T-19.II:Sin versus Error

1. 1It is essential that error be not confused with sin, and it is this distinction that makes salvation possible. 2For error can be corrected, and the wrong made right. 3But sin, were it possible, would be irreversible. 4The belief in sin is necessarily based on the firm conviction that minds, not bodies, can attack. 5And thus the mind is guilty, and will forever so remain unless a mind not part of it can give it absolution. 6Sin calls for punishment as error for correction, and the belief that punishment is correction is clearly insane.

2. 1Sin is not an error, for sin entails an arrogance which the idea of error lacks. 2To sin would be to violate reality, and to succeed. 3Sin is the proclamation that attack is real and guilt is justified. 4It assumes the Son of God is guilty, and has thus succeeded in losing his innocence and making himself what God created not. 5Thus is creation seen as not eternal, and the Will of God open to opposition and defeat. 6Sin is the grand illusion underlying all the ego’s grandiosity. 7For by it God Himself is changed, and rendered incomplete.

3. 1The Son of God can be mistaken; he can deceive himself; he can even turn the power of his mind against himself. 2But he cannot sin. 3There is nothing he can do that would really change his reality in any way, nor make him really guilty. 4That is what sin would do, for such is its purpose. 5Yet for all the wild insanity inherent in the whole idea of sin, it is impossible. 6For the wages of sin is death, and how can the immortal die?

4. 1A major tenet in the ego’s insane religion is that sin is not error but truth, and it is innocence that would deceive. 2Purity is seen as arrogance, and the acceptance of the self as sinful is perceived as holiness. 3And it is this doctrine that replaces the reality of the Son of God as his Father created him, and willed that he be forever. 4Is this humility? 5Or is it, rather, an attempt to wrest creation away from truth, and keep it separate?

5. 1Any attempt to reinterpret sin as error is always indefensible to the ego. 2The idea of sin is wholly sacrosanct to its thought system, and quite unapproachable except with reverence and awe. 3It is the most “holy” concept in the ego’s system; lovely and powerful, wholly true, and necessarily protected with every defense at its disposal. 4For here lies its “best” defense, which all the others serve. 5Here is its armor, its protection, and the fundamental purpose of the special relationship in its interpretation.

6. 1It can indeed be said the ego made its world on sin. 2Only in such a world could everything be upside down. 3This is the strange illusion that makes the clouds of guilt seem heavy and impenetrable. 4The solidness that this world’s foundation seems to have is found in this. 5For sin has changed creation from an idea of God to an ideal the ego wants; a world it rules, made up of bodies, mindless and capable of complete corruption and decay. 6If this is a mistake, it can be undone easily by truth. 7Any mistake can be corrected, if truth be left to judge it. 8But if the mistake is given the status of truth, to what can it be brought? 9The “holiness” of sin is kept in place by just this strange device. 10As truth it is inviolate, and everything is brought to it for judgment. 11As a mistake, it must be brought to truth. 12It is impossible to have faith in sin, for sin is faithlessness. 13Yet it is possible to have faith that a mistake can be corrected.

7. 1There is no stone in all the ego’s embattled citadel that is more heavily defended than the idea that sin is real; the natural expression of what the Son of God has made himself to be, and what he is. 2To the ego, this is no mistake. 3For this is its reality; this is the “truth” from which escape will always be impossible. 4This is his past, his present and his future. 5For he has somehow managed to corrupt his Father, and change His Mind completely. 6Mourn, then, the death of God, Whom sin has killed! 7And this would be the ego’s wish, which in its madness it believes it has accomplished.

8. 1Would you not rather that all this be nothing more than a mistake, entirely correctable, and so easily escaped from that its whole correction is like walking through a mist into the sun? 2For that is all it is. 3Perhaps you would be tempted to agree with the ego that it is far better to be sinful than mistaken. 4Yet think you carefully before you allow yourself to make this choice. 5Approach it not lightly, for it is the choice of hell or Heaven.

1. 切莫把错误与罪恶混为一谈，这一点极其重要，唯有辨明两者的不同，你才有得救的可能。
因过失能够修改，错误得以匡正，
然而，罪若真的存在，就会回天乏术了。
罪的信念必然建立在相信“只有心灵才有攻击的能力，身体无此能耐”的信念上。
因此，真正有罪的乃是心灵；除非外面有另一心灵赦免它的罪，否则它就会百罪难消，万劫不复。
罪恶要求惩罚，错误只待修正，相信惩罚等于修正的人，显然已经精神错乱了。
2. 罪不是一个错误，罪的观念隐含了错误所没有的傲慢心态。
犯罪，表示你不只冒犯了真相，并且诡计得逞。
罪，等于声明攻击确实发生了，你理当为此感到罪咎。
它认定上主之子真的犯了罪，必然丧失了纯洁本性，就这样，上主之子把自己转变为另一个与上主创造初衷截然不同的生命。
由此证明上主的创造绝不可能是千古不易的，祂的旨意也会遭人抵制而挫败。
罪是一个极大的幻相，凸显出小我所有的傲慢与自大。
它好似改造了上主，使祂不再圆满无缺。
3. 上主之子会犯错，他能欺骗自己，甚至用心灵的能力与自己为敌。
但他无法犯罪。
不论他做什么，都不可能改变他的生命真相，更不可能让自己变成真正的有罪之身。
罪的意图就是让你感到罪孽深重，这正是它的目的所在。
然而，不论这个罪恶的念头疯狂到什么地步，也不可能弄假成真的。
罪恶的报酬是死亡；问题是，不朽的生命怎么可能死亡？
4. 小我的疯狂信仰中有一基本信条：罪绝不是一个错误，它是事实真相；纯洁无罪之说才是自欺欺人。
纯洁被视为一种傲慢，承认自己罪孽深重，反而被视为一种圣德。
这类教义存心否定天父为圣子创造的永恒不变的真相。
这岂称得上谦逊？
它其实是在暗中扭曲造化的真相，使它再也看不见自己的真相。
5. 把罪诠释为错误，在小我眼中是无法自圆其说的。
罪的观念在小我思想体系里神圣而不可侵犯，你必须对它抱以敬畏之心。
它是小我体系中最“神圣”的观念，不只惹人怜爱，还有呼风唤雨之力，它真实不虚，你应不遗余力地加以保护。
罪也是小我最“高明”的防卫措施，其余的伎俩只是为它摇旗吶喊而已。
罪是小我的盔甲，它的保护者，也是特殊关系在小我心目中的真正目的。
6. 我们确实可以说，小我的整个世界都是建立在罪之上的。
只有这种世界才会如此是非颠倒。
就是这种诡谲而虚幻的“罪”撒出了“咎”的天罗地网，密不透风，把人压得喘不过气。
整个世界就这样在罪咎中找到一个稳固的基地。
因为罪已将一切造化由上主的神圣理念改造为小我理想中的模样，小我世界于焉形成。它造出了一堆丧失心灵的身体，逃避不了腐朽与死亡的结局。
如果这只是一个误解，真相便能轻而易举地将它化解。
只要你肯让真相去评判，任何错误都会当下获得修正。
但错误一旦篡夺了真相的宝座，它还能往何处接受修正？
小我就是靠这诡谲的伎俩保住了罪的“神圣”地位。
罪一旦取代了真相，自然变得凛然不可侵犯，一切都得归它审判。
罪若只是一个误解，你只需把它带到真理之前。
你不可能“相信”罪的，因为罪根本是一种“不信”心态。
然而，你仍有理由相信错误是可以修正的。
7. 在小我严阵以待的防御堡垒下，没有一块基石会比“相信罪是真实的”这个观念受到更严密的保护了，上主之子重新打造了一个自我来取代本来真相之后，不可能不生出这一观念的。
对小我而言，这可不是什么错误。
因为这是它存在的现实，它一旦成为“真相”，就再也无人能够逃出它的魔掌了。
这一信念构成了上主之子的过去、现在及未来。
因他似乎已打垮了自己的天父，彻底改造了上主的心灵。
他也许会为那已被罪处死的上主哀悼，
而大快小我之心，因它已疯狂到相信自己真能打败上主的地步了。
8. 你难道不希望这一切只是一个能够全面修正的误解，而且你能轻易摆脱所有的遗害，就像走过迷雾或迎向阳光一般？
事实就是如此。
有时你还会忍不住认同小我之见，觉得有罪会比犯错对你更为有益。
但在作此选择之前，请务必三思。
切莫掉以轻心，因为天堂或地狱，就在这一念之间。
1.錯誤絕不能與罪混淆，正是這一區辨才使救恩有其可能。
因為錯誤可以修正，錯的可以改成對的。
但罪卻不可挽回，即便你不可能有罪。
你堅定地相信可以攻擊的是心靈，而不是身體，罪的信念則必然以此為根基。
為次，有罪的是心靈，而它的罪也永遠無法消除，除非另一顆與它互不相屬的心赦免了它。
罪有待懲罰，一如錯誤有待修正，而懲罰即是修正的信念則顯然神智不清。
2.罪不是錯誤，因為錯誤的觀念缺少罪所隱含的傲慢。
罪無異於干犯實相，且得償所願。
罪宣告了攻擊的真實性與罪咎的合理性。
它認定上主之子有罪，從而使他失去了純潔，成為上主並未創造的模樣。
於是你眼裡的受造已不再永恆，而上主的旨意也能被反對和挫敗。
罪的巨大幻相就隱藏在小我的一切自大之下。
因為藉著它，上主已被改變，且不再完滿。
3.上主之子可以錯看；他可以自欺；他甚至可以把心靈的力量用來對付自己。
但他不會有罪。
不論他做了什麼，都真的無法以任何方式改變自己的實相，或真的令自己有罪。
那是罪企圖做到的事，因為那是它的目的。
然而，即便是動用了罪的整個觀念所隱含的所有瘋狂與神智不清，也無法做到這點。
畢竟罪的報酬便是死亡，但不朽豈能死去？
4.罪不是錯誤，而是真理；純潔無罪不過是在自欺欺人，這就是小我瘋狂宗教中的核心信條。
純潔被視為傲慢，而接納自己的罪則被視為神聖。
就是這一教義取代了上主之子創生自天父的實相，而他的天父願他永恆如是。
這是謙遜？
還是從真理那兒奪取受造，並使其分裂的一種意圖？
5.對小我而言，任何把罪重新詮釋為錯誤的意圖都是站不住腳的。
在它的思想體系中，罪的觀念神聖不可侵犯，除非待之以尊崇與敬畏，否則便難以親近。
那是小我體系中最「神聖」的概念；既美妙又有力量，而且真實無比，必需由它動用一切防衛來加以保護。
因為它的「最佳」防衛有賴乎此，其餘一切都得為其服務。
這就是它的武器與後盾，以及它心目中特殊關係的終極目的。
6.可以放心地說，小我的世界便是以罪為基礎。
只有在這樣的世界裡，一切才會變得顛倒。
罪咎的烏雲之所以顯得沉重且難以穿透，就是這一怪異幻相所致。
它為這世界提供了看似堅實的基礎。
因為罪已把受造由上主的心念轉為小我的理念；一個由它統治的世界，一個失去心靈、且由身體構成的世界，一個趨於腐朽和徹底腐敗的世界。
如果這是個錯誤，真理就能輕易化解它。
一旦由真理來判斷，任何錯誤就都能修正過來。
但若把真理的地位讓給錯誤，它還能被帶往何處？
罪的「神聖性」就是以如此怪異的方式保存了下來。
作為不可侵犯的真理，一切都得帶到它的跟前供其審判。
而它若是個錯誤，就會被帶往真理。
沒有人能對罪抱以信心，因為罪就是不信。
但錯誤可被修正，對此你能滿懷信心。
7.在小我那一座座強敵環伺的堡壘中，最被嚴防死守的一塊基石即是「罪是真的」的信念；那是上主之子造出與活出的自己的自然呈顯。
對小我而言，那千真萬確。
畢竟那就是它的真面目；你永遠也逃脫不了的「真理」。
那就是它的過去、現在、與未來。
因為他不知怎地腐化了他的天父，又徹底改變了祂的天心。
那麼就哀悼祂的死吧，是罪殺害了祂！
這就是小我的願望，錯亂之中它自認完成了這一壯舉。
8.你難道不希望這一切僅僅是個錯誤，完全可以修正，且可輕而易舉地逃離，以致修正的過程猶如穿過迷霧、進入陽光？
畢竟它不外如此。
或許你會忍不住想苟同小我的觀點，認定有罪會遠好過是場誤會。
然而，在你允許自己做出這番決定前，不妨三思而後行。
別不當一回事，因為這是在選擇天堂或者地獄。