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嘴上的道德

February 8, 2004 on 11:37 pm | 它山之石 | 暂无评论

一般文章摘要及联想

今天突然有关于道德的文章似乎有意识地出现在我面前. 首先是外国人Roger Humbke 发了一封email,讲了他春节在中国的经历.然后还有好几篇都是涉及道德的. 不如随便记录一点,以便以后温习.

I would like to recount two incidents of petty crime we experienced over the 2004 Spring Festival.

The first took place on a medium size bus traveling from Pingdingshan to Xu Chang in Henan on Jan. 12. We boarded the nearly full bus in Pindingshan at around noon and as we proceeded the bus stopped along the road to pick up more and more passengers until some were standing. Three men got on and one was sitting two rows back from us on a stool between the seats while the other two were standing in the aisle a couple of rows in front of us. I was sitting next to the window, Dain was next to the aisle and Nina was between us. The man across the aisle from Dain was sleeping. The first time I knew something was amiss was when Dain started talking to the man who was sitting on the stool. He had crept forward and had his hand in the pocket of the sleeping man, and actually had the nerve to indicate to everyone on the bus to be quiet while he robbed the man. Everyone around looked the other way and ignored the situation while Dain continued to tell the man to stop and that she could not look away. I stood up and started a commotion which had the two standing men yelling at me in Chinese. I just yelled back in English and ended up pushing one of them. The sleeping man awoke, but seemed in a daze and did nothing. The bus driver and women attendant were aware of what was going on, but like everyone else just totally ignored the situation. I guess my yelling, but probably more so due to Dain’s talking, the three men told the driver to stop and they got off, no doubt to try their luck on the next bus. We continued on our way and some people behind us talked about what had happened. They hated thieves but were more concerned about their personal safety than the thieving. Dain says that you have to be careful in such situation as the men may have knives and end up killing you if you try to stop them. She simply smiles at them and tells them they will not be successful here and should go somewhere else. It is too bad when good people are intimidated to the extent that they will do nothing. As for me and Dain ?we can not look the other way and do nothing. Perhaps we are not wise, but the alternative would result in a world of anarchy.

这第一件,无非是车上的人无视歹徒. 我觉得Dain的做法是很对的,你首先应该保证自己的安全,然后才去考虑能不能帮助到别人.我们国家的出现的新道德(或许改革开放后又变老了), 强调建议勇为,高考还可以加分,以至于有的热血青年明明不会游泳,却又跳入河内就溺水者,结果人没救着,却搭上了自己宝贵的生命.很多人对这件事的看法可能会是,中国人又丢人了,实在是世风日下.只要全车人一起上,还不把这些强盗打得头破血流?说得真容易.
我记得一件很有趣得事,可见英国人的胆小. 在Scope做义工的时候,店长突然笑声跟我说:”你给我注意那个人,他是一个很有技术的小偷. 他经常来这里闲逛,你只要盯住他,给他压力可以了.” 我说,”为什么不制止他?” 店长说:” 我不想去挑战他,谁知道他会做出什么事情来? 只要盯这他就可以了,他其实也知道我们在盯着他.

The second incident took place on Jan 29 at 11:45 PM when we arrived back at the train station in Shenzhen. The train was packed and we had two large suit cases and other bags that we pulled through the crowd towards where taxis were waiting. While putting the suit cases in the trunk of a taxi, another man came up and started talking to Dain. I noticed that the zipper on one of the suitcases was open and, upon investigation, determined that our laptop computer was gone. It seems that the man, as had many others, had seen the theft taking place, but only came and told us after it was over and the thieves were gone. Dain said the man though he was doing us a favor, but I can not understand why he would not say something at the time and stop it from taking place. Of course it was too late to do anything about it by then and we just went home. I hear that the Shenzhen train station is a very dangerous place late at night and that thieves will openly attack helpless or weak people taking what they have, while many people just ignore the situation and do nothing to stop the thief.

There are probably many reasons for such thieving such as the widening gulf between those who have everything and those who have nothing. If I had nothing, no education, was starving and had no belief or hope that my life would change, then I too would probably resort to any means of survival. It is certainly a challenge for the people and country to recognize and take steps to alleviate. To me it starts with admitting the situation exists; discussing it openly; and coming up with solutions.

Dain says that in the 1980’s North China (North of Guongdong Province) was literally crime free with very few thieves and liars. Perhaps many of the Northern Chinese came to Guongdong and were robbed or cheated out of their money, and they have now returned to North China where they do the bad things that were done to them. It is too bad, but even in Dain’s small home village liars (scam-artists) came to her poor uncles home when he was sick. They lied and convinced him to give them money for some medicine that ended up being just normal herbs or food. It seems that people will now lie and say anything, no matter who they hurt, just to get money for themselves. They have absolutely no scruples and feel no guilt about taking from the most unprivileged and poorest people in China.

这里讲到了说谎, 说谎是中国文化里很精深的一门艺术,人们总是辩解,”我只在没办法不说慌的时候说谎”,这么一来,所有的错误都被粉饰了. 不得不佩服毛主席的厉害, 记得以前一个”前红卫兵” 说, 他以前大串联的时候,因为火车上没座位,便想了个办法. 他们一伙人,走进一节车厢,大声嚷嚷”所有出身黑五类的人都把作为给我让出来!!!你们没有资格霸占社会主义的火车座位!” 奇迹般地,将近一般的人都主动离开了自己的座位. 这位红卫兵说,”我当时都惊呆了.没想到他们会这么诚实,其实我们根本都没有办法去调查他们到底是什么出身.” 毛泽东时期,大概出了生产力,其他的指标大概都接近共产主义了吧…. 改革开放以来,生产力提高了,人们的道德却又下降了. 其实还有一个原因,并不是所有人的生活水平都提高了,这是邓老的理论的结果…..人在生活所逼下,什么道德都不顾了.

哈弗 于 天下论坛 嘴上的道德
有些人在这里大讲仁义道德。仿佛把道德观念往墙壁上一挂，这社会立刻就水清人净了。其实离开真正让道德居住在人们心中，并且体现日常生活的一举一动之中，这不知还有多长的路要走呢。
所谓道德，并非只是看你说些什么，而是看你做些什么。
基督教在这一点上带了个坏头。说什么因信称义，只要信就得救，标准太低，整个一鼓励道貌岸然，难怪鱼龙混杂。当然，有很多基督徒并没有停止在嘴上，而是把圣经的教导行在日常，这才是值得推崇的正道。相反，象保罗·尚里 (Father Paul Shanley) 之流的恋童癖牧师，人们就只好称之为‘披着羊皮的狼’了。想当初人在庙堂中赞美上帝的仁爱公益时，想必也是同样的大义凛然。
又比如一些西方右派，似乎操守很好的样子，痛骂共产党人共妻，甚至连堕胎也不行，可是，风月场所或者其他偷鸡摸狗的事情，他们哪件真正脱得了干系？
又比如咱们中国文化讲究长幼尊卑，上上下下的辈份和位置。这原本呢是对年长者、圣人所做贡献的一种肯定。可后来呢，变成了对位置的崇拜。这本身就颠倒了本末。有人意欲突破这种身份的禁锢，於是就有道学家出来指指点点，曰禽兽不如！试问这尊卑之分，果真是中华文化的‘传统’么？那些敢于和旧礼教分廷抗礼的禽兽，在家中反倒有可能是一个尊重长辈的孝子贤孙；而道学家里敢向老妈挥几把老拳的大概也不只是一小挫。
道德是社会对个人行为的约束力，更重要的也是个人对自己的约束力。光靠嘴上的道德批判，约束不了别人，靠自己的行动，反倒是更能感染一些人。
话又说到爱国，有些人连祖国的认同感都没有，还有什么资格来评判别人的认同感呢？当然，有了认同感，只是开始，更重要的是在自己力所能及的范围里，为自己所认同的祖国做一点工作，哪怕只是为一个失学的穷孩子每个月贡献一点个人收入的零头。从今天起就发一个重誓：俺要是发了财，一定去捐一个希望小学。
嘴上的话，积少成多最终大多成了废话笑柄。而行动，积少成多，最终却能愚公移山，滴水穿石.
NOTES:
Paul Shanley
Catholic priest, was arrested in May in San Diego and charged with three counts of child rape. He was extradited to Massachusetts, where he had served as a priest for 30 years. He was indicted in June in Massachusetts on charges of raping four children between 1979 and 1989. Documents released in April by the Boston archdiocese revealed that Shanley was a member of the North American Man-Boy Love Association and that archdiocese officials repeatedly transferred him from parish to parish, despite knowing that he was a child molester.

嘴上讲道德的人讲的多的人,是希望用道德这种标准把自己与他人区分开来,仿佛把道德观念往墙壁上一挂,自己便成为了欣赏画作的名家. 嘴上的东西,从来都是不可靠的. 我应该时刻提醒自己,不是嘴上提醒,应该是在心里提醒自己,做个有道德的人.

By CY | 来自BlogCY