評論
打印
But, in that case, why should we not be at least as deeply concerned with the pernicious effects of superstition? Those who believe in magical methods of preventing or curing diseases often do not turn to rational methods till it is too late. Those who believe that disasters are the work of inscrutable supernatural forces do not search for rational ways of preventing them or ameliorating their effects. Those who believe that humanity is under the beneficent control of supernatural forces that will see us through all our problems if we only have "faith" do not seek natural solutions to these problems.
但是，既然如此,我們為什么不該對迷信的惡劣影響給予最起碼的一樣深切的關注呢？那些相信巫術可以預防或治愈疾病的人們在求助于理性的方法時，往往為時已晚。那些相信災難是由神秘莫測的超自然力量所導致的人們并不會尋求理性的方法來阻止災難的發生或者減輕災難的影響。那些相信人類是被有益的超自然力量所控制，只要“信仰”堅定，這些超自然的力量就會幫他們渡過一切難關的人們也并不會尋求解決這些問題的自然方法。
We live in times when overpopulation, pollution, the greenhouse effect, the thinning of the ozone layer, the deterioration of the environment, the destruction of the forests and of wildlife, and the dangers of multiplying nuclear armaments all threaten us with the destruction of civilization and the radical reduction in the very viability of Earth. If our only answer to all this is a superstitious reliance on something outside ourselves as a solution to all those problems, we are making that destruction certain.
我們生活在一個受到人口過剩、環境污染、溫室效應、臭氧層變薄、環境惡化、森林和野生生物遭到毀壞、核軍備劇增等問題所威脅的時代，所有這些都以破壞文明、從根本上縮短地球 生命的方式對我們造成威脅。倘若我們應對這一切的唯一方法是依賴外在的迷信的東西并將其作為解決所有那些問題的方法，那么，我們正在把毀滅變成現實
Yes, we will have our solace and comfort till the moment of the destruction, and we might console ourselves with the thoughts that we will all meet in a better world than this one and that indeed the Bible predicts the destruction of this world. But how many really believe that, even among those who say they do?
的確，在毀滅到來之前我們可以安慰自己，我們或許可以用這種想法來安慰自己，即未來的我們將在一個比現實更美好的世界相會，而且《圣經》里的確也預見到了當今世界的毀滅。但是又有多少人真正相信這些，即使是那些聲稱對此堅信不疑的人？
