May 8

Parents, Speak to Your Children About Drugs

YOU have no doubt read much about the dangers of drugs. You have noted the spreading use of drugs among younger persons and the menace it poses for them. If you are a parent, the following information will be helpful to you. But it will do little to benefit your family unless you talk seriously to them about it. (Deut. 6:6, 7) Unless you really reach your children, getting them to see clearly the truth about the danger of drugs, you may lose them to the drug peril. How can you approach the subject with your children?

Let us see how this might be done. Consider what a father and mother can say to their teen-age children to equip them to resist temptation to use drugs. The family scene that follows is based on sound methods of instruction employed by God-fearing parents. The father of this family opens the conversation.

Father: “I was reading the paper the other day and noticed that Melvin Smart got picked up by the police for possession of marijuana.”

Son: “You’re kidding . . . Melvin Smart?”

Father: “No, I’m not. He’s in your class, isn’t he, Lucy?”

Daughter: “I thought there was something the matter with him! He acts so strange at times, just staring off into space.”

Father: “Is there much use of drugs at school?”

Daughter: “Oh, Dad, a lot of the kids are on ‘pot’ and ‘hash’ and whatnot.”

Mother: “Is that so? Can you buy marijuana at school?”

Daughter: “Sure!”

Mother: “Where?”

Daughter: “Why, right in front of the school.”

Son: “Kids sometimes meet to buy and sell drugs right in the school rest room at noon.”

Father: “Then, tell me, have you ever been offered any of these drugs?”

Daughter: “Oh, yes, many times.”

Father: “Well, have you ever felt that you would like to try some just once to see how it affects you?”

Daughter: “No, not really. It doesn’t make sense even to try them, especially when you see the effect on the kids who have. They seem to walk around in a daze and they look so sloppy.”

Father: “How about you, Bob?”

Son: “No, Dad, I’ve never wanted to try any either. Recently while I was in metal-shop class a student asked me if I wanted some powdered stuff.”

Mother: “Was it a drug?”

Son: “Yes. This boy is a known pusher, and when I refused, he looked at me and said: ‘What’s the matter with you? Are you chicken?’ I thought to myself, I’d rather be a live chicken than a dead drug addict.”

Why Drugs Are to Be Avoided

Father: “Well, I’m glad to hear this. But do you know why this use of drugs is wrong?”

Daughter: “Because we want to please God.”

Father: “Right. As Christians we want to love and serve God with our ‘whole mind,’ as Jesus said we should. (Matt. 22:37) This requires a sound mind, and the Bible exhorts younger men to be ‘sound in mind.’ (Titus 2:2-6) Would a Christian be giving evidence of a sound mind by using drugs to escape from reality?”

Son: “No.”

Father: “And so we want to please God and avoid what would displease him. Did you know that there is a connection between the use of drugs and the practice of spiritism, which God condemns? Now, the Greek worda used in the Bible for ‘practice of spiritism’ or ‘witchcraft’ literally means ‘druggery.’ The use of drugs in spiritistic practices was often coupled with appeals to occult powers. Would you get our copy of The Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures, Bob?”

Son: “Here it is.”

Father: “Would you turn to Revelation 22:15? Notice that it says that those who are outside God’s favor are those who ‘practice spiritism.’ Now look at the left-hand column where the Greek text appears, along with the word-for-word English translation. Here the Greek word for ‘practice spiritism’ is literally translated ‘druggers.’ So these persons are linked with spiritists and others who lose out on gaining life everlasting because of their bad practices.”

Mother: “The use of drugs and coming under the influence of the demons, then, are closely linked together.”

Father: “Yes, and what have you children observed? Do you find among drug users more than the usual interest in occult things?”

Son: “Yes, they even have books on magic and ESP. Some have Ouija boards and many are interested in astrology.”

Daughter: “But, Dad, if one avoids magical practices, how does the use of drugs lead to demonism?”

Father: “Well, Lucy, not all who use drugs for pleasure are actually demon-possessed. The point to remember is that by trying drugs just once, the mind can be affected, and it may be hard to resist the further use of them. Then, as you continue to make such use of drugs, all sound reasoning can give way to a diseased mental state. This may open the way to demon influence. Here is how the apostle Paul expressed the condition of those who did not hold closely to obedience to God. Read it, Bob, at Romans 1:28.”

Son: “All right. ‘And just as they did not approve of holding God in accurate knowledge, God gave them up to a disapproved mental state, to do the things not fitting.’”

Father: “Now, can you really serve Jehovah with your whole heart and with a sound mind if you are ‘high’ on drugs?”

Daughter: “No; how can you, if you’re ‘stoned’ on drugs and open to the influence of the demons?”

Mother: “You certainly can’t. Terrible things happen to the minds of those who take, for example, LSD. Just a speck of LSD can take a person on a ‘trip’ that may last eight to sixteen hours.”

Son: “That long?”

Father: “Yes, and after the first ‘trip,’ weird illusions and horrible visions can occur again, even for days or months afterwards.”

Son: “Wow, that’s something!”

Father: “It surely is. But here’s what a Toronto newspaper had to say about a young musician in Canada. Lucy, will you read this quote for us, please?”

Daughter: “All right. It says: ‘A young musician in Canada was found in bad condition by the police. He told them he had decided to try LSD because he no longer got “kicks” from marijuana. The result was a “bad trip” during which he shoved his fingers deep into his eye sockets because “he didn’t want to see what he was seeing.” He severely damaged both eyes, and doctors feared he would lose the sight of one of them.’ Oh, that’s terrible, Dad!”

Father: “Yes, it is. But it’s no worse than the boy who, on LSD, bored a hole in his head with an electric drill to ‘help him break out of ordinary time and enter another dimension,’ or the several who jumped to their death out of windows thinking they were ‘flying away.’”

Is Marijuana Different?

Son: “Dad, one of the things I sometimes have trouble answering is when kids say they never use LSD or heroin, but they do not think smoking marijuana is so bad. What about that?.

Father: “There are persons, Bob, who have smoked marijuana and who claim to have had no bad results. But are these persons led to improve their lives? On the contrary, even though not all who smoke marijuana are led to take up harder drugs, such as heroin, the fact remains that it is well recognized that most persons who use heroin started off with ‘lesser drugs,’ such as marijuana, first. Surveys of heroin addicts reveal that 85 percent of them had previously used marijuana.

Son: “Then the big danger is that kids who smoke marijuana will go on to worse drugs?”

Father: “That’s only one of the main dangers. You see, even if a smoker of marijuana does not go on to harder drugs, how can he be sure that it will not harm him? Now, one thing that few marijuana users realize is that the active chemicalb in this drug is not eliminated by the body but it accumulates or builds up in the body. It clings to the fatty tissues of the body, especially to the tissues in the brain. As it builds up in the body and brain, it is certain to affect the health of the person involved, including his mental health.”

Son: “I sure didn’t know that about marijuana, Dad​—that you don’t get rid of its poison!”

Father: “Another thing​—a marijuana user can get in trouble long before that poisonous chemical builds up in his body. You see, each person is different and no person can predict how marijuana will affect him. In fact, doctors say that ‘the very unpredictability of marijuana on different individuals and on the same individual at different times and under different conditions’ increases the danger to the user. But now, let’s read from this book entitled ‘Drug Abuse,’ in its chapter on marijuana. Bob, will you read these sentences that I have underlined?”

Son: “Sure. It says: ‘A marihuana trip basically lasts approximately three hours. There is a loss of time and depth perception. A crack in the sidewalk or curb may appear to be a deep canyon or cliff. The reverse is also true; persons under the influence of marihuana have been known to step out of second-story windows or off the roofs of buildings. . . . speed of 120 miles per hour may appear to be 20 miles per hour . . . Crimes of violence, such as robbery, burglary, assault, rape, and homicide are common to persons under the influence and it is usually in this condition that the user tries his first injection of heroin or ingestion of LSD. . . . It is because the effect of marihuana is so unpredictable that enforcement officers consider a person under its influence to be extremely dangerous.’”

Father: “Does that sound like a habit with which a Christian would want to become identified?”

Son: “It sure doesn’t!”

Father: “To show how unpredictable the effect of marijuana is, this book relates the case of a sixteen-year-old student who bought some marijuana in the rest room at school. Notice what happened. Will you read this, Bob?”

Son: “Here it says, ‘The 16 year old left school and went to a park where he smoked three joints (cigarettes) of marihuana. He then went home and beat his mother.’”

Father: “Those who use marijuana, then, may resort to violence even against loved ones or themselves. Some marijuana users attempt suicide. So when kids at school joke about it, speaking of ‘grass,’ ‘tea,’ ‘weed,’ and claiming that they know all about marijuana, keep in mind that not all that they view as ‘fact’ may be true.”

Son: “You’re right, Dad. The kids never told me these things about marijuana.”

How to Protect Your Children

Father: “But, now, let’s discuss what will protect you children from drugs. You know the real reason why most young people start taking drugs, don’t you?”

Son: “Because other kids are doing it?”

Father: “That’s it. They want to be popular with the others.”

Mother: “But what group of people do we want to stay with between now and the end of this worldly system?”

Daughter: “The people who love God and do his will​—Jehovah’s people.”

Mother: “That’s right, because we do want life in God’s new order.”

Father: “When we associate with worldly people, what Bible principles are we violating?”

Son: “I know, Dad, where the Bible says that ‘bad associations spoil useful habits.’” (1 Cor. 15:33)

Father: “Right. And here, then, is the first important way to safeguard yourselves from drugs: Guard your associations! Why spoil your good habits by associating with kids who use drugs?”

Mother: “Yes, and, Lucy and Bob, you need to be watchful when you are with other youths at school. Sometimes children are even tricked into taking LSD.”

Daughter: “How could that happen?”

Mother: “Well, other children might offer you something to eat, perhaps just a piece of sugar. If you know that a youngster goes in for drugs, and such a person offers you a piece of candy, or something else to eat, realize who is giving it to you. You know who the person is, so turn down the offer and avoid association with him.”

Daughter: “But we can’t stay completely away from the students at school. We have work assignments together. I have a project for Home Economics class. I have to work with some of the known drug users if I am to get the project done.”

Father: “As far as your school assignments are concerned, you may have to work together, but you don’t have to socialize with them. You know, I have the same problem on my job. I work with others, but I don’t socialize with them and go where they go or do what they do. I avoid using their kind of language. So protect yourselves by guarding your associations. But there is more.

Daughter: “What is that, Dad?”

Father: “The second of the safeguards. This is to tell others what your position is with regard to drugs and that you live by the Bible. So, by all means let your schoolmates know that your life is governed by Bible principles, and that you try to live by them. Then never hesitate to talk to them about God’s kingdom at every opportunity. You know, many of these children will see your good conduct and will respect you for it.”

Mother: “And some might even become interested in the Bible.”

Father: “Letting other youths know your position will not only safeguard you, but may also do good for the other youths. Do you know anybody who used to be on drugs?”

Son: “Yes.”

Father: “And we know how they quit, don’t we? They started to study the Bible and came to the Kingdom Hall and found something really worth while to work and live for. You can be sure that any kids in your school who are involved with drugs just do not have something to live for. So how can you help them?”

Son: “We can tell them about the meetings at the Kingdom Hall and invite them to come.”

Father: “Exactly. Then what they hear at the Kingdom Hall might make a difference in their lives. We have something to live for. When you have this wonderful hope, you do not need a crutch such as drugs. But now, getting back to the matter of safeguards​—you probably know what the third safeguard is.”

Son: “Remind us, Dad.”

Father: “Well, it is this: Realize what involvement in drugs would mean to your family. How do you think it would affect our family if you got involved in drugs?”

Daughter: “Dad, you’d probably have to come down and talk to the police, and everyone in town would know about it. Why, I wouldn’t even be able to raise my head when I walked down the street.”

Mother: “I was just thinking about Melvin Smart’s family. I wonder how his mother and father feel right now.”

Son: “I’m sure they feel terrible. I certainly wouldn’t want to be arrested and have the whole family disgraced like that.”

Father: “So you see, this is a safeguard, keeping in mind what involvement in drugs would do to our family. But there is another protection, and it is the most impelling, the greatest safeguard of all. And that is something we have already discussed. The main reason you avoid drugs is that you desire to please Jehovah God.”

Son: “Dad, those four safeguards are sure good to know.”

Father: “Can you remember the four?”

Son: “I think so. First, we must guard our associations. Second, tell others that we live by the Bible. Third, we have to keep in mind what our use of drugs would mean to the family. Fourth, and most important, we want to please God, and to do that we have to avoid all this misuse of drugs.”

Father: “Fine!”

Mother: “Then we all agree that nothing good comes from getting ‘high’ on drugs.”

Son: “Yes, and I’m sure glad we had this discussion.”

Daughter: “I learned some things I didn’t know.”

Father: “Well, children, I appreciate your good attitude. If a problem should come up on any matter, feel free to come and talk to both your mother and myself and tell us all the facts. There’s a lot more we could say about drugs and other problems you face, and what the Bible says about them. Maybe we can get together about once a week, say, after supper, and talk over some of these things. It keeps us all alert and is a protection in these critical times.”

This example gives you an idea of how the matter might be approached and dealt with by parents. Perhaps there are different circumstances in your locality or your home. Discuss them together. Think beforehand as to some of the points you will present, and be real parents and protectors of your children.

[Footnotes]

God’s Word Helped in Breaking the Drug Habit

MORE and more people today are using drugs to escape reality. Many are in desperate need of a solid hope that would give purposeful direction to their lives. Accurate knowledge of the Bible could help them. This is illustrated by those who have successfully broken the drug habit after they began to study the Bible with Jehovah’s Christian witnesses.

A man now living in the northeastern part of the United States relates: “I was taking ‘trips’ by means of mescaline, LSD and other drugs, thinking that these would ‘open me up.’ Instead, I only found myself in an ‘empty box,’ with the feeling that my head was sinking into my chest.

“Then, one day I came home, and two men were standing at my door. I thought that they were narcotics agents. How surprised I was when they told me about a real government of God and its solution to earth’s problems! A Bible study was started with me.” What was the result? This study aided him to break the drug habit, as it gave him a real hope and a purpose in living.

Another young man tells about his situation: “I started using drugs shortly after graduating from high school and rapidly became very much involved in the drug scene. I would ‘trip’ on LSD for days and sometimes weeks at a time. I was also involved in the sale of drugs and for some time I did this as my means of support. Then I got hepatitis from using a dirty needle and was sick for almost a year. During this time I started studying ‘white’ magic. By now many people began to consider me completely lost.

“Later, I met one of Jehovah’s witnesses on the street and began talking to him, as I knew he had in the past studied philosophies similar to those I had examined. He told me that the only place he found real truth was in the Bible. So I agreed to talk to him about this a little more.

“As we continued meeting, he showed me, from the Bible, how my course of action was actually taking me away from God rather than bringing me closer to him. The only honest thing to do was to examine the Bible: first, to see if it was really God’s Word, and, then, to find out what was pleasing to Jehovah and to do it.”

Today this young man rejoices in having broken free of drug abuse and having a solid hope based on the Bible.

Truly God’s Word can have a wholesome effect on people’s lives!

What Hope for Britain’s Economic Recovery?

By “Awake!” correspondent in the British Isles

“THE sick man of Europe seems to have become even sicker overnight,” wrote the Austrian Kurier on the outcome of Britain’s recent general election. Strong words these, but few will deny that Britain has had severe economic sickness for some time. How did this arise, and what does the future hold for her?

Island home of fifty-four million people, Britain is largely a manufacturing country. She imports about half her food, besides much raw materials. Payment for these must be made by exporting at least the equivalent value in her own products and services. As with a family, so with a government, failure to pay one’s way results in financial sickness, debt and possible ruin. Britain has faced a series of economic crises since World War II, through a fairly consistent failure to balance her budget and pay her way. The latest British economic crisis has been easily the most serious of all, due to a variety of factors.

Crisis Background

Although the British have learned to live with crises, few were prepared for the suddenness and impact of this one. The summer of 1973 saw full employment throughout the land, as the Conservative government went all out for economic growth, assuring the people that the way out of their problems was just ahead, provided there was wage restraint to keep down the price of the goods that Britain must sell abroad. Autumn 1973 saw the introduction of the third stage of the government’s wage policy to keep increases down to a permitted percentage. It was soon clear, however, that major unions were unwilling to accept this restraint. They claimed that prices were rising much faster than wages and that their standard of living was falling. Prices were, indeed, rising fast, as every housewife knew. The cost of food again rose in January 1974, 2.9 percent, after having risen 20 percent in the previous year; 53 percent since the government took office in 1970.

Coal miners, train drivers, engineers, all had large wage claims in the pipeline​—bigger than government policy allowed. It was evident that Britain was heading for a familiar winter pattern of industrial action.

Oil Muscles In

Then, an entirely new factor appeared on the scene​—one that was to have a very powerful influence. Oil!

The Arab oil-producing countries announced that they would use oil as a political weapon. Production would fall, prices would rise. This new oil policy sent shivers through the shaky British economy.

British industry had been closely geared to cheap oil since World War II. Industrial production and transportation are almost entirely dependent on oil. It heats many homes and most factories. A massive increase in oil prices could wreck the British economy.

Shortages of oil followed, but not disastrously. Prices, however, were a different matter. By January 1974 the price of crude oil had increased by 400 percent and further increases were promised by the Middle East oil sheiks. Although the price of petrol for cars and diesel fuel for trucks has increased by 20 percent and heating oil by 75 percent, the full impact of oil price increases has not yet hit the British economy. Its grip will no doubt be felt with increasing power in the months ahead, as the prices of all goods produced or transported by oil power increase. Oil imports alone will cause a balance-of-payments deficit of some £2,000 million ($4,600,000,000) this year.

Energy Crisis Grips Britain

As autumn paled into winter, the oil problem and the miners’ dispute brought an energy crisis that gripped Britain in a nutcracker.

By the middle of November the miners banned all overtime working, cutting coal production by 30 percent. With coal as the source of 60 percent of the power, and oil supplying most of the rest, the outlook was bleak for Britain on the energy front. A complete power failure seemed a possibility to the government. Just two years earlier, resolute and united action by the miners in a seven-week strike had forced the government to capitulate. This time the government was determined to hold fast to their incomes policy and not give way. The miners were just as resolved to achieve their wage increase.

Stern Measures to Conserve Power

By early December the oil supply was uncertain. Petrol ration coupons were issued. Rumors were rife that rationing would start in the new year. Appeals were made to motorists to cancel unnecessary trips; countrywide speed limits were reduced from 70 to 50 miles per hour. Shortages increased and long lines of cars formed at filling stations, which quickly sold out and closed down. Petrol-hunting became a fact of life for many road users.

In this atmosphere of uncertainty and foreboding, the nation waited for the government to shine a light. Prime Minister Edward Heath decided that stern measures were needed to conserve coal stocks at the power stations. Industry and commerce were to be put on a three-day workweek from January 1, 1974. Strong appeals were made for economies in domestic consumption. People were asked to heat only one room and to use less lighting. New meaning was given to the distress signal SOS by the coining of the slogan “Switch Off Something.”

Industry was hit hard, but a new spirit of cooperation between employers and workers emerged. Employers, on the one hand, were anxious to keep their companies from bankruptcy, while workers, on the other, wanted to preserve their jobs. Although power was cut to 60 percent of normal, many industries, by ingenuity and united effort, managed to maintain production at 70 percent and more. Of course, workers suffered loss of wages; and employers, loss of profits. Hundreds of thousands of workers were laid off for two days each week. Visible signs of the energy crisis were evident as street lighting was cut in many places by 50 percent. Darkened streets called to the minds of the older generation their memories of blacked-out wartime Britain. Although Britain seemed to be digging in for a siege, it was a siege no one really wanted.

Opposing Views Harden

Discussions between the government and miners dragged on from December through January. Mr. Heath remained adamant that no settlement could be made outside his incomes policy. The miners were equally adamant that their claim must be met. The hard, dangerous, health-destroying nature of their work, they said, justified their claim. Since rocketing oil prices now made coal look cheap by comparison, it was clearly a most favorable time to press their claim.

During January, speculation gained ground that the government would seek a solution by calling a general election. The miners refused to share in any more discussions unless there was “more money on the table.” The government still sought a solution in talks with the Trades Union Congress and the Confederation of British Industry. But these talks were denounced by the opposition Labour party as mere political maneuverings in preparation for an election, moves designed to show the government in a favorable light, the miners as obstructive militants.

The Crunch

Although the energy crisis had been mitigated by a mild winter, another crisis was now looming​—the steel crisis. Coal stocks at the steel mills were rapidly disappearing and production was falling, with the prediction of a complete shutdown by April. So, although industry might have enough power to work three days a week, it would soon be brought to a standstill by the lack of steel.

The crunch came for the government when the miners, dissatisfied with the lack of results from their ten-week overtime ban, voted, by a massive majority of almost 90 percent, to call an all-out strike from midnight on February 9. Unable to concede the miners’ claims, due to his devotion to his incomes policy, Mr. Heath called for a general election on February 28.

The Campaign

The Conservatives (Tories), led by Heath, campaigned under the slogan, “Who Rules Britain?” They claimed that militant union extremists were bent on imposing their will on the nation in defiance of Parliament. Heath asked the country’s voters to return him to power with a strong majority in Parliament, to give him authority to deal with the problem of inflation.

His Labour Party opponents, led by Harold Wilson, lost no time in calling it a phony election, telling Mr. Heath that, in spite of a working majority in Parliament since 1970, he had signally failed to deal with inflation. They castigated his campaign against union militants as a “Reds under the bed” campaign meant to scare the unwary into line.

Throughout the three-week campaign an endless stream of opinion polls consistently put Heath’s Conservatives in the lead, with Labour a few percentage points behind. An unexpected element was the steady resurgence of the Liberal Party, which, after fifty years in the political wilderness, was shown to be gaining substantial support.

The Result

Accustomed to two-party politics for over forty years, the country expected one of the “big two,” Conservative or Labour, to gain its customary clear-cut victory. There was great surprise when it became clear that no single party would gain a majority. Labour took 301 seats, a nose ahead of the Conservatives with 297. For the first time since 1931 no party could form an unchallenged majority government. Mr. Heath attempted a coalition with the 14 Liberals in the new Parliament, but resigned when he failed to gain their support.

This opened the way for Mr. Wilson, on March 5, to form Britain’s first minority government in over forty years. The first priority was the settling of the miners’ dispute to open the way for a return to full-time working. Freed from the previous government’s incomes policy, talks between the Coal Board and miners’ union bore fruit within two days. The miners received most of their demands; the three-day workweek ended at midnight, March 8. All Britain sighed with relief.

Outlook

What had the election achieved? Was the way now open for a speedy recovery from Britain’s economic sickness? Most observers say, No. The electors had clearly rejected Mr. Heath’s policies. On the other hand, they had not given a mandate to Mr. Wilson. Over six million, 20 percent of total voters, had supported the Liberal Party, indicating their disenchantment with both major parties.

European countries viewed the result with dismay. “A Government with a tiny majority cannot demand from the country the sacrifices needed to master the situation,” said Le Figaro of Paris. “The results could scarcely have been worse,” was the comment of the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. Italy’s Il Giorno declared that “the mysterious malaise of England” was now not only economic but institutional.

British newspaper comment also viewed the future somberly. Said the Daily Express: “Whoever is chosen to lead Britain from today on may permit himself a few hours savouring his success. . . . Confronting him is a list of problems unprecedented in postwar years.” The Sunday Telegraph forecast a gloomy economic future. It noted: “On one issue there can be no doubt, namely, that all parties have stressed the desperate plight of Britain’s economy and the need for belt-tightening and sacrifices all round.”

Britain’s desperate economic problems are not unique. They can be seen in many nations the world around. The solution does not lie in the hands of politicians or economists, earnestly though they try. The world’s insurmountable problems were long ago foretold by Jesus Christ. He said the nations would ‘not know the way out’ and men would become “faint out of fear and expectation of the things coming upon the inhabited earth.” (Luke 21:25, 26) But the Bible does show the way out. If you are one who longs for an end to economic and other crises, why not turn to its words of guidance?

Home Organization​—Does It Make a Difference?

HOME, sweet home; for there the heart can rest,” said a poet. But often, because of its condition and appearance, the home is a source of frustration. Instead of feeling comfortable there, family members may want to be elsewhere.

While you do not want your home to be like a factory​—regimented and cold—​could good home organization make a significant difference for your whole family? Consider the possibilities.

First, being well organized gives a person time​—time for other important activities or things one enjoys doing. We are not discussing saving a few minutes, but hours every week. For example, one study shows that “by using an improved method of doing the daily cleaning, a 53 percent saving of time was effected.” Good organization cut the working time in half!

Second, good organization eases frustrations, such as not being able to find items, feeling embarrassed when unexpected guests arrive, having things always on one’s mind or half done. An organized home helps to bring stability into a person’s life.

Third, for the homemaker (since the home is her “workshop“) it brings a sense of pride in accomplishment, a dignity. So in all these ways good home organization contributes to family happiness.

But, if you choose to do so, how can you make changes in your home? Where might you start in organizing it?

Organization Starts with Attitude

Family cooperation needs to be encouraged. If the wife is the only one putting things back where they belong, she can soon become discouraged. The husband should take the lead in encouraging cooperation and seeing that duties assigned to family members are not neglected.

He also can contribute to a fine atmosphere in the home by encouraging a high regard for the role of the homemaker. Reflect for a moment: She must combine the talents of an interior decorator, teacher, secretary, nurse, maid, laundress and cook! Speaking of “the intricacies of keeping house,” one authority says: “It is without question one of the most complicated and many-sided operations one person is ever expected to handle.”

A woman works hard to prepare a meal. It can be a work of art. But how often do others thank her for what she does? Family appreciation greatly affects the mother’s attitude and, in turn, her attitude affects the home.

What should dominate your attitude as a homemaker? Caring. Caring means letting your love for your family show by the way you keep your home. Caring requires that your mind be on your work; not spending the day dreaming of things you would rather do. If you care, you will try to avoid always putting things off. Get an early start in the morning. Also, be alert to problems. A little tear is so much easier to repair than a big one.

As an aid to keeping a proper attitude, take time for a moment of satisfaction. ‘See good for all your hard work. It is the gift of God,’ says the Bible. (Eccl. 3:13) After cleaning or cooking, step back and look at what you have accomplished. See its value.

In addition to attitude, home organization involves plan, place and method.

Home Organization Requires a Plan

A good plan actually brings the homemaker freedom. How? She does not look around and worry about all the many things to be done. She knows that there is time set aside for each task.

Planning does not mean that you have to schedule each hour of the day, though some do that. Rather, list those things that need to be done daily, weekly, monthly and seasonally. In each list, put the more important things first. Plan activities for each day of the week, inserting weekly and monthly projects where you think they fit best. Then give it a try and readjust as you need to. When you look your plan over, you will see things that can be done at the same time. Often, for example, while something is cooking, you can be sewing or ironing.

While there are others, three basic areas occupy a great deal of most homemakers’ time. They are (1) cleaning and home care; (2) food, including buying and cooking; (3) clothing, laundry and repair.

How do you plan your cleaning? Dirt never takes a holiday. Thus, many feel that some “light cleaning” is needed each day​—dusting, straightening. This often saves much time and energy when the time for “heavy cleaning” comes, as scrubbing floors or furniture. If things do not get as dirty, they will be more quickly cleaned. Also, a little cleaning relieves the mind about the appearance of the home, and the family sees a daily concern for their comfort.

When you plan your cleaning, avoid needless redoing. If you dust the furniture in a room and then sweep the floor or toss blankets in the air while making a bed, what happens? Dust and lint are thrown over the furniture you had just wiped clean. Planning saves work.

As for food planning, in those lands where daily shopping is not a necessity, favor less frequent shopping trips. Why? You save time, conserve body energy and do not have the anxiety of worrying whether there is something in the pantry to serve your family. Too, when unexpected guests arrive, you are not caught with your shelves bare. To shop ahead means you must plan your menu ahead. Actually, this can enable you to give more careful consideration to a balanced diet.

Keep a list or notebook where the food is stored, and when you find that you are nearly out of an item, write it down. Using this list when shopping will save many trips to the store. Yes, written lists do improve home organization.

As for clothing schedules, most find that weekly laundering is best, but circumstances vary. Often when laundering you will notice missing buttons, tears or frays. Having a notebook for mending nearby and jotting down the needs can be helpful.

So think about your job; plan your daily routine. Write things down when there is too much detail to remember.

Organization Means Arrangement

A home also needs good arrangement, especially in household work areas. Home equipment (brooms, pots and pans, cleaning solutions) need a definite place​—an assigned spot. If the first place selected is not the best, by all means change it. Why keep running to the other end of the house to get something you regularly use in the bathroom?

Does it really make that much difference how you arrange things? As an example, consider the kitchen. One study showed that when a kitchen was rearranged​—same space, same equipment—​there was “a saving of 2,191 steps and 1 hour and 3 minutes of time each day.”

The U-shaped kitchen is often the best​—things are closer together, fewer steps are needed. Also, equipment that is hung on hooks in the kitchen is easy to find and is usually close.

Homemaking Methods

Methods also make a difference. A change in method may mean better results in less time. Can you improve your work methods?

Study your habits. See if you can reduce the time it takes to do a job by eliminating a number of operations or procedures.

Many tasks are made easier by fuller use of both hands. One homemaker revealed: “The longer I make the effort to use my left hand, the more useful it becomes.’’ Too, there is a tendency unnecessarily to lay down a tool and then pick it up for use again. An improved habit is to keep it in your hand until you are finished with it.

Consider, too, your methods of dirt removal. First, think: ‘What do I want to accomplish? Do I just want to move the dirt around?’ Obviously, if you just push it around, it will be there tomorrow, along with a little more. Equipment varies, but the preferred method is to gather the dirt, pick it up and put it outside the house. Thus, while a feather duster has uses, it throws dirt in the air, whereas a damp cloth picks it up, removes it.

Learn a lesson from the man’s toolbox. He carries it because in the long run it saves steps and energy. Similarly, a lightweight basket for carrying supplies can save you many trips back to the kitchen or supply closet.

Be balanced about household organization. Such organization is not the end in itself. Never let your children or your mate feel that their needs come second to the house.

A building is not what a person should think of when he thinks of home. What makes it home are the people​—the quality of human association found there. If by means of reasonable organization you can make your home a place where your family is more comfortable, happier, it is certainly a worthy task.

Yes, home organization makes a difference​—measured, not only in clean, tidy rooms, but also in smiles and inward satisfaction. It can help to make a “home, sweet home” where the heart can really rest.

Can Earthquakes Be Predicted?

OUR home the earth is jolted by a million earthquakes every year. Most of us are unaware of the majority of them. Less than one third are perceptible to humans. Nevertheless, one or two thousand cause destruction.

In a few seconds a large quake can shake a major city to rubble and bury thousands of persons in their own homes, schools and stores. Thus, knowing precisely in advance where and when earthquakes will take place could save countless lives.

Men have for long observed “nature” and tried to predict earthquakes. They know, for example, that dogs begin howing before a quake and that the timing of some water geysers speeds up. But long-range warnings are vital so that large metropolitan areas can be evacuated in advance.

Recent findings have stimulated the hopes of some persons that the day is at hand when men may be able to foresee earthquakes. What have they found? Before that question is answered, let us discuss what earthquakes really are.

What Is an Earthquake?

Simply stated, an earthquake is a shaking or quaking of the earth. There have been numerous conjectures about their causes. Ancient Japanese mythology blamed the movement of a spider that carried the earth on its back. Mongolians anciently attributed earthquakes to the unsteady support of a giant hog.

Even in comparatively recent times scientific theories as to their cause have come and gone. And today? Earthquakes are believed to result from a sudden dislocation in the earth’s crust. What causes the shift? Opinions vary. But one view gaining wider acceptance is that the earth’s crust is not rigid, but is made up of a series of “plates” that move over the earth’s “mantle.”

According to this view, when these “plates” (which are several miles thick) collide, one slides under the other, bending rocks in the process. In other cases, the horizontal action of these “plates” passing one another exerts tremendous pressure on crystal rock. Such movements occur along a “fault” or fracture in the earth’s surface. Then, it is believed, when the crust can no longer tolerate the strain, it “snaps” into a new position.

If the region above the rupture is heavily populated, there may be destruction, injury and death. The extent of the damage depends on the quake’s “magnitude,” that is, the power it releases, its location and other factors. The “snapping” sets off jarring energy vibrations called shock waves that travel through the earth at the speed of several miles per second. These waves are detected by sensitive instruments called seismographs.

On the basis of seismograph readings the earthquake’s magnitude is expressed on the Richter Scale, a logarithmic scale. A reading of 7 signifies a disturbance ten times as great as a reading of 6, which is, itself, ten times as great as 5. Any reading over 6 is considered to be an earthquake of major magnitude. Only one or two earthquakes each year will reach 8.

But now, what about those recent findings that some people believe will make earthquake prediction possible?

Current Efforts at Prediction

Scientists from several nations are trying to use knowledge of how seismic waves travel through the earth to predict where and when earthquakes will occur. A recent discovery reveals that just before strained rock breaks, it is laced with tiny fractures, slightly swelling the rock. As certain seismic waves generated by small earthquakes travel through the earth, they seem to slow up in these particular rocks. Then, a short time before an earthquake, the waves resume normal speed. Knowing this pattern, scientists hope to be able to spot weaknesses in the earth’s crust.

Other experts are studying electrical resistance in subterranean rocks and the level of radon (a naturally occurring radioactive gas) in well water to find a key to earthquake prediction. There is also anticipation of being able to interpret imminent earthquakes from certain bulges detected on the surface of the earth from space.

However, even the most optimistic students of the subject are cautious not to say that any sure system of earthquake prediction is near at hand. As Dr. C. B. Archambeau, a professor of geophysics at Caltech, observes: “There is still a feeling that an earthquake is so complicated and diverse that it might be impossible to untangle all its phenomena to build a predictive system.” A Los Angeles Times science writer, George Alexander, put it more simply: “An infallible system is all but impossible.”

This is not to say that men cannot predict earthquakes with some degree of accuracy. They can.

Men Accurately Predict Some Earthquakes

They now believe that they know where most of the world’s earthquakes will probably occur​—that is, the general areas. Some 80 percent take place in what is called “the ring of fire,” land bordering the Pacific Ocean. Most remaining shocks occur in a zone extending from the Mediterranean Sea across Asia.

Only in this broad sense can men predict earthquakes with a fair degree of accuracy. But even here there is room for error. No location on this planet is really earthquake-free. One of the most powerful series of quake shocks on record occurred in New Madrid, Missouri, in the United States Midwest in 1811-1812. Men would not ordinarily predict such an earthquake far from either of the two major quake zones.

But does not the Bible show that Jesus predicted earthquakes? Are his prophecies in this respect reliable?

Jesus’ Earthquake Predictions

Jesus did not foretell any one specific earthquake, but he did prophesy about a period of time when there would be particularly great and widespread earthquake activity.

When his disciples wanted to know, “What will be the sign of your presence and of the conclusion of the system of things?” Jesus told them, among other things: “There will be . . . earthquakes in one place after another.” (According to Matthew and Mark) The Gospel writer Luke adds that Jesus also said: “There will be great earthquakes.” He said that at the same time there would be large wars, food shortages and pestilences, and called these “a beginning of pangs of distress.” These anguished conditions, along with the others that were foretold, have occurred since the year 1914. Jesus also said that before one generation​—the generation of 1914—​had passed away, all the things he prophesied, including the coming of a “great tribulation” from God, would take place. A new order with a paradise earth would follow.​—Matt. 6:9, 10; 24:3-8, 21, 34; Mark 13:3-8; Luke 21:7-11.

The “great earthquakes,” those occurring since 1914 in “one place after another,” verify the accuracy of this understanding of Jesus’ words. But some persons reason, ‘There have been “great earthquakes” in the past. Could not Jesus’ prediction of earthquakes be correctly interpreted as coming true in any generation?’

No. For one thing, as noted above, Jesus’ prediction of earthquakes occurs along with other woes, forming a composite “sign.” Further, the great earthquakes of the past were generally isolated events occurring years, even centuries, apart. There were not many of them in a single generation.

Uncertainties About Past Earthquakes

Nor do all historical records about “great” earthquakes of the past inspire confidence in their reliability. That was the view of noted earthquake cataloger John Milne. “In these catalogues,” we read in the 1939 edition of his book Earthquakes and Other Earth Movements (revised and rewritten by A. W. Lee), “there are uncertainties in the date, or even the years, for many of the ancient earthquakes. There are numerous inaccurate or obscure references in the original writings.” Vital facts about major quakes in previous centuries are often distorted, missing or wrong.​—See, for instance, The Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, June 1914, regarding the Lisbon, Portugal, earthquake in 1755.

Certainty About This Generation

On the other hand, consider what “great earthquakes” we definitely know have occurred to the generation living since 1914. World War I, which began in that year, brought great stress on man. Earthquakes added to that burden. In January 1915 central Italy, for example, was shaken from the Adriatic Sea on the east to the Tyrrhenian Sea on the west. Some 29,000 persons were killed.

Right after the war much of the world was afflicted with massive food shortages and disease epidemics, as Jesus foretold. At the same time, there were more earthquakes. In December 1920 a quake struck Kansu, China. About 180,000 persons were killed. A report by Upton Close and Elsie McCormick reads: “Of that most remarkable series of seismic disturbances which occurred throughout the world in November and December, 1920, the most phenomenal was undoubtedly the Great Kansu earthquake of the late evening of December 16 . . . Likely no other earthquake in scientific annals ever changed the physical geography of the affected region to the extent of the Kansu cataclysm.”

Thereafter, the 1923 earthquake in Japan that took some 143,000 lives is described as “the worst disaster in [Japan’s] history.”

In just the ten-year period after World War I started, well over 350,000 persons were killed by earthquakes. Yes, war, pestilences, food shortage and earthquakes were clearly “a beginning of pangs of distress.” They reveal that mankind entered “the conclusion of the system of things” in 1914.

And the number of deaths due to earthquakes continues to mount. All together, over 900,000 persons have died in earthquakes since 1914! Can any single “generation” of the past equal that terrible record? Jesus’ prophecies about earthquakes apply now!

Since Jesus’ predictions about modern earthquakes are recorded in the Bible​—God’s Word—​does this mean that God has directly caused them?

Is God Directly Responsible?

There is no evidence that God has directly caused modern earthquakes. They are, rather, the result of natural processes in the earth. Actually, many deaths connected with earthquakes can be directly blamed on man​—his greed. Men have, for instance, in spite of knowledge to the contrary, insisted on building cities in unsafe areas; insecure building practices are winked at. Saturday Review magazine claims: “In the decades following the 1906 earthquake [in San Francisco, California] local governments muted unfavorable research reports and generally played down the danger in order not to discourage construction and investment.” There is no need to blame God for man’s selfishness, is there?

But what about the Biblical text at Job 9:6? Does it not say of God that “he is making the earth go quaking from its place“? This reveals that God is capable of quaking the earth, but he does not directly cause them all. Yet he has specifically caused some earthquakes in the past in order to further his purpose.

For instance, the giving of the Law covenant at Sinai was accompanied by a shaking of the area. (Ex. 19:18; Ps. 68:8) Later, he opened the earth to swallow up the households of Korah, Dathan and Abiram because of the rebellion of those men against His servants Moses and Aaron.​—Num. 16:16-35; 26:9-11.

God is also spoken of as making the earth shake in a figurative way. In the Bible book of Revelation earthquakes from God are used to picture great upheavals in the human earthly system of things.​—Rev. 6:12-17; 16:1, 17-21.

The book of Ezekiel predicts a future quaking from God. It is mentioned in connection with the attack of “Gog of the land of Magog” against God’s people, spiritually called “Israel.” Ezekiel 38:19, 20 says: “And in my ardor, in the fire of my fury, I shall have to speak. Surely in that day a great quaking will occur in the soil of Israel. And because of me the fish of the sea and the flying creatures of the heavens and the wild beasts of the field and all the creeping things that are creeping on the ground and all mankind that are upon the surface of the ground will be bound to shiver, and the mountains will actually be thrown down and the steep ways will have to fall, and to the earth even every wall will fall.”

This chapter and the one following it in the Bible assure us that God will rid the earth of his enemies. While doing so, Jehovah, of course, could actually ‘throw down mountains,’ and level “every wall” in a literal “great quaking.” He no doubt will make use of many natural forces in “the day of fight and war.” (Job 38:22, 23) But whether this “great quaking” proves to be a literal quaking over the whole earth remains to be seen.

However, that there will soon be an outstanding divine intervention in human affairs is sure. Conviction as to the certainty of this is dependent, not on man’s ability to foretell future earthquakes, but on events​—including earthquakes—​that have already occurred in our day in fulfillment of Bible prophecy. Now is the time to act wisely to get out of the danger zone and into a safe place​—into a condition approved by God in active association with his true worshipers.

When Opposition Leads to Spreading Bible Truth

THOUGH early Christians had to contend with opposition and misrepresentation, these did not prevent honest-hearted ones from becoming followers of Jesus Christ. This has also been the case among Jehovah’s witnesses today.

● After going to bed, one of Jehovah’s witnesses in Mauritius heard, through his open window, sounds of a distant conversation on a Bible subject. He got dressed, left his home and followed the sound of the conversation to its source​—the fourth house along the road. Although it was late, he knocked and was invited to come in.

An extensive discussion began with the lady of the house. At midnight it was decided to continue the discussion at another time, but in the presence of her Adventist minister. In that discussion the Witness proved that the Mosaic law was fulfilled in Christ. He also showed that God’s punishing Cain for killing Abel did not prove that the Law covenant existed before Moses’ time, for the punishment was not the same as that required by the Mosaic law. Then the minister began to shout in anger. Did this frighten the woman, causing her to stop any future discussion with the Witness? No. She reminded her minister ‘not to be like Cain, who was cursed for his anger.’ At that the minister left.

This woman became a baptized witness of Jehovah. And her husband and son joined her in sharing Bible truth with others.

● In Ceylon (now called Sri Lanka), in October of 1970, one of Jehovah’s witnesses spoke to a Roman Catholic teacher, and arrangements were made for a Bible study. In December this teacher started telling fellow teachers and relatives what he had learned. Some of them joined him in studying the Bible. Next he spoke to his fiancée, also a Catholic and an ardent political worker, as he had been. She, too, agreed to study and learned very quickly.

By January the teacher had given up smoking and gambling, had resigned from the church and had begun to participate with Jehovah’s witnesses in their preaching work. He and his fiancée studied four times a week and got baptized in April.

Opposition started early. The local priest denounced the Witnesses, instructing all to have nothing to do with them. This only aroused more interest, as some in the village wanted to find out why the priest spoke out against Jehovah’s witnesses.

Since some of the teacher’s sisters were nuns, a meeting was arranged by the priest in an effort to bring the teacher ‘back to the fold.’ Some twenty-five persons were on hand for the discussion; it lasted about two hours. During this time the priest’s lack of Bible knowledge became very apparent.

Nevertheless, priestly denunciations and warnings continued. But this did not hinder sincere persons from continuing their investigation of the Bible. A dozen or more of the teacher’s relatives thereafter traveled about twenty-five miles round trip to attend meetings of Jehovah’s witnesses. Some of them took up zealously declaring Bible truth to others.

● On a tropical island of the Pacific, Jehovah’s witnesses arranged to hold an assembly. But the sessions were delayed for a day because the Office of Religion, at the instigation of the Protestant clergy, did not grant permission for the assembly to be held. Jehovah’s witnesses brought the matter to the attention of the District Intelligence Office. The head of this department, a Moslem, listened with interest as the Witnesses explained why they did not accept the Trinity doctrine. He was surprised to learn that clergymen would oppose this Christian group.

The permit for holding the assembly was granted. The Protestants were required to cease their provocations, which had developed to the point where a mob threatened to smash up the hotel where the sessions were to be held. Several of the government’s intelligence personnel attended the assembly and taped the talks. After the assembly the head of the department stated: “The reports circulating that Jehovah’s witnesses pose a real danger are false. I have seen for myself that their education is practical and logical. They are not like the others who only sing. I do not understand why the other churches oppose them.”

These experiences illustrate that opposition cannot really do harm to the advancement of true worship.​—Isa. 54:17.

Oil Painting​—Wholesome Relaxation

BECAUSE of the growing desire for relaxation from tension, millions of dollars are spent annually on entertainment. Often, however, the forms of relaxation or entertainment selected leave one exhausted and unsatisfied.

Oil painting, on the other hand, offers many persons a fine opportunity for wholesome relaxation, together with a fascinating challenge. It is a relatively inexpensive hobby.

Many have started to oil-paint when as young as eight or nine years of age, while some of the best artists and painters have attained success in later years. Recently, it was noted that some oil painters were past sixty years of age before achieving success. Some are still painting at eighty. There are even cases of paralytics who learn to oil-paint by holding the brush between their teeth or their toes. So oil painting is a form of relaxation that can be enjoyed by practically anyone, and one’s ability improves with practice.

Painting encourages the one who does it to increase his powers of observation and thus to appreciate to a fuller extent the plants, animal life and natural forms that surround us. Giving careful attention to the handiwork of the Creator also has a humbling effect. Landscapes and seascapes are excellent subjects for the oil painter. Many find enjoyment in painting animals and humans or, perhaps, in arranging still life such as fruit, flowers, pottery, or a combination of these things.

It can be fun if you do not make it hard work for yourself. It is not necessary always to paint things exactly as they appear to the natural eye as in a photograph. You can put on the canvas what your mind’s eye sees, arranging these natural forms in an artistic manner. This is especially so if your main goal is to convey a certain mood, in which case the colors used will usually be more important than the amount of detail included. What type of painting you do depends upon the results you want to achieve.

Materials Needed

To start, it is necessary to have something on which to paint. Many of those who oil-paint use masonite or specially prepared artist board, which is a canvas-covered cardboard. Others use prepared artist cotton or linen canvas, this being stretched over a wooden frame. This specially prepared canvas is first coated with a water-base glue sizing, the purpose being to seal the cloth fibers so that the paint solutions cannot come in direct contact with the canvas. After this a primer coat of white lead paint is applied.

Still others, however, thinking of the expenses involved in buying specially prepared canvas, have prepared their own. This can be either cotton or linen of a coarse weave stretched over a wooden frame and then given a base coat of paint. If the cotton or linen is wet when it is stretched, it will shrink and become tighter when it dries. The paint used as a base coat can be ordinary water-base latex wall paint, which works very nicely as a base for the oil colors.

Oil paints come in small tubes in a wide variety of colors. However, if you are a beginner, you may want to experiment with just the basic or primary colors. Primary colors are blue, red and yellow. By using these, all the colors can be made simply by mixing; black and white can be added if you desire. Green is a mixture of blue and yellow; orange, a mixture of red and yellow; purple, a mixture of blue and red. The browns are a combination of the three primary colors. Many inexpensive color wheels or charts are available to help beginners to know which colors to mix to obtain other colors.

Remember that perspective or depth in the painting may be accentuated by colors. The warm colors are the reds and yellows, while the greens and blues are cool. Warm and dark colors appear to come forward and thus appear to be closer to the viewer, while the cool and light or dull colors tend to recede and seem farther away. Thus grass and trees and other objects in the foreground of a painting may be painted with warmer and darker colors, while the distant objects, such as mountain peaks, are painted with cooler, lighter, duller colors. All colors become grayer in the distance. To gray any color, you just add the complementary color, or the opposite one on the color wheel. This changes the intensity of the color without appreciably changing the hue. For example, add red to green, orange to blue, and so forth.

It should be realized that the appearance of colors on the canvas can be affected by the lighting in which they are viewed. Natural lighting is usually preferred when painting.

There is a wide variety of brushes that can be used for your oil painting. To start with, three or four different sizes should be sufficient. Oil brushes may be bristle or sable, the bristle being the hair taken from pigs or hogs, and the sable being hair from the tail of the red marten. Bristle brushes tend to be stiffer and produce a rougher finish, while sable brushes tend to have finer texture and create a smoother surface. The smaller sizes are used for details. Oil brushes come with long handles so that you can hold them well back from the brush head. What is important, though, is not the way you hold the brush but the result obtained, and this comes with practice. Palette knives are also frequently used to achieve certain effects, and a variety of these may be obtained.

Oil paint or pigment may be thinned by adding linseed oil or turpentine, or a mixture of the two. Each person, by experimenting, can decide which he likes best. Linseed oil retards the drying of the oil paint, while paint thinned with turpentine dries faster.

The paint is generally mixed on a palette and then applied to the canvas. Here again there are no definite rules. Some artists use a pane of glass for a palette and others mix the paint directly on the canvas. When you finish your painting for the day, instead of discarding unused paint on the palette, you can preserve it by keeping it under water. You will learn by trying, and that will be fascinating in itself.

Composition

When you start your drawing, look at the subject first in simple masses and do not worry about details. These main areas can be sketched on the canvas with a regular lead pencil, a charcoal pencil or a turpentine wash (turpentine with only a slight amount of light color added), to determine the proportions and arrangement desired.

Begin with the horizon line. This should be either above or below the center of the canvas. In planning a picture, informal balance is always more pleasing than formally spaced objects. Instead of placing the different elements of the composition in a systematic manner, it is far more attractive and interesting to place them so that they look natural and not mechanical. Instead of a straight road in the middle of the canvas, you will be pleasantly surprised at the result of putting a curve in the road and placing it perhaps to one side of the picture. Avoid having several parallel lines together. For instance, you might put the trees in an informal arrangement rather than having them in rows. It is good to have one central point of interest in each picture, but, then again, caution is needed not to put it right in the middle of the picture.

When planning the composition, always remember to place the different objects in perspective. Things that are closer to the viewer should be painted larger, while others that are farther away are proportionately smaller. Light colors can be placed against dark ones, warm against cool, small objects against large ones. This tends to make the picture more interesting and also gives the illusion of distance or perspective. After you have painted the background and main objects, then the smaller details can be added, working from back to front, the last things painted usually being those to appear closest to the viewer. Details such as small flowers or shadows from a fence post will lend realism to your picture.

At the same time, remember, it is better to do a simple picture well than a difficult one poorly, Many times there is power in simplicity. Do not try to paint everything into the picture. It is good to leave something to the imagination.

If you are the type of person that likes to paint a little at a time, have in mind that before resuming an uncompleted painting that has dried, it is helpful to go over the surface lightly with a rag dampened with linseed oil. The fresh paint adheres better to the dampened surface and does not chip or peel as easily as when applied directly over dry paint.

Painting as a Relaxation

View oil painting as relaxation and enjoy yourself. Remember, your first picture may not turn out just the way you would like it to, but you will improve with time. What famous musician sat down and played a harmonious piece of music before having studied notes and chords and melodies for many months or even years? So do not feel discouraged if your first paintings do not come out just the way you think they should. As you practice and enjoy yourself, you will find that you will improve.

Painting outdoors can add to your enjoyment. Of course, you must take into consideration the changing shadows as the sun moves, but let the sunshine and the enjoyment of painting be your greatest rewards.

You will find that there is great satisfaction in having painted something yourself.

Gilead Contributes to Worldwide Expansion

MONDAY, March 4, 1974, was graduation day for the student body of the fifty-sixth class of the Watchtower Bible School of Gilead. That School has become world famous since its establishment on February 1, 1943. This has not been because of its size nor because of any impressive credentials of its instructors. Rather, what has been done by its graduates has made the name “Gilead” dear to hundreds of thousands world wide.

The name “Gilead” is drawn from the Bible and means “witness-heap,” a heap that stands as a witness to some event or transaction. That has proved to be a fitting name, for the several thousand who have been sent out as missionaries since Gilead first began have, with the help of God’s spirit, accomplished a tremendous work in bearing witness to Bible truth.

When Gilead School was established in 1943, Jehovah’s Christian witnesses were active in fifty-four lands. Outside the continental United States, there were upward of 53,000 men, women and youths who reported having spent some time in proclaiming Bible truth to others. Today, some thirty-one years later, Jehovah’s Christian witnesses are zealously preaching in 208 lands. And there are about twenty-four times as many preaching today outside the continental United States as there were back in 1943.

The graduates of Gilead have contributed much toward these stupendous results. Their example in zeal and devotion and their willingness to leave the comforts of home and to put up with inconveniences have made a deep impression on those who studied the Bible with them. Many of these students have become zealous proclaimers of the Kingdom message and have themselves been instrumental in aiding still others to come to an accurate knowledge of the Bible.

A remarkable example of what has happened is the country of Brazil. When the first Gilead-trained workers arrived late in 1945 there were about 350 publishers of the “good news” in that land. Today there are 78,729.

What accounts for this? As N. H. Knorr, president of the Watchtower Bible School of Gilead, pointed out in his remarks to the graduating class, these marvelous results have been attained because of continuing the work started by Jesus Christ over nineteen hundred years ago. Jesus Christ was indeed an active preacher of the “good news of the kingdom.” His apostles and others continued the work that he began, and today it is being done on a grand scale. Why, just in one year’s time (September 1, 1972, to August 31, 1973) 193,990 were baptized world wide.

In the latter part of his comments, N. H. Knorr related experiences had by missionaries in South America. These experiences forcefully emphasized the determination, zeal and interest graduates of Gilead School have demonstrated in helping people in their assignments to get an accurate knowledge of God’s Word.

While serving in Venezuela, a missionary couple had the following experience: As they were working separately, speaking to people about the Bible, one householder recommended to the wife that it would be better to get out of the street, as there was trouble brewing. On being told what the woman said, the husband, however, was not disturbed and so they kept right on with their preaching work. But soon they saw that the military appeared to be taking over each block. So they decided to hurry home. A revolution was in progress. Not long after their getting home, the doorbell rang. A neighbor woman and her daughter, frightened by what was happening, wanted to come in. Bullets were flying by this time, and all four got under the bed. However, the neighbor woman became so frightened that she got out from under the bed and went into the closet. Every time there was a gunshot she repeated a “Hail Mary.” Recognizing the woman’s real need for accurate knowledge, the missionaries used the occasion to speak to her about the Bible. In between gunshots, they shared with her the comfort from the Scriptures.

At times people respond very slowly to the Kingdom message. That was the experience of a missionary now serving in Argentina. Some thirty years ago while serving in Puerto Rico, this same missionary called on a man; only recently he wrote to inform her that he was now a baptized witness of Jehovah. Thus her expressions about God’s kingdom made many years ago finally bore fruitage.

While the graduates of Gilead School have had many joys, they have also had problems. A missionary working in the southernmost territory of Chile came to be in need of medical attention and surgery. Though having limited financial resources, she did not think of quitting her assignment. She found a doctor who appreciated the work the missionaries were doing and he performed the surgery without cost.

Later, this doctor requested that the missionary come to his home to visit his daughter. The daughter had been stricken with a disease that paralyzed her to a certain extent. Having been a dancer, she was very depressed at now being confined to the home. The missionary called on her and a Bible study was started. Soon the countenance of the daughter became cheerful and she began attending meetings at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Eventually the daughter, her mother and the maid became baptized witnesses of Jehovah. The doctor, though not a Witness as yet, is delighted with the fine effect a study of the Scriptures had on his daughter.

Like those who have gone before them, the graduates of the fifty-sixth class expressed an eagerness to begin serving in their missionary assignments. From eight lands they had come to school, but soon they will be putting their training to use in seventeen different countries. All felt that Gilead training had been rich and rewarding. This was evident from a letter of appreciation from the fifty-sixth class. It read in part:

“We do not expect, in this letter, to express our full appreciation for the School. But we would like to let you hear some of the students’ expressions. For example: ‘The School has been like putting the Bible under a microscope. We saw the details, we got the sense of it and the understanding.’ Or to put it another way, ‘The Bible is not so big anymore, because it all revolves around one thing​—the Kingdom. And when you understand that, all the rest falls into place.’ . . . We now look forward to taking care of our assignments in different parts of the world. . . . We prayerfully hope that we will be able to use all we have received, to Jehovah’s praise and honor.”

By continuing to imitate the example of Jesus Christ and that of faithful missionaries of the twentieth century, graduates of the fifty-sixth class of Gilead can rest assured that they, too, will make a contribution to the worldwide expansion of true worship.

[Picture on page 24]

Fifty-sixth 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) Robertson, E.; Blatzheim, L.; Andersen, B.; Cason, L.; Buchmann, R.; Starycki, C.; Martin, M.; Jensen, V.; Fiore, G. (2) Scheffel, W.; Wood, S.; Fiore, J.; Petruch, R.; Scheffel, B.; Geelnard, I.; Stogre, R.; Schoenherr, I. (3) Petruch, F.; Andersen, P.; Cason, M.; Nabholz, E.; Toth, T.; Christensen, H.; Stogre, J.; Orozco, R. (4) van Selm, H.; Jakobsen, H.; Devoe, G.; Sellers, A.; Mathiesen, A.; Vestre, F.; Bode, B.; Witty, B. (5) Robertsen, R.; Wolff, G.; Sellers, M.; Hale, C.; Christensen, P.; Jensen, T; Toth, J.; Martin, B. (6) Trad, G.; Mathiesen, H.; Blatzheim, W.; Hale, R.; Geelnard, K.; Mares, J.; Starycki, S.; Wood, J.; Nabholz, H.

What Is the Bible’s View?

What About “Mercy Killing”?

THE woman lay on a hospital bed dying of an incurable disease. One day her son entered her room and fired three shots, killing her. He did not try to hide what he had done, but said: “She’s out of her misery now. I shot her.”

This man was indicted for murder, but the jury returned the verdict “not guilty.” Why? Apparently because the man killed his mother in order to put an end to her suffering. This was a case of “mercy killing,” or euthanasia (Greek for “good death”).

Mercy killings appear in the news from time to time. Often the “killers” seem to be well motivated, desiring to put sufferers “out of their misery” when physicians offer no hope of improvement. Sometimes the sufferers even plead with others to put them to death.

What should be the Christian’s view in situations like these? Is it right to employ “positive” euthanasia, deliberately putting an individual to death? What about “negative” euthanasia, allowing a terminally ill person to die by not initiating or continuing “extraordinary” treatment that would only forestall death for a short time?

There is no question that such situations are not easy to deal with. Very deep emotions may be involved, making it difficult to exercise sound judgment. But the Bible contains principles that will prove helpful to people in weighing matters properly.

The Scriptures show that God views human life as something precious, sacred. The sixth of the Ten Commandments states: “You must not murder.” (Ex. 20:13) The Bible provides a definition of murder at Numbers 35:20. According to The New English Bible this verse reads: “If the homicide sets upon a man openly of malice aforethought or aims a missile at him of set purpose and he dies, . . . then the assailant must be put to death; he is a murderer.”

Does “mercy killing,” which is not motivated by malice or hatred, fit that description? Well, in the case of positive euthanasia, is it not true that there is a “set purpose” in the sense that the act is premeditated? And is not a “missile” (such as a bullet from a gun, a pill or needle) often employed?

Another thing to consider is the Bible’s command that Christians “hold a good conscience.” (1 Pet. 3:16) That positive “mercy killing” could adversely affect one’s conscience is evident from the comments of Robert S. Morison in Scientific American of September 1973: “The overwhelming majority of physicians and certainly a substantial majority of laymen instinctively recoil from such active measures as prescribing a known poison or injecting a large bubble into a vein.”

Also, Jehovah God requires Christians to “be in subjection to the superior authorities.” (Rom. 13:1) Euthanasia is illegal in the United States, Canada and almost all other countries. It is true that few people draw the full penalty from this crime. However, it is not only fear of penalties, but “conscience” that should motivate Christians to obey the laws of the land.​—Rom. 13:5.

Because they respect God’s view of the sanctity of life, out of regard for their own consciences and in obedience to governmental laws, those desiring to conform their lives to Bible principles would never resort to positive euthanasia.

But what if the question is whether to begin or to keep up special treatment where death is imminent and cannot be avoided? Medical authorities may state that the best they could do would be to stretch out the dying process by employing mechanical devices such as respirators to keep the lungs breathing, cardiac stimulators and other extraordinary means to sustain the patient. Such procedures might be very costly and bring further discomfort to the dying person. Does the Bible require that such measures be taken? No, in such a case allowing death to take its course uninhibited would not violate any law of God. There is no Scriptural requirement to lengthen a dying process that is already well under way.

But there is need for considerable caution in this connection. Sissela Bok, in Bio-Science of August 1973, describes the problem physicians face in deciding whether to give up treatment and let someone die:

“The first function​—the struggle against death and disease—​must be shown to be unattainable if it is to be given up without regret by physicians. Yet it is difficult ever to be certain that it is unattainable in a particular case; to know that death is inevitable for a patient. The chance of a mis-diagnosis is always present; even the best diagnosticians make errors in predicting death (Kamisar 1958). And where the diagnosis is correct, the prognosis may still be affected by a new medical development.”

So it is very difficult to determine whether to withhold extraordinary treatment in many situations of extreme illness. Each case has its own peculiarities and must be decided with regard to God’s view of the preciousness of life. But those responsible for such a decision should weigh the evidence carefully before concluding that a person is about to die.

Often the reason why people consider euthanasia is that there appears to be no hope of relief for the one who is suffering. While some cases are beyond the capacity of science to solve, the Bible provides a genuine hope that sickness and death will disappear from the earth in the near future. Revelation 21:1-4 speaks of a new order of things, symbolically called “a new heaven and a new earth” in which “death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore.”

In that new order, not only will people no longer become sick, but those who are now afflicted with infirmities will be permanently healed. (Isa. 33:24; 35:5-7) According to Jesus’ promise at John 5:28, 29, “All those in the memorial tombs will hear his voice and come out.” The fulfillment of this marvelous promise of a resurrection was actually “seen” by the apostle John, as recorded at Revelation 20:11-15:

“And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne . . . And the sea gave up those dead in it, and death and Hades gave up those dead in them.” That means that all the dead in Hades (mankind’s common grave) will return to life, with opportunity of remaining alive forever in perfect health on an earth restored to paradise.

According to the Bible’s timetable, we are now living in the “conclusion” or “the last days” of the present system of things. (Matt. 24:3-34; 2 Tim. 3:1-5) That means that God’s new order will become a reality within this generation. What gladsome news that is! And while awaiting its fulfillment, the Scriptures advise: “Throw your burden upon Jehovah himself, and he himself will sustain you.”​—Ps. 55:22.

Watching the World

The U.N. ‘Needed’?

◆ The seeming détente in the world has, in the eyes of many persons, been brought about without the U.N. Is that true? Not according to Finnish historian Max Jakobson, who writes: “The Brezhnev-Nixon agreement of cooperation for the prevention of conflicts could not be effectively carried out without the services of an international peacekeeping agency. The need for a United Nations force in the Middle East proves the point.”

Deceptive Dollar

◆ As a person listens to and reads the news, he may think that the U.S. dollar is actually making gains. Well, it is, when compared to some other paper currencies that have been harder hit by recent economic developments. However, in buying power, the dollar is sinking. In the four-month period of October 1973 through January 1974 its value deteriorated 29 percent against gold and 31 percent against silver. It was down 26 percent against gasoline and 25 percent against oats. At the end of January 1974 the U.S. dollar bought exactly one half as much cotton as it did a year earlier. Says the Chicago Sun-Times: “The dollar is collapsing, not coming back.”

Baptist Decline

◆ Southern Baptist churches in the U.S. have been known to commend themselves on rising membership. But their claim to increase is open to challenge when the facts are examined. Thus, an item in Texas’ Baptist Standard recently noted: “Southern Baptists still are better at collecting dollars than they are at enlisting people. . . . Churches affiliated with the convention received $1.2 billion last year, an increase of 12.3 percent. But, baptisms are down by 6 percent. We claim membership gained 1.7 percent for a total of 12.3 million but everybody knows our churches are enthusiastic in adding and reluctant to subtract. Training union is down. So is Woman’s Missionary Union enrollment. Sunday school is static. . . . All of which leaves us a bit reluctant to commend ourselves for the year that is history.” The article was reprinted in Oklahoma’s Baptist Messenger.

Famine Picture Darkens

◆ Some time back, food experts started warning about possible coming famine. Have they changed their minds since then, or, perhaps, lowered the estimates of the number of deaths that they feel may soon occur? Roy L. Prosterman is quoted in The World Today as answering: “I have grown even more pessimistic since September. . . . This grows out of the oil crisis plus a shortage of fertilizer plant capacity. . . . Today, I believe that without massive aid effort by America and the other rich countries, as many as 50 million additional deaths may occur, along with widespread political chaos.”

Stealing Steel Posts

◆ First an item is declared to be in “shortage.” Then what? Then it becomes the special target of thieves! A current shortage in the U.S. state of Oklahoma is steel fence posts. Dealers have waiting lists of customers that want them. So now hundreds of steel posts have been literally yanked out of the ground by thieves. Some have taken every other post, hoping nobody would notice the missing ones. But ranchers lose more than the posts by such actions; valuable cattle stray off their land without good fencing. Says one area sheriff: “Some folks will steal anything these days. There’s no telling what it’ll be next.”

Dirty Literature

◆ Alfred Kazin, the literary critic, recently spoke at a University of Louisville “Love and Sex in Modern Literature” conference. U.S. literature, he pointed out, according to a Courier-Journal report, was built on a romantic and not on an explicit or “dirty” form of writing; now, however, literature is dominated by sex. When did the switchover take place? The account says: “The big change came after World War I, with the general disillusionment and the self-awareness that was spawned by wholesale slaughter with bombs and bullets, he said.”

Erosion in Nigeria

◆ In Nigeria soil erosion has reached what that country’s Daily Times calls “frightening proportions.” Huge gullies have been formed, one of which is said to be over 400 feet deep and to cover about a square mile. Estimates claim that 15 million tons of soil are washed away annually. Of course, crops needed to feed the area’s growing population are also lost with soil erosion, as are valuable timber trees. The cause of the problem? Says the Times: ‘This is due, in part, to intensive cultivation. And so radically modified has been the state’s original tropical vegetation that only very small isolated clumps of high forest now remain.”

“These Priests Stay”​—Why?

◆ Many priests have quit the Roman Catholic Church in the last few years. But, respond churchmen, many others have remained. But why have they stayed? A new book, These Priests Stay, by Paul Wilkes, shows that the reasons for priests remaining are not always as noble as some persons like to believe. One says: “I stay a priest simply because I am one.” Another admits that he “cannot rationally put down why I stay a priest.” And, what about faith? Confesses a priest who was a civil rights activist: “I caught on that when the Pope cries about ‘losing faith,’ he means faith in him, in authority.”

Animal Extinction

◆ The world’s species of birds and mammals are growing extinct at the rate of about one per year, according to Dr. Ian McTaggart Cowan of the University of British Columbia. He asserts that in the year 1600 there were about 4,226 species of mammals; 36 of these are now extinct. There were 8,684 species of birds; 94 are now gone. Man is considered a major cause of animal extinction. Of 83 currently endangered fish species, 46 percent of the declines have come about as a result of man’s dam building or his pollution and pesticides. The energy crisis has contributed to endangering ospreys in the Klamath Falls, Oregon, area, says the Herald and News; residents seeking firewood to warm their homes have disturbed the birds’ nests. The worldwide currency crisis has made ivory more valuable, and so Africa’s elephant herds are feared vanishing, says a report from Nairobi, Kenya.

More than Decency Required

◆ George R. Plagenz, religion editor of the Cleveland (Ohio) Press, recently pointed out that all levels of society indicate an ‘ethical breakdown.’ What is the code that motivates the average person in his daily life? He says: “Most individual ethical systems would appear to fall far short of what is known as the Christian ethic​—‘Do unto others as you would have them do unto you’ . . . Far more common, according to a consensus of sociologists, are codes of ethics based on ‘self-interest which does not directly transgress the rights of others.’” Then Plagenz quotes Dean Willard Sperry, who observes: “It is against precisely this quality of a ‘moral mean’ that Jesus is protesting. . . . We are to be morally better than the common level of conventional decency requires us to be.”

Is the Cure Worse?

◆ There is growing disenchantment with methadone, a synthetic narcotic used supposedly to help heroin addicts to break their habit. Robert Cleveland of the Georgia State Drug Abuse Department says that much of the finances alloted to the substitute was “money down a rathole.” Addicts, he says, would sometimes use methadone for “buying time for their next ripoff,” or crime. After illegally obtaining money, of course, they could purchase more heroin. The Montreal Star notes that the Canadian Medical Association now says that methadone “can lead to more opiate dependence and compound the over-all problem.” Deaths from methadone poisoning surpassed those from heroin poisoning in New York city in the first half of 1973. The state of New Jersey reports similarly.

Divorce, Italian Style

◆ Italy recently passed a divorce law. The Catholic Church would like to get the law set aside. But some priests in the central Italian city of Avezzano challenge the propriety of the Church’s stand. At a recent meeting a bishop told priests to prepare for the divorce issue. What happened? Il Messaggero reports: “Two or three priests stood up and asked permission to talk. What should we prepare for? What have we to do with divorce? What should we get busy at, a civil law? Jehovah’s witnesses distribute tracts which accuse us of interfering in Italian politics . . . Jehovah’s witnesses find a lot of people who tell them they are right. . . . How can we impose a value of faith through a civil law?”

Judaism Suffers

◆ Judaism, like most religions of the world, is feeling the pangs of change. In 1900 there were some 300 synagogues on New York’s Lower East Side. Today there are 6 synagogues in the same area. Near Baltimore, Maryland, an attempt to affiliate Beth Tfiloh, an Orthodox synagogue, with a Conservative Jewish organization is resulting in a split congregation. Some members insist on walking to synagogue since they consider driving a violation of their sabbath. But the synagogue has a parking lot for those who do drive. Inside, men and women are separated as in most Orthodox synagogues, but the partition between the two groups is missing. Some families keep “kosher” homes; others do not.

Shearing the Flock

◆ The clergy have tried numerous gimmicks to get money from their parishioners. Now David Stiven of Gordon United Church in British Columbia is trying a different approach. According to The Victorian, his recent pastoral letter read: “Sometimes it is not thought to be the done thing for ministers to preach about money. Tut Tut! But I firmly believe that it is the duty of a good shepherd to shear the sheep, as well as to lead and feed them.” How unlike the apostle Peter, who told true Christian shepherds otherwise at 1 Peter 5:1-4.

Weak Language

◆ Foul words, as well as useless slang terms, are becoming increasingly commonplace in the U.S. Saturday Review/​World editor Norman Cousins recently made some interesting observations on such careless use of language: “The first purpose of education is to enable a person to speak up and be understood. Incoherence is no virtue. Feeble language is the swiftest road to a feeble mentality. . . . The trouble with four-letter words and foul language is not so much that they are offensive as that they are weak precisely at the points where they are supposed to be strong. . . . They devitalize everything they touch.”

Fruits of “Relevance”

◆ In recent years the churches of Christendom have become increasingly secular; they call it being “relevant.” This has only made them more like the world. Understandably, observant men question the future of the churches. Says London’s Economist: “Influential voices can be heard predicting the death of the institutional church in the not-too-distant future. Well before the year 2000, says one Catholic writer, Mgr. Malachi Martin, there will no longer be a religious institution recognisable as the Roman Catholic church. A similarly gloomy future has been prophesied for the Church of England by a leading Anglican layman, Mr. Leslie Paul.”

Parochial Schools’ Future

◆ There were four and a half million youngsters in U.S. Catholic elementary schools in 1965. Last school year there were far less than three million students. And the hope for the future? Says the Jesuit magazine America: “In short, the American Catholic school system is getting smaller, costing more and no recovery is in sight.”

Respond to the Sign of Our Times

The sign of winter’s approach is read by both animals and humans. Taking appropriate action can mean life or death. Responding to the sign that the Bible said would mark the conclusion of this system is equally vital.

What is the sign? Is it now in course of fulfillment? The book God’s Kingdom of a Thousand Years Has Approached answers. Send today. This hard-covered, 416-page book is only 50 cents.

Please send, postpaid, God’s Kingdom of a Thousand Years Has Approached; also the gift booklet Divine Victory​—Its Meaning for Distressed Humanity. Enclosed is 50c.

Help in Understanding the Bible

Do you desire to understand God’s Word? A Bible translation in modern English can be a valuable help to you.

The Bible in Living English, translated by Steven T. Byington and published in 1972, is such an easy-to-understand Bible. It uses 20th-century English and yet conveys the flavor of the times in which the Bible was written. It has large print, marginal notes and a dark-blue hard cover with gold-embossed title; 1,598 pages. Only $6.

The Truth That Leads to Eternal Life is a book that helps a person to get the meaning of the Scriptures. It does this by bringing together scriptures that bear on questions of vital concern to a reader. Hardbound; 192 pages. Only 25 cents.

Please send The Bible in Living English, also the book The Truth That Leads to Eternal Life. I enclose $6.25.