May 8

The Jewel of Contentment

A JEWEL is beautiful, precious and something to be cherished. But not all, jewels are tangible, stonelike substances. The virtue of contentment, for example, is a jewel; it too is beautiful, precious and something to be cherished.

Yet today this jewel of contentment is becoming ever more rare. The more people have, the less contented they seem to be. Complained American President Nixon of his people: “Never has a nation seemed to have more and enjoyed it less.”​—New York Times Magazine, November 21, 1971.

Highlighting this fact was a TV documentary presented over a leading United States network late in 1971 and entitled “. . . But What if the Dream Comes True.” Depicting “An American Family’s Discontent,” it gave a true-life presentation of a prosperous Anglo-Saxon senior vice-president of a bank who lived with his wife and three children in an affluent suburb of Detroit. Theirs was described as “a love affair with the obvious good​—good food, beautiful clothes, the best education.” But were they content, happy? No, for the children were “lost and bored.” And although the father said that their house was “a terrific house, beautiful house,“’ and that he was sad to leave it, they were moving to a still more affluent suburb. No wonder the narrator asked, “Is this dream of acquisition the one you want to put your faith in?”

Their dream had come true and yet they were discontented, unhappy. Why? The documentary intimated why: “Love and ideals are all very well, but love and ideals win no pennants,” that is, they are not to be taken seriously.

What will help you to counteract this widespread discontent, and enable you to possess the jewel of contentment?

Being reasonable can help you to be content. This can be seen from the fact that ever so many persons are discontented because of unreasonable expectations. For example, a leading American behavioral scientist noted that many seemingly good marriages generate discontent due to unreasonable expectations. Thus some married couples are discontented with their marriage because they imagine that other couples’ marriages are happier or more successful than theirs. Others, again, are discontented because their marriage does not bring uniform satisfactions.

But how can one couple judge the marital happiness of another, not knowing all their undersurface problems? Is it even reasonable to expect that all couples will have the same degree of success in their marriage? And how can imperfect humans who have to put up with the uncertainties of life expect a marriage to bring uniform satisfactions? Being reasonable in such matters will contribute much toward contentment.

Then again, some people are discontented simply because they fail to be realistic. They try to ignore the homely truth that “It is never this AND that, but this OR that.” To illustrate: Not long after he is married a young man who eagerly looked forward to the joys and blessings of marriage may find discontent creeping in. Why? Probably because he is unrealistic. He thinks he should have the blessings of marriage and the freedom of singleness. Both marriage and singleness have their own blessings. The time to decide which blessings one prefers is before marriage.

Another great aid to possessing the jewel of contentment is appreciation of the blessings that come your way. Do you have a home? Do you have loved ones, a mate, parents or children, or brothers and sisters? Surely these are blessings that, if appreciated, will help you to be content. Do you have the necessary material things? If so, these also are grounds for being content, even as the Christian apostle Paul shows: “We have brought nothing into the world, and neither can we carry anything out. So, having sustenance and covering, we shall be content with these things.” And why be content with these things? Because they represent what we really need, don’t they?​—1 Tim. 6:7, 8.

Another thing that will aid you to be content is self-discipline or self-control. In particular must you learn to discipline your thoughts, to dispel wishful thinking and daydreaming. Be careful in choosing the things you set your heart on. People who let themselves come into bondage to alcohol, drugs, gambling or other vices obviously cannot be content.

Above all, trust in God will enable you to possess the jewel of contentment. As God’s Word counsels us: “Let your manner of life be free of the love of money, while you are content with the present things. For [God] has said: ‘I will by no means leave you nor by any means forsake you.’”​—Heb. 13:5.

If we truly trust God we will take him at his word and heed the Bible’s counsel to ‘store up for ourselves treasures in heaven’ by doing his will, ‘seeking first his kingdom and his righteousness.’ (Matt. 6:20, 33) That such trust in God results in happiness can be testified to by the more than a million and a half Christian witnesses of Jehovah. Typical of them is the case of a woman who lives in an exclusive section of one of Tennessee’s leading cities and who used to be an active church member. Said she: “I had material wealth, prestige, and a career in music, yet there was something lacking. . . . I was regularly seeing a psychiatrist and relying on tranquilizers in an attempt to cope with everyday life.”

Then one day one of Jehovah’s Christian witnesses met her and, before many months, she herself became a baptized Witness, enabling her to say: “What a change came over me as I learned more and more. . . . I was content and on the road to developing the qualities that give us life now and the hope of life in the New Order to come.” Yes, in striking contrast to that ‘discontented American family,’ Jehovah’s witnesses have found contentment by taking Biblical “love and ideals” seriously. Do you want that contentment too? They will be pleased to help you to gain it.

Have You Taught Your Children to Work?

AN ANSWER of Yes or No to this question may disclose a lot more about your family than you think. As parents, your answer may in large measure reflect the circumstances and environment under which you were raised. It may also reflect your present attitude toward life in general, plus your concern for the future of your children. Yes, your answer may reveal things, not only about your children, but also about you, their parents.

Take this matter of your past. Were you raised on a farm where the whole family had to work hard? Or were you brought up in a city where there seemed to be little work for young folks? Did your parents work hard to make a living? And as a child, did they make you work around the home? Or did you have a lot of time on your hands? These childhood experiences could have a profound influence on your attitude when it comes to teaching your children to work.

Similarly, the attitude that you have cultivated during your adult lifetime toward work is also an important factor. For example, if you happen to live in a country that has adopted many laborsaving devices in business and industry, this can influence your opinion of work.

Today as never before great emphasis is placed on more push buttons, more computers, more automation, with less physical and mental effort. Also desired by most people are shorter hours and less work to give more leisure time. This rather easy way of life causes some people to develop an aversion to work, even a hatred of it. If you are a victim of such thinking, then you are bound to have a negative approach toward teaching your offspring to work.

And what about the future of your children?​—something most parents are very much concerned about. If you believe that a child should never have to do ‘a lick of work,’ then you will try to shield and protect your child from more than a minimum of labor and responsibility. Contrariwise, if you feel that supervised work is beneficial for children, you will search out ways of occupying their time and energy with productive activity.

Mankind’s Creator encourages us to take a positive view toward work, for in his Word, the Bible, he caused this to be written: “I have seen that there is nothing better than that the man should rejoice in his works, for that is his portion.” (Eccl. 3:22) Youth is a good time to begin to cultivate that outlook.

When to Start?

If your parents worked hard they probably gave you a good start in life by teaching you to work. And if you have not developed a lazy man’s philosophy in this machine age, you are no doubt convinced that a child should be taught to work for his own good. The question is when to begin.

Begin your program of training when the child is very young. When young he is pliable, willing and eager to learn. Upon reaching the age of three, he should have learned to put his toys away after play periods are over. At least by the time he is old enough to go to school, you should have taught him how to bathe and dress himself, and to put his room in order.

These things may seem trivial, but they teach the child to be orderly and dependable​—qualities so essential to being successful in later undertakings.

So off to school your children go. But is that all there should be to their day’s work schedule? Spending about six hours in school does not completely exhaust children. This is especially so when you consider the emphasis on recesses, play periods, sports and the relaxed manner of instruction and discipline in the classroom today.

In view of this, when your children return from school it would be beneficial if they had regular, assigned chores to do. It is good to have a schedule of such chores made out ahead of time so that each child knows what is expected of him. Of course, such schedules should not be so inflexible that adjustments cannot be made when unforeseen circumstances arise. Even learning to make such spur-of-the-moment adjustments in the schedule is in itself good training for the child, for this he will frequently have to do all his adult life, is it not so?

What to Teach?

Afterschool assignments can include any number of things around the home. This depends, of course, on the kind of home in which one lives, whether on a farm or in the city, whether in a house with yard space around it or in a small apartment with no responsibilities beyond the front door.

But regardless of where you live, there are many things around a home that children can be taught to do, and to do well. To name a few: running the vacuum cleaner and mopping floors, dusting and waxing furniture, washing and ironing clothes, cleaning off the table and washing the supper dishes, also carrying out the garbage.

Every girl should know how to cook. Teach them first the elementary tasks of preparing potatoes and onions to cook. Then progressively teach them to make salads, fix various meat dishes and make tasty desserts. They should also know how to bake. Even mothers who are rather poor cooks themselves can, with the aid of cookbooks, teach their daughters to prepare good meals.

Let the daughters at an early age learn to sew on buttons and mend the holes in stockings. As they grow older, teach them to run the sewing machine by patching work clothes, making aprons and hemming up towels. Every ten-year-old girl should also be able to knit and crochet​—practical arts that train the eyes and fingers.

Now, should these domestic duties be assigned only to the girls in the family? Parents who have foresight appreciate the wisdom of training their sons as well to keep the house neat and clean. Every man should be able to cook and sew when it is necessary, and they can learn the rudiments of these skills if they are included in their childhood work schedules. It is certainly shallow thinking to say that teaching boys how to cook and sew makes them effeminate. The science of seasoning and the chemistry of cooking are fields of knowledge that are attractive to manly boys. The man Jesus Christ was not only a good carpenter; he also knew how to cook, as the Bible implies at John 21:9-12.

By the same token, it is practical wisdom to teach your daughters as well as your sons how to use such common tools as the hammer, saw and paintbrush. Around every house sooner or later something needs to be repaired.

Let boys learn by building those much-needed shelves in the closet or basement, and painting them too. As their skills develop they will be able to fashion more sophisticated cabinets. Let them re-cover the kitchen chairs and reupholster the living-room furniture. In view of the prices that furniture and fixtures are selling for today you are wise if you let your children learn to build and repair them at home!

There are also many outdoor assignments of work that children can do, especially if they live on a farm, where the work is never finished. The city dweller’s opportunities may be somewhat limited, but often here are yards to be cleaned, lawns to be watered and cut, windows to be washed, houses and fences to be painted, automobiles to be washed and waxed, just to mention some. Even the child living in an apartment can often find this kind of work in the neighborhood.

If it is available, let your children have a plot of ground for a garden they can call their own. Give them the needed assistance, but let them bear the responsibility. This means they will have to decide what to plant, after which they will have to water and cultivate it, and fight the bugs, birds and predatory animals if they are to realize any fruitage from their labor. If there are crop failures the first couple of years, encourage them to learn from the mistakes and to continue to improve their skill and methods.

How to Teach Them to Work?

Many parents may feel that teaching children to work is a challenge they are not quite able to meet. Are you one who throws up the hands in a “what’s the use” attitude, simply because you have to keep telling your child to do the same things many times? Do you have to keep coaxing and begging him to do this or that?

There is an art to teaching anything, including the skill of working. Patience, understanding, kindness and love are absolutely necessary. Do not scream and threaten, and do not ridicule or belittle their inefficiency. Of course they will be awkward and clumsy at first. But, with practice on their part and helpful instruction on your part, they will improve. It is in these early stages of learning that you as the instructor need to exercise patience, tolerance and long-suffering. Remember that you too were once young, awkward and unskilled, and that only after many years have you developed efficiency and skill.

Have you ever observed a five- or six-year-old eager to help his daddy wash and wax the car, only to be chased away by the father, perhaps with an irritated “get out of the way” remark? Then when the child is twelve or fifteen the same father can’t understand why the boy rebels at being told to wash and wax the family car. Another father lets his little boy clean the hubcaps and bumpers, and as he gets older he is allowed to do the doors and fenders. Which of the two fathers are you?

This illustrates another rule of teaching: When it is possible, work together with your children to get a job done. In this way you not only set a good example; you are also able personally to supervise the work and pass along helpful suggestions to the next generation. So when the task allows for working together, do not say, ‘There’s the job, go ahead and do it,’ but rather, ‘Here’s the job, and I will help you to do it.’

It is good for you, as a teacher of children, to build in them eagerness and enthusiasm to get the job done, and done well. To do this you must explain the value and importance of each job they are assigned to do. Then they will appreciate why it is necessary to do it, and in time they will even assume responsibility to see that it is done.

But what if the job is a difficult, monotonous or tedious one? How can a child be made to feel enthusiastic about such work? Well, some jobs are like that, and they are a real challenge to one’s endurance and persistence. The child should be made to appreciate this from the very outset. Instead of trying to build up a false enthusiasm, let him view it as a challenge. Overcoming it, then, gives one a feeling of accomplishment, satisfaction.

There are other ways of helping a child to appreciate doing a rather disagreeable assignment. For example,. you might remind the child who balks at washing the supper dishes of how really fortunate he is to have had supper in the first place. There are millions of children living on the edge of starvation who would be only too happy to wash the dishes, just so they did not have to go to bed without supper. Now, your child might say he wants to trade places with these unfortunates. If so, let him go to bed a few nights without his supper until he develops appreciation for his privilege of washing the dishes.

Suppose the child objects to doing certain assignments, such as cutting the grass or washing the car, on the grounds that it is tiring and makes the muscles sore. That may be true; most work does. But does not playing a game of ball or swimming or hiking also tire one out and make the muscles sore? So, what is the difference?

The difference is one of mental attitude or viewpoint. The former carries a distasteful label known as “work”; the latter, the pleasurable designation of “sports event” or “recreation.” Why not change labels on the assignment? Why not make the work pleasurable, not an ordeal? Show them how to gain a sense of real satisfaction and enduring pleasure out of accomplishing the task. Teach them to take pride in their work.

Rewards and Benefits

Everyone looks forward to some reward upon completing a task. It may be nothing more than the satisfaction of having finished it. But rewards over and beyond the personal satisfaction are also appreciated. This is why thoughtful and considerate parents acknowledge the accomplishments of their children. It may be just a simple “Thank you, dear,” for the small things, or it may be a very special token of love for the extraordinary efforts made by their offspring in their work.

Such complimentary rewards serve as a further incentive to do the same or another assignment the next time. It is Scriptural too that you reward your children with a “Well done.”​—1 Cor. 3:8; compare Luke 19:12-17.

You parents may view the teaching of your children as a greater job than doing the work yourself, and this it may very well be. But accept this teaching responsibility as your job, your work. Then discharge it well, and both you and your children will be richly rewarded. As the proverb says: “Have you beheld a man skillful in his work? Before kings is where he will station himself.”​—Prov. 22:29.

Bishops Reaffirm Celibacy​—Why?

THE 1971 Roman Catholic synod of bishops met at Vatican City from September 30 to November 5. Many Catholics looked forward hopefully to what that aggregation of some 210 bishops and 40 other priests and laymen would accomplish. This was apparent from such headlines in Catholic publications as: “Hope for the Synod.” “Might the Synod Surprise?” “The 1971 Synod: A Summons to Service.” It was also said, “The Roman Synod of 1971 must be a milestone.”

Were these hopes realized? Not according to the headlines appearing in the Catholic press at the end of the synod: “Synod dashed his expectations.” “Synod a Disaster?” “Go, and Synod No More.” “Synod tangled up in own red tape.” Illinois clergy irked by synod.” “Küng: Synod was a failure.”

A synod is literally a “meeting” of religious leaders, and so the meeting of the apostles and older men in Jerusalem about 49 C.E. to consider the question of circumcision might be said to have been a synod. (Acts, chapter 15) The provision for Roman Catholic bishops to meet was a product of the Vatican Council II, and previous synods were held in 1967 and 1969. These synods have been described as “the major structural change made by the second Vatican Council.” For this meeting Pope Paul put on the agenda two important subjects: “The Priestly Ministry” and “Justice in the World.”

While Catholic bishops and priests were greatly interested in this synod, such could hardly be said about the average Catholic. As the editor and publisher of the National Catholic Reporter expressed it: “To put things in perspective, we must keep reminding ourselves that most Catholics in the world neither know or care that a World Synod of Bishops is taking place here [in Rome]. . . . But unfortunately, you also get the impression here that many of the bishops have the same feeling about the people ‘out there.’ They seem to be isolating themselves.” Another Catholic weekly, Commonweal, editorialized: “To many of our friends and readers, we know, a gathering of bishops seems about as relevant as a convention of Edsel dealers [Edsel is the name of an auto no longer manufactured and which was a multimillion dollar mistake of the Ford Company].”

The Scandal of Celibacy

The subject of the “Priestly Ministry” obviously involved the matter of celibacy. Since Pope Paul had recently spoken strongly in favor of it, apparently it was thought the subject need not be raised at the synod. But the scandal it was causing was too open for the subject not to be raised by some of the bishops. For example, a French priest in a very small and poor parish who was expelled from the priesthood because of living with a local girl, stated that the Archbishop of Rouen, Monsignor Pallier, was ignoring similar situations where priests from rich, important parishes were living with girl friends.

In particular were the bishops of the United States well informed on the subject, for there a poll of 6,000 bishops and priests conducted by the National Opinion Research Center showed that 54 percent were in favor of optional celibacy. In certain Latin-American lands bishops have decided to waste no energy on the question of celibacy and so are letting priests marry and continue in their ministry so long as their communities do not raise objections.

And says Jesuit theologian J. McKenzie: “In many regions where many [priests] do not live a celibate life, the institution of celibacy may seem to be nothing but sheer, vast hypocrisy. . . . Some find the possibility of great scandal in clerical adultery and divorce; for reasons not easy to ascertain, they do not see the same scandal in clerical concubinage.”

Contributing to the “scandal” of celibacy must be the fact that the Roman Catholic Church does allow at least two exceptions. Thus Protestant clergymen who have converted to the Roman Catholic religion have been ordained as priests in spite of their being married. At present there are some sixty of such priests. Then again, the Vatican allows the priests of Eastern rite churches​—who have their own ritual but recognize the sovereignty of the pope—​to marry. This they do because such churches are located in lands where Greek or Russian Orthodox Churches prevail and which allow their diocesan priests to marry. That is, at the time of ordination the priest decides whether he wants to marry or not. The price he pays for marrying is that he cannot aspire to a higher office. In this, certainly the Vatican is inconsistent, even as Eastern rite leaders charge. That the stand of the Vatican is one of policy rather than principle can be seen from the fact that the Vatican forbids Eastern rite priests to marry if they are serving in Western lands.

Voices Opposing Celibacy

Apparently the “scandal” of celibacy did not loom up very importantly in the minds of the bishops, for only 10 of them voted for optional celibacy, 168 voted in favor of keeping the celibacy rule, 21 voted for it with reservations, and 3 abstained. But in another vote more than half of those not residing at the Vatican voted for permitting the ordination of married men in special circumstances. By and large, it was the bishops from what is known in Catholic circles as the “Third World,” that is, Latin America, Africa and Asia, that were wanting to have married men ordained. In those lands there are 4,000 Roman Catholics to every priest, whereas in Europe and the United States there are four times as many priests proportionately, one priest to every 1,000 population.

Among the voices heard that were opposed to enforcing the celibate rule inflexibly were these:

“What is better​—to preach the Gospel with the help of married priests, or not to preach it at all?”​—Cardinal Alfrink, primate of Holland.

“We bishops have not only the power to ordain, we have the duty to ordain priests in sufficient numbers to meet the needs of the People of God.”​—Cardinal Suenens of Belgium.

“It would be dangerous to become so preoccupied with the present celibacy discipline that we risk eroding the very nature of the priesthood rather than admit married men to Holy Orders.”​—Bishop Alexander Carter, of Sault Ste. Marie, Canada.

“Should not the synod consider the right of Christian communities to have priests rather than to extol the fitness of celibacy to the priesthood?” Bishop Samuel Louis Gaumain of Chad, Central Africa.

John Gran, Bishop of Oslo, Norway, argued that celibacy be made optional for both humane and moral reasons. He said that many priests live “in a loneliness which is pitiful, above all, for the young ones.” He further pointed to the example of married Lutheran ministers, saying: “Most of these pastors seem to be . . . in no way inferior to Catholic priests.”

Celibacy Reaffirmed​—Why?

But in the end the bishops overwhelmingly voted against optional celibacy. Their attitude was that the 40-percent decline in seminary enrollments and the ever-increasing number of priests dropping out​—11,000 leaving between 1963 and 1969—​were not due to the celibacy rule. Rather, they held that all this was due to a crisis of faith on the part of the priests; that, after all, only a minority of priests were involved and their loss of faith was due to such outside factors as TV, newspapers and magazines.

Especially influential in causing the bishops to vote even against making exceptions in special cases were the arguments of Cardinal Conway of Ireland. He insisted that they could not allow priests to marry in one European country and not in another; that they could not allow such a thing in faraway lands and not allow it also in Europe. He further warned that to allow any breach in the celibacy would result in its entire destruction. He also warned that it was necessary to put an end to any hopes that priests or seminarians might entertain that celibacy would be made optional.

Commenting on this aspect of the synod’s discussion, one Catholic editor stated: “The Synod did not pass the test. Not . . . because it . . . practically closed the door to the ordination of married men, but because of the incredibly low level of its argumentations. They were dominated by suspicion and fear: fear of the consequences, . . . fear even that the holiness of the priesthood would be ‘contaminated’ by marriage, as one bishop put it.”

The celibacy rule was reaffirmed also because the bishops, by and large, showed an utter lack of empathy for the priests serving under them; the kind of empathy that Bishop Gran of Oslo evinced. The fact that 72 percent of them were over fifty years old may have had a bearing on this. And they also lacked sympathy, pity, compassion for the millions of Catholics for whom there is but one priest in 4,000. Far removed from their hearts were the sentiments of Christ Jesus, who urged that his followers pray that more workers be sent into the harvest field because of the sorry plight of his people.​—Matt. 9:36-38.

Pope Paul had left no doubt in the minds of his bishops where he stood on the question of celibacy. Moreover, he regularly attended the meetings and at his weekly news conferences intimated how he felt about what was going on at the synod. And when the vote came up, although a number of the leading bishops wanted the vote to be anonymous, the pope insisted that he know how each one voted.

Just why does the pope cling so tenaciously to priestly celibacy? Is it because ‘it is the fairest jewel in the priestly crown,’ setting priests above the common man? Is it because it is more economical and convenient to deal with single men than with family men? Or is it because it results in always bringing new blood into the priesthood? Could be; could be.

Fear of Man, Not Fear of God

But in the final analysis it must be said that the bishops reaffirmed the celibacy rule because they feared man, not God. And “the fear of man brings a snare.” (Prov. 29:25)a Had the bishops feared God, they would have let themselves be guided by God’s Word. Under the Mosaic law arrangement not only were priests allowed to marry, they had to marry to keep the priesthood from dying out, it being a hereditary institution. And among the prophets only Jeremiah was commanded not to marry, to lead a celibate life, and his was a special case. It was to be as a sign of the dire end that awaited his nation.​—Lev. 21:1, 7, 13, 14; Jer. 16:2-4.

And when we come to the Christian Greek Scriptures, what do we find? True, Jesus stated that singleness for the sake of the kingdom of God was the ideal state, but at the same time he precluded all ideas of a celibate order based on vows of virginity by stating: “Not everyone can accept this teaching, only those to whom it is given to do so. . . . Let him accept this teaching who can.”​—Matt. 19:10-12.

Even more explicit are the words of the apostle Paul: “A man is better off having no relations with a woman. But to avoid immorality, every man should have his own wife and every woman her own husband. To those not married and to widows I have this to say: It would be well for them to remain as they are, even as I do myself; but if they cannot exercise self-control, they should marry. It is better to marry than to be on fire.”​—1 Cor. 7:1, 2, 8, 9.

There are also the inspired words found at Hebrews 13:4: “Let marriage be honored in every way and the marriage bed be kept undefiled, for God will judge fornicators and adulterers.” Obviously these words do not allow for the idea that marriage would ‘contaminate’ the minister of God, the way that one bishop put it!

In fact, even though Jesus indicated that the ideal state for the Christian ministry was singleness, marriage appears to have been the general rule among the apostles, for the apostle Paul wrote: “Do we not have the right to marry a believing woman like the rest of the apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas?” Yes, most likely all of the apostles except Paul were married.​—1 Cor. 9:5.

And not only do the Christian Greek Scriptures by precept and example make provision for marriage by Christian ministers, but they indicate that one of the signs of apostasy is forbidding to marry: “The Spirit distinctly says that in later times some will turn away from the faith and will heed deceitful spirits and things taught by demons through plausible liars​—men with seared consciences who forbid marriage.”​—1 Tim. 4:1-3.

It is indeed noteworthy that one looks in vain for Scriptural references among both Catholic and non-Catholic reports on the synod’s debates over optional celibacy and the ordaining of married men in special situations. This could well be because there were no theologians present. Noted Swiss theologian Hans Küng acknowledged that there was nothing in the Scriptures to make celibacy a rule: “We realise more and more that we are in contradiction of the freedom given us by the New Testament. Have we the right to make this universal law? This is not what Jesus wanted.”​—The Auckland Star, September 22, 1971.

Are you going to adhere to a religion that advocates teachings that are so obviously, and admittedly, in contradiction to God’s Word? This is a matter of serious concern for all Catholics who truly want to be pleasing to their Creator.

[Footnotes]

They Sell You Atmosphere

By “Awake!” correspondent in Trinidad

THROUGHOUT the earth there are many emerging nations, including a number of small islands or groups of them. Most of the islands are agricultural, and some have a one-crop economy​—or did until recently. With a small total income, the problem is to find sufficient revenue to keep the ship of state afloat.

If you held an important office in one of these new nations, what would you do to solve the problem? Would it not be a pleasant experience to discover that you had a natural resource that was in demand and could be tailored to suit the size of the particular island? Would it not be gratifying to find that the commodity could be retained after “selling” it, and that it could be “sold” over and over again? That has been the experience of many of the Caribbean islands.

A Product That Can Be Resold

On nearly all the islands of the Caribbean are to be found the “ingredients” that make up this remarkable “commodity”: a mixture of sand, sea, air and, of course, the tropical sun. These are combined to form delightful beaches and resort areas. Whether one views these vistas for the first time or many times, the experience is very pleasant and enjoyable: swimming in the clear, blue-green water with a beach of sand as white and fine as salt; an early morning drive along sandy beaches, fringed with coconut palms​—every breath of pollution-free air being a pleasure.

Government officials have come to realize the income potential of this atmosphere, and so have entered enthusiastically into the business of selling tourists the beauties of their country. It is big business in a number of the islands. Even Palm or Prune Island, a mere speck of 110 acres in the Grenadines, has its resort cabanas and airstrip. The head of a tourism consulting firm was quoted in the Trinidad Express of October 3, 1970, as believing that tourism could most effectively reduce unemployment and lift living standards in developing nations.

Merchandising the Product

Puerto Rico and Jamaica have built up a large tourist industry over the years. Now the smaller islands are working hard to get a share of the business. Tourist boards have been set up by the various governments. Hotels, airlines, steamship companies and other businesses are greatly interested in inducing more persons to visit their nation’s shores. Advertising is done in magazines, by radio, TV and many other ways. New York city subway riders could read a prominent sign in 1969 that said: ‘Visit the unheard-of Caribbean.’

Here in the Caribbean the tourist season runs from December to April. So, steamship lines organize winter cruises, which are quite successful and give the passengers a chance to see many ports on the various islands and the South American mainland. Airlines too line up “package deals” whereby a group can travel together on a certain itinerary and stay at certain hotels. Large numbers will travel on an excursion ticket and break their flight a number of times in order to visit several islands. Then too a group may charter an entire plane for a certain flight. There are, for instance, many chartered flights and also cruise ships that visit Trinidad so that their passengers may see the annual two-day Carnival, the high point of the tourist season in Trinidad.

Tourists must have a place to stay, and so the hotel industry and related guesthouse business continue to expand to accommodate the increasing flow of passengers to the islands. The governments themselves become hotelkeepers. In Barbados and Trinidad, as well as elsewhere, the government either owns or has a controlling interest in hotels. The multiplying of hotels and guesthouses goes on all the time as the business of selling atmosphere increases.

Is It Worth While?

“Yes! Definitely!” replies the public relations officer of the Barbados Tourist Board. He explains that in a small island where sugar was the economy for decades and where the very life of the people was tied in with the sugar interests, the tourist industry has now become the major money-maker. In 1968, for the first time, the gross income from tourism exceeded that from sugar. Records show that the number of visitors to Barbados increased from 44,000 in 1962 to over 137,000 in 1969. Yes, tourism provides bread and butter in many a Barbadian home these days.

In Grenada the officials seemed to say “Yes​—maybe” to the above question. There is no doubt that tourism is a major, if not the major, source of foreign currency for the country, and that the amount of revenue is increasing rapidly. One official pointed out, however, that a considerable outlay of capital to bring in luxury items for the tourists cuts down on the net profit of tourism. Then, too, there is a tendency that discontent may arise on the part of the poor native when he sees the great difference between his station in life and that of the foreigner. In Barbados, however, it was asserted that this was no real point of argument against the tourist industry, since many islanders travel abroad these days and see for themselves the standards of living elsewhere and develop some expensive tastes themselves.

Until recently the tourist dollar has not been sought as vigorously in Trinidad as in some of the other islands, particularly Barbados. Since Trinidad is favored with being a principal oil producer in the Commonwealth and so reaps a rich revenue from petroleum products and also has other substantial industries, she has not been inclined to woo tourists. Yet today tourism is the third-largest source of foreign currency. Special emphasis has been placed on the tourist industry in Tobago, Trinidad’s smaller sister island.

Hazards in the Business

As with any other commercial venture, there are hazards in the business of selling atmosphere. The commodity, the lovely island atmosphere, must be preserved and maintained. For these reasons stability of government is a must. Just let a rumor of trouble or revolution start and Mr. Tourist makes a speedy exit.

This happened in Trinidad and Tobago in April 1970. There were violent demonstrations and an effort to bring down the government. Foreigners were insulted and assaulted. In Tobago the hotels and resorts were invaded and guests mistreated. In a few days those hotels were almost deserted. Visitors to Trinidad fell off at least one fourth. It was months before the flow of visitors became normal once more. Hotel construction came to a stop, or nearly so, for a time. Construction on the new waterfront Holiday Inn ceased in Port of Spain, and only in September 1971 was it resumed.

Currency instability and unemployment are factors to worry about in the tourist business. The recent crisis of the American dollar and the rise in unemployment in the United States and Canada have curtailed many a vacation to the Caribbean in the last few months. These are the two main countries from which the islands receive visitors, and so any drop in the number of persons coming to the islands is a grave threat to the revenue derived from the tourists. Efforts are now being made to attract tourists from Scandinavia via the SAS airline and also from South America, particularly Venezuela.

With the advent of the 747 airplane and reductions in fares to Europe, many who formerly came south from the United States and Canada now fly east to Europe. This too has been a threat to the tourist industry in the Caribbean and no completely successful plan to remedy the situation has yet been produced. Charter flights have helped some.

A hazard to the industry is the treatment accorded to Mr. and Mrs. Tourist during their stay. Word-of-mouth advertising can be fairly potent. If anyone is mistreated or overcharged or robbed, certainly a good word would hardly be forthcoming from such an outraged tourist. Tourist boards recognize this and try to please their customers. The man on the street may, however, have a different view. Many consider a tourist fair game in trying to relieve him of as much cash or property as possible. Taxi fares can be exorbitant, as can some hotel charges. Trinket and souvenir sellers abound and sometimes sell little of any real value. Watches and jewelry sold on the streets are no bargain.

Moreover, there are many alert eyes, watching, watching. Let a tourist be careless with his possessions and they will take wings​—a camera, binoculars, watch or wallet should always be well guarded if an experience that can mar a vacation is to be avoided. The first time the writer visited a beach in Trinidad many years ago he went home barefoot. He left his shoes in a vulnerable place, and they were promptly appropriated. These are the things that those who sell tourism try to avoid, with some measure of success.

Future Prospects

Problems and hazards notwithstanding, the promoters of tourism are optimistic over the future of the industry and are vigorously pressing ahead with plans for expansion. Just recently the Hotel Hilton in Trinidad completed a large addition of 181 rooms. Several hotels and guesthouses are being planned or constructed in Tobago. This pattern is about the same in the other islands. Barbados is making plans to be ready for the jumbo jet 747 flights in the future and so anticipates many more tourists in the coming months.

Travel agents are brought into the area by the various tourist boards in get-acquainted tours to promote greater interest from abroad. One goal is to get a high level of visitors all the year around and so avoid to a large extent a peak and an off season. This would allow much better use of hotel space. Conventions are being sought to bring in large groups of visitors. A convention center has been set up in Trinidad with an eye to attracting more of this kind of business.

A different kind of viewpoint has been developed in Trinidad toward the tourist. Formerly there was the aim to provide “a home away from home” for the tourist, giving him the same kind of food as at home and making him feel that he was in familiar surroundings. This has been expensive and not too successful. Now the aim is to get the visitors to see the country​—its bird sanctuary, its pitch lake, its rain forest and its people of many national origins. Let them see some of the local activities and handicraft. Let them listen to a steel band, watch the limbo dance, hear some calypsos. Instead of steak and onions, they can try some crab and calalu or some cabbage palm salad or a chicken pelau. In this way the visitor realizes that he is not home but is learning something firsthand of how his neighbors live in other lands. This is already having a measure of success with many tourists who say they have fallen in love with the island.

For those who want to get away or who desire a change of pace for a time, the tourist boards have something to sell. It is something that benefits the local economy and population. And the customer receives atmosphere that can be soothing and delightful.

Get a Haircut or Lose Your Job!

IN THE highly competitive business world more and more reputable companies are giving their employees what amounts to an ultimatum: ‘Shape up in appearance or ship out!’

For example: The National Cash Register Company, an international concern with more than two hundred and fifty sales offices in the United States, has sent out an executive order entitled “NCR Corporate Image.” It says in part: “Many customers are adverse to doing business with a company whose representatives are not well groomed. As competitive and difficult as it is to secure new business today, we can ill afford to repel customers for any reason.” The code for the company’s male employees is then set out:

“Hair will be neatly trimmed and combed. Length of the hair must terminate above the collar, and not extend over the ears. Sideburns will extend no lower than the ear lobe, and will not flare out or widen at the lower ends in excess of 1-1/4 inches. Small and neatly trimmed moustaches are acceptable. Handle bar, Fu-Man-Chu, brush type moustaches and beards are not acceptable. Business suits and shirts must be of the dress type, with tie. Balance of clothing is to be neat and clean so as to present a well-groomed, business-like appearance.”

The NCR directive also stipulates proper dress and attire for their female employees.

It is interesting to note in this connection, that the California Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board recently handed down a ruling stipulating that in an area where employers generally refuse to hire men with long hair, then such persons are not eligible for unemployment benefits. Also, in January of this year the U.S. Supreme Court declared that the constitutional rights of a high-school student were not violated when a school board required that he cut his long hair.

Interestingly, the matter of suitable grooming and appearance, including that of one’s hair, is commented on in the Bible in connection with Christian ministers. Under inspiration the apostle Paul recommended “modesty and soundness of mind” in regard to apparel and pointed out that uncommonly long hair would be a “dishonor” to a man. (1 Tim. 2:9; 1 Cor. 11:14, 15) He also stressed that one’s course could have an effect on others for good or for bad. So he set forth the mature view for ministers of God in the comment: “In no way are we giving any cause for stumbling, that our ministry might not be found fault with; but in every way we recommend ourselves as God’s ministers.”​—2 Cor. 6:3, 4.

Blind, and Living a Full, Useful Life

As told to an “Awake!” correspondent in Puerto Rico

MANY persons unfortunately think of the blind as hopelessly handicapped. But did you realize that there are blind lawyers, judges, doctors and teachers? Blindness is a handicap, but it does not prevent many persons from living full and useful lives.

I am totally blind. Yet I am a housewife, look after my husband, and have reared two children.

I was not blind at birth. But I had pigment in the retina that slowly and progressively spread to blot out my sight. Because I could not see well enough to do my schoolwork, teachers at first thought I was backward. In time, however, my difficulty was recognized, and I was entered in sight-conservation classes. We were then living in Brooklyn, New York, having moved there from Puerto Rico.

In my high-school years I attended the New York Institute for the Blind. I could still see forms and silhouettes, and had good light perception. I participated in many school activities, and would read in Braille for hours. These were happy years. I did not think of my poor vision as a handicap, but rather viewed it as an incidental circumstance of life.

Rearing Children

At the age of twenty I married a signal officer whom I met when I was learning to become a telephone switchboard operator in Puerto Rico. When my two children were infants I still had some form and light perception, and with my specially developed sense of touch it was not hard for me to care for them. I could easily bathe and dress them, and I would prepare them nourishing meals. However, as with most children, they did not like everything. I can remember my husband coming home at night and finding food that, unknown to me, they had thrown out the window.

However, rather than its being a hindrance, I think that my blindness actually benefited the children. They were moved to show more love and consideration for me and for others. Their observation became keener as they used their sight in my behalf. They would tell me the exact color of each part of the sky, little details of how people were dressed, and many other things that most people overlook.

From an early age I taught the children good habits and personal organization. I worked hard at this, because their cooperation was essential for me to care properly for the household. For example, when they took their clothes off, they would always put them in the same place so that I could find them on washday. And after a meal I taught them to leave their utensils on the table in a certain position so that I could easily pick them up and take them to the kitchen.

Teaching my daughter to cook was a particular challenge. It was most distressing at times, because she did not always place things in the same place so that I could find them. However, with time and patience she eventually learned to do things as a blind person would. Thus not only did she learn to cook, but she developed excellent personal organization.

I tried to bring the children up so that they would never be self-conscious because I was blind, and I do not think they were. To have fun with me, young Tommy would sometimes play tricks. By the time he was seven or eight he was very good at imitating voices. He would ring the doorbell, and imitate older persons’ voices. On occasion I would even change from my housedress, put on makeup, brush my hair, and be ready to receive what I thought were guests. Once when a young man came on a real errand I thought it was mischievous Tommy, and it took quite a bit of talking for him to convince me that he was not my son.

Doing My Shopping

People often ask how I am able to get around outside my home so as to care for the many duties necessary in connection with myself and my household. In shopping, I at first needed help to know the way to the stores, but when my guide dog gets used to the area I have no problem. On entering a store or passing its door I usually know what type of business it is because of the odor and the general environment. Each type of business has its own peculiar smell and noises. So I have no trouble in identifying a drugstore, department store and so forth.

I like to dress well, and so I am careful in shopping for clothes. When I get to the department I am looking for, I tell the saleswoman the size, color and pattern of the garment I am interested in. In my mind I can “see” just what I want, and so do my best to explain this. Then, when I try it on, I ask people nearby how I look in it. Of course, I can feel if it fits right, and so can finally make my choice.

I find it harder to shop for food because one has to read the labels. When I go to the supermarket, I ask the employees to help me. I keep in mind exactly what I want, because the employees cannot spend all day chasing around the store for me. Most of the time I take a companion when I go shopping for food.

When I return home with my purchases I have a specific place for each item. If I did not, I would not be able to find them later on. So you can see why I prefer to put everything away myself. To identify items I learn their forms, and in the case of cans I mark them. Thus when I am looking for something, I know immediately where it is and what it feels like.

Cooking and Cleaning

I enjoy cooking, and I like to prepare a variety of dishes. This is not difficult. I know the various ingredients by the shelf they are on and by the different shapes and sizes of boxes and cans they are in. Also, my senses of touch, smell and taste help to avoid any mix-ups. Really, I prefer to cook by myself, because if others help me I do not know where they put things, and later I have trouble in finding them.

A big help is the special kitchen equipment that has been designed for the blind. There are bumps on my roaster’s temperature control and bumps on the Braille timer or alarm timer. Thus I can determine by feel where to set the temperature control and timer. I also have a plastic rolling pin for one-handed use, allowing me to feel the dough with the other hand. And I have a Braille cookbook, Cooking Without Looking.

The extra effort needed to keep my house clean has always seemed worth while to me. At times my neighbors even bring visitors in to show them an example of a well-kept house. By the sense of touch I can tell when the floor or furniture needs cleaning. Once for a short time I had a maid who thought she could take advantage of me; so she swept the dirt under the beds. Later I checked this in my bare feet, and she was embarrassed when my feet were so dirty they needed a scrubbing.

It is really essential that my house be neat, everything being kept in a given place. As it is, I have a mental picture of each room, so I can walk through the whole house without bumping into anything.

Training the Senses

Some persons believe that the other senses of the blind are naturally superior. However, studies show that this is not so. The blind are not born with especially acute hearing, touch, smell or taste, but, rather, by training these senses they are able to increase the efficiency of them. Let me give you an example.

Sit down and listen to some music. Close your eyes so that you can better appreciate the sounds. Now, what are you doing? You are shutting out certain things that might distract you, and by concentration you are training your hearing ability. It is similar with blind persons. We do not have the distractions sighted persons do, and so we can concentrate better on the developing of other senses, such as our hearing.

It is remarkable the amount of information that can be acquired through senses other than sight. I utilize all my senses​—smell, hearing, touch and taste—​so that I can “see,” as it were, where I am or what I am doing. In this way I get quite a complete picture of my surroundings, knowing just what is going on around me.

The sense of hearing is particularly important. There are, of course, sounds that are emitted by objects​—a honking car, a moving fan or a speaking person. The blind become experts at analyzing such sounds. For example, I can tell by the direction of one’s voice whether one is tall or short, and so either look up into one’s face or down, as the case may be.

Also, reflected sounds can be of tremendous help. The environment is emitting all types of sounds​—steps on the sidewalk, voices of people, sounds of traffic, and so forth—​and these sounds are constantly being reflected off walls, furniture, floors and other things. Blind persons develop a consciousness of these reflected sounds, and often can learn much from them. For example, I can walk down the street or through a building and know by the reflected sound if I am near a wall, door or other object.

My sense of touch also tells me many things. I learn, not only from what I touch with my hands, but from the things that touch me. A gentle breeze, however slight, might indicate an open window or door or, if I am in the street, an opening between two buildings. The perception of warmth or coolness is important, as when I am moving around the kitchen with the stove on. Also, I can tell if a vehicle has been parked for a long or short time by the heat emitted. The average person is usually amazed at the completeness of the picture I get of my surroundings by perception through senses other than sight.

Speaking with the Blind

You can be helpful by treating the blind similar to the way you treat persons who can see. Please do not approach us and say, “Guess who I am.” This only emphasizes our condition. When you introduce someone to a blind person, instead of just saying, “Meet Mr. So-and-So,” it is more helpful if you say, “At your right is Mr. So-and-So, whom I would like you to meet.”

Also, it is not really kind to say, “There goes that poor blind person.” I do not feel that I am “poor.” Just because we have a handicap does not mean we cannot live full, useful lives. We appreciate it when you talk to us in the same manner as you do to others. In this way we feel a part of the group, and not like some rare species.

A Full, Useful Life

Really, I can do most things sighted persons do. Not only can I read, but I can also write in Braille, using a little stylus and small piece of metal full of holes. Since these instruments are small, I can carry them with me, and take notes whenever I need to. When I give a talk in the Theocratic Ministry School, in which I am enrolled in the congregation of Jehovah’s witnesses with which I associate, I can feel my notes and so never have to turn my face away from the audience. Also, I never have to look at the time; I know it by just feeling my watch.

However, what makes my life especially full and meaningful is knowing our Creator, Jehovah God, and serving him. I am a full-time teacher, spending at least a hundred hours a month in helping others to learn God’s purposes. I go with my dog calling on persons from house to house. When I find someone who wants me to come back I write down the name and address, being careful to remember where I am and how to get back to the same street, and then with the help of my dog I return. At present I conduct each week about ten Bible studies in the homes of interested persons.

I raised my children to share in this same godly work. In March of 1970 my daughter Marlene graduated from the Gilead missionary school of Jehovah’s witnesses in New York city, and in September of 1971 Tommy graduated from the same school. Tommy is now a missionary in Spain.

Marlene served as a missionary for six months in Ecuador, but then she became seriously ill and so returned to Puerto Rico. I was with her day and night at the hospital. From her bed she studied the Bible with one of the nurses, even though she fainted each time after the study was finished. The nurse is now ready to symbolize by water baptism her dedication to serve Jehovah God. Marlene lived twenty-five fruitful years, but the disease proved fatal. There were over a thousand persons who attended her funeral.

Now when I talk to people about God’s purposes they have added meaning to me. I am so grateful to Jehovah God for his promise of the resurrection, and that the day will come when I will be able to feel my daughter, hear her, and yes, see her, when she lives here on this earth again. I feel that mine is indeed a full and useful life, sharing with as many persons as I possibly can the grand hope that our loving Creator offers to mankind.

Hepatitis​—How to Avoid It

THE liver is the largest organ within the human body and at the same time does the greatest number of different jobs​—upward of five hundred. It therefore should not be surprising that at times it gets inflamed when invaded by certain poisons, bacterial or viral organisms. Inflammation of the liver is known as hepatitis. In the United States, from 30,000 to 70,000 cases of hepatitis are reported each year. The actual total may be very much greater.

There are several kinds of hepatitis. Infectious hepatitis is caused by contamination of one’s water or food supply by the stool or fecal matter of someone who is a carrier of hepatitis. A person can carry the hepatitis virus without himself being disabled or made sick by it. This kind of hepatitis has an “incubation” period of between fifteen and forty days. That is, it takes that long after the virus has invaded one’s body before its symptoms manifest themselves, and they do this rather abruptly. Infectious hepatitis may run its course without one’s being aware of it, which is one reason why there may be many times as many cases of it as are reported. Only two tenths of one percent, or one in five hundred reported cases of infectious hepatitis, results in death.

Quite similar to infectious hepatitis is toxic hepatitis. This generally is caused by certain drugs or chemicals that might be taken through the mouth, inhaled, absorbed by the skin or received through injections. An important function of the liver is to detoxify poisons that enter the body. But certain poisons may be too strong for the liver to handle and so may either harm the liver or interfere with its eliminating other poisons from the circulation.

The most serious liver inflammation is called serum hepatitis. It generally is caused by a transfusion of contaminated blood, although drug addicts also transmit it from one to another by means of hypodermic needles. Its incubation period is from 60 to 160 days, or about four times as long as that of infectious hepatitis. The length of time it takes to manifest itself doubtless is one reason why the number actually reported is far below the actual number.

But the most serious fact about serum hepatitis is that, while only one in five hundred who get infectious hepatitis dies from it, as many as one in ten of those who get serum hepatitis dies as a result. So there may be as many as 3,000 deaths from the 30,000 cases in the United States each year. Until recently it was believed that only by means of blood transfusions or hypodermic needles could serum hepatitis be transmitted, but now there seems to be some evidence that it can be spread in other ways.

A Mysterious Disease

Repeatedly writers on the subject refer to hepatitis as a mysterious disease. Why? For one reason, because up until now man has not been able to isolate the virus that causes it. Thus science writer Lawrence Galton stated: “Of all the diseases that afflict man, few are more debilitating to the sufferer, more frustrating to the scientist and ultimately more mysterious and elusive than hepatitis.”

Another reason why hepatitis deserves to be termed mysterious is that its symptoms are by no means clear-cut; and this, incidentally, may be another reason why there evidently are so many more cases of hepatitis than are reported. A person may have had hepatitis but thought he was merely having a bad cold, a touch of the flu, a bad case of indigestion or diarrhea, not recognizing the nature of his health problem. Thus it has happened that physicians have had patients operated on for gallstones or had exploratory operations performed because of suspected cancer, only later to discover that the patient had been suffering all along from hepatitis.

What Are the Symptoms?

Whether the hepatitis is of the infectious or serum kind, the symptoms are quite similar except that in serum hepatitis they appear much later, and are likely to be more severe and long lasting, as much as six months or more. Among the symptoms generally associated with hepatitis are a pain in the upper right part of the abdomen, loss of appetite, headache, nausea, fever, upset stomach, loose bowels and malaise, that is, a feeling of not being well. As a rule, four days after such symptoms begin, jaundice appears. Bile may be detected in the urine and the stool may become clay colored.

Evidently hepatitis is caused by a vital agent. It laid low a whole team of robust football players back in the fall of 1969. Members of a certain United States eastern college football team were reportedly “dropping like flies” because of having drunk contaminated water a few weeks before. More than 98 percent of all those connected with the college’s football team were involved.

But the difference between the hepatitis case that was recognized because of its severity and the mild case that went undetected could well be due to the state of nutrition and general health of the individual. This seems borne out by the fact that the death toll from hepatitis is fifteen times as high in certain Asiatic lands where there is much malnutrition as it is in Western lands where people get plenty of good food to eat.

Preventing Hepatitis

As to preventing infectious hepatitis, this is largely a matter of making certain that one’s water supply is not contaminated. In large cities this presents less of a problem than it does in small towns and villages and in the rural communities, where the water supply might easily become contaminated by sewage. Care along these lines would indicate caution as to one’s water supply and washing one’s hands thoroughly after using the toilet and before preparing food.

There is also the hazard presented by shellfish, particularly clams, because of their having been contaminated by sewage in the water. Apparently not without some hygienic reasons was the prohibition to ancient Israelites against eating all manner of shellfish.

It has been stated that the only sure ways to prevent serum hepatitis are not to have any blood transfusions and to use only disposable hypodermic needles.

Among the efforts to minimize serum hepatitis that have met with a measure of success have been the freezing of blood (for which researchers are still trying to find the ideal method); separating red blood cells, keeping them until needed, and then using them instead of whole blood. But these have not completely solved the problem.

Recently certain medical scientists have developed the “Australian factor,” produced by experiments on small monkeys known as marmosets. Currently this factor is being offered the medical profession as a means of detecting the hepatitis virus in blood. But not all in the medical profession are enthusiastic about it. Thus Dr. R. Kelsey, pathologist at Illinois Masonic Hospital, who has done much research along these lines, stated: “As far as we are concerned existing tests for Au antigen are very poor screening devices detecting no more than 20 to 25 percent of those who have classical viral hepatitis.” Additionally, Au antigen testing “gives a false sense of security. The idea of requiring Au antigen testing for all transfused blood is ludicrous at this time.”a

Other workers in the field have come up with the Hepa-Gent (HG) test, for which they have great hopes and for which they have made great claims. However, some who have made quite some use of it are rather cautious in expressing approval of it, or giving it unqualified support.b

Efforts to prevent serum hepatitis include those directed toward greater care in collecting blood. For example, the State of New Jersey Health Department found that if the blood came from dope addicts or suspected dope addicts the risk of serum hepatitis was seventy times as great as the average. But as for the difference between risks presented by ‘good’ volunteer blood banks as compared with ‘bad’ volunteer blood banks and the difference between ‘good’ commercial blood banks as compared with ‘bad’ commercial blood banks, Dr. M. J. Goldfield at New Jersey Health Department stated: “In spite of all our preconceived ideas concerning good blood banks and bad ones and our blind faith that blood from a well-run bank will be associated with less hepatitis . . . the risk of hepatitis did not vary significantly from one commercial blood bank to another or from one volunteer bank to another.” In other words, a well-run commercial blood bank still has three times the risk of hepatitis that a poorly run volunteer blood bank has!c

Coping with Hepatitis

Some doctors let their hepatitis patients eat and do as they please, within reason, whereas others order complete bed rest and nourishing food.

There are some who highly recommend extra vitamins for hepatitis patients. Thus Dr. Fishbein tells of British researchers who have found water-soluble vitamins, such as vitamin C, helpful. Others say that taking vitamin C in very large doses together with vitamin B₁₂ in comparatively large doses is helpful. The use of vitamins as well as to what extent patients should be allowed to eat fat are controversial matters. However, all are agreed that alcoholic beverages should be strictly avoided in cases of hepatitis.

In brief, the lesson seems to be, Work to keep the body in good health. Keep food and water free from contamination, and avoid blood transfusions.

[Footnotes]

Truly Rich

● Some businessmen take pride in having the first dollar earned displayed in a frame on the wall. How much richer, though, is the man who still has his first friend, for the Bible says that “a true companion is loving all the time.”​—Prov. 17:17.

Youthful, Enthusiastic 52nd Gilead Class Graduates

THE missionary students of the 52nd Class of the Watchtower Bible School of Gilead were an especially outgoing youthful group, averaging less than twenty-six years when they registered. They had previously spent some ten years, on an average, in the Christian ministry and had been enriched by a wide variety of backgrounds. They were extremely enthusiastic about learning.

And they had good reason to be enthusiastic, for the lecture course of Gilead School had been tremendously improved. The lectures were tailored to the particular problems they would meet. Moreover, the lecture course had more depth, a wider variety of subjects and a greater number of speakers. The course included a showing of the Photo-Drama of Creation, and archaeology and chronology were put in their proper place.

The students had looked forward eagerly to their graduation day, March 6, 1972, and they stamped it with their youthful enthusiasm. After the introductory features of the graduation program the students heard for the last time from their instructors and others who had had charge of their activities. First came Fred Rusk. He quoted the president of the Union Theological Seminary in New York who last year confessed to that school’s graduating class that they were faced with a “crisis of identity,” that they “must begin to think unthinkable thoughts,” and that “we have not yet even reached an agreement as to the nature of the problem.” Mr. Rusk noted that in contrast there were no such problems facing these Gilead graduates. Their godly fruits identify them, and God’s Word charts their course.

U. V. Glass next addressed the class. He likened their work of building up true worship to the building work that Nehemiah did. Though Nehemiah’s work of rebuilding Jerusalem’s walls was urgent and dangerous, he took time to bring relief to his fellow Jews who were oppressed by creditors. So, too, missionaries should show loving concern for their brothers. Then they too can pray as Nehemiah prayed: “Do remember for me, O my God, for good, all that I have done in behalf of this people.”​—Neh. 5:19.

Next came E. A. Dunlap, the school’s registrar. He quoted from Ecclesiastes 7:10: “Do not say: ‘Why has it happened that the former days proved to be better than these?’” Applying the text to the missionaries, he counseled against looking back to former times or better conditions at home, for this leads to self-pity, which in turn leads to discouragement and quitting. He warned against ‘putting one’s hand to the plow and then looking back.’​—Luke 9:62.

M. G. Henschel, United States branch servant, next spoke on the theme, “Acquire Thinking Ability,” basing his remarks on Proverbs 5:1, 2. He pointed out that the graduates had acquired a good foundation of knowledge, so essential to exercising thinking ability. This thinking ability protects a person by enabling him to see the consequences of a certain course of action. It means ‘using your head,’ being able to think on the basis of knowledge of what God had written in his Word. This thinking ability enabled Jesus to see what would be the evil consequences of following the Devil’s suggestions. (Matt. 4:1-10) “Thinking ability,” Henschel declared, “based on an accurate knowledge of God’s Word will carry you through. Do not make any hasty moves.”

Max Larson, the factory servant, chose as his theme, “Will You Accept the People?” In his travels he had observed that those missionaries who were happiest and most successful were those who had accepted the people in their territory, in their congregations and in their missionary homes. He read Galatians 6:7-10, noting that, to “work what is good toward all,” one must take people the way they are, and not be critical of their peculiarities or shortcomings. “Accept people as they are,” he said, “and you will be good missionaries and God will bless you.”

George Couch, Bethel home servant, next spoke. He described the satisfaction that comes from having achieved one’s goal in life. Those ambitious to realize materialistic goals have but short-lived success. In contrast, enduring success and happiness come to those who have made the Christian missionary work their vocation. He encouraged his listeners not to neglect personal study, prayer and attendance at Christian meetings.

Then Grant Suiter read some thirty messages sent from fifteen different lands including such faraway places as Japan, New Guinea and Afghanistan. One greeting came from 85 Christian ministers incarcerated in Spanish military prisons, some for as long as eleven years.

After these messages were read, F. W. Franz, vice-president of the Watch Tower Society, spoke. He stressed the seriousness of their commitment. He drew on Scriptural examples to show the importance of their dedication and the fitness of the term. He then elaborated on Ecclesiastes 5:2-7, where Solomon stresses the obligation to keep a vow, noting that a vow is something voluntary. In conclusion he urged the students to be true to their missionary assignments.

The program to this point might be said to have been preliminary, leading up to the main talk given by the president of the school, N. H. Knorr. He noted that it was in the midst of World War II, when there were but 90,000 Witnesses world wide, that the Watchtower Bible School of Gilead was conceived and began to function in 1943. He quoted from Romans 12:9-11 and emphasized the need to hate what is bad, to cling to what is good and to be aglow (literally “boiling”) with the spirit. Today when people ‘go unrestrained because of having no vision,’ it is the privilege of Christian witnesses to give the people a vision of God’s kingdom. (Prov. 29:18) He also stressed the need for them to be humble, not even making reference to their Gilead school training, so as not to put a gap between the lowly people they are teaching and themselves.

After receiving their diplomas one of the students read a letter of appreciation from the class addressed to “Dear Brother Knorr and Bethel Family.” It was a warm expression of gratitude for the “education, training and discipline” they had received. They had truly been helped to appreciate “that what Jehovah requires most of all from us is service with a complete heart.”

The foregoing program, which lasted from 2 until 5 p.m., was followed by an intermission. Then at 6 p.m., the students presented a very fine and varied musical program, ranging from Mozart and Chabrier to European folk songs and American hillbilly songs. Particularly outstanding was the original composition, “It’s Good to Be Home, Mom,” which described the apostle John’s vision of Kingdom blessings. This was followed by a Bible drama, which effectively applied the lesson of lowliness of mind inherent in the Bible account of the Syrian general Naaman who was cured of leprosy.​—2 Ki. 5:1-27.

[Picture on page 24]

Fifty-second Graduating Class of the Watchtower Bible School of Gilead

In the list below, rows are numbered from front to back and names are listed from left to right in each row.

(1) Hartig, A.; Martinez, L.; Mercado, R.; Bosold, M.; Lacayo, R.; Sanda, M.; McQuaters, B.; Diaz, C.; Kettelle, S. (2) Williams, C.; Waterhouse, J.; Bottorf, L.; Camacho, C.; Torres, M.; Maybee, S.; Guillen, R.; Frazee, P.; Dunne, S.; Huerta, J. (3) Benites, C.; Oliver, L.; Barnes, S.; Bux, H.; Schisel, C.; Karstensen, E.; Nelson, L.; Hreczanyk, M.; Dunne, T.; Pobuda, L. (4) Hurd, F.; Kuhr, F.; Jensen, E.; Matos, G.; Mantz, S.; Jepsen, H.; Howard, O.; Vilas, T. (5) Ewers, A.; Gonzales, S.; Lum, N.; Sharpe, M.; Jacobsen, L.; Neumann, L.; Sanda, D.; Almost, C.; Almost, P.; Malling, J. (6) Kettelle, W.; Matos, R.; Thusgaard, G.; Grover, L.; Lum, P.; Zimmerman, A.; Martin, G.; Jackman, S.; Benites, A.; Christiansen, S. (7) Garfman, D.; Lacayo, A.; Frazee, W.; Benitez, C.; Wilson, A.; Steinle, L.; Jackman, J.; Neumann, T.; Bell, D.; MacDuff, L. (8) Adelman, G.; Kristensen, K.; Camacho, F.; Bottorf, W.; Fischer, E.; Blessing, W.; Schisel, D.; Oliver, R.; Karstensen, H. (9) Martin, J.; Sharpe, R.; Longreen, P.; Mantz, J.; Waterhouse, D.; Jacobsen, V.; Hurd, R.; Barnes, T.; Maybee, C.; Lindtoft, T.; Howard, J., Jr. (10) Pobuda, R.; Hreczanyk, J.; Wilson, P.; Zimmerman, J.; McQuaters, S.; Kuhr, H.; MacGillivary, R.; Grover, G.; Steinle, W.; Nelson, D.

“Your Word Is Truth”

When Did Babylon Desolate Jerusalem?

SECULAR historians usually give the year 586 B.C.E. as the correct date for the desolation of Jerusalem. Why, then, do Jehovah’s Christian witnesses speak of this event as occurring in 607 B.C.E.? It is because of confidence in what the Bible says about the duration of Jerusalem’s lying desolate.

The Scriptures assign a period of seventy years to the desolation of Judah and Jerusalem. After describing the Babylonian conquest of Jerusalem, 2 Chronicles 36:21 reports: “All the days of lying desolated it kept sabbath, to fulfill seventy years.” By means of his prophet Jeremiah, Jehovah had declared: “All this land must become a devastated place, an object of astonishment, and these nations will have to serve the king of Babylon seventy years.”​—Jer. 25:11.

Was this really a period of seventy literal years? Yes, that is the way the prophet Daniel, toward the close of the period of Jerusalem’s desolation, understood it, saying: “I myself, Daniel, discerned by the books the number of the years concerning which the word of Jehovah had occurred to Jeremiah the prophet, for fulfilling the devastations of Jerusalem, namely, seventy years.” (Dan. 9:2) Note that here Daniel speaks of the “number of the years” of devastation as seventy. Surely he could not have done so if the seventy years were symbolic or an inflated round number.

Additional evidence is provided in the book of Zechariah. We read: “When you fasted and there was a wailing in the fifth month and in the seventh month, and this for seventy years, did you really fast to me, even me?” (Zech. 7:5; 1:12) The way this question is framed, with reference to specific months, certainly indicates that a period of seventy literal years was involved.

That the Jews in ancient times understood the seventy years as being literal and involving a total devastation of the land is apparent from the works of Josephus, a Jewish historian. In his Antiquities of the Jews, Book X, chap. 9, par. 7, he tells that “all Judea and Jerusalem, and the temple, continued to be a desert for seventy years.”

When the Israelites were able to return to Judah and Jerusalem, that desolation ended. There is general agreement that Babylon fell to Cyrus on October 5/6, 539 B.C.E. From the Scriptural record at 2 Chronicles 36:21-23 and Ezra 3:1-3, which tells of Cyrus’ decree liberating the Jews and their return to their homeland, the indications are that the Jews arrived back in their homeland around the early part of October of 537 B.C.E., ending the seventy years of desolation. Jerusalem must, therefore, have been destroyed seventy years earlier, in 607 B.C.E.

Various attempts to harmonize the date 586 B.C.E. with what the Bible says are therefore unsatisfactory. None of such attempts fit the Bible’s testimony that Jerusalem and Judah lay desolate for seventy years.

The 586 B.C.E. date is based primarily on what is known as “Ptolemy’s Canon,” which assigns a total of 87 years to the Babylonian dynasty beginning with Nabopolassar and ending with Nabonidus at the fall of Babylon in 539 B.C.E. According to this Canon, the five kings that ruled during this period were Nabopolassar (21 years), Nebuchadnezzar (43 years), Evil-merodach (2 years), Neriglissar (4 years) and Nabonidus (17 years). In line with the number of years thus assigned to each ruler, Jerusalem’s desolation in Nebuchadnezzar’s eighteenth year (nineteenth year if counting from his “accession year”) would fall in 586 B.C.E.​—2 Ki. 25:8; Jer. 52:29.

But how dependable is Ptolemy’s Canon? In his book The Mysterious Numbers of the Hebrew Kings, Professor E. R. Thiele writes:

“Ptolemy’s canon was prepared primarily for astronomical, not historical, purposes. It did not pretend to give a complete list of all the rulers of either Babylon or Persia, nor the exact month or day of the beginning of their reigns, but it was a device which made possible the correct allocation into a broad chronological scheme of certain astronomical data which were then available. Kings whose reigns were less than a year and which did not embrace the New Year’s day were not mentioned.” (Italics ours.)

So the very purpose of the Canon makes absolute dating by means of it impossible. There is no way to be sure that Ptolemy was correct in assigning a certain number of years to various kings. For example, while Ptolemy credits Evil-merodach with only two years of rule, Polyhistor assigns him twelve years. Then, too, one cannot be certain that just five kings ruled during this period. At Borsippa, for instance, were found names of a number of Babylonian kings that do not appear elsewhere.

Nevertheless, someone may ask, Is there not an ancient astronomical tablet, “VAT 4956,” that places the thirty-seventh year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign exactly in the same year as does Ptolemy’s Canon?

It should not be overlooked that the source of corroborative evidence should bear the earmarks of dependability. Can this be said about “VAT 4956”? Not really. The text is not an original and it contains numerous gaps. Certain terms found therein cannot even be understood now. Twice in the text the notation hi-bi (meaning “broken off, obliterated”) appears. Thereby the scribe acknowledged that he was working from a defective copy.

Even if, despite these problems, the astronomical information presents a true picture of the original, this would not establish the correctness of the historical data. As Ptolemy used the reigns of ancient kings (as he understood them) simply as a framework in which to place astronomical data, so the copyist of “VAT 4956” may, in line with the chronology accepted in his time, have inserted the ‘thirty-seventh year of Nebuchadnezzar.’ As admitted by the German scholars Neugebauer and Weidner (the translators of this text), the scribe evidently changed words to conform with the abbreviated terminology common in his day. But he was both inconsistent and inaccurate. So he could just as easily have inserted other information to suit his purposes. Hence both Ptolemy’s Canon and “VAT 4956” might even have been derived from the same basic source. They could share mutual errors.

Opposed to Ptolemy’s Canon and “VAT 4956” stands the unanimous testimony of Jeremiah, Zechariah, Daniel and the writer of 2 Chronicles, that Judah and Jerusalem lay desolate for seventy years. Thousands of ancient manuscripts of these writings contain the identical testimony. So, because of the problems inherent in Ptolemy’s Canon and “VAT 4956,” it takes more faith to accept them than it does to accept the Bible’s testimony, which would place the desolation of Jerusalem by the Babylonians in 607 B.C.E.a

[Footnotes]

Watching the World

Largest Atom Smasher

◆ What is claimed to be the largest atom smasher in the world began to operate recently near Chicago, Illinois. Its main ring is four miles long and twenty feet below the surface of the ground. This $250 million instrument is designed to accelerate protons to a speed that will produce 200 billion electron volts when they smash into a target. This is said to be nearly three times as powerful as any machine operating at present. It is believed that the energy capacity of the machine can be increased to 500 billion electron volts. The next most powerful accelerator is near Moscow, reportedly producing 76 billion electron volts. These machines are used for doing basic research on the atom.

A Sinking and Rising City

◆ The Chinese city of Shanghai subsided more than seven feet in some areas during the period from 1921 to 1965. The sinking was due to water pumped from the more than one thousand wells sunk during the past century for industrial use. The subsidence is now being stopped by using concentrated injections of water pumped simultaneously into many wells. This replenishes the underground water, causing sections of the city actually to be lifted. Consequently the city is a bit higher than it was a few years ago. When the injection of water is discontinued, the land sinks again, as factories continue to draw water out of the wells, but reinjection of water brings it up again. The water pumped into the wells is obtained from rivers and creeks flowing through the city.

Plastic Pollution

◆ Scientists investigating the Sargasso sea, which is a vast region in the Atlantic Ocean, have found countless bits of plastic objects floating there. They are spread over an area of several thousand square miles with a density of about 9,000 bits per square mile. Some of the objects are cigar holders, syringe needle shields, jewelry, button snaps and so forth. Bits of plastic in the form of small spheres have also been found in the waters of Long Island Sound. Since plastic does not break down under the action of bacteria, it accumulates in the environment.

“Canned Sermons”

◆ There are approximately a dozen companies that are producing sermons for clergymen, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal. One company charges $25 for fifty-two bland sermons that go to 5,500 subscribers on a weekly basis. The company is owned by a Catholic lawyer. Another company is owned by a former sportscaster. He charges approximately $2.00 apiece for his sermons. Thus a clergyman who lacks the initiative to produce his own sermons can buy “canned” ones.

TV Violence

◆ The United States government sponsored a study of the effects of TV violence on children. After the study was completed the twelve-member advisory committee announced that the study indicated only a “modest relationship” between TV violence and aggressive behavior. But scientists who worked on the study disagree with this summary of the findings. They contend that the study actually established a positive, clearly defined and unquestionable link between violent TV shows and the subsequent behavior patterns of children who watched the shows. Dr. John Murray observed: “There’s no question in my mind that normal children watching a large amount of TV violence will become more aggressive.” The scientists also found that there is evidence that TV violence aimed at adults can have the same effect on them.

Hospital Infections

◆ Dr. John Bennett, chief of the U.S. center for Disease Control’s bacterial disease branch in Atlanta, estimates that of all the people who are hospitalized in the country, about one out of every 20 picks up an infection at the hospital. Since about 30 million people are admitted to hospitals annually, this could mean that about 1.5 million hospital patients are felled by infections they did not bring with them. Half of the infections are of the urinary tract, another quarter are surgical and about one eighth are respiratory.

Drifting Pesticides

◆ It was found that some particles of a widely used pesticide traveled up to 84 miles from where it was sprayed by airplane, although the spraying was done at an altitude of ten feet in a barely perceptible wind of three miles per hour. Concern has been expressed that such pesticides and other pollutants are damaging unborn children. In the magazine Obstetrics and Gynecology, Dr. John Hobbins states: “A recent study covering 13 states found that 52 of 68 randomly selected autopsy specimens from stillborns or neonates who survived just a few hours contained variable amounts of chlorinated hydrocarbons. Presumably these came from maternal contact with pesticides.”

Problems with Sewage Sludge

◆ Experiments have been made in using sewage sludge as a fertilizer on farmland, but now this does not seem to be advisable. It has been found that toxic metals in sludge show up in dangerous amounts in edible plants grown on ground fertilized by it. This was disclosed by the Cornell University Pesticide Residue Laboratory.

Mercury Poisoning

◆ Up to 400 persons in Iraq have been reported as dying from eating flour made from mercury-treated wheat that was to be used only for planting. Beef was also a source of poisoning when cattle fed the grain were slaughtered and sold for beef as soon as symptoms of mercury poisoning showed up in them. Still another source was fish taken from the Tigris River, where farmers dumped the seed when the government announced that trafficking in the seed would be punishable by death.

Too Many Tires

◆ Australia is trying to find a solution to the problem of what to do with old automobile tires that are accumulating at the rate of 150,000 a year. Pollution laws will not permit them to be burned, and a growing number of towns will no longer accept them at their dumps. Some are being used for constructing underwater reefs. Others are being ground up and mixed with pigments and adhesives for the manufacturing of artificial lawns. Other possible uses for them are also being explored.

Protecting Property by Etchings

◆ A program called Operation Identification is now being sponsored by numerous police departments and service organizations. The program provides electric engraving instruments on a lending basis to private citizens. They use the instruments to etch the number of their driver’s license on their TV sets, cameras, jewelry and so forth. A decal is then put on a window that reads: “We have joined Operation Identification.” Since burglars know that it is difficult to sell marked items and that possession of such items may easily mean arrest, some prefer to avoid houses with these decals. In one area where 6,000 homes did not take part in the program, there have been 2,000 burglaries since 1963. In another area of 5,000 homes that took part in it, there have been only 20 burglaries during the same period.

Increasing Drug Addiction

◆ Until recently heroin addicts in the United States were estimated to number about 300,000. Now the unofficial estimate is about 650,000, with 300,000 addicts living in New York city. The average age of drug addicts receiving treatment in this city during the early 1960’s was 25. The age dropped to 21 four years ago. Now the average age is 17. Approximately 25 percent of the addicts receiving treatment in New York are under 15. A spokesman at the Kings County Hospital Center in Brooklyn observed: “In a family, [heroin addiction] is very contagious. We’re seeing third- and fourth-generation addicts now.”

Dirty Money

◆ Louisville School of Medicine researchers analyzed coins and paper bills of small denominations. Their study revealed that 13 percent of the coins and 42 percent of the bills were contaminated with disease-producing bacteria. The smaller denominations of coins and bills were more contaminated due to their greater use.

Methadone Babies

◆ Some cities have programs where heroin addicts are issued methadone, an inexpensive synthetic narcotic, as one step in their treatment. It has long been known that babies born to female heroin addicts are often found addicted to heroin and undergo withdrawal symptoms. Until recently it was not thought that there was any danger in the case of newborn babies whose mothers had been taking methadone. But now it has been learned that about two thirds of the babies born to methadone mothers have withdrawal symptoms, which include irritability, poor sleeping habits, sucking with great anxiety, scratching their faces and not eating well. A doctor in Washington, D.C., said of their crying: “It is a piercing, high-pitched cry as if the baby is in pain. They are suffering.” What a high price is paid by these innocent victims of adult foolishness.

Warning on Tranquilizer

◆ A gynecologist in Sydney, Australia, was one of the first to expose the dangers of the drug thalidomide, responsible for many birth defects. Now he warns that another widely prescribed tranquilizer may also cause deformed births. Dr. William McBride identified the drug as imipramine, sold under various brand names. Further research is being undertaken.

Abortion on Demand Rejected

◆ The Prime Minister of Canada rejected the demand of a representative of a woman’s liberation movement for abortion on demand. Although this government has liberalized abortion laws so women can have what are termed “abortions for therapeutic reasons,” he expressed the view: “At some points an abortion is killing. . . . It is your body, but the fetus is not your body. It’s somebody else’s body. And if you kill it you have to explain.”

African Names

◆ On February 13, 1972, the president of Zaïre Republic in Africa exhorted his people to reject Western culture in favor of African culture. In harmony with this, a governmental decree ordered all Zaïre citizens to change the Western names in which they were baptized in their churches. They must now use African names. The names given at baptism may be written in brackets after the new ones. Newly born children may no longer be given names after saints of the Roman Catholic Church but must be given African names.

Dog and Cat Population

◆ A ‘population explosion’ is being experienced in animal pets. John Hoyt, president of the Humane Society of the United States, says: “We have figures that show that there are 10,000 puppies and kittens being born every hour in this country. It is just impossible to have a home for all of these animals.” As a result, about $460 million a year is being spent “putting animals to sleep.”

Third-Largest Diamond Found

◆ On February 14, 1972, the third-largest diamond ever found was discovered in Yengema, Sierra Leone. Named the “Star of Sierra Leone,” it is about the size of a hen’s egg. It weighs 968.8 carats, which is close to half a pound. It is a gem diamond of rare color.

Long Hair a Hazard

◆ Because they view long hair on a man as being generally associated with drug addiction, the town council in a suburb of Manila in the Philippines has proposed an ordinance authorizing the jailing of any male resident with long hair.

Why Are Churches in Trouble?

Dissension is dividing congregations. People are losing confidence in their leaders. Membership is falling.

One reason is that they are turning away from the high moral standard of the Bible, but there are many others. Let the facts set straight a common misunderstanding about the relationship of the churches to the Bible.

You can find the facts in the fascinating book “Is the Bible Really the Word of God?” This hard-covered book of 192 pages will also give you the facts you need for having firm faith in the Bible. Request it today. Send only 25c.

Please send me Is the Bible Really the Word of God? for which I enclose 25c.

Young People Like to Be With People Who Speak the Truth

Would you like to associate with such people? Would you like to be with people who really enjoy living and who take pleasure in doing things for others?

Such people can be found at the Kingdom Halls of Jehovah’s witnesses. They build relationships on a foundation of truth and neighbor love. Do your friends do that?

The fine principles that guide them are in the Bible, and these are discussed in the Watchtower magazine. This Biblical magazine is the basis of one of the weekly meetings in all Kingdom Halls.

Have “The Watchtower” come into your home so you can benefit from the truth that it presents. It will give you the very best type of association and will come to you for one year, twice a month, for only $1.50.

Please send me The Watchtower for one year for which I enclose $1.50. Send also the gift booklets: World Government on the Shoulder of the Prince of Peace, God’s Way Is Love and The Approaching Peace of a Thousand Years.