HIS-Press-Service, 1977 (2. évfolyam, 5-8. szám)
1977-12-01 / 8. szám
HIS Press Service No.8. December 1977 Page 13 The average religious knowledge of the youth has sunk to so low a level that teachers in subjects such as art history, literature, etc. have experinced great difficulties because their pupils have no understanding at all of the content of religious concepts. It was at the insistence of the teachers that the Hungarian Radio decided to air a 12-part cultural-historical interview series with the title, "The World of the Bible." The unexpectedly large success led not only to a repetition of the series, but also to its presentation in book form which ran into several editions and amounted to over 100,000 copies. Since then, the Hungarian Radio has attempted to make up for the cultural deficiency (stemming from the 30-year lack) in the area of religious education by offering further broadcasts on religious topics - though naturally along lines of interpretation which are in accord with the Marxian criticism of religion. To offset the results arising from a lack of instruction in questions of faith and morals, the State has placed the subject "The Basics of our Weltanschauung" in the curriculum. This course is to give the pupils a knowledge of the Marxistatheistic ideology and the human attitudes and moral duties of the citizen which stem from it. The planning of this program, as well as the efforts aimed at a Marxian ideological indoctrination of adults, originate to a great extent from the scholarly activity of a group of sociologists of religion at the Hungarian Academy of the Sciences whose members are experts in the area of Marxian ideology. EVALUATION Despite undeniable successes and selfless efforts, a further deterioration is to be expected in the area of religious education in Hungary. For one thing, the form in which religious instruction is offered at present is fully inadequate. The approximately 2,000 active religion teachers cannot effectively reach more than 1/5 to 1/4 of the Catholic youth. On the other hand, the Church is simply not able to bridge the hinderances placed in its way by the State. We are talking here about the repressive administrative measures connected with religious instruction in the schools, the limitation upon the number of pupils allowed to attend church religious instructions, the restrictions placed upon the religious press, and-the exclusion of religion from the mass media of radio and television. All of these measures, even if they do not lead to a total paralysis in the area of religious instruction and evangelization, must of necessity result in a stagnation, or perhaps a further deterioration, in these areas. Both those who were once members of orders, and grandparents who still have a knowledge of the faith, have played a role in religious education up until now; but these persons will soon be dying
