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

譯者: Regina Chu 審譯者: Marssi Draw

Religion is more than belief.

信仰不只限於你相信什麼。

It's power, and it's influence.

信仰是權力，是影響力。

And that influence affects all of us,

那種影響力會影響所有人，

every day, regardless of your own belief.

每天都如此， 不管你自己相信什麼。

Despite the enormous influence of religion on the world today,

儘管現今宗教 對世界的影響如此之大，

we hold them to a different standard of scrutiny and accountability

我們仍然對宗教 有不同的審查及問責標準，

than any other sector of our society.

跟社會上其他部分都不一樣。

For example, if there were a multinational organization,

比方說， 如果今天有個跨國組織、

government or corporation today

政府或企業，

that said no female could be on a leadership board,

說女性不能進入領導階層，

not one woman could have a decision-making authority,

女性不能有決定權，

not one woman could handle any financial matter,

女性不能處理財務問題，

we would have outrage.

我們會非常憤怒。

There would be sanctions.

我們會對之制裁。

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

然而這卻是當今世界 大多數宗教的常例。

We accept things in our religious lives

我們在信仰生活上

that we do not accept in our secular lives,

接受我們在世俗生活上 無法接受的事，

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

我知道這種狀況， 因為我在過去三十年都是如此。

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

我是那種在成長階段 會抗爭各種性別歧視的女孩。

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

我會自己擠進去 跟男生玩三對三鬥牛。

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

我宣稱自己要當 美國第一位女總統。

I have been fighting for the Equal Rights Amendment,

我一直在為 「平權修正案」奮鬥，

which has been dead for 40 years.

這個修正案 在議院躺了 40 年。

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

我是父母雙方家庭中，

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

第一個在外面上班， 並接受高等教育的女人。

I never accepted being excluded because I was a woman,

我從不接受只因我是女人 而被排除在外，

except in my religion.

除了我的宗教。

Throughout all of that time,

那整段時間，

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

我都屬於父權至上的 正統摩爾門教。

I grew up in an enormously traditional family.

我在一個極為傳統的家庭長大。

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

我有八個手足， 媽媽是家庭主婦。

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

我的父親其實是 社區裡的宗教領袖。

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

我長大的世界， 篤信我的價值及立場

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

就是為了持守 我熟悉了一輩子的規定。

You get married a virgin, you never drink alcohol,

妳婚前要保持處女之身， 滴酒不沾，

you don't smoke, you always do service,

不抽菸，總是在教會服事，

you're a good kid.

當個好小孩。

Some of the rules we had were strict,

有些規定很嚴，

but you followed the rules because you loved the people

但是你還是會遵守， 因為你愛這些人，

and you loved the religion and you believed.

你愛這個宗教， 你也相信這個宗教。

Everything about Mormonism determined what you wore,

摩爾門教的教義決定你穿什麼，

who you dated, who you married.

你跟誰約會，你跟誰結婚。

It determined what underwear we wore.

還規定我們穿什麼內衣褲。

I was the kind of religious where everyone I know

我可以說我很虔誠， 因為我認識的每一個人

donated 10 percent of everything they earned to the church,

都會把十分之一的收入 奉獻給教會，

including myself.

包括我自己。

From paper routes and babysitting, I donated 10 percent.

無論是送報還是看小孩， 我都捐十分之一。

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

我就是那麼虔誠， 即使我聽到家長

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

在孩子要離家 當兩年的傳教士時，

that they would rather have them die

對孩子說寧可讓孩子死，

than return home without honor, having sinned.

也不要他們回家時 蒙羞、犯了罪。

I was the type and the kind of religious

我就是那種那麼虔誠的人，

where kids kill themselves every single year

即使每一年教裡都會有孩子自殺，

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

因為他們害怕在社區出櫃。

But I was also the kind of religious

但我就是那麼虔誠，

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

因為在我住的世界 這些都不重要。

I had friendship, instantaneous mutual aid.

我有友情， 有即時的互助。

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

我在那裡覺得安全， 我有確定而清楚的人生。

I had help raising my little daughter.

我有幫手能養大我的小女兒。

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

這就是為什麼我毫不質疑的接受 只有男人能當領袖，

and I accepted without question

我毫不質疑的接受

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

女人在世上 沒有從神而來的屬靈權柄，

which we call the priesthood.

也就是我們說的聖職。

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

我容許教會在經常預算、

在紀律委員會及在決策能力上， 對男女有差別待遇，

disciplinary councils, in decision-making capacities,

and I gave my religion a free pass

我給了我的宗教一張 來去自如的通行證，

because I loved it.

因為我愛它。

Until I stopped,

直到我停下來，

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

了解到我已經容許自己

as the support staff to the real work of men.

被視為男性工作的助手。

And I faced this contradiction in myself,

我面對自身的矛盾，

and I joined with other activists in my community.

加入社區裡其他 改革行動者的行列。

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

我們在過去十幾年 非常、非常、非常努力。

The first thing we did was raise consciousness.

我們做的第一件事 就是提高意識。

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

你不能改變你沒看見的事。

We started podcasting, blogging, writing articles.

我們開始做播客 (podcasting)、 寫部落格、寫文章。

I created lists of hundreds of ways

我洋洋灑灑寫下數百條

that men and women are unequal in our community.

我們社區裡男女不公平的現象。

The next thing we did was build advocacy organizations.

然後我們建立倡導組織。

We tried to do things that were unignorable,

我們試著做無法視而不見的事，

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

像女生穿褲子上教會， 並試著參加只有男性的聚會。

These seem like simple things,

這些事好像很簡單，

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

但是對我們、對組織者而言， 這些事犧牲很大。

We lost relationships. We lost jobs.

我們失去友誼。我們失去工作。

We got hate mail on a daily basis.

我們每天都收到仇恨的信。

We were attacked in social media and national press.

我們在社群網路 及全國新聞上被攻擊。

We received death threats.

我們還收到死亡威脅。

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

我們在社區失去立場。 有些人甚至被逐出教會。

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

我們大部分的人 都被押到紀律委員會前受審，

and were rejected from the communities that we loved

被我們所愛的社區拒絕在外，

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

只因為我們想要讓社區更好， 只因為我們相信社區可以更好。

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

我已經開始預期 我自己的族群會有這種反應。

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

我知道在你覺得 有人試著想改變你

or criticize you.

或批評你是什麼感覺。

But what utterly shocked me was throughout all of this work

但讓我徹底震驚的， 是我努力的這整段期間，

I received equal measures of vitriol from the secular left,

我收到世俗左派的尖酸批評，

the same vehemence as the religious right.

跟宗教右派的憤怒話語一樣多。

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

我的世俗朋友不明白的是 這種對宗教的敵意，

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

有些話像是， 「喔，信教的都是瘋子笨蛋。」

"Don't pay attention to religion."

「不要管宗教。」

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

「他們會仇視同性戀或性別歧視。」

What they didn't understand

他們不明白的是

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

這種敵視 無法對抗宗教極端主義分子，

it bred religious extremism.

只會培育宗教極端主義分子。

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

這種論點沒有用， 我知道，因為我記得

someone telling me that I was stupid for being Mormon.

有人告訴我 我身為摩爾門教徒很笨。

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

這使我要為自己、為我的族群

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

及我們所相信的一切辯護， 因為我們不笨。

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

所以批評及敵視沒有用， 我也不聽這種論點。

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

我聽到這種論點時， 還是會怒髮衝冠，

because I have family and friends.

因為我有家人及朋友。

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

他們是我的族群， 我是第一個替他們辯護的人，

but the struggle is real.

但是其中的掙扎卻很真實。

How do we respect someone's religious beliefs

我們如何既能 尊重別人的宗教信仰，

while still holding them accountable for the harm or damage

又能讓他們負起責任，

因為他們的信仰 可能對他人造成傷害及損失？

that those beliefs may cause others?

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

這是很難回答的問題。 我仍然沒有兩全其美的答案。

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

我的雙親與我在過去十年 一直走在這條兩難的鋼索上。

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

他們是聰明的人。 他們是和善的人。

And let me try to help you understand their perspective.

讓我試著幫助你們 了解他們的觀點。

In Mormonism, we believe that after you die,

摩爾門教相信人死後，

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

如果你生前持守教規、 遵守儀文，

you can be together as a family again.

你們就會再次成為一家人。

And to my parents, me doing something as simple

對我的雙親而言， 我的行為舉止，即使簡單如

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

現在穿著一件無袖上衣， 露出肩膀，

that makes me unworthy.

都會讓我不配、蒙羞。

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

我將無法在永生國度裡 與家人相聚。

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

更糟的是，我有個弟弟 15 歲時死於一場不幸的意外，

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

像這麼簡單的一件事， 也意味著我們無法再成為一家人。

And to my parents, they cannot understand

對我的雙親而言， 他們無法了解

why something as simple as fashion or women's rights

為什麼像時尚及女權 這麼簡單的事，

would prevent me from seeing my brother again.

能讓我再也見不到弟弟。

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

這就是他們的心態， 這就是我們要面對的，

and criticism does not change that.

批評不會改變這種心態。

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

所以我的雙親和我 走在這條兩難的鋼索上，

explaining our sides, respecting one another,

我們解釋自己的觀點， 尊重對方的觀點，

but actually invalidating each other's very basic beliefs

實際卻不斷以我們的生活方式 證明對方最基本的信念是錯的，

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

這真的很難。

The way that we've been able to do that

我們之所以能這麼做，

is to get past those defensive shells

是我們超越防禦的堅硬外殼，

and really see the soft inside of unbelief and belief

真正領會信與不信的柔軟內面，

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

試著既尊重彼此， 又能維持自己的界限。

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

還有一件世俗左派、 無神論者、正統教派、

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

及宗教右翼都不了解的，

was why even care about religious activism?

就是到底為什麼要關注 宗教行動主義？

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

我不能用成千上萬個人 說過的話回答你：

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

「如果你不喜歡宗教，就離開吧！」

Why would you try to change it?

為什麼你要試著改變它？

Because what is taught on the Sabbath

因為在主日教導的宗教律法

leaks into our politics, our health policy,

已經滲透進我們的政治、 我們的健康政策，

violence around the world.

還有全世界的暴力活動。

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

它還滲透進教育、 軍事及財務決策。

These laws get legally and culturally codified.

這些宗教律法已經 正式編入法律及文化中。

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

事實上，我自己的宗教 對這個國家有著巨大的影響。

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

比如在 8 號提案倡議期間， 我的教會募到了二千二百萬美元

to fight same-sex marriage in California.

用來對抗加州提出的同性婚姻法。

Forty years ago, political historians will say,

四十年前，政治歷史學家會說，

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

如果不是摩爾門教反對 平權修正案，

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

今天我們的憲法就會有 平權修正案。

How many lives did that affect?

有多少生命因此受到影響？

And we can spend time fighting every single one

我們可以花時間對抗每一條

of these little tiny laws and rules,

大大小小的法律規章，

or we can ask ourselves,

我們也可以問自己，

why is gender inequality the default around the world?

為什麼全世界 都默認性別不平等？

Why is that the assumption?

為什麼是這樣的假設？

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

因為宗教不只 創造道德的根源，

it creates the seeds of normality.

它還生出「正常」的種子。

Religions can liberate or subjugate,

宗教可以解放或征服，

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

可以賦權或濫權， 可以安慰或毀滅，

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

而會在倫理道德上 顛覆平衡的人，

are often not those in charge.

通常都不是掌權的人。

Religions can't be dismissed or ignored.

宗教無法被解散或忽視。

We need to take them seriously.

我們必須認真面對宗教。

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

但是要影響一門宗教並不容易， 就像我們剛剛談的。

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

但是我要告訴你們 我的夥伴做了什麼。

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

我的團隊很小， 只有幾百個人，

but we've had huge impact.

但是我們的影響很大。

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

現在，女性的照片可以與男性 並列懸掛在教會大廳裡，

for the first time.

這是首次見到。

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

女性可以在 全教會的聚會裡禱告，

and they never were before in the general conferences.

以前總會教友大會 從來不准女性禱告。

As of last week, in a historic move,

到上星期為止， 有個歷史性的行動，

three women were invited down to three leadership boards

三位女性受邀進入三個教會議會

that oversee the entire church.

管理整個教會。

We've seen perceptual shifts in the Mormon community

我們在摩爾門社區看到知覺轉變，

that allow for talk of gender inequality.

允許討論性別不平等。

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

我們開放了空間， 不顧鄙視，

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

讓更多保守女性加入， 產生真正的改變，

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

而「女性」及「聖職」這兩個詞 現在可以出現在同一句話上。

I never had that.

在我過去的經驗中從未有過。

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

我的女兒及姪輩繼承的宗教， 是我以前沒有的，

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

是更加平等的， 我們的努力有了成效。

It wasn't easy standing in those lines

這很不容易， 我們排在隊伍裡

trying to get into those male meetings.

試著進入全是男性的聚會。

There were hundreds of us,

我們有幾百個人，

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

在會場門前 一個接著一個被告知：

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

「很抱歉，這場聚會只讓男性參加。」

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

而我們必須退後， 看著男性進入會場，

as young as 12 years old,

連只有 12 歲的年輕人，

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

都有人陪同越過我們進去， 我們只能站在那裡排隊。

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

但是曾經在那裡排隊的女性 都不會忘記那一天，

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

那些越過我們的小男孩 都不會忘記那一天。

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

假使我們是跨國企業或政府， 發生同樣的事，

there would be outrage,

我們會非常憤怒，

but we're just a religion.

但是我們只是一門宗教。

We're all just part of religions.

我們都只是宗教的一部分。

We can't keep looking at religion that way,

我們不能老是 用那樣的方法看宗教，

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

因為它不僅影響我， 還影響我的女兒、

and all of your daughters and what opportunities they have,

你們的女兒， 及她們能有什麼機會，

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

她們能穿什麼， 她們能愛誰、跟誰結婚，

if they have access to reproductive healthcare.

她們是否能有生育保健。

We need to reclaim morality in a secular context

我們必須在世俗生活中重拾道德，

that creates ethical scrutiny and accountability

以倫理檢視全世界的宗教，

for religions all around the world,

並讓他們負起責任，

but we need to do it in a respectful way

但是我們必須 以尊重的方法來做，

that breeds cooperation and not extremism.

培育合作，而非極端分子。

And we can do it through unignorable acts of bravery,

我們可以做到， 以無法視而不見的勇敢行動

standing up for gender equality.

捍衛性別平等。

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

現在是全世界一半人口

had voice and equality within our world's religions,

在世界各宗教 有聲音、有平等的時候，

churches, synagogues, mosques and shrines around the world.

無論是教會、猶太會堂、 清真寺還是寺廟。

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

我在影響我的族群。 你在為你的族群做什麼？

(Applause)

（掌聲）