Living in the Czech Republic is similar to living at a crossroad. The heart of the continent, which used to be called, "Christian Europe”, is now under the influence of various phenomena – apostles of "the scientific world view" (the ideology of communism) controlled half of the continent for almost half a century. But others have also added to that: narrow-minded religion, nationalism, Eastern philosophy, cults and famous philosophers.
Recently I was walking with several friends of mine who had come from abroad. I had an idea and asked them if they wanted to see something that they would never see in their country. I took them to the first newsstand. I didn’t have to go there to see it in advance; I knew what it would be like. There were pornographic magazines on display there - that is something that is not really seen in the home country of my friends - they come from the USA...
Life is easier than it used to be, technology is advancing, and information is just a “mouse click” away. But finding reliable personal values is as difficult as it was in the past. We have concentrated on ministry to young people. They live in a free world and like all young people in the world they are willing to take the risk of searching for truth and then take the risk of deciding
Life at the crossroad of ideologies and philosophies brings hunger for real truth. Young people want to talk openly. They want to make sure we are able to undergo their scrutiny successfully. We do not offer the virtual reality of information. We offer ourselves as a living example, and there is never enough of this; there is always a demand for it.
“Christian” Europe
Europe is the continent where Christianity took root, but today there is a growing darkness concerning the understanding of God.
The latest census done in 2001 showed that the number of people who declared themselves Christians decreased from 44% to 31%. But reality is different: only those who felt connected with a church, by a subconscious historical or philosophical tie, stopped calling themselves Christians – they, in fact, had never been Christians.
This reality is shown in “The New Search” from the Czech Evangelical Alliance: the real number of members in evangelical churches in the Czech Republic is about 0.17 %. The study material shows this reality through a comparison of the Eiffel Tower with a small baby:
about 54 centimetres about 324 meters
Even the most optimistic estimates say that the number of new-born Christians in this country amounts to 0.5%, i.e. 50,000 people at the most.
The Sick Need a Doctor
If we were to describe the situation of this country openly, we would have to say that we have become one of the most atheistic nations in the world. The opinion of an American missionary describes it well:
„Greater Europe Mission's Ted Noble says many people believe that Europe is "Christianized" and has already been reached with the gospel, but true believers are few. Of the 27 countries we work in, 14 are less than 1% Christian, and most of those are less than 0.5% evangelical. So when you think of Europe, think about the place that actually has fewer evangelicals than even most of the Islamic countries of the world.”
So should we cry about it?
Certainly, but let's have a look at it from a different point of view: It is an extraordinary opportunity. Each builder knows that it is much easier to build a new house than to renovate an old one. Before you start building it is necessary to clean the place where the old house used to be.
For the most part, Czech people do not believe in anything, but they also do not have biases that must be destroyed with great difficulty. Now they are open to hearing about everything, asking questions, and discussing. They are free to learn about any subject about which they do not know.
This situation doesn’t mean that we should cry, but rather that we should see it as an opportunity to serve! The lack of true values in the heart of Europe creates a challenge for us to help a new generation of Czech people build a solid basis for their life.
Historical Roots of the Czech Republic
A long time ago, the Czech land was a place from where great light of spiritual revival arose, which illuminated not only the Czech nation but also had an influence on other countries Many people were awakened by the preaching of John Huss, God's servant and martyr, who preached the true Gospel for the very first time in the Czech language (until that time all preaching had been done in the Latin language, which the people had never understood). Because of his faith in Christ, John Huss was burnt at the stake by the Catholic Church in Constance in 1415.
But because of his faith in Christ, he was burnt at the stake by the Catholic Church in Constance in 1415. However, a new church, the Moravian Church, was established by his followers in 1457. There was a powerful church revival at that time - many people followed Christ even though they were in danger of losing status, possessions, or life. For example, Jan Augusta, a bishop, spent 27 years in prison. There are some historical estimates that say there were 150 churches in the Czech kingdom in 1500, and the average church had 100 people in it. The Church led a strict disciple-like life, there was splendid pastoral care, schools, printing works, and the Bible was translated (some Christians in the Czech Republic are still using this translation today). Although the Moravian Church was outlawed, there was a spiritual movement for almost 200 years. However, in 1620, at the battle of White Mountain, the Catholic army defeated the Protestant one, and all non-Catholics were forced to either emigrate or convert to Catholicism. It was a time of spiritual darkness. Many believers emigrated; others kept their Bibles and books secretly and met in remote places at night to have services.
Since then, there has not been any other significant spiritual revival in the area of the Czech Republic. The Czech land was oppressed by foreign powers; it was sacrificed twice by the powerful of the world: first it was given to Hitler in the Munich Pact in 1938 and then to Stalin in 1945. Although the Allies liberated the western part of the country in 1945, they had to stop near Pilsen. It had been agreed that the country would not be freed by the countries of the free world but by the delayed Soviet Army. So people were made to feel that the country owed its happiness to the Russians, and a new, godless regime was ready to come. In 1946, in democratic elections, the communists received 46% of the votes. Two years later they stirred up a government crisis, took over power and established an oppressive and atheistic regime for the next 40 years. The country, which had had a stronger economy than Germany, became an undeveloped country of Eastern Europe. People gave up their religious traditions and started building their careers in the new atheistic country. The ideology said that when the last of the old people who believed in God would die, all churches would be closed and the communists would put an end to that anachronism. Even though many believed it, it never happened.
The regime, which was built on deception, lies and violence, broke the character of generations and drove thousands of people to exile. People started to feel even more hopeless and empty.
Now they are not “religious”, but are free to hear, free to create their own opinions, and free to openly discuss. They are ready to share with us as long as we come to them as partners to discuss with, not as ideologists to manipulate them.