December 8

Page Two

Science and medicine have made impressive gains against some forms of sickness. At the same time other ills, such as heart trouble, cancer and venereal disease, have become epidemic. Is there any hope that the fight against all sickness will ever be won? If so, how?

The Fight Against Sickness 3

Noise and Stress​—How Do They Affect Us? 4

What About Radiation and Chemical Pollution? 5

Harmful Eating Habits 6

The Dangerous Moral Environment 7

When Sickness Is Conquered Forever 8

The Fight Against Sickness

“FUTURE nations will know by history only that the loathsome smallpox has existed,” wrote America’s third president, Thomas Jefferson, in 1806. This was part of a letter congratulating the British physician Edward Jenner on his discovery of vaccination.

However, as recently as 1967 an estimated 2,000,000 people died from smallpox. But a global campaign by the World Health Organization seemed to succeed in eradicating this dreaded disease by 1979. At last, after 173 years, Jefferson’s prediction appeared to have come true.

In 1928 Sir Alexander Fleming discovered the first antibiotic​—penicillin. It is used in the treatment of blood poisoning, pneumonia, meningitis and many other diseases. “The story of penicillin is one of the most dramatic in the history of medicine,” states Black’s Medical Dictionary, comparing penicillin to the introduction of anesthetics and antiseptics.

During the 19th century the major cause of death was tuberculosis. Chopin, Paganini, Rhodes and many other famous people suffered from it. In 1906 two Frenchmen, Calmette and Guérin, developed a helpful vaccine. And in 1944 streptomycin was discovered. With these and other helps “the white plague,” as TB is at times called, has been almost defeated in developed lands.

However, TB is now rife in underdeveloped areas, and even in some developing societies. For example, in South Africa there is an average of 45,000 new cases every year. Thousands die. While effective vaccines exist to combat measles, polio, diphtheria and other childhood diseases, millions of children die from them every year in less developed lands.

Meanwhile, in some Western societies other diseases have increased alarmingly. According to the South Africa Medical Post, about 70 percent of their populations now die from heart disease, stroke and cancer.

Although escaping death, many victims of disease become permanently disabled. In 1981 former UN secretary-general Kurt Waldheim warned that the present 400 million disabled people in the world could rise to 500 million by the year 2000. Does this mean, then, that science, with all its marvelous discoveries and progress, is actually losing the fight against sickness? What do the facts of our times show?

Noise and Stress​—How Do They Affect Us?

“MOST of the centenarians in the world have been found in the foothills or valleys of mountainous regions,” observes science writer Dr. D. Davies. Why? People who live in such places “are calm by nature, and living, usually in such isolated places, there is little to cause stress,” he states.

Those observations were made after a comparative study of people who live to be 100 years of age. These people included the Abkhasians of the Soviet Union and the Hunzas of Kashmir. Rarely do these tranquil 100-year-olds suffer from heart disease, cancer and other common sicknesses.

Unfortunately, for most of us this 20th century has been anything but tranquil. It has experienced two world wars​—the most devastating and far-reaching in history—​and scores of other wars. The number of persons physically maimed or severely damaged emotionally is staggering. And with daily violence increasing on the streets and in the homes, together with the fear of a nuclear holocaust, people are experiencing greater stress. Also, with more material possessions and a commercial world that is constantly urging people to go places and do things, many persons try to cram too much into their days, adding to their stress.

Daily exposure to sound levels averaging 90 decibels or more is known to cause hearing damage and increased stress. In an article “Noise at Work” the British Medical Journal expressed concern for 600,000 Britons who “work in noise levels above an average of 90 decibels​—noisy enough to make shouting necessary for talking to someone standing at arm’s length.” It then referred to studies showing that noise pollution causes “higher blood pressures and incidences of hypertension.” With the combined racket of factories, jet aircraft, traffic and modern music with a heavy beat, we live in an environment that induces much stress. In turn, stress contributes to various nervous disorders, heart disease, strokes and many other ills.

To escape from a noisy environment some people change their jobs or move. As for stress, many resort to painkillers or tranquilizers. However, less drastic, effective measures can be taken. Getting enough sleep, engaging in regular exercise and balancing work with wholesome recreation have helped many find relief from stress. But regardless of what can be done by individuals to lessen their own stress, the fact is that it is on the increase everywhere.

[Picture on page 4]

Stress is on the increase all over the world

What About Radiation and Chemical Pollution?

“I LIVE in Moscow not far from the Institute of Atomic Energy. They say that here there is a high level of radioactivity. This may explain why I am frequently sick. Tell me, are we threatened by radiation?”

That letter, published in the Soviet newspaper Trud, illustrates a growing concern by many since an atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. Industrial radiation and other forms of pollution have seriously affected our health.

Radioactive wastes from power plants and other sources also spell danger. “Plutonium is highly toxic and remains dangerous for incredibly long periods, on the order of 100,000 years,” writes physicist Ian Barbour. How to dispose of such wastes safely, no one knows!

Furthermore, Time magazine recently reported that in one country alone there are some two thousand chemical dumps and over a hundred and eighty thousand chemical lagoons. Since half the population is dependent on that country’s underground water supply, it is feared that these wastes plus pesticides from farmlands are contaminating the water below. As a result, some people, when they find a source of safe water, haul it home for their family’s drinking supply.

Industries around the world have ravaged rivers, lakes and seas. Polluted seafood has caused much suffering. For example, cases of death or permanent damage from mercury poisoning to the inhabitants of the Japanese fishing village of Minamata several years ago have reached over fourteen hundred.

Matters are made worse when individuals introduce harmful chemicals into their own bodies. Such harmful chemicals include those from smoking and the many forms of drug abuse.

Dr. Higginson, director of the International Agency for Research in Cancer, even claims: “There is good circumstantial evidence that 80-90% of all cancers are dependent, directly or indirectly, on environmental factors . . . and at least 90% of these factors are chemical in nature.”

Aside from breaking harmful habits, little can be done by any one individual to improve the situation on the worldwide level. Yet, do not despair! There is good reason for hope that the fight against sickness will definitely be won!

[Pictures on page 5]

Chemical, radioactive and other types of pollution are causing injury and death

Harmful Eating Habits

THE communities where many people live to be 100 have several things in common. One is their diet, which is “frugal, low in calories, and closely linked to the soil, from which most of the food they eat is taken direct,” writes Dr. Davies.

Since their diet is rich in vitamins and low on sugar, obesity is rare among them. They eat very little meat, acquiring most of their protein from milk products, beans and lentils. “The remarkable fact about the health of the centenarians is that they hardly suffer at all from killer diseases,” observes Dr. Davies.

Because of not eating sufficient nutritious food many families become susceptible to disease. This results in millions of premature deaths each year. Also, unwise practices, commercial greed, lack of education of the public and indifference have produced a shocking situation. For example, to avoid spoilage and to prolong the shelf life, many foods have been so refined that their nutritional value is highly questionable.

Too, the fast way of modern living encourages many simply to “grab a bite” and not to prepare the kinds of food, including fresh vegetables and fruits, that their bodies need in order to function well. Often hunger pangs are satisfied with sweets and snacks that have very little nutritional value. Soft drinks and beer, containing hardly any vitamins or proteins, are consumed far more than milk or soup.

An unbalanced diet or the practice of overeating causes many to become obese. In addition to contributing to other sicknesses, excessive fat hastens heart disease and is believed to contribute to bowel cancer and other cancers.

True, even an excellent diet is not a guarantee of good health. Health-food enthusiasts also get sick. However, a person can help himself by learning more about proper nutrition. Yet a large part of the human family suffers from poor nutrition due to an inadequate food supply, and human agencies do not have the solution.

The Dangerous Moral Environment

“SEX is forever being displayed before the public in magazines, advertisements on billboards, in books, in the movies, in the theatre, and on television . . . Being sexually promiscuous is no longer considered shocking. It is accepted as normal. Young people . . . who are anxious for acceptance conform by experimenting with sexual intimacies and promiscuity. This increase in sexual activity is responsible for the rise in the number of cases of venereal disease.”​—From the book Venereal Disease, by E. R. Young.

How widespread and serious is VD? It has become pandemic. According to the respected British journal The Lancet, WHO (World Health Organization) estimates that throughout the world each year there are now about fifty million new cases of syphilis, which can cause insanity and death. Gonorrhea, which can cause sterility and physical disability, is becoming even more widespread, with WHO estimating about two hundred and fifty million new cases annually.

A newer venereal disease, genital herpes, is also spreading rapidly, reportedly with about five million victims in the United States alone. In addition to being painful, it can cause death or brain damage to newborn babies. Women with this infection are said to be five times more likely to develop cervical cancer.

Those who avoid sexual immorality seldom get VD. However, it is possible to contract syphilis by kissing the lips of an infected person. Regarding syphilis germs, the book Venereal Disease warns: “They can also be spread from mouth to mouth and from genital organ to mouth.” With the increase of oral sex, syphilis sores appear “very often in the throats of young people . . . If you kiss someone . . . who has syphilitic sores inside the mouth, you can become infected with the disease.”

By seeking to avoid this world’s immoral environment a person not only can maintain his, or her, self-respect but certainly can help to safeguard his health from loathsome diseases. Such ones appreciate the Biblical advice: “Flee from fornication. . . . He that practices fornication is sinning against his own body,” ‘receiving in himself the full recompense, which was due for his error.’​—1 Corinthians 6:18; Romans 1:27.

When Sickness Is Conquered Forever

WHILE progress has been made in fighting some sicknesses, others have taken their place or old ones have worsened. Indeed, the hard fact is that even with the best possible environment, a balanced diet and a moral life people still get sick and die.

Nothing that even the most sincere doctors or scientists, or the best hospitals, can do will change this bleak picture. But does this mean that sickness and death will always be mankind’s lot? Will it go on and on forever?

A Guarantee That Sickness Will End

Although humans do not know how to end sickness and death, there is someone who does. That someone is the most powerful Physician in the universe. He is the One who created humans in the first place​—Jehovah God. He is in the very best position to know what is wrong with mankind, and what the proper remedies are.

In his own inspired Word, the Bible, God states: “[I] will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away.” That promise is certain to be fulfilled, for the Bible adds: “These words are faithful and true.”​—Revelation 21:4, 5.

Where will this healing take place? In heaven? No, for verse 3 of Revelation chapter 21 states that God will be “with mankind” when this happens. Yes, the time is coming when humans will be healed of all their sicknesses; and even death will be conquered​—forever! Similarly, Isaiah 33:24 foretells: “No resident will say: ‘I am sick.’ The people that are dwelling in the land will be those pardoned for their error.”

Yes, God knows not only full well what is wrong with mankind but also what to do about it. As the Creator of man’s body and mind, he surely has the wisdom and power required to restore perfect health to individuals. And the promises he has had recorded in the Bible are a guarantee that he will do it at the proper time. Indeed, when his chief spokesman, Jesus Christ, was on earth, God’s healing power was demonstrated. This was done in the many miraculous cures that Jesus was able to perform as God’s spokesman.​—Matthew 15:30, 31.

Interestingly, even some of the opposers of Jesus had to acknowledge that he performed miraculous works. On one occasion the religious leaders of his day exclaimed: “What are we to do, because this man performs many signs?” (John 11:47) There was so much evidence that it could not be denied. What were some of those infirmities that Jesus cured?

Curing Infirmities

One of the cures Jesus performed had to do with a man who was born blind. Imagine never having been able to see! How pitiful! Yet, with the use of God’s power, Jesus healed the man and he “came back seeing.” Later, testifying before the religious leaders, this former blind man said: “From of old it has never been heard that anyone opened the eyes of one born blind. If this man [Jesus] were not from God, he could do nothing at all.”​—John 9:1-7, 32, 33.

On another occasion Jesus met a man afflicted with the loathsome disease of leprosy. The leper begged Jesus: “If you just want to, you can make me clean.” Moved with pity, Jesus touched him and said: “I want to. Be made clean.” His leprosy vanished! The news about this spread until it became difficult for Jesus even to enter a city openly.​—Matthew 8:1-3.

Then there was the man who had been sick for 38 years! He was bedridden, unable to get up. Seeing him, Jesus asked: “Do you want to become sound in health?” Yes, he certainly did! Jesus then said: “Get up, pick up your cot and walk.” With that “the man immediately became sound in health, and he picked up his cot and began to walk.”​—John 5:5-9.

On such occasions people often were overwhelmed with awe. One account relates: “At the sight of this the crowds were struck with fear, and they glorified God, who gave such authority to men.” But even more awed were they when they were eyewitnesses to dead ones’ being raised by Jesus! For example, when Jesus restored the life of a young girl who had died, the onlookers “were beside themselves with great ecstasy.”​—Matthew 9:8; Mark 5:42.

No doubt about it, God the Creator can cure the sick and raise the dead! And He empowered Jesus, while he was on earth, to demonstrate on a small scale what would be done when God’s due time came for His great healing program to be applied to mankind. But when will this come? How?

Cures Linked to Kingdom

The honest historian Matthew recorded the following about Jesus: “He went around throughout the whole of Galilee . . . preaching the good news of the kingdom and curing every sort of disease and every sort of infirmity among the people.”​—Matthew 4:23.

According to Matthew’s words, the miraculous cures by Jesus were secondary to the important message​—“the good news of the kingdom.” Jesus used his miracles to demonstrate what the coming Kingdom of God would do for mankind. That is the Kingdom, or government, ruling from heaven that will bring such blessings to mankind, with Jesus himself as heavenly King. Thus, Jesus taught his disciples to pray: “Let your kingdom come. Let your will take place, as in heaven, also upon earth.”​—Matthew 6:9, 10.

Hence, when God’s heavenly government comes and rips control of this earth from all the nations that presently exercise that control, then the divine healing program will begin. But when is that to be?​—Daniel 2:44.

When Will It Come?

Jesus himself foretold how we could know that we were nearing the end of this present corrupt system of things and the coming into total power of God’s Kingdom. He foretold just what this generation has suffered: world wars, food shortages, disease epidemics, increased violence. These, and many more things, form part of the great prophetic sign that Jesus and other Bible writers gave, clearly identifying our time as the one foretold.

After giving some of these signs, Jesus also said: “When you see these things occurring, know that the kingdom of God is near.” How near? He added: “Truly I say to you, This generation will by no means pass away until all things occur.”​—Luke 21:10-32; Matthew 24:3-34; 2 Timothy 3:1-13.

After carefully considering the evidence of fulfilled Bible prophecy, no other conclusion can be reached than this: Before this generation passes, sickness will be conquered forever! God’s Kingdom will take control of this earth and a New Order will be ushered in to begin God’s great healing program. Then the above-quoted prophecies will indeed have their grand fulfillment: “No resident will say: ‘I am sick,’” and “death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore.” What a glorious time is near at hand!

[Picture on page 9]

Jesus healed the sick and raised the dead as an evidence of what he will do under God’s Kingdom rule

[Picture on page 11]

A glorious time is nearing when “no resident will say: ‘I am sick’”

Young People Ask . . .

What if It’s More Than Just the Blues?

VIVIENNE and Marie never knew each other, but each knew the meaning of despair. Both 14 years old, they had totally different backgrounds. Vivienne​—a “perfect” young lady with caring parents. Marie​—at times a raging terror, her fury fed by bickering parents who eventually were divorced. But both girls fought a life-or-death struggle with a disorder said to cause “more suffering than any other disease”​—severe depression.

Before learning the outcome of their struggle, you need to understand the dramatic difference between the everyday blues and major depression, the disorder that has “killed” thousands of young people earth wide and has made millions of others wish they were dead.

Deadly Depression

You probably have had “down” days​—everyone does. Sometimes one may even go through what doctors may call chronic low-grade depression.a But major depression is different. “I constantly felt as if I were ‘dead’ inside,” explained Marie. “I was just existing without any emotions. I had a feeling of constant dread.” Vivienne similarly described her “no escape” situation in a letter to a friend: ‘The funny thing is that even after crying, the pressure is there afterward, all the time; it doesn’t really matter what I do. It’s strange living with no relief for so long.’

Yes, the gloomy mood is unrelenting. And this may continue for months. See the box in this article for some of the symptoms​—both emotional and physical. It should not surprise you to know that this type of depression is the most common ingredient in youthful suicides​—now considered a “hidden epidemic” in many countries. In the United States only accidents and homicide take more young lives.

Deep-rooted Causes

Francine Klagsbrun wrote in her book Too Young To Die​—Youth and Suicide: “At the root of many emotionally caused depressions lies a profound sense of loss, of someone or something that has been deeply loved.” Thus the loss of a parent through death or divorce, the loss of a job or career, or even of one’s physical health, could be at the root of depression.

A most poignant loss to a young person is the loss of love, the feeling of being unwanted and uncared for. “When my mother left us I felt betrayed and alone,” revealed Marie. “My world suddenly seemed upside down.” A therapist recognized Vivienne’s emotional hurt and asked: “What would you like from the family?” Her terse reply: “Understanding.”

You can just imagine the bewilderment and pain some youths feel when faced with awesome family problems such as divorce, alcoholism, incest, wife beating, child abuse or simple rejection by a parent who is swallowed up in his or her own problems. To the child, it is a “day of distress.” How true the Bible proverb: “Have you shown yourself discouraged in the day of distress? Your power will be scanty”! (Proverbs 24:10) Yes, the power to offset depression becomes very small, especially since the young person may even blame himself for the unfortunate conditions.

“How Can You Kill Nothing?”

“I am worthless. I am of no use to anyone,” wrote Vivienne. “What good [is it] to kill myself? How can you kill nothing?” Why did she feel that way? She confessed to her diary: “I have the constant feeling that I’m big and clumsy and sort of dense beside someone [a friend] who is small, precise, brilliant and absolutely perfect.” The advertising and entertainment media encourage destructive comparisons by glorifying physical attractiveness, sexuality and academic achievements.

Also, one’s own weaknesses add to feelings of low self-esteem. You may do something that you know is wrong and feel as did King David of ancient Israel, who bemoaned: “There is no peace in my bones on account of my sin. For my own errors have passed over my head; like a heavy load they are too heavy for me. . . . All day long I have walked about sad.” (Psalm 38:3-6) Frankly, such a remorseful attitude is commendable. It shows that you haven’t become calloused to right standards. Yet, if you change your course, God will freely forgive.

However, some try to cover over feelings of guilt or worthlessness by running away from home, practicing sexual promiscuity or engaging in heavy drinking. Marie resorted to injecting herself with heroin. She said: “I had plenty of self-confidence​—until the drug wore off.” And when it did, she was faced with extreme . . .

Hopelessness

The most persistent emotion connected with major depression​—and the deadliest—​is a deep sense of hopelessness. Vivienne could not fight any longer. In despair this 14-year-old hanged herself! Writing in Vivienne​—The Life and Suicide of an Adolescent Girl, Professor John E. Mack observed: “Vivienne’s inability to foresee that her depression would ever lift, that she had any hope of ultimately obtaining relief from her pain, is an important element in her decision to kill herself.”

Those affected with major depression feel as if they will never get better, that there is no tomorrow. It is the hopelessness that, according to experts, often leads to suicidal behavior. Yet Marie, whose life had become a living nightmare, eventually found something that helped pull her shattered existence together.

You Will Get Over It!

“The thoughts of suicide definitely came into my mind,” confessed Marie. “But I realized that as long as I didn’t kill myself there was always hope.” Her hope had been somewhat nurtured by Bible instruction she had received as a child. Sadly, she failed to follow such teaching as a way of life. Nevertheless, she knew that God was willing to help her if she sincerely turned to him. So she saw alternatives to a bleak situation.

Unfortunately, when confronted with despair many young persons cannot even visualize alternatives or the possibility of a favorable outcome. So what can help you to keep your hope up?

Talk to Someone About It

“Anxious care in the heart of a man is what will cause it to bow down, but the good word is what makes it rejoice.” (Proverbs 12:25) A “good word” from an understanding person can make all the difference in the world. No human can read your heart, so pour it out to someone you trust and who can help straighten out your thoughts.

‘But I’ve already tried that,’ you may say, ‘and all I get is a look-on-the-bright-side-of-life lecture.’ True, not everyone is a skillful counselor. The Bible says: “When there is no skillful direction, the people fall; but there is salvation in the multitude of counselors.” (Proverbs 11:14) So don’t give up because of an inept counselor. Seek out a skilled one. How?

Marie, in one of her bleakest moments, poured out her heart to God. “I begged him to please send someone to help me,” admitted Marie. “As I approached Jehovah I could feel a calmness setting in. I knew there was still hope.” Her fervent prayer was answered as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses stopped by her house that day. A study of the Bible was started. She began to attend the meetings of Jehovah’s Witnesses. There she met many skillful counselors who were more than willing to help.

Even if your prayers for help are not answered in just this way, God can give you the strength to endure. The Bible says: “God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear . . . He will also make the way out in order for you to be able to endure it.” However, effort on your part is needed.​—1 Corinthians 10:13.

“Over the years I had put up such a pretext that no one really knew how depressed I was,” revealed Marie. “But then I confided in one of the older women in the congregation. She was so understanding! She had gone through some of the same experiences I had. So I was encouraged to realize that other people have gone through things like this and have come out just fine.”

No, Marie’s depression did not clear up immediately. But gradually she began to cope with her emotions as she deepened her relationship with God through her study of the Bible and association with fellow Christians.

Vivienne apparently had no such faith. “I really want to believe in something, but like many others, I don’t know what,” she bemoaned before her death. “I never could pray. You can tell when a prayer doesn’t get through.”

Don’t make the same mistake. If you are severely depressed, pray to God. Seek out skillful counselors and bare your feelings. Let their “good word” lift your spirits. Jehovah’s Witnesses are especially willing to help you. Let them assist you in developing a friendship with God so that you may sense the realization of this heartwarming promise: “The peace of God that excels all thought will guard your hearts and your mental powers by means of Christ Jesus.”​—Philippians 4:7.

[Footnotes]

[Blurb on page 12]

Severe depression is the most common ingredient in youthful suicides, which have become an epidemic in some countries

[Blurb on page 15]

A personal friendship with God can help you to cope with major depression

[Box on page 13]

Could It Be Major Depression?

Anyone may suffer temporarily from one or more of the following symptoms without having a serious problem. However, if several symptoms persist, or if any is severe enough that it interferes with your normal activities, you may have (1) a physical illness and need a thorough examination by a doctor or (2) a serious mental disorder​—major depression.

● Nothing Gives You Pleasure. You can’t find pleasure in activities once enjoyed. You feel unreal, as if in a fog and just going through the motions of living.

● Total Worthlessness. You feel as if your life has nothing important to contribute and is totally useless. You may feel full of guilt.

● Drastic Change of Mood. If once outgoing, you may become withdrawn or vice versa. You may often cry.

● Total Hopelessness. You feel that things are bad, there’s nothing you can do about them, and conditions will never get better.

● Wish You Were Dead. The anguish is so great that you frequently feel that you would be better off dead.

● Cannot Concentrate. You go over and over certain thoughts or reading material without comprehension.

● Change in Eating or Bowel Habits. Loss of appetite or overeating. Intermittent constipation or diarrhea.

● Sleeping Habits Change. Poor or excessive sleep. You may frequently have nightmares.

● Aches and Pains. Headaches, cramps and pains in the abdomen and chest. You may constantly feel tired for no good reason.

[Picture on page 14]

Talking to others and pouring out your heart is one of the best ways to cope with severe depression

An Alcoholic in the Family​—What Can You Do?

STAGGERING, he just barely makes it home after a night’s drinking and passes out on the living-room floor. His wife is hurt and upset. Nevertheless, she struggles to pick him up, cleans him up and puts him to bed. Her husband is an alcoholic.a

The next day he promises it will never happen again. Sometimes he has no memory of the night before. But she remembers! ‘I don’t dare say anything about it,’ she says to herself, fearing that if she did, he would get so upset he would start drinking again. Since he is in no condition to go to work, she calls the boss to make excuses for him.

She hopes against hope that he will drink less. In fact, she desperately tries to control his drinking. So she hides the liquor or throws it away.

She limits their social contacts, fearing the embarrassment that his drinking causes. And she doesn’t socialize without him, for fear he will become angry and drink even more.

And yet, despite all of this, he continues to drink! Why? Isn’t she doing all she can to help him? Actually, without realizing it, she has made recovery more difficult. It is not just her husband that needs help​—she does too!

Does the above describe a family you know, perhaps even your own? If so, you may be wondering, ‘Why do you say the spouse may also need help?’

Impact on the Family

Alcoholism has a tremendous emotional impact on the entire family. The spouse, for instance, often is a mirror image of the alcoholic.

For example, a common symptom of alcoholism is denial that a drinking problem exists. However, often family members also deny the problem, perhaps because they fear disgrace. So if your mate has a drinking problem, do you find yourself coming up with “reasons” for each drinking episode?

That is not all. As your efforts to control your mate’s drinking meet with repeated failure, perhaps feelings of inadequacy and anxiety are growing within you. Or even worse​—is resentment and bitterness building up inside you? “Many times I wished he was dead,” confessed one desperate wife.

Thus, it is no wonder that you may be suffering from the same negative feelings and emotions as does the alcoholic​—anxiety, fear, anger, guilt, nervousness, frustration, tension, low self-esteem. Yes, often the spouse needs help too.

What about the children? It is heartbreaking to consider the lasting emotional scars they may get. Notice what some children of alcoholics told Awake!

“I was always in the middle. One time, when I was about nine years old, Mom had been drinking and she and Dad had a big argument. Mom started to walk out. I got hysterical, and grabbing hold of her skirt, I pleaded with her not to go.”

“Everyone knew. I can remember walking to school and hearing the boys laughing and shouting, ‘Your father’s a wino!’”

“I developed an inferiority complex. I blamed myself.”

“I still have a great sense of insecurity, doubting my ability, belittling myself, getting disgusted with myself.”

It’s easy to see why such children may become nervous, withdrawn and not very talkative. They will often suppress and deny anger, fear, frustration and loneliness. Otherwise it just hurts too much. Yes, the children may also need help.

Thus, you​—the family member—​may need help (1) to maintain your own emotional health and (2) to learn the best approach to the alcoholic.

Learn the Facts

Start by informing yourself about alcoholism. The local library or an alcoholism information center may offer helpful material. Talking to others who have faced a similar problem may provide you with practical suggestions on what to do.

Perhaps the biggest question in your mind is, ‘What can I do to help the alcoholic?’ But before you can help the alcoholic you may need help to recover from your own negative feelings and emotions. So first learn how the alcoholism has affected you. Otherwise you likely will not reach the alcoholic!

Next, learn the best approach to the alcoholic. Perhaps you initially reacted like the wife described at the outset. But such efforts often contribute to the progress of alcoholism rather than to a recovery. Why? Because it hinders the alcoholic from seeing the reality of his (or her) situation. He is hidden behind a huge wall of denial. So shielding him from the consequences of his drinking usually enables him to continue denying the problem and continue the drinking.

Guiding the Alcoholic to Help

Although you can’t force an alcoholic to go for treatment, you can make him want help. But how?

Basically, there are two approaches: (1) allow him to experience the consequences of his drinking and (2) confront him directly with the facts about his drinking. Even at his sickest, the alcoholic can accept some portion of reality if it is presented to him in a receivable way!

However, before we discuss each approach, a word of caution: Such intervention requires that you be informed about alcoholism and have the emotional strength to apply that knowledge.

Now, what does it mean to let the alcoholic feel the consequences of his drinking? It does not mean punishing him, but it does call for being firm. To illustrate, let’s refer to the wife described at the outset. Notice what Dr. Winnie Sprenkle, director of counseling at a successful alcoholism treatment center, recommended in an interview with Awake!

● What could she do when her husband passed out on the floor? “In general, it’s very important for the family not to mask over the problem so that the alcoholic doesn’t know what’s gone on. So if he passes out on the floor and wakes up the next morning in his pajamas in bed he will never know what happened.” Hence, depending on the circumstances, she could let him sleep it off right there. The next morning, as he wakes up on the floor, he would be presented with the reality of his situation.

● When he can’t recall his behavior of the previous day, what could she do? “Be honest with him, but not in an angry way. ‘Here’s what happened last night and here’s the effect it had on me.’” Even though he may get angry, she is thus helping him to see that his behavior does not occur in healthy families.

● What about isolating herself? “I think the most important thing is for the family simply to go about their business of living in the healthiest way they can. The alcoholic more and more gets confronted with how big the contrast is between him and the rest of the family. Often that will result in his finally saying, ‘Hey, I’ve got a problem and I need to get some help!’” Thus, if she socializes without him, she could kindly let him know that she wished he could join her, but that his drinking problem prevents it.

What about the second approach​—confrontation? In I’ll Quit Tomorrow, Vernon E. Johnson recommends the following:

Those confronting the alcoholic should be the most meaningful persons in his or her life. With the help of a qualified counselor, each one prepares a list describing in unsparing detail the alcoholic’s behavior. A date and time are set when the alcoholic is likely to be sober. Then, in a way that reflects their deep concern, each one reads aloud his list. Though the alcoholic may at first be defensive, they firmly continue. The goal is to enable the alcoholic to accept enough reality to see the need to get help.

Where Can Help Be Found?

Some family members, along with the alcoholic, turn for help to an alcoholism treatment center, where the family also may be enrolled in a program of therapy. How can this help? Until now, family members may have repressed painful memories and feelings. Not being in touch with their own feelings makes it hard for them to understand the alcoholic’s. So, often the basic goals of therapy are: to recognize and accept one’s own feelings (to overcome negative feelings you must first face them); to understand the feelings of the other person and how one’s actions affect him or her emotionally; and to apply this insight, thus learning how best to act.

‘But what if the alcoholic refuses to go for help?’ you ask. Whether the alcoholic does so or not, you may need help to face and overcome your own negative feelings. For such help, some families turn to local groups made up of family members of alcoholics. Such groups attempt to provide understanding and insight into the problems of living with an alcoholic. Of course, such groups do not exist in all parts of the world.b Others, realizing their emotional need for help, turn to another source.

“Knowing the truth from the Bible is what helps me to cope,” says Ann, who has lived with an alcoholic nonbelieving mate for 30 years. As one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, she regularly studies the Bible and strives to apply it to her own situation. While this doesn’t remove her problems, it does help her to be happy despite them. And it can help you too. How?

For one thing, applying Bible principles can help you to overcome negative feelings and emotions and thus cause you to be happier despite your situation. However, to do this calls for strong faith that God will do what he has promised. (Hebrews 11:1, 6) Consider some examples.

Anxiety: Do you face financial problems due to your loved one’s drinking and are you extremely worried about how you will make ends meet? “Stop being anxious,”c counsels Jesus about life’s necessities. “Your heavenly Father knows you need all these things” and he can and will provide for those who make his worship a chief concern in their life. (Matthew 6:25-34) Jesus then gives a most practical suggestion for defeating anxiety​—live one day at a time. Why add tomorrow’s anxieties to today’s? Besides, as one Bible scholar put it: “The future of reality is seldom as bad as the future of our fears.”

However, just knowing Jesus’ words will not relieve anxiety. You must apply them, and that is where real faith comes in. God’s ability and promise to provide for his servants are sure. The only question is: Are we absolutely confident that as long as we diligently work to do our part God will do his part?

Guilt: Have negative feelings and attitudes made you feel guilty? True, you have your imperfections and God does not condone wrong attitudes. Yet the Bible warmly assures us: “If we confess our sins [to God], he is faithful and righteous so as to forgive us our sins.” (1 John 1:9; Proverbs 28:13) Is there really any reason to believe that God will not do that in your case, provided you do your part? God will do as he has promised. But you’re not going to feel better unless you firmly believe that.

The study of God’s Word can also put you in line to receive the help of God’s holy spirit. And that spirit can adorn you with positive qualities, such as ‘love, joy, peace, kindness, mildness and self-control.’ (Galatians 5:22, 23) What a powerful aid in overcoming negative feelings! However, you must “keep on asking” God for his spirit. (Luke 11:5-13) And, here again, it calls for firm faith. As Jesus said: “All the things you pray and ask for have faith that you have practically received, and you will have them.”​—Mark 11:24.

Would you like to learn how to acquire that kind of faith? Jehovah’s Witnesses will gladly help you. You may even find that among them are persons who have endured the same problems as you and who could therefore provide understanding help from the Scriptures. Keep in mind that verbalization tends to reduce negative feelings. So by discussing your feelings openly with someone who understands your situation can be a big help.

If you are already associated with Jehovah’s Witnesses and you need assistance to strengthen your faith, why not ask a Christian overseer for help? Such devoted men are ‘willing’ and ‘eager’ to help their fellow Christians in whatever way they can.​—1 Peter 5:1-3.

[Footnotes]

[Blurb on page 17]

Shielding or protecting alcoholics usually enables them to continue denying the problem and continue drinking

[Blurb on page 18]

“I think the most important thing is for the family simply to go about their business of living in the healthiest way they can”

[Blurb on page 19]

“Knowing the truth from the Bible is what helps me to cope”

[Box on page 19]

If your loved one agrees to get help, how can you support the recovery?

Do . . .

● Be patient, kind and courteous

● Be cheerful and encouraging

● Allow the alcoholic to assume responsibility when he or she feels ready

● Be honest with your children about your loved one’s condition

Don’t . . .

● Bring up the past

● Hover over the alcoholic in a watchful way

● Try to protect him or her from drinking situations

● Panic if there is a relapse; your loved one will need your compassionate support

[Chart on page 20]

Applying Bible principles can strengthen and help you

If you feel . . . Then read . . .

Bitter, resentful ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ Ephesians 4:32; Colossians 3:13, 14

Afraid ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ Psalm 9:9, 10; Philippians 4:6, 7, 13

Living With Alcoholism

FOR weeks all my husband had done was drink day and night. He would pass out, wake up and then start drinking again. He had been fired from his job, and our financial situation was getting worse day by day. His health had deteriorated and I wasn’t sure how much longer he would live. ‘Where will it all end?’ I wondered.

Before I tell you the outcome, let me explain how we reached this critical point in our life.

I met my husband at a dance in 1947. He had already been drinking when he arrived. Before the night was over he was dancing on top of the table. Later that week he came to visit me. This time he was sober, and I enjoyed his company very much. We had a lot of things in common, so we courted.

The night he proposed he had a bottle of liquor with him, but he wasn’t drunk. We talked at length about the seriousness of marriage and raising a family. I had no intention of living with an alcoholic, I told him. At that, he threw away the bottle and promised me he had taken his last drink. I was so happy!

But not long after we were married he started drinking again. During the years that followed I became more and more afraid of him. He was so unpredictable. He was like a volcano about to explode.

Not only did he continue to drink heavily but he began to gamble at work, which resulted in serious financial problems. Every payday there was an argument. He wanted to give me less and less money so he could drink more and more. Bill collectors were repeatedly calling.

‘How can he treat me this way and then tell me he loves me?’ I wondered. Since I had a part-time job, at times I raised the money to help pay the bills.

At times I couldn’t hold back. I pleaded, “Can’t you see what you’re doing? Your daughter and I are nervous wrecks!”

“You exaggerate!” he snapped back. “I only have a drink or two. I don’t even drink a bottle a week.” Actually, he was drinking a bottle a day!

My life was filled with inconsistency. On occasion he would bring me flowers or some candy. ‘He does love me after all!’ Then I would feel guilty because of the terrible things I had thought about him. Since he was being so nice, his drinking had to be my fault, I thought. If only I could change, then perhaps he wouldn’t drink so much.

He would promise to cut down, and after a few days I was sure that with my help he could stop drinking. But by the end of the week he would make up for lost time​—drinking more than ever. A sense of hopelessness would overtake me.

Several times he went to Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). They talked about alcoholism, but he felt he didn’t need to hear that. His problems were at home, he thought. My hopes were then dashed again. I felt trapped, angry.

My emotions ran full circle​—joy, guilt, self-hatred, resentment, bitterness, hatred for him, wishing he would leave, fearing that he might. It seemed hopeless.

After trying to cope with this for a number of years, I lost all control of myself. One day, feeling desperate, I got in the car and just started driving. I ended up by a stream of water. It was so calm and peaceful. As I sat on the bank I thought of the hopelessness of my situation. The calmness of the water seemed like a magnet. If I could just slide into the water . . .

Suddenly, I heard a voice calling out to me. A woman who lived nearby had seen me and had come to see if I was all right. At that, I got in my car and drove home.

Not long after this, things got worse. My husband began talking about taking his life, even describing to me how he was going to do it. “You’ll be better off without me,” he said. In one way I was glad to hear it, but at the same time I was frantic!

The next morning I knew I had to do something. I got in touch with AA, and they referred me to a woman in my area who had faced a similar situation. She recommended a local group made up of family members of alcoholics. So I attended some meetings.

They helped me to see that I really couldn’t blame myself for my husband’s drinking. He had started before I even met him. Those in attendance seemed to be in control of themselves. They were cheerful and openly discussed their feelings. They lived one day at a time. That’s what I had to do! And even if the same problems were there, I had to realize that today had all the anxieties I could handle. I recalled Jesus’ words at Matthew 6:34: “Never be anxious about the next day, for the next day will have its own anxieties.”

At the same time it seemed to me that some of the women there were still rather bitter and resentful of their husbands, complaining about them and describing their faults. Rather than share in this, I didn’t say anything.

However, as I listened to them talk about living with an alcoholic, I learned a number of helpful things. The most important thing I learned was this: I shouldn’t shield my husband from the consequences of his drinking, as I had been doing. Instead, I had to help him realize the problems his drinking was causing. It took a great deal of strength to overcome so many years of negative thinking, but I was determined. I began applying these suggestions.

An opportunity came not long after this. We had to baby-sit for our grandson who was sick and running a fever. Since I had to go out for a while, I asked my husband to watch the boy. I called him from work and cautioned him about drinking. He assured me he would take good care of the boy.

Shortly after I left, my daughter called to check on the boy. To her surprise her little son answered the phone. “Grandpa is sleeping,” he explained. My daughter was terrified! “Shake him hard and try to wake him up.” But my grandson couldn’t wake up Grandpa​—he had passed out from drinking. With that, my daughter hung up the phone and rushed over.

About an hour later, after I had arrived home, he finally came to. He asked why we didn’t wake him up. Since he was still drunk, we didn’t say much. In the past I would have dropped it there. I would have been too afraid to say anything. But now I knew I couldn’t shield him from the consequences of his drinking. He had to know what happened. So the next morning I confronted him, describing in detail what had happened. “Do you realize what could have happened to our little grandson?” I asked. It hit him pretty hard. “I could have killed that child,” he confessed.

Yet, on one occasion some months later, he drank all night. But when he got up the next day he asked me to take him to the hospital. He couldn’t take it any longer. I had him call the doctor and make the arrangements. When we got to the hospital, he admitted himself and remained in therapy for two months.

Well, several years have passed now and our life together is getting better and better. It hasn’t been easy for either of us. We must constantly guard our thinking and motives.

There is something else that has greatly helped me​—my relationship with Jehovah. It helped me get over the bitterness and resentment I felt, since I knew that Jehovah was not pleased with such feelings, no matter what my husband had done. (Colossians 3:13, 14) How reassuring it was to get to know Jehovah as a loving and merciful Father who does not look for our faults! This greatly eased my guilt feelings.​—Psalm 103:9-12; 130:3, 4.

As I prayed day and night he gave me his spirit and strength. By regularly sharing my Christian beliefs with others, I was able to keep my hope alive. I also am deeply grateful for the Christian meetings I attend and the loving association of Christian brothers and sisters. Without them I don’t think I could have made it.

Of course, I am glad that I learned to live with an alcoholic. Learning to take one day at a time was a big help in controlling anxiety. In particular did I benefit from learning not to shield or protect my husband from feeling the consequences of his drinking. Without such insight, I don’t know what might have happened.​—Contributed.

[Blurb on page 23]

I had to help him realize the problems his drinking was causing in his life

[Picture on page 22]

The most important thing I learned was that I shouldn’t shield my husband from the consequences of his drinking, as I had been doing

Crossword Puzzle

Clues Across

1. The infamous apostle [2 words] (Luke 6:16; John 12:2-6)

6. A river near which Ezekiel had his first recorded vision (Ezekiel 1:1-3)

8. Name of the father of Jesus’ apostle Matthew Levi (Matthew 9:9; Mark 2:14)

10. The giant Amorite king of Bashan whom Israel defeated (Deuteronomy 3:1-3, 11)

11. Large bird not acceptable as food under the Mosaic Law (Leviticus 11:13)

12. This congregation exchanged a letter with Laodicea (Colossians 4:16)

15. A son of Jether of the tribe of Asher (1 Chronicles 7:30, 38)

16. Jacob’s preferred wife (Genesis 29:16-30)

18. David disguised his when fearful because of the king of Gath (1 Samuel 21:10-15)

20. Made in God’s image (Genesis 1:26, 27)

21. He baptized the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:26-39)

24. The Philistine god Dagon was humiliated at this city (1 Samuel 5:1-7)

26. One of the sons of Bani who sent away foreign wives and sons in Ezra’s day (Ezra 10:10, 11, 34, 44)

27. Formally established laws (Psalm 119:16)

29. Instructive example (Matthew 6:25-34)

30. Word used to express wonder or surprise (Isaiah 8:22)

31. Peter’s secretary (1 Peter 5:12)

33. Pray that your flight is not during this season (Matthew 24:20, Authorized Version)

34. This title for Jehovah appears only in Daniel [3 words] (Daniel 7:9, 13, 22)

Clues Down

1. Good Judean king (2 Chronicles 17:1-6)

2. Prophetess when judges ruled in Israel (Judges 4:4)

3. Jesus calmed this by saying: “Hush! Be quiet!” (Mark 4:35-41)

4. As a ruse, Joseph claimed to read these by means of his silver cup (Genesis 44:1-17)

5. John received the Revelation on the one called Patmos (Revelation 1:9)

7. Spiritual Israel is “a chosen race, a ‐‐‐‐‐ priesthood” (1 Peter 2:4-10)

9. These were often spread out in prayer (1 Kings 8:22, 38, 54)

12. One of the ingredients of the holy anointing oil (Exodus 30:23-25)

13. Jehovah caused this to become motionless at Joshua’s request (Joshua 10:1-14)

14. The Scriptures do not disclose the exact number of these who brought gifts to the child Jesus (Matthew 2:1-16)

17. The fifth-named son of Gad (Genesis 46:16)

19. Jacob likened his son Issachar to this hardworking animal (Genesis 49:14, 15)

22. Means used in apportioning the Promised Land (Numbers 26:55, 56; Joshua 14:2)

23. “‐‐‐ ‐‐ the complete suit of armor from God” [2 words] (Ephesians 6:11)

24. Permit (Ephesians 4:27)

25. Cry given at Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem (Mark 11:9, 10, Authorized Version)

27. Part of the holy garments for the priests of Israel (Exodus 28:4)

28. A Simeonite, descendant of Shemaiah (1 Chronicles 4:24, 37)

32. “The utterance of Jehovah to my Lord is: ‘‐‐‐ at my right hand’” (Psalm 110:1)

CROSSWORD SOLUTIONS PAGE 27

Answers Across

1. JUDAS ISCARIOT

6. CHEBAR

8. ALPHAEUS

10. OG

11. OSPREY

12. COLOSSAE

15. ARA

16. RACHEL

18. SANITY

20. MAN

21. PHILIP

24. ASHDOD

26. UEL

27. STATUTES

29. LESSON

30. LO

31. SILVANUS

33. WINTER

34. ANCIENT OF DAYS

Answers Down

1. JEHOSHAPHAT

2. DEBORAH

3. SEA

4. OMENS

5. ISLE

7. ROYAL

9. PALMS

12. CALAMUS

13. SUN

14. ASTROLOGER

17. ERI

19. ASS

22. LOT

23. PUTON

24. ALLOW

25. HOSANNA

27. SASH

28. ALLON

32. SIT

Closing Churches in Italy

By “Awake!” correspondent in Italy

“CLOSED: apply to the parish priest.” This was the title of an article published by the Catholic magazine Jesus. It dealt with the growing frequency with which churches are being closed in Italy and the alarm among Church officials over this spreading phenomenon.

Exact statistics about the number of churches closed in recent years are not available. However, it is generally accepted that it amounts to hundreds, with many others facing abandonment.

Among the churches closed are several large cathedrals. These were originally built to serve the needs of hundreds, or even thousands, of worshipers. The magazine Jesus declares that “Turin cathedral has become a mere attraction for foreign visitors” who flock to see the “Shroud of Turin.” “The survival of Milan cathedral,” one of the most famous in the world, depends on income from other activities to help meet expenses.

What can be said about other places of worship? “For many churches, including several veritable artistic monuments, no solution has been found. They have had to be closed down as places of worship and are, at best, destined for other uses,” says the magazine Jesus.

Closed churches are encountered in cities, rural areas and mountain communities alike. A typical example is that of Rogliano, in the province of Cosenza, a town of about 7,000 inhabitants. Over the last 10 years 3 of Rogliano’s 8 churches and a monastery have been closed down or are destined for other uses. One church, St. Hippolytus, is now a workshop where cars are repaired. Another church, Our Lady of Constantinople, was turned into a barn years ago. Of the five remaining churches, St. George’s is used only occasionally. And there are only two regular parish priests at Rogliano. The spacious ex-monastery now houses shops and municipal offices.

In Rome and other large cities many churches and convents have been either abandoned or turned into hotels, warehouses, pizza parlors, gymnasiums, hospitals or museums. In other cases they have had a notice saying “Closed for Repairs” hanging on the door for years; but the repair work has never been started.

Decrease in Seminaries

According to official statistics, seminaries training students for the priesthood have decreased in number from 375 in 1970 to 259 in 1979​—a decrease of 116 in less than 10 years. Many others are only in partial use.

In this regard Il Gazzettino of Venice comments: “The years of plenty when new recruits arrived at our seminaries in ever-increasing numbers are now a distant memory. . . . These enormous half-empty buildings are the most obvious and sad remains of so many shattered dreams.”

Sanctuaries containing specially venerated religious images do not fare much better. “At least 300 of the 1,500 such buildings in Italy” are closed, states the magazine Jesus.

Decrease in Churchgoers

In Italy in recent years there has been much talk of a “religious revival” among young people. However, Catholic leaders have been disappointed by the results of a poll carried out by a team of Catholic researchers among 5,000 young people from 18 to 25 years of age.

The newspaper Corriere della Sera published an interview with Giancarlo Milanesi, the Catholic priest in charge of the poll. “Above all,” he said, “the inquiry shows that the advance of secularism that has been going on for years among the younger generation has by no means slackened its pace, as might have been supposed by the regularly aired theories about a so-called ‘return to spiritual values’ or a ‘religious revival.’ On the contrary, no return to spiritual values has taken place; it is a myth. . . . In fact, only 9.1 percent of young people ‘associated’ (that is to say, members of either Catholic or nonreligious clubs and associations) and 0.4 percent of the ‘nonassociated’ . . . admit to feeling a ‘religious need.’”

Why does this “advance of secularism” continue among young people? Why do they feel no need to deepen their spirituality? Why are they deserting the churches? Settimana, a magazine for the clergy, admits: “Our festivities are rather impersonal affairs and, although we make great mention of the word ‘community,’ a person may get a warmer welcome inside a fruit and vegetable shop than he does in a church.” It added: “The gathering is bombarded with random excerpts from the Gospel and sermons that either misrepresent the Scriptures or have nothing to do with them at all.”

Declining Numbers of Clergymen

Another reason for the closing down of many churches in Italy is the shortage of priests. This scarcity is a consequence of the so-called vocational crisis.

Regarding this the monthly clergy magazine Vita Pastorale admits: “During the two millenniums of its history the Church has experienced various crises from either within or without. We have overcome these difficulties at the cost of divisions and setbacks, the effects of which can still be felt today. However, a similar lack of vocations, in turn the cause and effect of other no less fatal crises, has never been known before. Many people rightly wonder what the Church will be like in ten years’ time when members of the clergy and religious orders will be older and reduced by half.”

In nearby France, when a parish is left without a priest and Mass cannot be said, a group of laymen hold some services. According to Settimana, the Church is considering the adoption of similar initiatives in Italy. However, the magazine recognized the difficulties involved in carrying out such a proposal “considering the widespread lack of ministerial commitment.” In other words, Church members lack the desire to take part in ministerial activities.

The publication Gazzetta del Sud reports that in the diocese of Reggio Calabria alone there are “already 15 parishes without a priest.” According to La Stampa, in the diocese of Turin 12 parishes “are about to be left without a priest.” Some of these churches open their doors just once a year to celebrate a special Catholic festival.

Other Causes

In addition to these various causes, Church authorities note other reasons for the phenomenon of the closing of churches. One is the population drift away from historic centers and mountain communities.

Another threat to the survival of numerous churches is the lack of funds and the rise in expenses for the upkeep of buildings that are often of colossal size. “How can churches like those in the center of a city continue to subsist, surrounded as they are by blocks of offices and attended by a small number of worshipers? What possible income can they have?” asks the magazine Jesus. It adds: “We shall have to resign ourselves to the fact that the fate of many churches is to be closed down and left unused for worship.”

Thus, a growing disinterest in spiritual values, the decline in the number of clergymen, the population drift away from certain areas and the increasing costs are chief reasons for the closing down of churches. All of this is indicative of the serious crisis afflicting the Catholic Church in Italy, as elsewhere.

A Significant Contrast

When considering the various religions practiced in Italy, many have noticed a contrast between the general religious crisis and the growing success enjoyed by one group of Christians. In an article entitled “Why Do Jehovah’s Witnesses Have So Much Success?” Corriere della Sera admitted that this group has become “the most important of the non-Catholic religions in Italy” and spoke of “the reasons motivating so many young people to adhere to the movement.”

Would you like to find out the reasons for this contrast for yourself? We invite you to do just that by writing to the editors of Awake! magazine for further information.

From Our Readers

Divorce

I have just reread your article “Is This Divorce Necessary?” (June 8, 1982) My husband has committed adultery, and I am now waiting for my divorce to go through. Your article describes exactly how the children and I feel. I shall pass this article on to my husband to read, hoping he’ll come home again. He’s been a good husband up to now. The basic trouble was lack of communication. Thank you for all your good work.

P. F., England

Baby Care

Our baby was three days old when I read your article “Johnny, Please Be Quiet!” (September 8, 1982) No better “food” could have been received at a more proper time. I’ve read the article four times already and keep it within reach so I can look it over again. It’s especially encouraging to read over at two o’clock in the morning when our little girl doesn’t want to go back to sleep. Thanks for a beautiful article.

R. D., South Carolina

How thankful I am to you for your recent article on crying babies. We have twin boys, now 15 months old, who cried constantly for six months. We had read similar advice and tried to follow it as much as we could. Now you’ve confirmed that we did the best for our babies. Although I wish I had had this magazine 15 months ago, it’s no less appreciated at this time. Please keep publishing helpful information for us parents so that we can raise our children in the right way.

J. F., Florida

I really appreciated the article “Johnny, Please Be Quiet!” I especially liked the part telling of Jesus’ mother wrapping her newborn in cloth bands to soothe him. I had a baby a few weeks ago. The first night home was tiring, the baby would not sleep. So as a last resort I wrapped her up in a blanket and she slept like a lamb. And she’s been resting well ever since. I also liked the thought that a baby’s crying is its communication to its parents.

Y. G., Florida

In the article “Johnny, Please Be Quiet!” mention was made of showing affection to the child. Among other accepted expressions of affection “tickling” was suggested. Some time ago I discussed with a pediatrician the subject of tickling a child. He emphatically stated, “Tickling a child is child abuse.” Perhaps further inquiries would cast more light on the subject.

M. J., Ohio

We agree that intensive and excessive tickling of a child so as to overexcite and even torment it would be child abuse. Not so, however, with a little playful caressing and tickling as mentioned in the article. Such would be good fun for the child, giving it a feeling of being loved.​—ED.

Watching the World

Crime in the Suites

● White-collar crime is surging in the United States with more and more corporations and their executives being fined or convicted of major crimes, such as price fixing, bribery, kickbacks, tax evasion or pollution, according to the magazine U.S. News & World Report. In the last decade 115 of the 500 largest U.S. corporations were convicted of at least one major crime or payment of a civil penalty for grave misconduct. Where corporate leadership is ethically sensitive, the company is law-abiding; where leadership is money hungry, the motto is: The real sin is being caught.

Who eventually pays the cost of corporate crime? The consumer​—an estimated 200 billion dollars a year! The time-honored principle: “When the righteous become many, the people rejoice; but when anyone wicked bears rule, the people sigh,” can find application in corporate leadership.​—Proverbs 29:2.

Falklands Fallout

● Intent on basking in the financial fallout from the Falkland crisis, entrepreneurs are bombarding English book stands with quickie paperbacks, developing games, promoting documentary television programs and producing a fictional film version of the war. One British airline has set up packaged tours of the Falklands battleground. This thirst for quick profits reaches the Australian shore where The Sun, of Melbourne, reports: “As public interest in the war grows, so does the sale of books on military planes and ships. Demand for war games is also increasing.” A boom in fallout-shelter orders is also noted, with one Melbourne firm having a back-order list of 50 shelters on its books.

Europe out of Work?

● Eleven million Europeans are out of work and four million more will join them by 1985, estimates the commissioner for social affairs of the European Common Market. And British unemployment is the highest since 1886, when employment statistics were first kept. What makes this flood of unemployed workers different from past ones, according to an editorial in The Listener of London, is that the present group contains professional, skilled workers. And the book World out of Work asserts: “Work is going to become so scarce that by the mid-Eighties unemployment will have become one of the most widely shared conditions . . . A sixth of Europeans will be unemployed, a third will have had recent experience of unemployment, and the lives of 80 per cent will have been touched by joblessness among friends or family.”

Down’s Syndrome Surgery

● Plastic surgery is being advocated by Israeli psychologist Dr. Reuven Feuerstein as a means of making children with Down’s syndrome less conspicuously different. Since 1977 two German plastic surgeons have “operated on more than 250 Down’s syndrome children between the ages of 3 and 24 at Frankfurt’s St. Markus Hospital,” states The New York Times. In a single operating session of an hour and a half “the doctors have generally reduced the size of each child’s protruding tongue . . . brought the ears closer to the head, raised hanging lower lips, altered the axis of the eyelids,” and left no visible scars. The surgery cannot make the children look completely normal but “gives the children an opportunity to be seen as individuals” and to be “more socially acceptable,” says Dr. Feuerstein.

Girls Outsmoke Boys

● In Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Greece, Holland, Italy, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, West Germany, United States and Uruguay teenage girls now smoke as much as, or more than, their male counterparts, reveals a WHO (World Health Organization) survey. WHO polled 22 countries and found, with few exceptions, that tobacco smoking is increasing among all teenagers, prompting this warning directed to women: “The rise in female smoking, in combination with the use of oral contraceptives which has risen more than ever before, increases the risk later in life of circulatory disorders, such as cerebral thrombosis and hemorrhage, as well as coronary heart disease.”

Giant Squid Caught

● A fishing trawler operating 80 miles (128 km) off Christchurch, New Zealand, caught in its net a 2.5-tonne (5,500-lb) giant squid, reports Star Weekender of Auckland, New Zealand. The squid was 8.5 meters (27 ft) in length, its tentacles 3.8 meters (12.5 ft), suckers as large as dinner plates and eyes .6 meter (2 ft) across. One man on the trawler said: “We’ve never seen a squid like that one.” The squid was dumped back into the sea.

Homosexuals in Religion

● The United Church of Canada has formed a national group of homosexuals and lesbians named Affirm. This brings to three the number of major religions in Canada sponsoring national homosexual organizations. The other two are the Anglican Church with its group Integrity and the Roman Catholic Church whose group is called Dignity. Affirm will aid the United Church in making decisions about ordaining homosexual ministers. But some within the United Church find ordination of homosexuals incongruous with Bible principles, reports the Toronto Star, and they petitioned the church: “The ordination of unrepentant, avowed homosexuals conflicts with the biblical witness.”

King-sized Problem

● The death of the world’s longest-reigning monarch (61 years), His Majesty King Sobhuza II, left the mini-kingdom of Swaziland with a big two-pronged problem. One, finding a replacement for a man who at his funeral was described, by neighboring King Moshoeshoe II of Lesotho, as “one of Africa’s greatest leaders” and “a man of peace.” King Sobhuza’s good qualities often came into play in the defense of persecuted minority groups, such as Jehovah’s Witnesses.

The second problem, selecting such a successor from among the king’s 600 children. The king died unexpectedly without naming a specific successor to his throne. This former head of one of Africa’s last ruling dynasties is survived by 100 wives. And making the matter of succession more complicated, 20 percent of the population of Swaziland lay claim to the royal name.

Pollution Smothering East Europe

● For years communists looked upon environmental pollution as a consequence of capitalism. But now, industrial pollution is reported spreading over Eastern Europe and causing serious problems. Half the rivers in Poland are said to be dangerously contaminated. This prompted the country’s official press agency to state: “The situation in this respect is so serious in some parts of the country that one can speak of an approaching ecological disaster.” And in Prague, Czechoslovakia, coal furnaces and domestic stoves push the sulfur dioxide level to three times the maximum permissible limit set by the World Health Organization. East Germany also points to coal burning, in addition to chemicals and automobile exhaust fumes, as major sources of pollution. Lake Balaton, Hungary’s recreational area, is receiving millions of dollars to clean up its befouled water.

Prayer Compass

● For the hundreds of millions of Muslims who must pray each day facing Mecca, the problem arises as to which direction to face. Now a British-based company has solved the problem by developing a special “prayer compass” that can be used to locate Mecca wherever one happens to be in the world. So successful has the compass been that orders have been pouring in for it. One company ordered a million of the compasses to sew into a corner of the prayer mats it makes.

The “Bug Room”

● Yale University’s Peabody Museum of Natural History has strange “employees”​—bugs! For the last 20 years Yale has been using carrion beetles “to strip the flesh from gutted and dried animal skeletons” prior to display, states Parade magazine. Zoologists have long known that beetles can do a better job than humans in cleaning the small, delicate carcasses of animals. It takes only a few hours for these insect workers to strip clean a small carcass, but larger carcasses take a few days. The carcasses are brought to where the beetles live, a four-by-eight-foot (1.2-by-2.4-m) basement room of the museum. Are they fussy eaters? No, but marine animals are preferred to snakes. Can you blame them?

New Mothers’ Emotions

● A new mother can experience wide mood swings between feelings of elation over her baby to feelings of depression and worry, according to nurse Cathy Kohm of the Post-partum Programme in Toronto, Canada. Emotionally, the first six weeks after birth are the most difficult for the new mother. Flexibility and a sense of humor, along with understanding and support from others, will help her to cope. “One of the biggest problems I see,” says Kohm, “is women being so intense about doing everything perfectly.” According to the Toronto Star, her suggestions include: “In the first few weeks a woman should let her housework slide, taking time to nest in bed with the baby. She should eat well, take the phone off the hook while she naps with the baby and try to take things as they come.”

Faithless Religious Teachers

● Upon granting church authorization to 120 instructors to teach religion in public schools, the bishop of Regensburg, Federal Republic of Germany, warned of the “loss of faith even among religious instructors” throughout the country. According to the Frankenpost newspaper, he based his words of admonition on the “shocking” results of a poll taken in the bishopric of Trier, where 40 percent of the priests and 70 percent of the laymen teaching religion in the public school system “are no longer standing upon the ground of church doctrine.” This “loss of faith” is even more remarkable in view of the fact that Trier is considered a stronghold of German Catholicism.

Lutherans Back Arms Freeze

● Increasing world tension has caused millions to become more aware of the growing threat of nuclear war. Many look to religiously backed political movements for relief. For example, the 2.3 million-member American Lutheran Church and the 2.9 million-member Lutheran Church in America ratified the same resolution that advocates “the elimination of nuclear weapons from the earth.” The two churches adopted a “Mandate for Peace” calling not only for a halt to the buildup of the world’s nuclear arsenal but also for a decrease in nuclear weapons capability. Both churches urge the United States to “invite the Soviet Union and other nations to join us in a freeze and in a step-by-step reduction of the number of warheads of delivery vehicles.”

How to Avoid 5 Major Pitfalls in Daily Life

Depression

Fear

Anxiety

Overindulgence

Anger

The way around these and many other pitfalls of everyday life is outlined in the practical Bible study aid Choosing the Best Way of Life. Read it and discover the best way to live now and how to be around when conditions change in the near future.

Please send me the 192-page hardcover book Choosing the Best Way of Life, postpaid. I enclose 75 cents (U.S.).

God Does Not Torment Souls

Religions have long taught that the souls of the wicked are tormented in a fiery hell. But the Bible does not teach that.

Learn what hell is and what the Bible says about the condition of the dead. Read the chapters “What Happens to Us When We Die” and “God Does Not Torment Souls” in the book Good News​—to Make You Happy. Hardbound, 192 pages.

Please send, postpaid, the book Good News​—to Make You Happy. I enclose 75 cents (U.S.).