[信眾]
理論上及根據筆者的觀察,
「心靈修行所」裡的信眾大致上可以分成九大類,
但當然可以一個人屬於其中的幾類:
1. 曾經和靈界接觸過的人。
2. 感覺有靈界帶領的人。
3. 感覺受到靈界祝福的人。
4. 有信仰的人。
5. 只是有信念,沒有信仰的人。
6. 被洗腦及迷信的人。
7. 由於各種原因而騎虎難下的人。
8. 意圖利用宗教的商人和政客。
9. 心靈修行所裡養活的人。
如果這個分類並不偏離事實太遠的話,
我們可以這樣說:
「信念」和「迷信」都是社會需要的,
因為一樣米養百樣人,
視乎參與修行者的性格和思考能力來自我抉擇。
我們知道「迷信」的人絕對不會懷疑他們的信,
因為一般「迷信」的都是智力低下的人。
但那些聚合「迷信」的人的地方,
絕對不應該叫做「修行的地方」,
更加不應該叫做「心靈修行所」。
[信念]
一般來說,「信念」belief 可以分成五大類:
一類叫做「暫信」tentative,
一類叫做「輕信」credulity,
一類叫做「友信」,因為和朋友埋堆而相信,
一類叫做「狂熱」fanaticism, zealotry,
一類叫做「左右逢源」taking advantage from both sides,
擁抱兩個或以上的可能互相衝突的信念。
擁抱「信仰」的人喜歡深思,重視批判,
而擁抱「信念」的人喜歡的是一個簡單,
不必辛苦地去思考的宗教。
其中「左右逢源」的人尤其喜歡佔信念上的便宜,
例如基督教聖經裡所說的那些
「又事奉神,又事奉瑪門」的人;
又例如「今天姑且齋戒沐浴,求神唸佛」,
兩日後大魚大肉,補償早幾日的齋戒沐浴的損失。
事實上有多少不同的人,就有多少不同的心態,
有多少不同的心態,就有多少不同的教徒,
有多少不同的教徒,就有多少不同的「娛樂/修行」場所。
Man is a credulous animal,
and must believe something;
in the absence of good grounds for belief,
he will be satisfied with bad ones.
( Bertrand Russell, Unpopular Essays )
持有「信念」的人,雖然曾經一度懷疑,
但由於種種原因,主動將懷疑在腦海中扼殺,
然後在同類人之中尋找安慰,互相鼓勵彼此的信念。
The opinions that are held with passion are
always those for which no good ground exists;
indeed the passion is the measure of
the holders lack of rational conviction.
Opinions in politics and religion
are almost always held passionately.
( Bertrand Russell, Sceptical Essays )
「信仰」擁抱批判,在批判之中生氣勃勃,
目的是去蕪存菁,苟日新、日日新、又日新;
而「信念」則需要在同類人互相支持、
互相鼓勵之下才可以生存,
人多自然會出現「依賴人數的理直氣壯」,
容易出現「敵我分明,排斥異己」的現象。
We are so glad to free ourselves from
negative people and stay in better touch
with people who matter to us.
真正有「信仰」的人其實有如鳳毛麟角!
當「信念」去不到「信仰」的層面,
當「信念」又不能夠落實於生活層面,
利用宗教的怪現狀就屢見不鮮。
物以類聚,不喜歡思考的人就會團結在一起,
互相容忍、互相支持、互相保護,
直到死亡,上天堂或下地獄為止。
且看美國第三任總統,《美國獨立宣言》主要起草人,
Thomas Jefferson 在一封信中如何處理這個課題:
But I have ever thought religion a concern
purely between our God and our consciences,
for which we were accountable to him,
and not to the priests.
I never told my own religion,
nor scrutinized that of another.
I never attempted to make a convert,
nor wished to change another’s creed.
I have ever judged of the religion
of others by their lives, and by this test,
my dear Madam, I have been satisfied that
yours must be an excellent religion
to have produced a life of such exemplary
virtue and correctness.
For it is in our lives and not from our words,
that our religion must be read.
By the same test the world must judge me.
But this does not satisfy the priesthood.
They must have a positive, a declared
assent to all their interested absurdities.
My opinion is that
there would never have been an infidel,
if there had never been a priest.
The artificial structures they have built
on the purest of all moral systems,
for the purpose of deriving from it
pence and power,
revolts those who think for themselves,
and who read in that system
only what is really there.
( Thomas Jefferson, letter to Mrs. Samuel H. Smith,
August 6, 1816 )