9魔鬼曾把宗教注射到我们的血轮里;因此,营不仅在我们身外,也深深的在我们身内。自从夏娃吃了善恶知识树的果子,宗教就进到人的血轮里。蛇试诱夏娃时,并没有要她犯甚么不道德的罪,乃是以宗教的方式对她说,『神岂是真说,不许你们吃园中所有树上的果子么?』(创三1。)在此我们看见,蛇竟然讲到神。这就是宗教。蛇似乎是说,『夏娃,我知道你和你丈夫都是为著神的。我不是来和你谈属世的娱乐,我要和你谈神的事。』谈论神的事就是宗教的一方面。你知道甚么是宗教?宗教就是仅仅谈论神的事。或许有人说,『大家都谈论神,岂不是很好么?你为甚么定罪他们呢?在宗教里,人受教导来认识神。他们的题目不是淫乱或赌博,而是真神。』虽然如此,创世记三章却启示,宗教开始于蛇对夏娃谈论神。夏娃回答蛇说,『园中树上的果子我们可以吃;惟有园当中那棵树上的果子,神曾说,你们不可吃,也不可摸,免得你们死。』(2~3。)蛇就再说,『你们不一定死,因为神知道,你们吃的日子眼睛就明亮了,你们便如神能知道善恶。』(4~5。)知道善恶也是宗教的事。宗教教导人知道神的事,也教导人知道善恶。最终,夏娃吃了知识树的果子,宗教从此就注入到人的血轮里。
9The Devil has injected religion into our blood. Because of this, the camp is not merely outside of us; it is deep within us. Since the day Eve ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, religion has been in man’s blood. When the serpent tempted Eve, he did not ask her to do anything immoral. Rather, the serpent spoke to her in a religious way, saying, “Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?” (Gen. 3:1). Here we see that the serpent even spoke of God. This is religion. The serpent seemed to be saying, “Eve, I know that you and your husband are both for God. I am not here to talk with you about worldly entertainments. I want to talk with you about God.” Talking about God is an aspect of religion. Do you know what religion is? It is the mere talk about God. Some may say, “Isn’t it wonderful that people talk about God? Why do you condemn them for this? In religion people are taught to know God. Their subject is not fornication or gambling; it is the true God.” Nevertheless, as Genesis 3 reveals, religion began with the serpent’s talking to Eve about God. Eve answered the serpent, saying, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die” (Gen. 3:2-3). To this the serpent responded, “Ye shall not surely die: for God doth know that in the day ye eat there of, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil” (Gen. 3:4-5). Knowing good and evil is also a matter of religion. Religion teaches people to know about God and to know good and evil. Eventually, Eve ate of the tree of knowledge, and religion was injected into man’s blood.