July 8

Page Two

Alcoholism is a major health problem that affects millions. Yet the facts about it are shadowed in myth. How much do you know about it? How can you recognize it? What can be done about it?

Misuse of Alcohol​—A Costly Problem 3

Alcoholism​—The Facts, The Myths 4

Recovering From Alcoholism 9

Misuse of Alcohol​—A Costly Problem

THE misuse of alcohol is a costly problem that affects you. “Me?” you ask. “I’m not an alcoholic!” And yet, surprising as it may seem, even if you don’t drink at all, in one way or another you are affected by the misuse of alcohol. Everyone is. How?

According to the National Council on Alcoholism (NCA), there are some ten million alcoholics in the United States. When you consider that each alcoholic directly affects about four other persons​—his immediate family—​this means that some forty million additional people are directly and adversely affected by alcoholism. And, remember, that is in just one country.

But affected in what way? Well, if someone you love drinks too much, then fear, shame, disappointment and even anger are probably not strange to you. Statistics from the NCA reveal that alcohol misuse is a factor in at least 30 percent of divorce and juvenile-delinquency cases, 55 percent of fights or assaults in the home and as many as 90 percent of reported child-abuse cases. How costly!

Next, there is the high physical cost. Prolonged heavy drinking has been linked to a number of chronic health problems, including cirrhosis of the liver, heart disease, gastritis, ulcers, pancreatitis and the risk of various forms of cancer. Thus, the heavy consumer of alcohol pays a very high price​—physically!

Yet even if you don’t drink you are affected. You pay more for your clothes, your car​—really all manufactured goods—​because of alcohol misuse. The United States government estimates that alcohol misuse costs $20 billion a year through lost production in factories. That translates into higher prices for merchandise, with poorer quality.

The cost of misusing alcohol is especially high when the drinker has a job that affects the lives of others. Just imagine how costly are errors in judgment caused by drinking among, for instance, mass transit drivers, airplane pilots or surgeons.

Do you drive a car? Well, according to the NCA, alcohol misuse is linked to 50 percent of all fatal traffic accidents (among the fatalities are innocent victims). And even though you avoid being hit by a drunken driver, you feel the effects of his drinking when the time comes to pay your car insurance.

However, it must be acknowledged that, for many people, alcohol is a source of pleasure and relaxation. When used moderately it seems to have little or no ill effect on them. So it is only natural to ask: What exactly is alcoholism? How can you identify it? What can be done about it?

Alcoholism​—The Facts, The Myths

Which one is the typical alcoholic?

1 2 3 4 (See pictures in publication)

DID you pick No. 4? Perhaps the biggest myth about alcoholism is that the skid-row derelict is the typical alcoholic. Actually, fewer than 5 percent of the alcoholic population can be found in the derelict sections of large cities. The rest? They are taking care of the children at home, caring for patients, working at the office.

Of all major health problems, probably none is more shrouded in myth than alcoholism. So what are the facts? The facts must be recognized if alcoholism is to be treated. And it can be treated successfully.

● What Is an Alcoholic?

According to Marty Mann, founder-consultant of the National Council on Alcoholism, “an alcoholic is someone whose drinking causes a continuing and growing problem in any department of his life.” The key word is “continuing.” To illustrate: If drinking was causing a problem in the homelife, social life, business or professional life of a normal drinker, he could drink less, even though this might call for real determination. But with the alcoholic it’s different. Oh, hea may try to cut down. But no matter how much determination he may have, once he starts to drink, he is unable to control it, and thus drinking causes a “continuing” problem in his life.

● Why Is Alcoholism Called a “Disease”?

In a general sense, a disease is defined as “a disturbance in function or structure of any organ or part of the body, possessing certain recognizable symptoms.” Does alcoholism fit the definition? According to the American Medical Association, the World Health Organization and numerous other medical and government agencies, it does.

How is there “a disturbance in function” in the body of an alcoholic? Well, alcohol affects him differently from the way it affects other people. In the early stages he often consumes huge amounts of alcohol without getting drunk. Then, too, he may have blackouts, afterward not remembering what he said or did while drinking, although he was fully conscious and appeared normal to others. And as we will see, there are recognizable symptoms.

Alcoholism is not strictly a physical problem. The alcoholic is affected mentally, emotionally and spiritually as well, and efforts to help him must take these factors into consideration.

● Are Some People Predisposed to Alcoholism?

There is increasing evidence that this may be the case. For example, a study carried out in Denmark between 1970 and 1976 found that sons of alcoholics were four times as likely to be alcoholic as were sons of nonalcoholics. And this was so even though the children were raised by nonalcoholic adoptive parents.

In another study, conducted at the University of Washington in Seattle, it was found that young men with a family history of alcoholism developed high levels of acetaldehydeb in their blood when they drank alcohol. Science Digest suggests that the “increased acetaldehyde may heighten the feeling of intoxication and pleasure alcohol brings, thereby serving as strong inducement to drink more.”

Such findings, however, are not conclusive and indicate only that some predisposition to alcoholism may be hereditary.

● Is Alcoholism Curable?

If by “curable” is meant the ability to return to normal controlled drinking, this has happened so rarely that most experts would answer, No! Dr. Sheila Blume, director of the New York State Division of Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse, put it this way: “I tell my patients to imagine that they are on this side of Long Island Sound and are asked to swim to Connecticut through shark-infested waters. Out of hundreds of swimmers, one or two might make it​—but would you plunge in?”

Alcoholism is, however, controllable, and most counselors and recovering alcoholics agree that it can best be controlled only by total abstinence.

● Is It the Same as Drunkenness?

No. Drunkenness describes the result of overconsumption​—a temporary loss of control over physical and mental capacities. But not everyone who gets drunk is an alcoholic. And not all alcoholics get drunk. For instance, a recovering alcoholic may not drink at all. Yet he is still an alcoholic; if he started drinking, he eventually would lose control.

The Bible condemns both heavy drinking and drunkenness as morally wrong. (Proverbs 23:20, 21; 1 Corinthians 5:11-13; 6:9, 10) But the alcoholic does not have to get drunk. He can stay sober by not drinking. However, if he, with full knowledge of his condition, chooses to go on drinking and continues to get drunk, then he has a moral problem​—drunkenness.

● Is It Just a Case of Willpower?

“Most alcoholics have more than their share of will power,” answers Marty Mann. “They will get up and go to work when anyone else, feeling as they do, would be in bed calling for the doctor.” If alcoholics were simply lacking in willpower, then no doubt most of them would be skid-row derelicts.

Perhaps the myth about alcoholics’ being weak willed stems from what happens when they do drink​—they lose control. So the alcoholic must use his willpower to abstain from the first drink.

● What About Tranquilizers?

The alcoholic who wakes up with the shakes and doesn’t want to drink in the morning might reach for a tranquilizer. But what he may not realize is that his body doesn’t know the difference. Alcohol is a sedative, a mood changer, just as tranquilizers, sleeping pills, painkillers, even medicines for colds (which contain antihistamine) are mood changers. And any mood-changing substance can present a danger to the alcoholic.

To progress in recovery, therefore, many experts recommend that alcoholics abstain not only from alcohol but from all mood-changing substances.

● How Does Alcoholic Drinking Differ from Normal Drinking?

The alcoholic’s drinking goes beyond what is accepted as normal. For example, if somebody you know started sneaking into a closet to drink milk, surely you would conclude that something was wrong. It’s not normal. Yet alcoholics very often sneak drinks, even hiding bottles for later consumption. Normal drinkers don’t do that.

The biggest difference, however, between alcoholic drinking and normal drinking is control. The social drinker, even the heavy drinker, usually can decide when and how much he or she will drink. The alcoholic can’t. He consistently drinks more than he intended to.

Have others become increasingly concerned about your drinking? Be honest with yourself. ‘I can stop any time I want to,’ you might say. And you’re probably right. But “going on the wagon” is no test, because even the most advanced alcoholics can at times do that for a while. Besides, how do you feel during periods of abstinence​—calm and relaxed or nervous and tense? Remember, the key is control. Thus the book Alcoholics Anonymous states: “If when drinking, you have little control over the amount you take, you are probably alcoholic.”

● Why Doesn’t the Alcoholic See What Is Happening to Him?

As his condition worsens, the alcoholic’s sense of self-worth deteriorates and in its place grow anxiety, guilt, shame and remorse. To live with himself, he unconsciously uses several defenses.

Rationalization: He gives his drinking and its effects a variety of excuses: “I’m nervous,” “I’m depressed,” “I drank on an empty stomach.”

Projection: He puts his painful feelings onto others. Now he sees others as “hateful,” “spiteful,” “mean,” “against me.”

Repression: He tunes out painful drinking episodes, actually convincing himself that they never happened. Thus, with his wife upset over last night’s binge, he might lean over and ask: ‘Is anything bothering you this morning?’ And she can’t believe her ears!

Euphoric recall: At times his memory of drinking episodes is euphoric or happy. So he might say, ‘Yes, I had a few last night, but I was just fine’​—when actually he wasn’t ‘just fine.’ Alcohol has distorted his perception.

These defenses build up a wall of denial that hinders the alcoholic from seeing what’s happening to him. He needs help.c

● What Kind of Help Is Needed?

‘All he needs is help to stop drinking,’ you might think. But he needs more.

Physically: He must be safely withdrawn from alcohol (“detoxified”). This may require hospitalization so that alcohol-related health problems can also be treated. But physically recovering is not enough. Otherwise, once he’s feeling better, he might think, ‘Now I can handle it.’

Mentally: He should learn the facts about alcoholism, becoming aware of and accepting the logical reasons for him to abstain. This knowledge will help him in his lifelong fight to maintain sobriety.

Socially: He must learn to live comfortably with himself and others.

Emotionally: He must learn to cope with anxiety and the other negative feelings within him. He must learn to be happy without alcohol.

Spiritually: Since he is given to hopelessness and fear, he needs help that will inspire hope, confidence and trust.

● Where Can Such Help Be Found?

While there are various forms of treatment available, one thing stands out as a must​—having someone knowledgeable and sympathetic to talk to, perhaps someone who has been there and back. This can inspire hope, for it lets the alcoholic know that he, too, can recover.

Many alcoholics have been aided by an alcoholism rehabilitation center. Such centers may have a staff that is drawn from many disciplines, including physicians, psychiatrists, psychologists and trained social workers. Here the patient usually goes through a thorough educational process whereby he learns about alcoholism in a way he can accept.

Then, too, group-therapy sessions led by trained counselors may offer the patient practical support with his problems and help him to open up and become aware of the unconscious defenses he has been using. Since he can’t change what he can’t see, such insight is an aid in his recovering. But whatever therapy is used, the basic goal is to help the patient to learn to cope emotionally without resorting to alcohol.

However, once he leaves such treatment, the recovering alcoholic may find himself face to face with the realities that used to drive him to drink. There may be lingering negative feelings about himself, family problems or a shaky job situation. Clearly, he needs ongoing help to cope. For such help, some turn to local volunteer groups made up of recovering alcoholics who are dedicated to helping one another.d

There is, however, another source of help available, one that can give the recovering alcoholic strength “beyond what is normal” in his daily struggle to cope with life and maintain sobriety. What is that?​—2 Corinthians 4:7, 8.

“My success,” states a recovering alcoholic, “is due to my faith in Jehovah, the power of prayer and the help given to me by my Christian brothers. Without that, I would now be in the gutter, or dead, through alcohol.” Yes, it was by studying the Bible with Jehovah’s Witnesses and attending Christian meetings that this man acquired real faith in God and loving Christian companions. But in what way can these help?

Well, his study of God’s Word can help the recovering alcoholic to change his way of thinking. (Romans 12:1, 2) Feelings of guilt and remorse are eased as he comes to know Jehovah as a merciful, forgiving God. (Exodus 34:6, 7) Too, Bible principles show him how to improve family life, how to be the kind of worker any employer would delight in, and how to avoid thoughts and actions that create undue anxiety and worry.​—Ephesians 5:22-33; Proverbs 10:4; 13:4; Matthew 6:25-34.

As he builds a trusting relationship with Jehovah God, he learns to commit his cares and burdens confidently to Jehovah in prayer. With the help of loving Christian friends, he learns to communicate clearly his feelings and needs and comes to realize that he can get close to others without fear. Such relationships inspire the secure feeling and the sense of self-worth so much needed by the recovering alcoholic.​—Psalm 55:22; 65:2; Proverbs 17:17; 18:24.

So, have you or others become concerned about your drinking? Has drinking caused you problems in one or more areas of your life? Then do something about it! Why hold onto something that can cause you so much pain and trouble? By learning the facts (not myths) and acting in harmony with them, it is possible to recover from alcoholism and lead a happy, productive life.

[Footnotes]

[Blurb on page 8]

There is a source of help available that can give strength “beyond what is normal”

[Blurb on page 8]

Is drinking causing problems in your life? Why hold onto something that can cause so much pain and trouble?

[Box on page 5]

Symptoms of Alcoholism

(Please note that these are some symptoms of alcoholism and that the onset of these symptoms may vary from person to person.)

Possible early symptoms

● Gulping Drinks (“Others drink so slowly”)

● Sneaking drinks

● Predrinking drinking (“Might as well have one before the party”)

● Increase in tolerance

● Blackouts (“How did I get home last night?”)

Possible middle symptoms

● Begins losing control

● Denial of problem

● Changes drinking pattern (“I’d better switch to beer. It’s Scotch I can’t handle”)

● Tries “going on the wagon” (abstaining)

● Drinks alone

Possible late symptoms

● All control is lost

● Benders (drunken sprees) increase in frequency and intensity

● Decrease in tolerance

● Unreasonable fears and anxieties

● Delirium tremens

[Picture on page 6]

Does her body know the difference?

[Picture on page 7]

Do normal drinkers do this?

Recovering From Alcoholism

His Story

THE numbers on the telephone seemed to melt together as I struggled to dial my own number. The five pills I had taken earlier were now reaching their peak. As I held onto the public telephone to keep myself from falling, I heard mom’s voice: “Hello. Who’s this?”

“It’s me,” I slurred, using whatever concentration I could muster up. “I won’t be coming home tonight; I’ll be staying with a friend.” Every word was a struggle. My tongue felt as if it weighed fifty pounds.

“Oh, no!” mom gasped. “You’ve taken pills again! You’re stoned!”

I hung up the phone and staggered to my car. I wasn’t spending the night with a friend. Instead, I was going to drive to the beach. As I drove I found myself on the wrong side of the road​—on a major highway. The oncoming traffic just missed me as I drove over the divider and onto the road leading to the beach. I parked the car and fell asleep until the next day.

That is just one incident showing how alcoholism almost cost me my life. ‘But what does taking pills have to do with being an alcoholic?’ you ask. Well, at the time I didn’t understand the connection either. But I was to find out​—the hard way.

First, let me give you a little background: I had started taking pills when I was a teenager. I began by sneaking tranquilizers​—mom always had plenty of them around. A couple of years later, a friend at work introduced me to secobarbital, a very strong sedative. Now I could take fewer pills to get the same effect. Oh, mom and dad had warned me about heroin and marijuana. But the pills I was taking weren’t that dangerous​—or so I thought.

Within a year I was severely addicted, taking thirty pills a day.

It wasn’t that I wanted to be high all the time.a I needed the pills just to function. If I didn’t take them, I would become extremely nervous and anxious, shaking uncontrollably.

After I had smashed up several cars and been arrested, my parents sent me to a hospital for treatment. There I was slowly detoxified. The suffering I went through was indescribable. There were hallucinations, shaking, extreme and unreasonable fears. For instance, since my girl friend didn’t have a phone and I couldn’t receive calls, at a prearranged time I would call her at a public telephone. But I was always afraid she wouldn’t be there​—I mean extremely afraid.

Well, after about three weeks I was released from the hospital, ready to start anew. ‘My troubles are over now,’ I thought to myself. Actually, my troubles were far from over.

I began drinking. To my surprise, right from the start I was able to consume large amounts of alcohol without getting drunk. But it wasn’t long before I found myself sinking deeper and deeper into depression. I would have horrible attacks of anxiety in which I was afraid to drive or even speak to others. My hands would shake and I would break out in a cold sweat. Many days I would just barely make it to work, trembling and scared. Other days I didn’t make it at all. I was confused and paranoid​—a physical and mental wreck. Finally, one day I called my boss to tell him I couldn’t come to work. “You know this means you’re fired,” he warned.

“I know, but there’s nothing I can do. I think I’m having a nervous breakdown.” I hung up the phone and a few minutes later it rang.

“I don’t care how you do it,” said my boss, “but get yourself down to the company medical department​—right now!”

That’s what I did. I explained to the doctors my background with sedatives and that I thought I was having a breakdown.

“Fred, you’re not having a nervous breakdown,” explained one of the doctors. “You’re an alcoholic.”

“But that’s impossible,” I shot back. “I drink only three or four beers a night.”

“It’s not the amount you drink, but how the alcohol affects you as an individual. Your whole problem is that you have an addictive physiology. You must learn to live your life without any kind of drug​—be it alcohol or pills. You must learn to be happy without drugs.”

He then sent me away to an alcoholism rehabilitation center for several months. There I learned a lot about alcoholism. For example, I learned that as an alcoholic I should avoid all sedatives. It doesn’t matter whether they come in liquid form (alcohol) or pill form (such as tranquilizers). The effect upon the alcoholic’s body is almost identical. At the center I also learned the value of nutrition, vitamins and living an organized, structured life with self-discipline.

However, the real key to my recovery was found in the doctor’s words, “You must learn to be happy without drugs.” You see, an alcoholic is extremely anxious; he worries about everything. But through my study of the Bible I have learned to be “happy without drugs.” Oh, I had had some knowledge of the Bible before. But as a result of a more serious study, I have come to know Jehovah God, to get close to him in a Father-child relationship. I am able to cast my anxieties upon him so that I don’t unduly worry about life. (Matthew 6:34) I have also come into association with fellow Christians who treat me as a family member. I deeply appreciate their ongoing love and support.

Of course, I have come to realize that for me total abstinence from alcohol and mood-altering drugs is essential. It has been several years now. But I am truly content, happy. I have my God, Jehovah, my family and loving Christian brothers and sisters. What more could anyone want?​—Contributed.

Her Story

I had been a social drinker. As I recall, my husband and I rarely had alcoholic beverages in our home except on special occasions. But little did I realize then that as I continued drinking my body was building up a tolerance and eventually would depend on it to function.

My drinking gradually caused a drastic change in my personality. I found myself becoming aggressive and violent. I would beat my children, actually thinking I was fully justified in doing so. As I look back, I can see that I was really angry at myself. I became paranoid and suspicious. Upon entering a room, if I saw two people talking, I was convinced that they were talking about me because they didn’t like me. My children would try to reassure me, saying, “Mama, we love you.” But I was sure they couldn’t love me.

The horrible war that took place within me is more than I can describe. After each drinking episode the guilt and shame were unbearable. I would promise myself, “I’ll never do it again.” But I did​—over and over again.

Trusted and respected friends advised me to cut down, to be moderate. I tried everything imaginable to control my drinking. I moved to another location, thinking this would help. Then I was sure that switching drinks would be the answer. So I started drinking wine. Yet, no matter what I tried, I just couldn’t cut down or control my drinking.

As the years passed, I continued to drink secretly and more heavily than anyone knew. You see, I functioned adequately under the influence of alcohol. I could still hold down a job and take care of my family and home​—as long as I had my alcohol. To hide it from my family, I became a master at deception. The bottles in the liquor cabinet in the living room were just a front. My family would pour the liquor down the drain or water it down. But I had other bottles hidden. In fact, at one point, I had twenty-five bottles hidden in various places around our home​—the bathroom, the garage, the car, the linen closet, my purse and my dresser drawers.

By this time I was having trouble sleeping at night. The alcohol wasn’t enough to put me to sleep. So I went to the doctor and got a prescription for sleeping pills. (I didn’t tell him about my drinking.) I would take the pills along with the alcohol to put me to sleep each night.

Through all of this, my family couldn’t convince me that I was an alcoholic. “Look at me!” I would say in defense. “I’m not some skid-row bum! I’ve raised you children while holding down a job. How can you even think that I could be such a terrible person?”

Then one night I discovered that I had failed to replenish my supply of alcohol. For some eight years I had relied on it along with my pills to put me to sleep. That proved to be the most frightening night of my entire life. I hallucinated and heard strange things. I imagined, in fact convinced myself, that someone would kill me. As the night progressed it got worse and worse. I felt sure that I would die before the morning.

Nevertheless, promptly the next morning I was at the liquor store. And when I gulped down that liquor, what a change came over me! Suddenly I felt back in control. But later that day I really lost all control of myself. I beat my daughter very badly. At that point, I realized that I needed professional help and agreed to enter an alcoholism rehabilitation center. Oh, I still didn’t think alcohol was my problem! I was convinced I was losing my mind and that’s why I needed to drink.

“Do you drink?” asked the counselor at the center.

“Yes, but I don’t drink that much,” I said defensively. Then he showed me a chart outlining the various symptoms of alcoholism and asked me to check the ones that applied to me. By the time I finished, I began to think, ‘Maybe I am an alcoholic.’ I was frightened.

During my three-month stay at the center, I learned much about alcoholism and how it affected me as an individual, how it changed me. As I met with other recovering alcoholics and heard them talk I realized that they were just like me.

However, my ongoing program of recovery includes something else that has greatly aided me. In fact, in a letter about me the rehabilitation center said: “Her religion has given her more of a balance in her recovery program.” You see, as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses I regularly attend meetings each week where I learn how to apply Bible principles. This has enabled me to be happy without drinking. And my happiness is increased as I share with others the wonderful things I learn from the Scriptures.

As I have drawn closer to Jehovah God, I have experienced firsthand the truthfulness of Philippians 4:6, 7: “Do not be anxious over anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication along with thanksgiving let your petitions be made known to God; and the peace of God that excels all thought will guard your hearts and your mental powers by means of Christ Jesus.” Yes, the “peace of God that excels all thought” enables me to progress in my recovery ONE DAY AT A TIME.​—Contributed.

[Footnotes]

[Blurb on page 10]

“If I didn’t take them, I would become extremely nervous and anxious”

[Blurb on page 10]

“You must learn to be happy without drugs,” the doctor explained

[Blurb on page 12]

“I would promise myself, ‘I’ll never do it again.’ But I did​—over and over again!”

Can Earthquakes Be Predicted?

ON JULY 28, 1976, the worst natural disaster of recent centuries struck the city of Tangshan, in mainland China. In minutes all but four of the city’s hundreds of multistory brick buildings were damaged, many collapsing completely on the sleeping inhabitants. Trains were derailed, highway bridges crumbled, water and electricity were cut off and 10,000 miners were trapped underground. When official casualty figures were issued three years later, 242,000 people were known to have died, with 164,000 others seriously injured.

“The seismological department had not given any warning,” admitted Chinese officials. Indeed, the massive quake at Tangshan took everyone by surprise, since a major earthquake in the area was not considered likely.

Ironically, this tragedy befell China only a year after a successful earthquake prediction there had saved thousands of lives. On that earlier occasion Chinese officials showed outdoor movies to keep the people of the Haich’ing area outside on cold February nights until the predicted earthquake arrived, right on schedule.

As a result of the Haich’ing prediction, enthusiastic press reports gave the impression that earthquake forecasting would soon be as routine as weather forecasting. The Tangshan disaster, however, indicated otherwise. For the present, the answer to the question, “Can scientists predict earthquakes?” is, “Sometimes.”

What Causes Earthquakes?

Earthquake predictions are based on various theories as to causes, and the predictions vary in accuracy. Just as there are spectacular earthquakes that arrive without predictions, there are also spectacular predictions that are not fulfilled. In 1976 an American geophysicist, Dr. Brian Brady, began predicting a massive earthquake for Lima, Peru. Later he narrowed down the date of the disaster to around August 1981. Never before had a scientist dared to predict so far in advance the exact location, time and magnitude of an earthquake. Dr. Brady’s prediction was not intended for the public, but such news is hard to keep secret, and when it got out it caused considerable consternation in the Peruvian capital. In July Dr. Brady withdrew his prediction, and the August date came and went with no earthquake.

Meanwhile, what has been going on underground? No one is sure. Most scientists believe that earthquakes occur when pressures build up within the earth, finally causing massive layers of rock to snap like a pencil being bent to the breaking point. Sometimes the pressures appear to be caused by massive continent-carrying “tectonic plates,” which grind into, over, and under one another. The famous San Andreas fault in southern California is at the boundary of two such plates. At other times, however, earthquakes can occur deep within a plate for reasons not well understood, as when massive earthquakes changed the course of the Mississippi River in the central United States back in 1811.

Scientists can often tell when pressures are building up underground, but that does not suffice for a prediction. How hard are the rocks in a given area? How much stress can they take before they snap? Will they release the stress in a series of little breaks or in one cataclysmic crash? Dr. Brady’s prediction for Peru was based on his theories of how rocks break, but such theories clearly need more work.

With or without predictions, there will almost certainly be more serious earthquakes in places like Peru, where pressures on underground rocks are unrelenting. But that knowledge by itself is not very helpful. People want to know when, and where, and how serious the next earthquake will be. Can you blame them?

From Laser Beams to Catfish

Although unexpected, the Tangshan disaster was not totally unannounced. For fourteen months beforehand an observatory in the area “recorded increasingly ominous movements along the earth fault that it straddled,” according to a report in The New York Times. “Yet, for lack of other premonitory signs, no warning was issued.” By contrast, the Haich’ing earthquake was preceded by a wide variety of warning signals, including strange animal behavior, which the Chinese take seriously in forecasting earthquakes. Finally, before the Haich’ing earthquake a number of small shocks occurred in the previous December and again just days before the earthquake. It was the ominous stopping of these foreshocks that convinced officials on February 4 that a major quake was due within hours.

Sadly, many earthquakes conform to the rule that it is always easier to identify warning signs after calamity has struck. But to be practical, only those unusual quakes that give abundant and dramatic warning signs are likely to be predicted successfully. “The problem is that no two quakes are preceded by exactly the same set of warnings,” notes one writer, “and even these symptoms can be misleading.”

As a result, a dizzying variety of possible earthquake clues is being investigated here and there around the world. Here are some of them:

Animal behavior: Tales of leaping catfish before earthquakes are so common that it was once thought that “earthquakes were caused by their thrashing about in underground streams,” reports Science Digest. The Japanese have been running tests on ten Tokyo catfish and report that they “acted abnormally before 85 percent of the earthquakes large enough to be felt by humans in a seven-month experiment.” Are the fish disturbed by very low-frequency “groans” or high-frequency “shrieks” given off by tortured rocks before they break far underground? Perhaps. Other animals that are reported to act strangely before earthquakes include snakes, rats, geese, pigs, cows and dogs, all of which were observed to act up before the Haich’ing earthquake.

Terrain changes: This method of earthquake prediction seems more “scientific” than watching animals, in that it involves numerous sophisticated gadgets, such as laser beams to record changes in the level of the land, and tiltmeters to detect the slightest change in the local slope. Other devices study local magnetic and gravitational fields. If land is rising or sinking or tilting, scientists have clues as to what might be going on far beneath the surface, down where earthquakes generally occur. The fancy hardware does not automatically mean better earthquake prediction, however. For years scientists have been watching the ground rise and fall in the area of Palmdale, California. They are still not sure what it all means.

Well-water changes: When the water flow from an artesian well in central Asia slowed dramatically, Soviet scientists predicted that an earthquake was coming. Six hours later the well dried up altogether and a large quake hit. Another very popular technique is the measuring of radon gas in well water. The gas comes from radium atoms that have escaped from rocks beneath the surface. If the rocks are about to shatter from accumulated strain, they first develop tiny cracks. Water can seep into these and absorb radon.

Problems of Partial Knowledge

Despite all the promising new methods and advances, however, earthquake forecasting is still a long way from weather forecasting. “My own opinion is that it’s going to be at least 10 years before predictions can be made with sufficient reliability and consistency to be of great use to the public,” says US geologist Clarence Allen. With the stakes so high in disasters such as earthquakes, many scientists are alarmed by the responsibility placed on them and the imperfect state of their art.

Some of these scientists are afraid that someday “they will look down at a set of measurements and their experience and intuition will tell them that a major earthquake may be imminent. But they will not sound a warning that could save thousands of lives,” notes The New York Times. Why not? “They will not have enough confidence in the evidence before them to justify predicting an earthquake to a nation where a wrong prediction could bring them professional scorn, public ridicule and possibly hundreds of lawsuits.”

The earthquake predictors are in a no-win situation. If a predicted quake does not occur, the false alarm could undermine public confidence and cause a later warning to go tragically unheeded. Real-estate values could be depressed and land developers might even sue the scientists. On the other hand, if a prediction is withheld and a quake occurs, then victims and their families could sue for negligence.

The problem here goes beyond man’s imperfect knowledge of earthquakes. It is the basic problem of priorities in a greedy society that often seems willing to risk lives rather than local economies.

The Most Accurate Earthquake Prediction

Interestingly, the man who was the most accurate predictor of earthquakes is not known as a geologist. Yet some 1,900 years in advance he predicted that a particular generation would see “nation . . . rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom, and . . . food shortages and earthquakes in one place after another.” (Matthew 24:7, 34) That forecaster of events, Jesus Christ, then went on to say that true Christians would be hotly persecuted at that time, that lawlessness would abound and love would cool off, and that the ‘good news of God’s kingdom’ would be preached all over the world, providing hope in the gathering world darkness.​—Mt 24 Verses 9-14.

While various features of Jesus’ prophecy may have appeared to be fulfilled at different times in the past, outstandingly all the facets of Jesus’ prophecy have come to pass at the same time in the twentieth century starting with 1914, the year World War I began. An estimated ninety million people or more have been slaughtered in wars in our century, and the world health experts estimate that fifty million die of hunger yearly. Persecution of true Christians in fanatically nationalistic states is well documented. Increasing lawlessness is bemoaned in nearly all countries of the world.

And earthquakes? Very significantly, our century has seen more earthquake destruction than any other. From the time Jesus gave his prophecy until 1914, history records five earthquakes that each took 100,000 lives or more. In the period since 1914 at least four more such superearthquakes have occurred​—in China in 1920, in Tokyo in 1923, in China in 1927, and, of course, the Tangshan quake in 1976. Truly, this generation has experienced not just earthquakes but “great earthquakes,” as Luke’s Gospel account puts it.​—Luke 21:11.

No scientist, even if he was equipped with the finest of theories, tiltmeters and seismographs, would dream of predicting a sharp increase in highly destructive earthquakes 1,900 years in the future. How did Jesus do it? “I do not speak of my own originality,” said Jesus, “but the Father who remains in union with me is doing his works.” (John 14:10) Jesus’ predictions were not the result of any training in geology but were inspired by his heavenly Father, Jehovah God. Unlike scientists’ guesses, God’s predictions about the future prove true every time!

[Box on page 15]

If you live in an area of earthquake risk, remember—

Before an earthquake

● Check your home for earthquake hazards. Bolt down water heaters, place heavy objects on the floor or lower shelves. Brace or anchor shelves and top-heavy objects.

● Hold family earthquake drills. Teach members of the family how to turn off electricity, gas and water.

● Be sure you have a good fire extinguisher and first-aid kit.

● Keep a transistor radio on hand with fresh batteries.

During an earthquake

● Concentrate on staying calm. Remember, it will last only a minute or so.

● Turn off stoves and heaters.

● Stand in an open doorway or get under a table or desk.

● Stay away from windows, mirrors and chimneys. Do not run outdoors where you can be hit by falling roof tiles, building facades, etc.

● If outdoors, stay away from narrow streets, walls, power poles, etc. Try to get to an open area.

● Avoid elevators.

After an earthquake

● Check for injuries and fires. Get fires out fast.

● Check for gas leaks or electrical damage. Turn off gas or electricity if necessary.

● Get information from the radio. Do not use the telephone unless a real emergency requires it.

● Do not go sight-seeing.

● Be prepared for aftershocks.

Young People Ask . . .

What Will Our Future Be?

HE WAS seventeen years old, and he was speaking to the leader of his country on national television. He told the experienced politician facing him: “I am afraid of the future, a future in a world characterized by nuclear threats. . . . I am also afraid of your politics.”

Many young people have a similar fear of the future. Do you? It is understandable if you do, in view of the problems young people have to face today.

For example, the traditional way to prepare for a secure future is to get a good education. Yet today even a basic education may be difficult to get. One commentator said: “To tell the truth, no one is satisfied with the schools any more, not the teachers, not the students, and above all not the parents.” The failure of many schools is seen in the large number of students who graduate without even the most basic skills. Is this a problem with your school?

And if you desire to go on to higher education, what then? In some lands this is getting out of reach. In Germany, it is estimated that, by 1985, 260,000 youths each year will have their applications to attend some university turned down. This is frustrating for both the disappointed applicants and others.

An education official explains that those unable to attend a university “move into jobs aspired to by the level below them, which in turn is forced into jobs on an even lower level. In the end, working-class types looking for semiskilled jobs get pushed out of the market altogether.” What kind of future will they have?

Even those who are successful still fear the future. A secure job or a university degree would have little value in a nuclear war​—which more and more young people feel is likely to come. And even if war is averted, spreading pollution, deteriorating economies, inflation and the other grim realities of today’s world make a secure future unlikely. These and other problems have caused frustration among youths, and their reactions have sometimes been extreme.

The Dangers of Frustration

Some have turned to alcohol and drugs. But how does this help to solve the problems? Is a young person who is addicted to drugs or alcohol more likely to find a job in a society with high unemployment, or less so? Is he more likely, or less likely, to gain one of those coveted university places?

Others have let their frustrations boil over into violence. But surely you can see that this is no answer either. Rioting, destroying property and otherwise creating havoc merely increase the insecurity of others, and force the authorities to spend valuable resources on preserving law and order and restoring damaged areas.

Still others have ‘dropped out,’ giving up the struggle. A number have lost all hope​—so many, in fact, that in West Germany suicide is the second most frequent cause of death among teenagers. Some young people, however, have turned to religion. Have you ever thought that perhaps that is where the answer lies?

What Can Religion Contribute?

Last year, in June, the nineteenth Evangelical Church Congress was held in Hamburg, Germany. The theme was “Have No Fear!” More than half of those in attendance, which exceeded 100,000, were teenagers. It would seem that here was a fine opportunity for them to hear answers, if religion has any to offer. Does it?

One newspaper report of the conference read: “The program was fear, the state of mind was fear​—seldom has the inner desolation of so many people been seen so plainly . . . On all sides, fear, hopelessness, distrust​—and this among, of all people, Christians.” Evidently, those tens of thousands of teenagers did not hear the message of hope that they were looking for.

Why was this? Listen to this report from the newspaper Die Welt: “The issue at this Church Congress has been . . . politics. It has been not piety, but involvement. Of concern has been not the salvation of the beyond, but the fear of calamity in the here and now.” The overriding interest in politics was shown by a pathetic note pinned by a young girl to a wall reserved for messages. It read: “Why haven’t I heard anything about Jesus?”

Many religions are like this. Their message has become political rather than Scriptural. Do you ever wonder why religionists feel they can intervene in politics and solve the world’s problems, when professional politicians have been trying this approach for so long with little success?

If politicians, religionists and other world leaders cannot reassure us about the future, does that mean that there is no hope? Not necessarily. If those tens of thousands of teenagers who attended the Church Congress in Hamburg had returned a few weeks later, they could have learned of another approach to the problem.

Another Approach to the Problem

At that time another convention was held in Hamburg, this one by Jehovah’s Witnesses. Here, too, a reporter noted “the astonishing number” of young people present. But these youths did not hear discussions about politics. Rather, the reporter said: “The ‘Witnesses’ . . . do not take an active part in politics. For them there’s just God’s government.” Why is that?

Jehovah’s Witnesses have realistically learned the lesson taught by all world history​—that man is unable to bring peace and security to the earth. That is why the Bible warns: “Do not put your trust in nobles [human leaders], . . . to whom no salvation belongs.” However, it goes on to say: “Happy is the one . . . whose hope is in Jehovah his God.”​—Psalm 146:3, 5.

Why should we hope in Jehovah? Because he purposes to solve mankind’s problems in his own way. Jesus taught us to pray: “Let your kingdom come. Let your will take place . . . upon earth.” (Matthew 6:9, 10) This kingdom is a heavenly government, established by God, that will rule the earth in justice and remove wickedness. Jesus proclaimed it as the only way to a secure future. With the evident failure of men’s efforts, can you think of any alternative way?

Doing Your Part

Perhaps, though, you consider this naive. You may feel that Jehovah’s Witnesses are taking the easy way out​—just sitting back and waiting for God to solve all their problems. But that is not really so. They do not believe in doing nothing.

They feel that those who sincerely want to see a better world should make themselves into persons worthy of such a world. Hence, they try to develop in themselves honesty, loyalty, unselfishness and truthfulness. Yes, rather than trying to change the system, Jehovah’s Witnesses work hard at changing themselves. Additionally, they share with others the hope of seeing a better world under God’s kingdom.

This attitude can have a real effect on young people. For example, Giovanni became involved in bad company in his early teens. He says: “Soon I had learned how to steal bicycles and motorcycles and how to pick locks. . . . Hardly sixteen, I was regularly taking drugs . . . their bad aftereffects often made me consider suicide.”

Today, at twenty-six, Giovanni is no longer a threat to the community or to himself. What caused the change? He answers: “What moved my heart most was the Bible’s message that in the future the earth will be cleansed of every kind of defilement and badness and be transformed into a worldwide paradise.”

Each year, thousands of young persons make similar changes in their lives because of learning about this hope. The world community is that much better for their having done so.

Of course, this belief does not entirely remove current problems. But it does make them easier to handle. A sure knowledge of God’s purposes removes fear of the future. Also, people who are honest, pleasant to deal with and optimistic make the most of whatever educational opportunities are open to them. And afterward they find it much easier to get employment than do those who have become surly or have turned to drugs and alcohol because of frustration.

How Much Longer?

If events continued in their present course, mankind would almost certainly destroy itself eventually. Hence, how much longer will it be before God’s kingdom intervenes? Evidently, not long.

The apostle Paul wrote to a young friend and discussed with him the end of this system of things. Read his words for yourself. He wrote: “But know this, that in the last days critical times hard to deal with will be here. For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, self-assuming, haughty, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, disloyal, having no natural affection, not open to any agreement, slanderers, without self-control, fierce, without love of goodness, betrayers, headstrong, puffed up with pride, lovers of pleasures rather than lovers of God, having a form of godly devotion but proving false to its power.”​—2 Timothy 3:1-5.

Do you recognize the fulfillment of this? It is because people today have these attitudes that youths understandably fear the future. Did you notice, though, that Paul said such attitudes would be prevalent in the last days, the times immediately preceding God’s intervention in human affairs? This is one of the many scriptures proving that God will intervene soon. Why not discuss the matter with Jehovah’s Witnesses and see some of the other scriptures on this subject?

The fear expressed by the teenager mentioned at the beginning in that television interview was real and understandable. But youths do not have to fear the future. They can learn from the Bible what God purposes to do. Then, if they wish, they can work toward a future that will be secure, fulfilling and full of hope.

They can come to have the same conviction as the Bible writer who said: “Just a little while longer, and the wicked one will be no more . . . But the meek ones themselves will possess the earth, and they will indeed find their exquisite delight in the abundance of peace.”​—Psalm 37:10, 11.

[Picture on page 17]

A university degree would have little value in a nuclear war

[Picture on page 18]

Is addiction going to make it easier to find a job?

[Picture on page 19]

People can do something about improving their own lives

[Picture on page 20]

Witnesses share with others the hope of seeing a better world under God’s kingdom

Resurrection of the Body or of the Whole Person?

MANY people are aware that the Bible promises a resurrection of the dead. And if that is to mean a reuniting of loved ones under happy conditions, they agree that it surely would be wonderful. But the idea that this involves a raising up of the same body, made of the same atoms that were in it before, makes some sincere persons question the whole matter.

The phrase “I believe in . . . the resurrection of the body” is a part of the so-called Apostles’ Creed, said to be “the common bond of Greek, Roman, and evangelical Christendom.” In other words, most of the Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant churches teach that on Judgment Day the bodies of all mankind will rise from the earth or the sea and be united again with their “souls” to share in either heavenly bliss or hell torment.

The Athanasian Creed, to which most of Christendom’s churches subscribe, states:

“He [Christ] shall come to judge the quick and the dead. At whose coming all men shall rise again with their bodies, and shall give account for their own works. And they that have done good shall go into life everlasting, and they that have done evil into everlasting fire.”

Quaint Imagery

This belief gives rise to some quaint imagery. To quote a Catholic publication (Our Sunday Visitor):

“At death, the soul is separated from the body. It is judged and rewarded with heaven or sentenced to purgatory or hell. Meanwhile the body begins to corrupt, and to return to the dust from which it was taken. . . . Sometimes lives are lost at sea and thus disintegrate in the watery depths. However all things are possible to God, and surely it is quite simple for God to gather together the elements whether they are dust or ashes or in the ocean depths.” One conjures up pictures of atoms flying out of the earth, and the sea, and even out of other living organisms, to recompose the original bodies of people who lived in the past.

To justify this strange doctrine, it is claimed that, since the body is the instrument by which the wicked sinned or the righteous proved their virtue, it is logical that the body should join the soul for the appropriate reward or punishment. The same Catholic publication further states:

“True it is, the soul can achieve great happiness by itself alone in Heaven. However, the body, which has been its companion through its earthly strife, definitely has its right to eternal happiness, or should be eternally punished, if that is what it has merited. But rise again, it certainly must.

“However, with the resurrection of the bodies of the just in all their glory, beauty, wonder and radiance, there is also the horrible and diabolical ugliness in the resurrection of the damned. For the risen bodies of the wicked will be hideous, frightful, repulsive and a horror to behold. They will rise from the tomb only to be united to the souls already condemned to hell forever.” What a gruesome picture!

A Theological Dilemma

Small wonder that Catholic reference works, such as the French Apologétique (Apologetics), call the “resurrection of the body” a “mystery.” But why are the Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant churches saddled with this “mystery”? The answer is that they are obliged to teach the “resurrection of the body” to free themselves from an embarrassing dilemma.

Their problem can be summed up as follows: The word “resurrection” means “a rising from the dead, or coming back to life.” Logically, then, there can be no resurrection if no one is really dead. Now, the principal churches of Christendom all teach the doctrine of the immortality of the soul. They teach that when an individual dies he is not really dead. His “soul” continues to live. He cannot, therefore, ‘come back to life’ or be resurrected. The dilemma for Christendom’s theologians was to reconcile resurrection (rising from the dead) with inherent immortality (deathlessness).

They solved the problem by inventing the dogma of the “resurrection of the body,” calling it a mystery, as well they might, for how, by any stretch of the imagination, can clothing a living “soul” with a fleshly body be termed a resurrection or rising from the dead?

Furthermore, “resurrection of the body,” as taught by some churches, means the reconstitution of the identical body a person had before death. But how can elements that, through the process of decomposition and recycling, become a part of several persons’ bodies, be given back to all these people when they are resurrected? Another mystery!

Finally, what is the point of a spirit creature’s being cumbered with a fleshly body, which needs sleep, food and drink, not to speak of its need to eliminate? And how long would such a body survive in the “everlasting fire” of “hell,” which is also a part of Christendom’s Last Judgment program?

Since all these “mysteries” are bound up with Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant dogma on “immortal soul” and “resurrection of the body,” it is not surprising that many persons today are skeptical about the whole idea of resurrection. However, since the churches that teach these dogmas also claim to follow the Bible, let us now see what Bible scholars and the Bible itself say about this.

Resurrection of the Whole Person

An increasing number of scholars admit that there is no solid Biblical basis for the dualistic soul/​body theory. Here are a few representative quotations:

“The notion of immortality is the product of Greek thought, whereas the hope of a resurrection belongs to Jewish thinking.”​—Dictionnaire Encyclopédique de la Bible (1935, Protestant).

“The soul in the O[ld] T[estament] means not a part of man, but the whole man​—man as a living being.”​—New Catholic Encyclopedia (1967).

“The Bible does not state a doctrine of the immortality of the soul.”​—The Concise Jewish Encyclopedia (1980).

“The N[ew] T[estament] does not actually refer to ‘the resurrection of the body’ or ‘the resurrection of the flesh’ but only to ‘the resurrection of the dead’ or ‘resurrection from the dead.’ The subjects of resurrection are whole persons.”​—New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology (1978).

Far from teaching the “resurrection of the body,” the Bible states, and Jehovah’s Witnesses believe, that when a soul is dead it is really dead, that the divine punishment for willful sin is death, not eternal torment, and that God holds out to repentant humans the hope of a real resurrection or “rising from the dead.” (Ezekiel 18:4; Romans 6:23; John 5:28, 29; Acts 17:30, 31) This means the resurrection of the soul or whole person. As God gives grain “the sort of body that he has chosen,” so he will do when resurrecting persons. (1 Corinthians 15:35-40, The Jerusalem Bible) The basis of this hope and, indeed, of Christianity itself, is Christ’s death and resurrection.

Such a hope gives life real purpose. It shows that there is a grand future for those who serve God now. The prospect of being reunited with loved ones lost in death is not an idle dream. And it is the firm conviction that Jehovah God will, indeed, resurrect the dead that has strengthened Jehovah’s Witnesses to maintain their integrity to God even when threatened with death by rulers who have tried to force them to violate God’s law.

The apostle Paul wrote: “If the dead are not to be raised up, ‘let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we are to die.’” (1 Corinthians 15:32) Of course, he had faith in the resurrection. (Acts 24:15) Lacking the true resurrection hope, many people today adopt the aimless philosophy of life to which Paul alluded. Whether this is true of you or not, we invite you to examine proof of the true Biblical resurrection hope. Jehovah’s Witnesses will be glad to share it with you. Such knowledge can transform your whole outlook on life.

Crossword Puzzle

Clues Across

1. Some perfume containers were made of this (Luke 7:37)

4. Noted Levite musician in King David’s day (1 Chronicles 16:4-7)

8. Jehovah disapproves of anyone breaking one (Ezekiel 17:11-18)

10. Hard to find (1 Samuel 3:1)

11. Where Samson struck down a thousand Philistines (Judges 15:9-19)

12. First high priest of Israel (Leviticus 8:6-12)

14. His brother was struck down for touching the ark of the covenant (2 Samuel 6:3-7)

15. He should preside in a fine way (1 Timothy 5:17) [2 words]

19. Jehovah treads upon ‐‐‐‐‐‐ high places (Micah 1:3)

20. Men have never seen Jehovah’s ‐‐‐‐‐‐ (John 5:37)

24. Hananiah’s Babylonian name (Daniel 1:7)

25. Midianite king, slain by the Israelites (Numbers 31:8)

26. Greek letter with a “th” sound

27. In Noah’s day it fell for forty days (Genesis 7:4, 17)

29. The “‐‐‐‐ beast” has ten horns and seven heads (Revelation 13:1)

30. Destroyed along with Sodom (Genesis 19:24, 25)

32. When being reviled, a Christian should do this (1 Corinthians 4:12)

33. Jewish high court that condemned Jesus (Matthew 26:59-66)

Clues Down

1. His name is Michael (Jude 9)

2. Our most powerful one is the Devil (1 Peter 5:8)

3. The name of this Israelite city means “natural fountain” (Numbers 34:11)

5. Naaman’s nationality (2 Kings 5:20)

6. Cyrus was king of this land (Ezra 1:1)

7. Drunkards have it (Proverbs 23:29, 30)

9. Jesus appreciated the generosity of a ‐‐‐‐‐ widow (Luke 21:1-4)

11. What David, by inspiration, called Jesus (Matthew 22:41-46; compare Psalm 110:1.)

13. A place in Moab (Numbers 21:29, 30)

16. How the word of the truth should be handled (2 Timothy 2:15)

17. Nehemiah’s job (Nehemiah 1:11)

18. Do not stir up this powerful creature (Job 41:1-10)

21. Paternal head whose descendants returned to Jerusalem with Zerubbabel (Ezra 2:2, 15)

22. Ships often carry it (Acts 27:10)

23. Son of Jehoshaphat, murdered by his brother Jehoram (2 Chronicles 21:1-4)

24. Congregation said to be spiritually dead (Revelation 3:1-6)

28. A son of Issachar (Genesis 46:13)

31. “Jehovah our God is ‐‐‐ Jehovah” (Mark 12:29)

CROSSWORD SOLUTIONS PAGE 26

Answers Across

1. ALABASTER

4. ASAPH

8. COVENANT

10. RARE

11. LEHI

12. AARON

14. AHIO

15. OLDERMAN

19. EARTHS

20. FIGURE

24. SHADRACH

25. REBA

26. THETA

27. RAIN

29. WILD

30. GOMORRAH

32. BLESS

33. SANHEDRIN

Answers Down

1. ARCHANGEL

2. ADVERSARY

3. AIN

5. SYRIAN

6. PERSIA

7. WOE

9. NEEDY

11. LORD

13. NOPHAH

16. ARIGHT

17. CUPBEARER

18. LEVIATHAN

21. ADIN

22. CARGO

23. JEHIEL

24. SARDIS

28. IOB

31. ONE

Lotteries and Sweepstakes​—Are They Harmless?

THE brochure proclaimed: “Million Dollar Adventure.” On a glossy background of spaceships and planets, it urged: “Let the ‘Force’ be with you as you enjoy the greatest adventure on planet earth!” Sound exciting? This was a promotion for a multimillion-dollar lottery to aid Catholic parochial schools.

The prizes were tempting: millions of dollars in cash, several cars, a Florida condominium, an airplane and a European vacation. And the losers? At least they had the comfort of knowing that their money was advancing the cause of education. What harm could there be in the arrangement?

Well, at least one problem arose. A teenage boy came home from school and told his mother that he was expected to sell $280 worth of tickets. A newspaper reported that his mother, Valerie, would not let him. Why? Because Valerie devoted a lot of her free time to helping compulsive gamblers, persons who are as addicted to gambling as a heavy drinker can be to alcohol. She knew the dangers of the gambling lure, especially for a teenage boy, and did not want her son involved.

What would you have done in her situation? Was she being narrow-minded? Is gambling a legitimate form of entertainment, a handy way to raise funds? Or are there dangers?

Authorities Are Cautious

Gambling has been around for a long time​—at least since the days of the ancient Egyptians. Interestingly, though, authorities have usually treated it with caution. In the Middle Ages, churches opposed it because it was associated with heavy drinking and bad language. The state opposed it because they thought it led to idleness, lack of thrift, cheating and crime.

Were they right? It is noteworthy that gambling is still associated with bad practices. For example, the magazine U.S. News & World Report tells us that Las Vegas, Nevada, the ‘gambling capital’ of America, had that nation’s highest per capita crime rate in 1979. It added: “There are 10,000 prostitutes active in the city​—a number equal . . . to 1 out of every 9 women in the area between the ages of 15 and 39. The state has the highest alcoholism rate in the country and a suicide rate more than double the national average.”

Commenting on the link between prostitution and gambling, a casino manager explained: “It all goes together, like tonic with gin, like sauce on spaghetti.” So perhaps those early authorities were right when they were dubious about gambling.

It is also noteworthy that in most European countries that have casinos the local populace is forbidden to gamble there. Why? In giving one of the reasons, the Encyclopædia Britannica says the authorities feel that an accessible casino close by would be too much of a temptation for too many citizens.

Are such fears well grounded? Evidently, yes. A surprising number of people show lack of self-control in gambling. British police authorities, speaking of the increase in the number of gambling halls in their country, said: “There is no doubt that much family hardship results from habitual attendance at these places, very often by persons with low means.”

The excitement of gambling can lead to real addiction. There is an organization called Gamblers Anonymous that gives the same kind of help to addicted gamblers that Alcoholics Anonymous gives to alcoholics. And they need help. One woman, who in the past had been addicted to alcohol and cigarettes, as well as to gambling, reported that it was much easier to overcome alcoholism and tobacco addiction than to control her impulse to gamble.

What About “Small-Time” Gambling?

Perhaps a person will say: ‘But I am not a big gambler. I just buy a sweepstakes ticket sometimes, or perhaps put a little money on my favorite football team. I don’t have a problem.’ Often, though, problems grow from precisely such beginnings.

A seventy-year-old man appeared in a Canadian court charged with forging lottery tickets. It was learned that he had spent his whole life’s savings​—$22,000—​on lottery tickets. Why did he do it? He said: “When you start buying tickets, you figure you’re going to win. Those lovely ads spur you on.”

Of course, not everybody who buys lottery or sweepstakes tickets becomes addicted. But all are responding to “those lovely ads,” such as in the church lottery mentioned earlier. What does this betray?

Canadian psychologist Jerry Cooper says: “What the lotteries are saying is ‘become a millionaire . . . it’s the only way.’ They are advertising against the work ethic.” Australian psychologist Charles Kenna agrees. He said: “I have always seen gambling as a denial of reality where people take flight into wishful thinking. They think they will get money so much more readily by gambling than by working.”

Yes, these two psychologists​—and the many others who agree with them—​feel that gambling betrays wishful thinking, a love of money and a lazy attitude.

How Do You View It?

Hence, was Valerie being narrow-minded in not letting her son sell lottery tickets? Doubtless, many other parents, if aware of the facts, would have made the same decision. Lotteries, raffles, sweepstakes, and any other small-time betting, bring a person to the fringes of a dangerous world, the world of gambling. Gambling does nothing good for a person. But it can do harm. It often brings on an unhealthy excitement leading to overindulgence and addiction. It is, at least sometimes, linked with immorality and crime. And it always appeals to basic human weaknesses.

But you may ask: ‘What if the gambling is for a good cause?’ For example, suppose a school needs some new facility and they organize a raffle to raise the money for it. People who object to gambling have sometimes made a direct contribution in such cases, rather than buying raffle or lottery tickets. In this way their objection to gambling does not prevent them from helping out, if they want to.

True Christians especially are wary of gambling. They know that greed, laziness, lack of self-control, immorality and crime are displeasing to God and dangerous to them. (1 Timothy 6:9, 10; Proverbs 6:6-11; 2 Timothy 3:2, 3, 5; Ephesians 5:3) They recognize that in this world there are already too many temptations to do wrong. It is not wise for them voluntarily to add to those by exposing themselves to a harmful practice such as gambling.

Safeguarding Health

People need to take on more responsibility for safeguarding their own health, according to a book entitled The Patient’s Advocate. Its author, Barbara Huttmann, writes on the basis of thirty-five years of experience as a patient and a nurse. She strongly believes that everyone who enters a hospital should have an “advocate,” a marriage mate, a close friend, someone who will ask intelligent questions and safeguard the patient’s rights when the person is too sick to do so.

She explains that nurses cannot always defend patients from errors in treatment, since statistics show that fifty-seven hospital employees enter a patient’s room every day. As a result, “the law of probabilities guarantees the patient will be subject to human error.” What kind of errors? Errors in medication, in diagnosis, in treatment of the wrong patient because the result of a laboratory test was put on the wrong person’s chart.

“We had a fifty-five-year-old woman patient who was told by a doctor she had syphilis,” the nurse recounts. “The patient was hysterical. She had been married for thirty-five years to the same man. She was not running around and as far as she knew she was the only woman in his life. What happened was that the lab had posted results of some other person’s test on her chart. Meanwhile, she was well on her way to getting a divorce from her husband.”

What does the nurse recommend for hospital patients? She stresses that if something does not seem logical to the patient or the patient’s advocate, it should be questioned without delay. “But,” she adds, “we rarely do that​—somehow, we feel we aren’t allowed to ask questions.”

In defense of doctors, she writes that most people are not willing to take responsibility for their own health. They often eat too much, smoke and drink heavily and then expect a doctor to work a miracle on their diseased bodies. “So, the doctor is put in the position of having God-like powers, according to our expectations, and often, if he is willing to answer, we don’t want to listen,” she explains. “We just want to go to him, childlike, and say ‘fix it.’” The point made is that most patients need to accept more responsibility for safeguarding their own health.

From Our Readers

Dungeons and Dragons

I’m an avid D. & D. player and have been for three and a half years. I read your article and thought it was very good. It was the most accurate account of the game I’ve read. However, I found some exaggerated statements. You state that “there is hardly a game where players do not indulge in murder, arson, torture, rape, or highway robbery.” This simply isn’t true. “The game teaches greed and materialism.” That’s only to people who are greedy and materialistic. “The game teaches polytheism and demonism.” Do you believe that ignorance is bliss? The Bible also teaches that knowledge is very important. The game doesn’t have to be played on a greedy, materialistic level. And that stuff about the game making people selfish and untrusting isn’t always true. That’s only one level or style of play.

P. S., Connecticut

Perhaps the game doesn’t always draw on qualities of badness, but it appears that this is often the case. The Bible does not advise one to seek out knowledge of badness and demonism. It states: “Be babes as to badness; yet become full-grown in powers of understanding.” (1 Corinthians 14:20) And again: “What sharing does light have with darkness?”​—2 Corinthians 6:14.​—ED

Thank you very much for the article on “Dungeons and Dragons.” I used to be a rather avid fan of this game. I spent hundreds of dollars on it and thousands of hours, and let it completely monopolize my time. I spent my spare time devising new dungeons, new monsters, new ways to kill. Although I always advocated “good” characters, even they were evil and used killing to pursue good aims. I wish to warn all your readers not to indulge in this game. Not only does it promote demonism and spiritism, to say nothing of violence and killing, but it takes time away that we could use more wisely and fruitfully.

D. H., Texas

I’d like to express my appreciation for your recent article entitled “Dungeons and Dragons​—Dangerous Entertainment.” Less than two weeks after I read this article my teenage daughter was offered a job drawing game characters for several adult games. It seemed OK until I was told the characters would be goblins and other mythical creatures. I recalled the article I’d read and asked if these games were similar to ‘Dungeons and Dragons’ and was told they were. Had I not read that particular article some serious problems could have arisen, but we were able to avoid them. I now make sure I never miss reading Awake! from cover to cover. I don’t want to miss anything.

D. K., Missouri

Art of Listening

I am eleven years old and I just read the article “The Art of Listening.” I think it is wonderful advice for younger people. Keep on printing these fine articles.

T. S., Canada

Watching the World

Separation of Church and State

● Greece’s socialist government has begun the process of separating Church and State, making all religions equal in the eyes of the State. The government’s objective is to confine the Greek Orthodox Church to a spiritual role. At present the church is the second-largest property owner and enterprise after the government. The government plans to put to use “all church land not being utilized.” The church gets most of its funds from collections, marriages, baptisms and funerals. “Critics argue that it is the fear of losing these receipts,” says London’s Sunday Telegraph, “and not the proclaimed desire to protect Christian traditions, which fuel the clergy’s opposition to reforms such as civil marriage, which it has termed equivalent to ‘prostitution and adultery.’ Much of the Church’s unpopularity, however, also stems from the fact that it is deeply involved in politics.”

More Computers Than People

● This year, for the first time in history, computers will outnumber people. Market researchers Dataquest Inc. and International Data Corporation report that by the end of 1982 more than five billion computers of all sizes will be in use. And they are becoming more sophisticated all the time. “A decade ago,” says Joel S. Bernbaum, director of Hewlett-Packard Corporation’s Computer Research Center, “few would have believed that there would be a $100 machine that plays chess better than 90% to 95% of the population, or a set of programs that interprets electrocardiograms better than most doctors (and even better than some cardiologists).”

Jesuits Called to Rome

● Pope John Paul II recently summoned 104 leaders of the Society of Jesus to Rome for a meeting. He made it plain to the often politically controversial Jesuits that “there is no longer room for deviations.” The pope also stressed the need for more spirituality among Jesuits. Said one Jesuit leader who attended the meeting: “There has been so much emphasis in the order on ‘being relevant’ that many Jesuits are theologically illiterate. What the Holy Father is saying is that Jesuits should know something about what happened between Jesus and Vatican II.”

Termite Gas Emissions

● A biologist recently made an unexpected discovery: Termites produce more methane and carbon dioxide than do any other creatures. They thus play an important role in regulating earth’s atmosphere. Biologist Pat Zimmerman of the National Center for Atmospheric Research made his discovery while doing research in Guatemala. He was actually studying emissions from burning plants, and, out of curiosity, put plastic bags over termite nests and attached them to a gas collector. It was previously thought that most atmospheric methane came from microorganisms in swamps. Microorganisms in the termite gut break down plants into carbon, producing gas as a by-product. Said Zimmerman: “The fact that we had no idea termites emitted gas makes me wonder if all our other numbers on the atmosphere are wrong.”

Soap That Saves Heart

● For ten years studies have revealed that localities with hard water have lower heart-disease rates. Now a recent survey in Texas shows that people who live in areas with hard water have a 25 percent lower death rate from heart attacks. They also have lower blood pressure and serum cholesterol levels. Dr. Earl Dawson of the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston believes that high levels of calcium and magnesium in hard water are the beneficial factor. He reports: “In the intestines calcium and magnesium combine with fats from the diet and make soap, which is indigestible and cannot be absorbed.” So less fat is absorbed.

What can people who live in soft-water areas do to protect themselves? Dr. Dawson recommends that such persons take a daily supplement of 60 milligrams of magnesium and 100 milligrams of calcium. This would provide the equivalent of two quarts of hard water. Commenting on this, Science Digest said: “Dawson’s theory could have a profound impact. In a population of 100,000, calcium and magnesium supplements could prevent over 100 deaths from heart disease every 10 years.”

God’s Name in Church Sermons

● In Surinam, as elsewhere, the churches usually do not highlight the divine name Jehovah. It was not always that way. Writing in the newspaper De Ware Tijd (The True Time), a Roman Catholic priest said that he discovered an 1892 sermon book published by the Evangelic Brother Community, the major Protestant denomination in the country. He explained that this book entitled Joe Nem Moe De Santa (Let Your Name Be Sanctified) contains a collection of sermons for every Sunday of the year. The priest admitted that “quite a few times the word Jehovah is used” throughout the book.

Sounds of Thirsty Plants

● An Australian botanist has discovered that plants make a clicking sound when they need water. John Milburn, of the University of New England at Armidale, New South Wales, put a special microphone on the stem of a plant subjected to drought. He discovered that plants click when their stems and leaves try to draw water from the soil and are not able to get any. The clicking results from vibrations in the plant’s xylem​—tiny “pipes” in the stem that transport water. Since plants having the ability to withstand drought click less, the botanist hopes the discovery will aid in identifying crops that will grow well in places with low moisture.

Horseplay Causes Deaths

● About fifty persons were on a suspended footbridge over one of Brazil’s Sete Quedas Falls when the bridge collapsed, plunging at least forty sightseers to their death in the swift current of the Paraná River. A rescue team member reported: “There were people fooling around, making the bridge sway. The cables broke right in the middle of the bridge and people started falling into the torrent.” Horseplay, overloading and neglect were cited as factors in the deaths.

Female Seminarians

● Seminaries report larger enrollments of women. The United Church of Christ was the first US denomination to have more women than men in its seminaries, their rate being 52 percent. Other groups reporting sizable enrollments of women are the United Presbyterian Church (32 percent), United Methodist Church (32 percent) and the American Baptist Church (29 percent).

Norway’s Wave-Power Plant

● To harness energy from ocean waves Norwegian engineers are building an unusual experimental power plant. “Just off the coast in water about 100 feet deep,” reports U.S. Maritime Monthly, “a series of horizontal plates called lenses will focus waves into a 100-foot crest that will surge up a narrow 300-foot ramp on the shoreline. The water will collect in a reservoir, then fall back into the sea, driving a turbine as it goes.” Engineers expect wave power eventually to supply one quarter of Oslo’s electricity. Though Japan and other countries are trying to harness ocean waves, Norway is the first to channel the waves up a ramp.

Snakes Make News

● In a courtroom in Sri Lanka recently three snakes emerged from under the judge’s seat, causing lawyers and litigants to run for their lives. The packed courtroom in the town of Chilaw was disrupted when, minutes before the judge was to take his seat, the snakes appeared. Police rushed to the scene and discovered to their amazement that a family of nineteen snakes lived under an anthill, together with twenty-five eggs.

A twenty-three-year-old man in Gainesville, Florida, was recently feeding his pet python when the fourteen-foot-long (4 m) snake began to wrap itself around his head. He screamed and two friends rushed to his aid. They found that the pet python was digging its teeth into the man’s forehead and was opening its jaw to take in his entire head. A fierce struggle ensued before they were able to get the snake to relax its grip. The man now says that when he feeds his pet in the future he will have two persons on hand to make sure that he does not himself become a meal for a hungry python.

Tallest Woman Dies

● The world’s tallest woman was Zeng Jinlian, a seventeen-year-old Chinese girl living in the Hunan province of central mainland China. A Peking newspaper recently reported her death from diabetes. She evidently was still growing when she died, at which time she was eight feet one inch (2.46 m) tall.

Stress​—A Cancer Factor?

● Stress has been underestimated in allowing cancer to begin, reports Dr. Vernon T. Riley of the Pacific Northwest Research Foundation in Seattle. Based on experiments with mice and monkeys, Dr. Riley believes that stress can depress the disease-fighting immune system. “Stress does not cause cancer in animals,” he said. “Stress permits it to take place.” If the findings prove valid for humans, steps could be taken to reduce tension as a means of preventing cancer, Dr. Riley observed.

Nepal’s Vanishing Forests

● The government of Nepal has begun to tighten restrictions on commercial exploitation of trees. It faces a grim battle, since much of its lush forests have disappeared in the last three decades. “More than half of Nepal’s sub-Himalayan jungles have vanished since 1955,” reports India Today, “and according to conservation experts, the remaining accessible woodlands will cease to exist by the end of this century. ‘We are already at a point of no return, and all our efforts today are only geared to put off the crisis by a few years,’ admits a government official.” Denuding the forests is leading to soil erosion and another problem. Since most of the rural population depend on the forests for fuel, firewood is becoming more scarce. This means, explains a development consultant, “that not only will most Nepalis not have enough food to eat, but they will not even have the firewood to cook it with.”

Tuberculosis Still a Problem

● The director general of the World Health Organization reports that the number of tuberculosis cases is increasing in the world. “For more than 30 years,” said Dr. Halfdan Mahler, “highly effective drugs and vaccines have been available, making TB a preventable disease. But in the majority of developing countries, there has been little or no improvement in the epidemiological situation. Between four and five million highly infectious cases emerge each year, and TB brings death to at least three million people annually.”

Hell Is Not Hot!

The churches have long taught that the wicked are tormented in a hot hell. But the Bible does not teach this.

Learn what hell is and what the Bible says about the condition of the dead. Read the chapter “Where Are the Dead?” in the book The Truth That Leads to Eternal Life. Hard bound, 192 pages, only 75 cents.

The Truth That Leads to Eternal Life

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“Let Your Kingdom Come”​—Where?

What is the kingdom for which Jesus taught us to pray? Is it purely a heavenly state? Or is it a condition that dwells in the hearts of men? Or is it a literal government with subjects and laws?

The answer can and will make a great difference in your life.

So please send for the new book “Let Your Kingdom Come.” Then use it with your Bible to learn the what, who, when and why of the kingdom, and the sweeping changes it will bring.

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