July 22

What’s Happening to Your Food?

HOW much poison do you want to eat? No doubt you may be repelled by such a suggestion. You probably feel that you do not want to eat any poison at all.

Yet, whether you realize it or not, much of the food in many lands, especially the United States and other Western countries, now contains small amounts of chemicals that could kill you if eaten in large amounts. Especially has the use of these chemicals grown since World War II.

You may feel that, while such chemicals are added to packaged foods, at least when you buy raw fruits, vegetables or meat you can avoid them. But almost all of these products, in one way or another, have been exposed to chemicals long before you buy them.

Chemicals that are added to foods are called “additives.” There are literally hundreds of them in use today. Many of these additives are synthetic​—man-made chemicals formulated in the laboratory.

How widespread is the use of these additives today? William Longgood, in his book The Poisons in Your Food, comments: “Virtually every bite of food you eat has been treated with some chemical somewhere along the line: dyes, bleaches, emulsifiers, antioxidants, preservatives, flavors, flavor enhancers, buffers, noxious sprays, acidifiers, alkalizers, deodorants, moisteners, drying agents, gases, extenders, thickeners, disinfectants, defoliants, fungicides, neutralizers, artificial sweeteners, anticaking and antifoaming agents, conditioners, curers, hydrolyzers, hydrogenators, maturers, fortifiers, and many others.”

Recent Publicity

Additives came into the news recently because of the publicity given cyclamates. Cyclamates were among the more than 600 food additives that were “Generally Recognized As Safe” (called the GRAS list) by the United States Food and Drug Administration.

Cyclamates are man-made chemical sweeteners that took the place of sugar for reasons of diet or health. They were used in soft drinks, ice cream, salad dressings, puddings, gelatins, jams and jellies, even pickles. They found their way into practically every diet food and were also used in children’s flavored vitamins.

However, experiments showed that cyclamates caused cancer in mice and rats, as well as the birth of deformed chicks. This conflicted with the American law that states that no food additive “shall be deemed to be safe if it is found to induce cancer when ingested by man or animal.”​—The Delaney Amendment to the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act of 1958.

Thus, diet drinks containing cyclamates were banned, although diet foods and medicines containing them, if properly labeled, could be sold without a prescription. Several other countries followed the United States and banned the use of cyclamates.

Two Sides

This publicity over artificial sweeteners caused many to question the use of other additives. Was there a risk in loading so much of the food supply with man-made chemicals? Some authorities were made uneasy by the fact that far too many additives had not really been given sufficient testing to determine their safety even though they were already on the GRAS list.

There are those who say that these chemicals are safe in the amounts used, although they admit that in much larger doses they can be harmful, even kill. On the other hand, there are those who maintain that if a chemical is a poison in large amounts, it is still a poison in small amounts​—arsenic is arsenic, they say, no matter how thin you spread it. They also argue that since few, if any, of these additives are of any nutritional value, why take the risk of using them?

Why should there be any doubt as to the safety of food additives? Because while some of these chemicals in large quantities have produced cancer and other ill effects in experimental animals such as mice and rats, it is not certain that this is what happens in humans who are exposed to much less in their diet. And these additives have not been in use on such a wholesale basis long enough to find out who is right.

Why Additives?

If many chemical additives, especially man-made ones, have no food value, as is admitted, and may even be dangerous in the long run, why are they being used? Why has man deliberately added these products to the foods that are so vital to his health?

With the coming of large cities it became more and more necessary not only to ship food products long distances but to store them in warehouses and on shelves for long periods of time. Something had to be done to keep these foods from spoiling. Hence, chemicals were added to stop the growth of organisms that normally spoil food.

Then came the demand for diet foods, especially nonfattening foods and drinks. This meant, for example, that in soft drinks it was not desirable to have sugar as a sweetener since it added calories. So chemicals that tasted sweet were substituted for sugar.

Another reason for additives was the coming into popularity of precooked foods, such as “TV dinners.” These the housewife simply warmed up and served. However, chemicals were added to preserve them and enhance their taste and looks until the consumer purchased them.

The consumer is not without fault. Too many people want things that look good, feel good and taste good regardless of food value. So manufacturers put into foods chemicals that produce these effects. For instance, a piece of white bread may look good, feel soft, and even taste good. But usually it is made from bleached white flour, which has most of the nutrition taken out in processing. Chemicals are added to make it look nice, feel nice, taste nice and to preserve it. Often a few synthetic vitamins are added and it is sold as “enriched” bread. The consumer is pleased to buy such a product, instead of refusing it.

In connection with bread, Mr. Longgood remarks: “The fate that befalls an innocent wheat berry more fittingly belongs in the annals of crime than in a treatise on foods.” He says: “The average loaf of commercial white bread sold today is primarily the product of chemical ingenuity, clever mechanical technology and advertising guile. It is subjected to a bombardment of chemicals, stripped of virtually all nutrients, given a few synthetic vitamins, shot with emulsifier to keep it soft and . . . sold to the gullible public as an enriched product. Bread and most other commercial baked goods are more closely allied with the test tube than with nature.”

If you live in the Western world, even the meat you buy is likely to have been chemically treated. Many animals are given sex-hormone implants when very young and are then fed synthetic hormones, antibiotics and other chemicals to get maximum weight and prevent some diseases. Also, their bodies contain pesticides picked up from feed that has been chemically sprayed in addition to being chemically fertilized. Many meat products, especially cold cuts, are further treated chemically in the process of curing, flavoring, coloring and preserving.

Just how much of these chemicals does the average person eat? It is estimated that he eats about three pounds a year. But what is the effect of these chemical additives?

Are Chemical Additives Harmful?

THE public is asked to believe that there is no harm in all the chemical additives in food, since the amount eaten each day is usually very small. Still, this question persists in the minds of those who reason on what they are asked to believe: If a large amount of a chemical is poisonous and harmful, will not a little bit each day be harmful too, but just take longer to have its effect?

Those who argue for the safety of additives often refer to the fact that a small amount of salt is good for the health of most persons, but large amounts of salt can kill. They therefore conclude that other chemicals are safe in small amounts. This may be true, provided those other chemicals can be carried off like excess amounts of salt and are not cumulative in the body like DDT.

It can be argued that there is no definite proof as yet that these chemical additives are harming people. But is this not putting the cart ahead of the horse? Perhaps it is better to state the converse, that there is no definite proof as yet that these food additives are not harming people. Would it therefore not be mere sensible to keep the use of these additives to the absolute minimum until such time as all shadow of doubt as to their safety has vanished?

A case in point: There were those who long ago argued that smoking was probably harmful. But from day to day it was not possible to see any visible change in health, so the promoters of cigarettes liked to say there was no harm. Now, after decades of experience, it is definitely established that smoking is injurious to health. It can cause cancer, heart disease and other ailments. But that took many years to prove. Who is to say that the additives to our food are not also having harmful effects, even though over a long term?

There are vast differences in body makeup. You likely know persons who can stay out in cold weather for long periods and not get sick. Yet, others may stay out only briefly and come down with an illness.

No one can say what the limit of tolerance is for any person. What may not harm one who enjoys enough vitality so that his body appears to throw off harmful agents may kill another who does not enjoy that vitality. So who is to say how much of a chemical really harms one’s health? Even if it is only a small percent of the population that is harmed, would you care to be part of that percent?

Those who argue for a certain viewpoint may direct your attention to the results of certain experiments. But is such evidence always conclusive? For example, rats that were well fed over a period of six months were given nothing to drink but cola beverages. It was found that their teeth dissolved down to the gum line. It is said that the acids in these drinks can dissolve iron and limestone. That seems on the surface to be a very impressive experiment and the conclusion may be drawn from it that surely some harm would come to humans if they drank such beverages, whether over a long period of time or only occasionally.

However, much of the force of this argument is lost when someone points to the fact that the acids in lemon juice and vinegar will also dissolve iron and limestone. Hence, if the cola acids in small amounts are harmful over a long term, then lemon juice and vinegar also might be said to be detrimental to one’s health. So, it is evident that a broad range of knowledge is needed if sound conclusions are to be drawn.

Who Knows Better?

In this controversy over food additives one finds that opinions vary from one extreme to the other. There are those who enjoy to the full every additive that pleases and excites their senses. Conservatives, on the other hand, may ask you: If the Creator had purposed that certain chemicals should be in our food, would he not have put them there? After all, who knows best the right composition and balance in food​—the Creator, or imperfect men?

Following this line of reasoning: If you had a fine automobile that took high-test gasoline, what would happen if you began to put dirt particles and cheap fuel into the gas tank? In time it would begin to malfunction and would eventually break down, its life-span shortened.

Dr. William E. Smith, a cancer researcher, said: “The growing custom of introducing an endless series of biologically foreign molecules into the human organism for various commercial advantages is not unlike throwing a collection of nuts and bolts into the most delicate machinery known.”

It has been concluded by many that it is no longer a question of whether these chemical additives are harmful or not. In their opinion it is only a question regarding the extent of the harm. Dr. Edward Ryan, former editor of the Dental Digest, stated: “Every time a natural substance is removed from a food, every time an adulterant is added to a food, the balance in nature is disturbed. . . . The chemical and cellular processes within the body cells cannot react to the passing whims of chemists without disturbance in function.”

Putting It All Together

Chemical Week of December 10, 1969, commented: “The increasing problem of putting more and more chemicals into foods, observed panelist Maurice Shils, associate professor of medicine at Cornell University, is ‘part of the pollution problem. There ought to be a good reason before new chemicals get into our food supply.’”

The comparing of these chemicals to pollutants brings up another aspect of this matter. The average person may not eat enough of any one chemical additive each day to be harmed, but he is exposed to more than just one chemical in his food each day. And besides, he is exposed to many from other sources.

More and more people are becoming concerned over the polluted environment in which they live. There are alien chemicals in much of the drinking water. The land that produces much of the food has been doused with chemical pesticides and fertilizers. And what about the air we breathe? In many lands it is positively ghastly. For instance, a report concerning the findings of American scientists of the Atmospheric Sciences Research Center states: “The last vestige of clean air the center noted in the United States was near Flagstaff, Ariz., but it disappeared six years ago when . . . air pollution from the California coast reached the northern Arizona city.”​—The New Haven Register, December 21, 1969.

Newsweek of January 26, 1970, reported: “The waste in U.S. air cripples cattle in Florida, discolors the paint on houses and automobiles in Lincoln, Maine, kills pine trees 60 miles away from Los Angeles, and ruins orchids in Texas and Illinois as well as spinach in southern California. Some Americans are paying with their lives; respiratory ailments such as asthma, bronchitis, lung cancer and emphysema are growing at alarming rates.”

So when you put it all together, you will find that it is not just one chemical in small amounts any longer. The assault of all these unnatural elements​—the chemicals in our foods, the dirty air we breathe, the foreign substances in the water we drink—​may well be responsible for some of the sicknesses suffered by people today.

What Can Be Done

What can a person do if he prefers not to consume so many chemicals? While it is impossible in much of the world today to avoid them altogether since their use is so widespread and very often hidden from view, you can apply the suggestions on the chart on page 7.

Your personally doing such things will no doubt be beneficial for yourself and your family to some extent, but it will not remove the major causes of ill health and disease. Even if we lived in a pollution-free environment, and food additives were outlawed, mankind would continue to suffer the effects of sin and death. Man cannot by his own works free himself from this Adamic curse. Also, the problem of pollution is inherent with the present system of things in which we live, and this system of things is not something we can change.

But God can free us from both. And in his Word the Bible he has said that he will do so. He has specifically taken note of the fact that man is spoiling this good earth that He created, and He has declared his purpose “to bring to ruin those ruining the earth.”​—Rev. 11:18.

All the evidence in fulfillment of Bible prophecy shows that we are very near the time when God will display his great power and authority by bringing an end to this selfish system of things and those who love to have it that way.​—2 Tim. 3:1-5.

After that miraculous act of God, the affairs of mankind will be administered by the righteous government of God in heaven. His Word promises that the earth will become a paradise. Not only will there be a permanent end to the pollution of the atmosphere, the land and the water of the earth, but something far more wonderful​—the restoration of mankind to a state of perfection in body and mind! Pain and death will become things of the past.​—Isa. 45:18; Luke 23:43; Rev. 21:4, 5.

Jehovah God, the Creator of man and the One who causes the earth to produce food for all living things, knows what is required to bring these things about. He has given his own unalterable word that he will make them a reality.​—Rev. 21:5.

[Box on page 7]

To Cut Down Your Intake of Chemicals

(1) Check labels on all foods that are packaged, canned or bottled, and choose those with as few additives as possible.

(2) Cut down on use of ready-mix foods. It may take a little longer to mix your own, but in some cases it may be more healthful.

(3) If you cannot find bread that is wholesome and largely free from additives, it may be to your advantage to bake your own. Some commercial bread has little real food value.

(4) When possible, serve your family fresh fruits and vegetables, carefully washed. You might even grow some in your own yard.

(5) Favor natural drinks, such as milk, instead of “soft” drinks. Some fruit juices sold commercially may be largely free from additives. In certain instances you may want to squeeze your own.

(6) By obtaining fresh, unprocessed meat and cooking your own you will avoid many of the additives used in cold cuts and other related products.

(7) Since such pesticides as DDT tend to concentrate in the fat of animals, you can cut down your intake of it by trimming the excess.

The Marriage Garment

An interesting custom that once prevailed in the Middle East throws light on Jesus’ words at Matthew 22:11-13, where he speaks of wedding guests’ being given marriage garments. Before Western influence modified certain customs, travelers in Bible lands report that they were given marriage garments when they attended wedding feasts. These garments were long robes with loose sleeves to hang over their clothing.

One native Syrian reports that the father of the bridegroom provided these garments that were made of inexpensive but gaily colored material. This was done in case any poor man came who did not have proper clothing to deck himself. If any guest failed to put this garment on, the governor of the feast could reprimand him.

The Creator’s Australian Masterpieces

By “Awake!” correspondent in Australia

IMAGINE yourself in the Australian bush. As you look around, you note an impression in the ground that resembles the figure eleven. What are you looking at? Why, just one of the many characteristics of the Australian animal creation that make it different from those in other lands. You are seeing the tracks left by the animal that hops instead of runs​—the kangaroo.

Suppose you follow a set of tracks a little way. Note that here and there a third stroke is added to the pair, beneath and between them. That is where he rested, sitting upon his thick tail and maybe thumping the ground with it to signal others of the herd.

Stand very quiet and just look. There, did you see those pointed “leaves” rise behind that bush? He has also spotted us. See with what graceful bounds “old man roo,” as we call him, clears obstacles on his way to safety!

His mode of travel is only one of a number of things that make the kangaroo different. “Joey,” as we call the young of the kangaroo, highlights more of the differences. These start before its birth.

The kangaroo is what is called “marsupial,” meaning having a pouch in which to carry its young. But actually the designation “marsupial” has a deeper connotation than simply that.

Joey’s Remarkable Birth

Animals that are not marsupial (or “monotrematous,” as we shall see later) are called “placental,” meaning that the mother has a womb in which the embryo is nurtured and to which it is joined by a “placenta.” Joey’s Ma has no womb. Instead, he starts to grow soon after conception in a yolk sac in which the embryo is nourished until, from eight to forty days later, according to kind, the sac ruptures and joey is born.

We say “born,” but “produced” might be better. Because when he leaves his mother he is still in a semi-embryonic state, with no eyes or ears developed and having only the sense of smell. In appearance he resembles a bit of shaped, almost transparent rubber. Now prepare yourself for something really amazing. This tiny embryonic creature, big as a bean, climbs hand over hand up its mother’s fur, guided, it is believed, by its sense of smell, in search of her pouch​—a journey taking about three minutes. Locating it, if he does, he dives inside, there to complete the birth process, which takes several months.

But suppose he misses the pouch, what then? Too bad! He could go wandering for up to half an hour, and if he still fails, his life career comes to an early end. And what is Ma kangaroo doing about all of this? Just nothing. She does not worry. By this time in all probability she has already conceived again while joey was in the birth passage. But the new embryo will not develop beyond one hundred cells. At this stage its development is arrested in what is called a “blastocyst” against some such emergency as this. And in this arrested stage of development it will remain until the pouch is unoccupied and only then will it resume its growth.

But our joey did make it. He reached his destination quite unassisted. Mamma kangaroo made very scant preparation, merely licking the pouch clean and then sitting with her tail forward and leaning against a tree to keep her from tumbling from this unstable posture. Once inside the pouch, joey fixes on to a nipple, and this immediately swells and locks him there, and Ma, by muscular action squirts her milk down his tiny throat. From now on you can remove joey only by rupturing his mouth.

So incredible is the whole process that early explorers and naturalists thought joey was born in the pouch, “like apples on a twig,” as one described it. It was many years later that the London Zoo first witnessed the embryonic birth and even then thought the mother transferred the young to the pouch with her lips. Not until 1932 was it known that it made its way to the pouch unaided.

We can pass by the period that joey is in the pouch, except to note that he grows there from the size of a bean, thirty-three to the ounce, to some few pounds. Only after eight months and when weaned does he detach himself and start to leave the pouch for short periods. Even so, he still likes to take breakfast in bed​—a feat he easily manages by leaning out of bed and nibbling at the passing grass as Ma forages.

Running (hopping) now with from six to fifty roos, joey grows to kangaroohood, being called “old man roo” in bush parlance. If he is of the “red” variety he may grow to five or six feet tall, weigh up to 200 pounds, jump as high as ten feet and travel twenty feet at a bound, thirty miles an hour.

He is a mild or even timid creature unless cornered and fighting for his life. Then, with back to a tree and sitting upon his tail, he threshes away with fore and hind legs and sharp claws​—a match for several dogs. And if he feels he is getting the worst of it, he will bound away to a “billabong,” or water hole. There, standing up to his waist in water, he will submerge dog after dog as they swim to him and hold them beneath his tail or legs until they drown. So much just now for the kangaroo.

The Koala

There are other marsupials besides the roo. Does that surprise you? It does some, but who has not seen a picture of the cuddly koala? He is marsupial, and the females have a pouch. His name means, in the language of the aborigine, “I don’t drink.” And, indeed, he does not. But what he eats! Up to three pounds of gum leaves daily. That explains why, if you live outside Australia, you do not have a koala in your local zoo. The Australian government forbids his export. No other country can feed him. He is a selective eater. Out of over a hundred species of gum, he will eat the leaves from only six, and, as these are not found outside Australia in any profusion, he would die.

It is said that the leaves of the gum have a narcotic effect, possibly accounting for the koala’s sleepy, docile nature. But beware! Do not let his friendliness and mildness deceive you. One American soldier made that mistake after fondling one at the zoo. Finding one later in the bush, he thought he would take it and show it to his girl friend in the car. The koala had other thoughts. The price of the soldier’s ignorance was a new uniform and six weeks in the hospital.

Other Marsupials

Among other marsupials there are many so much like their placental “doubles” in appearance and habit that they could easily be mistaken for them. Marsupial mice, rats, cats, moles, anteaters and wolves are like the placentals in certain respects, yet quite different in other ways.

For example, there is a mouse that can jump six feet and catch an insect on the wing by sonar detection; a cat that gives birth to twenty kittens but has only six nipples, and a wolf that can open its mouth 180 degrees.

There is a bandicoot that can burrow faster than man and shovel can follow him and whose pouch wisely opens toward the rear so that it does not get filled with dirt. One kangaroo with prehensile tail is arboreal and a remarkable acrobat. There is a marsupial numbat (banded anteater) that has no pouch, also a small marsupial mouse that lives in dried mud cracks, and has a skull only one-eighth of an inch from crown to neck.

Extant today in Australia and New Guinea are a total of 175 species of marsupials, of which 104 are vegetarians and 71 meat eaters. Extinct marsupials are said to include the diprotodon, large as a rhino, and a ten-foot-tall kangaroo, the procoptodon.

Do you wonder that early explorers and settlers in Australia were bewildered by the wildlife so contrary to all they previously knew? Except for two in the Americas, marsupials are native nowhere else on earth.

The Monotremes

There are thousands of species of placentals, 175 of marsupials, as we have noted, but only two monotremes. Both are found only in Australia.

The word “monotreme” comes from the Greek and means “one hole.” This has reference to the fact that from the monotreme’s body there is only one exit, called the “cloaca.” From this one passage come excreta, urine and egg. Yes, EGG! The two species of monotremes are the only mammals known to lay eggs.

Most people are already familiar with the platypus. As though not satisfied with being an egg-laying mammal, the platypus heaps oddity upon oddity until it seems like some taxidermist’s joke. And so it appeared to those first seeing it. In fact, when a description of it was sent to British naturalists they just refused to believe the report. Even when a dried skin was sent to them they decided it was an imposture. Why all this incredulity? Let us see.

Besides laying eggs, the platypus has the following miscellany: animal fur, milk ducts, ducklike bill, webbed feet, heavy beaver-like tail, poison claws on feet and a monkey-like cheek pouch for storing food. Can you imagine the impression the platypus made on those early naturalists?

Yet, because of this hodgepodge of gifts, the platypus reflects the Creator’s wise skill, making him admirably suited to his environment, so that he flourished until the advent of man and gun. With claws for burrowing and fur to keep him warm, he is at home on land, though his real environment is the water. But most wonderful of all is his bill.

This is no horny, lifeless member as is the duck’s. It is highly sensitive​—a mass of nerve endings. When he submerges and propels himself by powerful tail and webbed feet, his eyes and ears become hermetically sealed and the bill takes over. Probing the slime, he sucks in mud, sand and worms! Worms and prawns and larvae! Now his bill gets busy selecting meat from mud, storing the one in his cheek pouch and ejecting the other until he surfaces for air and to consume his catch. He keeps busy, rightly, for he eats half his weight a day in worms. This explains why in captivity he costs more to keep than an elephant.

Besides functioning as ears, eyes and nose when swimming, his bill becomes built-in radar when burrowing. Life Nature Library has this to say: “The bill of a platypus is a mass of nerves relaying tactile sensations . . . When burrowing, the platypus is said to have a mysterious awareness of cavities in the earth ahead, which enables it to avoid breaking through into adjacent rabbit warrens, rat holes or other platypus burrows.” Similarly, it senses tree roots and rocks ahead and diverts before reaching them. Would you not agree that the platypus is marvelously fitted to his environment?

The same may be said of the other member of the monotreme family, the echidna. As the only other egg-laying mammal it might be expected to resemble the platypus. But apart from laying eggs, it resembles the other in only two ways: Both suckle their young and both have the single body exit or cloaca.

The more common name, spiny anteater, better reveals the echidna’s appearance. In actuality it looks much like a hedgehog, except that its quills are shorter, thicker and extremely sharp. Its short, powerful legs are admirably designed for burrowing into iron-hard anthills for his favorite diet, the termite.

The echidna also has a pouch. Or, better stated, it can produce one at will. After the young one is hatched, the female, by muscle contraction, forms a pouch around the milk glands and into this, by what means we do not know, the young is placed. There he remains a tenant, licking the milk-saturated surface for nourishment, until his quills start to form and he is no longer a peaceful occupant of Ma’s fleshly cradle. Out he goes!

Besides these, the echidna has other singular characteristics. One of these is its prodigious strength, in spite of its being only twenty inches long and weighing only two or three pounds. One naturalist experienced this when he kept one overnight for security in his living room. By morning, in the echidna’s endeavors to find a way of escape, he had shifted every piece of heavy furniture away from the wall! Only an iron stove defeated him​—that was fastened to the wall!

Another interesting attribute is Mr. Echidna’s ability to burrow vertically​—at speed! Muzzle and legs unite in removing even hard gravel from beneath him to the sides and upward at a speed that will lower him out of sight in about one minute, often leaving visible sharp quills for any probing nose or claw. Lastly, there is his ability to flatten himself and crawl through an aperture only an inch high.

What do you think? Can you see in all of this grand variety the hand of a wise Creator? Yes, we can be grateful for the glimpses our quest has given us of the Creator’s Australian masterpieces.

[Picture on page 9]

Only after eight months does a baby kangaroo leave its mother’s pouch for short periods

[Picture on page 11]

The koala feeds on gum leaves

[Picture on page 12]

The platypus is an egg-laying mammal with an amazing ducklike bill

What They Are Saying About Their Churches

THE confusion in the religions of Christendom is very much in the news. No doubt you are aware of the dissension that is riddling the churches. Priests sharply criticize their superiors. Church teachings and age-old ecclesiastical policies are openly questioned. Every month scores of clergymen, both high and low, and many nuns quit their church positions. Seminaries report that applicants are getting fewer.

The toll that this turmoil has taken on church influence has been enormous. In many places church attendance is dropping steadily. Financial support has sharply decreased. Many churches and church-run schools and colleges have had to close their doors.

This religious situation has deeply disturbed churchgoers. Many Roman Catholics, especially, view what is happening in their church with consternation. And people are talking about it. What are they saying?

Confused by the Changes

Jehovah’s witnesses can answer that question because they regularly call on people at their homes to encourage Bible study. This puts them in an excellent position to hear what people are saying about the churches. What the Witnesses report shows just how disturbed many people are about the developments.

For example, in Newfoundland Catholics freely express their views on the changes taking place in their church. Some have said: “We are so confused over the changes in the church we hardly know what to believe anymore!”

In New York, a Catholic doctor, upon meeting a Witness who is one of his patients, immediately began talking about his deep concern over the changes in his church. His priest had told the congregation that communion would no longer be served at the altar, and that the members of the church must bring their own bread and wine to church for communion. The doctor’s children go to parochial school. But the nuns had informed the parents that religious instruction of younger children would have to be given at home by the parents until the children were old enough to receive communion. The doctor asked: “How am I going to teach my children religion at home when I do not know anything about my own religion?”

A Spanish Catholic in New York city said pitifully, “I’m so confused with my religion, but I’m too old to start learning again. What am I going to do?” When the Witness kindly offered to help this sincere one learn what the Bible teaches, the offer was accepted and a free home Bible study was started.

Opinions as to the Reason Why

In talking with the people in their homes Jehovah’s witnesses report that many give their opinions as to the reason for the troubles in the churches.

A couple who attend the Evangelical church said: “The reason for so much confusion in our church is that each one wants to interpret the Bible in his own way.”

Explaining why she felt there was much confusion in her religion, a Jewish woman in New York said: “We are not humble enough!”

An elderly Catholic man acknowledged that he was very unhappy about the changes in the church. ‘It shows that there are weaknesses in the church,’ he said. ‘To me the church is dead.’

“I think a lot of confusion is due to this pope we have now,” declared a young woman in New York city. “He has taken away so many of the saints and changed everything so that I just don’t know what to believe anymore. Do you know, I have to go to a psychiatrist every week because I am so mixed up? I have been looking into other religions because I feel there must be an answer to all this.”

Their Reactions to Religious Developments

It is interesting to note how varied the reactions to recent developments in the field of religion are. Jehovah’s witnesses are finding that many people who formerly shied away from discussion of religion and the Bible now are willing to express their views.

An elderly Italian man was asked about the eating of meat on Friday. He replied: “I don’t care what the pope says. I’m sticking to the way it was.”

Another attitude was observed by a Witness who knocked at a door in the Bronx, New York. A man in his sixties opened the door and the Witness could not help but observe the Catholic holy water cup on his wall. Evidently it was being put to a new use. It was filled with cigarette butts.

Confessed a Spanish Catholic: “I think I may take down my images, because I know I don’t have the truth.” And another woman remarked, “I’m Catholic but I will never attend church again!” Why? ‘The church is too mixed up in politics.’

In one area most of the people visited by the Witnesses said that they could not care less about religion. Shocking as it may sound to some, they said they are anxious to see the churches come to their end.

Repulsed by Money-raising Methods

Probably the most frequent complaint against the churches is in connection with their insatiable quest for money. Many persons are sick and tired of it.

A Lutheran woman admitted that religion is just a big business. An elderly Episcopalian complained: “In my church there is just too much emphasis on money. I told my priest that instead of the name of the church being posted in front, there should be a big sign saying M-O-N-E-Y!”

A housewife pointed to a church calendar and explained that she was getting things like that every month and that she was expected to contribute for them. She added: “I belong to the buck of the month club!”

In disgust a Spanish woman said that her church is so commercialized that when they enter it they have to pay twenty-five cents besides bringing the weekly contribution envelope. And how much must they contribute? They used to be able to give one or two dollars, but now the envelope specifies that they start at two dollars.

A woman from Puerto Rico moved to the United States recently. She quickly began attending church. When she got there she found a bingo game in progress. On her next visit the priest, in addition to telling the congregation to vote for a certain political candidate, requested money for the church. Next there was an announcement about a party to be held in the church basement to raise still more money. Out of loyalty, the woman went to the party but with a heavy heart. She left before it was over. She no longer attends church. Now she and her husband take advantage of the help offered them by Jehovah’s witnesses to learn the truth found in the Holy Bible.

That same free home Bible study service is available to you. It will enable you to get satisfying answers to such questions as: Where are the dead? Why has God permitted wickedness until our day? What hope is there for the future? If you would like to avail yourself of this free service, get in touch with Jehovah’s witnesses in your community or write to the publishers of this magazine.

Honesty Averts a Beating

◆ In Nigeria a full-time preacher of Jehovah’s witnesses was witnessing in a village. Two young opposers decided to run ahead of him and hide so that when he passed they could jump out and beat him up. As they went down the road one of them dropped his purse. The Witness, following behind, picked it up and called out to the owner. On examining the purse, the owner found that all its contents were untouched. The two boys then told the Witness what their intentions were, but now they had changed their plan. Instead of beating the Witness up, the one who dropped his purse is now enjoying a Bible study conducted with him by the Witness.

Largest Moving Objects Made by Man

IN 1577 Sir Francis Drake set out on his famous voyage around the world, sailing in the Golden Hind, a ship that was only 75 feet long. Compared with today’s goliaths of the sea-lanes, that is like a minnow beside a whale. Ships still hold the distinction of being the largest moving objects made by man, barring none of his prodigious achievements.

The world’s largest vessels are fast becoming a common sight entering Lisbon’s Tagus River. But not until a person sees one close up is he really overwhelmed by the size of a modern-day oil tanker. With a carrying capacity of 312,000 tons deadweight, the sheer massiveness of these behemoths is staggering. Over a fifth of a mile long, they seem, at times, to choke even the river itself. On a single trip from the Middle East to Northern Europe, their cavernous holds store 65 million gallons of crude oil.

As we stand watching one of these giants gently move up the river, we wonder how they are maintained. What is involved in repairing a ship this size? Can it be taken out of the water after being launched? If so, how?

Since Europe’s largest repair dry dock is situated at Lisbon’s harbor, we decided that a visit to the shipyard would be most interesting. Crossing the river, high on the Salazar Bridge, we have an impressive view of the harbor. It has a spacious maneuvering area, which is so essential for large ships. Here also the year-round average temperature of 60° F. permits good working conditions during all seasons. The bay never freezes.

A geographical factor makes the Iberian peninsula a choice location for a repair shipyard. At the present time it is estimated that 70 percent of the world traffic of oil tankers and ore carriers passes this zone, heading to northern Europe either from the eastern Mediterranean or around the African continent.

Did you notice that the oil tankers we saw all ride high on the water, with sections of the rudder and propeller visible? This is because they are entirely empty. Only after unloading their cargoes in Northern Europe and on the return voyage to the Middle East are they in suitable condition for repair work. Now we understand why the Port of Lisbon is favored with the role of host to an ever-increasing number of vessels.

The Lisnave shipyard is located on the south side of the harbor in a convenient bay that offers shelter against strong winds and rough seas. It is interesting that the quayside and dry docks have been constructed in the direction of the predominant winds, a factor of no small importance when handling vessels so big.

Visiting a Dry Dock

As soon as we enter the shipyard our eyes behold two large dry docks, side by side. What tremendously large basins they are! The largest dock is over 1,148 feet long, 180 feet wide and 42 feet deep. At the time of our visit the Esso Northumbria, Britain’s latest and largest ship, is in the dry dock for final inspection before entering service. What a length she is, 1,143 feet​—the equivalent to the combined length of three football fields, with room left over for the cheering sections!

The designation dry dock seems so appropriate. Repair and repainting of ships below the waterline can be done only by taking them clear out of the water. When the dry dock is flooded and the gate opened, water fills the dock to normal sea level. The vessel is carefully guided into the dry dock and centered. The dock gate is closed and then the water is pumped out. Interesting is the fact that the larger the vessel, the less water to remove. As the water is removed, the ship’s keel rests on a row of central blocks and two lines of movable bilge blocks that support the outer edges of the ship’s bottom. At times the weight on the keel blocks can be as much as 300 tons per linear meter.

A routine job is to repaint the ship below the waterline about once a year. The hull is first given a high-pressure water washing. If the vessel has accumulated barnacles or considerable fouling organisms, it is cleaned by a shotblasting process. This shipyard uses granulated copper blasted under pressure to remove corrosive elements. Once the hull is cleaned, it is painted.

But how quickly the job is done! Only a dozen men are required to paint the ship in less than twelve hours’ time. They move about on mobile metal towers of adjustable height and can paint about 500 square yards an hour. The paint is completely dry in an hour. Can you imagine how much paint is used to do the job on a big tanker? Over seven tons!

We did not realize the importance of a good paint job. Actual experience shows that on a vessel of 115,000 tons deadweight, there has been a loss of 1,000 horsepower due to a poor paint job. On some ships ten tons of barnacles or corrosive particles have been removed. With general fouling or skin friction reduced to a minimum, imagine the saving this represents in financial terms.

Work in the dry dock can involve the removal of the rudder or propeller. This is no small task when you see the size of these parts on a supertanker. Why, on the Esso Northumbria the rudder alone weighs 115 tons and is the height of a four-story apartment building. The single six-bladed propeller weighs 56 tons and is secured to the tail shaft by an enormous nut. Sometimes ships are even cut in half and a completely new prefabricated section is added. This kind of repair work can involve hundreds of tons of steel.

Only in the shipbuilding yard or a dry dock is it possible to see the bow of a ship. What a surprise to see such a huge protruding nose. This type of “bulbous bow” is now being fitted on many older vessels since it can increase the speed of some ships by one knot. That may seem negligible, but for a ship with a service speed of nine knots, that means more than a 10-percent gain.

Although the jobs undertaken appear time-consuming, we noted how comparatively little time is spent in a dry dock. On the average this shipyard has a vessel in the dry dock for only four days. A mere five hours is required between the completion of work on one ship and the start of work on the next ship in the same dry dock. Our guide told us that shipowners sustain a loss of at least $25,000 each day a large tanker is out of operation. So there is great concern for efficient and fast work.

On a tour around the shipyard we see cranes of 50- and 100-ton capacity. Never before have we seen such large pistons! Three of them over a yard in diameter with shafts 10 feet long. In the machine shop shafts up to 82 feet in length can be machined by operating a 12-ton lathe together with a 40-ton lathe. The electrical shop has electrodynamic balancing machines for diesel repair service and a division for rewinding stators. The pipe shop is equipped with smelting and heating furnaces used in remetaling giant bearings. The plate shops and prefabrication areas are busy with all types of structural-steel work.

All tanks on an oil tanker must be periodically cleaned. The practice of discharging into the sea oily water resulting from tank washing is most reprehensible. The National Commission Against Sea Pollution is working to eliminate this detrimental and deliberate pollution of the seas. It was encouraging to learn that this shipyard has fitted two old vessels as tank-cleaning stations. The latest technological processes are being employed to clean tankers entering the Tagus estuary. All oily residues are completely burned and destroyed on board these tank-cleaning stations, and only clean water is put back into the sea. This method is helping to safeguard local beaches, plus offering the needed protection to fish and the fishing industry.

Tomorrow’s Ships

Can ships be built any bigger than they are today? Japanese shipyards are in the final negotiating stages to start construction of tankers up to 500,000 tons deadweight. A chief engineer of Britain’s largest shipbuilders told us: “We’re looking ahead. I wouldn’t be surprised if in a few years we see ships being ordered for 750,000 or even a million tons.”

The Lisnave shipyard is preparing for the advent of the million-ton tanker. Actual construction is under way for a third dry dock that will handle ships up to 500,000 tons, with a second phase of enlargement to take 750,000 and, in its final stage, the million-ton vessels. Final dimensions of this dry dock are 1,800 feet in length. Its first phase is planned to be operational by 1972 with a width of 276 feet.

To grasp how big a dry dock that is, let us illustrate. The capacity of the five pumps that will be used to take out the water is sufficient to supply the entire daily consumption of sweet water in the Netherlands, the country where they are being built!

There is a lot more to keeping a vessel shipshape than we had imagined. It is no understatement to say that everything about today’s ships is colossal. The ships planned for tomorrow seem to stagger the imagination. But really, no matter how colossal the ships of tomorrow become, are they not as specks compared to the immensity of the oceans in which they operate? The largest moving objects made by man are eclipsed by the Creator’s work, the sea around them.

[Picture on page 17]

Huge tankers in the Lisnave shipyards at the mouth of the river Tagus

“Sorry It Has Been So Long”

HAVE you planned to write a letter but kept putting it off? Then when you really began to think seriously about it, the delay may have stretched into weeks, perhaps months. No wonder your letter may then have begun with the apology: “Sorry it has been so long”!

You are not alone in such circumstances. Doubtless you have received letters from others, apologizing for delay or a long silence. Others realized just as you did that a reply should have been written more promptly. And the longer the delay the more awkward the situation may become, so much so that people have been known to give up the idea of replying. Why is there this common tendency to put the matter off?

Many matters demand our time and attention. But we do make time for vital activities such as our job, eating, shopping and each night’s sleep. So, it is often a matter of making time to reply to friends whose letters we have appreciated.

Why We Write

Perhaps it will help in coming to grips with this problem if we consider some of the reasons for writing letters to friends and relatives. In earlier times families used to live in the same immediate neighborhood. There was not the same need for letter writing. But today the situation is quite different. It is not at all uncommon for members of the same family to be widely scattered across the country, or even to distant lands.

Is there not a moral obligation to be concerned about one another, parent for child, child for parent? Surely lack of interest in such circumstances might be construed as being lack of natural affection!

But even apart from any idea of obligation, there is the distinct pleasure one experiences when ministering to the needs of another. It is even more satisfying than receiving a gift from someone. Your friends and relatives would surely be upbuilt by receiving some evidence of your well-being, a cheerful, newsy letter from your pen. Do you doubt it? Then just think of your own experience.

Few things are so delightfully received as a fine letter. There is usually a pleasurable excitement about it. It makes us happy, does it not, happy that someone has thought of us? And there is keen expectation as we break the seal. Up to that point it is a kind of mystery. What shall we find inside? It may be someone’s interesting experiences, that one’s expression of love for us, or an expression of kindness and thoughtfulness.

Surely, then, we would like to be the cause of someone else’s gaining the same excitement and pleasure from receiving a letter!

What We Can Do

Even if you are extra busy, is there not something you can do to keep in touch with friends and relatives? What about sending a lettercard or a picture postcard? You might even send just a short note. No need to write a lengthy letter. Indeed, lengthy letters can be tiring, especially if the people to whom you are writing are also busy. The book Along the Road expresses it this way:

“There are many people who practically never write to old friends, because they have a feeling that if they write at all they must write at length. But that is a great mistake; and by this indolent reticence many good ties are broken. The point is the letter, not the length or the literary quality of the letter. And it is pitiful to think that a few words scribbled on a scrap of paper three or four times in a year might save a good friendship perishing listlessly from lack of nutriment.”

No, there is no need to wait until you have enough material to fill a long letter. Indeed, it may well be that the person who awaits your letter is primarily interested in knowing that you are doing well, physically and spiritually. So, why not let him know soon? And, by all means, express your interest in knowing how that correspondent is faring.

Friendships are precious. Friends are keen to know and to communicate to each other the events and developments that affect them. Children and parents have a close bond. Youths away from home should surely want to know how their parents are faring. And parents can write good counsel to the younger generation.

Writing Can Be Enjoyable

Writing does not have to be a bore or a chore. You can jot down on a memo pad from time to time the things you want to include in your next letter. Perhaps you have some funny story to relate or some experience. Experiences that bring you pleasure will also be enjoyed by others. Determine, too, that your letter will be something encouraging.

And you can always reminisce. That draws friends closer. If you are writing to parents, it would be fine to let them know you have not forgotten the many interesting details of life at home​—that plant in the living room that mother was so proud of or that cherry tree in full bloom just outside the kitchen window. Is Dad still working on that project in the basement? Is it now young brother’s turn to do the jobs around the house? Your asking shows that you care.

Yes, a letter can brighten someone else’s day, just as it does yours. Whenever you are inclined to postpone letter writing overlong, just think of all the good your brief letter can accomplish. Try to avoid having to start your letters with “Sorry it has been so long.” Instead, write soon!

What Is the Insect Population?

Many persons would be surprised to learn that scientists have practically no hope of ever being able to classify every single type of insect in existence. Why? Because it is estimated that there are from 2,000,000 to 4,000,000 different kinds of insects. And scientists have actually described in scientific terms only about 625,000.

If you were to try to calculate how many insects live in the world today, the number would be so great that the human mind could hardly imagine it. The only way scientists can even start calculating how many insects are in a given area is by counting all that are in a square yard of moist soil. The count may be anywhere from 500 to 2,000. Just imagine! That would make the insect population in one acre of good soil about 4,000,000!

Tracing the Use of the Swastika

By “Awake!” correspondent in Austria

THERE is a symbol above the entrance door of the Lakshmi Marayan temple in New Delhi, India. And again, over the entranceway to a Bali temple of Indonesia. It appears on weights of the Ashanti people in Africa. You will also find it on magical chains of North American Indians. It can be seen on a depiction of the footprints of Buddha. A Roman Catholic abbot used it as his personal coat of arms. And Adolf Hitler made it the emblem of the Third Reich of Germany. Yes, it is the swastika.

From where did the swastika get its name? In Indian Buddhism the form of the symbol with angles to the right is called “swastika.” This is derived from the Sanskrit term “svasti,” meaning “object of well-being.”

Where Hitler First Saw It

As Hitler wrote in his book Mein Kampf, he brought the swastika flag before the public for the first time in the summer of 1920. He and his associates were very enthusiastic about their new banner with its ancient motif. He said: “Its effect was as that of a firebrand.” But where did Hitler see the swastika for the first time?

Hitler first saw this symbol during his childhood. Back then he lived in a small village close to the Benedictine monastery at Lambach, Upper Austria. For a while he was a choirboy there and lived at the monastery during the winter of 1897-1898. There, chiseled into the wall above the spring grotto in the courtyard, was the date 1860 together with a swastika. The symbol was also located on the monastery portal.

Further, the personal coat of arms of Abbot Theoderich Hagn of the monastery in Lambach bore “a golden swastika with slanted points on a blue field.”a

Did the swastika make an impression upon young Hitler at that time? The opinions vary. But in the book Aus Adolf Hitlers Jugendland und Jugendzeit (The Period and Land of Adolf Hitler’s Youth) the following is said about the Benedictine monastery in Lambach: “Here it was that Adolf Hitler first came into contact with the swastika. . . . Even though Adolf Hitler later may have had entirely different motives in adopting this symbol, the fact cannot be obliterated that he spent a portion of his childhood under that symbol.”​—Pp. 14-16.

In his book Oberdonau, die Heimat des Fuehrers (The Upper Danube, the Fuehrer’s Home), Robert Lenk writes: “Choirboy Adolf Hitler saw the angular sign of the sun-wheel for the first time on the escutcheon of the archway of Lambach.” (P. 102) In the same book the writer mentions six country churches of the reputedly strongly Catholic Muehlviertel of Upper Austria on which the swastika symbol appeared.​—P. 42.

To many readers it may seem strange that Hitler’s political symbol was also to be found in a religious setting. However, upon examining additional cases of the use of the swastika throughout the world, one will find that the more common meaning of the swastika is decidedly religious rather than political. This we will see as we trace the swastika back to its origin.

Churches of Christendom

First we are confronted with the swastika in the floor mosaic of the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. In his book Vom Hakenkreuz (Concerning the Swastika) Joerg Lechler shows a number of swastika representations taken from churches of Christendom. Amid the voluminous picture material, one sees a so-called “hungercloth” (fasting or Lent cloth) from Heiligengrabe, Germany, upon which Christ’s garment is covered with swastikas. The swastika appears on an altar cloth of the Maria zur Wiese Church in Soest, Germany. It is also found on the bronze monument of Bishop Bocholt in Luebeck and on some medieval coins of the Catholic dioceses of Mainz and Halberstadt and of the Erfurt bishop Heinrich (1140-1150 C.E.).

On a picture in a church in Dalby (southern Sweden) the lamb representing Jesus Christ bore a swastika rather than a simple cross. A swastika was also used in the cast of the church bell of Utterslev, Denmark.

But from where did these churches of Christendom and their clergy borrow the symbol? It should not surprise us greatly that the swastika, as many other symbols, was adopted from pagan sources.

The early Christians rejected the use of such symbols. This was once voiced in these words: “Crosses, moreover, we neither worship nor wish for. You, indeed, who consecrate gods of wood, adore wooden crosses perhaps as parts of your gods. For your very standards, as well as your banners and flags of your camps, what else are they but crosses gilded and adorned? Your victorious trophies not only imitate the appearance of a simple cross, but also that of a man affixed to it.”​—The Octavius of Minucius Felix, chap. 29, The Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 4, p. 191.

So the swastika did not originate with the early Christians, but comes from a pagan source. What was the meaning of this ancient symbol?

Symbol of Fertility and Life

In the Lower Danube area (Siebenbuergen, Romania) earthen vessels with representations of swastikas upon them have been found. Swastikas have also come to light in excavations at Troy, an ancient city of Asia Minor.

In the same cultural period in which the swastika appears in Troy and Romania, idol plastics related to the fertility cult come to the fore. The plastics are often nearly identical to those of the Near and Middle East. The manner in which the swastika is located on the bodies of female plastics at Troy indicates that it served as a symbol of fertility and life.

Further, in the trench graves of Mycenae, Greece, the swastika is found on rich golden jewelry. It also appears on coins. In a funeral scene depicted on an Athenian vase, three swastikas can be seen above the horse pulling the hearse. Goddesses of fertility found in tombs wear the symbol on their throats and breasts. On a sarcophagus we can see the “mistress of life,” who later became known as Artemis, surrounded by swastikas. It also seems to have been associated with the lotus flower and decorated the garment of Aphrodite, the ancient Greek goddess of love, called Venus by the Romans.

So, at Troy and in its representations in the Aegean area, the swastika conveyed the idea of fertility and life.

The Swastika’s Birthplace

In 1931 the results of excavations relative to the culture of the Indus Valley in Southern Asia were published. At Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa the remnants of a highly developed state culture were unearthed, a culture that was in bloom long before our Common Era. Seals with symbols of obvious religious nature were found, including some depictions of the swastika. The seal finds have been assigned to the third century B.C.E.

Of interest is what archaeologist V. Gordon Childe has to say about swastikas found in the Indus Valley: “The swastika and the cross, common on stamps and plaques, were religious or magical symbols as in Babylonia and Elam in the earliest prehistoric period.”​—New Light on the Most Ancient East, by V. Gordon Childe, pp. 184, 185.

The swastika, then, must have had its origin in Mesopotamia. Swastika findings at Samarra, north of Baghdad, on the Tigris, and in early settlement stratum of Susa or Shushan (Neh. 1:1; Esther 1:2) point to a very ancient origin of the symbol in Mesopotamia. Yes, the swastika goes back to the ancient religious center of Babylon.

So, when traced to its beginning, the swastika is seen to be religious in nature. It is true that, in this twentieth century, it has also become a political emblem. But the one who adopted it as a political emblem first became acquainted with it by means of the church of which he was a member, the same church that signed a concordat with him when he rose to political power and whose clergy prayed for his armies when they went to war.

[Footnotes]

[Picture on page 21]

From the coat of arms of Abbot Hagn of Lambach monastery

[Picture on page 22]

Swastikas on a ceramic from Susa

Meetings of Jehovah’s Witnesses

● The branch office of Jehovah’s witnesses in Wiesbaden, Germany, received an interesting letter from a sixteen-year-old girl who wrote:

“During my vacation I had the opportunity of visiting the congregation of Jehovah’s witnesses. Since most people usually speak adversely about Jehovah’s witnesses I was impressed with their friendliness and love; to state it briefly, with the unity of a big family. As far as your meetings are concerned they differ greatly from our church services. Your main topic of discussion is the Bible teachings, which are the focal point of all your meetings.

“The songs that were sung are much prettier in rhythm than ours. I find the home Bible study very interesting. If we had anything like that we young people would no doubt be more interested in our religion. Especially the exactness with which one considers the Bible texts and happenings impresses me. It is not simply accepted and believed but rather carefully examined, whereas we get stranded on old ritual.”

This young girl desired to learn more about Jehovah’s witnesses, so she attended the 1969 “Peace on Earth” Assembly.

Meet Me at the Cemetery for Tea This Afternoon

By “Awake!” correspondent in Uruguay

IT WAS a timid knock and I went to the door expecting the usual sight​—a ragged barefoot youngster asking for empty bottles or anything one has to offer. How nice it was to see instead a clean, neat child with a smiling face. I recognized her, said “Pase” (Come in), and watched as she sat down on the low chair I offered. She arranged her dress so as to leave no wrinkle. Though only six, she had learned the value of being careful with her best dress.

“Mamma wants an answer,” she said, extending an envelope held tightly in her little hand. The message read: “Can you meet me in the cemetery for tea this afternoon?”

Now a cemetery can be a sad place or a pleasant one, depending on how it is kept and on one’s knowledge of the state and hope of the dead. The North Cemetery in Montevideo is beautifully kept, and in October, springtime hereabouts, it is a lovely place. Flowers bloom and grass is green here throughout the year, but at this time of the year the plants and flowers seem to outdo themselves. People consider it an obligation to show their love and respect for their dead by bringing flowers regularly. It matters not whether the remains are in a tomb or in an urn, there is continual demand for flowers. Conveniently, there is a large flower market at the cemetery entrance. Here I met my hostess.

The Flower Market

Arranged as they were in neat rows, the flowers were beautiful to see. As we walked among them my friend pointed out that each stall was privately owned, and the owners rivaled one another in displaying their blooms. One stall owner informed us that millions of pesos are spent annually at this market, though this is but one of several cemeteries in Montevideo. He offered us a bouquet, but we declined with the explanation that we were just visiting.

At the same time we took the opportunity of explaining to him our hope for the dead, our expectation that those sleeping in death will one day be awakened, as stated at John 5:28, 29: “Do not marvel at this, because the hour is coming in which all those in the memorial tombs will hear [the Son of man’s] voice and come out.” We also mentioned that the unconscious dead could not be benefited by the flowers, though the bleak outlook of the survivors would doubtless be offset somewhat by the color and delicate beauty of the blooms.

The Cemetery

“We will take a tour first,” said my hostess, “and then have our tea. I want to show you the grounds and the different methods of entombment here.” It appears that the land is municipally owned, and watchmen patrol the grounds. A maintenance crew dispose of wilted flowers. However, the families of the deceased are responsible for the care of the tombs.

As we walked, my companion pointed out the tombs of the wealthy, mainly houses owned by mutual societies to whom clients pay a specified amount each month. In return they take care of all the burial arrangements. Beyond these is the very old section where the dead used to be placed in the ground and left permanently. According to the law, these burial places had to be five feet deep. Now, however, because of lack of space, these remains are being removed and placed in community graves.

Space economy here has also developed another procedure. The dead are being removed from the tomb after a period of from two to ten years (ten years if death was by contagious disease, and two years if for any other cause). They are reduced to bones or to ashes and then placed in urns that are stored in niches built for the purpose. These secondary burials may be individual as is generally the case here in eastern South America, or collective as in the pre-Christian burial mounds of Europe where all the deceased of a tribe may be involved.

Monuments of marble, granite and other ornamental stone abound. Here and there a single tomb may be noted, but often it is a family tomb. In some family tombs in Montevideo steps lead down to a room under the monument where a place is prepared for each member of the family. To visit these, notice must be given in advance and the caretaker will have the tomb open.

The idea of the family tomb is by no means new. They were in use in ancient Rome, and ruins of some of them may still be seen along the Appian Way. The inhabitants of Palestine in patriarchal times also had family sepulchers, utilizing a natural cave perhaps, or man-made caverns cut in the solid rock.

The Wall Tombs

Something else again are the wall tombs. Some of them, built entirely inside the cemetery, may be from two to ten deposits high. It is rather odd to look up and think that there are many, many dead in cement tombs high up in the air; though it proves to be a very practical way of solving the space problem. Ornamental plants around the base of these structures help to relieve the monotony of the cement.

Another type of wall tomb is what is known as the tubulares or tubes, so called from the way they are constructed. Cement tubes are built up row on row along the cemetery driveway, with open ends facing the driveway. They are set in earth, connected to one another by vents with a gas-escape tube at the end of each row. When the remains have been deposited in one of the tubes it is immediately sealed off by cementing a simple facing over the hole. The family may later wish to put a special plaque on top.

Mutual burial societies help in cemetery space conservation. Tombs in their walls reach up to the roof on the outside of the building and to the ceiling on the inside. We visited one, the Casa Galicia, a beautiful modern building. White marble burial walls cover two sides, and in front is an open patio with a pool and growing plants. Elevators take one down to many floors underground, where, it is said, they have room for half a million dead, including those in the urn section.

But here it is time for tea, and as I follow my hostess I note a most encouraging inscription on one building. It says: “DESPERTAD Y CANTAD LOS QUE YACEN EN EL POLVO PORQUE ROCIO DE LUZ ES SU ROCIO Y LA TIERRA DEVOLVERA LOS MUERTOS.” Literally translated in English this means: “Awake and sing those who repose in the dust, because dew of light is your dew and the earth will give up the dead.”​—See Isaiah 26:19.

Teatime

My hostess had climbed a little knoll and set down the tea basket under an old ombu tree. To her, tea was really maté, served hot and sipped from a gourd cup through a bombilla, a metal tube with a strainer at one end. It is most refreshing and inexpensive. As she spread the neat luncheon cloth on the ground between us and began unwrapping little cakes and other items, I noted only one maté and one bombilla. Would she expect me to share hers as is the custom here?

As if in answer to my thoughts, out of the basket came a cup and saucer. Perhaps there was a look of relief on my face, for she laughed and said: “I knew you would prefer tea, so I brought this for you.” My heart warmed toward her. Not just because of the tea, but because it was so typical of that lovely Uruguayan hospitality. They are so thoughtful in the smallest of details! I lost no time in showing appreciation for a delicious cup of tea.

As my cup was refilled and the last of the little cakes had disappeared, I asked: “Is it true that the dead from the German battleship, the Graf Spee, are buried here in this North Cemetery? I remembered the excitement of those times when the famous “pocket battleship” was cornered by three British warships in this area back in 1939. Thinking that British reinforcements had arrived and rather than risk capture of the battleship, the Germans scuttled their own ship.

“Yes, it is true,” my friend answered, and then went on to explain. In a plot of ground enclosed by evergreens there are the graves of the Graf Spee’s dead. A mound of dirt covers each one, with a simple marker at the head of each. They are kept up by local German people. No flowers are allowed, but each grave is clothed with an evergreen creeper, commonly called the grape vine.

But now it is time to go. We shall have to visit the Graf Spee burial spot another time, and also the crematorium, where, at times, the dead lie in line waiting their turn, just as the living outside wait their turn for so many things.

Cremation is quite common in Uruguay. In Montevideo it is free and has no special significance. A written statement before one’s death is usually requested, though such is not indispensable. As a practical means of disposing of the dead and at the same time conserving space, we had seen the evidences that cremation makes sense.

As we depart now, we cannot but remember Jehovah’s reassuring promise to bring the dead back to life, those of them who, in his merciful view, are in line for such a gift. Imagine the hundreds of thousands of these dead ones in this one cemetery who will yet stand up and who will then live as long as they obey their Restorer to life! No doubt they would enjoy having tea in the cemetery just as we did. How wonderful it is to be alive!

Fingerprinting

● To date the fingerprints of no two persons have ever been found to be exactly the same.

“Your Word Is Truth”

‘No Other Gods’

SHORTLY after Jehovah God brought the people of Israel out of Egyptian bondage he gave them the Ten Commandments. The first of these reads: “You must not have any other gods against my face.”​—Ex. 20:3.

What is the import of this commandment? As the footnote of the 1963 edition of the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures shows, it means not having any “gods in defiance of me.” That is, Jehovah’s people were not to have any other gods as rivals to Jehovah God.

Jehovah’s people were to worship only him, for he alone was their Maker. As the psalmist so well noted: “Serve Jehovah with rejoicing. . . . Know that Jehovah is God. It is he that has made us, and not we ourselves”​—nor any other god. (Ps. 100:2, 3) Since Jehovah was their Maker, they all belonged to him, and he had the right to require them to worship him and him alone. Moreover, as “God Almighty” and “the Most High” he is “the Sovereign Lord, Jehovah of armies.” For this reason also Jehovah God was entitled to the sole worship of his people Israel.​—Gen. 17:1; Ps. 83:18; Jer. 50:25.

Especially was the nation of Israel under obligation to worship only Jehovah God, for he and none other had delivered them from Egyptian slavery and given them nationhood. As he himself stated in what might be termed the preamble of the Decalogue: “I am Jehovah your God, who have brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slaves.”​—Ex. 20:2.

Jehovah God gave Israel the First Commandment not only because he was entitled to their sole worship, but also for their own protection and blessing. But Israel did not faithfully observe this commandment. Time and again they turned to worshiping other gods. So often, in fact, did they turn away from serving only Jehovah God that his long-suffering with them at last reached its limit. He permitted them to go into captivity and their land to be desolated for seventy years.​—2 Chron. 36:15, 16, 20, 21.

Some five and a half centuries after they returned to their homeland Jesus Christ the Son of God came to the nation of Israel. He brought a new commandment to his followers: “I am giving you a new commandment, that you love one another; just as I have loved you, that you also love one another.”​—John 13:34.

Does that mean that Christ’s followers are not bound by the First Commandment? That is true. It is part of the Law covenant that God made with the nation of Israel, and Christians “are not under law but under undeserved kindness.” (Rom. 6:14) However, its underlying principle and the truths on which it is based do apply to them. For Christians, Jehovah God is also their Maker, the Almighty One, the Most High, the Sovereign Lord, Jehovah of armies and their Deliverer. What the nation of Israel could say of Jehovah God, Christians can also say of him: “Jehovah is our Judge, Jehovah is our Statute-giver, Jehovah is our King; he himself will save us.” So they too must worship only Jehovah God.​—Isa. 33:22.

It is even as the apostle Paul made clear: “I say that the things which the nations sacrifice they sacrifice to demons, and not to God; and I do not want you to become sharers with the demons. You cannot be . . . partaking of ‘the table of Jehovah’ and the table of demons. Or ‘are we inciting Jehovah to jealousy’? We are not stronger than he is, are we?”​—1 Cor. 10:20-22.

From the words of Paul we can see that the early Christians had to separate themselves from all worship of pagan deities. They felt as Paul when he wrote: “For even though there are those who are called ‘gods,’ whether in heaven or on earth, just as there are many ‘gods’ and many ‘lords,’ there is actually to us one God the Father, out of whom all things are, and we for him; and there is one Lord, Jesus Christ.”​—1 Cor. 8:5, 6.

It might be said that Adam himself was the first human willfully to violate the underlying principle of the First Commandment. When he listened to the voice of his wife and ate of the forbidden fruit in violation of God’s command he was putting her above God and so, in effect, was ‘venerating and rendering sacred service to her rather than to his Creator.’ So today, any time men let themselves be influenced by the pressures or temptations presented by others or by their own fallen inclinations to go contrary to God’s requirements, they are guilty of violating the principle of the First Commandment.​—Rom. 1:25; Gen. 3:6, 7, 17.

Many others, again, are guilty of this by making material riches their god. They love money and put their trust in it instead of loving and trusting Jehovah God. They show this by neglecting the study of God’s Word, by failing to associate with God’s people and by their not sharing in making known his name and kingdom. And to the extent that dedicated Christian ministers allow materialistic interests to interfere unduly with their worship of Jehovah, they also are violating the principle of the First Commandment. Succumbing to the love of money, they are ‘led astray from the faith and suffer many pains.’​—1 Tim. 6:10.

Still others neglect the worship of Jehovah God for the sake of pleasurable excitement, making it their god instead of Jehovah. They evince a consuming interest in sports, or become gambling addicts, or engage in risky pastimes, endangering their lives, all to satisfy their craving for pleasurable excitement, for thrills. They are not among those who are happy because of being conscious of their spiritual need.’ They show what comes first in their lives by being “lovers of pleasures rather than lovers of God.”​—Matt. 5:3; 2 Tim. 3:4.

And perhaps never before have so many persons made a god out of sensual gratification, or “loose conduct” as it is called in the Scriptures. Since all loose conduct is strongly condemned by God’s Word, those who make a practice of it might be said to have raised it up in defiance of the true God Jehovah. Because the worship of Jehovah God includes the fear of displeasing him, it follows that all who indulge in such practices are not worshiping God in an acceptable manner. They may read their Bibles, go to church on Sundays and profess to be Christians, but none such will “inherit God’s kingdom.”​—Gal. 5:19-21; 1 Cor. 6:9, 10; Prov. 8:13.

Truly the First Commandment is full of meaning for Christians. Its underlying principle and the fundamental truths on which it is based do apply to them. To be pleasing to Jehovah God, to gain everlasting life, they must make its principle the governing factor in their lives. They may not let anyone or anything come between them and their God Jehovah. At all times God’s worship and service must come first in their lives.

Watching the World

The World at War

◆ Depending on how you count wars, at least 30 conflicts worth calling a war are in progress today, said Col. R. D. Heinl, Jr. And there have been more than 50 significant international clashes since 1945, but so far the hypothetical “Third World War” has not happened. Today, men are fighting another kind of war​—guerrilla war, insurgency, revolutionary war, “war of national liberation,” as the former Russian ruler N. Khrushchev called it. This, said Col. Heinl, is probably the most significant politico-military phenomenon of our century. The French simply call it “Modern War.” Out of some 250 recorded instances of revolutionary insurgency since the dawn of history, nearly a hundred have occurred in this century, two thirds of them since the end of World War II. What must be admitted, said Heinl, is that there is no peace in our time.

In Search of Food

◆ A published report from Brasília tells of thousands of starving peasants invading towns, breaking into stores and private homes in search of food. About 200,000 people have been stricken by a drought that has swept northeastern Brazil. The hungry people have left their homes in search of food. Six freight trains were robbed of all food supplies the latter part of May in the area around the city of Fortaleza. Banks and businesses in many interior towns have closed their doors in fear. One thousand five hundred tons of food have been flown into the drought area, but starvation still threatens many.

Sex Problems and Celibacy

◆ A published report from San Francisco, California, said that a study of 280 Roman Catholic nuns and priests under psychiatric care revealed significant sexual maladjustment, possibly due to the stress from vows of celibacy. Dr. Robert J. McAllister reported in May that 75 percent of 80 outpatient nuns and priests studied “were involved in conflictive sexual behaviors”​—including chronic masturbation, sexual relations with members of the opposite sex and homosexual activity. Of 200 studied in hospitals, he said, 36 percent were involved in similar sexual behavior. Homosexual behavior was the most frequent maladjustment, with 17 percent of the hospitalized priests and 12 percent of the hospitalized nuns having histories of homosexual behavior as well as 28 percent of the outpatient priests and 28 percent of the outpatient nuns.

Change or Die

◆ Former Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson of Canada, calling for drastic reforms, said that the United Nations must change its ways or die. He specifically advocated reviving proposals for a United Nations military force to carry out Security Council orders in peace enforcement​—proposals that were quietly shelved some twenty-two years ago. With Secretary-General U Thant at his side, Pearson quoted the warning that Thant made about a year ago: “The United Nations has ten years to become effective or disappear.”

Salt in Baby’s Diet

◆ In man or in rats, there is no sure way to identify early in life those individuals genetically prone to high blood pressure, according to Dr. Lewis K. Dahl of the Brookhaven National Laboratory in Upton, New York. But Dr. Dahl observed: “One sure way to spur the development of hypertension is to feed genetically prone individuals a high salt diet.” Conversely, “one way to avoid it is to avoid foods with a high salt content.” Dr. Dahl reported his findings on rats. He fed 25 genetically prone rats an exclusive diet of commercial baby foods. All developed hypertension within eight months; 12 died. On the other hand, 15 rats from the same strain, fed a low-salt diet, failed to develop hypertension. Apparently feeding a salt-containing diet aggravates the problem.

“Man’s Great Tragedy”​—Rivalry

◆ Evidence of man’s failure to benefit all men is everywhere. The specter of war haunts him. Overpopulation, poverty and pollution are reminders of his failure. Dr. Hugh L. Keenleyside, chancellor of Notre Dame University, Nelson, British Columbia, and former chief of the United Nations technical assistance administration, said man’s greatest tragedy is that he based his society on competitive rivalry rather than cooperative association. “All governments of the world together spend less money in seeking peace through the United Nations than New York city spends on its unsuccessful efforts to dispose of its garbage,” he said.

Police Protest

◆ The city of Stockholm, Sweden, was described as wide open early in June, when policemen staged a protest against the government for refusing to discuss their demands for better salaries and working hours. Since it is illegal for policemen to strike, they decided to resort to such tactics as refusing voluntary overtime duty and reporting sick. With the police off the streets, a band of 150 looters in a fleet of 50 cars reportedly rampaged through Stockholm on June 7. Gangs smashed and looted a gas station, a liquor store and an amusement park.

Church Business

◆ Former Commissioner of Internal Revenue Mortimer M. Caplin, in testimony before the United States House Ways and Means Committee last year, said: “A number of churches have entered into active and aggressive commercial endeavors. One, for example, has become a wholesale distributor of popular phonograph records. Another has acquired at least seven sportswear-and-clothing-manufacturing businesses. A third manufactures mobile homes and operates a drilling business. Others conduct real-estate-development businesses, provide petroleum storage facilities and carry on a broad variety of manufacturing enterprises.” Churches engage in a dazzling variety of activities, ranging from the manufacture of wine to a Baptist skating rink, gym and bowling alley. Their business ownership includes electronics firms, a girdle company, supermarket supplies, schools, hotels, clothing, insurance, funeral homes and cemeteries. Does all of that sound like the Lord’s business​—the course and example laid down by Jesus Christ and his apostles?

No. 2 Killer

◆ Venereal disease was once looked upon as a problem under control and on the way toward elimination. But today, VD is in near-epidemic proportions in America. Reported cases of syphilis and gonorrhea increased by more than 10 percent last year to a shocking total of 529,575. And authorities estimate fewer than one third of the actual cases are reported to public health offices. Syphilis now ranks as the No. 2 killer among communicable diseases.

High Cost of Living

◆ For about twelve years the United States has enjoyed an almost uninterrupted boom. Money was, for the most part, easy to get, and people got a bit careless about their money-spending habits. Now the money squeeze is on. Old-fashioned thrift has to be practiced once again, but how? It might mean getting rid of a car or moving into a cheaper house. It may mean canceling charge accounts, destroying credit cards and living as much as possible on a cash basis. It may pay to plant a vegetable garden, give up precooked foods and take instruction on do-it-yourself repairs. Perhaps a letter with a 6-cent stamp will serve just as well as a long-distance call. Millions of dollars are spent on candy, soda pop and pizza, which one can do well without. When the children want to go to the movies or bowling, suggest a walk in the park or a trip to the zoo. Make some of your family clothing and drapes yourself. If the electric bill is over the budget, perhaps the television set can be turned off at 9 o’clock for thirty days and family members can brush their teeth manually. A little saving here and there can make a big difference without noticeably reducing your standard of living.

“Music” Can Harm Eardrums

◆ The British medical magazine, The Lancet, stated that two hours of discotheque music can adversely affect one’s hearing. Too much noise can add to and speed up normal hearing loss caused by aging, the magazine said.

Cost of Drug Addiction

◆ The heroin habit is said to be costing drug addicts $1,000,000 a day in Washington, D.C., alone. In turn, a tidal wave of robberies, burglaries and larcenies is forcing merchants to raise food prices as much as 10 percent and doctors to station armed guards in their of offices. Dr. Roger C. Smith, former director of San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury Clinic, determined that the cost of heroin for 35 of his patients exceeded $2,300 daily. Since stolen goods bring only a fraction of their value, these 35 addicts alone had to steal some $10,000 worth of property every day. The Johns Hopkins Hospital Drug Abuse Center estimates that with the average addict stealing $50,000 in merchandise in Baltimore, addicts there account for $500,000,000 in theft each year. At that rate New York’s 100,000 addicts may be stealing $5,000,000,000 a year. Said one former $100-a-day addict: “I slept three to four hours a night; the rest of the time I was hustling. . . . It’s a 24-hour commitment.” The ones who steal are wrong, but what about the people who buy goods that they know or suspect to be stolen? They must share the blame.

Court Backs Draft Exemption

◆ Who are entitled to draft exemption? The Supreme Court of the United States ruled on June 15 that men who have conscientious scruples against all war based on moral and ethical reasons are entitled to draft exemptions. The new interpretation of the Selective Service law by the High Court’s 5-to-3 decision exempts from military service “all those whose consciences, spurred by deeply held moral, ethical, or religious beliefs, would give them no rest or peace if they allowed themselves to become a part of an instrument of war.” Considerations of policy, pragmatism or expediency would be no bases for exemption, the Court ruled.

“Living on Borrowed Time”

◆ Can man last out the century? Scientists seriously doubt it. “It may already be too late,” said Dr. Paul R. Ehrlich, outspoken ecology expert, to do anything about saving mankind. Dr. Albert Szent-Gyorgyi, biologist and Nobel laureate, declared: “At present, we are on the road to extermination.” “We are spewing out toxic materials far more rapidly than other people on the earth,” said zoologist Wayne Davis, “and when civilization collapses on this earth, as it’s going to do within the decade, it’s going to hit the U.S. first.” “We’re living on borrowed time now,” was his conclusion.

“Domestic Agony”

◆ A domestic crisis exists in the United States. In 1968 Richard Nixon at the climax of his presidential campaign adopted the slogan, “Bring Us Together.” Now, a year and a half later, says a news report from Washington, D.C., “Americans are so torn apart, so savage toward each other, that the president and Mrs. Nixon, obviously for safety reasons, were prevailed on to cancel trips around the country.” “The country,” said Mayor Lindsay of New York, “is virtually on the edge of a spiritual​—and perhaps even a physical—​breakdown.” Historian Arnold Toynbee commented: “The American people seem to be moving rapidly towards civil war: middle-aged noncombatants against young men subject to the draft; the affluent against the poor; white against black, students against the National Guard . . . The decision on the American home-front is going to decide the fate of the world, and the rest of us can do nothing about it. We have no say, but we, too, are going to be victims of America’s domestic agony.”

“Get Out from Among Them”

Your life is at stake. That is why the Bible warns you to “get out from among them.” (2 Cor. 6:17) But about whom does God’s Word so speak? “Babylon the Great.”​—Rev. 18:4.

Your destiny depends on identifying “Babylon the Great” and then fleeing for your life! Learn the revealing facts in the book “Babylon the Great Has Fallen!” God’s Kingdom Rules! It is only 75c.

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Get to Know Your Bible

A NEW BIBLE TRANSLATION TO HELP YOU!

Read The Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures and increase your understanding of God’s Word. Note the sample page portion below from 2 Timothy 3:1-4:

With this word-for-word translation of the Greek text you can easily get the sense of the original language of the Greek “New Testament.” A modern-English rendering is provided in the right-hand column. A copy will be mailed to you postpaid for $2.

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