国家独裁者的上台之路，难道不就是这样的吗？从慢慢破坏选举规则开始，进而操纵选举，最后通过武装人员暴力控制选举，当希特勒的党卫军手拿冲锋枪，五步一哨，十步一岗时，你除了选希特勒，还敢选谁？所以我对美国的未来没有半点的信心，失去了温斯罗普上帝山巅之城的第一要素，美国的立国之本——兄弟之爱，美国同样越来越堕落，越来越走在产生独裁者的老路上。如今的美国社会共和党、民主党之间已经完全没有了兄弟之爱，民主选举已经成为一场战争，一场你死我活的利益之争。从早期的美国总统竞选中我们可以看到，虽然各方也互相攻击，但气氛是平和、文明的。可今天已经完全不一样，代表基督教保守势力的共和党，与代表反宗教信仰、鼓吹无条件平等的民主党之间，泾渭分明、判若鸿沟，社会已经严重撕裂，选战中硝烟弥漫、恶语相向，甚至破口大骂。二年前，希拉里与川普的总统选战中这些现象最为明显，希拉里攻击川普猥亵和侮辱女性，而川普针锋相对，他说，比起自己侮辱女性的言论，希拉里老公比尔•克林顿伤害的女性就太多了，而希拉里则“企图欺骗美国”，连自己老公都满足不了，还想满足整个美国。川普当选总统后，民主党仍然穷追猛打，民主党议员叫嚣鼓动人们暗杀川普，新闻主持人手拿着川普血淋淋的头颅雕像，喜剧明星在集会上公开嘲笑他，而川普总统同样也毫不客气，睚眦必报，他同样什么词都用上了，“垃圾，愚蠢，骗子”等等。当然我不是说生活中人与人之间，必须永远温文尔雅、彬彬有礼，不能说不能互相指责批评，但是至少不应该这样恶毒、赤裸裸、毫无顾忌。而从几天前美国的中期选举来看，情况就更不容乐观了，民主党在这次中期选举中多次造假，使用伪造选票、非选民投票，甚至使用已经死亡选民的身份投票，这样发展下去，必然有一天会发展到赂选、贿选、暴力控制投票等更严重的败坏选举行为。并且由于知识分子天然的反宗教信仰倾向，民主党与美国媒体天然一体，沆瀣一气，这些美国媒体为了自身的利益罔顾事实、良心，完全失去了新闻公平公正原则，更不要说兄弟之爱，一边倒地谴责辱骂川普，他们信奉戈培尔的谎言重复千遍就是真理，非要把敢于与号称无冕之王的媒体对抗的川普，赶下台，这已经完全不是一个有着兄弟之爱传统的社会，应有的现象。而共和党同样有着一般民众胆小怕事、不惹是生非的致命缺陷，得过且过，不敢抗争，如此长此以往必然使整个社会，由造假、坑蒙拐骗、使用暴力、信奉谎言的人所控制，那么在这种环境下产生领导人，这样逆淘汰出来的领导人，品德、素质可想而知，于是社会就逐渐退化为世俗社会，抛弃人人平等，逐渐相信人有高低贵贱之分，相信自己是一位英明、伟大的舵手，因为失去了信仰，失去了上帝，这是很自然的想法，于是整个社会就很自然地走向了独裁。不要以为我这是信口胡说，美国一些社会学家已经在考虑选票的权重，也就是说影响力越大的人，他的选票可以抵上几千甚至几万张选票，这表明美国已经在慢慢抛弃人人平等、逐渐堕落的过程了。所以我个人并不看好美国的前景，美国已经离上帝，兄弟之爱太远了，今天的美国已经无人提及兄弟之爱，甚至大多数政治家可能都不知道，温斯罗普这篇建造山巅之城的布道文，早已将兄弟之爱这个山巅之城的基石，忘得干干净净，可离开了兄弟之爱，离开这个基石，山巅之城总有一天会倒塌，美国也总有一天会分崩离析。

民主选举从来不可能用来解决信仰、价值观之争，也不是世俗社会解决赤裸裸利益之争的方法，它只是相信上帝之下人人平等、充满着兄弟之爱的社会里，兄弟之间协商解决问题的一种方式，离开这个前提，根本就不可能有真正的民主选举。人类历史上从来没有出现过两种宗教信仰各占人口一半，却能够融洽地长期存在的国家，信仰、价值观之争只能通过战争，或者国家分裂为几个独立国家来解决，根本不可能通过民主选举的方式。例如，从来没有出现过一个一半基督教人口，一半伊斯兰教人口的国家。同时就是由于这些原因，印度与巴基斯坦分裂为两个国家，南联盟分裂为几个小国家，南联盟的例子最为明显，因为它分裂出的国家就是以宗教信仰来划分。而在中国古代的世俗社会里，赤裸裸的利益之争，同样不可能通过民主选举来解决，因为谁也不相信对方，谁也不会接受不利于自己的选举结果，唯一解决的方式就是武力、战争，这也是古代中国从来只有通过战争形成大一统，而不可能以和平方式形成联邦的原因。

从表面现象来看，希特勒和他的纳粹党是按照合法程序，被选民推上台的，但希特勒及其纳粹党，合法途径夺权背后的几乎所有手段，都是非法的，都是对宪法原则的公然践踏。远在1921年7月，希特勒取得对纳粹党的领导权后，立即着手建立纳粹党的武装力量，同年8月，专门负责在他举行集会时维持“秩序”的那些武斗队，演变成为一个身着戎装的准军事组织。正是这个武装力量，在希特勒夺取政权的过程中，起到了不可替代的作用，成了一个肆意破坏民主宪政的冲锋队。到1933年为止，冲锋队在全国挑起的武斗案件达4万起，连续不断地制造了恐怖事件，他们进行的殴斗、谋杀、爆炸和暗害活动，扼杀了一切进行的政治讨论及反对者的政治空间，使德国陷入了比第一次世界大战后，更为严重和混乱的局势，冲锋队为希特勒上台冲锋陷阵，立下了汗马功劳。不久，希特勒不断壮大自己的贴身卫队——党卫队，以取代冲锋队位置，而党卫队只效忠希特勒一人，同时具有军事性质和秘密警察性质。到三十年代中期，党卫队的4.5万名秘密警察已分布于全国，监视着敌视政府的一切活动，它的6.5万名保安警察和280万名风纪警察，保卫着希特勒的安全，它的4万名看守人员，在20座集中营和附近的160座劳动营，残酷迫害无辜的“犯人”和反法西斯战士，它的10万名保安处情报人员，密切地监视着国民的思想动向，几乎控制着整个德意志民族。由此可见，希特勒在实际上是，一直以破坏和摈弃民主程序的各种强力手段，来夺取最高权力的，而不是依靠遵守民主的程序和规则，达到这一目的的。

“德国历史上的 “魏玛宪法”从纸面上来说，几乎是二十世纪最自由、最民主的宪法之一。它的结构之严密几乎到了完善的程度，其中不乏设想巧妙、令人钦佩的条文，看来似乎足以保证一种几乎完善无疵的，民主制度的实行。”（《第三帝国的兴亡纳粹德国史》85页）然而“魏玛宪法”失败了，因为再精巧、再复杂的设计，都抵御不了人性的贪婪堕落，同样也抵御不了一般民众的贪生怕死、胆小怕事，而恰巧当时是德国基督教信仰最稀薄的时候，否则很难相信，会这样狂热地崇拜一个不是上帝的凡人。民主选举并不是很稀奇的事，在人类的不同时期都曾经存在过，但都无法长久地坚持下来，就是因为人性使然，民主、自由、平等其实是最反人性的，与我们现实中接触的常识是完全相反的。民主选举只有建立在上帝之下人人平等，兄弟之爱的基础上才是最牢固、最可靠的，这也是迄今为止人类历史经验所证明的，所以说对于一个越来越远离上帝，越来越远离兄弟之爱的美国，我是一点信心都没有。

注：

①《The Bad Citizen in Classical Athens》By Matthew R.  Christ. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2006.

When we talk about American society today, we no longer hear the words “brotherly love”. When asked what is American? Most people think whoever believes in and trusts in the United States constitution is an American, and all Americans should unite under the constitution. These are also the contents taught in citizenship education. The oath of Naturalization is also about supporting and defending the Constitution of the United States. Many immigrate to the United States just for its democracy, freedom, equality, and the American dream of bringing wealth and career. I guess no one will immigrate to the United States now for the “brotherly love”. And no one knows that Winthrop is the Founding Father of the country, and no one knows the destination he went to North America is for the love of brothers, to build a city on the hill, the coming United States. If without brotherly love, do democracy, freedom, and equality exist in the United States? Is there really an American dream?

We can find that democratic elections have been kept for hundreds of years in Protestant countries, but it is difficult to uphold for a long time in other societies. Why? In Protestant countries, people all believe in God and the same Bible; all believe that everyone is equal under God and full of brotherly love. When selecting their own managers, resolving conflicts, disputes, and other important matters, they firmly believe that everyone is brother and utterly equal; no one has the right above the others. Therefore, those significant matters will be decided on the basis of the democratic principle agreed by the majority. And it had three critical contents: first, democratic elections are closely related to religious belief, and religious belief is related to immortality and eternality linking with the ultimate world. People will treat the votes in their hands with the most holiness and piety. Election fraud is impossible, let alone election corrupt, because these actions will be considered blasphemous, sacrilegious, and profane, blocking people from going to heaven. Second, democratic elections are based on equality for all. Only by believing in equality for all can we strick to the principle of majority decision. Otherwise, it will be another matter. For example, in a secular society without belief, there is apparent inequality between people before everyone’s eyes. As big men, they don’t think that democratic elections are effective. They look down on the small people from their hearts, let alone let the small people decide important things. Even if democratic elections are carried out in such a society, these big men will inevitably use bribery, corruption, and other tricks to influence and control the election. It is natural they will win the election in the end. They think doing that is right as rain. People have various grades and ranks, higher or lower. In the end, it must be the big men to control society. Otherwise, the whole society will be in chaos. This phenomenon can be seen in most so-called democratic countries except Protestant countries, all countries in Southeast Asia, Africa, Latin America, and even some Catholic countries in Europe. It can be said that even though Catholicism is part of Christianity like Protestantism, no Catholic country can escape from the ruin of democracy and fall into a dictatorship by the big men. Napoleon of France, Hitler of Germany, Mussolini of Italy, Franco of Spain, etc., because Catholicism does not believe that all people are equal under God. They believe in hierarchy and religious hierarchy. The Catholic countries in Europe still trust the hierarchical order of the pope, cardinal, archbishop, bishop, etc., let alone other societies. Thirdly, democratic elections are closely linked to brotherly love. It can only be held In a community full of brotherly love; everyone is happy to win or lose, respects each other, and never corrupts the election.

However, once the society loses the love of brothers, which is the basis of a democratic election, even if the community still believes in the alleged equality between people, there will be no real democratic election. I want to talk about such a society, today’s American society after it loses brotherly love. As a traditional Protestant country with nearly 400 years of tradition, the idea of equality for all has profound deposits, and it is impossible to clear up at once. Therefore, although American society is becoming more and more secular, the idea of equality for all is still accepted by most people. However, It turns into equality for all without faith and brotherly love, the alleged rational equality for all. American society differs from the standard non–Protestant countries in which people don’t have the concept of equality at all. But without faith and brotherly love, will everyone be equal? After losing faith, each of us becomes an individual who purely pursues his own desires. We know that human desires are endless, and human desires without the restriction of faith are even more unscrupulous. We will no longer feel other people’s feelings and pain, never take any rules or conscience into account, let alone brotherly love. At this time, these individuals are bound to interfere and manipulate the election by any means to satisfy their own best interests. Therefore, the election is constantly interfered with and destroyed by various means. The more dare to break the rules, the more vice to violate their conscience, the more likely they to win the election, and the whole society will become a society of bad money driving out good money. Ultimately, the higher the rank in society is, the eviler they are. Therefore, in the end,the so-called rational equality for all cannot be maintained. The final result is a dictatorship because it is obvious how these evil and nasty people can believe in equality for all? And why will they support equality for all?

Isn’t it the way the dictator of European Catholic countries came to power? At first, they slowly destroyed the election rules, then manipulated the election, and finally controlled the election by armed forces. When Hitler’s SS held the charge gun, five steps, one whistle, ten steps, one post, who dared to elect anyone else except Hitler? Therefore I have no bit of confidence in the future of the United States because today, America has lost the love of brothers, the foundation of America, the first stone of God’s city on the hill founded by Winthrop. The United States is more and more depravity and more and more on the old road to dictatorship. Now, there is no brotherly love between the Republican Party and the Democratic Party. The democratic election has become a war and a life-and-death struggle for each other. From the early presidential election, we can see that although all parties also attacked each other, the mood of the election was peaceful and civilized. But today, it is totally different. The Republicans represented the Christian and Conservative; the Democrats represented anti-Christians advocating unconditional equality. There is an apparent and giant chasm between them; society has been torn apart. The election campaign was permeated with the blowing smoke of gunpowder, suffused with acrimony, vicious words, and even curses. Two years ago, the election war between Hilary and Trump was filled with hatred and malice. Hilary attacked Trump for his harassing and insulting women. Trump struck back that compared to what Hillary’s husband, Bill Clinton, had done to many women, he had done nothing with women at all. Trump also hit back that Hilary tried to deceive the United States all the time; she was even dissatisfied with her husband; how could she satisfy the entire United States? Moreover, after Trump was elected president, the Democrats still went on the fight. Democratic lawmakers incited people to assassinate Trump; News anchors held Trump’s bloody head statue, and Comedians publicly mocked him at the rally. Trump was vindictive and vengeful too. He took revenge with such words to democrats, “garbage, stupid, cheater,” etc.

Of course, I don’t mean that people must always remain gentle and polite in all life and people cannot criticize each other, but at least they should not be so malicious, naked, and reckless. But from the mid-term elections in the United States a few days ago, the environment had been even worse. The Democratic Party had committed many election frauds, using fake votes, votes of non-voters, and even the dead’s identity. If this continues, it will inevitably develop into more severe election fraud such as election bribery, election violence, and so on. The Democratic Party also evilly colludes with the main media; due to the natural anti-religious tendency of intellectuals, the Democrats and the main media are naturally integrated; they are tarred with the same brush. The main media lost fair and just principles for their own interests, not to mention they had lost the brotherly love long ago. They condemned Trump overwhelmingly and believed Goebbels’s “A lie repeated a thousand times is true.” They wish to oust Trump, who dared to confront the “king without a crown.” It is a society without brotherly love. The Republican also has the fatal defects of ordinary people, who are timid and overcautious, muddle along, and dare not to fight. And if things go on like this, the whole society will be controlled by the people who do false, cheat, use violence, and believe in lies. We can imagine the morality and quality of those leaders sinking in this environment. Society gradually degenerated into a secular society, abandoned equality for all, and slowly believed that people have high and low. Those leaders believed they were wise and great helmspersons, the steerer of a new society. Because of the loss of faith, god, this is very natural thinking. Therefore, the whole society naturally went into a dictatorship. Don’t think I’m just talking nonsense. Some sociologists in the United States are already considering the weight of votes. That is, of the more influential people, one vote can weigh thousands of others’. It shows that the United States has slowly abandoned equality for all and gradually degenerated. So I personally don’t take an optimistic view about the future of America. America is far away from God and brotherly love. No one in America today mentions brotherly love. Even most politicians may not know that Winthrop’s sermon “building a city on a hill.” All Americans have long forgotten brotherly love, the country’s ground, the cornerstone of the city on the hill. All that has been forgotten totally, wholly. But leaving away the love of brothers, Without this cornerstone, God’s city on a hill will break down one day; the United States must fall apart one day.

Democratic elections can never be used to resolve the conflict of faith and values, nor is it a way for secular society to solve the dispute of vital interests. Democratic elections only solve the problem by consultation and negotiation among brothers in a society full of brotherly love; everyone in this society is like a brother and believes in equality for all under God. Without this premise, there can be no real democratic election. There has never been a country in human history where two religions account for half of the population and can remain in harmony for a long time. The conflict between faiths and values can only be resolved through war or be divided into several independent countries. It is impossible to resolve this conflict through democratic elections at all. For example, there has never been a country with half Christian and half Muslim. It is why India split into two countries(India and Pakistan), and the South Union was divided into several small countries. The most obvious example is the South Union divided into several countries by various religions. In a secular society like ancient China, the dispute of huge interests could not be solved through democratic elections because no one trusted the others, and no one would accept an election result unfavorable to him. The only way to solve this problem was through force and war. This is also the reason why ancient China could only shape a country through wars, and it was impossible to form a union peacefully.

European countries, such as France, and Germany, can ban guns because the United States stations 100000 troops in Europe. Japan, South Korea, and other Asian countries can make gun bans; the United States also stations 60000 troops in Asia. If the United States, the biggest country not banning guns, bans guns, then according to human experience, the above countries will inevitably slide into dictatorship in a flash. Some people may not convince by my argument. However, suppose I argue that there are only one and a half countries where dictatorships have not happened in history; anyone who has a little common sense should only agree with me. In that case, one country is America; a half country is Britain (referring to the British having monarchy). Other countries, such as France, Germany, Russia, Japan, Italy, Spain, or any country you can think of, have once appeared as a dictatorship. It is the trend of human history. I have always emphasized that democracy, freedom, and equality are anti-human, which is hard to maintain for a long time. Dictatorship and autocracy are the most comfortable to human nature. Therefore, dictatorship and autocracy are also the most common social system. History constantly repeats in the same way. Imagine if the United States, as the last barrier to freedom and equality, bans guns? How can we resist the abuse of secular government? How can we ensure that the United States will not appear as a dictatorship? If the United States had a dictator, we could imagine how terrible the world would be! It is not exaggerating to be described as Doom Day is coming. So the United States must not ban guns, especially today when It increasingly is far away from brotherly love.

Many people think the cause of the United State’s great and mighty is the American Constitution, which stipulates a democratic election, the separation of three powers, judicial independence, electoral politics, etc. All those don’t refer to faith or brotherly love. However, this argument is completely off base. The system designed by man can only be a gewgaw in the front of the greed and degeneration of human nature. Ancient Greek democracy is a living example. In ancient Greece, The formation of a democratic society was closely related to its polytheistic religion. The democracy of ancient Greece was far more sophisticated than contemporary people thought. Except for military officials, other officials were selected by lottery. It is the fairest and most democratic election in human history. However, along with the collapse of faith, with the endless pursuit of human desire, the selected members became more and more evil and corrupt. These selected members can execute Socrates and defeated generals. It is an injustice that such a country should not be dictated to or subjugated. ①Since democratic elections are based on brotherly love, they are a way to negotiate and resolve problems between brothers with deep feelings and strong affections. Therefore, It is also highly fragile and easy to exploit by plotters and conspirators. Let’s look at the process of Hitler’s coming to power, and why I say that will be more explicit.

On the surface, Hitler and his Nazi party were promoted to power by voters following legal procedures. But almost all the means behind the legal procedures to seize power are illegal and blatantly trampled on constitutional principles. As far as July 1921, when Hitler took the lead over the Nazi party, he immediately set out to build the armed forces of the Nazi Party. In August of the same year, the armed forces maintaining “order” during his rally evolved into a paramilitary military uniform. This armed force played an irreplaceable role in Hitler’s capturing of power and became a Stormtrooper that wantonly destroyed the democratic constitution. By 1933, the stormtrooper had provoked 40000 armed fights throughout the country and continuously perpetrated terrorist incidents. Those fights, murders, and explosions killed all political discussions and opponents’ political space, making Germany fall into a most difficult and chaotic situation after World War I. The stormtrooper made significant contributions to Hitler’s rising to power. Not much later, Hitler expanded his bodyguard, the SS, to replace the position of The stormtrooper, the SS was loyal to Hitler only, and it was both military and secret police. By the mid-1930s, 45000 secret police officers of the SS had been deployed throughout the country, monitoring hostile activities to the government. Its 65000 security police and 2.8 million discipline police guarded Hitler. In addition, there were 40000 guards in 160 labor camps and 20 concentration camps nearby, cruelly persecuted innocent “Prisoners” and anti-fascist soldiers. There was also 100000 security intelligence personnel closely monitoring the ideological trend of the people. All of this let Hitler almost control the whole of Germany. Therefore, Hitler seized the highest power by destroying and abandoning the democratic procedure and rules rather than complying with them.

“Weimar constitution” of German was almost one of the most liberal and democratic constitutions in the 20th century. Its structure was almost perfect and had many ingenious and admirable provisions, which seemed to be enough to guarantee the implementation of a nearly perfect and flawless democracy. “(“The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, History of Nazi Germany,” p. 85). However, the Weimar constitution failed because sophisticated and complicated designs couldn’t fight back the greed and degradation of human nature; it could not resist the people’s fear of death and cowardice. Moreover, It happened at a time when German Christianity was more vulnerable than anytime else; otherwise, it was difficult to believe that German fanatically idolized a layman more than God. Democratic elections are not very rare, they have existed in different periods of humans, but they can not be held on for a long time. Because of human nature, democracy, freedom, and equality are actually the most anti-human nature and are totally contrary to the common sense we see in reality. Democratic elections are secure and reliable only when everyone is equal under God and based on brotherly love. This is also proved by human experience so far. Therefore, I have no confidence in an America which is going away from God and brotherly love.

Note：

①  Matthew R  “The Bad Citizen in Classical Athens”  Christ. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2006.