“Religion Is Implicated in Our Great Moral Breakdown”
THIS headline in El Heraldo of Barranquilla, Colombia, was startling in itself. But the one who said it made it even more significant—Catholic Jesuit priest Alberto Múnera, doctor of theology at the Gregorian University of Rome. He was commenting on the moral breakdown in Colombia.
He stated: “All of Colombia is Catholic. We cannot ignore the fact that religion is implicated in our great moral breakdown. As a theologian, one asks oneself: What is the matter with our Catholic religion when it seems not to have sufficient elements to sustain the morality of a body [of people] or to permit it to face up to a change of epoch in a decent way, to pass from a former situation to a new one without the whole structure of society breaking down?”
After detailing evidence of the political and moral breakdown, including drug trafficking, political assassinations, and armed violence, he asked: “Who are doing these things? People who belong to the Islamic religion or to Buddhism . . . or people without a religion? Or are they people whom you have seen in the religious ceremonies participating piously in the Eucharist and praying to Our Lord that he help them to prosper in their work?”
Certainly, Jesus and the disciples emphasized Christian conduct as evidence of true Christianity, not participation in rituals. Jesus said: “By this love you have for one another, everyone will know that you are my disciples.” (John 13:35, The Jerusalem Bible) Is it love when a Catholic kills or hates his fellowman, or robs, rapes, lies, or steals, or peddles drugs? And is it Christian love when the church takes no action to keep its ranks clean of such crassly immoral elements? In fact, rich criminals are often honored with impressive funerals and other religious ceremonies.
In contrast, the early Christian congregation disciplined unrepentant sinners guilty of gross wrongdoing. The apostle Paul wrote: “What I wrote was that you should not associate with a brother Christian who is leading an immoral life, or is a usurer, or idolatrous, or a slanderer, or a drunkard, or is dishonest; you should not even eat a meal with people like that.” Yet, seldom does one hear of excommunication, except for reasons of atheistic politics or heresy.—1 Corinthians 5:9-11; 6:9-11, JB.
Instead of paying due attention to Bible education and the Christian new personality, the Catholic Church over the centuries has contented itself with praying with the rosary, attendance at Mass, and confession to a priest. (Ephesians 4:17-24) The end result today is the consequent moral breakdown and dwindling support for the church. Jesuit Múnera commented on the state of the Catholic Church in Colombia: “With a religion like that, evidently we cannot respond to situations in which we are living. It is one of the fundamental causes for which our Christianity seems so broken down . . . that [Catholics] do not seem to be Christians in any respect today.”
Of course, the present moral breakdown applies to people of all religions. Many who expect a church baptism, wedding, and funeral continue to lie, steal, fornicate, and cheat with relative immunity. Even many convicted criminals claim some religious affiliation—Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, and so on. Yet, their actions show that their religion failed to produce in them a new personality. The blame for that can lie with the criminal himself and/or with his religion that failed to influence his thinking and conduct. Where quantity means more than quality, religion too pays the price.
It is just as Paul prophesied for “the last days”: “They will keep up the outward appearance of religion but will have rejected the inner power of it. Have nothing to do with people like that.”—2 Timothy 3:1-5, JB.
Religion After the Flood
Edmond and Jules de Goncourt, collaborating French writers of the 19th century, wrote: “If there is a God, atheism must strike Him as less of an insult than religion.” And of a truth, false religion is an insult to mankind’s Creator. By destroying it in 2370 B.C.E. at the Flood, however, the Creator proved that he will not let himself be insulted forever.
This fundamental truth did not change, even though false religion reappeared. In fact, after the Flood, it was due to take on tangible forms that would reach out across the centuries to embrace the entire earth. It would reach out to touch you! In our next issue, our article “A Hunter, a Tower, and You!” will explain how.
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Religion is often skin deep. It does not prevent racial hatred, crime, and immorality