教育取代严刑峻法

There are two sorts of retributory punishments. One is vengeance, the other chastisement. Man has not the right to take vengeance, but the community’ has the right to punish the criminal; and this punishment is intended to warn and to prevent, so that no other person will dare to commit a like crime. This punishment is for the protection of man’s rights, but it is not vengeance; vengeance appeases the anger of the heart by opposing one evil to another. This is not allowable; for man has not the right to take vengeance. But if criminals were entirely forgiven, the order of the world would be upset. So punishment is one of the essential necessities for the safety of communities, but he who is oppressed by a transgressor has not the right to take vengeance: on the contrary, he should forgive and pardon, for this is worthy of the world of man. 

有两种惩治的方法，一种的复仇，一种是惩罚。人没有复仇的权利，但是社区可以惩罚罪犯。惩罚的目的是为了警告，防止他重犯，别人看了也就不敢犯上同样的罪行。惩罚是为了保护人的权利，不是复仇。复仇是以恶报恶，发泄内心的愤怒，这是不允许的，因为人没有报复的权利。但是如果罪犯都被赦免，世界很快就会陷入混乱，因此，要社会安宁，惩罚是必需的。但是被人欺压、伤害，却不可擅自寻仇报复，他无权这样做。相反的，他应该宽恕、原谅对方，这才符合人的价值。

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The communities must punish the oppressor, the murderer, the malefactor, so as to warn and restrain others from committing like crimes. But the most essential thing is that the people must be educated in such a way that no crimes will be committed; for, it is possible to educate the masses so effectively that they will avoid and shrink from perpetrating crimes, so that the crime itself will appear to them as the greatest chastisement, the utmost condemnation and torment. Therefore no crimes which require punishment will be committed…… 

社区必须惩罚暴徒、杀人犯、流氓，从而警告他人不可犯上同样的罪行，同时构成一种约束。然而教育大众，使他们自己不要犯罪，才是最重要的。教育要使到每个人都懂得避开罪行，而犯罪本身对他们来说，乃是最大的惩罚、最深刻的谴责、最痛苦的折磨，这是可能的。这样，就没有人犯法，也无需惩罚……

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…….Communities are day and night occupied in making penal laws, and in preparing and organizing instruments and means of punishment. They build prisons, make chains and fetters, arrange places of exile and banishment, and different kinds of hardship and tortures, and think by these means to discipline criminals; whereas, in reality, they are causing destruction of morals and perversion of characters. The community, on the contrary, ought day and night to strive and endeavor with the utmost zeal and effort to accomplish the education of men, to cause them day by day to progress and to increase in science and knowledge, to acquire virtues, to gain good morals and to avoid vices, so that crimes may not occur. At the present time the contrary prevails; the community is always thinking of enforcing the penal laws, and of preparing means of punishment, instruments of death and chastisement, places for imprisonment and banishment; and they expect crimes to be committed. This has a demoralizing effect. 

……目前的社会，日夜都在想着制定更多的刑事法律，弄出更多整治犯人的方法、刑具，建造监狱，制造镣铐，安排放逐地点，设想各种折磨犯人的方法，以为这样可以驯化罪犯。实际上，他们破坏了道德，扭曲了人格。社区应日夜努力，以最大的热诚去教导人民，使他们的知识天天增加，美德日日进步。有了道德就会远离邪恶，就不犯罪了。然而目前一贯的方法完全与这相反，社会想的是如何执行法律、准备各种惩罚的方法、死刑的刑具、囚禁和放逐地点，他们期待更多的人犯罪，这是破坏道德的。

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But if the community would endeavor to educate the masses, day by day knowledge and sciences would increase, the understanding would be broadened, the sensibilities developed, customs would become good, and morals normal; in one word, in all these classes of perfections, there would be progress, and there would be fewer crimes. ——Abdu’l-Baha...

假如社区致力于教育群众，使群众的知识与日俱增、理解不断扩大、领悟日渐敏锐、好习惯不断养成，并有正确的道德，在这些教人完善的课程中，群众将取得进步，犯罪率将会下降。 ——阿博都-巴哈。

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