September 8

Romantic Love​—the Door to Happy Marriage?

MARRIAGE can bring with it ever so many satisfying rewards and much happiness. Generally, single persons, young and not so young, look forward to happiness in marriage. As one of the founding fathers of the United States once expressed it: “The happiness of the domestic fireside is the first favor of heaven.” While it may not be the first favor from heaven, certainly it is one of heaven’s favors, and to the Creator goes our gratitude for making it possible.

But ever so often marriage does not result in such happiness. Especially is this the case with teen-agers. Half of their marriages in the United States end in divorce. Nor does that statistic tell the whole, sad story. If half of them break up legally, how many others end in separation, or are tolerated because separation would only make matters worse? The fact that about half of the teen-age brides are pregnant when they get married further underscores how slight are the chances for happiness for many of them!

That Wonderful Feeling!

Why do so many marriages fail to bring happiness? No doubt in many instances it is because the wedded pair had banked too much on romantic love. In other words, in their coming together the power of sex attraction played the dominating role. No question about it, falling in love or being in love can be a very pleasurable feeling.

However, regarding romantic love one dictionary tells us that it “implies emotion that has little relation to things as they actually are, but is derived more from one’s imagination of what they should be ideally or from one’s conception of them as formed by literature, art, dreams or the like.”

Romantic love, being based on the attraction that members of the opposite sex have for each other, may be said to be a chemical reaction; that is, due to the power of the sex hormones. But genuine happiness involves far more than a chemical reaction.

The Creator implanted in the sexes a strong hunger for each other so that the human race might keep on being fruitful and becoming many. He also counsels man to exercise self-control in regard to it. Romantic love can be the door to happy marriage only if it is kept in its place.​—Gen. 1:28.

Invites Frustrations

Among the problems that can arise from romantic love is that it invites frustrations. How so? Because romantic love causes young folks to have unrealistic expectations, such as that of an emotional paradise where their every wish and desire are gratified. It often causes them to think that all their problems resulting from poor judgment, lack of self-control, and so forth, will be solved by being happily married. But more likely than not, marriage will multiply those problems.

Romantic love causes young folks to expect too much. And when they find that they are not realizing their ideal they tend to view their marriage as a failure. However, humans do not have perfect personalities. They cannot exercise perfect judgment, so how can they expect a perfect marriage?

Romantic love, being made to seem so desirable, at times tempts young folks to be dishonest, further leading to frustration. The young woman may resort to ever so many devices, such as saying what she knows he wants to hear instead of what she actually thinks. And, not content with hair dyeing and makeup, she may also resort to extra padding to give her an appealing figure. On the other hand, the young man may be saddled with debt and not let her know, or he may claim to be earning more than he actually is earning.

Youth tends to overlook the fact that romantic love is not necessarily true affection. In fact, it is more likely to be selfish than unselfish, although the individual may not be aware of it himself, for the human “heart is deceitful above all things.” (Jer. 17:9, Revised Standard Version) Romantic love often does not lead to happy marriage; on the other hand, a happy marriage is entirely possible without romantic love. Romantic love might be likened to the dessert of a meal. While one may have a sweet tooth, it would be foolish to order meals just on the basis of the dessert that went with them, or to try to live on desserts alone. Bodily health requires more substantial fare. And so also for emotional well-being in marriage, more is required than romantic love.

The Pitfall of Infatuation

Another reason why romantic love may not necessarily be the door to happy marriage is that it can easily masquerade as sincere affection when it is really infatuation. What is the difference? Infatuation is defined as “strong and unreasoning attachment, especially to something unworthy of attachment.”

Infatuation generally is based on strong physical attraction, to the disregard of other essential factors. For example, King David might be said to have become infatuated with Bath-sheba because, as the record says, “the woman was very good in appearance.” But it was an infatuation, for he did not take into consideration that she belonged to another man, being the wife of Uriah, one of King David’s most able warriors, and that he was causing her to commit adultery. Neither did he take into account the bad consequences that might follow, and which, in this case did, much to David’s great sorrow and regret.​—2 Sam. 11:1–12:23.

That romantic love can lead to the pitfall of infatuation the following true-life story well illustrates. The young lady was pretty and popular. She was a dedicated Christian serving in an underdeveloped country, far from her native land. A certain capable and promising young man who was a fellow believer was very much interested in her, but she turned him a deaf ear. Why? Because he apparently lacked glamour. She was waiting for someone to ‘sweep her off her feet,’ as she put it.

One day she met a seemingly gallant native who did sweep her off her feet. He professed interest in her religion but was not a man of Christian principles. One indiscretion led to another, and before long she found herself pregnant by a man who had no intention of marrying her. The scandal resulted in her being excommunicated from her Christian community. Repenting, she was restored in due time to good standing, and today she is married to a mature Christian and is the mother of several children. But what a hard way to learn that romantic love can lead to the pitfall of infatuation and that it of itself is not a certain door to a happy marriage!

Yes, infatuation thinks only of the pleasures of the present or immediate future. It is extremely shortsighted. It has been described as ‘haste to mate,’ and at best is only temporary. True affection is not shortsighted. It takes a long-range view of matters and is willing to deny itself lesser things today so that it might have greater, better things tomorrow.

There is a saying that ‘love is blind.’ But love that is guided by principle is not blind. It has eyes to see qualities and possibilities that others do not see. It is not even blind to faults, otherwise the Scriptures would not say that “love covers a multitude of sins.” (1 Pet. 4:8) To cover them over, love must be aware of them. It is infatuation that is blind. It sees only what it wants to see, and so attributes virtues to one lacking in virtue and unselfishness to one that is selfish.

Another mark of infatuation is that it is prone to ignore the counsel or wishes of others. A person with true affection is willing to listen to others and to profit by their judgment and counsel. Thus statistics tell that where parents approve of a marriage there is a far greater likelihood of happiness in marriage than where they disapprove. The same is true of close friends.

Head as Well as Heart Needed

In countries such as the United States where romantic love plays the dominating role in choice of mates, one out of four marriages ends in divorce. Concerning romantic love, psychologist Dr. J. Brothers once stated: “Romantic love is a fraud. . . . It is a fraud because it is temporary. No one stays in love; not in the romantic sense where you feel electrified when you are near him, and limp and anxious when he’s away . . . The only absolute necessity is basic common sense.”

And writing in a similar vein is Dr. Hines, professor of sociology, in his book, So You’re Thinking of Marriage: “In facing the problem of finding a mate it is quite important that young people minimize as much as they can their romanticism. It is utter nonsense to suppose that somewhere in the world there is the one perfect mate. Any normal man can find, with suitable search, many a person capable of mutual adjustment with him in a happy and satisfying marriage. Young persons should realize that for thousands of years it has been customary for marriages to be arranged by parents or marriage brokers.”

In this regard consider the people of Japan. Of them McCall’s, for November 1966, says: “The Japanese, who do not put much faith in romantic love, think that affection grows after marriage and needn’t exist before then, and that children . . . strengthen the bond between husband and wife. Are the Japanese women happy with their lives? Many are content, for the emotional and cultural satisfactions they enjoy are considerable . . . A Japanese marriage is cooler and less exciting, but it is more likely to endure​—whether by necessity or by choice.”

Another report paints a similar picture in regard to Germany: “Romantic ideas are less prevalent in this country than such basic issues as income, compatibility, faithfulness, reliability and responsibility to each other.” There upward of 260 marriage bureaus operate; these account for one out of ten marriages. Many periodicals also carry advertisements of those looking for a mate, a typical one of which reads: “I am 25 years old, 5 feet, 8 inches tall and a professional model. But I do not like Casanovas and I am interested in serious things. My desire in life is to be someone’s loving wife, not a toy. . . . If this is what you want from life, then write to me.”​—Newsweek, March 29, 1965.

In contrast is the United States, concerning whose preoccupation with romantic love anthropologist Ralph Linton once stated: “All societies recognize that there are occasional violent attachments between persons of the opposite sex, but our present American culture is the only one which has attempted to capitalize these and make them the basis for marriage.” That the approach and not necessarily the people are at fault can be seen from the results of the Scientific Marriage Foundation. It has been instrumental in bringing about 10,000 marriages, and the divorce rate of these is only 1/10th of 1 percent. Well has one of America’s leading historians observed that for many Americans they would perhaps do “better to concentrate on the deflation of undue expectations, the recovery of discipline and the recognition that romantic love, while the most beautiful of human experiences, is not a divinely guaranteed way of life.”

The Bible’s Position

The Word of God, the Bible, does not condemn romantic love in itself. In fact, it tells us of a most beautiful instance of romantic love, that of 77-year-old Jacob for the beautiful maiden Rachel, “beautiful in form and beautiful of countenance.” He fell in love with her and his love was such that the seven years that he served her father Laban for her ‘in his eyes proved to be like some few days.’​—Gen. 29:11-20.

But at the same time God’s Word warns against idolatry, and romantic love can easily result in the idolizing of a creature if it is not controlled. Then again, under the spell of romantic love or physical attraction young persons tend to minimize the more important mental and spiritual qualifications. If a person is serious about his serving his Maker, Jehovah God, then he should make certain that the person he is contemplating to take as his life partner is just as serious about serving Jehovah God. In particular should a Christian not consider for a moment getting emotionally involved with a nonbeliever, however romantic and charming that one might appear to be. Plainly the inspired apostle Paul commands: “Do not become unevenly yoked with unbelievers.” Marry “only in the Lord.”​—2 Cor. 6:14; 1 Cor. 7:39.

Listening to the Word of God will spare you the disillusionments, the disappointments, the frustrations that so often result from romantic love. It helps us to understand that romantic love is not to be viewed as the supreme bliss for human creatures. More than that, it also shows that marriage is bound to bring with it trials and problems. Tempering youth’s idealism and enthusiasm for marital bliss are the sobering words of the apostle Paul that those who marry “will have tribulation in their flesh.” (1 Cor. 7:28) A keen observer of human nature once said: “Someone is responsible for foisting on our world the fantastic notion that marriage is easy.”

Romantic love can be something beautiful and may be the door to a happy marriage. But unless it is accompanied with reason, self-control and good judgment, it is far more likely to be the door to unhappiness. It might therefore be said that even without romantic love, such qualities as reason, self-control and good judgment are more likely to result in happiness than is romantic love without these substantial virtues. So do not overrate romantic love. It may not be the door to happy marriage, and it certainly is not the only door to happiness in marriage.

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Under the spell of romantic love, young persons tend to minimize the vital mental and spiritual qualifications

Appreciation for Bible Training by Parents

A YOUNG witness of Jehovah in Elwood, Indiana, greatly appreciated the Bible training she got from her parents. She tells why:

“When I was five years old, my parents began to study the Bible with me. At first I enjoyed it very much. But when I reached my early teens I began developing a rebellious attitude. For example, during the meetings at the Kingdom Hall I would sit with other children, look at the ceiling, pass notes and whisper. At this point my parents had me sit with them. Also they never gave up our family Bible study. Even though I would arrange other activities on the night of our study, they would always reschedule it so that our Bible study was held weekly.

“My parents zealously taught me the Bible’s basic truths in firmness and with love. In time they saw me outgrow my rebellious attitude and begin to show appreciation for Jehovah’s goodness. Today I am seventeen years old and I spend as much time as possible preaching Jehovah’s good news. I look forward to a life as a full-time preacher. All this because of my parents’ patient and loving training.

“I hope and pray that Jehovah God will forget my rebellious years. During all that time I knew deep down within me that my parents were right. So I would like to encourage all parents to continue their family Bible study with their children under all conditions, especially during rebellious years. This is when children need their parents most. Then one day they will hear their children say, ‘I am so thankful that my family regularly had a Bible study with me!’”

The Cost of Military Preparedness

CUT in a stone wall flanking the Plaza of the United Nations is a Bible quotation. Taken from Isaiah chapter 2, it reads: “They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.”​—Authorized Version.

Yet, the highest single appropriation in the budgets of most countries today is military spending. So while the nations talk about peace, they spend more for war than for any other item!

The Cost

In the past six years more than a trillion dollars ($1,000,000,000,000) was spent for military preparedness. In 1969 the cost was the highest ever. Some $200 billion ($200,000,000,000) was spent. That is about twenty-three million dollars for every hour of every day throughout the whole year!

The cost to the United States last year was enormous​—about $80,000,000,000. Adding payments to veterans of other wars, interest on the national debt (caused mainly by previous military spending) and arms shipments to other countries, the total came to well over $100,000,000,000. Over 55 percent of all spending was related to war! That is more than the combined cost of programs such as education, health, housing, space, agriculture, highways, welfare, retirement and unemployment.

The Soviet Union’s budget is also heavily weighted toward military spending. And the military spending of the poorer countries is increasing about twice as fast as the world average. While their living standard stagnates, the money they spend on armaments skyrockets. Of this the New York Times said:

“Throughout the emerging nations, in Asia, Africa and Latin America, the poor man’s arms race is gathering speed. For reasons of prestige and defense, so-called underdeveloped countries are buying everything from pistols to the most advanced and costly fighter-bombers, missiles, tanks, radar systems, even submarines. . . .

“Military expenditures of the underdeveloped countries are rising faster than their gross national products, a fact that means that a growing share of their slender resources is being diverted to weaponry.

“Interviews with practitioners and scholarly analysts of the trade suggest that the arms race is virtually out of control.”

Egypt now spends, according to its president Gamal Abdel Nasser, well over a thousand million dollars a year on military preparedness​—an expense that it can ill afford. And it is estimated that the Israeli government is spending fully half of its money for the same reason. Said Newsweek: “For tiny Israel these and all the other costs imposed by the escalating Middle East hostilities are very nearly ruinous.”

Much Waste

Members of the United States Congress have attacked many weapons programs as being badly managed and wasteful. For example, the Air Force had been working on a manned orbiting space laboratory. Then the program was canceled. But $1,300,000,000 had already been spent!

A heavy tank program under development was supposed to cost 80 million dollars; it has already exceeded 300 million and is not out of the development stage. Twelve new submarine rescue ships were to cost 36.5 million dollars; now only six will cost 480 million. The F-111 fighter-bomber program was to cost $2,924,000,000; but now the Defense Department admits it will cost $6,260,000,000. A new line of torpedoes was to cost 752 million dollars; but now it will actually cost five times as much!

There is a constant cry for newer and more powerful weapons, making the older ones obsolete. The latest nuclear missiles of the Soviet Union and the United States can wipe out both countries several times over. Yet, they both work to improve their missiles to carry several nuclear warheads instead of one. Professor George Wald of Harvard University, a Nobel Prize winner, said:

“We are told that the U.S. and Russia between them have stockpiles in nuclear weapons with approximately the explosive power of 15 tons of TNT for every man, woman and child on earth. And now it is suggested that we must make more.”

What Could Be Done?

With so much to be done on earth, it is tragic that such a huge part of the world’s wealth is spent for unproductive armaments. What could be done if the nations lived in harmony and used all that money and energy for mankind’s good?

If that were possible, the world’s military budget for last year could have built twenty million homes costing $10,000 each. These would be luxurious in most countries. That many homes would have housed more than the population increase for the year. Think of the work that this would have provided to take up any slack caused by shutting down of armaments plants.

There are many unemployed persons without job skills, even in the United States. There it costs about $2,900 to train an unskilled person for a job. That cost often includes medical attention, transportation and care for dependent children. For a fraction of its yearly arms bill, all the ‘hard-core’ unemployed in the country could have been given job training. Such training would make a person useful, a productive member of society.

The money the world spent on military preparedness last year could have built 200,000 schools costing a million dollars apiece, more than adequate in most countries. Better schools would enable classes to be smaller so teachers could give children more individual attention.

Thousands of scientists spend their time working on weapons of destruction. What could they do if they used their talents to invent ways to overcome pollution? Too, with all that money, how many acres of land could be reclaimed to grow crops to feed the world’s hungry? Farmers could be given training and equipment to improve their crops. Outdoor recreation areas and parks could be vastly expanded. Decent health care could be provided for many more people.

But the truth is that all this is not being done. And there is no indication whatsoever that it will be done in this system of things. Indeed, Atlas magazine of April 1970 reported:

“Horror report straight from the U.N.: At the end of the 1960’s there were more sick, more undernourished and more uneducated children in the world than there were ten years ago. The future? Fifty percent of those who live will never set foot in a classroom.”

Alienation of Public

Growing numbers of people are becoming angered at the constant military spending of the nations when so much else needs to be done. In late 1969 a huge demonstration against war was held in Washington, D.C. Some estimates placed the crowds at between 250,000 and 500,000. Called the ‘March on Washington,’ it was the largest antiwar protest the nation’s capital had ever seen.

Many young men now find military service repugnant instead of heroic as it was considered in past times. U.S. News & World Report noted: “The military establishment, chiefly the Army, is now beset by cases of mutiny, disobedience, racial strife, desertion and an ever-increasing number of absences without leave.” It stated that “there has never been anything quite like it in American history.” Thousands of young men have fled the country rather than be conscripted.

General Earle Wheeler, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the time, noted the growing hostility of the public toward the ‘military-industrial complex’ and said that if the attitude did not change “it is going to lead to chaos​—to disintegration of the [military] services.”

Just how alienated many have become can be observed from the following stinging editorial in the Eagle Rock Sentinel of Los Angeles. It declared:

“The stark, incontestable truth is that all powerful nations on earth, including our own, are clandestinely committed to promoting wars and providing the material sinews for fighting them. At the same time these nations maintain a deceptive image as lovers of peace and officially mouth platitudes about morality and freedom. . . .

“War is big business, perhaps the biggest business in the world. It could be stopped if the big powers wanted to stop it. They are unlikely to do this when material gains are at stake.”

How Much Security?

Does the armaments race really buy security for the nations of this world? Commenting on the huge cost of military spending, the New York Times of March 31, 1970, said: “This is insane. The proliferation of arms in the name of security actually reduces everyone’s security by raising the danger of conflict.”

The Province of Vancouver, after observing that military spending was the costliest item in Canada’s budget, said:

“What good did it do us as a nation? Did it reduce the possibilities of Canada being attacked by an unfriendly nation? Not at all. Nothing in our national armories could stand off a modern attack long enough for our leader to make a farewell speech. . . . It would be funny​—if it were not so expensive.”

According to the Norwegian Academy of Sciences, there have been 1,656 arms races since the year 650 B.C.E. It said that only sixteen of them did not end in war, adding: “The remainder ended in the economic collapse of the countries concerned.” How true this pattern has been of our twentieth century! It has seen the greatest arms race in history. It has also seen the most wars, the worst wars, and the worst economic depression ever.

What of the near future? U Thant, secretary-general of the United Nations, said: “I can only conclude from the information that is available to me as Secretary General that the members of the United Nations have perhaps 10 years left in which to subordinate their ancient quarrels and launch a global partnership to curb the arms race, to improve the human environment, to defuse the population explosion and to supply the required momentum to world development efforts.”

A New System Needed

Obviously a very bad situation exists in the world. Surely a new system is needed. The publication World Union of The Hague, Netherlands, stated: “It is now unquestionable that a world government, recognized and accepted as a higher political authority than national governments, must be established as soon as possible.”

But can another system of men work any better than those that have been tried? Where are the leaders who can make it work better? All kinds of men and governments have been tried. History testifies to the fact that all of them have failed to bring universal peace and disarmament.

Yet, there is a government that will without fail bring universal peace and disarmament! It will also take over total control of earth’s affairs and work for mankind’s benefit. And it is no dream. It is a government whose subjects have already ‘beaten their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning shears. They do not lift up sword against others, neither do they learn war anymore.’​—Isa. 2:4.

That government is the one Jesus Christ taught Christians to pray for​—God’s kingdom. (Matt. 6:9, 10) The facts in fulfillment of Bible prophecy show that it is already ruling from the heavens. Shortly it will crush this entire corrupt system of things out of existence. (Dan. 2:44) Then, Bible prophecy says, “to the abundance of the princely rule and to peace there will be no end.”​—Isa. 9:7.

Jehovah’s witnesses are loyal subjects of God’s heavenly government. Thus, while not interfering in the affairs of the nations where they live, they personally obey God’s command to ‘beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks and not learn war anymore.’ Universal disarmament has already been accomplished within their ranks. In over 200 lands, they have come to total peace with persons of all nationalities and races.

This is the condition that will prevail earth wide after the end of the present wicked system of things. Why so? Because only those who respect peace will be allowed by God to live in that new order. (Prov. 2:21, 22) Then, there will be no more armaments races, for Jehovah God promises that he “is making wars to cease to the extremity of the earth.” As the Almighty God he is in position to do this, though men are unable.​—Ps. 46:9.

How delightful it will be in God’s new order when there will be no more war or war preparations! Then all of earth’s resources and man’s energies will be devoted to constructive pursuits, for mankind’s everlasting benefit.

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The nations spend more on war than on anything else

23 MILLION Dollars per Hour

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Spending related to war cost the United States last year more than the combined cost of education, health, housing, agriculture, space, highway, retirement and other programs

Teeth and Your Child

THE incidence of dental decay in what is presumably the best fed nation in the world today staggers the imagination,” writes Dentist Samuel Dreizen in The Journal of School Health. “Less than 5% of the school age population in this country is spared the ravages of this disease.” To combat the ravages of dental decay, children need the help of their parents.

If you are a parent, what can you do to help your children in this regard? You can teach them things they should know about dental care. And it might well start with building up an appreciation for their teeth.

Designed for Long Usage

You can help your children to appreciate what a marvel teeth really are. Why, the enamel in teeth is the hardest substance in your body. From very hard substances such as some candy, nuts and crushed ice, to soft breads, cookies and cooked rice, teeth can take a lot of physical abuse. They also work under a wide range of temperatures, depending on what a person eats. At one meal they are likely to have a 180° F. beverage passed over them, and the next minute 20° ice cream. It is enough to make your teeth chatter!

These amazing teeth are able to last a long time for those who take good care of them. The Creator designed them that way, and it is good for children to know this. Much of the reason why people do not keep their teeth in later years of life has to do with their own neglect or that of their parents. You can truly do much to influence the development and maintenance of good, sound teeth in your children.

Tooth Development

To help your children, it is well to know about tooth development. This can be divided into three phases: (1) The period during which the crown of the tooth is formed from tissue cells and calcifies or hardens in the jawbone; (2) the period of eruption, when the tooth first becomes visible and root development is in progress; and (3) the maintenance period, during which time the root formation is completed and the crown of the tooth is fully visible.

Most permanent teeth are from eight to ten years old before they are completely developed. During part of this time they are forming in the jawbone itself. Usually all the primary or baby teeth have begun to form while the child is still in the mother’s womb. As early as the second or third month of pregnancy, these primary tooth buds begin developing. Six-year molars, which are permanent teeth, start to form between the seventh intrauterine month and birth. From this time until about age three the crown grows to its adult size and is calcified.

Eruption of the tooth into the mouth usually takes place between the ages of six and seven, but the root of the tooth is not completely formed until the age of nine or ten. So think of it: Ten years in the making! You can see that they were designed to last a long time.

During this development period there is much that can be done to influence these teeth to grow into sound structures.

Nutritional Factors

You can appreciate how much good nutrition plays a part in developing sound teeth if you keep in mind that up to half of the time the permanent teeth are developing, they are beneath the gum tissue in the jawbone. As has been shown by dental research, “the incidence of tooth decay, in particular, has been shown to be related to specific nutritional abnormalities that occur during tooth development.”

Teeth provide a permanent record of the past nutritional status of the individual. Yes, while teeth are developing, a lack of proper nutrient building blocks may cause some weakness in the final structure and this may allow the teeth to decay more readily.

Nearly all the primary teeth and some of the permanent teeth begin forming while the child is still in the mother’s womb. So, the mother needs good nutrition, perhaps even supplementing her diet with vitamins and minerals to assure this proper growth and development of not only the teeth but various tissues of the body as well.

After the child is born and begins eating for himself, the parental influence can and should be especially well directed. The time for developing sound eating habits is in the earlier years of life.

Included in the diet each day should be a good variety of basic foodstuffs, including foods from the various food groupings: proteins, carbohydrates and fats. Even though the foods that are eaten in various parts of the world will differ greatly, it is a good idea for parents to encourage their children to eat fresh fruits and vegetables. Raw fruits and vegetables provide a variety of benefits that refined and processed foods many times cannot give. Not only do they provide good nutrition but they also encourage exercise of the teeth and gums because of their texture, which requires longer chewing. Be sure the child eats what is good for him and not just the things he likes.

There are other factors that influence the development of good teeth, such as heredity and disease. But over these you have little control, so your efforts need to be directed mainly in the areas where they will do the most good. Of course, there is no universal diet that will keep your child’s teeth decay-free throughout his life, but there are certain foods that are much better than others.

After the Teeth Erupt

Up until now we have mainly considered how to help your child to develop sound teeth. As the tooth begins its eruption into the mouth, its environment suddenly changes. Now it can be attacked by food and acid-forming bacteria; these can break through even very hard enamel and eventually cause a cavity. Some teeth can be so severely damaged that they have to be removed.

There are two apparent ways to combat the damaging effect of these acid attacks: Eliminate to a large extent the refined sugars and clean the teeth thoroughly.

Modern diets contain much of refined sugars and rapidly fermentable carbohydrates such as sucrose. These, in combination with certain strains of bacteria, can be very damaging to tooth structure. Dental investigators have come to appreciate that the eating of excessive amounts of such carbohydrates speeds up the progress of tooth decay. On the other hand, if the intake of refined foods is reduced or even eliminated from the diet of children, the decay rate is likewise slowed down or even stopped.

Some children are much more susceptible to cavities than others. The decay rate differs widely from child to child, but the fact remains that much of the decay problem is tied up with the intake of sweets.

An effective program for cutting down on the consumption of sweets begins with the parents. Parents who consume a large quantity of cookies, candies and cakes themselves will have a hard time convincing their offspring not to do the same. Children develop an appetite for sweets at an early age. If such foods are kept around the home all the time and are readily available, then poor eating habits will be the result. This does not mean that sweets have to be eliminated entirely. Proper cleaning after such snacks can also be an effective way to cut down on the cavities.

Proper Cleaning

Usually a child can be taught to brush his teeth as early as two years of age and no later than three. Parental supervision, of course, is important. And it is a good idea for the parents to brush their teeth at the same time and thus set the proper example. This also encourages the child to keep toothbrushing a part of his daily routine.

After the child has had an opportunity to do his share, the parent may want to go over the teeth again to be sure a thorough job has been done. Areas of special concern at that age are the tops or biting surfaces of all the back or molar teeth.

The cheek and tongue sides of those teeth, near the gumline, are frequently areas that decay because they are not brushed properly. Food particles are allowed to build up, causing a white ring around the teeth in this area. Even after the food material is removed, the acid from the food and bacteria may leave a white ring in the enamel as evidence of decay activity. Proper toothbrushing can do much to prevent this from happening.

It takes practice and a lot of effort to do a thorough job in cleaning the teeth with a toothbrush. By the age of three a child usually has twenty primary or baby teeth in the mouth. Each of these teeth has five surfaces that need to be cleaned. That amounts to one hundred tooth surfaces that need attention. In the permanent set of teeth, there are 32 teeth or 160 surfaces to keep clean. Think of that the next time you pick up your toothbrush!

Toothbrushing is probably the most widely practiced method of cleaning the teeth. Brushing in any old way is not good enough. There are several methods advocated by the dental profession.a As has been stated in the November 1969 Journal of the American Dental Association, “Effectiveness of oral hygiene procedures is more a matter of technique and effort than of materials used.” You can improve on your technique, as well as the amount of effort you put into the cleaning of your teeth, with practice.

Any supplementary methods for cleaning teeth, such as the use of dental floss or tape, toothpicks and interdental stimulators should be done before brushing, especially if a medicated dentifrice is used. To do the most good, these cleaning agents need to reach the teeth.

Dental floss is probably more effective than any other method for cleaning between the teeth. Because it can be drawn down gently in between the teeth, it can dislodge food particles and debris that a toothbrush would never reach. This is important because most tooth decay and periodontal disease start between the teeth. Flossing should be followed with vigorous rinsing to wash away the loosened particles. If this procedure is followed up with a thorough brushing of the teeth and gums, the mouth will feel refreshingly clean.

There will be times when a person is caught without his toothbrush and toothpaste. When this happens, one can use a clean, rough washcloth to accomplish an emergency cleaning. Mouth rinsing will also help to a certain extent when no other method is available.

Tooth Decay

Decayed areas will show up as small dark-colored areas in the grooves and crevices on the biting surfaces. They also appear as dark-gray areas between the teeth. In these little cracks and fissures, food is sometimes packed and can be difficult to remove. As the bacteria in the mouth begin to act on it, an acid substance is produced. This acid is what does the damage. Of course, it takes several acid attacks eventually to break through the outer enamel surface. Once it makes its way into the inner tooth structure, the dentin, this process proceeds much more rapidly, as the dentin is much softer.

So the time to stop the process is before it starts, by removing food particles, especially the carbohydrates, from the teeth quickly. This means teaching children to brush after snacks as well as after meals.

Brush any suspicious areas very thoroughly. If the area is still dark or discolored after careful brushing, a trip to the dentist is in order. The smaller the cavity when discovered, the simpler the repair will be.

Age three is a good time for your child’s first visit to the dentist whether you see cavities or not. Usually by this age all the primary teeth (twenty) are fully erupted into the mouth and need regular care to remain healthy.

Each primary tooth is actually holding space needed for the permanent tooth that is developing in the jawbone underneath it. If the primary tooth is lost due to decay or other factors before the permanent tooth is ready to erupt, then the teeth tend to crowd together. Thus there may not be enough room for the permanent tooth.

Much expensive tooth-straightening work can be avoided by helping your children to keep all primary teeth as long as they were intended to be there. This is also true of the permanent teeth. If one is lost, it is wise to have it replaced. Of course, you can get along without a replacement, but the missing tooth eventually causes other problems, such as teeth shifting out of proper position or alignment, causing food to pack in between.

So, there are many factors in developing and maintaining sound teeth. Some of these factors you can control. Why not teach your children proper care of their teeth from an early age? Later on, they will be most grateful.

[Footnotes]

Seeing with Appreciation

DID you ever see a bird or an insect fly? Before you answer, “Of course,” let us define more exactly what we mean by “see.”

For instance, many people, when they see a bird, notice only a beautiful array of feathers. But a cat, seeing the same bird, may see a good dinner. Then again, a farmer seeing a bird, say a swallow, might see a sign of the approach of spring. So “seeing” can mean much more than just receiving an image on the retina of the eye.

Consider, for example, an experienced watchmaker examining an expertly made timepiece. What does he “see”? His view goes deeper than just a look inside the watchcase. He judges its timekeeping qualities, weighing the pros and cons of the method of construction used and assessing its efficiency. His “seeing” might reach into the mind of the watch’s designer, as he equates the result he sees with the problems the designer had to overcome. He might even strike up a kind of respectful acquaintanceship with the maker by means of his product.

This example of “seeing” will prepare us for an in-depth “look” at the flight of birds and insects. Without a doubt their flight is graceful, but just how good are they as flying machines? And what qualities does their workmanship reflect concerning their designer?

Versatility

When you last saw, say, a dragonfly, what did you actually see? Perhaps your attention was drawn to it as it hovered before your eyes. You probably admired it for its beautiful colors glistening in the sun. Then it may have darted off suddenly at surprising speed in a seemingly unpredictable direction. If you had been interested in the science of flight, you might have wondered how that little fellow was able to combine the peculiar hovering qualities of a helicopter and the high-speed stability of a fixed-wing plane. What versatility!

The more you pondered, the more it may have impressed you. Without a doubt the fiercely competing military strategists of the major powers of this world would give a king’s ransom to be able to apply the secrets held by that little insect. So if you had “seen” with a discerning eye you would have observed, not just a beautiful insect, but a wonderful example of versatility in a flying machine.

This coveted quality of versatility is common throughout creation. Take, for instance, the sparrow hawk, which has a wing structure and mechanism bearing no close resemblance to those of a dragonfly. Yet it, too, is able to hover in one spot and dart off at high speed, two qualities of flight for which man continually strives.

Environmental Effects

It is worthy of note that a master designer takes all things into account, including environmental effects. He refuses to be enslaved to vested interests or some narrow aspect of technical efficiency. In fact, a skilled designer is recognized by the way he nicely balances technical and aesthetic requirements and then painstakingly extracts the maximum from each aspect.

With this in mind, consider another aspect of flight. Have you noticed that flying creatures do not disturb the senses? The sounds made by them, for example, are generally welcomed sounds. But how different are the nerve-shattering sounds that come from either a fixed-wing plane or a helicopter. Also, man-made flying machines pollute the air we breathe, causing sickness and disease. What a contrast there is!

Aerodynamic Efficiency

But how does a bird stand in comparison with a plane in aerodynamic efficiency? Let us consider the wing. How efficient is it?

That depends a great deal on its shape. After much effort involving higher mathematics and experiments in wind tunnels man has been able to design a wing that provides acceptable flight efficiency. But, as we might have expected, the bird’s wing also has just the ideal shape for the type of life the particular bird lives. For example, the albatross and the hawk live widely different lives, and their wings are designed perfectly to meet their varied requirements. Really, who has ever seen an airplane that is able to do what a bird is able to accomplish with its wings?

Propulsion

Well, then, what about the method of propulsion? For simplicity we will consider the propeller, or, more specifically, the airscrew. How does this method of propulsion work?

As its name implies, it screws its way through the air, thus giving the required pull to the aircraft to which it is attached. However, it differs from a metal screw working in a solid nut because the air slips as it were, thus constituting a continual loss that the solid nut would not have.

To visualize this kind of loss we might think of an angler winding in a large fish. If his boat were rigidly anchored to the river bottom or seabed, the only work done would be in winding in the line with his arms. However, if the boat were not anchored, and he wished to retain his exact position, he would have to run his boat engine just fast enough to prevent being pulled toward the fish. All the power used by the engine would thus be pure loss due to the fluidity of the environment.

But what about the wing of the bird? Why, it sidesteps virtually all the slip losses of a propeller due to its marvelously coordinated flapping movements and gliding techniques. Nor is the jet-propulsion method employed by modern aircraft nearly as efficient as the propulsion achieved by the wings of birds.

The flapping and gliding means of propulsion employed by the bird can, in a sense, be compared to the movements of a skater. Try to imagine the skater coasting down a slight incline and then, just before reaching the end of the incline, being able to step up on to the crest of another incline running alongside. In normal skating this principle is employed, except that the legs are thrust sideways to give the body propulsion. In the case of a bird, the downward movement of the wings propels the creature.

Maneuverability

What a truly marvelous and efficient flying machine a bird is! Why, it seems to ooze with evidence of ingenuity. And, in particular, what a wonderful instrument that wing is!

Have you seen two gulls dive for the same tidbit and have a near collision? But note, it is only near, for they seem to flow around each other in a flurry of wing flaps as the loser takes evasive action.

Or have you watched a crow landing on a wire fence? Stalling holds no fears for him. As he comes in for a landing it seems as though he will overrun his mark, but around comes the tip of that powerful wing, which had recently done such efficient service as a propeller, and into a stall he goes. And what a stall! How beautifully controlled, as he slides down gently toward the wire! But likely as not, because he is such a suspicious fellow, he will not even land, but pull right out of the stall and nonchalantly flap away, cawing as he goes, quite oblivious to the remarkable feat he has just performed.

Aircraft designers generally recognize the many benefits of moving wings and wings of variable shape, whether to gain added versatility, or to achieve the difficult movements needed to execute landing maneuvers like a bird. But the pitiful results that human engineers have attained with flapping wings and wings of variable shape suggest how far man yet has to go before he can even approach the aerobatic performances seen in creation.

Thus the more we observe and ponder over flying creatures, whether from the aspect of versatility, aerodynamic efficiency or maneuverability, the more we can appreciate what a master of his craft is their Creator. Seeing how beautiful flying creatures are to the eye, as well as how quiet and graceful, we are drawn in appreciation to their Grand Designer.

Baby Food for Adults

WHEN you buy a quart of milk at the market, it is not likely that you think of it as baby food. That, of course, is actually what it is. Nevertheless, milk has become a popular adult food, being used in cooking and in various drinks. But is this baby food really good for adults?

The milk you are most familiar with is, no doubt, cow’s milk. There are countries, however, where the people are accustomed to using milk from other types of animals. Goat’s milk, for example, is popular in the countries around the Mediterranean Sea as well as in Norway, Switzerland, Latin America and in parts of Asia and Africa. In Arctic regions people use milk from horses and reindeer. Sheep milk is popular in Spain and Italy. In India and the Philippine Republic the use of water-buffalo milk is not uncommon, and in South America llama milk is used.

No matter what type of milk is used, however, it can be dangerous. Why is this? Because it is easily contaminated by disease-producing bacteria and is an ideal medium in which they can rapidly multiply. Diseases such as tuberculosis, undulant fever, typhoid fever, septic sore throat, scarlet fever and diphtheria can be spread by milk.

Safeguarding Milk

So, if you use milk, it is important that you use only milk that is clean. When you bring it home put it in a cold place. This is necessary so as to prevent bacteria from multiplying too rapidly. Do not pour it into unclean containers or expose it to flies and dust as that could introduce undesirable bacteria.

Milk companies try to protect you by sterilizing their milk containers and by pasteurizing the milk. This is a process in which the milk is heated to 143 degrees Fahrenheit and held there for thirty minutes. The heat kills most of the bacteria, making the milk relatively safe for use. However, in order to kill all of the bacteria and spores, the milk would have to be sterilized as is done with evaporated and condensed milk, and that requires much higher temperatures. Many people dislike the flavor of sterilized milk.

Some persons have objections to pasteurized milk because the heat used in pasteurizing it decreases the amount of vitamin C and vitamin B₁ in the milk and destroys the useful lactic acid bacteria. As much as 15 percent of the vitamin-B₁ content is destroyed by the heat. Raw milk, on the other hand, may have the vitamins, but it also has a greater potential for carrying dangerous bacteria. Extra care is required to make it safe.

Although milk is not a perfect food, it is a most complete food. It contains about fifty different substances. There are, however, several elements necessary for growth that are lacking in milk, such as copper, iron, iodine and manganese.

When comparing human milk with cow’s milk a pronounced difference can be noted. Human milk has two or three times as much vitamin C as cow’s milk. It also has one and a half times as much milk sugar. On the other hand, cow’s milk contains more casein and ash. This is a factor to consider when feeding an infant.

Even when cow’s milk has been altered by adding more milk sugar, it still is no substitute for human milk. Cane sugar is not the same as milk sugar, thus the use of cane sugar does not really bring the sugar content of cow’s milk closer to that of human milk. The needs of a baby are best met by human milk, not cow’s milk. Also, when fed from the breast a baby gets the full value of the vitamin C in the milk because the milk is not exposed to air, which causes this vitamin to be destroyed by oxidation.

Is Milk Good for Adults?

Many medical authorities recommend milk as a food for adults as well as for children. They suggest that adults drink a pint a day, including what is used in cooking, and that children drink a quart or more. They regard milk as man’s richest food source of calcium. It is their view that an adequate amount of milk is particularly important for children while they are growing and for women when they are pregnant.

On the other hand, there are persons who say that milk is not good for adults. The book The Encyclopedia for Healthful Living, by J. I. Rodale, opposes the use of milk past early childhood. It says: “Allergies, excessive tallness and antibiotic content are only a few of the reasons for our objections.” In another book the same author expressed the belief that milk is a contributing factor in arthritis, sinus trouble, colds and catarrh.

As you can see, there are differences of opinion as to whether milk is good for adults or not. Undeniably, some persons may have adverse reactions when they consume milk. Nevertheless, milk does contain protein, fat, carbohydrates, minerals and some vitamins and is, therefore, a nourishing food.

Furthermore, our Creator, who gave man permission to eat animals, mentions milk as one of the things that made the land promised to the Israelites desirable, a “land flowing with milk and honey.” (Ex. 3:8) Abraham is even mentioned in the Bible as offering it to adult visitors. (Gen. 18:8) So it is evident that God provided milk as one of the foods for mankind.

Because of the many tasty dishes milk makes possible and the different food products that can be made from it, it can provide interesting variety for a person’s meals. Thus this food for babies is widely used as a nourishing food for adults.

When They First Went to the Kingdom Hall

ARE you one of the hundreds of thousands of persons who are studying the Bible regularly with Jehovah’s witnesses? If you are, then no doubt they have cordially invited you to attend the meetings at their Kingdom Hall in your vicinity. What has been your response to their invitation? Are you attending their meetings?

Perhaps you are wondering what it is like when you first go to the Kingdom Hall. Do you imagine that the meetings there are just like church services? Well, what did other persons find when they went to a Kingdom Hall for the first time?

Meetings to Increase Bible Knowledge

Much to their pleasant surprise, persons who were coming to the Kingdom Hall for the first time found that the meetings conducted there are very different from what goes on in the churches of Christendom. This was especially so when they observed that the audience at times participates, doing so on a voluntary basis.

A person who lived in Detroit, Michigan, experienced this when he went to the Kingdom Hall for the first time. He said: “I was attending the Baptist church Sunday school when my sister began studying the Bible with Jehovah’s witnesses in our home. I sat in on a few of her study sessions and I found them most interesting, especially when I learned that God’s name is Jehovah. (Ps. 83:18) I was invited to come to a meeting at the Kingdom Hall in my vicinity and I agreed to do so.

“I really did not know quite what to expect, but when I arrived at the Hall I quickly saw that it was very different from my church. During one meeting, I watched various ones in the audience offer voluntary comments by raising their hands. In my church the preacher did all the talking, but here in the Kingdom Hall I noticed that everyone was involved in the program. Each one knew what was required of him. Young people, too, gave comments, and this made it seem like one large family to me.

“The thing that impressed me the most about this meeting was that God’s Word the Bible was actually studied there. I learned a great deal in that one hour. So I soon stopped going to the Baptist church Sunday school and I began attending the meetings at the Kingdom Hall regularly. It was very easy for me to see where God’s truth was being taught.”

When you sit among Jehovah’s witnesses in their Kingdom Hall you will see immediately that they have assembled together for one purpose. That purpose is to learn Jehovah’s will as set forth in the Holy Bible. At their meetings the Bible is the object of deep study. Its practical principles and amazing prophecies are discussed, analyzed and explained.

When a young man who lived in Stockton, California, was first asked to visit the Kingdom Hall he had some preconceived notions about what went on there. He relates his impressions of that first meeting he attended: “When the Witnesses invited me to attend their meetings at their Kingdom Hall, I accepted. However, since I was not a very religious person I was a little apprehensive as to what it was going to be like. You see, I felt that I was just going to another church service where I would see people jumping around and shouting emotionally.

“Well, I went to the Kingdom Hall and I was truly surprised to see how the meetings were conducted. The well-arranged, orderly, educational program quickly dispelled any former ideas I had about the Witness meetings. It was amazing to see how the Scriptures were used to educate and improve those in the audience as well as those on the platform. I was especially impressed to see a nine-year-old boy deliver a six-minute Bible reading. He did so well!

“This convinced me that Jehovah’s witnesses are truly different! So I began assembling with them to receive the spiritual benefits of their Bible meetings.”

Yes, Jehovah’s witnesses throughout the world meet in their Kingdom Halls for the purpose of increasing their Bible knowledge. By attending one of these meetings you cannot help but be benefited spiritually. You will see that the program is arranged so “that there may be an interchange of encouragement . . . by each one through the other’s faith.”​—Rom. 1:12.

Genuine Interracial Unity

In visiting a Kingdom Hall you will notice that racial barriers to unity do not afflict the congregations of Jehovah’s witnesses. No matter what your race or nationality may be, you will be made to feel genuinely welcome when you walk into the Hall. You will observe that the Witnesses are impartial, in harmony with Jehovah’s counsel and fine example.​—Acts 10:34, 35; 17:26, 27; Gal. 2:6.

This is what an ex-taxi driver experienced when he first walked into a Kingdom Hall in a suburb of Boston, Massachusetts. He recalls his experience in these words: “When I entered the Kingdom Hall, I noticed immediately that the congregation consisted of mostly white folks. No sooner had I walked through the door than I was approached by many of them in an extremely friendly way. Though I am a colored person, I was treated with respect as a fellow human. No prejudice was manifest. Such genuineness made a very deep impression on me!

“Later I visited another Kingdom Hall and the same friendly atmosphere prevailed, with not a trace of racial prejudice. This really underscored the unity of Jehovah’s witnesses to me.”

Another person observed this interracial unity of the Witnesses when he attended his first meeting at a Kingdom Hall in San Francisco, California. He relates what happened: “When I first walked into the Kingdom Hall I was amazed to see the people of different races mingling together in animated conversation. You see, my Baptist church was all Negro. Yet right after I arrived at the Kingdom Hall, I was taken around and introduced to various ones, both colored and white. This was a new experience for me because I never had so many people of different races show such friendliness to me. I noticed that everyone I met was genuinely glad to see me there.

“After the public talk, I was introduced to the speaker. I thought he was superior to me and that he would look down on me, but no, he, too, expressed sincere happiness to see me there. I was so moved by what I experienced that day that I resolved to attend the meetings of Jehovah’s witnesses regularly.”

Attend a meeting of Jehovah’s witnesses and see for yourself what these persons observed. The family-like unity, unmarred by racial prejudice, will make you want to congregate regularly with these happy servants of Jehovah God.

The Kind of People Who Go There

What kind of people will you meet at the Kingdom Hall? Well, from what we have considered thus far, you will meet friendly people who are genuinely interested in your spiritual welfare. People from many walks of life, both young and old. You might even meet old acquaintances or neighbors, as others have when they first went to the Kingdom Hall.

If you are studying the Bible with the Witnesses, you already have an idea of what kind of people go to the Hall. Their regularly coming to help you learn the Bible shows you their unselfish interest in your spirituality. These are the kind of people you will be with at the Kingdom Hall, persons who are anxious to serve God and live by his righteous standards. Surely, such make fine associates!

This is what a teen-age Sikh girl who lived in Nairobi, Kenya, came to appreciate about the Witnesses when she began studying the Bible with them. Here are her thoughts: “I was enjoying my Bible study with the Witnesses so much that I asked them if they could come more often during the week. I wanted so much to be in their company. They told me that they could not do this because they had to attend meetings. I immediately became interested in this and I asked them if I could go to their meetings too. They were very happy to see that I wanted to do this and they said that I could.

“When I went to the Kingdom Hall, the Witnesses were so friendly that I did not want to leave the Hall, and when the meetings were over in two hours, I exclaimed, ‘Is that all? Isn’t there any more?’ Then announcements were made about other meetings and I quickly asked if I could attend these also. They happily said that I could. I loved the meetings of Jehovah’s witnesses and the fine associations I found there so much that I have attended them regularly since, rain or shine.”

This young girl found the association of the friendly folks at the Kingdom Hall to be most desirable. And you, too, will find this when you attend the meetings of the Witnesses, for you will be associating with people who truly love Jehovah God and their fellowman.

Due to misinformation some people have formed wrong opinions about Jehovah’s witnesses. At first these people would not even think of going to a Kingdom Hall. But when they finally did, they found that what they had heard about the Witnesses was not true. They saw that the people at the Hall were not what they thought them to be. This is illustrated in the experience of a young woman who went to live with her Witness grandmother in Alabama for three months:

“I had been told that Jehovah’s witnesses are fanatics. So when my grandmother and my aunt, both of whom are Witnesses, invited me to attend their meetings, I expressed great displeasure. They did not ask me again. However, I began reading some of their literature that was around the house. I did this on the sly, as I did not want anyone to know that I was reading it.

“After two months of reading, I wanted to attend their meetings, but no one was inviting me as they remembered my reaction when they first invited me. Well, after two weeks of waiting for them to ask me, I finally asked them if I could go with them to their meetings. They were delighted to take me along.

“When I walked into the Kingdom Hall, the first thing that I looked for were faces that were mentally disturbed, reflecting fanaticism. Instead, everyone, especially the young folks, came up to me and was so friendly and kind. I was in a measure disappointed that they were not what I thought them to be, but this soon turned into shame for having been so wrong about them. I was convinced that Jehovah’s witnesses have God’s truth. Right at this meeting, I decided that I wanted to be with these people always, serving God as one of them. I fulfilled my resolve a short time later by being baptized in water.”

Responding to the Invitation

Have the observations of these sincere people impressed you and encouraged you to want to attend a meeting of Jehovah’s witnesses? We truly hope so. In fact, we hope that their remarks have moved you to plan to go to a meeting this week. A truly refreshing experience awaits you. Surely if the individuals whose experiences were presented in this article had the opportunity to speak to you personally they would unanimously encourage you to respond to the invitation to come to the Kingdom Hall soon.

Do not be content to learn about God and his purposes just in the privacy of your home. Take full advantage of the Bible educational meetings scheduled at the Kingdom Hall to increase your understanding of Jehovah’s will. Gathering together for mutual encouragement is vital for spiritual growth and health. The meetings are designed for this very purpose.​—Heb. 10:25.

Add to this the pleasure of associating with people who are truly united. Racial barriers and discrimination are replaced by warm, friendly and loving concern for each other. How refreshing this is!

You will find that the meetings at the Kingdom Hall are like an oasis of spiritual plenty in a world where there is a famine “for hearing the words of Jehovah” and understanding them. (Amos 8:11) Your presence among Jehovah’s people will help you gain true comfort and security. Why not experience this for yourself by responding to the invitation and by directing your steps to the Kingdom Hall this week?

So You’re Thinking of Buying a House?

By “Awake!” correspondent in Canada

“YOU can’t go wrong,” enthusiastically said the exuberant real estate salesman to his wavering client. “The demand for property is increasing every day, and an offer like this just isn’t being made anymore.”

But those experienced in buying and selling property know that it is not all that simple. There are pitfalls into which the unwary or uninformed buyer can easily fall. Unless a person is careful he may become involved in a net of legal and financial complications that can leave him, not only without the house he hoped for, but bereft of the money he gave for the down payment.

The decision of whether to buy or not to buy a house is affected by each family’s circumstances. One family may decide that it is better to rent a house or an apartment and avoid the responsibilities that go with owning property. On the other hand, another family, in order to provide a particular environment for their children and avoid the anxieties of uncertain housing, may decide to buy a house.

There is no slide-rule calculation to determine the right decision.

Consider Before You Buy

Perhaps the primary consideration if you are contemplating a purchase is your financial position. What monthly payments can you afford? How much money have you for the down payment? If you do not have enough, what sources for funds are available to you? How will you pay the money back? How much will the interest cost?

It is wise not to underestimate the cost of owning your own house. For example, a person may look at an apartment for rent and then look at a house, the monthly payments for which, after the down payment, are exactly the same. So he may decide that, because the payments are equal, he can afford one as easily as the other.

To be realistic, however, the potential buyer should add to the monthly house payments several other expenses, such as loss of interest from the cash used for the down payment, property taxes, insurance, heating expenses, water bills, maintenance and repairs. When these expenses are carefully calculated, the actual out-of-pocket cost of being in the house may be 50 to 90 percent higher than living in an apartment!

Of course, there are also arguments in favor of buying a house. The new homeowner is making payments on something that he can eventually own. He may rightly argue, too, that apartment rents go up regularly, whereas now, with the exception of property taxes, he has reasonably stabilized his costs. Further, he may reason that with the spiraling inflation of the world’s monetary system, the best hedge to protect oneself against inflation is real estate.

Another consideration that may weigh in favor of a house is the welfare of the children. The environment in the crowded atmosphere of many apartment buildings is not good. In fact, the owners of these often prefer tenants without children, and thus may not provide any kind of recreation facilities. While mother may have small jobs for her daughters around an apartment, many of the chores that provide such excellent training for boys, such as cutting lawns, shoveling snow and cleaning up the yard, usually do not exist.

On the other hand, the apartment dweller may point out that when time is not consumed by these chores more hours are available to train children in various other worthwhile activities. For Christian families this may mean more time for Bible study and the ministry. Apartments just do not carry the load of extra work that is inescapable to the property owner.

Arranging for the Purchase

There are times, however, when one may decide that it is in the family’s interest to buy a house. But how can you arrange this if you should lack sufficient money for the down payment?

You will want to examine the sources of capital that may be available. Loans may be obtainable at minimum interest rates through credit unions associated with your place of employment. Or you may find that if your credit rating is good, the local bank may loan you the needed cash. On the other hand, a relative may be happy to help out. But with the down payment borrowed, how can the homeowner expect to pay it back?

Some families have purchased houses that are sufficiently large so that a room or two can be rented to tenants. The income from the rental is then used to pay back the loan, while other expenses are met by the family’s regular income. Such a method has been a successful avenue to property ownership for some. Just one word of warning if this should be your plan​—be sure to buy in an area where municipal zoning allows you to sublet.

Choosing a House

A fine bit of advice to prospective house buyers is to shop around. In some places there are usually quite a number of houses available.

First, decide generally on the area where you want to live. Find out all you can about the neighborhood. Drive around the area, not only to see what houses may be posted “for sale,” but considering such things as public transportation, location of parks and schools, and so forth. Always check the zoning regulations; otherwise you could eventually end up living near a glue factory! Sometimes a cruise through a neighborhood turns up a house for sale directly from the owner rather than through an agent. Such a direct transaction may result in saving several hundred dollars in sales commissions.

When you narrow the quest down to three or four possible houses, a more careful examination of some details will often make one house stand out as the best buy.

For example, consider the flow of traffic in the house. A house should be designed to provide maximum privacy in the area of the bedrooms and bathroom. Can you move from bedroom to bathroom without being seen from the living room? Will the children be away from the noise of the household if they retire early in the evening? Can you move from the kitchen to the dining room without passing through the living room? Is the kitchen large enough, both in which to work and to eat? Is ventilation satisfactory to remove cooking odors?

Check, too, the soundness of the structure and its facilities. Is the heating system new, or is it nearing an early breakdown? If there is a basement, is it finished? Does it leak? If in doubt, try to inspect the house after a rainy day. How old is the roof? Are plumbing and wiring adequate and in good repair? If there is a fireplace, does it work? Is the lot well landscaped? It can cost hundreds of dollars to put in shrubs and trees.

in deciding between three or four houses, some have found it helpful to make a chart listing such basic questions. They then check to see how each house measures up. Often such an analysis will clearly indicate which house to buy.

But remember: Satisfy yourself before you buy. Once an agreement for sale is drawn up and signed, there is little use in examining the roof, foundation or any other aspects of the structure. It is too late then. So do not sign until you are sure.

Making an Offer to Purchase

The next step is drawing up and presenting a formal offer to purchase. The offer is usually drawn up by the real estate agent, although the buyer will generally find it wise to have the document checked by his lawyer or some other competent independent person before it is signed.

Be sure that all representations made by the seller or his agent are included in the offer to purchase. All verbal commitments pertaining to the transaction should be included in the written agreement. If you have any doubt about the heating system, roof, and so forth, the seller’s representations of these facilities should be written into the agreement.

Also, if the offer includes any articles in addition to the house itself, such as rugs, refrigerator, stove, washer, lawn mower, all these items should be clearly stated. It is generally best to have even obvious articles, such as heating system, light fixtures, television antenna, included in the agreement. Such a carefully written agreement can help you to avoid arguments or even lawsuits.

Before the offer is signed, check carefully that you are not facing any unforeseen costs. For example, is there a land-transfer tax in your area which must be paid to register your deed? Have you allowed for the normal “adjustments on closing,” which may include a three-year fire insurance premium, land taxes for part of the current year, or extra charges for fuel or prepaid utilities.

Understand clearly the terms of your mortgage. Do you have the privilege of paying additional amounts on principal at any time if you wish, or is it a “closed” mortgage? What is the interest rate? Do your regular payments include principal and interest, or are they principal plus interest? Do you know how much of your payment will be applied against principal and how much is interest?

Housing has been described as among the most important social problems of our day. As the population increases, and housing costs continue to escalate, it can only be anticipated that the problem will become even more difficult.

Should you buy and take on the responsibilities of home ownership? Should you rent and perhaps live with the anxiety of uncertain housing? The decision is not always an easy one.

“Your Word Is Truth”

What the Fourth Commandment Means to Christians

THE fourth of the Ten Commandments given to the sons of Israel through Moses reads this way: “Remembering the sabbath day to hold it sacred, you are to render service and you must do all your work six days. But the seventh day is a sabbath to Jehovah your God. You must not do any work.”​—Ex. 20:8-11.

Some among those Jews went to fanatical extremes in their observance of this day. The Sadducees forbade intercourse on the night of the sabbath. Josephus reports that the Essene sect considered going to the stool a violation of the sabbath. And the Pharisees were incensed because Jesus Christ performed healing works on the sabbath day.​—Mark 3:1-6.

Additional instructions to those ancient Israelites served to clarify this sabbath requirement. “You must not light a fire in any of your dwelling places on the sabbath day.” (Ex. 35:3) Earlier it had been said: “Let nobody go out from his locality on the seventh day.” (Ex. 16:29) Thus definite restrictions as to cooking and travel on the sabbath were placed on the sons of Israel. So, if anyone today claims to be keeping that sabbath literally, he must be complying with all of its requirements.

And it is a fact that many of Christendom’s churches claim to be bound by the Fourth Commandment. However, it is notable that they are not abiding by all of its terms. More than that, most of them are observing it on the wrong day, the first day of the week, even though the Mosaic Law required that the seventh day be the rest day. So what are we to think?

Under inspiration the apostle Paul declares that followers of Jesus Christ “are not under law but under undeserved kindness,” that they “were made dead to the Law through the body of the Christ.” (Rom. 6:14; 7:4) Though they were thus freed from the requirements of the Mosaic Law, it should be kept in mind that certain of the fine rulings contained in the Ten Commandments, such as those forbidding adultery and idolatry, are also stated in the Bible as applying to Christians. (1 Cor. 5:11-13; Acts 15:28, 29) However, no such mention is made of the weekly sabbath observance.

Nowhere in the writings of Jesus’ inspired disciples do we find any requirement for Christians to keep a weekly sabbath. This is not to say that having one day of rest in seven is not a good thing. And there certainly is nothing wrong with using such a day for worship and service of God. But Christians are under no requirement to observe literally that Jewish sabbath day.

More than that, the apostle Paul, referring to the literal observances of the Mosaic Law, declares that God “blotted out the handwritten document against us, which consisted of decrees and which was in opposition to us; and He has taken it out of the way by nailing it to the torture stake [of Christ].” Then he goes on to tell Christians: “Let no man judge you . . . in respect of a festival or of an observance of the new moon or of a sabbath; for those things are a shadow of the things to come, but the reality belongs to the Christ.”​—Col. 2:13, 14, 16, 17.

Thus, if a person insists on holding to the observance of the literal sabbath, he fails to accept the sacrifice of Christ Jesus on the torture stake and thus rejects the forgiveness of sins that it makes possible. It is just as if he insisted on offering animal sacrifices after Jesus had offered himself, the one sacrifice for sins forever.

But does this mean that the Fourth Commandment is without meaning for Christians? Not at all. For them it points to a far greater sabbath​—the reality and not merely the shadow. At Genesis 2:2 we learn that since the close of the sixth creative day or period, since our first human parents were created, God has been resting from his creative works as regards our earth. The sons of Israel failed to enter into God’s rest because of their lack of faith and obedience. (Ps. 95:7-11) But to Christians the apostle Paul says: “So there remains a sabbath resting for the people of God. For the man that has entered into God’s rest has also himself rested from his own works, just as God did from his own. Let us therefore do our utmost to enter into that rest, for fear anyone should fall in the same pattern of disobedience [of the Jews].”​—Heb. 3:19; 4:9-11.

Just as God’s rest has been continuous, so is that of true Christians. Rest from what? From their “own works,” their former works at trying to justify themselves. No longer do they believe that they can earn God’s approval and gain everlasting life simply by their own efforts at compliance with certain rules and observances. They no longer assume that because of their course of conduct God just cannot deny them his blessing. That was the error of the faithless Jews who, by ‘seeking to establish their own righteousness, did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God.’​—Rom. 10:3.

Rather, true Christians recognize that it is by the sacrifice of Christ Jesus that their sin is removable. And they rest in the knowledge that faith in Christ and obedience to his teaching are what bring Jehovah’s approval and life. Rather than being satisfied, as some are, to claim, “I am honest, I do not steal or lie or do immoral things, so surely that is enough!” true followers of Christ seek to apply all of Jesus’ teachings in their lives.

There are many, even among professed Christians, who believe that they have an inborn right to life and other blessings. It is difficult for them to admit that they were born sinners, without the right to life, and therefore wholly dependent upon God’s provision for granting them life. They tend to refuse counsel and reproof, even when offered in love. They are very reluctant to admit that they make mistakes. Their big concern is self-justification. They have not rested or desisted from their own selfish works, and so are not keeping God’s sabbath. Happy are those who do rest from their “own works” and enter into God’s sabbath of rest, because a splendid future awaits them.

For almost six thousand years now God has been observing his rest day. The thousand-year period just ahead is described in the Bible as the millennium of Christ’s rule. (Rev. 20:4) It will also be like a grand Sabbath, far superior to any sabbath observed by the Jews, for during that time peace and prosperity will be permanently established.​—Rev. 21:2-4.

Thus the weekly sabbath of the Fourth Commandment is pictorial of the grand Sabbath of which Christ Jesus declared himself the Lord. (Matt. 12:8) Those who recognize themselves as sinners, dependent on the merit of Christ Jesus’ sacrifice in order to gain peace and a good standing with God, can even now rest or desist from their own selfish labors to justify themselves. Each one who respects God’s seven-thousand-year-long sabbath now, and who continues to do so, will be privileged to enjoy the blessings of the thousand-year Sabbath of Christ’s reign over all the earth.

Watching the World

Interested in God’s Way

◆ From late June through early August, assemblies of Jehovah’s witnesses convened throughout the Northern Hemisphere. The principal discourse was on the urgent subject “Saving the Human Race​—in the Kingdom Way.” There was keen interest in what was said. The number in attendance, including the public, often far exceeded expectations. At the twenty-six assemblies in the United States from which reports have been received to date, a total of 435,280 persons were on hand to hear about God’s way for saving the human race, by means of his kingdom.

New Vistas for Korea

◆ The Republic of Korea dedicated its first superhighway on July 7. It extends from Seoul on the north to Pusan on the south, a distance of 428 kilometers, or 267 miles. Opening day was a big moment for the people of Korea. Some 13,000 individual vehicles took advantage of the highway that day, which was free of tolls from 4 p.m. until midnight. It took two years and five months to complete the highway, some 8,500,000 man-days of work! The total cost for the four-lane highway was 42,973 million won, or approximately $138,600,000. To the “super powers” of the world that may not sound like much money, but one must remember that the total money in circulation in Korea just before completion of the road was only 253,000 million won. So a large portion of the nation’s assets went into completing this project. The road has 318 bridges, 29 of which are over 100 meters long. It also has six tunnels and four emergency air strips. Where the highway is flat, it serves also as an air strip.

Guatemala’s New President

◆ For the third time in Guatemala’s 150-year history as an independent nation, there was a turning over of power to a duly elected president by one having completed his full term of office. On July 1, Colonel Carlos Arana Osorio became the nation’s new president. Outgoing President Julio César Méndez Montenegro had a word to say about the continued violence in Guatemala: “Violence as applied to the country causes fright if one thinks of Guatemala as a large island of affliction lost in a sea of tranquility; but it does not stir up the same terror if Guatemala is seen as a small part of the earth on a world map raging with violence. It suffices to read any newspaper in any country any day of the year, to realize that violence runs loose through the world like a pack of wolves.”

Quake Toll

◆ The National Emergency Committee of Peru on July 14 set the official estimate for Peru’s May 31 earthquake toll at 70,000. Previous estimates put the number of dead at 50,000.

On July 30 a powerful earthquake caused ruin to scores of villages in Iran. Initial figures show that at least a hundred people were killed and about 200 were seriously injured. About one hundred villages were known to have been affected and at least 26 of them are known to have been leveled. The prophecy of Jesus Christ concerning the end of this wicked system of things becomes more impressive with each passing day. It says: “There will be earthquakes in one place after another, there will be food shortages. These are a beginning of pangs of distress.”​—Mark 13:8.

“Empty Calories”

◆ In the United States it was charged, on July 23, that 40 of the 60 leading dry cereals were so low in nutritional value that they constituted “empty calories.” Some 40 cereals “fail as a complete meal even with milk added,” the critic said. Robert B. Choate, Jr., a former consultant on hunger, said: “Our children are deliberately being sold the sponsor’s less nutritious products” and are “being programed to demand sugar and sweetness in every food.” The most serious failing, Choate said, is that advertising “misinformation displaces any solid nutritional message which might give the youngster an understanding through life of the relationship between what he eats and how he feels.” The cereal companies, of course, protested that this was not true.

Dock Strike Ends

◆ A state of emergency was proclaimed in Britain as a result of the national dock strike that closed all major ports. The declaration empowered the government to use troops to move all essential cargo and to take any other measure required. Britain, a country that produces only half of the food it eats, felt the impact of the strike when food prices began to rise. But before the month of July was through, the strike had been settled and the men went back to work.

Dirty Air over Cities

◆ A hundred million people crowd the tiny nation of Japan, where the pollution of the soil, water and atmosphere has reached the crisis stage. People by the thousands are being treated in Tokyo hospitals for smarting eyes, burning throats and other physical ailments because of a white smog that has blanketed large areas of the city.

Over Sydney, Australia, a noxious industrial smog also hung low. There was an uproar from citizens, and the city fathers promised to act. They traced the strong odor to an oil company plant, but, because of “lack of sufficient evidence” against the company, were ‘unable to prosecute.’

New York city was also undergoing an air pollution alert, plus an electric power crisis, during the hottest day of the year. The entire eastern seaboard was smarting under filthy smoggy air.

Civilization Broke Down​—1914

◆ Kenneth Rexroth, a 65-year-old poet, critic and translator, writes: “If ‘civilization’ means the control of life to insure steadily increasing experience of values in intensity, scope and depth,” then it broke down in August of 1914, continued to function “in a dangerous patched-up fashion” until the end of World War II, and ceased to exist thereafter. “We live in a corpse, which jerks like a dead frog on a hot wire,” he said.

Bombings​—A Growing Threat

◆ A wave of bombings in New York had reached “gigantic” proportions, the United States Senate was told on July 16. There had been 368 bombings from January 1969 through May of this year​—more than twice as many as in the eight preceding years. It was disclosed that bomb threats in New York city had risen from about 3,300 in 1969 to more than 6,000 in the first six months of this year.

Inflation: A Worldwide Crisis

◆ Prices are moving up in practically every country of the world​—often to crisis proportions. Price rises in the past 12 months have ranged from 29.3 percent in Chile and 21.7 percent in Brazil, to 8.3 percent in Japan and 6.3 percent in Sweden. In the United States, prices paid by consumers have gone up 6.2 percent in the past year. Inflation, in other words, has become a world problem. It is particularly acute right now in Europe. The warning now is that unless America and Europe join forces to bring inflation under control, the big depression of the 1930’s will seem like nothing by comparison. Said a Swiss economist: “The greatest trouble for the world now is American inflation. If the United States, with its powerful economy and the world’s leading currency cannot hold its rate of inflation below 5 percent to 6 percent annually, what hope is there for the rest of the world to restore stable conditions?”

Modern ‘Sodom-Gomorrah’

◆ A pop festival held in Byron, Georgia, was described by state officials as “Sodom and Gomorrah all over again.” Out in the open drugs were sold. Legislators testified of seeing several hundred people on drug “trips” at one time. They told of nudity on public highways and of fornication in broad daylight. It was estimated that the crowd ranged from 35,000 to as high as 500,000. What more obvious sign of a civilization hastening to destruction could there be?

College Crisis

◆ Colleges and universities in America are in serious trouble. The students are obviously disenchanted with the rigidities of the educational process, but the higher educational system is also being rocked by a money crisis. The views of eleven public and private universities’ presidents in New York State, Connecticut and New Jersey and the gravity of their fears over inadequate funds were well underscored by Kingman Brewster, Jr., president of Yale University, who said: “I would say that if the present shrinkage of funds were to continue for another year, we [at Yale] would have to either abandon the quality of what we’re doing, abandon great discernible areas of activity or abandon the effort to be accessible on the merits of talent, not of wealth or of race or of inheritance.”

Syphilis Up Sharply

◆ In 1962, the United States Public Health Service began a drive to stop the growth of all venereal diseases. Hope was expressed that these diseases could be eradicated. But since the beginning of this year syphilis has been rising sharply. Last year syphilis increased by 8.5 percent. “This increase is so dramatic that national emergency action is needed,” Dr. James S. McKenzie-Pollock, medical director of the American Social Health Association, warned. Gonorrhea and syphilis, if not treated in time, can destroy the brain cells and produce blindness, death or insanity.

A Correction

◆ In the June 22 issue of Awake! under the heading “Watching the World” appeared a quotation from Look magazine of May 19 inferring that the Roman Catholic Church owns stock in the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company. However, we have learned from the insurance company itself that such is not the case.

Ra II Crosses Atlantic

◆ The Norwegian explorer Thor Heyerdahl at the helm of Ra II sailed his papyrus vessel into Carlisle Bay Bridgetown Harbor, Barbados. The voyage from Morocco took 57 days. On May 17 Heyerdahl with his crew set sail to prove that the ancient Egyptians could have reached the Caribbean thousands of years ago in a similar boat. And on July 12 the captain said that he felt they had established their point. “I think we have proved what we set out to do,” he said. However, he stated, pollution at sea is shocking. On some days he and his crew had been reluctant to wash because of the filth in the ocean.

“Miracle of the Roses”

◆ Thousands of people came from all over the world to St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church at Heaton Norris, in Stockport, Cheshire, England, in 1947 to see the “miracle of the roses.” There they patiently filed past the statue of the madonna. On the head of the statue was a crown of roses from which the petals never fell, even when they withered. The parish priest, James Turner, stated that this was “above and beyond the ordinary workings of nature,” and nobody disputed him. But it was no miracle. It was simply the work of a skilled florist. People who came to see the “miracle” threw money over the altar rail because of the roses. In 1950 an appeal was made for gold so that a replica could be made of the crown of roses. People gave wedding rings and gold watches. The response was overwhelming. A small golden crown was made and placed on the head of Our Lady of Lourdes. Soon thereafter priest Turner went on a long holiday from which he never returned. A former altar boy and the florist admitted that the petals were wired and the whole thing was a fraud. Catholic people of Stockport are not too anxious now to talk about the “miracle of the roses.”

Something for All the Family!

Wholesome reading matter for all the family​—that is what you find in Awake! There is something for adults, something for children. There is something for the housewife, something for the breadwinner. Peoples and customs of many lands, the marvels of creation, articles of scientific interest and others of general interest​—all this is to be found in the pages of Awake!

Straightforward discussions of religious issues alert you in matters of concern to the whole family. Awake! offers instructive information and enjoyable reading for every member of the family. Why not send for your subscription now? One year [24 issues], only $1.

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What Is the Origin of Man?

Does a computer evolve by itself from inanimate matter? Then, what about a living cell​—far more complicated than the most complex computer?

Did the living cell evolve by itself into a man? Sooner or later this question as to the origin of man confronts each one, especially students attending school. The Bible teaches that God created man and all kinds of life directly and not by any process of evolution. Has there been sufficiently strong evidence for evolution to render the Bible teaching obsolete?

Before you hastily answer, why not read a book that offers reliable answers to the questions: Is evolution a fact? Does it hold the key to mankind’s future? Read the thoroughly documented book DID MAN GET HERE BY EVOLUTION OR BY CREATION?

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