基督教近代入华作用及性质的再认识

Recognition of the Function and Character of Christianity being Introduced Into China in Modern Times

基督教近代入华以来,大批传教士在传教之外,为中国人民做了大量有益的工作,产生了广泛深远的影响,这尤其表现在教育、医疗卫生、慈善事业、科技、先进政治思想的传播、转变不良社会风习等方面。然而,基督教近代入华也引起了极大的误解甚至曲解,遭受到了巨大的反对和抵制,概括言之,这误解不外将基督教妖魔化、政治化、异类化和愚昧化。四种反教理由,大抵不出蒙昧主义、民族主义、国粹主义、科学主义及社会主义几种思想倾向,而很少顾及事实之全部与学理之深入。这中间的第二条,即政治倾向中,相当原因应归之于西方的殖民侵略及传教方式上的问题;其余三条,皆属于我们应从自身认真检讨的范围。

Since Christianity was introduced into China in modern times, a great number of missionaries have done a lot of beneficial work for the Chinese people, exerting an extensive and far-reaching influence especially on education, medical and health work, science and technology, spreading of advanced political thoughts, change of unhealthy social customs. However, the introduction of Christianity into China in modern times stirs up misunderstanding or even misinterpretation. Generally speaking, the misunderstanding is not beyond the scope of making Christianity demonize, politicize, paganize and be ignorant. Four anti-Christianity reasons, not beyond the scope of such tendencies as obscurantism, nationalism, quintessence, scientism and socialism, are not involved in the whole of facts and the depth of learning. The second element among them, that is, political tendency, is due to the Western colonial invasion and missionary methods; the rest three are a matter of our selfexamination.