August 22

Page Two

As world population increases by about 70 to 80 million people each year, experts are alarmed at the growing number of people who do not have enough to eat. They estimate that one billion people go to bed hungry every night! Why is the food problem worsening? Whatever happened to the “green revolution”? If that is not the remedy, what is?

5 WILL THERE BE ENOUGH FOOD TO EAT?

7 WHAT HAPPENED TO THE “GREEN REVOLUTION”?

8 WHAT PEOPLE CAN EAT

10 WHAT IS THE REAL SOLUTION?

Have You Ever Wondered—

Can You Do Anything About Pollution?

MOST people would scarcely enjoy living in a garbage dump. Yet when you hear about smog alerts, oil spills, “dead” lakes and fallout from nuclear accidents, or see trash-cluttered streets and parks, you may understandably wonder if our beautiful earth is not being turned into just that​—a global garbage dump.

Pollution is often viewed as an unwanted but inevitable side effect of “civilization.” It is true that highly developed countries are particularly plagued by pollution. However, it is not industry in itself that is to blame, but, rather, the wrong attitude displayed by many of the men who control it. They may be unwilling to spend money on developing antipollution devices or be hesitant about following antipollution policies.

This same wrong attitude​—in short, a reluctance to exercise the “law of neighbor love”—​accounts for the debris you see in some countries scattered along streets and highways or in other public places. Have you ever seen a stadium or a ball park after a sports event? Remember, individuals made it look that way.

So, in reality, pollution is a problem of the individual​—a problem of his heart and his mind. It is the result of a mind polluted with false values and possible ignorance, and a heart polluted with selfishness, thoughtlessness and general unconcern about the welfare of others.

WHAT CAN WE AS INDIVIDUALS DO?

Everyone can discipline himself to put trash where it belongs. Adults who develop an appreciative eye for neatness and beauty will not need a law: “Thou shalt not litter!” Parents when teaching their children to value the same high standards might well keep in mind the fitting, although rather blunt, German proverb that reminds us that “even a little pig is still a swine.”

Driving less and avoiding letting car motors idle needlessly can cut down on air pollution. Even cigarettes left unsmoked help keep the air clean and unpolluted. True, our contribution may be small, but doing our share will promote a good conscience and enhance self-respect. And if everyone would really do his part, would keep the Biblical Golden Rule: ‘Do unto others as you would have them do unto you,’ just think how pleasant life on a beautiful earth could be! (Matt. 7:12) It would be like living in a beautiful, well-kept park.

Many persons sincerely believe that the earth’s Designer originally had the establishment of such a paradise earth in mind. They believe that he is still dedicated to bringing about this ideal situation, despite today’s pollution. This conviction has transformed their lives and given them a reason to respect cleanness and beauty, a reason to avoid polluting. As best they can, they are trying to fit into the Creator’s concept of a pollution-free world. True, they cannot eliminate pollution, but by carefully guarding their sense of values they can avoid contributing to making it worse. Still, this is only a partial solution.

WHAT IS NEEDED TO ELIMINATE POLLUTION?

If man is to eliminate pollution, his mind must be filled with accurate knowledge of the earth’s ecology, and his heart must be filled with the sincere desire to avoid polluting.

Scientists have obtained some of this necessary knowledge by investigating the ecological systems and balances that protect the earth’s environment. But much they have had to learn by trial and error. And there is still much more to learn. Would not the intelligent design found in these ecological systems prove the existence of an intelligent Designer? Certainly he would be most capable of providing man’s inquiring mind with the knowledge necessary to help him avoid inadvertently polluting. But even if man were to receive such knowledge, would he use it correctly? What about his heart?

We would rightfully expect man to be able to show from the heart such qualities as love, consideration and unselfishness. Why? Because Genesis 1:27 explains that “God proceeded to create the man in his image,” and God manifests these qualities. Wrong training, inherited imperfection and a wicked environment have prevented many persons from properly developing these divine qualities, yet the potential is still there. Proper education and training can bring these dormant qualities to the fore and eliminate pollution-making tendencies.

God is providing this kind of knowledge and training even today, helping willing persons to develop the proper set of values and attitudes necessary for life in a pollution-free world. People who believe that God is the earth’s rightful owner, and that man is simply its caretaker, will readily accept the knowledge and training he offers. Others will not. Can this situation ever be corrected?

WILL A FINAL SOLUTION EVER BE FOUND?

Would you permit unappreciative persons to turn your potentially beautiful parklike garden into a garbage dump? Of course not. So can you understand the Creator’s feeling of wrath toward persons doing that to his earth? Revelation 11:18 explains that this wrath will be expressed at God’s appointed time when he will “bring to ruin those ruining the earth.” Only by ridding the earth of unrepentant and incorrigible polluters can God make sure that the appropriate antipollution instructions he will give earth’s inhabitants in the future will be followed. The Bible shows that the time for this action by the agency of God’s kingdom is near.

By refusing to pollute or to support those who do, we can provide God with a basis for permitting us to live in his pollution-free world now so near. Would you not enjoy such a prospect?

Will There Be Enough Food to Eat?

THE French call it nouriture. Greeks know it as trophé. To the Japanese it is shokuji. What is it in English? Food!

Whatever you call it in your language, does the thought of good food make your mouth water when you are hungry? Yes, good food is very desirable, delightful to the taste and nourishing to the body.

On the other hand, the thought of hunger is frightening. Its consequences are devastating. It stunts physical and mental growth and robs millions of their chance to lead a normal life. But it does more: It kills.

True, if you live in places such as Europe and North America, you may not give much thought to hunger. Of course, you may be distressed at the high prices you now have to pay for food, but few people in such areas are actually hungry.

Elsewhere it is a different story.

How Many Affected?

It may shock you to know that today about one billiona people are hungry. That estimate comes from the World Food Council, an agency of the United Nations. It is about 25 percent of the world’s population! Hence, many authorities consider the struggle to get enough to eat the greatest problem facing mankind.

But is the problem at least diminishing? No. “The world hunger problem is getting worse rather than better,” declared Sol Lonowitz, chairman of a United States presidential commission on world hunger. He added: “A major crisis lies ahead unless a concerted effort is made to avert it.”

Similarly, U.S. News & World Report said: “A food crisis more serious than the present energy crunch threatens world peace in the next 20 years unless the U.S. and other nations take bold action.”

Why is hunger a threat to world peace? Because the frustrated desire of poor people to attain a decent standard of living is the most potentially explosive force in the world today. A billion angry and desperate people represent a real threat to international order.

The threat may be even greater. The Royal Bank of Canada estimates that “as much as 40 percent of the world population suffers from undernourishment.” That is over 1.6 billion people! As an example, in one African country it is said that 45 percent of the children die before they reach the age of five.

Why Worsening?

Why is the situation worsening? Are there not reports of more food being grown in some countries? Yes, there have been some increases. But world population has increased even faster.

Thus, on the average, there has been a net decrease in the amount of food available to each person. For example, a study by World-Watch Institute shows the following:

ANNUAL FOOD PRODUCTION PER PERSON WORLD WIDE

1970-76 Peak 1979

Fish 43 lbs. 36 lbs.

Beef 26 ʺ 24 ʺ

Mutton 4.2 ʺ 4 ʺ

Grain 754 ʺ 701 ʺ

What is the world population growth now? About 70 to 80 million annually, equivalent to a new Pakistan each year. In addition, such population growth is causing ever greater use of farmland for nonfarm uses. More homes, shopping centers, factories, roads, airports, schools and other things are being built on what used to be farmland.

Every day throughout the world, thousands of acres are taken out of food production for such uses. Sooner or later, mankind will feel the pinch of this missing farmland. In the United States the loss of actual or potential farmland is estimated to be an average of four square miles (10 km²) a day. That is the equivalent of a strip of land a half-mile (0.8-km) wide running from New York to San Francisco​—each year!

Overgrazing marginal farmlands is causing some of them to turn into deserts. A United Nations official estimated that already the Sahara desert is advancing southward at the rate of six kilometers (about four miles) a year, mainly because of overgrazing. Other deserts, including the Arabian, the Kalahari in South-West Africa, the Sonoran of Mexico and the southern United States, are reported also to be expanding.

The African magazine To the Point reported of these deserts: “They encroach on 60,000 km² [about 23,000 square miles] of arable land every year and in some areas the march proceeds at up to 11 km [7 miles] a year.” It added: “Scientists have now named the process ‘skin cancer of the earth’ and say it is spreading like a malignant growth. They estimate that up to one per cent of the world’s arable lands become deserts every year. . . . Most experts think that man is primarily to blame for the process. Wasteful agriculture and over-exploitation of the land . . . is the root cause.”

Another problem is the high price of fuel, a key cost in the production of food. Fertilizers, tractors, trucks and other machinery are dependent on petroleum. Agricultural expert Lester Brown said: “The combination of rising energy costs and the diminishing returns on the use of chemical fertilizers also contributes to the leveling off of grain and cereal production.”

Still one more negative element is being added to the already critical food supplies: more and more grain is now being turned into alcohol to use as fuel in cars and trucks. As countries use more grain to make fuel, the grain left for food will of necessity be less.

However, are not newer methods of food production turning the tide? For example, what about the “green revolution”?

[Footnotes]

What Happened to the “Green Revolution”?

NEARLY 40 years ago, agricultural experts began to experiment with new types of wheat. These “plant breeders” were trying to produce greater yields for the same acreage. They succeeded.

In the years since then, the results of their experiments have been extended to rice. Large areas of these new strains of wheat and rice were planted in Central and South America, and in Asia. Yields increased dramatically. Thus, some thought that here was an answer to some of the world’s food shortages.

What Happened?

Recently, prominent agricultural expert Lester Brown was asked: “Whatever happened to the ‘green revolution’ that was supposed to end famine?” He answered: “The green revolution was never intended to solve the food problem​—only to buy time to get population growth under control. . . . there are no agricultural technologies that will keep up with that growth.”

So the “green revolution” did bring some increases in food production. But the huge growth of population in the meantime largely overwhelmed it.

Also, the “green revolution” has an “Achilles’ heel,” a vulnerable spot. What is this weakness? It is the fact that while it increased yields, the basis for it was the much greater use of fertilizer, pesticides, irrigation and mechanization. As noted in the previous article, much of that is based on the availability of petroleum to run the tractors and other machines, as well as to produce the fertilizers and chemicals used in the “green revolution.”

Not only is there an energy squeeze now, but the cost of oil has “gone through the roof.” The very countries that need food the most are in the worst position to afford the oil, and without it the “green revolution” cannot be sustained.

Time magazine, commenting on this before recent additional rises in oil prices, said:

“Now they are paying the price of a 1600% rise in OPEC prices since 1970; they cannot do without oil but cannot afford to buy it.

“Admits an official of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization: ‘The guy who was enlightened enough to follow our advice to buy machinery and fertilizer is in a bind, while the farmer who kept his water buffalo is in much better shape.’”

Another paradox within the poorer countries is that usually only the wealthier farmers can afford to pay for the new technology necessary to make a success of the “green revolution.” The poor farmer who most needs the increased food production cannot afford it.

Complicating the picture further is the fact that most of earth’s four billion people are poor. So even if increases in food production did keep pace with rising population, these poor people could not afford to pay for a decent diet.

A New Breakthrough?

Will some dramatic new development in food production save the day? Experts are pessimistic.

The Royal Bank of Canada Monthly Letter says: “Although the green revolution has done wonders, no one pretends that it is the whole solution to the food problem which now faces humanity.” It adds: “Science alone cannot be expected to do the job.”

U.S. News & World Report asked Lester Brown: “Are there any breakthroughs in sight that might dramatically increase food supplies in the future?” He answered:

“I wish I could say yes, but the chances are against it.

“Looking at what’s on the drawing board today, it’s very difficult to see anything leading to a quantum jump of the sort we have had since World War II​—with developments such as the hybridization of corn, the enormous growth in use of chemical fertilizer, the rapid growth in irrigation, and high-yielding wheat and rice.”

Does this mean that there is no solution? Not at all. There is, and it is one that is certain to come, one that will prove completely satisfying. However, until that time comes, can some people benefit by learning what others are using for food?

What People Can Eat

WHEN we talk about food, in certain parts of the world people think of such things as meat at least once a day, different vegetables and fruits, various desserts and beverages.

However, hundreds of millions of people may see little or no meat in their entire lifetime. They have a steady diet of just a few foods, such as rice three times a day, with just a few vegetables. Perhaps on occasion they will have a piece of fish or other meat. Either a better diet is unavailable or they are too poor to afford it.

Yet people the world over eat many things that could help some hungry people elsewhere.

What Is Food?

Food is defined as “nutritive material absorbed or taken into the body of an organism for purposes of growth or repair.” It is “anything that nourishes, develops or sustains.”

In view of this definition, it seems that there is virtually no end to what can be called food in the plant, animal and insect worlds. In the plant world, for instance, mankind today unfortunately relies on just a few basic crops for food. But at one time or another in history people have eaten several thousand different plant types.

One group of scientists reported on 30 little-known species of tropical plants that could help feed people, but that are not now being utilized. An African scientist noted thousands of species of plants there, but only a few were being used, such as corn, rice and sweet potatoes. And these were “borrowed” from other cultures.

Different Foods

Some say that other little-known crops are too exotic to be eaten. But one scientist answered: “Remember, almost everything is eaten by somebody somewhere.”

For example, a scientist recommended earthworms mixed with other food as a high protein source. Are you surprised at that suggestion? Well, Science Digest reported that a woman who majored in home economics at a California university “does eat insects regularly, her favorites being the termite, the grasshopper, the bee and the tribolium, or flour beetle.”

A taste panel sampled some of her “delicacies.” What did they think of them? After trying her termite pilaf, bee won ton soup, and jiminy bread (which includes either ground-up crickets or grasshoppers), the panel responded enthusiastically. One member said: “Termite pilaf was my favorite.”

American anthropologist Aubrey Williams sampled “fish pizza” made with codfish scraps, also caterpillars, roasted grasshoppers, butterflies, earthworms and bee cookies. His response? “I know it sometimes sounds disgusting, but when you stop to think of it, it’s not much different from eating snails. And peeling a locust or cockroach to eat isn’t much different from peeling a shrimp.”

Attitudes Vary

Since all people everywhere are biologically the same, their bodies can be sustained on the same kinds of nutrients. Why, then, is it that not all eat everything that others eat?

Well, how do you feel when you hear about people somewhere eating dog, cat, rat, mouse, snake, frog, earthworm, horse, monkey or elephant? Do you get upset? Whatever your feelings, remember that what you cherish as a favorite food may be considered loathsome by somebody elsewhere.

Therefore, the problem may not be with what is eaten as food. It may depend on where you were born and on what kind of food you have been accustomed to eating since childhood. It could also depend on your religious convictions or your cultural background.

For instance, it may seem revolting to a person raised in North America to hear that people in certain parts of Africa relish the earthworm. Likewise, it could be disgusting to an individual reared in parts of Africa to learn that some people in Europe or America enjoy the frog as meat.

A person in India may be filled with anger to hear that the Europeans and the Americans use the flesh of the cow for food. To a Moslem, it is sacrilegious to eat pork. And some Europeans would laugh at the idea of using corn for adult food, but certain varieties of corn are much desired by other people.

A Balanced View

Hence, the fact that some people eat foods that others consider unusual or revolting is largely a matter of the mind. Since people can eat these things and be sustained in one part of the world, from a physical standpoint everyone else could be nourished by them too.

Man is surrounded by all kinds of foods. But his choosy character has brought about his likes and dislikes. That may be all right in times of plenty, but in times of hunger it denies him nourishment.

Interestingly, concerning man’s original food supply, the Bible says: “Here I [God] have given to you all vegetation bearing seed which is on the surface of the whole earth and every tree on which there is the fruit of a tree bearing seed. To you let it serve as food.” (Gen. 1:29) Later, God made this addition: “Every moving animal that is alive may serve as food for you. As in the case of green vegetation, I do give it all to you. Only flesh with its soul​—its blood—​you must not eat.”​—Gen. 9:3, 4.

It is apparent that God provided a great variety of plant, animal and insect life that could be eaten to sustain life. That is why we are told further in the Bible that “every creation of God is fine, and nothing is to be rejected [as food] if it is received with thanksgiving.”​—1 Tim. 4:4, 5.

What Is the Real Solution?

TRUE, more things could be eaten by people than are eaten now. But being realistic, we cannot think that everybody will suddenly develop a taste for what he does not want to eat. That is why some will continue to go hungry when nearby there may be a source of nutrition, but too different from what they customarily eat.

Nor, as previously has been observed, will some new breakthrough by human efforts solve the problem. If such breakthroughs had been possible, there would not now be 1,000,000,000 people going to bed hungry every night. So we cannot escape the fact that, however sincere and noble the proposed remedies, the race to feed the poorer part of earth’s population is being lost.

Dr. Walter Santos of the Brazilian Nutrition Society said: “There is almost a general frustration in all developed countries as regards the promises and forecasts made and what was achieved. Everywhere there is a desire, a necessity for drastic changes in the development of policies hitherto adopted, for they have aggravated rather than eased the social and economic differences.”

Why has this been the case? Because the answer to the food problem lies beyond the scope of what humans can accomplish. The smartest scientists, the wisest political leaders, the most intelligent economists have not been able to solve the problem after all the time, effort and money put into it. Nor will they in the future.

Man’s selfishness and greed, his thirst for power, his willingness to benefit while others suffer, all stand in the way. And those are only some of the deep-rooted problems that block a permanent solution.

If man is not likely to come up with the solution, what then? Are those scientists right who foretell coming mass starvation on a scale dwarfing anything mankind has yet experienced? Is there no way out?

Real Solution at Hand

The solution is at hand? How can that be? Have we not just explained that experts view the future with dread?

Yes, but the very facts of today’s dismal conditions and outlook are an encouragement. In what way? In that all these things are part of the evidence that we are nearing the real solution. Note what Jesus Christ said in a prophecy about our time: “Men become faint out of fear and expectation of the things coming upon the inhabited earth.”​—Luke 21:26.

Present-day famine, as well as many other events, pinpoint our generation as being at “the conclusion of the system of things,” which Jesus foretold. For among the things Jesus foretold was that “there will be food shortages.”​—Matt. 24:3, 7, 8.

The last book of the Bible prophetically spoke about the ride of four symbolic “horsemen” in our time. One result would be high prices for food: “A whole day’s wage for a loaf of bread,” is the way Revelation 6:6 is rendered by the Weymouth translation. This fits exactly this comment made by the New York Times: “For many people the price of a single meal now exceeds a day’s income.”

The worst food shortages have taken place in our era. So have many other events unprecedented in history, beginning with the first world war, from 1914-1918. That war was the turning point of modern history. It was one of many events that clearly indicated that we were entering the time period known as “the conclusion of the system of things,” or “the end of the world.”​—Authorized Version.

A New Order of Abundance

Happily, though, Bible prophecy gives us a preview of a marvelous change that will shortly occur earth wide when this time period comes to its finish. It says:

“‘Now at last God has his dwelling among men! . . . He will wipe every tear from their eyes; there shall be an end to death, and to mourning and crying and pain; for the old order has passed away!’

“Then he who sat on the throne [God] said, ‘Behold! I am making all things new!’”​—Rev. 21:3-5, “New English Bible.”

Thus, what world events really mean, including the gloomy outlook regarding the food situation, is that we are nearing the end of the present unsatisfactory system now dominating mankind. God’s promise is that shortly he will intervene in man’s affairs to crush this bad system, paving the way for a new era that will bring about enormous transformations. It will mean, as Peter foretold, a “new heavens and a new earth.”​—2 Pet. 3:13.

Yes, a new government of God will take over human affairs and direct them from the heavenly realm. (Matt. 6:9, 10) That government will bring about marvelous changes on earth. It will bring an end to social injustice, to selfish economics and greedy people. It will also bring an end to divisive national barriers. And forever it will end hunger, starvation and poverty. Gone for all time will be the bloated bellies and pencil-thin legs and arms of the starving. Gone forever will be the unhappy prospect hundreds of millions of people now have of going to bed hungry every night.

So we are fast nearing the time when the specter of hunger will be a thing of the past, never to raise its ugly head again. Instead, God’s new order on earth will be marked by an abundance of good things, including “a banquet of well-oiled dishes” and ‘plenty of grain, an overflow.’ Then there will be more than enough food for everyone to eat.​—Isa. 25:6; Ps. 72:16.

When Ear Defenses Fail

OUR ears have a built-in defense system to protect themselves against loud noises continued over a period of time. In the middle ear there are two tiny muscles that contract by reflex when loud sounds occur that would injure the inner ear and cause loss of hearing.

One of these muscles contracts to reduce the vibration of the eardrum when noise exceeds a certain level. The other cuts down on the movement of the stirrup bone in the middle ear, reducing the intensity of the vibrations it transfers to the fluid of the inner ear. This is to protect the delicate structures located there, in the organ of Corti, where vibrations are converted to electrical impulses that travel up the auditory nerve to the hearing area of the brain.

Noise too loud continued too long, however, causes the gradual death of more and more cells in the inner ear. These cells do not regenerate, and the resultant hearing loss is permanent. As aural insult follows aural insult, more and more damage is done without the victim realizing what is happening. Most speech is within the range of 300 to 3,000 cycles per second, but most noise-caused hearing losses begin at 4,000 cycles. Since this is above the speech range, hearing is being eroded without the victim’s knowledge.

As overexposure to loud noise continues, the listener’s ability to hear human speech is affected. The victim then starts to complain that everybody is mumbling. He asks people to repeat themselves. Too late, it dawns on him that his hearing loss is serious.

Studies indicate that more than 5,000,000 Americans under 18 years of age have permanent hearing problems. One university reported that 60 percent of more than 4,000 freshmen tested had hearing impairments. One test that compared the hearing quality of Americans and African tribesmen revealed that the tribesmen, in their less noisy environment, had better hearing.

Scientists measure sound in terms of decibels. A whisper generates about 30 decibels. An average conversation reaches 60. City traffic, workplace noise, electrical appliances, airports​—such environments generate noises from 70 to 170 decibels. No more than 70 decibels can be tolerated for 24 hours without damage. “All your allowable exposure,” one engineer said, “can be used up in just one hour at 90 decibels.” Another specialist in the field claims that heavy ear mufflers in combination with ear plugs are the best protection.

One researcher tested the effects of alcohol on hearing in noisy environments. It was discovered that the ear muscles that contract to deaden loud noises do not respond as quickly when the subject has been drinking liquor. Moreover, he is more tolerant of loud noises and as a consequence suffers more hearing loss than does the person who is sober. Sedatives also relax these defensive ear muscles and interfere with their reflex action when exposed to noise.

“Those kids who go to lots of rock concerts,” one doctor who treats ear problems said, “I’d like to see them 30 years from now.”

By then it will be too late.

“In the Bible, the key word for man’s response to God is ‘hearing’ rather than ‘seeing’ . . . For the mystery religions the highest religious experience was that of ‘seeing’ the god; but for the Bible, where the basic religious attitude is obedience to the divine word, the emphasis is on ‘hearing’ his voice. The most important formula of Israel’s religion begins characteristically: ‘Hear, O Israel.’ ‘He who is of God’ is not the mystic who has seen a vision, but one who ‘hears the words of God’ (John 8:47).”​—“The Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible,” vol. 2, p. 1.

Youths, Do You Isolate Yourselves?

With People or Withdrawn​—Where Would You Rather Be?

The opening guitar part soars high and wild. Steady bass notes ripple across the floor to me. The singer wants to live a free life, unhassled. I know his feelings. They are my feelings, too. Everything is right when I’m listening to my records. It’s as if the musicians understand me, and I understand them.

Not like Mom and Dad​—they don’t know what my ideas are. Or at school​—the teachers do all the talking. They never listen to us. They would all be surprised to know how I really feel.

So every day it’s the same. I come straight home from school.

“Hello, dear!”

“Hi, Mom.”

“What did you learn today?”

“Nothin’.”

There, that’s out of the way. Now up the stairs, two steps at a time, to my room. My music. I shut the door. My world. I spend most of my time here, listening to my records, sharing thoughts and feelings with the singers and musicians. Sometimes we get all charged up about changing the world; sometimes we’re depressed at how hopeless it all seems.

We look out at the world as it really is, but the world doesn’t look in at how we really are. They call us kids, but inside we feel old beyond our years. Injustice, freedom, love, pressure, getting together about the environment​—these are what we care about. But adults don’t take us seriously, so we communicate our own way in our own world.

Are you a young person who feels something like this? Do your emotions and strong feelings churn inside you? Are you frustrated because you think adults show little interest in your real feelings? How have you dealt with this frustration? Maybe you have felt confused, and so you’ve withdrawn from the adults in your life, spending many hours isolated with your music and maybe a close friend. Why do you think it’s so hard for many adults and young people to talk together about their real feelings?

Growing Up: Physically and Another Way

You are changing. You aren’t a child anymore. Your body is well on the way to its final form as a mature man or woman. It may seem that almost overnight you added several inches to your height. Extra body hair sprouted like crabgrass, and you suddenly developed sexually. Tremendous physical changes have overtaken you.

During this spurt of physical development one of your parents or some other adult whom you are close to may have shared the facts of life with you. It was helpful to find this out. You needed to know this was all normal, that you are not the only one it happens to.

But as outstanding as these external changes are, other changes as great or greater have been happening to you that affect your personality. About this same time you also began maturing emotionally. This kind of growing is just as real and often just as fast, but it takes place below the surface where others cannot see.

While people may notice your outward growth and mention it freely, what is happening to you on the inside is really making you a different person. For others to continue to know you well as you grow up, they will have to spend time talking with you, and you will have to be open with them. People often neglect to pay a proportionate amount of attention to a young person’s inward development.

Shifting Gears Emotionally

At this time in life young hearts erupt and gush a whole torrent of new, deep-felt concerns, things they rarely considered as a child. The meaning and purpose of life, questions about the future, interest in the opposite sex, an acute sense of fairness and justice, compassion toward those who are deprived in the world. Are these issues foaming inside you?

Did you realize that these issues dawn pretty much the same in many during their teen-age years? It is true. They are very personal to you, but many other persons about your age are feeling just what you feel inside. This emotional awakening is just as universal as the physical changes of puberty. Had you thought of that? Or did you think that these new feelings were yours alone?

Well, see if this makes sense to you:

A young man’s first shave is no casual affair. He likely views it as a turning point in his life, so he gets thoroughly absorbed in the act. It’s thrilling for him. But because this event is so meaningful to him would he be right in thinking that no one else has ever known or could ever know exactly how he feels inside? Every man who has ever shaved had a first shave, didn’t he? And someday all the little brothers will have their first shave, too. It’s no doubt a special time for each one but hardly a new or different experience for the male gender. Can you apply this illustration to the way a young person might realistically view his own emotional development?

When you stop and think about it, isn’t it quite reasonable that we humans generally pass through the same basic steps of growth as we progress from childhood to adulthood? Our feelings during the adolescent years can be deeply personal and private, but they are not unique to us; they are just part of the human chemistry during this period of our life.

Does Growing Up Emotionally Make You an Adult?

So now your emotions have shot ahead to grown-up interests. Does that mean you are fully mature? Well, it would be proper for adults to acknowledge and appreciate your progress, but should you expect them to view you now as completely adult, an equal in every way?

Actually your experience in living is still quite limited. While you are beginning to feel the way adults do, you cannot always think as an adult does. You haven’t lived that long so you haven’t had the time to acquire background knowledge about many of life’s ins and outs.

It will not always be this way. In fact, this chapter in your life has only a few pages. Your experience in living and the wisdom that comes with it will catch up to and even pass that early emotional spurt​—just as the tortoise eventually outdistanced the hare. But until then you will do well to recognize how strong an influence this emotional arousal can be having on you.

Emotions and the Communication Problem

A young person’s feelings quickly become involved and direct him in matters. He tends to feel out his response more than to think it out. Youths are often quick to want to change things. Because of not knowing all the complex factors involved in an issue they may tend toward an oversimplified view. That’s not to say that every young person fits right into a neat category, but this is a trait that can be generally observed. Youths may have little patience with ways they feel are slow or outdated and may easily reach the point of exasperation.

Such thinking can cause them to lose proper respect for parents, teachers and other adults. Then they retreat from the real world into one more to their own liking​—a dream world. Can you see why this would be to your loss if you are a young person? If at the very time you are ready to start gaining wisdom in life you isolate yourself from those who have wisdom and are qualified to help you, how would you be benefited?

More than that, your parents are not merely qualified to help you; they want to help you. They love you just as they always have. They are not changing; you are. They have no desire to isolate themselves from you. Was it your parents who banished you to listening to records in your bedroom with the door closed, or did you choose to isolate yourself?

Joining In Again

Maybe after thinking about it you can see that a little rift has appeared between you and your folks. Not that either of you meant for it to happen​—it just did. But how can you undo it? Well, it really shouldn’t be that hard at all. It’s not as if you are trying to make peace with an enemy.

Start a conversation with one of your parents, perhaps your father. Tell him what you are doing in school. Ask his opinion on something and then share your views with him. Or, express an interest in things you know are meaningful to him. Do something together. Ask him to help you finish a job or offer to help him in one of his. Go to your parents with your questions about life.

Now, you won’t always agree with the decisions made by your parents, but keep in mind that you are at a point in life when your makeup is long on feeling but short on experience. They stood in your shoes some time ago but now they have gone far beyond anything you have felt or done. Hopefully, they can help you grow wise and advise you well as you develop good personal judgment. Do you remember this proverb: “He that is walking with wise persons will become wise”? Try walking close to your parents and see whether it will help you to keep from overreacting to your emotional pangs and urges.​—Prov. 13:20.

In these critical times not all parents really care about their children. Hopefully your parents do and will be glad to have you around. You may provide a spark that helps to keep them interested in life. You will still enjoy your music and that’s fine​—but don’t let it induce you to withdraw yourself from pleasant association with your parents.

The companies that record and produce music today are well aware that young people are sensitive. They know what kind of songs to push in order to capture your attention and, they hope, your money. Don’t be manipulated in this way. Be yourself. Know where to draw the line. Don’t isolate yourself. “One isolating himself,” the Bible says, “will seek his own selfish longing; against all practical wisdom he will break forth.”​—Prov. 18:1.

If you have gotten into the habit of withdrawing from your parents, why not try out another way of dealing with them? Give it a chance. See if you like life better this way. The next time you feel tempted to steal away to your bedroom and your records, stick around, join in things instead. Contribute to the group. Will you be glad you made the effort? Will your parents? Perhaps you’ll all be glad. If you have been withdrawn, they very likely will be glad to draw you in.

Oil? It Can Grow on Bushes!

THE sperm whale has been hunted with a persistence that has endangered existence of its kind. Factory-ship whaling has been banned, but it is estimated that these giants of the sea are still taken at the rate of about one every half hour. Why?

A large sperm whale yields several tons of sperm oil and spermaceti​—a white waxy substance. Both of these substances are very valuable and bring wealth to the whalers.

Nevertheless, under pressure from conservationists, all countries, except Russia and Japan, have given up hunting them; and yet they have great difficulty in finding satisfactory substitutes. The oil is used for high-pressure lubrication, in protecting machine tools, in pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and other products.

However, there is an alternative that is highly suitable​—the jojoba (pronounced hohóba) bush. It grows wild in the deserts of Arizona, California and Mexico. Recent research reveals that jojoba oil can do all that sperm oil does​—and better.

A jojoba bush grows about 3 m (10 feet) and after five years can produce 2.5 kg (5.5 lbs.) of beans annually. Oil yield is about 50 percent and the residue makes cattle feed.

The plants are really tough. The waxy coat on the evergreen leaves prevents drying out, so a jojoba bush can take great heat, can stand a year without water and can be grown in poor soil where nothing else grows. And they can live 100 years!

Israel has already many experimental plantations of jojoba in the Negev. It is said that the bushes can even be irrigated from the salty waters of the Dead Sea. In the drier parts of Cape Province, South Africa, many farmers are also raising jojoba plants. With oil becoming such a coveted commodity, growing it on bushes would not only benefit the long-suffering whale population but also be a very paying project.

Where the Patient’s Wishes Are Respected

The following is a personal experience about a medical emergency. It does not constitute an endorsement by “Awake!” of any particular medical treatment or hospital facility.

WHEN dad had his stroke, there were complications. The blood thinner had apparently caused him to bleed internally. His hematocrit blood level dropped to a dangerous 17 (normal is 40). The family doctor in Palm Springs wanted to administer a blood transfusion. My family, for Bible-based reasons, desired some alternative treatment.

Dr. Herk Hutchins in the Los Angeles area was called. He, along with other medical personnel, had developed a blood-building formula of iron, vitamins and other ingredients. But since the doctors in Palm Springs were unfamiliar with it, and felt that it presented certain hazards, they were hesitant to use it.

At that point my brother, calling me in New York, explained: “Mom’s gotten an ambulance to take dad to another hospital in Yorba Linda. He’s very serious.”

That same Sunday afternoon, this past January 6, my wife and I were on a plane for California.

An Unsolved Mystery

The following morning we drove to the Esperanza Intercommunity Hospital in Yorba Linda. As test after test failed to show where dad was bleeding, the doctors expressed bewilderment. There was a lot of blood missing!

When dad was admitted to a Palm Springs hospital on December 31, a laboratory test showed his hematocrit level to be a normal 40. Thus, in the two or three days after the blood thinner heparin was given him, about half his blood had either leaked from his circulatory system or in some way broken down. Several doctors said they had never seen a patient lose that much blood without their knowing where it had gone.

Although the mystery of the missing blood was never solved, to us that wasn’t the important thing. More important was that dad stopped bleeding, and a remarkable reversal in his condition had occurred.

A Successful Blood Builder

Four days after reaching the Esperanza hospital the oxygen-carrying capacity of his blood had leaped 25 percent! He was responding to the special blood-building treatment. I cornered Dr. Hutchins to learn as much as I could about it.

Hutchins is a white-haired, 74-year-old man with 35 years of surgical experience. He is also one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. He expressed little surprise at father’s improvement. “It is about what we expect with this treatment,” he said. “We’ve successfully treated over 300 patients with it, many with lower blood levels than your father’s. And we haven’t had an adverse reaction yet.”

I had a copy of the blood-building formula that Hutchins had given over the phone to the nurse in Palm Springs. “Why may doctors be reluctant to follow this treatment?” I wanted to know.

“Not all of them are,” Hutchins responded. “I’ve had doctors with Witness patients call me from many parts of the United States. Some have been glad to learn of our treatment. For example, a physician called from San Bernardino, California, recently. He immediately began the treatment, and the following week called back to let me know that his patient had responded well.”

“Yet not all doctors would do that,” I offered. “The doctors treating my father were afraid to use the therapy on him.”

“Yes, I know,” Hutchins acknowledged. “Doctors, like other trained professionals, are understandably inclined to use methods or procedures with which they are familiar, ones that are generally accepted in their fields. For blood loss, doctors are trained to give blood transfusions. Comparatively little research has been done on a blood-building alternative.”

“But I understand that most doctors are very familiar with all the components of this treatment,” I noted.

“That’s true. However, we administer the principal component, the Imferon, in a way that until now has not been generally recommended. Blood-building Imferon (iron dextran) is almost always given intramuscularly, not in the veins. Patients with severe blood loss, however, need the immediate benefits that intravenous feeding provides. And, as I said, we haven’t had one adverse reaction to putting the iron directly into the veins.”

I found the above information enlightening, and was moved to make a further investigation of Imferon after returning to New York. Looking into medical literature, I discovered that there are indeed cautions regarding Imferon’s use. In fact, one doctor even told me that death has been associated with its intravenous administration, and commented: “Few doctors would feel free to proceed contrary to such an established opinion.”

I called Dr. Hutchins to ask him about his observations on what I had learned. “I know about the warnings on the use of Imferon,” he said. “But by diluting one part Imferon in 50 parts of normal saline solution and slowly dripping it into a patient’s bloodstream, along with other ingredients, we simply have not had any problems whatsoever. It is now just a routine treatment for us here.”

Hutchins asked: “What blood-building alternative is there in such a medical emergency?” Answering his own question, he said: “I don’t know of any, other than blood transfusion.”

Yet today there are millions of persons who respect God’s laws that prohibit the taking of blood. (Gen. 9:3-5; Lev. 17:14) These are Christians who abide by the spirit-inspired command: “Abstain . . . from blood.” (Acts 15:20, 28, 29) In a medical emergency, they may feel that they have little alternative to accepting the risks of the type of blood-building treatment that helped my father, should their doctor be willing to administer it.

Why They Had Come Here

I was amazed to discover that nearly half the patients at the Esperanza hospital were Jehovah’s Witnesses. They had come from many parts of the United States because they had learned, as had our family, that their wish to be treated without blood would be respected here. Often the circumstances of their treatment were dramatic.

Rusty Ross, a 23-year-old, was flown in from Salida, Colorado, in a Leer jet. He had a bleeding ulcer, and doctors in Colorado were afraid to operate without freedom to use blood if they felt it was necessary. A waiting ambulance at the Orange County airport rushed him to the hospital, where doctors began operating within an hour of his landing. He had nearly bled out, his hemoglobin blood count having dropped to 4 (normal is about 15). But he pulled through, recovered rapidly, and was released from the hospital while we were there with dad.

Dorothy Wayner, a 47-year-old housewife, from Phoenix, Arizona, was a similar case. An ulcerated colon landed her in a local hospital. As her blood count dropped dangerously, the doctors feared to operate without blood. By the time she was flown to California her blood count was around 4. It dropped below 3 after the operation. Few persons survive with that little blood, but she did. On January 17, while we were still at the hospital, she had recovered sufficiently to be released.

Medical Care

It seemed to me that patients were receiving fine medical care. One of the associate doctors at the facility is Ron Lapin, a dark-haired, athletic-looking 38-year-old native of Israel. He is not one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, but is in agreement with their Scriptural views on blood.

“I would never give blood to any patient,” Lapin explained. “I haven’t given a blood transfusion in over five years. Yet an examination of the more than 2,000 patients we have operated on in that time will, I believe, show that their survival and recovery rates are every bit as good, if not better, than patients who receive blood.”a

There are many doctors also in other places who are accepting and treating Jehovah’s Witnesses without blood. In cities around the country medical institutions in increasing numbers are doing so. It is now possible, for example, to find a doctor in New York city in many of the specialty fields who is agreeable to treating Jehovah’s Witnesses.

It also interested me to read about hip replacement surgery without blood done at the University of Arkansas Medical Center (Little Rock) by a group of surgeons headed by Dr. Carl L. Nelson. The article noted: “The group has operated on approximately 100 Jehovah’s Witnesses from nearly every state in the union, according to Dr. Nelson. ‘And I think you can fairly say that working with Jehovah’s Witnesses has been a benefit for everyone,’ he said.”​—The Journal of the American Medical Association, January 16, 1978.

Similarly, Professor Walter J. Pories, chairman of the Department of Surgery (East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina) wrote in a letter: “We treated many Jehovah’s Witnesses . . . and were universally impressed with the sincerity and cooperation of the members of your church, and frankly had better surgical results than with most other patients. We hope that you don’t need surgery, but if you do, we will be glad to serve you in accord to the precepts of your faith.”

Loving Patient Care

I was interested in the viewpoint of Vinod Malhotra, the cardiologist from India who treated my father. “Doctors should be servants of their patients, not force their own views on them,” he said. Malhotra’s kind, mild-tempered manner was in keeping with his attitude toward patient care. For example, he approved of my young nephews’ visiting their grandfather, and of us older family members sharing in around-the-clock care of him within the hospital. “When patients are seriously ill they need their loved ones the most,” he said. “Family members need to be able to touch and hold them, not be isolated behind some glass window.”

Dad finally was able to return home to Palm Springs January 24, and I flew back to New York. My wife stayed on for a couple of weeks to help further with his care and the rehabilitation of his paralyzed right side.

Our family is grateful that, in this emergency, we could find medical treatment, kindly administered with due respect for the patient’s wishes.

[Footnotes]

[Picture on page 19]

My father with Doctors Vinod Malhotra, Ron Lapin and Herk Hutchins who were in charge of his care

Rating Me

How do people rate themselves in qualities such as leadership and their own ability to get along with others? The College Board asked this of 10 million American youths. “Judging from their responses, America’s high school seniors are not wracked with inferiority,” writes psychologist David G. Myers. “In ‘leadership ability,’ 70 percent rated themselves above average, 2 percent below average. . . . In ‘ability to get along with others,’ zero percent of the 829,000 students who responded rated themselves below average; 60 percent in the top 10 percent; and 25 percent saw themselves among the top 1 percent!”

Do You Ever Argue About Money?

“NEVER forget that a marriage is more important than money.” This advice from a married couple touches upon a problem that is widespread.

In today’s world, money is a necessity. So it is understandable that a man who is unemployed or whose take-home pay no longer is adequate is touchy about the subject. A housewife is confronted with soaring prices every time she goes to the market. Uncertainty about how to make ends meet seems to make arguments about money almost unavoidable.

But if unemployment and inflation are what really cause these arguments, why do even some wealthy people​—persons not seriously affected by these factors—​frequently argue about money? Could it be that something else is even more responsible?

At the Root of the Problem

The Bible is often misquoted as saying: “Money is the root of all evil.” But read the text at 1 Timothy 6:10 in your own Bible and see what it really says. The Authorized Version reads: “For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”

“Money” is one thing; “the love of money” is something else. Money in itself is not bad. Nurturing a love for it is. Not money, but “the love of money” is what may lead a person to do evil things.

Think of the many types of crime that find their roots in human greed and in an inordinate love of money: theft, extortion, blackmail, yes, even murder! But at present our attention is directed to the husband-wife relationship. Can a wrong view of money create marital problems?

Consider the experience of a young German couple who started marriage with very little money. While the husband was finishing his professional training, his wife was forced to work to provide life’s necessities. After graduation the young man set up his own business, which at first provided the couple with only a modest income. This shortage of money often generated arguments, at times rather heated.

In time, however, the man built up a very successful business. Money​—at least a shortage of it—​was no longer a problem. The couple now had all they needed, yes, even more. They could afford a lovely home, cars, extended vacation trips. But did the arguments about money stop? No. The arguments about how to get along on so little now gave way to ones about what to do with so much.

“Love of money” was developing. Questionable business practices led to bad consciences, which, in turn, created tension between them and their relatives and friends. Worse, this undue preoccupation with making money was ruining their marriage. The result? Divorce, and a broken home for the children. Is money so important that a “love of money” should be allowed to destroy one’s happiness?

In some homes, the husband, if he is the sole wage earner, may use money as a weapon to keep his wife “in her place.” Keeping her purposely short on cash, he makes her overly dependent upon him, forcing her into the humiliating position of constantly having to beg for money to feed and clothe the family properly. Her understandable reaction is one of frustration, which may give vent to bitter arguments.

Sometimes the wife is the more guilty of the two. She may decide to work, not because of any financial need, but because of wanting to enjoy the freedom of having “her own money.” Her financial independence may cause her to develop a pronounced spirit of independence in other matters as well. This is bound to lead to domestic arguments.

What can be done to prevent such family disputes over money?

“Money Is for a Protection”

The Bible sets out a balanced view of money that can contribute much to marital happiness. At Ecclesiastes 7:12 it explains: “Wisdom is for a protection the same as money is for a protection; but the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom itself preserves alive its owners.”

Money can be used “for a protection” in many ways. It can pay our rent, buy our food, and provide us with other daily needs. It can also be used in the service of others, thereby ‘protecting’ friendships. Within the family circle it can finance vacation trips or pay for those “little extras”​—unexpected gifts, for example—​that are so effective in drawing persons closer together. In all these ways, and more, money can serve to protect a marriage.

Normally anything worth protecting is of more importance than the means used to protect it. For example, the human body is more important than the clothing worn to protect it from the elements. Health is more important than the medicine prescribed to protect it from illness. Similarly, a happy marriage is of infinitely greater importance than the money used to protect it.

This realization that money simply serves “for a protection” helps us to keep the more important things in mind, the things you cannot buy with money: a faithful marriage mate, a loyal friend, spiritual and physical health, peace of mind! Money cannot buy any of these.

“Wisdom,” too, can serve “for a protection.” It can safeguard us against overestimating what money can do. The value of money is limited. It can, and often does, desert us at the very time we need it most. But true wisdom does not do that. It can lead us successfully through all sorts of adversities, actually safeguarding our life, and even help us to have God’s approval and the prospect of everlasting life.

How to Avoid Arguments About Money

Avoiding arguments about money does not mean never discussing money or how it should be spent. Lack of communication often causes arguments. Discussions are beneficial, because they bring marriage mates closer together; arguments are not, because they drive the two farther apart. Discussions are loving; arguments are not. Arguments generate unbecoming remarks hard to overlook and even harder to forget. They contribute to estranged relationships and can easily lead to separation or divorce.

Marriage involves sharing, does it not? The “this-is-mine-and-that-is-yours” philosophy is generally not conducive to a happy marriage. How much better for couples to work out a practical budget by listing their priorities and coming to an agreement on how to spend their money. Periodic discussions can take rising prices and current family needs into consideration. By learning to trust each other, by exercising common sense, and by overcoming pride, couples can do much to avoid the dangers of arguing about money.

Learning to be content is a secret of happiness. At Hebrews 13:5, the Bible counsels: “Let your manner of life be free of the love of money, while you are content with the present things.”

Most of us cannot have everything we want, but all of us can learn to appreciate the things we have. Do not breed discontent by nourishing longings for things that are out of financial reach. Opening too many charge accounts and overusing credit cards will not help you to save money nor to live within your means, but can trigger nasty arguments about money. Married couples who have learned the secret of contentment have much happiness. Seldom will they be tempted to argue about money. It is just not that important!

If you overemphasize money’s importance and develop a love for it, becoming its slave, you will bring upon yourself many sorrows. Keep it in its proper place, view it simply as a “protection,” make it your slave, and you will experience greater contentment and happiness! Remember, “a marriage is more important than money.”

More Blood, More Brainpower

PEOPLE can think better with an increased heart rate, claims John Cacioppe, of the University of Notre Dame in Ohio. He conducted experiments with persons having heart pacemakers. The pacemakers were preset to give a basic heartbeat of 72 beats per minute. He raised the heartbeat to 88 by putting a small magnet over the pacemaker. No danger was involved, and the subjects were not even aware of the increased heartbeat.

First, Cacioppe had 14 articulate outpatients read a test passage for comprehension and answer questions on it afterward. In a second test he had them make up as many short sentences, conforming to certain simple rules, as they could in 90 seconds. In both tests he found that speeding up the heart rate of these subjects improved their performance. In the comprehension test, for example, their score went from 39 percent to 49 percent.

Another test involving 24 subjects, this time using argumentative passages that they were to express agreements and disagreements about, revealed the same thing: increased rate of heartbeat increased the number and quality of arguments presented.

I Got the Point​—About Acupuncture

“NEEDLE TREATMENT! It hurts just to prick myself while sewing without someone deliberately sticking needles into me!” That was my first thought when it was suggested that I try acupuncture.

I was assured that it is not like that. Acupuncture, which originated in ancient China and was introduced to Japan some 250 years before Christ, is the Oriental art of using fine needles to stimulate or to calm various points of the body. It is considered to have three effects. First: sedation for operations. These operations may include tooth extractions, Cesarean childbirth and brain surgery. It is felt that acupuncture sedation is desirable as it does away with the unpleasant side effects of vomiting and dizziness that can come from sedation with drugs. It has been called ‘the shot that doesn’t trade pain for drug addiction.’ Relaxation is the second effect. The third effect is functional modification. I was particularly interested in these last two effects.

I was surprised when I saw the acupuncture needles. Since I had envisioned something like a sewing needle, I was pleasantly surprised to find that although they vary in length from five to seven cm (2 to 2.8 inches) they are very fine. Usually with a thickness of 0.1 mm (.0039 inches) and in some cases up to a thickness of 0.2 mm (.0079 inches) or more, this fine needle is one of the refinements that the Japanese have employed in acupuncture. In ancient times needles were made of stone and metals. Nowadays, in Japan, the needles are almost always silver or stainless steel. The Japanese also use a small metal ‘guide tube.’

The Acupuncturist at Work

As an aid to diagnosis, the acupuncturist took my pulse. His interest in the pulse is based on the Chinese theory of energy, or what Westerners may label the ‘life force.’ Additionally, the acupuncturist feels to determine the hardness of the muscles. He asked me about my symptoms and observed my skin hue and facial expression. The acupuncturist asked me if I had something on my mind. “As a matter of fact, Yes,” I answered. I was concerned about a personal matter. But how could he know that? “Today you are smiling with your mouth but not with the rest of your face,” he explained.

Yes, the successful acupuncturist is adept at observing every physical or mental factor that will affect his patient’s health. Truly a desirable quality of a doctor in any field!

Applying the Needles

After an abdominal examination, and determining that there was congestion in my colon, the practitioner placed a needle about an inch or so below the center of my rib cage. After a short time, the nerves at this point began to vibrate as if the nerve had been momentarily shocked with electricity. Shortly, I looked down at my abdomen and saw four needles waving gently like tiny leafless trees. Although I looked like a pincushion I did not feel any pricking sensation. After these were inserted, I found my abdominal area emitting some gurgling noises.

The acupuncturist was now working on my feet. He sits Japanese-style on the tatami (straw) floor as he positions himself at the various places he works. One point about three fingers’ width above the inside of my left ankle affects the intestine and was the recipient of another needle. Although the needle was placed for only 10 seconds, my leg tingled for several days.

From the outset I was impressed to find that there is no groping around for the proper point on the part of the acupuncturist. He knew which point affected which internal portion and was adept and ‘to the point.’ He has had exhaustive training in anatomy and has a thorough knowledge of the body organs and their function. He knows which area of the skin and muscle is connected with which organ. You see, he employs a sense of touch keenly developed through practice. Yes, the acupuncturist in Japan usually learns the art by practicing on himself.

Actual insertion of the needles takes various forms. For example, the needles in my abdomen were inserted to a certain depth and then removed after about five minutes. For treatment on my neck and shoulders, the needles were inserted and worked. The needle is placed in a guide tube held in the acupuncturist’s left hand. The guide tube is slightly shorter than the needle itself. With a light tap of the right index finger, the needle is poked into the skin and the guide is withdrawn. While movement is barely detectable, the acupuncturist is holding the needle in his left hand and adjusting the depth of needle insertion with his right hand. At the same time, he is resting the fingers of the left hand on the skin at the point of insertion. By this method, he can feel the hardness of the muscle he is “needling.” His right hand feels what the needle is running up against under the skin. In my case, I noticed two reactions. One to the nerves at the point of needle insertion, and the other to the organ or area affected by that acupuncture point.

After treatment, I rested for about 30 minutes and was pleased to get up feeling that a weight had been taken off my shoulders. The usual tenseness of my neck was gone. It was as if someone had given me a good massage and I was pleased to feel this way for two or three days.

At this point, I might mention that the effectiveness of acupuncture varies with every patient. In addition, usually more than one treatment is necessary for desired improvement. For a person responsive to the treatment, one to six treatments may be sufficient. If there is a great deal of pain, daily treatment will be advised. As noted by the anesthesiologist working at Maimonides Medical Center in New York: “No two patients can be treated alike. It’s not done like a recipe from a cookbook. The practitioner must follow the patient’s responses closely.”

What Is Acupuncture?

There has been a tendency to dismiss acupuncture as mysterious hocus-pocus, a simple placebo, or a psychological effect. Upon investigation, I was reminded that oftentimes ignorance breeds suspicion. For example, when William Roentgen discovered X rays, he was considered a quack.

That acupuncture is neither superstition nor a pure psychosomatic therapy is evident from reports of a veterinarian in Mito, Japan, who applies acupuncture with four electrified needles to farm animals. According to the veterinarian, the treatment neutralizes the acute pain of cows after stomach operations and speeds recovery afterward. It is also used successfully on newborn infants. Another impressive point is that clinical tests have proved that body parts and functions react when acupuncture is applied. For example, tests in Japan and Europe prove that application to a particular acupuncture point can raise the red blood-cell production from below normal to normal level in 24 hours.

Explaining the treatment, the acupuncturist who treated me said: “Acupuncture is simply our way of treating illness. The patient likes the personal touch that is sometimes regrettably missing in Western medical treatment. Through acupuncture we can ease pain and correct an unhealthy condition​—in other words, help one who is sick to regain reasonably good health.”

Yes, I got the point​—about acupuncture.​—Contributed.

“Dimensions of Human Ignorance”

According to the noted biologist and research scientist Lewis Thomas, M.D., man should have a greater sense of wonderment about creation around him. The U.S. national museum’s “Smithsonian” magazine observes that Thomas’ writings stress “how little we humans yet know about the world. The dimensions of human knowledge, he reminds us, are dwarfed by the dimensions of human ignorance.”

In an interview with the “Smithsonian,” Thomas noted that now “there is much more puzzlement about the laws of nature than there was a century ago.” Illustrating this, he related: “Lord Kelvin, a leading figure in physics at the turn of the century, said that physics was now finished and that if he were a young man he wouldn’t go into physics because there was nothing more to be done except tidy up a few things. Then along came quantum theory and relativity and quantum mechanics and all the rest.

“I suspect that there will be no end to this process, being the insatiably curious species that we are, exploring, looking around and trying to understand things. We’re not ever going to get it solved. I can’t imagine any terminal point where everyone will breathe a sigh and will say, ‘Now we understand the whole thing.’ It’s going to remain beyond us. . . . We’re studying nature at a much closer hand than we could ever study before. And instead of getting clearer and easier to understand, it’s harder to understand.”

“Smithsonian” interviewer Timothy Ferris then recalled what Thomas had written about how humans should react to the marvels they see. “Talking about embryology, about the brain coming into existence from what was at one point a single embryonic cell, you write, ‘People ought to be walking around all day, all through their waking hours, calling to each other in endless wonderment, talking of nothing except that cell!’” And should not that wonderment and talking extend also to the One who designed that marvelous cell?​—April 1980, pages 127-142.

Will There Ever Be a World Without Loneliness?

“THERE is no solution to loneliness. It’s just a normal part of life. . . . Loneliness is not bad or shameful; it just exists, always has and always will.” Thus one writer expressed her pessimism about ever being free of loneliness. Many agree.

As life is today, one must accept the fact that not all will enjoy warm family relationships. Also, circumstances may prevent a person from having the completely full relationship with others he may desire. But there is sound reason for believing that it will not always be this way.

World Change Near

“Why is my generation so hungry for love?” recently asked Yale graduate and writer Christopher Edwards, who added: “I believe the answer is simply this: we, as a people, seem to have forgotten how to care about each other.” Is that significant?

Students of Bible prophecy recall that Jesus foretold that among conditions marking “the conclusion of the system of things” would be: “The love of the greater number will cool off.” (Matt. 24:12) And with regard to identifying marks of the “last days,” the apostle Paul wrote: “Know this, that in the last days critical times hard to deal with will be here. For men will be lovers of themselves . . . having no natural affection, not open to any agreement.” (2 Tim. 3:1-3) These attitudes are outstandingly characteristic of this generation. This means that a world change is near. But how will it take place?

Cold, Heartless Society to Be Removed

The world of today is very similar in makeup to an ancient “world” described by the Bible as being “filled with violence.” (Gen. 6:11) That world existed over 4,000 years ago and scientific discoverya has confirmed the truthfulness of the Bible’s statement: “The world of that time suffered destruction when it was deluged with water.”​—2 Pet. 3:6.

On the basis of that act of God, the Bible points to the future, saying: “By the same word the heavens and the earth that are now are stored up for fire and are being reserved to the day of judgment and of destruction of the ungodly men. But there are new heavens and a new earth that we are awaiting according to his promise, and in these righteousness is to dwell.” (2 Pet. 3:7, 13) Just as only godly Noah and his family remained on earth, so only unselfish persons, those who have a relationship with God, will remain as part of the “new earth.” These will be saved into a world where kindness and love will flourish.

A World Filled with Love

An inviting description of the “salvation” that God will bring “to those fearing him” is found in the 85th Psalm, verses 9-12: Ps 85:9-12 “Surely his salvation is near to those fearing him . . . As for loving-kindness and trueness, they have met each other; righteousness and peace​—they have kissed each other. Trueness itself will sprout out of the very earth, and righteousness itself will look down from the very heavens. Also, Jehovah, for his part, will give what is good, and our own land will give its yield.”

How heartwarming to think that, rather than cold efficiency, “loving-kindness” will permeate earthly society! Suspicion and doubt among persons will give way to “trueness.” Deception and the selfish using of others, which is so evident in today’s world, will be replaced by “righteousness and peace,” which, symbolically speaking, will “kiss each other.”

With such qualities filling the hearts of those then living, would it seem to you there would be any loneliness? On the contrary, human relationships will reach levels of happiness and satisfaction previously not dreamed of. Furthermore, such friendships will have the prospect of lasting eternally.​—1 John 2:17.

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Response to God’s counsel regarding peace is even now producing good results in the congregations of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Observers, though often differing with the theology of the Witnesses, have almost unanimously praised the genuine warmth and love that is apparent among them. Catholic writer William J. Whalen, in the magazine U.S. Catholic of January 1979, wrote: “In this country and around the world a large percentage of Witnesses have come from Roman Catholic backgrounds. What attraction does the sect have for Catholics? . . . The size and impersonality of many [Catholic] parishes contrast with the intimacy and friendliness of a kingdom hall. The Witness congregation does provide a sense of community that a huge Catholic parish cannot match.”

Five years earlier, in the book Religious Movement in Contemporary America (1974) L. R. Cooper wrote: “In their own congregational life Witnesses form a genuine community of trust and acceptance.” Certainly “trust and acceptance” are vital to establish meaningful relationships.

Hundreds of thousands of lonely persons​—of all ages and backgrounds—​have associated with the congregations of Jehovah’s Witnesses and found genuine friendship. In so doing they have found something more than friends. They have found within these congregations the identifying mark of genuine Christianity. Jesus Christ describes it at John chapter 13, verse 35: “By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love among yourselves.”

They soon realize, however, that these people do not limit their love to fellow believers. They love their neighbors, too, so they help others to learn about the marvelous hope set forth in the Bible for a world free from loneliness.

Would you like to associate with people who have that kind of loving concern for others? Why not get in touch with Jehovah’s Witnesses or write to us. You have everything to gain by such an inquiry. The only thing you chance to lose is loneliness.

[Footnotes]

Giant Fill-up

Airlines attribute much of the rapid rise in air fares to spiraling fuel costs. Just how much does it take to fuel a big jet? Says “American Way” magazine: “In 1976 it cost American [Airlines] an average of $12,925 to fill a Boeing 747 with fuel. By December 1979, the cost of a fill-up was $36,326.”

Watching the World

Mental Illness Near “Emergency”

◆ The number of Americans who suffer from serious emotional and mental disorders almost represents a national emergency, said Dr. Milton Greenblatt of the University of California. Studies indicate, he said, that more than 20 percent of the United States population is seriously ill with such disorders. In Canada, Dr. Peter Matthews of the psychiatry department of the University of Saskatchewan observed that the problem in his country was similar, although he did not call it a national emergency. He noted, however, that one out of four Canadians likely will suffer psychiatric disorders during his or her lifetime.

Dead Sea Nearly Dead

◆ The Dead Sea, lying below sea level between Israel and Jordan, has long been called “dead” because fish cannot live in its water; it is too salty. But the Dead Sea is now dying from another viewpoint. According to scientists, the sea is shrinking in volume and there is very little hope of reversing the process. The water supplying it, mainly the Jordan River, has been reduced due to its being used so heavily for agricultural and industrial purposes. A drought has accelerated the process. According to the magazine To the Point, the Dead Sea has shrunk so much that it has divided in two at its narrowest part. The only way to avoid the complete desertification of the sea, scientists claim, is by linking it to the Mediterranean Sea by a canal.

Population “Bomb” Keeps Ticking

◆ Environmentalists warn that the population bomb keeps ticking its way to the explosion point. They calculate that the world’s population will increase from more than 4,000 million at present to 6,000 million in just 20 more years. But the arable land available to feed all these extra people will be less and less, as thousands of acres are lost each year to urban sprawl and soil erosion from overgrazing and deforestation. They estimate that 25,000 plant species and more than a thousand animal species are threatened with extinction by the turn of the century.

“Worthless” Coins

◆ The government of Brazil says that after January 1, 1981, it will remove from circulation coins of one, two and five centavos. Inflation has made them practically worthless. There are 100 centavos in each Brazilian cruzeiro, the country’s basic monetary unit. Ten years ago, a cruzeiro was worth about 25 U.S. cents. But now the value of the cruzeiro has declined to about two U.S. cents, with the centavo worth only one hundredth of that. Of course, in the United States the penny (one hundredth of its basic unit, the dollar) is not worth much in buying power either.

Car Blessing

◆ The New York Times reports from Podkowa Lensa, Poland: “Over an altar made of two Fiats, Leon Kantorski opened Poland’s summer motoring season by blessing 2,000 cars.” Mr. Kantorski is a Roman Catholic vicar. The report continues: “The drivers sounded their horns during the mass and at the end of the service drove past Mr. Kantorski to be blessed and receive a medal bearing the image of St. Christopher, the patron saint of travelers. Mr. Kantorski said that ‘a Roman Catholic car-blessing ceremony has been held off and on here since 1933.’” But in view of the fact that several hundred thousand persons are killed and several million injured world wide in automobile accidents each year, the question can be asked: Does God really respond to such ceremonies and medals? As many churchgoing drivers have accidents as those not going to church.

Timber “Rustlers”

◆ American forests are being denuded of timber valued at millions of dollars each year, and the problem is growing drastically. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the National Forest Service attribute the huge rise of “timber rustlers” to the soaring cost of oil for heating homes and the subsequent switch, by many, to wood for fuel. The loss in just two states, Washington and Oregon, is thought to amount to at least $60 million a year, and is increasing.

Lost Oil

◆ The amount of oil lost through accidents world wide last year was more than the production of the United States for well over a month, and equal in value to thousands of millions of American dollars. A total of 328 million gallons was lost through 159 reported spills, such as tanker collisions, fires, the blowout of an offshore oil well in Mexico, a huge oil-tank rupture in Nigeria, and other accidents. The 1979 losses were 56 percent more than the year before.

Protect Your Hearing

◆ Researchers at the Brookhaven National Laboratory in New York caution: Don’t take your sense of hearing for granted. A bulletin issued by the laboratory warns: “Many people don’t realize that your hearing capacity can be selectively damaged by constant or intermittent exposure to noise. . . . In addition, in many cases the sensation of pain does not precede hearing loss.” Some of the more common sources of potentially hazardous noise (off the job) are: a jet airplane at takeoff, disco music, a powered lawn mower, riding a motorcycle, shotgun blasting, riding a subway. Common sources of industrial noise are: air compressors, pumps, drills and saws. It is significant to note that amplified disco-type music is rated as a greater hazard than most of the other items listed. The number of minutes per day it should be tolerated was listed at only 15. It is less than 5 percent under the noise level that the institute says should not be allowed at all.

Help for Kidney Patients

◆ A simple treatment is bringing new freedom of movement to several thousand persons previously tied to artificial kidney machines, doctors say. The treatment is called CAPD for short (continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis). The treatment “doesn’t require complicated machinery, electricity, anticoagulants or access to blood vessels, and it works all the time, like real kidneys do,” says Dr. Karl Nolph of the University of Missouri, one of the originators of CAPD. In this treatment, the patient’s abdominal cavity is continuously flooded with about two quarts of a sterile salt solution, which is changed four times a day. The solution comes in plastic bags that feed by gravity through a permanently implanted tube. Between fluid changes, the plastic bag is folded and hidden under the clothing. In this method, wastes diffuse into the solution from the peritoneal membrane covering the stomach and intestines. The wastes in the blood are kept constantly low, while with kidney machines waste levels go up between treatments. Doctors say that the treatment offers an alternative for about one third of patients now requiring thrice weekly, six-hour hemodialysis sessions on a kidney machine.

Valuable “Junk”

◆ At one time old bottles, scrap metal, newspapers and other “junk” were thrown away in East Germany. But with rising world prices for raw materials, “we are faced with an entirely new problem,” said Erich Honecker, the nation’s head of state. This is because East Germany must import more than two thirds of its raw materials. Hence, the government has drastically raised prices for old glass, scrap metal and paper. Now, it is reported that long lines of people gather every day at each of the country’s 11,000 collection points to sell what was once considered junk but which is now being recycled as a conservation measure.

Motorcycle Deaths Soar

◆ Deaths from motorcycle accidents are rapidly increasing in the United States, says the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The number of motorcyclists killed during 1979 was 4,850, about 50 percent more than in 1976. Riders who do not wear safety helmets have three times the risk of suffering a fatal accident as those who do wear the helmets. Yet, since 1976, 27 states have either repealed or watered down mandatory helmet laws.

3-D TV

◆ People in the United States are often thought to possess all the latest electronic gadgetry. But when it comes to three-dimensional television, they are well behind people in some other countries. Japanese children wearing special adapter glasses have been able to watch 3-D cartoons for about three years. Some Italians and Mexicans also have been viewing other 3-D systems in recent years, and Sydney, Australia, has been scheduled to begin broadcasting with a newly devised system. What are the prospects for 3-D TV in the United States? “Uncertainty about the willingness of viewers to buy adapters, glasses or new TV sets for 3-D reception may delay such broadcasts for a long time to come,” says the New York Times. “The television industry is also hobbled by its lack of agreement on which of several competing systems would be best.”

Controlling High Blood Pressure

◆ A five-year Mayo Clinic study revealed that moderately restricting salt intake has reversed hypertension in 85 percent of mild cases and 51 percent of severe cases, reports Medical Tribune. In these tests, the only therapy was a low-salt, low-calorie diet. However, other doctors maintain that more evidence is required before it can definitely be said that salt intake is so directly related to blood pressure.

Sunday Schools Fading?

◆ The decade of the 1970’s has seen Sunday-school enrollment in the United States drop by almost one fifth, according to the Institute for American Church Growth. From 40.5 million in 1970, the schools’ pupils now number fewer than 32.6 million, even though nominal church membership increased 16 percent during the same period. Sunday-school enrollment at so-called “evangelical” churches, as well as at the mainline churches, was said to be declining.

Calculators Compete

◆ Which is faster, an abacus or an electronic calculator? A contest to find the answer was held in the People’s Republic of China. A report from Shanghai says the abacuses won​—for adding and subtracting. They were said to be 20 percent faster than the calculators. But the calculators won handily at multiplying and dividing, being over 50 percent faster than the abacuses.

Biting Each Other

◆ The reported incidents of New York City residents biting each other in anger have increased sharply. Human bites now rank second in number to dog bites, and are ahead of rat bites. City Health Commissioner Reinaldo Ferrer says that the number of cases (973 last year) “has been steadily increasing over the past few years.” According to a study, nearly 75 percent of the human bites take place during some dispute such as fighting, mugging or resisting arrest. “It is not uncommon for children suffering from child abuse to be bitten by their parents or guardians,” the commissioner said.

Best Weapon: Screaming

◆ Chief Inspector Keith Kilbride of the West Yorkshire Crime Prevention Bureau in England observed that so much sophisticated advice has been given to women on how to ward off male attackers that many women have forgotten their “basic weapon.” He states: “If a woman is attacked, her best weapon is still her lungs.”

Bicycling in Britain

◆ Increased costs of operating automobiles are giving an impetus to Britain’s bicycle industry. During 1979, 1,450,000 bicycles were sold in that country, more than in any other year since World War II. According to the British Cycling Bureau, between 8,000,000 and 10,000,000 bicycles are in regular use, and more than 3,000,000 people bicycle to work every day.

The Bible and Ancient History​—Do They Agree?

An inscription on this temple wall at Karnak tells of an Egyptian victory by Pharaoh Shishak over Judah. The Bible records this same event. But why do Egyptian inscriptions say nothing of Israel’s exodus from Egypt?

Read about this in Is the Bible Really the Word of God? This 192-page, hardbound book answers many questions raised by critics of the Bible. It will be sent to you for only 50 cents, postpaid.

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Is Television Your Baby-Sitter?

Trouble may lie ahead if it is. Give your children something better. Fascinate and, at the same time, instruct them, with the help of the book Listening to the Great Teacher. It contains delightful stories about Jesus’ healing of the sick, raising of the dead and performing other amazing deeds. Children love to hear these true Bible accounts over and over.

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