is into those who believe

區分世人，其中一種最常見的做法

and those who don't --

是把他們分成「信者」

into the religious and the atheists.

與「不信者」──

And for the last decade or so,

即「有神論者」和「無神論者」

it's been quite clear

近十年來

what being an atheist means.

何謂「無神論者」

There have been some very vocal atheists

一直相當清晰

who've pointed out,

好些無神論者

not just that religion is wrong,

直言不諱

but that it's ridiculous.

說宗教不僅是錯的

These people, many of whom have lived in North Oxford,

而且還是荒謬的

have argued --

這些無神論者，當中有許多居於牛津北部

they've argued that believing in God

他們主張

is akin to believing in fairies

他們認為，相信上帝存在

and essentially that the whole thing

無異於相信童話內的仙女存在

is a childish game.

究其本質

Now I think it's too easy.

宗教是幼稚的

I think it's too easy

但我認為這說法太淺薄

to dismiss the whole of religion that way.

這樣完全否定宗教

And it's as easy as shooting fish in a barrel.

過於輕易

And what I'd like to inaugurate today

輕易如甕中捉鱉

is a new way of being an atheist --

今日，我想說的是

if you like, a new version of atheism

無神論者不必如此

we could call Atheism 2.0.

可以說，這是一種嶄新的無神論

Now what is Atheism 2.0?

我們可稱之為「無神論 2.0」

Well it starts from a very basic premise:

何謂「無神論 2.0」？

of course, there's no God.

我們先從最基本的前提說起

Of course, there are no deities or supernatural spirits

是的，世間沒有上帝

or angels, etc.

而且也沒有甚麼聖靈，或超自然的神明

Now let's move on; that's not the end of the story,

也沒有天使之類的東西

that's the very, very beginning.

這不是結論，而是起點

I'm interested in the kind of constituency

我們繼續說下去

that thinks something along these lines:

我對某些人的想法很感興趣

that thinks, "I can't believe in any of this stuff.

他們會想

I can't believe in the doctrines.

「我不相信這些東西」

I don't think these doctrines are right.

「我不接受那些教條」

But," a very important but, "I love Christmas carols.

「我不認為這些教條是對的」

I really like the art of Mantegna.

「可是」這個心理轉折很重要，「我喜歡聖誕歌」

I really like looking at old churches.

「我很喜歡蒙特納的畫作」

I really like turning the pages of the Old Testament."

「我欣賞古老的教堂」

Whatever it may be,

「我很喜歡翻閱舊約聖經」

you know the kind of thing I'm talking about --

諸如此類

people who are attracted to the ritualistic side,

你懂的

the moralistic, communal side of religion,

有些人會被宗教的某部份吸引，比如是儀式

but can't bear the doctrine.

宗教中的倫理，或是裡面普世共享的東西

Until now, these people have faced a rather unpleasant choice.

但受不了那些教條

It's almost as though either you accept the doctrine

直到目前為止，他們總是陷入兩難

and then you can have all the nice stuff,

要麼，你得一併擁護宗教教條

or you reject the doctrine and

才能享有宗教美好的部份

you're living in some kind of spiritual wasteland

要麼，你在否定宗教教條的同時

under the guidance of CNN and Walmart.

便讓自己置身空茫的精神世界裡

So that's a sort of tough choice.

讓CNN和沃爾瑪作你的精神領袖

I don't think we have to make that choice.

二擇其一，真是個困難的選擇

I think there is an alternative.

但我不認為我們一定要非此即彼

I think there are ways --

其實還有另一個可能性

and I'm being both very respectful and completely impious --

我想我們可以

of stealing from religions.

在非常尊重，但並不崇拜宗教的前提下

If you don't believe in a religion,

從中偷師

there's nothing wrong with picking and mixing,

如果你不相信宗教

with taking out the best sides of religion.

大可萃取並融和宗教裡美好的事物

And for me, atheism 2.0

去蕪存菁

is about both, as I say,

在我而言，無神論2.0

a respectful and an impious way

正正是，如我所言

of going through religions and saying, "What here could we use?"

在尊重但不崇拜宗教的前提下

The secular world is full of holes.

檢視宗教的內容，並思考「這裡面有甚麼值得借鏡的？」

We have secularized badly, I would argue.

去宗教化的現世是千瘡百孔的

And a thorough study of religion

我認為，這個社會的去宗教化，做得並不高明

could give us all sorts of insights

透徹地考究宗教

into areas of life that are not going too well.

能讓人生活各方面

And I'd like to run through a few of these today.

獲得不同的啟發

I'd like to kick off by looking at education.

今天我會挑其中幾樣來說

Now education is a field

首先，我們來看看教育

the secular world really believes in.

今時今日

When we think about how we're going to make the world a better place,

我們對教育抱有莫大信心

we think education; that's where we put a lot of money.

我們相信它能使世界更好

Education is going to give us, not only commercial skills, industrial skills,

於是我們向教育投入龐大資金

it's also going to make us better people.

教育所能作的，不只是授與各項職業技能

You know the kind of thing a commencement address is, and graduation ceremonies,

它還會導人向善

those lyrical claims

在開學演辭中，或畢業典禮上

that education, the process of education -- particularly higher education --

常有這種堂皇動人的說法

will make us into nobler and better human beings.

指教育，尤其是高等教育

That's a lovely idea.

使人變得更好更高尚

Interesting where it came from.

很美好的構想

In the early 19th century,

值得探究的是，這構思的來源

church attendance in Western Europe

十九世紀初

started sliding down very, very sharply, and people panicked.

在西歐，上教會的人

They asked themselves the following question.

愈來愈少，流失得很快，大家開始不安

They said, where are people going to find the morality,

大家想知道

where are they going to find guidance,

從此，人們該從何學習倫理

and where are they going to find sources of consolation?

從何得到指引

And influential voices came up with one answer.

從何得到慰藉？

They said culture.

後來，有人認為答案是

It's to culture that we should look

「文化」

for guidance, for consolation, for morality.

我們會從文化獲得

Let's look to the plays of Shakespeare,

指引、慰藉、和倫理

the dialogues of Plato, the novels of Jane Austen.

在莎士比亞的歌劇

In there, we'll find a lot of the truths

柏拉圖《對話錄》和奧斯汀的小說裡

that we might previously have found in the Gospel of Saint John.

我們可以找到許多真理

Now I think that's a very beautiful idea and a very true idea.

許多我們曾經在約翰福音裡找到的真理

They wanted to replace scripture with culture.

從文化中學習真理，我認為是很美好，而且切實的構思

And that's a very plausible idea.

以文化取代宗教

It's also an idea that we have forgotten.

非常可行

If you went to a top university --

但我們早已把這想法拋諸腦後

let's say you went to Harvard or Oxford or Cambridge --

如果你就讀某頂尖大學

and you said, "I've come here

比方說，哈佛、牛津或劍橋

because I'm in search of morality, guidance and consolation;

你說：「我來到這兒」

I want to know how to live,"

「是為了追尋倫理、指引和慰藉」

they would show you the way to the insane asylum.

「我想知道如果好好生活」

This is simply not what our grandest and best institutes of higher learning

旁人會送你進精神病院

are in the business of.

這些尊貴的高等學府

Why? They don't think we need it.

並非為幫人追尋真理而設的

They don't think we are in an urgent need of assistance.

為甚麼？他們認定我們不需要幫助

They see us as adults, rational adults.

我們沒這逼切需要

What we need is information.

我們被視為成人，理智的成人

We need data, we don't need help.

我們被認為只需要資訊

Now religions start from a very different place indeed.

我們只需要數據，毋須幫忙

All religions, all major religions,

宗教的觀點則截然不同

at various points call us children.

所有宗教，所有主流宗教

And like children,

總是稱教徒為「孩子」

they believe that we are in severe need of assistance.

像小孩一樣

We're only just holding it together.

急切地需要扶一把

Perhaps this is just me, maybe you.

我們只是勉力維持現狀

But anyway, we're only just holding it together.

也許只有我是這樣想的，也許你也有如此想過

And we need help. Of course, we need help.

我們只是勉力維持現狀

And so we need guidance and we need didactic learning.

我們需要幫忙，當然，我們需要幫助

You know, in the 18th century in the U.K.,

我們需要指引，我們需要教導

the greatest preacher, greatest religious preacher, was a man called John Wesley,

你知道，十八世紀英國

who went up and down this country delivering sermons,

曾有一位非常非常偉大的傳教士，名為約翰．衛斯理

advising people how they could live.

他走入鄉郊佈道

He delivered sermons on the duties of parents to their children

指導人們如果過活

and children to their parents,

他向人宣導，講父母對子女應有之義

the duties of the rich to the poor and the poor to the rich.

講子女對父母有何責任

He was trying to tell people how they should live

講富人與窮人之間的關係

through the medium of sermons,

透過佈道

the classic medium of delivery of religions.

他教人如何生活

Now we've given up with the idea of sermons.

佈道會是傳播宗教的經典形式

If you said to a modern liberal individualist,

但我們已摒棄佈道會

"Hey, how about a sermon?"

如果你告訴一名自由主義者

they'd go, "No, no. I don't need one of those.

「嘿，想去佈道會嗎？」

I'm an independent, individual person."

他會回應道，「不，不用了，我不需要。」

What's the difference between a sermon

「我是一個獨立的個體。」

and our modern, secular mode of delivery, the lecture?

佈道會和現世用以傳播思想的講課

Well a sermon wants to change your life

有何分別？

and a lecture wants to give you a bit of information.

佈道會嘗試改變你的生命

And I think we need to get back to that sermon tradition.

而講課向你提供更多資訊

The tradition of sermonizing is hugely valuable,

我認為我們應該回到佈道會這傳統

because we are in need of guidance,

這是一項富有價值的傳統

morality and consolation --

因為我們的確需要指引

and religions know that.

道德觀，和慰藉

Another point about education:

宗教懂得人們需要甚麼

we tend to believe in the modern secular world

還有一點關於教育

that if you tell someone something once, they'll remember it.

我們傾向相信在無神的現世裡

Sit them in a classroom, tell them about Plato

你只須把事情說一遍，大家便會記得

at the age of 20, send them out for a career in management consultancy for 40 years,

把二十歲的人們留在課室，說說柏拉圖

and that lesson will stick with them.

然後讓他們在顧問公司打拼四十年

Religions go, "Nonsense.

他們仍會牢牢記住柏拉圖的一課

You need to keep repeating the lesson 10 times a day.

宗教會認為這不可能

So get on your knees and repeat it."

你得每天向他們重複十遍才行

That's what all religions tell us:

跪下，然後重複

"Get on you knees and repeat it 10 or 20 or 15 times a day."

這就是宗教要求我們做的

Otherwise our minds are like sieves.

「跪下，每日重複十到二十遍。」

So religions are cultures of repetition.

否則我們會左耳進右耳出

They circle the great truths again and again and again.

換言之，宗教是重複的文化

We associate repetition with boredom.

重要的真理，一而再，再而三地流傳

"Give us the new," we're always saying.

我們會把「重複」和「沈悶」聯想在一起

"The new is better than the old."

我們老是說「給點新意」

If I said to you, "Okay, we're not going to have new TED.

「新的當然比舊的好」

We're just going to run through all the old ones

如果我告訴：「好吧，我們不會再有新的TED

and watch them five times because they're so true.

我們只會重看已有的TED

We're going to watch Elizabeth Gilbert five times

每天看五次，因為它們說得太對了

because what she says is so clever," you'd feel cheated.

我們將會每天重複聽伊利莎白．喬伯五次

Not so if you're adopting a religious mindset.

因為她的演說實在太機智了。」你會感到受騙

The other things that religions do

但用宗教的角度看，事情便不一樣了

is to arrange time.

除了重複，宗教還會

All the major religions give us calendars.

安排時間

What is a calendar?

所有主要宗教都有曆法

A calendar is a way of making sure that across the year

甚麼是曆法？

you will bump into certain very important ideas.

它是要確保我們在一年中

In the Catholic chronology, Catholic calendar,

總有那麼幾天會重溫一些重要的思想

at the end of March you will think about St. Jerome

對天主教徒而言

and his qualities of humility and goodness

每逢三月最後一天，他們會記起聖葉理諾

and his generosity to the poor.

記起他的謙卑和善良

You won't do that by accident; you will do that because you are guided to do that.

還有他對窮人的慷慨

Now we don't think that way.

你不會無緣無故想起他，那是因為曆法提醒了你

In the secular world we think, "If an idea is important, I'll bump into it.

我們現在不這麼想了

I'll just come across it."

無神的世界裡，我們認為「如果這是一個重要的想法，我終究會遇上的

Nonsense, says the religious world view.

終究會遇上的。」

Religious view says we need calendars, we need to structure time,

不可能，宗教如此認為

we need to synchronize encounters.

宗教認為人們需要曆法，人們需要為此安排時間

This comes across also

人們需要同時紀念

in the way in which religions set up rituals

同樣道理

around important feelings.

宗教為各樣情緒

Take the Moon. It's really important to look at the Moon.

設立各項儀式

You know, when you look at the Moon,

比方說月亮。當你看著月亮時

you think, "I'm really small. What are my problems?"

你知道，當你看著它時

It sets things into perspective, etc., etc.

你會想，「我是很渺小的，我的困擾算甚麼？」

We should all look at the Moon a bit more often. We don't.

它使我們用不同觀點看待事物

Why don't we? Well there's nothing to tell us, "Look at the Moon."

我們都應該多點看月亮，但我們沒有

But if you're a Zen Buddhist in the middle of September,

為甚麼不？因為沒有人提醒我們，是時候注視月亮了

you will be ordered out of your home, made to stand on a canonical platform

但如果你是禪宗佛教徒，每年九月中旬

and made to celebrate the festival of Tsukimi,

你會受呼召離開家門，站到神壇上

where you will be given poems to read

慶祝月見節

in honor of the Moon and the passage of time

你會獲發頌詩

and the frailty of life that it should remind us of.

以歌頌月亮，和時間的流浙

You'll be handed rice cakes.

並感悟生命的脆弱

And the Moon and the reflection on the Moon

你會獲發米餅

will have a secure place in your heart.

於是月亮和它的倒影

That's very good.

便印在你心上

The other thing that religions are really aware of

這一切都很好

is: speak well --

此外，宗教還察覺意到

I'm not doing a very good job of this here --

大家該好好說話

but oratory, oratory is absolutely key to religions.

我並不特別擅長說話

In the secular world, you can come through the university system and be a lousy speaker

但演講，演講絕對是宗教活動的核心

and still have a great career.

在去宗教化的現世，即使完成大學，你的演講還是可以很糟糕

But the religious world doesn't think that way.

但還是能找到工作

What you're saying needs to be backed up

但宗教世界不然

by a really convincing way of saying it.

不管你說甚麼

So if you go to an African-American Pentecostalist church

都得讓人信服

in the American South

如果你去美國南部的非裔美藉教堂

and you listen to how they talk,

出席五旬節會

my goodness, they talk well.

聽聽他們如何演講

After every convincing point, people will go, "Amen, amen, amen."

天啊，說得真好

At the end of a really rousing paragraph, they'll all stand up,

說到動人處，會眾會高呼「阿門，阿門，阿門」

and they'll go, "Thank you Jesus, thank you Christ, thank you Savior."

在一段振奮人心的演辭，會眾會全體起立

If we were doing it like they do it --

然後說「感謝耶穌，感謝基督，感謝救主」

let's not do it, but if we were to do it --

現在如果我們照辦煮碗

I would tell you something like, "Culture should replace scripture."

不用真的做，而是，想像我們會這麼做

And you would go, "Amen, amen, amen."

我說的內容，大概會是「文化應該取代宗教」

And at the end of my talk, you would all stand up

你們合該高呼「阿門，阿門，阿門」

and you would go, "Thank you Plato, thank you Shakespeare, thank you Jane Austen."

在我的演說結束後，你們都會起立

And we'd know that we had a real rhythm going.

然後說「感謝柏拉圖，感謝莎翁，感謝珍．奧斯汀」

All right, all right. We're getting there. We're getting there.

我們有默契，知道一來一回的節奏

(Applause)

好了，好了，快到重點了，快到重點了