Seeing the Condition of the Churches

● Jehovah’s witnesses have frequently pointed out that what one sees in the churches of Christendom is not really Christianity. Some persons have considered such conclusions unfair, and not really true.

Last year The Defender’s Trumpet, a paper put out by a Catholic church in Minnesota, made some interesting comments regarding this. In its Vol. 2, No. 5 issue it carried this quotation:

“Have you wondered about the Churches? Throughout the world, Church Organizations are being torn by disputes. Churchmen contradict one another in public. Church doctrine and church authority are being challenged by both clergymen and churchgoers. In fact, in many areas church attendance has sagged so much that some churches resort to ‘rock and roll’ music, dancing and other entertainment to bolster it.

“In addition, instead of exercising a wholesome influence on morals, a number of churchmen are excusing homosexuality and other loose conduct. Also, the ‘God is dead’ philosophy is gaining ground among them.

“But what is causing the churches to die? It is because they are not teaching Bible truth and are not adhering to Bible principles. The clergy often downgrade the Bible and substitute their own ‘philosophy’ for the Word of God. (Col. 2:8) . . . What they offer is false religion.”

The Catholic paper then said: “The above is an excerpt from a tract put out by ‘The Watchtower,’ (Jehovah’s Witnesses). We think that much of it applies to the situation here at St. Stephens.”

● About sixteen years ago a Roman Catholic man in Dublin, Ireland, became one of Jehovah’s witnesses. As a result, he encountered opposition, particularly from his wife. She took him to court regarding their six children. Winning the case, she was permitted to rear them as Catholics.

The newspaper reported the matter fully, even publishing the incident of this man’s throwing his images into the river Liffey. From that time on, his wife refused to cook for him or to do his laundry. But the more things she did to hurt him, the more loving he was to her.

About four years ago this Witness became gravely sick with cancer of the liver. During his long illness in the hospital, his son John visited him each night, bringing various friends. The boys who accompanied John to the hospital were all Catholics.

The father would ask John to read to him the daily Bible text from the Yearbook of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Then he would kindly discuss with the visiting boys the meaning behind the scripture under consideration. In this way John’s father was able to tell these youths something about God’s purposes.

John’s father finally died. The young persons were so deeply impressed that he had kept his faith to the end that John and three of his friends asked the Witnesses to help them to learn the message of the Bible. They made rapid progress. Soon they were telling all whom they met the fine things that they were learning. The result? Twenty young men have become footstep followers of Jesus as witnesses of Jehovah in Dublin. Yes, the endurance of John’s father and his faithfulness helped these young persons to find the road that leads to life.​—Matt. 7:14.