How I'm Working for Change Inside My Church | Chelsea Shields | TED Talks

翻译人员: Jiawei Ni 校对人员: Jin Wu

Religion is more than belief.

宗教信仰不仅仅是种信念。

It's power, and it's influence.

它是种力量，是种影响。

And that influence affects all of us,

每天都影响我们每个人，

every day, regardless of your own belief.

无论你怎么想。

Despite the enormous influence of religion on the world today,

尽管现在宗教信仰在世界 上有庞大的影响，

we hold them to a different standard of scrutiny and accountability

然而我们并不以同一标准 的审查和责任制度

than any other sector of our society.

来对待宗教，相对于社会的其他方面。

For example, if there were a multinational organization,

举例来说，假设现在有一家跨国组织、

government or corporation today

政府或者企业，

that said no female could be on a leadership board,

董事会领导中没有女性，

not one woman could have a decision-making authority,

没有一位女性能拥有决策权，

not one woman could handle any financial matter,

也没有一位女性能够掌管财政事务，

we would have outrage.

我们会十分愤怒。

There would be sanctions.

这将会得到制裁。

And yet this is a common practice in almost every world religion today.

然而，这几乎是全世界宗教的惯例。

We accept things in our religious lives

我们在宗教生活中接受这种假设，

that we do not accept in our secular lives,

但我们在世俗生活却拒绝，

and I know this because I've been doing it for three decades.

我知道这些， 是因为我经历了三十年这样的事情。

I was the type of girl that fought every form of gender discrimination growing up.

在我的成长过程中， 我与各种形式的性别歧视做抗争。

I played pickup basketball games with the boys and inserted myself.

我和男孩子一起玩篮球。

I said I was going to be the first female President of the United States.

我曾说我将成为美国 第一任女性总统。

I have been fighting for the Equal Rights Amendment,

我一直在为已经废弃了40年的

which has been dead for 40 years.

《男女平权修正案》而努力。

I'm the first woman in both sides of my family

不论在我的父方还是母方， 我都是家族的第一位女性

to ever work outside the home and ever receive a higher education.

在外头上班和接受高等教育

I never accepted being excluded because I was a woman,

我从不接受 因为我是一名女性就得被排除在外

except in my religion.

除了在我的宗教里。

Throughout all of that time,

在那整整一段时间里，

I was a part of a very patriarchal orthodox Mormon religion.

我曾是传统父权制的摩门宗教的一员

I grew up in an enormously traditional family.

我成长在一个庞大的传统家庭，

I have eight siblings, a stay-at-home mother.

我有八个兄弟姐妹， 母亲全职在家照料，

My father's actually a religious leader in the community.

我的父亲在社区是一位宗教领袖。

And I grew up in a world believing that my worth and my standing

我成长的世界让我深信我的价值和认知

was in keeping these rules that I'd known my whole life.

就是遵守我生活中所知道的规定。

You get married a virgin, you never drink alcohol,

你结婚时是处女，你从不喝酒，

you don't smoke, you always do service,

你不能抽烟，你需要经常参加礼拜，

you're a good kid.

你是个好孩子。

Some of the rules we had were strict,

我们的一些规定十分严格，

but you followed the rules because you loved the people

但你遵守这些规定 是因为你爱你身边的人，

and you loved the religion and you believed.

你爱你的宗教并且相信它。

Everything about Mormonism determined what you wore,

摩门教的一切决定了你穿什么，

who you dated, who you married.

你和谁约会，你会嫁给谁

It determined what underwear we wore.

它甚至决定了我们穿什么内衣。

I was the kind of religious where everyone I know

在我身处这样的宗教， 每个我认识的人

donated 10 percent of everything they earned to the church,

都会将自己收入的 百分之十捐给教堂。

including myself.

其中也包括我自己

From paper routes and babysitting, I donated 10 percent.

不管是做报童还是保姆， 我都捐百分之10。

I was the kind of religious where I heard parents tell children

我身处在这样一个宗教， 我听到父母告诉他们的孩子，

when they're leaving on a two-year proselytizing mission

如果他们中途离开 了两年的传教任务，

that they would rather have them die

那他们宁愿他们死去，

than return home without honor, having sinned.

也不要耻辱而归，背着罪孽。

I was the type and the kind of religious

我身处在这样一个宗教，

where kids kill themselves every single year

每年都会有孩子自杀，

because they're terrified of coming out to our community as gay.

因为他们害怕作为 同性恋走出我们的社区

But I was also the kind of religious

但我也身处在这样一个宗教，

where it didn't matter where in the world I lived,

我可以住在世界任何一个地方。

I had friendship, instantaneous mutual aid.

我拥有能患难与共， 相互扶持的友谊。

This was where I felt safe. This is certainty and clarity about life.

这让我感到安全。 这也是人生的确定性与明确性。

I had help raising my little daughter.

我需要抚养我年幼的女儿

So that's why I accepted without question that only men can lead,

这也是为什么我毫无疑问的接受 只有男性可以领导

and I accepted without question

我也曾坚定的认为

that women can't have the spiritual authority of God on the Earth,

在地球上，女性无法拥有神的精神权威

which we call the priesthood.

也就是我们所谓的神职。

And I allowed discrepancies between men and women in operating budgets,

我接受处理经费预算、

disciplinary councils, in decision-making capacities,

惩戒委员会、與决策能力的两性差異，

and I gave my religion a free pass

我给予我的宗教一切放行。

because I loved it.

因为我热爱它。

Until I stopped,

直到我停止，

and I realized that I had been allowing myself to be treated

我意识到我纵容自己被当作

as the support staff to the real work of men.

实际工作男性的幕后人员。

And I faced this contradiction in myself,

我自己正视了这个矛盾，

and I joined with other activists in my community.

并且参与了社区的抗议活动。

We've been working very, very, very hard for the last decade and more.

在过去的十多年里， 我们非常、非常、非常地努力。

The first thing we did was raise consciousness.

我们首要做的就是提高意识。

You can't change what you can't see.

你不能改变你看不到的东西。

We started podcasting, blogging, writing articles.

我们开始通过播客，博客，写文章。

I created lists of hundreds of ways

我列了上百条在我们社区中

that men and women are unequal in our community.

男女不平等的方式。

The next thing we did was build advocacy organizations.

接下来我们做的 是建立我们的倡导组织。

We tried to do things that were unignorable,

我们尝试着做一些不可忽视的事情，

like wearing pants to church and trying to attend all-male meetings.

比如穿着长裤去教堂， 试图参加那些只有男性才能参加的会议

These seem like simple things,

这些看起来那么简单的事情，

but to us, the organizers, they were enormously costly.

但对于我们作为组织者来说， 付出了巨大的代价。

We lost relationships. We lost jobs.

我们失去了亲情， 我们失去了工作。

We got hate mail on a daily basis.

我们每天都收到恐吓信。

We were attacked in social media and national press.

我们在社交媒体和报刊上被攻击。

We received death threats.

我们收到了死亡威胁。

We lost standing in our community. Some of us got excommunicated.

我们失去了我们在社区中的地位， 我们当中的一部分被逐出了教会。

Most of us got put in front of a disciplinary council,

我们中的大多数被迫面对惩戒委员会，

and were rejected from the communities that we loved

被我们所热爱的社区拒之门外。

because we wanted to make them better, because we believed that they could be.

因为我们想要它们变得更好， 因为我们相信它们可以变得更好。

And I began to expect this reaction from my own people.

我开始期待我身边人的反应，

I know what it feels like when you feel like someone's trying to change you

我知道当你感到有人试图想改变你

or criticize you.

或者批判你是一种什么样的感觉。

But what utterly shocked me was throughout all of this work

但经过那么多的事情， 彻底震惊我的是

I received equal measures of vitriol from the secular left,

我收到了宗教反对派的苛薄对待，

the same vehemence as the religious right.

激烈程度如同宗教支持者。

And what my secular friends didn't realize was that this religious hostility,

而我那些不信仰宗教的朋友没有意识到的是 这种宗教仇视，

these phrases of, "Oh, all religious people are crazy or stupid."

这些言语例如， “啊，所有信宗教的人不是疯就是蠢。”

"Don't pay attention to religion."

“别去理睬宗教。”

"They're going to be homophobic and sexist."

“他们会歧视同性恋，和女性。”

What they didn't understand

但他们不明白的是

was that that type of hostility did not fight religious extremism,

这种仇视并不是和 宗教极端主义抗争，

it bred religious extremism.

而是在传播宗教极端主义。

Those arguments don't work, and I know because I remember

那些争论并不管用，我知道原因，

someone telling me that I was stupid for being Mormon.

是因为我记得有人告诉我， 我成为摩门教的一员是一件愚蠢的事情。

And what it caused me to do was defend myself and my people

这就促使了我所做的事是在保护 我自己和我身边的人，

and everything we believe in, because we're not stupid.

我们相信的一切。 因为我们并不愚蠢。

So criticism and hostility doesn't work, and I didn't listen to these arguments.

批判和仇视并没有什么用， 我不去听这些争论。

When I hear these arguments, I still continue to bristle,

当我听到这些争论时， 我仍旧感到十分震怒，

because I have family and friends.

因为我有家庭，有朋友。

These are my people, and I'm the first to defend them,

他们是我身边的人， 而我是第一个站出来保护他们的，

but the struggle is real.

但现实是残酷的。

How do we respect someone's religious beliefs

我们怎样尊重人们的宗教信仰

while still holding them accountable for the harm or damage

即使他们所信仰的宗教可能会

that those beliefs may cause others?

对其他人造成伤害？

It's a tough question. I still don't have a perfect answer.

这是个棘手的问题。 我仍旧没找到一个满意的答案。

My parents and I have been walking on this tightrope for the last decade.

近十年来，我和我的父母 一直在这个问题上争论不下。

They're intelligent people. They're lovely people.

他们是聪慧善良的人。

And let me try to help you understand their perspective.

让我来帮你们理解他们的观点。

In Mormonism, we believe that after you die,

在摩门人眼里，我们相信

if you keep all the rules and you follow all the rituals,

如果你遵守所有的规定及礼制，

you can be together as a family again.

在你死后， 你将和你的家人再一次团聚。

And to my parents, me doing something as simple

而对于我父母来说， 一些很简单的事情，

as having a sleeveless top right now, showing my shoulders,

就像我现在穿了一件无袖上衣， 露出了我的手臂，

that makes me unworthy.

这样就让我变得很廉价。

I won't be with my family in the eternities.

那么在来世， 我将和我的家人分离。

But even more, I had a brother die in a tragic accident at 15,

但更重要的是，我有一个兄弟， 他15岁的时候在一场车祸中丧生，

and something as simple as this means we won't be together as a family.

然而像这样简单的事情 意味着我们将不能再在一起。

And to my parents, they cannot understand

对于我的父母来说， 他们无法理解

why something as simple as fashion or women's rights

为什么简单的女性的时尚与基本权利

would prevent me from seeing my brother again.

会阻止我和我的兄弟再一次的相聚。

And that's the mindset that we're dealing with,

这是我们正在处理的心态，

and criticism does not change that.

批判并不能改变什么。

And so my parents and I have been walking this tightrope,

就算像我和我父母在触碰这颗地雷时，

explaining our sides, respecting one another,

通过我们的生活方式来解释 我们的观点，尊重对方的理念，

but actually invalidating each other's very basic beliefs

但却试图去证明对方的 基本信念是错的。

by the way we live our lives, and it's been difficult.

生活是艰辛的。

The way that we've been able to do that

我们能采取的方式是

is to get past those defensive shells

绕过那些防御外壳

and really see the soft inside of unbelief and belief

真正看到那些信仰与不信仰的柔软内在，

and try to respect each other while still holding boundaries clear.

试图彼此尊重， 即使他们持有的界限依然清晰。

The other thing that the secular left and the atheists and the orthodox

另一件让宗教左派、 无神论者、东正教、

and the religious right, what they all don't understand

宗教右派不能理解的是，

was why even care about religious activism?

为什么甚至关心宗教激进主义？

I cannot tell you the hundreds of people who have said,

我不能告诉你成百个人曾说，

"If you don't like religion, just leave."

“如果你不喜欢宗教，就走开。”

Why would you try to change it?

为什么你想尝试改变它？

Because what is taught on the Sabbath

因为在安息日所被教导的，

leaks into our politics, our health policy,

渗透到了我们世界的 政治和卫生政策，

violence around the world.

以及遍布世界范围的暴力行为。

It leaks into education, military, fiscal decision-making.

它渗透到了教育、军队、财政决策。

These laws get legally and culturally codified.

这些法律被合法、合情的编纂成文。

In fact, my own religion has had an enormous effect on this nation.

事实上，我自己的宗教 在这个国家已经具有巨大的影响力。

For example, during Prop 8, my church raised over 22 million dollars

举例来说， 在加利福尼亚8号提案期间，

to fight same-sex marriage in California.

我的教派筹集了2200万美元 用来抵制同性婚姻。

Forty years ago, political historians will say,

40年前，政治历史学家会说，

that if it wasn't for the Mormon opposition to the Equal Rights Amendment,

如果不是摩门反对平等权利修正案，

we'd have an Equal Rights Amendment in our Constitution today.

如今我们宪法就会有平等权利修正案。

How many lives did that affect?

有多少人被它所影响？

And we can spend time fighting every single one

我们可以花费时间

of these little tiny laws and rules,

与其中的每一条法律法规抗争，

or we can ask ourselves,

或者我们可以问问自己，

why is gender inequality the default around the world?

全世界默认性别歧视的原因是什么？

Why is that the assumption?

为什么做那样的假设？

Because religion doesn't just create the roots of morality,

因为宗教不仅创造了道德的根基，

it creates the seeds of normality.

它也造就了标准的根源。

Religions can liberate or subjugate,

宗教能够释放或征服，

they can empower or exploit, they can comfort or destroy,

它们能给予或掠夺 它们能安抚或毁坏，

and the people that tip the scales over to the ethical and the moral

而那些在伦理道德上起到决定作用的人

are often not those in charge.

却常常不用担负责任。

Religions can't be dismissed or ignored.

宗教不能被剔除或忽略。

We need to take them seriously.

我们需要严肃对待它们。

But it's not easy to influence a religion, like we just talked about.

但就像我们刚才所说， 要改变一个宗教并不容易。

But I'll tell you what my people have done.

但让我来告诉你我身边的人做了什么。

My groups are small, there's hundreds of us,

我们的团体很小，大概百来号人

but we've had huge impact.

但我们有巨大的影响力。

Right now, women's pictures are hanging in the halls next to men

现在， 女性的照片第一次被挂在走道上

for the first time.

并且紧邻着男性。

Women are now allowed to pray in our church-wide meetings,

现在女性被允许在教会会议上祈祷，

and they never were before in the general conferences.

然而在之前的会议上是从未有过的。

As of last week, in a historic move,

上周，发生了历史性的措举，

three women were invited down to three leadership boards

三位女性被邀请 作为其中的三位领导成员

that oversee the entire church.

监管整个教派。

We've seen perceptual shifts in the Mormon community

我们看到了在摩门社区中 的显著改变，

that allow for talk of gender inequality.

允许谈论性别不平等。

We've opened up space, regardless of being despised,

我们敞开心扉，不去理睬被轻视，

for more conservative women to step in and make real changes,

为了更多保守的女性能更进一步 并作出实质性的改变，

and the words "women" and "the priesthood" can now be uttered in the same sentence.

“女性”和“神职”现在可以 在同一句子中出现。

I never had that.

我从未拥有过这样。

My daughter and my nieces are inheriting a religion that I never had,

我的女儿和我侄女生来就在 这样一个我从未经历过的宗教，

that's more equal -- we've had an effect.

更加平等——我们为之努力过。

It wasn't easy standing in those lines

站在那些队伍中， 试图参与那些男性会议，

trying to get into those male meetings.

这些并不容易。

There were hundreds of us,

我们有成百个人，

and one by one, when we got to the door,

当我们走到门口， 我们一个一个被告知，

we were told, "I'm sorry, this meeting is just for men,"

“对不起， 这个会议只有男性可以参与。“

and we had to step back and watch men get into the meeting

我们不得不往后退， 看着男性走近会议室，

as young as 12 years old,

连队伍中12岁的小男孩，

escorted and walked past us as we all stood in line.

也在护送下从我们身边走过。

But not one woman in that line will forget that day,

但站在那条队伍中的女性 没有一个会忘记那一天，

and not one little boy that walked past us will forget that day.

从我们身边走过的男孩 没有一个会忘记那一天。

If we were a multinational corporation or a government, and that had happened,

如果我们是一家跨国公司、或者政府， 发生那样的事情，

there would be outrage,

那将会激起愤怒，

but we're just a religion.

但我们只是一个宗教。

We're all just part of religions.

我们都只是宗教的一部分。

We can't keep looking at religion that way,

我们不能一直以那样 的方式看待宗教，

because it doesn't only affect me, it affects my daughter

因为它不仅影响着我， 也影响着我的女儿，

and all of your daughters and what opportunities they have,

还有你们的女儿， 还有她们拥有什么样的机遇，

what they can wear, who they can love and marry,

她们能穿什么， 她们能爱谁、嫁给谁。

if they have access to reproductive healthcare.

她们是否有生育医疗保健的权利。

We need to reclaim morality in a secular context

我们需要在世俗的环境下

that creates ethical scrutiny and accountability

使全世界的宗教

for religions all around the world,

重新建立世俗道德与责任，

but we need to do it in a respectful way

但我们需要以一种尊重的方式

that breeds cooperation and not extremism.

去传播合作互融而不是极端主义。

And we can do it through unignorable acts of bravery,

我们可以无法被忽略的勇气，

standing up for gender equality.

为了性别平权站出来。

It's time that half of the world's population

现在时候让拥有宗教信仰 并且接近世界人口半数的人们

had voice and equality within our world's religions,

为平权和平等在世界上 的各种宗教信仰中发声

churches, synagogues, mosques and shrines around the world.

这包括世界各地的教会、 犹太教会、清真寺、神庙。

I'm working on my people. What are you doing for yours?

我在为我身边的人而奋斗， 那你能为你身边的人做什么呢？

(Applause)

（掌声）