宗教對話與合作在重建新亞洲的角色

The Role of Religious Dialogue and Cooperation in Rebuilding a New Asia

自從九十年代上半期以來，杭廷頓的「文明的衝突」理論一直成為西方學術界所關注的一個主要焦點，尤其是在2001年的911事件以後。這個廣被宣傳的理論在宗教界也引起了嚴重關切，因為他所謂的「衝突」是以宗教教義及價值觀的衝突為核心來開展的。哈佛大學著名的宗教學教授哈維‧科克斯批評杭廷頓的觀點不但錯誤，而且引起不必要的恐懼和焦慮。他認為全球化時代並不是文明衝突的時代，而是提供了「各種文明之間互相對話的最佳機會」。世界宗教領袖們似乎也達成了一個共識，認為我們今天所需要解決的並不是文明衝突的問題，而是各宗教之間的對話與合作。他們中間有些人關切說，提出所謂宗教或文明間會有衝突的說法，會造成不信任和猜疑，而不是相互了解，最終會導致衝突的預言自我實現的惡性循環。
本文試圖辯明亞洲各宗教文明的關係，乃是以互相整合與共生的模式，而不是以衝突的模式，為其特色。雖然近現代史上發生了一些不同宗教背景的社會團體之間暴力衝突的事件，但這些衝突涉及種族、社會經濟、政治、歷史等諸多因素，不能單純解釋為宗教教義和價值的歧異所引起。在古代印度、中國和東南亞，不同宗教信仰的整合與共生的事例不勝枚舉。過去數十年來，亞洲各主要宗教響應了建立全球倫理的呼聲，並已採取行動，努力就一系列的核心價值，尤其是關乎社會經濟的公平正義、氣候變遷及生態環境保護、慈善救濟和人道互助等方面的價值，達成共識。設在亞洲的多個宗教組織積極投入了救災工作以及針對各種人道需要的計劃，包括賑濟飢饉、兒童教育、促進農業生產力以及為弱勢民眾創造另類就業機會。由於戰爭、犯罪、暴力和生態環境破壞等當代問題都根源於人類的貪婪和仇恨，因此宗教在對付這些問題上面扮演著十分重要的角色；也因此，宗教對話與合作對於重建新亞洲實有迫切的需要。

Since the first half of the 1990s, Samuel Huntingtons theory of "clash of civilizations" has been a major focus of attention in the Western academic communities, especially after the 9/11 Incident in 2001. This well-publicized theory has also become a cause for grave concern in the religious circles because the said "clash" is centered on the conflicts of religious tenets and values. Harvey Cox, renowned professor of religious studies at Harvard University, criticizes Huntingtons view as not only erroneous, but also responsible for triggering needless fear and anxiety. He argues that the era of globalization is not an era of clash of civilizations, but rather offers "the best opportunity for dialogue among civilizations." There also appears a wide consensus among the worlds religious leaders that what we need to address today is not clash of civilizations, but dialogue and cooperation among religions. Some of them are concerned that the suggestion of clash among religions or civilizations can breed mistrust and suspicion instead of mutual understanding, eventually leading to the vicious cycle of self-prophesized conflicts.
This article attempts to show that relationships among religious civilizations in Asia are characterized by a model of mutual integration and co-existence rather than a model of clash and conflict. Even though in modern history there have been violent conflicts between social groups with different religious backgrounds, such conflicts involve ethnic, socio-economic, political and historical factors, and cannot be explained away as stemming from differences in religious tenets and values. Examples of interfaith integration and co-existence abound in ancient India, China and Southeast Asia. In the past few decades, major religions in Asia have echoed the call for a global ethics and moved towards a consensus on a set of core values, especially those concerned with socioeconomic justice, climate change and ecological protection, as well as charity and humanitarian mutual help. Religious organizations based in Asia are active in disaster relief work and projects that address various humanitarian needs, including hunger relief, child education, promotion of agricultural productivity and the creation of alternative economic opportunities for the underprivileged people. Insofar as our contemporary problems of wars, crimes, violence and ecological destruction are all rooted in human greed and hatred, religion plays a vital role in tackling these problems, and religious dialogue and cooperation are thus imperative in the rebuilding of a new Asia.