January 22

Page Two

The number of couples living together without being legally married has dramatically increased in the past few years. Most countries are affected by the trend. What are the reasons for this? Is this life-style a better way to happiness than marriage?

3 LIVING TOGETHER WITHOUT MARRIAGE

4 LEARNING BY PAINFUL EXPERIENCE

5 WEIGHING THE ALTERNATIVE

8 MAKING MARRIAGE WORK

Living Together Without Marriage

“THE best thing about living together without getting married,” said a 21-year-old college girl, “is that you both know you still have a long way to go to find yourself, and you know that if you change a lot, if in a few months or in a few years you find you’re not right for each other, you haven’t made a final commitment.”

An increasing number of persons agree with her. Is she right? Is it a better way than marriage? Just why are so many practicing it?

Huge Increase

There has been a phenomenal increase in the number of persons living together without marriage, that is, without their making a commitment before witnesses and having this properly registered. The United States has seen a 100-percent rise in seven years. In Japan, the number of mothers whose marriages were not legally registered more than doubled in five years.

In Sweden, the number of unwed persons who cohabit has risen about 35 percent from the 1950’s to the 1970’s. In Brazil, those living in this way grew from about two million in 1970 to close to four million now.

It is obvious that a dramatic change in attitude toward marriage has taken place. Why?

Why So Popular?

There are many reasons. One is that many marriages are a painful experience, as the rising number of divorces indicates. Some, having come from a bad marriage and feeling drained by it, are reluctant to repeat it.

Legalized abortion and surer birth-control methods have made such a life-style easier in many places. Also, the greater toleration by society toward how people live makes it easier to enter this lifestyle. And at times there are certain economic advantages, such as tax laws that favor single people.

Internal forces are at work as well. Many of today’s women fear male dominance. There are fears of being committed to the point of submerging one’s identity. Too, women today have greater equality and many of them are more interested in careers than in raising a family. And there is concern that a mate will change for the worse.

Some rebel against their parents, or against a strict moral code. Others seek sexual variety without responsibility. Many view it as an alternative to loneliness. Psychologically, some feel that there is a lesser sense of personal failure when a couple “split” than when a marriage fails. And there are those who sincerely feel that they are more considerate of each other when not legally bound to respond.

However, does living together without marriage always bring the sense of fulfillment and happiness anticipated? In general, does it make for a better life-style than does marriage? Carefully weigh the case of a woman whose experience is not at all unusual among those who choose this style of living.

[Box on page 4]

U.S.A. Unwed persons cohabiting increased 100% in 7 years

BRAZIL Unwed persons cohabiting increased 100% in 10 years

SWEDEN Unwed persons cohabiting increased 35% in 20 years

JAPAN Number of unwed mothers increased 100% in 5 years

Learning by Painful Experience

The following experience is from a mother in Australia who, after her marriage failed, tried something else

I LIVED with a man for almost three years without the benefit of marriage. With what result? I can honestly say that, emotionally and psychologically, they were the worst three years of my life.

We went into our relationship with the same idea that most people seem to have now, and that is, ‘Once bitten, twice shy,’ also, ‘You don’t know a person until you’ve lived with him.’ So if things didn’t work out, I felt it would be easier to break the relationship than to go through divorce courts.

Insecurity Causes Problems

But it’s those thoughts that cause problems. Right from the start, feelings of insecurity are created. How can you feel secure never knowing if the other person will still be with you this time next year, or even next month?

A de facto relationship has such a temporary sound to it. There is always the fear that someone else will come along and the relationship can just as easily be shifted to that one. So that horrible destructive emotion of jealousy is always there, ready to erupt.

Other Problems

Yes, there’s always tension. You can’t ever relax, because you’re always on guard against saying or doing something that might drive the other person away. And fear is felt, because an argument will nearly always end with one of you using emotional blackmail and saying, ‘I’m leaving.’

That expression de facto was my biggest problem. It made me feel cheap and cost me my self-respect whenever for some official reason, which was quite often, I had to explain I was a de facto wife. I would desperately want to explain that I wasn’t really an immoral person, that I wasn’t the type who flitted from man to man. But, of course, I was immoral, whether it was just with one man or with several, and my conscience gave me quite a battle.

The psychological problems started too. They were manifested in depression, feelings of unworthiness and, eventually, of self-destruction. Even now, five years after this relationship ended, I feel so ashamed and unclean that I want to blank the memories out of my mind forever. But I can’t, because, as the Creator says, ‘we reap what we sow.’ I have a daily reminder in the form of my little boy who was the result of that last union.

Not only do I have this physical reminder, but also, when he was born, for his sake I had my name changed to that of his father. I felt that I could protect both him and my two children from my original marriage against any prejudice. On the surface it looks as if I have been married twice. But it only serves to make me feel dishonest every time I’m called by that name.

In Retrospect

Looking back, I realize that I did much more than damage my own reputation. I put my three children in a position that left them open to attack by other children at school, all on account of the morals of their mother, which, of course, they couldn’t deny. It must have made them ashamed too.

Weighing the Alternative

MOST persons agree that experiences such as the foregoing do happen. But they point out that many marriages are also filled with problems and anxieties.

That certainly is true. The increasing number of divorces in nearly every country on earth is an evidence of that.

However, does this mean that living together without marriage is more endurable, a better way to happiness?

Which Is Stronger?

The claim is made that a relationship by choice is stronger than a relationship by obligation. But which is really stronger: One that is promised to last only one day at a time until something comes up that a person doesn’t want to cope with? or one that is prepared to adjust to unforeseen circumstances and lasts as long as possible?

Many problems are the same. For example, decisions on such things as where to live, how much independence each should have, what sex practices to accept, and whether to have children are common to both married persons and those living together without marriage.

But without the marriage commitment other problems are compounded. For example, what major items should be purchased and with whose money? Who should know that they are not married, and who shouldn’t know? What personal friends can they invite to the home, and how are they going to introduce themselves to others? How are one’s own family and close relatives to be faced? These are just a few of the things made more difficult without the commitment of marriage.

Value of Commitment

A 28-year-old teacher who later married the woman he was living with said: “After a couple of years, I began to feel as though I was living in a void. Living together provided no future orientation. . . . We couldn’t decide whether to buy a house or not, whether to spend our money on lavish vacations or to save for a family. Now, neither of us is free to pick up and leave, but the trade-off is that we can make plans.”

A 34-year-old writer observed: “Maybe I’m old-fashioned, but the commitment of marriage makes me feel more secure. I’ve had so many relationships end with men just abruptly splitting, that worrying about whether J‐‐‐ would take off, too, drained energy from my work. I love the comfort of having admitted to ourselves and the world that we intend to stick together.”

True, total commitment in marriage does not cushion persons from problems. But it does help people to feel more obligated to work at resolving them and not accepting failure so quickly. As one husband who had quarreled continuously with his roommate before marriage said: “Since we’ve married we’ve been trying harder not to have fights. We’re both making an effort. We’re committed so there’s no sense fighting about it. Before, we used to always threaten to break up, but we don’t seem to do that now.”

Dr. Nancy Clatworthy of Ohio State University (U.S.A.) found that couples who had not lived together before marriage were “just a little bit happier and more successful. There were fewer divorces.” A study of 211 couples in Australia revealed that “cohabiters discussed ending the relationship . . . much more often than marrieds.” The report observed that where there was a lesser commitment to the relationship there were “lower feelings of liking and love toward the partner as well as lower sexual fidelity to their partner than marrieds.”

When Children Are Involved

What kind of relationship has been found best suited to the mental and physical well-being of children? Without a doubt, it is that of a stable two-parent marriage that provides affection, support and instruction.

Many who live together without marriage promise that they will marry if pregnancy results. But is an unplanned pregnancy a good foundation on which to build a marriage? All too often, when pregnancy results the partner refuses to marry. Is it really adult to stigmatize one’s children with illegitimacy?

Evidence shows that, in general, children who know that their parents were not married, as with those who come from broken homes, grow up distrusting people. They are less able to form permanent relationships themselves, and may be very cynical about the value of love.

A loving father and mother make a huge difference in a child’s development and stability. British child psychiatrist Arthur Graham said: “We have found no better way to raise a child than in a family setting, and all our efforts should be directed to reinforcing the ability of parents to do the job.”

The indicators all point to one conclusion: the higher the commitment, the more likely the relationship will succeed for all involved. But why is this so?

A Deeper Reason

There is a much deeper reason why marriage is the better arrangement for all concerned, and why, as Dr. Graham said, “we have found no better way to raise a child than in a family setting.” It has to do with the way we are made.

Obviously, the human mind and emotions are very complex things. Who, then, is to say how they work best in male-female relationships, as well as where children are concerned?

Well, would not the Creator of the male and female, the one who designed the childbearing capabilities, be in the best position to know? Surely, the Maker of the two sexes can tell us why he created them and how a relationship among them will work best.

Thus, when, in the Bible, we are told that God ‘created them male and female,’ we can be certain that there was a purpose behind this. (Gen. 1:27) One purpose was companionship and another involved the producing of offspring, since the female is spoken of as “a complement” of the male. (Gen. 2:18) Was their relationship to be on a trial basis? No, answers the Creator’s Word: “A man will leave his father and his mother and he must stick to his wife and they must become one flesh.” (Gen. 2:24) Further, such a stable marriage relationship would provide the best atmosphere for raising children.​—Gen. 1:28; Eph. 6:4.

Yes, God created two sexes and purposed that they should come together in honorable marriage and stick to each other to form a family. Indeed, Jesus Christ later said: “Whoever divorces his wife, except on the ground of fornication, and marries another commits adultery.” (Matt. 19:9) The Bible adds: “This is what God wills . . . that you abstain from fornication.”​—1 Thess. 4:3.

Therefore, living together without making a commitment before witnesses and having this properly registered simply means that a couple is living in fornication. Such an illicit union cannot be blessed by God, and cannot result in a clean conscience on the part of those who want to do what is right.​—1 Cor. 6:9, 10; Rev. 21:8; 22:15.

Some may feel that God’s moral laws deprive them of various pleasures in life. But this is not the case at all. His laws were made for the good of humans, not to deprive them of some happiness. The enormous increase of venereal disease, unwanted pregnancies, abortions and heartaches coming from the wanton disregard of God’s moral laws shows that flouting God’s law brings no lasting good to humans.

Still, if marriage is God’s arrangement, then why have so many married people experienced such heartache, especially in our generation? What does it take to make a marriage succeed?

[Blurb on page 6]

Evidence shows that, in general, children who know that their parents were not married grow up to distrust people

[Blurb on page 7]

The indicators all point to one conclusion: the higher the commitment, the more likely the success of the relationship for all involved

[Blurb on page 7]

Jesus Christ said: “Whoever divorces his wife, except on the ground of fornication, and marries another commits adultery”

Making Marriage Work

SINCE the marriage arrangement was originated by our Creator, why do so many fail? What can people do who truly want their marriage to work?

The root causes of marriage failures can be found in two areas. The most basic is when a marriage mate ignores the laws and principles for marital happiness that God has given us in his inspired guide, the Bible.​—2 Tim. 3:16, 17.

But some will object, saying: ‘Why, the Bible has been in existence in “Christian” lands for centuries, and this has not prevented marriage failures!’

That is true. But there is a big difference between having something and using it. You can have the most nourishing meal in the world in front of you, but if you do not eat it, no good will come to your body. Similarly, merely having the Bible, reading it and quoting from it does not mean a person is living by it. So when you see a marriage fail, know for certain that there has been a failure by one mate or both to put into practice God’s laws and principles for marriage.

Even persons who do not read the Bible but who unintentionally follow a standard similar to it have greater success in marriage. But counting on accidentally finding the key to success in marriage is like boarding a ship that does not have a captain or a rudder and hoping that it will accidentally drift to your desired destination. What you need to get you where you want to go is an experienced captain and a reliable rudder. Similarly, God is the most experienced personage in the universe where human relationships are concerned, and his guidelines are by far the most reliable.

Understanding Roles

Success in marriage begins by understanding that God created man and woman for somewhat different yet complementary roles. We may liken this to a saw and a hammer. They are different in function, but both are needed to build successfully.

The male was the one created for the role of leadership, of headship, and he is obligated before God to exercise it in a manner that reflects God’s own qualities. (Eph. 5:1, 2, 23; 1 Cor. 11:3) Where there is no proper headship, there is discord and confusion. Unfortunately, many men have abandoned this role, and their wives are frustrated as a result. At times, though, the problem lies with a wife who is too aggressive and competitive, and who wants to usurp her husband’s role. But when each cooperates in his or her God-assigned role, then great harmony can result.

Nor does having different roles make one mate inferior. Is a glass of water inferior, or superior, to a dish of good food? Both are necessary for life. They serve different roles, but cooperate together for the body’s well-being. Similarly, when the husband takes the proper lead and the wife cooperates and supports his headship a right foundation is laid.

However, a husband who wants a happy marriage will not take his role as head to mean that he can be a dictator. That attitude will only produce hostility in a wife. God never purposed for a husband to oppress his wife or reduce her life to a slavelike condition. On the contrary, God’s standard is: “Husbands ought to be loving their wives as their own bodies,” being willing to make sacrifices for them.​—Eph. 5:25, 28.

Indeed, God’s “blueprint” for successful marriage says: “You husbands, continue dwelling in like manner with them according to knowledge, assigning them honor as to a weaker vessel, the feminine one.” (1 Pet. 3:7) This means being considerate of their opinions, their likes and dislikes, and not belittling or embarrassing them. Such consideration must extend to the sexual aspect of marriage too. When a husband works hard at being that kind of proper “head,” then his wife will not find it a burden to be submissive if she has the right viewpoint.

A wife who does her part greatly encourages her husband to be a good head. When she is humble and submissive, looks to him for suggestions, does not compete with him, nor belittle him even when he makes mistakes, and consults him before making major decisions, then she makes his role easier and more enjoyable. (Eph. 5:22, 33) One wife who began making a real effort to cooperate in this way said: “I can hardly believe the difference. A few months ago my husband and I were on the verge of splitting up. But today we’re like​—well—​honeymooners, only better.”

Of course, there is much more to making a success of marriage. For example, there is the need to learn how to cope with human imperfections and mistakes, how to allow for free will to be properly expressed, and how to solve marital problems that do come up. All such matters can be successfully handled by using the guidelines God has given us.a

Being Aware of the Times

As noted, not following God’s guidelines for marriage is a root cause of marriage failures. But there is another contributing factor now. It has to do with where we are in the stream of time.

The Bible clearly identifies this generation as being in its “last days,” bringing “critical times hard to deal with.” The prophecy at 2 Timothy 3:1-5 shows that our era would be characterized by people’s being ‘lovers of themselves, haughty, unthankful, disloyal, having no natural affection, not open to any agreement, without self-control, betrayers, headstrong, puffed up with pride, lovers of pleasures rather than lovers of God.’ The news reports daily confirm the fulfillment of this prophecy.

So as we near the end of this present unsatisfactory system of things, human behavior becomes progressively worse. Therefore, huge pressures are generated. This affects marriage, as marriage mates often take out their frustrations on each other.

Lives of Peace and Happiness in God’s New Order

Of great help here is having an accurate knowledge of the Bible, knowledge that shows that God will soon put this system to an end and will replace it with a new order under his direction, one in which “righteousness is to dwell.” (2 Pet. 3:13) In that new order, the Bible shows, people will be able to build a life of peace and happiness the likes of which can only be dreamed about now.​—Rev. 21:4, 5.

Thus, those who know about God’s purpose to establish a new order soon, and who are fortified with his guidelines for marriage, find more success in marriage than do any other people on earth. They are better protected from many marital heartaches now, and can look forward confidently and optimistically to a life in God’s new order where all human problems will find satisfying solutions.​—Ps. 145:16.

[Footnotes]

[Blurb on page 10]

Success in marriage begins by understanding the roles for which God created man and woman

[Blurb on page 11]

Those who know about God’s purpose and follow his guidelines for marriage find more success in marriage

[Full-page picture on page 9]

Why So Many Religions in South Africa?

By “Awake!” correspondent in South Africa

THE winds of change have blown boisterously for many years through Africa and have eroded numerous aspects of indigenous life, including religion. Traditionally, ancestor worship was common among all the peoples. With the advent of the colonial period, however, Christendom’s churches acquired a foothold and established themselves with missions representing various denominations.

Then an astonishing thing happened. Christendom’s religious setup began to crumble. Hundreds of independent churches appeared in a short space of time and these, in turn, separated into still others. A recent survey shows that more than 6,000 black independent (separatist) churches or sects exist on the continent of Africa, and about 4,000 of these are in South Africa. Since less than 25 percent of the black population identify themselves with these sects, it is clearly no religious revival. Rather, it is a process of fragmentation.

A breakdown of this magnitude is phenomenal​—unprecedented! When we examine some of the reasons, however, we find facts that read as an indictment of human leadership and religious apostasy.

Traditional Thought Patterns

Tribal custom is based strongly on a patriarchal system, in which, significantly, two levels of authority stand out prominently and have a considerable influence on the lives of the community. On the one hand, the chiefs wield an imposing authority in civil matters. On the other hand, diviners and witch doctors command a fear-inspiring presence in matters pertaining to dead ancestors, omens, spells and events that are not understood.

The belief that the soul survives after death is accepted unquestioningly. Notable events in the lives of people are interpreted as expressions of their ancestors’ pleasure or displeasure. If they suspect that the ancestors are angry, then sacrifices are called for to placate them and assure protection and guidance.a

Because the belief in ancestral spirits is so deep-rooted, it has engendered an extreme sensitivity to omens. The spirits are thought to manifest themselves in a number of ways. The appearance of a reptile or an animal may be regarded as significant. Dreams, likewise, are thought to be manifestations of truth, and great pains are taken to secure an interpretation. In all these matters, and especially in a time of crisis, the diviner would be considered the obvious person to consult.

By contrast, witch doctors are engaged to wreak vengeance on enemies. They are greatly feared and a situation may end in a vicious circle of bewitching and counter bewitching. Incidentally, both witch doctors and diviners are handsomely paid for their services.

These thought patterns, though greatly underestimated by Christendom, are very significant in the resurfacing of the separatist churches.

Traditional Patterns Resurface

In recent years a number of independent researchers investigating ancestor worship have expressed the view that, whereas the more orthodox mission churches have remained similar to Christendom, the separatist churches show trends pointing back to traditional ancestor worship. How so? Because leadership patterns, for one thing, were retained by converts. It has been noted that the role of church leaders invariably bears a striking resemblance to either that of the tribal chief or that of the diviners and witch doctors.

A chief is recognised as a leader of undisputed authority, born into his rank as the principal executive of tribal law in the community. Significantly, a great number of separatist churches have emerged that imitate more orthodox churches, but emphatically stress black autonomy in their own administration. They adopt the white “mother church’s” constitution and doctrine and use the same hymnbook​—but otherwise insist on their own independence. The leaders of these churches are thus less emotional but they direct matters more or less as an African chief would and with the Africanising of the church as a guiding principle.

The tribal diviner, on the other hand, is notably emotional and charismatic, depending heavily on his performance. The more spectacular he is the greater his image and influence. Hence, religious rites and incantations are highly charged affairs with emotional dancing and drumbeats as the spirits are evoked.

By comparison, the majority of the separatist churches are “pentecostal” in character. In a mixture of Western and African elements, fervent stress is placed on “healing” and “holy spirit.” Flamboyant baptisms are held in rivers, while the rhythmic beat of drums and dancing enlivens the regular services. The leaders of the church are dominant personalities whose charisma and reputation, in many instances, are indispensable to the continuance of the church.

Distinctive uniforms and colourful regalia distinguish these groups who, in most cases having no church building, meet anywhere in the open. In the black city of Soweto, some 13 km (8 miles) from Johannesburg, it has been estimated that there are 70 established denominations and 900 independent churches or sects!

Obviously something went wrong with Christendom’s venture into Africa. What was it?

Disillusionment

Christendom’s missionary drive into Africa was most fashionable in the 19th century. Today many African people question the role played by the missionaries in the colonial expansion programmes. Such critics point to the material gains in land and wealth that flowed to these powers in the wake of the missionaries’ contact. They did, however, succeed in bringing the Bible to a very receptive people, and expectations ran high.

Missions were usually associated with hospitals. This was appropriate as the traditional African concept of religion is inseparably linked to healing. There were discrepancies, however, that made many converts feel that the situation was inadequate. The platform preaching made a poor showing against the performance of the ancestral diviner. The Western-type hospital treatment seemed impersonal and unspectacular. The preaching lacked healing and the healing lacked magic. When the missions and hospitals drifted apart, this was the final break for many.

The tribal traditions caused the people to seek a more sinister, usually spiritistic, reason for their ailments, rather than a purely physical cause. For this reason greater interest lay in why a situation existed than in how it could be overcome.

Hence, within a short while, separatist prophets emerged who retained the Christian nomenclature but who unwittingly fell back on what they were most familiar with​—traditional ancestor worship. All the old mystique was there once again, and “healing” was claimed to be done by the power of “holy spirit.” Surveys conducted among separatist churches revealed that most of the churches have prophet-healers in their midst.

Disillusionment with white-dominated and Western-oriented mission churches caused many African converts to stumble. Ill equipped to carry on by themselves, they resorted to traditional behaviour patterns. Where the need arose, they absorbed features of ancestor or demon worship.

Yet it is noted that Christendom’s showy display appeals to separatist churches. The impressive rituals and the rich vestments of the clergy have rubbed off. Separatist clergy have taken to wearing bishop’s mitres, capes and stoles. They use banners, hold solemn processions and burn candles. Innovations are legion, as noted in one church, whose members wear white helmets on the basis of the apostle Paul’s admonition to “put on the helmet of salvation”!

Fragmentation Within Separatist Churches

Personal prestige has become an inevitable cause of fragmentation within the separatist churches. Prestige and power are inherent in leadership. Hence, they offer a temptation that holds within itself the seeds of fragmentation. A satirist once lamented: “When everybody is somebody, nobody is anybody!” The trouble starts when “anybody” wants to be “somebody” in the congregation, and it is not surprising that the church becomes top-heavy as a consequence. In a society where there is limited opportunity for self-expression, the church offers favourable circumstances for self-advancement. Invariably the churches are found to have elaborate pyramidal hierarchies, with titles assigned to as many adherents as possible.

The founders’ personalities are also of major consequence to the separatist church, so that when such a one dies a crisis is experienced. When several would-be successors lay claim to the leadership, the simplest solution is to separate, and as 78 percent of the churches have no fixed property, it is usually simple for each to go its own way.

Internal disputes frequently occur for a number of reasons, with finances ranking high on the list. Embezzlement of funds can cause irreconcilable rifts. Other disputes occur when someone’s position is usurped. There are instances where confrontation is contrived by would-be leaders who, through self-esteem or pressure from supporters, seek a showdown. The result is invariably a separation, and each group will form its own church.

What reproach all this fragmentation, petty posturing and bickering bring on the name “Christian”! How sharply contradictory this is to what Jesus intended for his disciples! In prayer to his heavenly Father, he said: “I make request . . . that they may all be one.” (John 17:20, 21) He also taught, not self-aggrandisement and position-seeking, but that “whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave.”​—Matt. 20:27.

Does no one give evidence of these spiritual qualities? Hundreds of thousands of Africans have found them in the Kingdom Halls of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

[Footnotes]

Best Memory of All

How do the marvelous mechanical memories of computers and other methods compare with the memory capacity of the human brain? The RCA Corporation’s Advanced Technology Laboratories offers these comparisons, as published in “Business Week” magazine:

Hence, with all of human technology the human brain still has a capacity 10 times as great as that which is stored in the U.S. National Archives, 500 times as great as an advanced computer memory system and 10,000 times as great as that which is recorded in the “Encyclopædia Britannica.” Does this not make one pause to reflect on how such prodigious storage in such a small vessel came to be?

[Chart on page 15]

MEMORY DEVICE STORAGE CAPACITY

(number of characters)

Human Brain 125,000,000,000,000

U.S. National Archives 12,500,000,000,000

IBM 3850 magnetic cartridge 250,000,000,000

“Encyclopædia Britannica” 12,500,000,000

Magnetic (hard) disc 313,000,000

Book 1,300,000

Untapped Creativity

“Even the largest, most advanced computer cannot be made to understand sentences that a four-year-old child can grasp without hesitation. . . . The best way of expressing the total creative capacity of the human central nervous system in layman’s language is that, for all practical purposes, it is infinite. . . . It is still clear that we are operating at only a tiny fraction of our true abilities. Studying nature, we find that systems are created to be used to the full. What is the purpose of all the unused human capability?”​—“The Ultimate Athlete.”

Searching Out Legal Roots

LEGAL roots? If you are French or German, you may be thinking of the Corpus Juris Civilis, compiled by Roman emperor Justinian in the sixth century. It is true that this work is the ancestor of modern European Civil Law systems.

But a still more ancient book containing legal material survives widely today. That book is the Bible. Numerous laws first given to Moses over 2,000 years before Justinian’s day have stood the test of time so well that you can now find them in the Constitutions of modern nations. Consider a few examples from the United States Constitution:

Bible Laws in U.S. Constitution

Article III, Section 3, of the U.S. Constitution states: “No person shall be convicted of Treason unless on the Testimony of two Witnesses to the same overt Act, or on Confession in open Court.”

This is similar to the Bible law, which stated: “No single witness should rise up against a man respecting any error or any sin. . . . At the mouth of two witnesses or at the mouth of three witnesses the matter should stand good.”​—Deut. 19:15.

The same section of the Constitution goes on to state that “no attainder [denial of civil rights because] of treason shall work corruption of blood, or forfeiture except during the life of the Person attainted.” What does that mean? It means that the family of a person convicted of treason cannot be punished for what the person did.

This also is a Bible law. “Fathers should not be put to death on account of children, and children should not be put to death on account of fathers. Each one should be put to death for his own sin.”​—Deut. 24:16.

Equal Before Law

The Constitution provides that no one, not even the president of the United States, can be above the law. If convicted of misconduct and removed from office, the president is then “liable and subject to Indictment, Trial, Judgment and Punishment, according to Law.”​—Article I, Section 3.

In this case the Constitution goes beyond British common law, which did not usually apply to the king. However, the Constitution does not go beyond Bible law, which said this of the king: “It must occur that when he takes his seat on the throne of his kingdom, he must write in a book for himself a copy of this law from that which is in the charge of the priests . . . and he must read in it all the days of his life, in order that he may learn to fear Jehovah his God so as to keep all the words of this law and these regulations by doing them.” (Deut. 17:18, 19) The king was certainly not above the law!

The Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution further developed the idea of equality under law, saying that no state could “deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.”​—Section 1.

The law of Moses said the same thing! “You must not treat the lowly with partiality, and you must not prefer the person of a great one. With justice you should judge your associate.”​—Lev. 19:15.

Significantly, the equal protection of Israelite laws extended to alien residents ‘within the jurisdiction’ of Israel. “One law is to exist for the native and for the alien resident.”​—Ex. 12:49.

This insistence on equality is surprising when we consider that the kings of other nations in Israel’s day were often absolute rulers, utterly above the law. Moreover, Babylonian and Assyrian laws dating from about the period of the law of Moses routinely discriminated against poor classes.

This class discrimination in law did not vanish with the Babylonians. In England as recently as a few hundred years ago a poor man could be hanged for mere theft, but someone who could read​—hence, a member of a special class, such as a clergyman—​could commit murder and receive only a light punishment!​—Biblical Law, H. B. Clark, pp. 269, 270.

“Speedy and Public Trial”

Guidelines for judicial procedure in the United States are found in the Sixth Amendment to the Constitution. “In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial . . . to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him.” Did justice in Bible times employ these guidelines?

Indeed it did. Criminal trials were doubtless much speedier in Israel than they are at present in countries such as the United States, where clogged courts and elaborate procedure give rise to many delays. Since the local court was situated at the city gates, there was no question about the trial being public! (Deut. 16:18-20) No doubt the public trials helped influence the judges toward carefulness and justice, qualities that sometimes vanish in secret star-chamber hearings. What about witnesses?

Witnesses in Bible times were required to testify publicly. For this reason they were warned not to be influenced in their testimony by the pressure of public opinion “so as to turn aside with the crowd in order to pervert justice.” Perjury was not punished with a jail term, but with whatever punishment the false witness had sought to bring upon the defendant​—even death!​—Ex. 23:2; Deut. 19:15-21.

“Cruel and Unusual Punishment”

Amendment VIII to the Constitution states that “cruel and unusual punishment” shall not be inflicted. This too reflects a feature of the Mosaic Law, which stated: “If the wicked one deserves to be beaten, . . . with forty strokes [the judge] may beat him. He should add none, for fear he should continue to beat him with many strokes in addition to these and your brother is actually disgraced in your eyes.”​—Deut. 25:2, 3.

What a contrast this makes with the extremely “cruel and unusual” punishments by some of Israel’s neighbors, such as the Assyrians, who often cut off ears, noses, and lips for minor offenses! Even when the death penalty was executed in Israel it was usually done by stoning, which was humane by ancient standards. Additionally, the witnesses against a person were required to participate in his execution by stoning, which no doubt was a deterrent to witnesses’ giving false testimony.​—Deut. 13:9, 10.

Advanced Law

Of course, the U.S. Constitution is just one example of modern laws that are indebted to Bible laws. When the Bible is compared with other modern statutes it shows itself to be remarkably advanced.

Consider the Bible’s laws against murder. As one legal writer noted: “First degree murder under modern statutes is often defined, at least in part, in terms of ‘malice’ or ‘malice aforethought.”’ In other words, modern law distinguishes between killing a person accidentally, and doing so deliberately, with malicious intentions.

Bible law makes the same distinction. It wisely provided for someone who had killed another person to put himself into ‘protective custody’ by fleeing to cities set aside for that purpose. This would allow time for the relatives of the victim to recover from their initial outrage while the facts of the matter were determined. Later a trial was held to determine if the killing was accidental or deliberate. The death penalty was not required for accidental killing, or manslaughter, but was always invoked for deliberate murder.​—Num. 35:6-34.

Modern Legal Problems

One often acknowledged problem of modern laws is that they are so numerous and complex that most people do not understand them. As one expert put it, “Modern laws, like those of the Romans, have grown ‘contradictory, some obsolete, some unpractical, some obscure, and the whole bulk of them too voluminous.”’

The laws of Moses, by contrast, are written clearly and lucidly. Difficult problems were not solved by adding new laws, but by interpreting existing laws. For this purpose a carefully crafted judicial system was arranged for, with harder cases going to higher courts, much as is done today in many countries. Qualifications for judges were high.​—Ex. 18:21, 22.

Additionally, the Mosaic law provided for legal education, since people cannot obey laws they do not understand. So every seven years special assemblies were held where the entire Law was read and explained to the people. On a family level, parents were expected constantly to teach the Law to their children.​—Deut. 31:10-13; 6:1-9.

Experts recognize the growing problems of modern legal systems. “By the 1970’s,” notes one source, “criminal law was faced with grave problems . . . American criminal courts . . . have been unable to keep up with their crowded dockets . . . Juvenile delinquency has become a serious mass problem, not only in the West, but also in the Soviet Union . . . The opinion is growing that a stated number of years in prison is not the most promising way to deal with a convicted criminal.”​—Encyclopedia Americana, 1977, Vol. 17, p. 73.

The legal system given to Moses prevented these problems. Justice was swift and decentralized. Juvenile delinquency was rare in Israel, because it was viewed very seriously and could be punished by death. (Deut. 21:18-21) The Mosaic law did not provide for any terms of imprisonment. Thieves were punished by making restitution to their victims, not by jail sentences. Deliberate murderers could not be paroled to murder again, because they were executed without fail.

Although the law of Moses contains over 600 statutes, it was a slim legal code compared to what we see today. Yet those 600 laws could be reduced to a few basic principles, as pointed out by Jesus Christ: “‘You must love Jehovah your God with your whole heart and with your whole soul and with your whole mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. The second, like it, is this, ‘You must love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments the whole Law hangs, and the Prophets.”​—Matt. 22:37-40.

Jesus also said: “Always treat others as you would like them to treat you: that is the Law [of Moses] and the prophets.”​—Matt. 7:12, The New English Bible.

That is good advice, is it not? If people would govern their affairs by love, then mankind would have no need of extensive legal codes, lawyers and court systems. The vast maze of legal machinery in today’s world is sad proof of our modern lack of love. Although we cannot change the world, God is going to do so by completely removing the present system of things. (Dan. 2:44) In the meantime, should we not all strive to apply Jesus’ good advice in our dealings with other people, both in judicial and other matters?

[Box on page 18]

MOSAIC LAW PRECEDENTS IN AMERICAN LAW—

Two or more witnesses for conviction of serious crime​—Deut. 19:15

Punishment should not extend beyond guilty party​—Deut. 24:16

Even ruler is subject to law​—Deut. 17:18-20

All citizens equal before law​—Lev. 19:15

Right to an impartial and public trial​—Deut. 16:18-20

Protection from perjury​—Deut. 19:15-21

No cruel and unusual punishment​—Deut. 25:2, 3

Murder distinguished from manslaughter​—Num. 35:16-25

Protective custody for accused murderer, hence, presumption of innocence​—Num. 35:12

Judges with high qualifications required​—Ex. 18:21, 22

[Box on page 19]

CONTRASTS BETWEEN MOSAIC LAW AND AMERICAN LAW—

Emphasis on compensation for victim in Bible law​—Ex. 22:1-9

No prison system provided by Mosaic law

Consistent death penalty for deliberate murder, hence, no repeat offenders​—Num. 35:21

Advanced program of public legal education​—Deut. 31:10-13; 6:1-9

Bible courts did not require costly formalities, were easily accessible to common citizen

Basic legal code not added to, kept simple enough for all to understand​—Deut. 4:2

Juvenile delinquency kept minimal​—Deut. 21:18-21

No lengthy waiting for trial

Did Mosaic Law Copy Hammurabi’s Code?

HAMMURABI’S Code, based on earlier legislation, is a collection of decisions or “casebooks” on clay tablets. These were later copied on a stele placed in the temple of Marduk in Babylon. After that, this stele was taken by a conqueror to Susa, where it was discovered in 1902.

Some parts of the Mosaic law are similar to certain sections of Hammurabi’s Code, and because of this certain scholars claimed that the Hebrews got their law from Hammurabi and not from Jehovah God. Modern scholars generally disagree. However, the book “Documents from Old Testament Times” states: “There is no ground for assuming any direct borrowing by the Hebrew from the Babylonian. Even where the two sets of laws differ little in the letter, they differ much in the spirit.”

Here are some examples of the differences:

[Chart on page 20]

Hammurabi’s Code Mosaic Law

you.” (Deut. 23:15)

Let’s Grow a Giant Chrysanthemum

By “Awake!” correspondent in Japan

MOST flowers bloom in the spring or summer, but there is one in the temperate zone that waits till there is no competition. It is the chrysanthemum!

Here in Japan there is a unique way of growing these “mums,” and we would like to share it with you. It produces what we call “Giant Chrysanthemum,” or “ōgiku” in Japanese.

Chrysanthemums are found at many homes in Japan from September through November. Many persons, mostly men, make a hobby of raising ōgiku. So it is not unusual to find a house where there may be from three to as many as 20 pots of lovely ōgiku displayed at the entrance. Usually these have been tended and trained to form three stems that rise up to 36 inches (90 cm) topped with a huge blossom on each stem. Sometimes you can see one pot with seven stems each having a beautiful four-inch (10-cm) ball-like blossom of pale purple or some other color. There are many colors and varieties of shapes.

As a youth I spent my summer holidays working at nurseries in Ohio, and one of these specialized in chrysanthemums. But these were the hardy, outdoor kind used as borders and landscaping around houses. They are relatively easy to grow. In the spring, last year’s plants are dug up and the new shoots divided from the plant and replanted for the new crop. The ōgiku, on the other hand, requires more attention and care. According to the Encyclopædia Britannica, there are over 3,000 named varieties of chrysanthemums, and new forms are constantly being produced.

How to Grow an “Ogiku”

An acquaintance, Mr. Asano, grows ōgiku each year, so we asked him to explain the method used to grow the beautiful giant chrysanthemums. We had received a gift of a gorgeous potted yellow ōgiku and we asked our friend:

“Asano-San [Mr. Asano], we would like to have these same giant chrysanthemums next year. Will the plant simply put out new shoots and repeat itself like the flower we have this year?”

With a smile, Mr. Asano replied: “It is not quite that simple. You see, ōgiku will start to revert to its more simple state if let grow naturally. That is to say, it would have many flowers and they would be much smaller than the three large ball-like blossoms you received this year.”

“What shall we do to have the giant blossoms again?” we asked.

Steps Required

“After the plant has finished blossoming, cut the stem just below the bottom branch. Then plant it out of doors for the winter, mulching it with straw to protect it from freezing. In March, when you see new shoots coming up around the base of the dead stem, the plant should be dug up. Divide the new shoots, plant these in a bed of fine gravel and let them grow in the warm spring air. By the middle of May these shoots should be about eight inches (20 cm) tall. Now you should take cuttings from these shoots. These cuttings should be around two and three-fourths inches (7 cm) long. If you intend to make three stems, you should be sure there are three buds on the cutting above the moist sand in which you now plant them. (You will have to guide their growth with stakes and string to allow space for the blossoms.) Once the cuttings are planted, they should be kept in the shade and watered in the morning and evening. Do not neglect this watering. It is an essential part of making ōgiku. In about two weeks, roots should have formed.”

“Then we plant it in our pot and we’ll have our new ōgiku in the fall, is that right, Asano-San?” we asked eagerly.

“Oh, no! It’s not quite that easy!” Asano-San said with a laugh. “You are right in that it should now be transplanted from the sand into soil in a pot, but this is only the first of three transplants.”

Transplants Essential

“Three transplants?” we asked, surprised.

“Yes, the reason is that while we want to have an end result of a plant about three feet tall (90 cm), we want to retard its growth. So the transplants act as a shock and hold it back. Thus in the final transplant into a large pot all the energy will go into the flower,” Asano-San answered.

“Then each transplant is into a larger pot, is it?”

“That is correct,” Asano-San affirmed. “But there is some work involved here. If you are just growing a single stem, that is, a single ōgiku flower, you will have to pick the side buds off the stem as they appear. Obviously, if you are making a three-stem ōgiku, you will be three times as busy picking off these side buds. These are the buds that are found just above where the leaf and stem join. A good practice is to do it every other day, using a pointed scissorlike instrument. But be careful and do not injure the leaf. The leaf is for making food by converting light energy, so, if there are no leaves, there will be no flower!

“During this time you will have to watch for attacks by insects, such as aphids. By consulting a flower shop you can get the proper spray to use. Here in Japan we have the rainy season from mid-June to mid-July so we have to be sure that the plant is dry when we spray or we may harm it.”

Timing of Transplants

“What are the times for each of these transplants?”

“There is no set date, but since you start the first potting in June and the flower is to blossom in October, there are roughly 100 days. So the second transplanting would be in the latter part of July and the final transplant in the latter part of August or the first part of September. I might add here that ōgiku requires a fibrous loam soil. And rather than manure or fertilizer, vegetable compost is recommended.”

“Thank you, Asano-San, we appreciate your explanation. I think I’d like to give it a try.”

Would you like to “give it a try”? Some time and effort are required, but that just adds to your pleasure as you see the results when ‘God makes it grow.’

Money No Guarantee of Happiness

In an article on a better life in the 1980’s, Dr. Joyce Brothers explained that money can “buy happiness” only in that it can pay for necessities such as food and clothing. She added:

“A person with an income of $100,000 may be more comfortable, better dressed, and live better than someone with an income of $20,000, but he will not be significantly happier.

“The man or woman earning $20,000 a year will probably raise an eyebrow at this, but the facts are that a modestly adequate income does make for happiness and that great sums of money rarely do.

“Money is a delusion. It can also be a snare, a trap to prevent you from reaching your most cherished goals. . . . Money is a means to an end, not an end in itself.”​—New York “Post,” January 21, 1980.

In confirmation of this the same paper, on March 16, 1979, said the following: “The latest census tabulations indicate that of the 50,000-70,000 suicides that take place yearly in this country, almost 80 per cent are committed by persons whose incomes are in the higher brackets. Most definitely suffer from some mild to severe depressive illness that has gone undiagnosed.”

“Not a Fair Fight”

Rhoda H. Karpatkin, executive director of Consumers Union, says of television commercials aimed at children: “These commercials use all kinds of tricks to capture the attention of children, stimulate their imagination, and manipulate their innocence. . . . Perhaps adults can resist commercials, but when young children are involved, it’s not a fair fight.” (“Consumer Reports,” August 1978) Children desperately need to have their parents on their side. If you let your children watch the commercials, do you also spend time teaching them how to analyze the ads in order to separate the facts from the “sales pitch”?

The Magazine Pricked His Conscience

The following experience goes to illustrate how “Awake!” has a positive influence on people. A Witness from the south of France wrote in: “One day we found the following message in the Kingdom Hall mailbox: ‘Dear Mister Overseer, I am an “Awake!” subscriber, and that is why I am venturing to ask you to do something for me. However, I prefer to remain anonymous. On account of a mistake made some 10 years ago, I owe approximately $45 of material to the F‐‐‐ firm. I am trusting you to settle this debt for me . . . If they will not accept the money, please use it for your Kingdom Hall. With many thanks, Yours sincerely.’

“So we went along to pay the firm. The astonished director thanked us for our part in the affair and was delighted with the outcome.”

Expelling Those Unwanted Visitors

ONCE it jumped, twice, but it couldn’t jump out of the trashcan. Now the office worker’s shriek made it forget the food its nose had led it to. Again it jumped, and again, but no success. A second office worker joined in with her scream on seeing this unwanted visitor. The little mouse was afraid of them, too. This fear finally helped it to leap out and run for its life.

In all parts of the world unwanted visitors make their appearance in the dwellings of men. Mosquitoes, houseflies, moths and beetles fly in. Cockroaches, ants, spiders and bedbugs crawl in or are carried in. Rats and mice walk in or chew their way into homes.

To many persons these visitors are unsightly. Others want them out of their homes because they eat and contaminate food, or bring disease to man in other ways. The cockroach has an oily, bacteria-laden coating on its body. Mice and rats carry fleas that can infect animals and humans. And a million people still die each year from malaria carried by the Anopheles mosquito in tropical and subtropical countries. So although the great majority of insects and other creatures are harmless and all of them perform beneficial functions, many persons try hard to discourage these particular visitors from dropping in.

The use of pesticides for this purpose is common. House sprays and fogging devices are used against mosquitoes, houseflies and other bugs. Solid poisons are used to fight rats and mice. It is important in using these pesticides to follow the printed directions closely. Do not contaminate food with them. Care should be taken not to breathe the vapors or to get the poisons on one’s skin. Any unused portions should be carefully stored out of reach of inquisitive children.

Pesticides, however, are not the panacea that many thought they would be. According to the United Nations 1979 World Environment Report, 364 species of insects and mites have developed resistance to pesticides. That report adds: “The danger of the situation is that there is reason to suppose that all pests are likely to be able to develop resistance to all types of chemical pesticide in time, with grave effects on both world health and world food production.”

That being the case, is there another approach to the problem of unwanted visitors? Yes. Whether pesticides are used or not, a housecleaning program must be followed to provide lasting results. In one prison, in a land where the work of Jehovah’s Witnesses was under ban, there was an extensive problem with cockroaches. The Witnesses incarcerated there asked permission to scrub the prison barracks with hot water. They knew hot water was all that would be provided. Every inch was scrubbed, in all their barracks. The prison authorities were surprised that the problem was brought under control with this simple method and followed up with more careful sanitary practices.

Basically, insects need an undisturbed place to live, along with a food and water supply. That is why cracks and crevices in the kitchen and bathroom are more prone to infestation. Daily cleanup of these areas along with a weekly thorough cleaning depletes the bugs’ food supply as well as disturbs their nesting places. While no one can keep every crumb of bread off the floor, food garbage should be removed from the home daily to the extent possible. Unused food should always be repackaged well.

Some years ago one large family had a problem with moths in one boy’s closet. The problem was solved when a bag of nuts was removed from the closet and opened. Out came a cloud of moths! Ever since then that family has had a regular spring-cleaning day each year. All in that family empty their closets and furniture and clean thoroughly. Such a regular cleaning program for all areas of the house lessens the problem with unwanted visitors when they do get in. Of course, the neighborhood will have an effect on how bug-free the home can be.

In addition to thorough cleaning, if your problem is with mice or rats, you will need to seal off any entryways that could let these creatures in. Keep in mind that a mouse can get through an opening as small as a quarter of an inch wide. If you decide to purchase mechanical traps, or lay out poison bait, set these along the walls of your home, as mice and rats like to run along walls.

On the other hand, there may be a harmless animal that could take care of your unwanted visitor. Housecats have helped many with their mouse problems. Others in North America find that erecting martin birdhouses in their yards helps care for mosquito and other insect problems. The book American Birds in Color states: “Persons who attract Martins to their gardens are amply repaid for their troubles. The bird’s diet is one hundred percent insectivorous, and the numbers of obnoxious insects consumed by a colony of Martins in a season would be fantastic.” If mosquitoes are your problem, the draining or covering of any standing water inside or outside the home is also important, as mosquitoes breed in standing water.

Whatever means you use to expel unwanted visitors will work best if it is accompanied by a thorough housekeeping program. The office workers mentioned at the outset decided to dispose of their food garbage outside their office each day. They also now keep food snacks in closed containers. They are happy too that most of the creatures on their “unwanted” list no longer come to visit.

Communication Breakdown

A speech communications expert who monitored “happily” married couples reportedly found that they talked to each other, on the average, less than 30 minutes a week. By way of contrast, the family television set may be operating 100 times that long in many households during a week. And instead of family conversation at mealtimes, says a University of Miami speech communications expert, “we usually share our meals with Walter Cronkite [a prominent newscaster].”

“The Truth Will Set You Free”

I WAS a drug addict. For almost 20 years I lived a nightmare. It all started very innocently, without my realizing what was really happening.

I was 18 years old at the time. Here, in Argentina, I had recently received my diploma as a teacher. At the insistence of my mother, who without a doubt wanted the best for me, I began to study biochemistry.

But I would have preferred to stay at home with my mother, learn to cook, sew, and take care of a home. I was timid, withdrawn, pensive, quiet​—an introvert and a homebody. I lacked the boldness and push that this worldly system considers so necessary.

It was at this time that I began to gain a little weight. I am only a little over four feet (1.3 m) tall and, like all young girls conscious of their silhouette, I could not stand to see myself even a little bit overweight.

After talking over the problem with my mother, we decided that I should go to a doctor. We went to an endocrinologist, one who specializes in metabolism and nutrition. He put me on a diet, gave me something for the thyroid and some pills to kill the appetite. I felt great and soon lost those unwanted pounds!

Hooked on Drugs

I also was hooked, for those pills were amphetamines. Amphetamines and their components are the basis of pills for reducing and for keeping students awake while they are preparing for exams and need more time for study. These products give one a sensation of great brilliance. They produce a feeling of euphoria, confidence in oneself and literally push one to move, to act, to think fast, to surpass everyone else. They are also addictive.

From there I went on to Actemin, a stronger drug that also contains amphetamines. After studying for an exam I was completely worn out physically and mentally. My body and my brain were desperately asking for rest to recuperate, at least 10 days of rest and sleep, but it was impossible to stop. My other subjects, my study, my work as a professor’s helper​—none of these could be interrupted just because I had taken an exam. So I took larger and larger doses of drugs.

I kept falling into a whirlpool of my own destruction. I would have liked to quit, but I simply could not. That would have meant that I would have to give up my career, retire right at the peak of my life and then sleep the rest of my life! That is how I felt. How could I say to my mother, who had such high hopes for me, “Mama, I can’t continue studying. I need a rest for I don’t know how long”?

Family Tragedies

I married and had two children. All the while I continued taking drugs. My second son became ill. He had a strange disease that the doctors diagnosed doubtfully as encephalitis, and, as a result, he did not grow intellectually as he should have. I do not know if my taking those drugs was responsible. I was in despair that my son would not have a place in a society of the strong and powerful ones of this present world.

By then I needed the drugs just to be able to get up in the morning and face the reality of my life​—my home, my sons, my husband. My life was completely disorganized. So many problems! I became completely depressed and anxiety seized me, especially because of my sick son. My husband and I did not get along at all. Twice I was hospitalized in a psychiatric sanatorium.

There I was introduced to barbiturates, substances for sleeping pills. Ah, sleep and forget everything! When I came out of the sanatoriums, in order to face the hard reality of life, I began to take both amphetamines and barbiturates. I finally had to put my son in an institution for the mentally deficient. There he ended his short existence at the age of 11 years. I felt as if my heart would break, so much pain and suffering.

My husband and I had separated and sold our house. I used my share to maintain my drug addiction. I left my remaining son with relatives, since I did not work and what I received from my husband was insufficient to maintain the two of us. Being separated from my son for long years caused me even more pain and suffering.

Trying to find a solution to the problems in my life, I traveled to Mar del Plata, where I got a job in a fish factory. What I earned there only paid for a room shared with other girls and a miserable existence. I also studied in the laboratory. All the while I was very anxious to see my son from time to time. How empty and sad my life was! I finished the laboratory course, thinking that with a diploma I would be able to get a better paying job and be reunited with my son. What a disappointment! In the professional field there is even more competition, and it is more difficult to find a job. For everything the recommendation of influential people is needed, and I did not know anybody.

With the money that I was now receiving from an inheritance, I began to pay for a piece of land. In my desperation I traveled to see my son and asked him if, since it was summer, he would be willing to live temporarily with me in a tent on the lot that I was buying. We both had suffered very much by being separated. He accepted, he being only 15 years old at the time. Thus it was that toward the end of 1975 we were living together in a tent.

Prayer for Help

I remember well that it was the night of December 31 in the midst of all the noise of New Year’s Eve that I prayed. I earnestly begged God, whom I did not even know yet, never, please, never again separate me from my son.

I, of course, continued the drugs. If not, my brain would not function. I now needed not only to continue living for my son’s sake, but also to plan for the future. The money was going rapidly. Properly administered, it would have been enough for us, but I had to maintain my drug habit.

Soon the thought of killing myself and my son began to go through my mind.

A few days later one of Jehovah’s Witnesses came by our tent and left us several copies of the Watchtower magazine. After reading a few articles, I told my son: “This is what I have been looking for all my life!” A few days later the Witness returned and kindly invited us to lunch at her house where she talked to us about the Kingdom. I felt like someone who had traveled on a storm-tossed sea and finally landed on a warm and quiet beach. To see my dead son again! Oh, would that be too much to hope for?​—John 5:28, 29.

As soon as I heard that wonderful message, I felt in my heart that my taking drugs could not please such a loving God. Besides, why keep taking them since I now had within me another force, a powerful motivator, this marvelous hope? It happily urged me on to keep on living and change my life.

Victory over Drugs!

Of course, it was not easy, not after saturating the body for almost 20 years with drugs and making it function only with their help. After hearing that lifegiving message, I did stop immediately, from one day to another. But my body demanded the drugs. I was determined, however, to face life with my son, to organize our disorganized existence. Jehovah gave me the strength to do it. His truth was setting me free!​—John 8:32.

The Witness who studied the Bible with us offered to share with us her home, where we would be more comfortable, and finally we accepted. At her side I learned the basic principles of daily home and family care, since she too had children. I am deeply grateful to her for everything.

Both my son and I struggled tenaciously, working hard, and now with a good administration and the help and blessing of Jehovah we succeeded in putting up our own modest home, which represents more than we ever dreamed that we would have.

Now another serious problem showed up. When I gave up taking drugs, I weighed only 106 pounds (48 kg) and in less than a year went up to 165 pounds (75 kg). This was another hard test for me; I could not stand to see myself in that condition.

What to do about my weight? The problem worried me. I did not want to take even an aspirin, much less any of the other drugs that I used to take in the past. I diligently searched in all the publications of Jehovah’s Witnesses for information on my problem. I found some simple but very effective rules that gave me wonderful results. After almost two years of hard fighting and exercising self-control, I finally came down to my former weight. This too, was not easy. But I felt better physically, mentally, and spiritually.

At times when I felt that my strength was weakening, I would pray for God’s help and I received it. I have proved the truthfulness of the words at 1 John 3:22: “Whatever we ask we receive from him, because we are observing his commandments and are doing the things that are pleasing in his eyes.”

Both my son and I are now dedicated and baptized Christians, and I am a full-time preacher of God’s kingdom. It’s my way of thanking Him for all of his undeserved kindnesses.​—Contributed.

How to Find Happiness

Jonathan Freedman, professor of psychology at Columbia University, observed that most of today’s “instant happiness theories” teach persons to look out for themselves.

He noted, however, that studies of happiness have proved that “people are happiest in a good relationship with someone else.”

That being so, certainly we can find much happiness by developing a close and warm relationship with God.

Watching the World

Adventist “Prophet” a “Plagiarist”?

◆ Delegates to last year’s international Seventh-day Adventist convention reaffirmed that Ellen G. White is “inspired in the same sense as were the Bible prophets.” She wrote more than 50 books. Now an Adventist minister for 36 years who spent two years researching her writings declares: “She was a plagiarist.” Pastor Walter Rea claims that the evidence is so plain that “I could take a truck driver off the street and he can see it.” He states that Ellen White’s sources were often non-Adventist religious writers of the mid-1800’s and offers a number of examples to prove it. Thus far, he asserts, he has not found a major work by Ellen White that did not use a previously published source. “The important thing is that she and the denomination always claimed that she didn’t copy and that she wasn’t influenced by anyone,” Rea said.

Commenting on the discovery of this literary borrowing, Donald R. McAdams, president of Southwestern Adventist College in Keene, Texas, wrote: “Ellen White is so central to the lives of Seventh-day Adventists that her words impinge on practically every area of Adventist teaching and practice. . . . To consider her words as possibly derived from someone else and not necessarily the final authority introduces an element of chaos into the very heart of Adventism that makes all of us uneasy.”

Human Fetuses for Sale

◆ The editor of a monthly newsletter on world resources, James Ridgeway, is reported as describing the sale of human fetuses as one of the most unusual commodities in global trade. He says that in 1976 the price of a human fetus was about $75 (U.S.), the price paid by research laboratories and pharmaceutical firms involved with tissue cultures. The best source of supply? Particularly the lower classes in the underdeveloped countries of the world. Ridgeway’s comments are made in his book entitled “Who Owns the Earth?” That becomes a most serious question to answer when one considers that Ridgeway also says that now a “steady stream of fetal material” is coming from American women. Why the new situation? The change has come about since the American courts legalized abortion. Of course, the mother or the father of the fetus does not get the money for these fetus sales. Who does? Do doctors and hospitals that handle abortions make a profit in addition to the money they make on their services to the patient? Is there any end to the abuses of what is sacred in the eyes of the One who owns the earth and all life upon it?​—Ex. 21:22-25.

Expensive Exercise

◆ In a crowded country such as Japan, trying to keep physically fit can prove disastrous, if one is not cautious. In one case a jogger was ordered to pay 1,340,000 yen (about $6,300, U.S.) to a 71-year-old woman whom he ran into, causing her to fall and be hospitalized for more than two months. The court found him negligent, the judge saying that the jogger should have slowed down or made a temporary stop. In another case a boy and his father were ordered to pay half each of a fine of 19.6 million yen (about $92,000, U.S.)! This was because the boy failed to catch a ball. The ball hit a nine-year-old, who died two days later. The court agreed that the boy was responsible because he should have realized the danger of playing catch in that area. It is a good policy to consider all possibilities when any activity is undertaken, even if it seems as innocent as throwing or catching a ball.

Corrected View of “Cavemen”

◆ Excavations made in southern Germany by the University of Tübingen have revealed new facts about the so-called “cavemen” of central and western Europe. Up until now this “early human being” was viewed as a “skin clad hunter of wild animals who fought with mammoths and bears,” wrote the German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. This traditional picture must now be corrected. The discoveries seem to indicate that the caves were occupied only in early summer (more or less as summer residences) and were abandoned in the fall. It seems that even during the warm season the supposed “cavemen” stayed in their caves only during bad weather. The kitchen garbage found in some of the caves shows that eggs, fish and birds were their main food, not mammoths. According to the article, “Interesting round pearls and buttons made of bone presumably sewed into clothing made out of skins” were found, “demonstrating that even at that time people did not just wear the half raw skins of animals, but had quite a sense for decorative items.” Striking were the several ivory animal statuettes that were found. It is now thought that the part-time cave dwellers may have “rendered idolatrous worship” to the “mighty and dangerous animals.”

Invented for Textbooks

◆ An article appearing in the German scientific magazine Factum dealt with the subject: “Fossils: Primitive Originals or Already Completed Forms?” Plant and animal fossils were compared with present-day forms. After comparing present-day crustacea with crustacean fossils, the writer concluded: “Nowhere did we meet up with the primitive original forms evolution so often has tried to find. Every type of fossilized crustacea was found to be highly organized and complete just like those we have today.” So of what opinion was the writer? “Primitive animal forms? Superior crustacea? . . . They exist only in our zoological textbooks.”

Appalled Evolutionist

◆ A man from New Hampshire wrote a letter to the editor of the New York Times, commenting on an article that appeared earlier under the title “Against Creationism.” He wrote: “As an evolutionist, I was appalled at [the article]. . . . The fact is, there are many holes in the evolutionist theory, as any objective scientist (biologist or not) will agree. That the creationists’ best evidence is these holes does nothing to improve the validity of Darwin’s theory.”

Fans or “Animals”?

◆ Regarding some British soccer fans, Toronto’s Globe and Mail recently reported: “Here is what a Spanish newspaper said earlier this month after supporters of West Ham, a London club, rioted at a game in Madrid: ‘Never in the history of the stadium has there been such uncivilized and bestial behavior. England’s foreign emissaries are worse than the barbarian hordes Attila sent.’”

Commenting on such increased violence at soccer matches, the New York Times observed: “Spectator violence at the soccer games, which has increased steadily in the last 10 years, seems to some to be a symbol of a general breakdown in law and order, in a society that has traditionally prided itself on civility and proper behavior, and a troubling reminder of new inner-city frustrations.”

Record Oil Output

◆ The world’s leading oil producer, the Soviet Union, reports a new peak of oil production for the first six months of 1980, averaging over 12 million barrels a day​—compared with 11.7 million barrels daily during 1979. The world’s second-largest oil producer, Saudi Arabia, produced about 9 1/2 million barrels a day for the six-month period.

Increased Highway Peril

◆ More than 50,000 Americans died in highway accidents in 1979, and deaths are increasing. James B. King, chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board in the United States, observed: “If this were happening with airlines or railroads, we’d be outraged. But people feel they are in control of events when they drive a car and don’t seem upset at the carnage.” Another growing problem is that the new fuel-efficient cars are also smaller and lighter, and riders are more likely to be killed or injured in collisions with larger cars or trucks. King says: “Breakaway highway signs are supposed to plop down when hit by a vehicle. But with small cars, they sometimes act like a brick wall. Then there are the median barriers on highways that are supposed to force you back into your lane. That’s what they do with standard-sized cars. But hit these barricades at the same angle in a small car, and you may flip over.”

Sweet Scheme Sours

◆ Switzerland reports the uncovering of a plot by a man and a woman to sell secrets to several east European countries. A Justice Ministry official spoke of “attempted economic espionage on behalf of foreign powers.” The secrets in question were not concerning missiles or atomic bombs, however, but Swiss chocolate. The pair had tried to sell recipes of about 40 different kinds of Swiss chocolate obtained by the woman when she worked for a candy company.

‘Excellent Water’

◆ New York city has many evils, but it is reported that its drinking water is not one of them. Tests of the city’s water were made under strictly controlled conditions by an independent group. They rated the water as “excellent.” Among the many waters tested, including many expensive bottled waters, it was one of only three to get the “superb quality” rating. Additionally, it was the only free drink of all those tested. Taste experts say that an “excellent” water should be free of sediment and color, with no aroma, and with a flavor that slightly stimulates taste buds. And, of course, it must be refreshing. However, it has been pointed out that, even though it comes largely from a system of upstate reservoirs, New York water does contain minute amounts of added chemicals.

Earthquake Aftermath

◆ The 1976 earthquake in Tangshan, China, took the lives of hundreds of thousands of people. As a result, many husbands lost wives and many wives lost husbands. Thousands of these bereaved ones have since married each other. However, the common sense of loss did not by itself make a solid foundation for enduring marriages. China Reconstructs reports: “About 30 percent of the remarriages have ended in divorce​—sometimes because the couples had too little in common, sometimes because their children couldn’t get along.”

Record Arms Cost

◆ A joint study by United States, British and Canadian arms-control groups said that in 1980 the world used more than $500 billion (thousand million) on military expenditures. The average annual cost in the 1970’s (at 1979 prices) was $370 billion. On new weapons research alone this year, governments spent eight times as much money as on solving energy problems.

Selling Children

◆ “Millions of Third World families are turning to infanticide and the selling of children into slavery or prostitution to get rid of unwanted offspring,” says Toronto’s Globe and Mail. As an example, England’s Guardian relates that British human rights campaigner Tim Bond told the United Nations that more than 500 children were sold into slavery each week in one city of southeast Asia alone, and that he himself had purchased two of them for $35 (about £16), returning them to their homes. In addition, countless millions of children are abandoned to fend for themselves in the slums “of every major city” in Asia, Africa and Latin America, says Mrs. Page Wilson, a past coordinator of the Population Crisis Committee in Washington. Experts see no relief from this pathetic situation, as poverty, one of its chief causes, is increasing.

Read about Ivory Coast and Upper Volta

Customs and beliefs are probably much different in these African lands from where you live. Read about the stalwart men and women who left their homelands to bring Bible truths to these remote peoples. Learn of the opposition, superstitions and other obstacles they overcame. It is absorbing reading in the 1981 Yearbook of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

Also included in this 384-page book are similar reports about El Salvador and New Zealand. Send for your copy.

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