转载1900年国家地理的一篇有关中国的文章开头。有兴趣的可以自己看全文。文章的背景是义和团运动，美国人想理解为什么那种运动会发生。虽然文章有宗教色彩，要记住这是120年前的文章，但是对中国法律的认识对现在还是有意义的。
 6park.com
Problems In China
By James M. Hubbard 6park.com
In 1724 the Emperor Yung-ching proscribed the Christian religion, which at that time had made great progress in China. Three Jesuit priests who were in Pekin addressed a petition to him, supplicating him revoke his decree. Yung-ching summoned them to his presence, and in an argument of some length gave his reasons for his action, in which he disclaimed any disbelief in or hatred of Christianity. "you say that your law is not a false law, and I believe it. If I thought it were, what should hinder me from destroying your churches and driving you from the empire?" He closed with these words: "You wish to make the Chinese Christians, and this is what your law demands, I know very well. But what in that case would become of us? The subjects of your kings! The Christians whom you make recognize no authority but you; in times of trouble they would listen to no other voice. I know well enough that there is nothing to fear at present; but when your ships shall be coming by thousands and tens of thousands, then, indeed, we may have some disturbances." 6park.com
This remarkable statement is interesting both as showing the intelligence and liberality of a Chinese ruler nearly two centuries ago, and also as being a concise statement of the principal causes of the present upheaval in China. Christian law demands an obedience which undermines and finally overthrows the authority of every other conflicting law. This fact the intelligent Chinese of today recognized more clearly even than did Yung-ching, and the vindication of the authority of Chinese law is the main object of present conflict. The distinction between the two laws, the Christian and the non-Christian, leaving religious dogmas out of view, may be said to lie in the fact that Christian law demands obedience to these three principles: the right of every man, whatever his condition or station, to his life and to his property and the inviolability of a promise - the sacredness of the truth. Non-Christian law is practically a denial of the authority of these fundamental principles. It is not meant by this statement to affirm that there have not been in the past and that there are not now many men in China who are just, upright, humane, and strictly honest. It is an indisputable fact, however, that human life has little value in that country; justice is almost unknown in the courts, and there is no respect of the truth - a promise is kept only when self-intere4st makes it worth while. 6park.com
翻译：
1724年，雍正皇帝禁止基督教，当时基督教在中国取得了长足的进步。在北京的三位耶稣会神父向他请愿，要求他撤销法令。雍正将他们召集到他的面前，并在一段冗长的争论中给出了他采取行动的理由，其中他否认对基督教的任何不信任或仇恨。 “您说您的法律不是虚假的法律，而且我相信。如果我认为是这样，那么什么能阻止我破坏您的教堂并把您赶出帝国呢？”他以这样的话结束道：“你想让中国人成为基督徒，这是你的法律所要求的，我很清楚。但是在那种情况下，我们会变成什么？你们国王的臣民！你承认的基督徒，不服从权威只服从你；在麻烦的时候，他们不会再听其他声音了；我很清楚，目前没有什么可担心的；但是，当你的船将成千上万的到来时，我们的确可以有一些麻烦。” 6park.com
这份引人注目的表述既有趣，既显示了近两个世纪前中国统治者的智慧和自由，又是对当前中国动荡的主要原因的简明陈述。基督教法要求服从，破坏并最终推翻了所有其他冲突法的权威。事实是，今天的聪明华人甚至比雍正更清楚地认识到这一点，而维护中国法律权威是当前冲突的主要对象。可以说，基督教法和非基督教法这两个法律之间的区别，如果排除宗教教条，是因为基督教法要求服从这三个原则：无论其状况或条件和地位，每个人的权利包括他的生命，他的财产，和不可侵犯性的诺言-真理的神圣性。非基督教法律实际上是对这些基本原则权威的否定。这句话的意思并不是说过去没有或者现在在中国没有多少人是正义，正派，人道和严格诚实的。但是，无可争辩的事实是，在该国，人的生命没有什么价值。法庭上几乎没有人知道正义，也没有尊重真相-只有在自我利益值得时才兑现诺言。