About Science 有關科學

C.S. Lewis 在他的 《The Screwtape Letters》有這麼一段資深魔鬼Screwtape對小鬼Wormwood交代要如何對待一名基督徒患者的教導：(C.S. Lewis 在前言中要讀者記得，魔鬼是撒謊成性的，並非Screwtape所說的每件事，甚至從魔鬼自己的角度來看，都可以拿來當真)。

感謝幾個世紀以前，我們在人群中所下的功夫的進展，使得他們在習以為常和眼見為真的情況下，無法去相信不熟悉的事物。繼續堅持給他灌輸事物的平凡性；最重要的一點: 不要嘗試拿科學(我是說，真正的科學)去對抗基督教的信仰。科學會正面的鼓勵他去思考他不能觸摸或看見的事實。在現代物理學家中，已經發生了幾個可悲的案例。

假如他必須搞科學，讓他搞經濟學或社會學；不要讓他脫離這可貴的“現實生活”。最好就是不要讓他讀科學書刊，但給他一個大的總體思維─他無所不知，而且每一個道聽塗說所得來的，都是“最新研究的成果”。千萬要記住：你的任務是把他搞糊塗。

從你們年輕無知的鬼話中，誰都會認為我們應該給你們好好的教導。

Thanks to processes which we set at work in them centuries ago, they find it all but impossible to believe in the unfamiliar while the familiar is before their eyes. Keep pressing home on him the ordinariness of things. Above all, do not attempt to use science (I mean, the real sciences) as a defense against Christianity. They will positively encourage him to think about realities he can't touch and see. There have been sad cases among the modern physicists.

If he must dabble in science, keep him on economics and sociology; don't let him get away from that invaluable "real life". But the best of all is to let him read no science but to give him a grand general idea that he knows it all and that everything he happens to have picked up in casual talk and reading is "the results of modem investigation". Do remember you are there to fuddle him.

From the way some of you young fiends talk, anyone would suppose it was our job to teach!