Opposing Superstition
While chatting with several passengers on the train, one of them, an elder, was advocating his study of fortune-telling and I Ching, claiming the benefits he had gained from it. The following content is a summary of what I discussed with another elder.
Uncle, I couldn’t bear to listen earlier, so I went back to my upper bunk. But I feel it’s necessary to clarify some things with you, so I specially came down to find you, just to take up a little of your time. Are you willing to listen?
That uncle just now said that I’m in a bad luck year this year, and suggested that I wear certain amulets and accessories to change my luck. I won’t wear them because I already wear a cross; I am a Christian. Many people, upon hearing that I am a Christian, tend to assume that I believe in Christ just for spiritual solace, or think that I am trying to preach to them. In fact, I’m not preaching to you; I’m only discussing the most basic common sense judgment with you, explaining why we absolutely cannot listen to him.
First, from a macro perspective, let’s look at why those benefits he mentioned are definitely not real benefits. The benefits of modern civilization that we enjoy today did not come from his mysticism.
When we were young and studied modern Chinese history, the school taught us the phrase “Learn from the barbarians to repel the barbarians,” meaning that we should learn advanced Western technology to deal with the West. But what I’m more curious about is where Western advanced technology actually came from, and why they developed scientific technology while we did not.
So I went to learn about their historical development and found that their science originated from philosophy, and philosophy stemmed from their countless studies of epistemology, human nature, and logic, which in turn came from theology. The thinkers who truly propelled human progress were pondering theology while delving into their respective fields, such as… (Here, several examples are given, but I won’t elaborate).
If we see a good fruit and want to know how it came about, we must examine how the tree that bore it works, right? This is the most basic cause-and-effect relationship.
You work in foreign trade, so let me talk about why global trade was pioneered by the British in those days. If everyone is chasing after money, why did China close its doors while the British and Europeans were willing to bear the titles of “invaders” and “colonizers” to expand global trade?
That’s because their classical economics inspired them to do so. The British at the time were all influenced by Adam Smith, who wrote “The Wealth of Nations” and “The Theory of Moral Sentiments.” He was a Christian scholar and is known as the father of classical economics. He discovered the “invisible hand of the market” in economics, stating that the premise of economics is rational-economic man with the dual characteristics of selfishness and world citizenship. So the British were encouraged to develop a market economy and global trade.
Adam Smith also said, “Self-interested behavior used for the greater good will eventually produce altruistic market effects,” and the Bible also teaches Christians to “spread the gospel to the ends of the earth.” So the British not only wanted to make money, but wherever their global trade expanded, their missionaries followed, and then things like church schools, church hospitals, and orphanages began to emerge around the world.
We no longer treat people as less than human as in the ancient ignorant times; we understand mutual respect and recognize that everyone has basic human rights. That’s because countless missionaries went to ignorant areas to do charity, even dying to change our inherent beliefs.
So all the achievements of modern civilization that we enjoy today, whether in science and technology, economic trade, or humanitarianism, were all the result of the hard work of these predecessors, step by step, and none of it could possibly have come from his kind of fortune-telling or Yi-ology. What he’s advocating has been played with for thousands of years, but what’s the result? Closed-door policies, ignorance, decadence, and everyone suffering together. Is this really beneficial?
From an individual perspective, you might better understand why what he says can’t be trusted.
Although I jokingly said that I make a living off interest without working, I have done a lot of research and practice in the early stages and have stepped into pitfalls. I fully understand where that money comes from. And you, even more so; you understand Amazon’s foreign trade very well, earning millions every year, and you yourself have said that you earn hard-earned money. So whether it’s making a little money or a lot, we have paid a price, and have at least a clear conscience.
And what is that person advocating? That he received money because he wore red clothes today and white clothes yesterday, so his luck is good? What kind of cause-and-effect relationship is that? It’s completely illogical. If you can’t explain the real reason for the benefits you receive, how can you judge that the small benefits in front of you are really benefits, and ultimately that you don’t need to pay any price? With such inexplicable benefits, he dares to be greedy and boast everywhere; I really don’t know what he’s proud of. I can only say his vision is too short-sighted.
To be honest, I don’t believe there is such a thing as pure good luck in this world without paying a price. He himself said that there are many unseen things in the air, and many things people don’t know exist. If he can’t even see things with his own eyes, then he knows even less about what will happen to him after he dies. Don’t look at him now as if he’s proud, as if he can control everything with mysticism; he will still panic when faced with death.
Each of us must face death, and each of us doesn’t know what will happen after death. Let’s assume, just in case, just in case the soul can really leave the body and exist, just in case there is really a God judgment after death, then those who have paid a price for the benefits they have received during their lifetime have nothing to fear from judgment. But people like him who get inexplicable benefits from superstition will definitely pay the price when they are judged.
I see you listened to him for so long, worried that you might abandon basic common sense because of the small benefits in front of you, mistaking narrowness and shortsightedness for wisdom. I’m only talking about common sense and causal logic; I don’t expect you to believe in Jesus like me, you can completely have your own judgment.
It’s just that I heard him leading people astray, and it’s not just about chatting anymore; as a Christian, I cannot participate, but I have a responsibility to explain this truth to you, otherwise I would feel guilty before my faith. So I won’t indoctrinate and boast like him incessantly; I will only talk to you after obtaining your consent. I’m grateful that you listened to me for so long, which allows me to have a clear conscience before God.