Roman Catholics are strong believers in God. They are a people of childish faith, as well as of good works and pilgrimages. Anything concerning faith in God, the holiness and divinity of Jesus, the sacredness of the gospel, and in general, the Holy Scriptures, touches the heart of a sincere Catholic. His attention will be attracted by lectures against atheism or evolution,—I mean lectures that will substantiate the Christian faith against atheism or agnosticism. I have been using the following and other titles with good success in French-speaking Catholic countries:
"Our Origin: What Do We Know About It?" "The Human Body: Is It a Museum of Antiquities?"
"Man, Monkey! Which Is the Father, Which Is the Son?"
"Man: His Chemical, Moral, and Intellectual Value."
"The Earth: What Is Its Age? Scientific and Mosaic Cosmogony."
"Man Between Two Infinities."
"Is Negation Wisdom or Foolishness?" "Where Is the University of the Murderers of Religion?"
"The Gods Are Passing Away! Is There One Remaining?"
"The Gods of the Fool."
"The God of the Wise."
"The French Revolution: Its Ancestors—Two of Its Fathers. Its Good Deeds—Its Crimes."
"The Mysterious Science of the Egyptians: Where Was Its Source?"
"The Table of the Fool."
"The Table of the Wise."
"An Old Book Before the Science of Half-Learned Men."
When I speak of Christ, I am very careful to employ one of the expressions used by Catholics when naming Him. For instance, a Roman Catholic will never say "Christ," or "Jesus Christ" alone. He will say: "Our Lord Jesus Christ," or "Our Saviour Jesus Christ." Catholics will not speak of Mary, the mother of the Lord, without saying: "The holy virgin Mary" or at least "The virgin Mary." The word "virgin" sounds very sweet to their ears; and if it is not used by the speaker, he is soon known as an apostate.
When the names of the apostles are mentioned, a Catholic will not say, "Paul says so," or "Peter wrote that," but he will say: "St. Paul says so," "St. Peter wrote that." We must adapt ourselves the best we can to fit in with the spirit of the ones we are trying to bring near to the Saviour.
I feel quite embarrassed when it comes to the question of our books and writings. For many years I have said that many of our good books are suited enough to close doors to the hearts of some people. Let me explain. A book that is good for England, Germany, the United States, and other countries of Protestant culture and mentality, may not be a good one for other countries with a different culture and mentality. It is true that we have encouraging records of many Catholics who have accepted the message through the reading of some of our outspoken books, even those where all the characteristics of the "beast" are strongly pointed out. But there is another side of the medal, as the French proverb says: We do not have the record of those who have closed their hearts to the message just because of those strong statements. If we could have the two records to weigh, I am quite sure that the latter would be heavier than the first one.
One of my good friends, who has been a worker many years, once told me: "Brother Girou, I have had some sad experiences with the book _____ . I lent it to a woman who attended our Sabbath services. Some weeks later, the book was sent back to me. The woman had read it, and I saw no more of her in our church. Not long ago, a man was coming regularly to my public lectures. I gave him some Bible studies. He was interested in our truth. But I had the unfortunate idea of lending him that same book, and I have not seen him since!" And the good brother concluded with these words: "I have decided that henceforth this book will not be placed in the hands of those I am able to interest in the message."
Let us always seek to be, as the Lord Jesus admonished His disciples of old to be, "wise as serpents, and harmless as doves."
