The institutions of the family and marriage are under many attacks from the outside these days, and indeed the disintegrating forces often appear from within, as our daily experience is the crisis of marriages and families. That is why it is important to make it clear to ourselves first of all: the order, which we believe was created by the creator God, remains the basis of human life despite the changes of times and social customs. Reformed bishop Zoltán Balog, the clergy president of the Synod, told Origo about the fact that fourteen religious communities in Hungary confirmed the biblical position in a joint statement
In the first pages of the Bible, we read that "God created man male and female", and the lifelong union of the two is the foundation of the family, and the family is the place where life is passed on, Zoltán Balog told Origo.
The bishop added: "It is explained to the modern man that nothing is eternal and unchanging. They see the essence of progress in replacing and transforming inherited things and forms of coexistence. The essence of religion, on the other hand, is that we believe in the eternal, one truth, and we also believe that it can be known and made the yardstick of our lives and actions.
The more people we manage to pass this on to, the more our lives will be fulfilled both personally and in community.
Zoltán Balog emphasized that it is part of the most special mission of churches to be there and help where people are in trouble, where they are struggling with their own lives, where joys and sorrows befall them. Marriage and family care has always been a part of church service. The social debate only follows. The main thing is happening within the church community, but if we have to stand up for our faith and conviction because it is under attack, then there is no need to be deterred from that either.
As he said, we live in a world where, if we do not hold on to what is ours, what we received from our predecessors and consider valuable, it will be taken from us and destroyed by the zeitgeist.
We can be proud of the minor "miracle" that in Hungary, alone among developed countries, the number of marriages has almost doubled in the last ten years, the bishop pointed out, adding that it is worth strengthening those who believe again in this ancient institution.
Source: pinterest/illustration
The bishop also told Origo that churches can convey their values and teachings to people with the help of love. He pointed out, "in the Carpathian basin, we churches can teach about 1 million children in the Hungarian language every week in schools about faith and morals. What a missionary opportunity to be able to pass on the Christian values that we also received from our predecessors".
At the same time, he emphasized that there is little formal teaching. It is characteristic of the Christian life that the best way to convince those who do not yet know of its truth and power is by setting an example.
Regarding the spread of new ideologies, which many consider a kind of "religion replacement", Zoltán Balog said that "when we talk about a religion replacement, it is worth thinking about what these fashionable, new ideologies want to replace". As he said:
Ultimately, they want to replace God, whom they see as a limitation, and replace it with their own recipe for happiness.
He added that in a world controlled by the mass media, their chances of deceiving people increase. On the other hand, the best protection is provided by those communities of values that come together in the spirit of faith and love and strengthen each other, Reformed bishop Zoltán Balog, president of the Synod, pointed out to Origo.
Source: Origo
Featured image: demokrata.hu
