【疫情时刻】听话 vs. 不听话

有人说，西方人崇尚自由。

错。疫情面前，服从政府指导是每个公民的义务。只能说，被崇尚西方文明者崇拜的西方人的公民意识太淡薄。

有人说，中国人被驯服惯了。

错。这次疫情面前，我们看到的更多的是人们自觉的居家行动。

 

Quote:

Obedience is the practical acceptance of the authority and will of God. It includes both submitting to Him and then expressing that submission in actions, words and thoughts. To be obedient is to be in agreement with God. To be in agreement with God is to be in a position of power in Christ.

Disobedience is caused by rebellion and distrust of God. To be disobedient is to yield to self-will instead of surrendering to God and desiring His will in all things.

God expects obedience (Deuteronomy 11:26-28).

To choose Christ is to choose obedience (John 14:15,21).

(https://www1.cbn.com/what-does-bible-say-about-obedience-and-disobedience)

 

Obedient vs. Disobedient, nothing to do with religion

In the pandemic outbreak of  novel coronavirus (COVID-19), the phenomena of side-by-side existence of two diametrically opposed types of selfishness is quite prominent. One is called "obedient" and the other "disobedient."

According to well accepted media usage, "Obedient" refers to the Chinese people, and "disobedient" refers to the people of Western countries.

In the same outbreak, the Chinese government and the Western governments alike made the same recommendation that everyone stay at home and avoid social gathering to prevent the virus from spreading and limiting person to person transmission.

The Chinese people, the "obedient" so to speak, responded positively, staying at home, reducing going out, and almost completely stopping social gathering. The "disobedient" people of the western countries have treated government suggestions negatively and continued going out,  visiting relatives and friends, and holding various parties without taking any protective measures recommended by the government.

On the surface, "obedient" and "disobedient" are two opposite personalities. However, in the context of the novel coronavirus pandemic, both stem from extreme selfishness.

The so-called "obedience" reflects the protection of personal life and health, cherishing the individual's right to life.

In their normal practices, they are not going out or wearing a mask when going out because of fear of being infected by others. This self-protection out of selfishness objectively block person to person infection and spread of the virus.

The so-called "disobedience" reflects the pursuit of personal freedom and enjoyment, prioritizing the individual's right to freedom.

In their normal practices, they, ignoring the government's propaganda that the novel coronavirus (COVID-19）is highly contagious and trying to show their strong will to maintain their freedom, continue going out, continue gathering, wearing no masks, because they feel that they are not sick and will not transmit non-existent virus on them to others.

In extreme cases, "obedient" people refuse strangers to enter their own lives, and even block outsiders from entering their communities, towns, cities and provinces, not caring the difficult situations the strangers might be in. They even ridicule, discriminate against, and even attempt to impede their fellow citizens returning from overseas. Because they think that those people are "poison carriers" and will pass the virus on to them. Very selfish, in a sense.

In extreme cases, "disobedient" people, on the other hand,  not only refuse to wear masks themselves, but also can't bear seeing others wearing masks. They insult, and in some isolated cases, out of racial and hate motive, even commit personal attacks on those wearing masks, positing that those who wear masks bring them viruses, which in turn will cause harm to their freedom. Very selfish, in a sense.

Undoubtedly, the selfish obedient people are helping prevent the spread of the virus, while the selfish disobedient people are assisting the transmission of the highly infectious disease.

Now, the question is: Is the so-called "disobedient" really disobedient? Will they really dare, or simply be willing, to sacrifice their life for freedom in the battle against viruses with their bare body? (or bare life, zoē in ancient Greek term, profoundly discussed by philosopher Giorgio Agamben)

No. Their disobedience stems entirely from their ignorance of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), and from their arrogant obstinacy that this virus will not attack them. Probably, they ignorantly and arrogantly opine that the novel coronavirus only harms those people who wear masks.

There is no doubt that when the novel coronavirus shows them the dire consequences of their ignorance and arrogance, the "disobedient" will eventually be forced to follow the government's guidance, that is, being obedient. Period.

 

听话 VS. 不听话

在这次新冠病毒疫情中，有两种截然相反的自私现象十分突出。一种叫“听话”，一种叫“不听话”。

按媒体普遍采用的说法，“听话”指的是中国民众，“不听话”指的是西方国家的民众。

在同样的疫情中，中国及西方政府均建议大家呆在家中，防止病毒传播及人传人感染。听话的中国民众积极响应，呆在家中，减少出门。不听话的西方国家民众则消极对待政府建议，继续出门，继续访亲探友，举办各种聚会，而不采纳政府建议的任何防护措施。

表面上，“听话”与“不听话”是两种相反的个性。但是，在新冠病毒大流行的背景下，二者均出自于极端的自私性。

所谓“听话”，反映的是对个人生命与健康的保护，珍重的是个人的生命权。

他们正常的做法是，不出门，出门即戴口罩，因为担心被别人传染。这种自保性自私在客观上起到了阻断病毒人传人及蔓延的作用。

所谓“不听话”，反映的是对个人自由与享乐的追求，珍重的是个人的自由权利。

他们正常的表现是，不相信政府对病毒传染性的宣传，急于表现他们维护自由的意愿，继续自由出门，继续聚会，不戴口罩，因为他们觉得自己没病，不带病毒，不会传染给他人。

极端情况下，“听话”的民众拒绝陌生人进入自己的生活范围，甚至阻挡外来人进入他们的小区、城镇、省市。他们甚至对从海外归来的同胞嘲讽、挖苦、歧视，甚至设置障碍。因为他们认为，那些人是“带毒者”，会把病毒传染给他们。

极端情况下，“不听话”的民众不但自己拒绝戴口罩，而且也见不得别人戴口罩。对戴口罩的人实施谩骂、侮辱，甚至做出种族仇恨性质的人身攻击。认为是那些戴口罩的人给他们带来的病毒，进而造成对自由的伤害。

毫无疑问，自私的听话民众在协助阻断病毒的传播，而自私的不听话民众则在帮着高度传染的疾病蔓延。

问题是，所谓的“不听话”，是真的不听话吗？他们真的会为维护自己的自由权利而敢于，或情愿用自己的血肉之躯跟病毒作对吗？

否。他们的不听话完全出自于对新冠病毒的无知，出自于傲慢地认为这个病毒不会侵袭他们的执迷。他们或许很无知而傲慢地认为，新冠病毒只伤害那些戴口罩的人群。

毫无疑问，当新冠病毒把他们无知行为的可怕后果展现给他们之后，那些“不听话”的人终将被迫接受政府的建议。

（图片取自网络）