The Bible is largely unknown in Argentina. It is true that American and British Bible societies have for fifty years been trying to circulate God’s Word in this great land. And yet the fact remains that the real teachings of the Book are as unknown there as in any of the so-called pagan lands. …
It has been my privilege and opportunity to travel nearly all over Argentina. I have talked with all classes of her citizens, and I can truly say that with the rarest exceptions I have found no one with any adequate idea of what the Bible teaches. …
On one occasion in the town of Firmat we were talking with a rather cultured woman about the Bible. “Oh,” said one, “I once had that Book. Don’t talk to me about it. It is the devil for it made my husband’s horse run away, throwing him out of the buggy and nearly killing him. I at once burned it.”
“Well,” said I, “that is very interesting. Please tell me all about how it happened.”
In reply she said, “The day after the accident I went to confession and on telling the priest what had happened he asked me if I had not bought a book called the Bible from a man who had been going from house to house selling them a few days before. I told him that I had. He said the book caused the accident and advised me to burn it. On returning home I at once burned the book and would not have another in my house for anything.”
If this were an isolated case it would not be so bad, but I recite it as an example of one of the many such cases that come under my observation. …
In company with a colporter [Bible distributer] we were talking with a man much interested in purchasing a copy of the Bible. The copy the colporter held in his hand had a red binding. Some women came along and stopped to listen to what we were saying. When they saw the binding of the Book they said, “See, that is what the priests told us about that book. It is even the color of the devil.” Let no one think that I am writing of some few ignorant people, for such is not the case. In every instance mentioned above the people were above the average intelligence. …
And now I will cite [a case] to show what the Bible has and is doing to enlighten those who have come under the influence of the Spirit of God through their knowledge of His Book. …
On last Sunday … at the close of the service a man lingered to talk with me about his spiritual condition. He began by saying, “I was reared a Catholic and have always thought I was a Christian until recently, when a friend of mine gave me a book called the New Testament, and since I have been reading it I find that I am not a Christian and have never know the truth of Jesus at all.”
I opened the New Testament and read and prayed with him and had the joy of leading him to the Saviour before he left me.
Excerpted from “Argentina—Catholic in Name, Pagan in Fact” by J.L. Hart, Home and Foreign Fields, March 1919, p. 11-13.