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托马斯·马尔萨斯:人口论·摘录 185

托马斯·马尔萨斯《人口论》· An Essay on the Principle of Population · 投资

It would be, undoubtedly, presumptuous to say that the Supreme Being could not possibly have effected his purpose in any other way than that which he has chosen, but as the revelation of the divine will which we possess is attended with some doubts and difficulties, and as our reason points out to us the strongest objections to a revelation which would force immediate, implicit, universal belief, we have surely just cause to think that these doubts and difficulties are no argument against the divine origin of the scriptures, and that the species of evidence which they possess is best suited to the improvement of the human faculties and the moral amelioration of mankind.

出处: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/4239
定位:Excerpt 185 · 核对日期:2026-10-19 · 核验:短摘录

白话

说最高存在者除了已选的方式之外不可能用别的方式实现目的,那当然很狂妄。但我们所拥有的神意启示带有一些疑问和困难,而理性又强烈反对那种强迫人立即、盲目、普遍相信的启示,所以我们有充分理由认为,这些疑问和困难并不构成反对圣经神圣起源的论据,圣经所具有的那种证据,最适合改进人类能力、促进人类道德。换句话说,有疑问不等于假,也不等于坏;适度的不确定反而给人留出思考和成长的空间。所以,面对信仰或任何重要主张,不必因为存在疑问就全盘否定,也不必要求毫无疑点才接受;可以带着问题去检验,让它在理性讨论中慢慢显出价值。

上下文

马尔萨斯《人口论》中讨论神启证据的性质,认为疑问和困难不妨碍圣经的神圣起源,反而适合人的道德改进。

今日一问

你能否对一个有疑问的重要主张,既不盲目接受也不全盘否定,而是带着问题去检验?

公版作品;原文逐字取自 Project Gutenberg,仅摘录段落并附全书链接。

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