Double page in the “Bild der Frau” with references to God
In the so-called Christian West, belief in the God of the Bible is no longer popular in wide circles. Christians who openly profess their faith are quickly canceled, i.e. hushed up. I would like to illustrate this statement with two examples.
Example 1: On November 15, 2010, I met with an editor from WAZ, Germany’s largest regional newspaper. The journalist heard my usual laptop presentation and was deeply impressed. His report about Diospi Suyana was to be published promptly in the paper’s jacket edition. As the days went by, I called the reporter. “Can you tell me when the article will be published?” – I was very disappointed by his answer at the time: “I went to your website and saw that you hold the Bible sacred. You are doing a great job in Peru, but I don’t want to write anything about you because of that!”
Example 2: In November 2011, my wife Martina was interviewed for an hour in the Bayern 2 studio. Finally, the presenter asked: “Dr. John, you and your husband founded a modern hospital in the mountains of Peru and raised three children. Where do you get your energy from?” – Martina paused for a moment and answered thoughtfully: “I am a committed Christian. I get up early in the morning. I read a passage in the Bible and say a prayer!”
The interview was broadcast a few days later in southern Germany. It was an extremely positive publication, but Tina’s immensely important statement was cut out. This is, of course, the worst possible journalism without the listeners on the radio noticing.
The article in one of the largest women’s magazines in Europe is a different story. Bild der Frau (issue 51, 2025) features our long-serving missionaries Christian and Christine Haupt. The faith of our master orthopaedic surgeon and our biology/Spanish teacher is mentioned seven times. We are delighted with this coverage, which does not omit the essence of our motivation as Christians. /KDJ
