Will You Act on the Truth?

By “Awake!” correspondent in Luxembourg

“NO, THANKS. We have our own religion.” “We’re all set.” “We’re satisfied with our church and prefer to remain as we are.”

People frequently offer objections like these when someone calls at their door to discuss the Bible with them. This could give the impression that the world’s religions really satisfy the needs of their members for knowledge of God, and for guidance in their lives.

In recent years, however, huge numbers of people have voiced discontent with the role of the churches of Christendom. The Roman Catholic Church, for example, has been sharply criticized in recent years; and this even in areas where Catholicism has dominated for centuries. Take Luxembourg for example.

In times past people of this small country of western Europe took their worship very seriously. They would speak reverently of their priest as “Lord,” and it was considered a great honor to be entrusted with any service for the pastor. But things are different today.

In the course of a Bible discussion a man told a missionary of Jehovah’s witnesses: “Really, I do not agree at all with our Catholic church and what is being practiced in it. Our church has got into a condition which has very little to do with the ideology of true Christianity. I, for one, do not go to Mass anymore!”

The dwindling number of priests is of special concern. In 1900 Luxembourg had one priest for every 580 people; but at the beginning of the 1970’s the ratio had deteriorated to one priest to 1,000, and, in some areas, one to 2,000.

An important reason for this is the indifference of Luxembourg’s youth toward clerical life and toward religion in general. This feeling was given emphasis a few years ago when religious instruction was changed from a compulsory to a voluntary subject in high school. As soon as the matter was made public, nineteen out of twenty-seven students in Diekirch rose from their seats and left the classroom. One of them told the professor: “You will not see us anymore in your religious instruction class.”

A Revealing Questionnaire

As might be expected, the bishop of Luxembourg became concerned with these developments. Back in 1970 he sent a letter to all the inhabitants of the country sixteen years of age and older, inviting constructive criticism and suggestions for improvement from both Catholics and non-Catholics. The letter pointed out that people would soon receive a questionnaire that would aid the Church to gather public opinion on a wide variety of subjects. This information was to serve as the basis for discussions at a coming synod (an assembly of the principal priests of the country).

By February 1971 more than a quarter of a million questionnaires had been sent out. Such a thing was without precedent in the history of Luxembourg. What did the questionnaire reveal?

Among other things, it was noted that only 50,505 of the Catholics who responded (63 percent) believed that God gave meaning to the world and to mankind. On the other hand, 18,549 felt that ‘God seems to be far away and has little to do with my personal life,’ and 27,442 admitted to having no purpose in life. According to the newspaper Tageblatt, the questionnaire further revealed that “almost every third Catholic thinks that Luxembourg’s Church leans too much toward the rich and powerful and is too little concerned about the common man and the poor.”

The results also showed that, while 53,891 believed that education of children for future Christian life is the responsibility of parents, 38,333 felt that their knowledge of religion was inadequate. Could this be a reason why youths of Luxembourg care little about religion? Can parents who lack basic information about Christianity build strong faith in their offspring?

Would Luxembourg’s synod come up with solutions to these and other problems that buffet the Catholic Church there?

The Synod a Disappointment

To date the synod has been a disappointment. By the beginning of 1974 nine committees had been appointed and 700,000 pages had been printed in the General Secretary’s office. With what result? Raymond Streveler, who represented the committee on “Faith and Evangelism,” summed up that committee’s results with the French proverb, “Qui trop embrasse, mal étreint” (“Grasp all, lose all”), indicating that the subject was so extensive that an all-embracing coverage could never turn up solutions to specific problems.

Other committees, too, experienced difficulties in the initial stages of their work. Hope for a meaningful outcome of Luxembourg’s synod, therefore, are dim. The General Secretary, Professor Paul Weber, estimates that, at the present pace, it may drag on for another ten years.

A Dangerous Pitfall to Avoid

The religious situation in Luxembourg is typical of that throughout the world. People everywhere are coming face to face with the truth that Christendom’s religions have failed to satisfy the spiritual needs of the people. But will this truth move them to action? Here is where a dangerous pitfall looms up. What is that?

Have you noticed that, when it comes to age-old traditions and customs, many show a remarkable reluctance to change? Typical is the comment of a monk from a well-known monastery in Luxembourg:

“I know that my church is in contradiction with the Bible on many points, and conditions in my church are very bad, but I am resolved to stick to my church. A captain will not leave a sinking ship.”

A young boy scout gave a similar reply, saying, “It would not be a real Sunday for me if I would miss Sunday Mass.”

The gladsome news contained in the Bible is satisfying the spiritual hunger of people throughout the world today. Consider, for example, this experience of a man from Luxembourg:

“My parents were Catholic, and so, following the usual custom, I was baptized a Catholic too. As I grew up, however, the religion of my parents ceased to satisfy me. There was always the same procedure in church, but as a lad of fourteen my questions on world problems were never answered, so although I was registered a Catholic as most people here are, I stopped attending church.”

Disillusioned, this man became involved for a while with Communism. But on a visit to East Germany a glance at the Berlin Wall brought home to him the meaninglessness of that whole system. He continues:

“About this time I met my wife-to-be, and we were married. Some of her relatives were studying with Jehovah’s witnesses, so I came in contact with their message. At last my many questions were satisfactorily answered. Neither false religion nor Communism could give me the precious possession I have today, namely, the knowledge of the truth that God’s kingdom alone will solve all human problems in the near future. Only through a knowledge of God’s Word can one be really free, and no wall in the world can withstand or hold back this Kingdom power. Here among God’s people I have found the source of real joy, springing from the all-important law of love.”