February 22

Page Two

The “middle years” of life​—are you happy with what they have brought you? Instead of being a time of crisis, they can prove to be “golden years” for you

The Middle Years​—Golden Years or Time of Crisis? 3

Women and the Middle Years 4

Men and the Middle Years 6

Marriage and the Middle Years 8

They Can Be Golden Years! 10

The Middle Years​—Golden Years or Time of Crisis?

“LIFE begins at 40!” they say. And many traversing the “middle years” would heartily agree with these sentiments. Says one woman: “Truthfully, I wouldn’t want to be 18 again. I’m a lot happier now in my 50’s than I’ve been in years.”

Yes, for some these are the “golden years.” Wisdom, gleaned from years of experience, is at their disposal. They thus feel competent, reasonably in control of their lives. Even the prospect of their children’s departure does not overly dishearten them. Rather, they see opportunities for increased personal time and privacy together with their mate. Far from listless, their lives bustle with meaningful activity.

Others, however, are not so optimistic. ‘Why, turning 40,’ they say, ‘is not the beginning of anything​—just the end of being young.’ And they may have reason for their apprehension. Disconcerted by the first signs of aging, they may feel like the man who said: “When I see those bags under my eyes I know I’ve had it. I’m not going anyplace except to the cemetery.”

Further, they may be besieged with financial concerns. Loneliness may distress them. And as their health gradually deteriorates, and they for the first time confront the specter of death, they may question if their life has had meaning, if the future really offers anything of value. ‘Oh, to be young again,’ they may sigh.

However, the Bible points out: “Whatever a man is sowing, this he will also reap.” (Galatians 6:7) Whether middle age is “golden” or a time of crisis has much to do with how you “sow” in your earlier days​—what values you esteem, what habits you establish and what goals in life you pursue. Since many of us must eventually pass through middle age, let us explore some of its prospects​—and problems.

Women and the Middle Years

‘GUESS who comes out on top in the happiness charts,’ said Redbook magazine. Their survey of 52,000 women showed that the happiest women are middle-aged.

This shouldn’t surprise you. A young woman’s expectations in life are often so naive that she is unprepared for life’s ravages. The older woman, however, already knows what it’s like to be smitten by disappointment​—and how to bounce back from it. From a wealth of experience, she employs strategies that help her avoid the pitfalls of youth.

Still, “turning 40 can be frightening,” admits one woman. “You’re young, but you know you’re going into middle age.” So much stress is laid upon youth in Western culture that many are naturally apprehensive about aging.

The onset of menopause, for example, concerns many. For it heralds not only a period of some physical discomfort but also the end of childbearing. Should this be dreaded?

Childbearing can indeed be rewarding. (Psalm 127:3) So it’s only natural for some to feel somewhat saddened when this part of life ends. But many middle-aged women frankly do not want the commitment of time, energy and emotion that having another baby would entail. As the book After Forty says: “The pause that depresses some often refreshes others.”

What, though, of any that grieve over the end of childbearing​—who feel empty and lonely? If the life of a person has centered solely on raising children, middle age can be agonizing. Jesus Christ showed, however, that there is a loftier purpose in life than merely raising children. Once a woman exclaimed: “Happy is the womb that carried you and the breasts that you sucked!” But Jesus replied: “No, rather, Happy are those hearing the word of God and keeping it!”​—Luke 11:27, 28.

For those whose life revolves around serving God and who have “sown” appreciation for godly values and principles, life does not seem empty when childbearing years pass. Jehovah’s Witnesses, for example, view the years of their life, including the middle years, as an opportunity always to expand their sacred service to God. They know that there is “something better than sons and daughters”​—a good relationship with God and the promise of his blessing.​—Isaiah 56:3-5.

“I’m Losing My Youth!”

One woman admitted: “When you begin to show a few wrinkles, you’re extremely aware of them. You begin to feel, ‘I’m losing my youth.’”

Yes, “beauty disappears.” (Proverbs 31:30, Today’s English Version) But self-esteem should not rest solely on fleeting physical assets. Your real charm is not your outward appearance. Rather, it is “the secret person of the heart in the incorruptible apparel of the quiet and mild spirit, which is of great value in the eyes of God.” (1 Peter 3:3, 4) If you have cultivated this inner beauty​—mildness, compassion, hospitality, generosity—​you remain beautiful, regardless of age!

True, you shouldn’t neglect your physical appearance. So-called middle-age spread, for example, can often be prevented​—at least controlled—​by proper diet and exercise. And you can dress tastefully “with modesty and soundness of mind.” (1 Timothy 2:9) The book Prime Time frankly warns: “A girlish dress and hairstyle only make a middle-aged woman’s face and figure look older, but a more adult dress and hairstyle complement her ripe appeal.”

One woman in her 50’s reminds us, though: “A dress, a hat or a blouse will not make a woman feel better if she doesn’t think much of herself. You have to feel beautiful inside!” So don’t fret when your face gets more lines or wrinkles. For as one man put it: “A face that shows struggle, experience, growth and change, plus the potential for still more change and development, is a beautiful face, a truly youthful face.”

Women Who Are Alone

What, though, of women who must face the middle years alone? If a woman hasn’t cultivated real friendships or has no meaningful way to spend her time, loneliness can consume her. Rose, on the other hand, is a single woman who has learned one of the secrets of combating loneliness. “Give of yourself,” she says. “If you want to receive, then start giving. Try to get acquainted with people. You’ll be surprised; in time they respond.” Another woman likewise suggests: “Invite people to your home. Have a little get-together, even if it’s just cake and coffee.” “The generous soul” is often blessed with enduring friendships!​—Proverbs 11:25.

While much more could be said, it is apparent that your earlier years to a great extent shape your middle years. Yet the menopause, loneliness and even the loss of physical beauty can all be successfully hurdled. And even if you now see a need for a change in your values, it is never too late to change, never too late to start “sowing” properly.

[Pictures on page 5]

Physical beauty fades . . .

. . . but inner beauty gives lasting charm

Men and the Middle Years

“ONE day, while shaving,” recalled one man, “I saw . . . how gray my hair was getting . . . I noticed how puffy I was under the eyes, and then I saw how lined my forehead was​—and then I saw my whole face, and it was a terrible shock.”

Awareness of age does not always strike like lightning. But sooner or later a man notices how winded he feels after climbing a flight of stairs, or how tired he is after a day’s work. Now he tensely listens when the man on TV talks about the prevalence of middle-age heart attacks. He may even find himself scanning the obituary page. Too, his male pride can ache when he imagines he is no longer attractive to the opposite sex. Some men notice a decline in their sexual powers.

Doctors, however, say that a man usually will not lose his reproductive powers until well into old age. Of course, if there is a medical problem, proper treatment can be sought.

Nevertheless, researchers Masters and Johnson report that after age 50 “the incidence of sexual inadequacy in the human male takes a sharp upturn.” And likely a number of physical and emotional factors are responsible. The fear of failure, for example, appears to be a very prominent factor. As one writer explains: “A single sexual failure can be devastating. The . . . man may then withdraw from sex with his spouse to avoid being further humiliated.”

Symptoms of Crisis

Understandably, men can feel threatened by middle age. A man can find himself embroiled in an intense inward struggle to retain his youth and identity. But his crisis can reveal itself in a number of ways. Some men suffer an “attack of vanity.” As a clothing salesman once observed, middle-aged men often “come in [a store] wearing conservative cuts, dark gray and blue, and . . . walk out with vents, plaids, gold buttons, [and] hot pink shirts.”

There are other “crisis” indicators: drastic changes in life-style, a person’s becoming depressed, withdrawn, indecisive, apathetic. Some men even get ill.

But what is really at the heart of this sometimes erratic behavior? Is it not a failure to “sow” sound values, to cultivate a realistic view of life? On the other hand, a man whose thinking is guided by Bible principles need not suffer this despair. How so?

For one thing, he knows and accepts the fact that life is painfully short, that aging is an inevitability. (See Psalm 90:10.) His self-worth is not measured by his appeal to the opposite sex. Rather, his “boast” is in his relationship with God. (1 Corinthians 1:31) So he doesn’t have to be unduly perturbed over gray hairs, or even the beginnings of a paunch. He knows the folly of ‘thinking more of himself than it is necessary to think.’ (Romans 12:3) The Bible’s counsel to be “modest” helps him to view his limitations realistically. (Micah 6:8) It even prods him to be selective in his dress and grooming. True, modesty does not rule out dressing tastefully, even stylishly. But he is not impelled to follow the clothing fads of Western youths and adorn his chest with neck chains or to stuff himself into tight jeans. His dress reflects the dignity of his age.

“I’m Trapped”

Mid-life is also a time when a man may reassess his life. For example, he may give a lot of thought to his secular job​—its pressures, its monotony, its insecurity. He may even feel like the 52-year-old salesman who said: “I’m trapped in a job I’ve held for twenty years, and I’m getting nowhere.” And the bitter disappointment of being passed over for promotion by men nearly half his age and with far less experience can make a man loathe the thought of going to work.

Of course, one whose life centers around a job may despair when his expectations collide with reality. Difficult working conditions are hard for anyone. But a man who is guided by Bible principles does not feel that life has lost its meaning if he does not make it to the top in his field. He knows that rivalry for position is “vanity and a striving after the wind.” (Ecclesiastes 4:4) He has watched others around him ruin their health and undermine their family life by pushing for prominence. But he is grateful to have a job that provides what he needs and he finds satisfaction in doing it well. His secular work is not the center of his life but simply a means to provide for his family and to care for his needs while pursuing spiritual interests. Armed with this viewpoint, he can “see good for all his hard work . . . for the number of the days of his life that the true God has given him, for that is his portion.”​—Ecclesiastes 5:18; 1 Timothy 5:8.

[Pictures on page 7]

Some seek satisfaction through youthful clothing fads . . .

. . . but true satisfaction comes from work well done

Marriage and the Middle Years

LATELY there have been disturbing reports about middle-age marriages. A study made in Canada, for example, reportedly shows a decline in intimacy and in marital satisfaction as a marriage grows older. Some statistical studies seem to indicate that the divorce rate among couples over 45 years of age is “soaring.” And perhaps even your own marriage is not the source of joy it used to be.

So many are forsaking marriage these days that you may at times wonder if it is worth the trouble to work marital problems out. Some “experts” are even extolling the virtues of starting over again with a new mate. But how do those who go this route really fare?

Treacherous Dealings

“You’re too old!” a middle-aged man brazenly told his wife. He was greedily carrying on an adulterous affair with a younger woman. Recalls his wife: “He was proud of it! He even wanted me to listen to every detail of his affair.”

Why do men​—and women—​deal so treacherously with their mates even after many years of marriage? (Malachi 2:14-16) For some, an “affair” is a way to boost a sagging ego, a chance to reaffirm one’s manhood or womanhood. Too, a man may fear that his sexual powers are declining and may want to “prove himself.”

The Bible described well the consequences of adultery when it said: “But a man [or a woman] who commits adultery doesn’t have any sense. He is just destroying himself.”​—Proverbs 6:32, Today’s English Version.

How could an act done in secret ‘destroy’ a person? For one thing, the adulterer suffers a ruined conscience. Even the boastful man mentioned previously later confessed, “I can’t sleep at night!” His innocent wife, on the other hand, recalls being able to sleep soundly. “I had no feelings of guilt whatsoever,” she says, “because I tried to follow Jehovah’s way.”

The adulterer also damages his self-respect and his prospects for future happiness. Could his new wife (even if he weds his adulterous partner) really trust him? Worst of all, such treacherous dealings destroy his relationship with God, who will “judge fornicators and adulterers.” (Hebrews 13:4) A heavy price to pay for a selfish fling!

Solomon thus advised: “Let your water source [or, sexual interests] prove to be blessed [by remaining faithful], and rejoice with the wife of your youth.” (Proverbs 5:18) Sexual problems, however, can develop in a marriage at any age. So the Bible counsels couples in general: “Do not be depriving each other of it [the sexual due].”​—1 Corinthians 7:5.

As a marriage counselor observed, breakdowns in communication “have become the number-one problem of couples who have been married for many years.” How do such problems develop?

“The Number-One Problem”

A man gets home from work and is greeted with the news of the latest crisis. (“Honey, the dentist says Dave’s teeth need fixing!”) “And she used to ask me how my day went,” he sighs.

However, talk about report cards and measles shots can easily dominate your conversations. Only when the children have grown and gone do some couples realize they have forgotten how to talk on a personal basis.

A problem may also manifest itself during the wife’s menopause, when she needs compassion and understanding. The husband, perhaps battling mid-life crisis, may become quite aggressive or argumentative. Hardly a model of understanding.

Aggression can spawn counter-aggression. Say the authors of Making It From 40 to 50: “They bicker, complain, nag; they hurt each other as only those who have loved and lived together for a long time can. They know each other’s particular weaknesses and hidden fears, and these become the targets of attack in battles that sometimes reach extraordinary heights of viciousness.” How can the argument cycle be stopped?

Restoring Communication

“Love,” says the Bible, “is long-suffering and kind . . . does not look for its own interests, does not become provoked.” (1 Corinthians 13:4, 5) So forget self-pity! Rather, be sensitive to the emotional stress your mate may be feeling. Make allowances for each other. And refuse to fuel an argument! “Where there is no wood the fire goes out.”​—Proverbs 26:20, 21.

If communication is hindered because you feel your mate doesn’t understand you, let your mate know how you feel. True, this is not easy for everyone to do. Men especially seem to have difficulty revealing their fears and weaknesses.

Abraham, though, father of the Jewish race and bold man of action, was not afraid to admit his fears​—even to his wife. And she deeply respected him. (See Genesis 12:11-13; 18:12.) Would not similar honesty and candor improve your marriage?

Communication is therefore a key to keeping your marriage alive. True, age does bring physical deterioration; and sometimes the decline is greater in one mate than in the other. But if you have “sown” wisely over the years, your marriage will have more going for it than just physical attraction. As one man put it: “When you have a real rapport with your mate, it is most satisfying. You can freely express your emotions and feelings to someone who knows you better than anyone else and understands how you feel.” Yes, you will have the companionship of someone you truly delight to be with. Is not such a marvelous union worth holding on to? Why, you may even find the middle years to be the closest, most satisfying years of your marriage yet.

[Pictures on page 9]

Do you fight . . .

. . . or truly love each other?

They Can Be Golden Years!

WHAT will the middle years be for you? “Golden years” or time of crisis? The “best” or “worst of times”? A “launching pad for a new phase of life” or a time of stagnation?

We are again reminded of the Bible’s words: “Whatever a man is sowing, this he will also reap.” (Galatians 6:7) So how your middle years turn out depends much on you.

If you are a young person, this should be a very sobering thought. Middle age may seem very distant to you now. But it isn’t. Our lives “quickly pass by, and away we fly.” (Psalm 90:10) So if you neglect spiritual values now, you will pay the price later​—despair and dissatisfaction with your life. If you fail to cultivate industriousness, self-control, knowledge and understanding, you will reap misery in your later years. Leave God out of your life now, and old age will be a time of “calamitous days” for you. Wise King Solomon therefore concluded that the wise course of action is to “fear the true God and keep his commandments.” (Ecclesiastes 12:1, 13) But first you have to learn about God. And a study of his Word, the Bible, is a fine place to start.

A New Start

What if you are already in your middle or even later years and are now paying the price for failing to “sow” an appreciation for right values and principles? Now is the time to change course.

‘But how?’ you may ask. Some middle-aged men and women try to find a measure of satisfaction and purpose in life by devoting themselves to community affairs or other helpful services. Others try to get a new lease on life by traveling, exploring, doing things they have always wanted to do but could never get around to doing. But there is something that can bring more satisfaction than any of these. You can experience it if you will take the time to familiarize yourself with the Bible and the hope that God offers for the future. Jehovah’s Witnesses will be glad to show you how to begin such a study. The benefit? A living hope!

Yes, that’s what Jehovah’s Witnesses have​—a well-founded hope for the future. We believe that life has God-given purpose and that there is more to it than a fleeting 70 or 80 years. Our hope is in a heavenly government that will completely take over the management of the earth and eventually make it all a Paradise. This will allow humans the prospect of living forever, with full enjoyment of life!​—Psalm 72:1-8; Revelation 21:3, 4; John 17:3.

Sharing this hope with others gives Jehovah’s Witnesses great personal satisfaction and a real purpose in life. Their middle and later years are filled with fruitful activity​—helping others to know about God. One couple, for example, found themselves alone after their last son had left home. After a few lonely weeks the husband sat down with his wife and discussed the possibility of his obtaining part-time work so they could share Bible truths with others full time. “I feel like I’m ‘kicking a dead horse’ working this full-time job!” he said. They decided to pursue the goal of serving God full time. Today they have the joy of working together at the Watchtower Society’s headquarters in Brooklyn, New York, producing Bible literature such as this magazine.

Would not such a living faith make your middle years, or any years for that matter, a blessed time to be alive? Says Carmela, one of Jehovah’s Witnesses: “We’re on the threshold of a change to a perfect government. That’s how I feel and that’s what keeps me going and feeling happy.” Jehovah’s Witnesses would be happy to share their faith with you and to help you find joy and satisfaction that will endure for eternity.

So, while life does not really begin at 40, it doesn’t end there either. New opportunities now present themselves for you to learn and develop. Sober reflection may even move you to make some needed changes in your thinking and life-style. The wisdom gained through years of living has trained your “perceptive powers” to see things more clearly than ever before. (Hebrews 5:14) Married couples have a golden opportunity to draw ever closer to each other.

Much is up to you. Your middle years need not be a plunge into crisis. Use your knowledge, your resources, your experience and, above all, the wisdom that God’s Word gives, to make these years the happiest​—the very best years of your life.

[Blurb on page 11]

“We’re on the threshold of a change to a perfect government. That’s how I feel and that’s what keeps me going and feeling happy”

How Thousands of Bees Agree

Thousands of bees are forming a cluster. Shortly some 20 or 30 of them will be winging their way over the countryside in search of a new home.

Once a scout finds a place that might serve as a home for a new colony, she will return to the cluster and begin to dance. The dance, executed on the cluster, makes it possible for the other bees to determine the distance and direction to the site.

While rapidly wagging her abdomen, a dancing bee will move in a straight line for a short distance. Turning to the left, she will make a circle until again moving in a straight line. Next the bee will make a circle to the right. Thus the dance forms a figure eight with a straight line in the middle. The number of complete cycles of the dance during a specific time interval is thought to indicate the distance to the site. Researchers have found that distance determination is based on the amount of energy the bee used up in flight.

The direction to the location is revealed by the angle of the straight line in the figure eight from the perpendicular, the perpendicular representing the position of the sun at the time of the dance. An angle to the right of the perpendicular points to a place at the same angle to the right of the sun, whereas an angle to the left indicates a site at the same angle to the left of the sun. If the bee moves upward on the vertical surface during a straight waggle run, the place lies in the direction of the sun. A straight downward waggle run informs the bees that they must fly away from the sun to find the site.

The quality of the location is also revealed by the dance. Scout bees that find an ideal site may perform their dances with considerable tempo for more than an hour. Of course, such dancing is interrupted by needed periods of rest. The dancer, however, does not leave the cluster.

Naturally, the most rapid, sustained dancing attracts the greatest number of bees, which then make an exploratory flight to the location indicated. Therefore, when the other scout bees perform their less vigorous dances, fewer bees investigate their finds. The scout bees are not bent on sticking with their discoveries. They will investigate sites found by other scouts. Eventually, perhaps after many hours or even a few days, all the scouts will begin to dance for the best location, thus establishing unity. Thus unity is preserved, and some 20,000 to 30,000 bees have the benefit of an excellent location for their new home.

Yoga​—Is It for You?

By “Awake!” correspondent in India

PAIN from her lower back to her foot torments Anna. For relief she kneels bolt upright, sitting on her heels. And in front she extends her right arm with forefinger raised. Anna is in the yoga posture called thunderbolt (Vajra Asana in Sanskrit) because she believes that this position is therapy for her troublesome sciatic nerve. Anna could be one of millions who practice yoga for nonreligious reasons.

Why has yoga gained worldwide popularity? ‘Because yoga improves my health,’ many would answer. But is yoga primarily therapeutic? Some say it releases hidden talents. Does it? Others feel yoga promotes a tranquil state of mind or eases frustrating tensions. Is yoga the uncomplicated practice millions think it is? What is yoga? If yoga is popular in your country, or if you are thinking of yoga for health, then you really need to know.

Yoga is thoroughly Hindu. It is a complex system of Hindu philosophy. “Yoga” is derived from the Sanskrit root yuj, which means “to yoke.” In the December 1981 issue of The Vedanta Kesari, the Ramakrishna Mission magazine from India, Dr. B. S. Surti writes: “The chief aim of the Yoga philosophy is to teach the means by which the human soul may be completely united with the Supreme Spirit.” Explaining and defining Yoga further, Hindu Swami Harshananda says: “Yoga or union of the individual self with the Supreme Self will result through Yoga or Samadhi [Yoga trance], when these [mental conflicts] are controlled, suppressed and eliminated, by the right kind of discipline and training. This discipline and training is also Yoga.” In short, for the Hindus Yoga is the union of self with God.

The Hindu holy book the Bhagavad-Gita is said to be “the most competent guide on Yoga,” and each of its 18 chapters treats a different form of Yoga. One of these types, called Hatha Yoga, stresses physical exercise and breathing and is widely advocated for health benefits.

A person who practices Yoga is called a Yogi. The chief hero of the Gita, Arjuna, is exhorted: “Be thou a Yogi.” Applying this advice to fellow Hindus, Indian Swami Chidananda states: “This is your chief duty. This is your highest Dharma [sacred law]. In this lies your real and lasting welfare.”

The Hindu deity Shiva is called the “lord of Yogis.” And Shiva is said to be the creator of the 84 bodily postures in Yoga. Therefore, the entire thinking behind Yoga is deeply rooted in non-Christian religion and Eastern gods.

What About Yoga for Health?

The ancient Indian sage Patanjali reportedly systematized Yoga philosophy by listing eight steps to achieve yoking with the “Infinite.” And this union is said to result in good health. According to Hindu belief, Patanjali listed 14 obstacles to obtaining Yoga’s goal, 2 of these involving physical ill health and “restless limbs.” Hence, health and bodily postures are a preoccupation of Yoga philosophy. Asana, or posture, is the third of those eight steps and is the one that receives so much attention in the Western world. Breath control, concentration and meditation are other steps that spill over into Western yoga.

Nonetheless, sound health is not the chief aim of Yoga. Hindu writer Swahananda says: “Spiritual seekers will always consider the health benefits as fringe benefits, subordinate to their primary Goal, which is Self or God realization.”

‘But I am not a spiritual seeker; I just want good health,’ you may be thinking. Then consider what Yoga advocate Siddhinathananda wrote about health and Yoga. In the Indian Yoga magazine The Vedanta Kesari he stated: “Its potential to provide physical well-being also contributes to its popular appeal. But to use it for any goal other than spiritual is a misuse.”

Does Yoga release latent powers as claimed? And if so, can they benefit true Christians? For an answer, note the caution Hindu Tapasyananda urges: “There is however one point about which the Yogi has to be extra-careful. When Yoga is practiced [supernormal feats] come.” He lists these feats as the powers of clairvoyance, clairaudience and weightlessness, and adds: “The power becomes a Frankenstein monster that annihilates its creator.”

Furthermore, the book Integral Yoga, by Haridas Chaudhuri, states: “The central psycho-physical power latent in man is called Kundalini, the coiled power (the serpent energy). When the Kundalini is dynamized, the individual experiences a tremendous upsurge of energy from within. Centers of extrasensory perception [ESP] are stimulated.” Is this source of energy the type you would want to tap, even if it does provide some health benefits?

Is Yoga for You?

The answer depends on two things: First, your purpose in life, and second, your spiritual values and principles. Before taking up yoga, or deciding whether to continue practicing it, you need to consider the identity of the “Infinite” with whom you will be yoked. Would you want an encounter with supernatural spirit forces that seek to control you? A practicer of yoga must be prepared for this possibility. Yes, in practicing yoga, you may be tangling with the occult. A former Western yoga practitioner said: “You think you are controlling other, hidden forces in the universe. But, frighteningly, I now believe they are actually controlling you.”

ESP, clairvoyance, clairaudience and levitation are all connected with spiritism. The Bible links spiritism with an unhealthy source​—wicked spirit creatures, or demons. (Deuteronomy 18:10-12; Acts 16:16-18) Therefore, how can a Christian consider a physical health regimen beneficial when it has such a potential for injuring one’s spiritual well-being?

Some may think they can separate presumably harmless features of yoga from those they consider harmful. According to the following statement, made in A Dictionary of Hinduism, this does not seem possible: “No system of yoga exists in isolation, each being often combined with elements of another.” Is it any wonder, then, that some conclude that the practice of yoga is tantamount to sending an invitation card to the demonic spirits?

As an example of how people can unintentionally become involved in a harmful practice, consider this ancient parallel. The nation of Israel worshiped the God of the Bible, Jehovah, who ‘exacted exclusive devotion.’ (Exodus 20:5) The Israelites settled in a land where they were surrounded by worshipers of the Canaanite god of rain and fertility, Baal; and they were given clear warnings not to become involved in that false worship. Yet the Israelites did. How so, if they knew Baal was nothing more than a man-made statue?

Since the Israelites were an agricultural society, interest in improving their farming and husbandry would be natural. But they looked to the wrong source for aid​—the Canaanites. Gradually they began to imitate the Canaanites and look upon Baal as a means to ensure fertility in their cattle and crops. Slowly the wedge of material desire slipped in between them and their exclusive worship of Jehovah until they were split off into Baal worship​—wholesale apostasy! (Judges 2:11-13) If you are a Christian, would you allow your desire for good health to erode your relationship with God?

It stands to reason that regular exercise of the body develops muscle tone, relieves tension, improves poise and aids breathing. The Bible agrees that bodily training can be of value. But, unlike yoga, it separates such bodily training from religion, saying: “Physical exercise has some value, but spiritual exercise is valuable in every way, because it promises life both for the present and for the future.”​—1 Timothy 4:8, Today’s English Version.

While choice of exercise and health regimens is a personal matter, a Christian would want to choose activities in life that please Jehovah God and shun those that would yoke him with religious ideas that are not compatible with worshiping Him. In this way the Christian’s manner of life will harmonize with Jesus Christ’s invitation to his followers: “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am mild-tempered and lowly in heart, and you will find refreshment for your souls. For my yoke is kindly and my load is light.”​—Matthew 11:29, 30.

[Blurb on page 14]

“To use it for any goal other than spiritual is a misuse”

[Blurb on page 15]

‘You think you are controlling hidden forces. But I believe they are controlling you’

Something Hot, Something Cold in Philippine Foods

ARE you tired of eating the same food day after day? Why not let Alinga Maria treat you to a simple mango sinigang? Aling Maria lives in Bay, Laguna, south of Manila, and she would be delighted to prepare this delicious Philippine soup for you. How does she go about it?

First she picks a few fat, green (unripe) mangoes, and selects some fiery little red or green peppers from her small garden to liven up the taste. Then she scurries to the market to buy a milkfish, although sinigang can also be made with prawns, shrimp, beef or pork. Since it is basically a soup, the amount of ingredients you use is largely up to you, but this time Aling Maria buys two fist-sized juicy red tomatoes, several pieces of okra, string beans, an eggplant, a couple of long, white turnips and plenty of young kangkong leaves. If you don’t live in the Philippines, you may not have kangkong leaves, but spinach or any other edible leaf will taste good too.

When Aling Maria returns home, she slices the mango into thin pieces and drops them into a pot half filled with boiling water. These will be cooked for a while to flavor the broth. When they are soft, she takes them out and mashes them with a fork, so that more flavor is extracted and the pulp and the juice can again be added to the soup. Is it hard to buy green mangoes where you live? Do you have sour green apples, or even green tomatoes? Cooking these in water in the same way as the mango will give the characteristic tart flavor of sinigang. You could even use lemon juice.

While the soup is cooking, Aling Maria cleans and halves the milkfish and then places the pieces in the broth. The tomatoes she crushes with her fingers, dropping juice and pulp into the pot, followed by the okra, string beans and turnips cut to whatever size you prefer for eating. The green leaves and peppers will be added last, since they need very little cooking. Salt and pepper may be added to taste.

This is a very easy dish to make and can be done with so many different kinds of ingredients that it is often eaten more than once a week. It should be served piping hot with plenty of freshly cooked rice.

Something Cold

How will Aling Maria refresh you after the sinigang? Well, until you have tried her halo-halo deluxe, you haven’t really gone native. Into a tall glass she puts spoonfuls of “this and that,” which is what halo-halo means. Almost any fruit can be included​—ripe mango, avocado, banana, strawberry or whatever you like most. The distinctive Filipino touch calls for sweetened jackfruit, pinipig (roasted rice flakes), boiled red beans (yes, beans!) and chunks of macapuno (soft flesh of young coconut). To this concoction Aling Maria adds cream, brown sugar and lots of finely shaved ice, all to be topped off with a scoop of your favorite ice cream. Stir with a long spoon, and you will have something really special to quench your thirst.

Let’s say “thank you” before we go: Maraming salamat po, Aling Maria!

[Footnotes]

Fossils​—Do They Prove Evolution?

EVOLUTIONISTS offer a variety of arguments in favor of their theory. Most of the evidence they cite is from living organisms. They point to similarities in skeletal structure of different animals as proof that such animals are related, if not by direct descent, at least by descent from a common ancestor. They point out that in the early stages of development from the egg cell, the embryos of “higher” animals resemble those of “lower” ones. They analyze the blood plasma or the chemical structure of hemoglobin and on that basis classify different species as being close or more distant relatives.

They claim that such comparisons lead inevitably to the conclusion that all animals have a common ancestry. They say they cannot conceive of any other explanation. Of course, having first ruled out the possibility that all have the same Designer and Maker, they cannot accept that as an alternative explanation. But in the textbook Man and the Biological World the authors admit that such proof is not complete: “The existence of homologous resemblances, of parallelisms in embryonic development, and of graded degrees of chemical relationship between organisms does not in itself prove that evolution has occurred.”

For proof that evolution really did take place, they fall back on paleontology. As stated in Outlines of Historical Geology: “Although the comparative study of living animals and plants may give very convincing circumstantial evidence, fossils provide the only historical, documentary evidence that life has evolved from simpler to more and more complex forms.”

A Look at the Fossil Record

Thus we are told to go to the fossil record for final, conclusive proof that evolution really did take place. You might imagine we would find a succession of fossils, for example, starting with shellfish, in which the hard shell gradually turns into a covering of scales, while part of it turns inside and grows into a backbone. At the same time, successive fossils would be developing a pair of eyes and a pair of gills at one end and a finny tail at the other. Finally, lo and behold, we would have a fish!

But a fish would not stay a fish. Coming on up in the geologic column of sediments, we would expect to find fish changing their fins into legs, with feet and toes growing out of them, and their gills into lungs. Higher up, we would no longer find their fossilized remains in old seabeds but buried in dry land deposits. And in other fish, their forefins would be changing into wings and their back ones into legs with claws. Their scales would change to feathers and they would grow a horny beak around their mouth. And, presto! the magic of evolution would have given us reptiles and birds. So we could line up intermediate forms exhibiting transitional features between every ancestral species and each type of their progeny.

Is that what we really find? Of course not! That would be an evolutionist’s dream. Darwin himself was the first to bemoan the extreme imperfection of the fossil record. But he was hopeful that time would supply the transitional forms between species​—missing links, they came to be called. These would vindicate his faith in the process of evolution by natural selection.

But these hopes have not been realized. What does the record actually show? Each new kind of plant or animal​—fern, shrub, tree, fish, reptile, insect, bird, or mammal—​appears suddenly in the geologic column. Beginning immediately above the lifeless sediments of the Azoic era, the Cambrian layer carries an abundance of fossil crustaceans and shellfish, in great variety, already fully developed. Plants with woody stems appear suddenly in the mid-Paleozoic. Fossil wood has not been found in lower strata but is abundant in all later ages. Large collections of insect fossils have been found in upper Paleozoic rocks, fully developed and in great diversity, but none have been found in earlier strata. Early in the Cenozoic era, modern types of mammals make a sudden appearance; there is no record of their evolution from earlier types.

This is the repeated testimony of the fossil record: Sudden appearance of new kinds of plants and animals​—no precursors. Does this not suggest, to the unprejudiced observer, the creation of these new kinds in successive ages, rather than continuous evolution?

Permanence of Species

Biologists have devised an elaborate system for classifying different species. Naturalists continue to find species that are different from those already classified, and those are fitted in between the others. Extinct species, represented by fossils, also have been assigned places in the classification. Different fossils continue to turn up that have to be put between others in the system. The evolutionists call these transitional species, a word that implies a temporary existence, during which it falls between an older species and a new one that is to appear. Even calling them transitional reveals a bias in logic. A neutral expression would be “intermediate” forms.

Much emphasis is put on the search for these “transitional” forms. As an example they point to the lungfish, which has gills for taking in oxygen when in water and also a bladder that serves as a lung for breathing when out of water. This is supposed to have marked a stage in evolution between fish and reptile. But there is a snag in the logic. The lungfish did not change into a reptile. It is still living today, the same fish that is found in the ancient fossils. Rather than a stage in evolution, is it not more reasonable to call it a separate creation, one that has not become extinct?

The fossil record gives another important kind of evidence that belies evolution. The process of evolution is described as “the constant change of living things.” But innumerable fossils are found in ancient strata that, like the lungfish, are identifiable with modern species. Imprints of leaves of oak, walnut, hickory, grape, magnolia, palm, and many other trees and shrubs, left on rocks of Mesozoic age and since, are not different from those leaves today. The millions of years, as estimated by geologists, since they first appeared have left them without any evolutionary change. Likewise, hundreds of insects left their mark in Mesozoic rocks. These imprints show them to have been quite similar to species of the same insects we have now. As the evolutionist puts it, “Insect evolution had been essentially completed by the end of the Mesozoic”​—the era in which they first appeared.

Can such fossil evidence honestly be claimed to support the theory that environmental pressures bring about a continual change in species and produce new ones? Or does it not rather give the strongest support to the principle that each species, once created, brings forth only its own kind? Yes, and it has continued to do so generation after generation throughout all the millenniums of time.

Evolutionists now admit that the fossil record does not support the theories they have long championed. “The pattern that we were told to find for the last 120 years does not exist,” a paleontologist told a conference of evolutionists in Chicago in 1980. The picture of small changes accumulating to form new species is false. Instead, “For millions of years species remain unchanged in the fossil record, and they then abruptly disappear, to be replaced by something that is substantially different but clearly related,” a Harvard professor of geology said. Individual species in the fossil record are characterized by stability, not by change.

So now a new school has emerged, describing evolution as following a course of “punctuated equilibrium.” They say a certain species goes along unchanged for millions of years, and then, in just a few thousand years, it quickly changes into a new species. They call it macroevolution. It happens so fast there is no chance to leave a fossil memento of the transition. However, an older school, which holds to microevolution, remains unconverted to the new doctrine.

All this controversy and floundering about among the evolutionists cannot help but leave the layman confused and more and more doubtful about whether evolution really occurred. To one who is not emotionally committed to the cause, this talk about macroevolution and punctuated equilibrium betrays some uneasy misgivings. Perhaps they fear that the congenital defects in the evolution theory may shortly prove lethal. Their effort to cover these up with grandiloquent gobbledygook falls only a little short of admitting that creation is the only answer.

Since the growing scientific evidence gives ever less support to evolution and more to creation, why is it that creation does not get more attention in the teaching of biology? How do evolutionists still manage to hold such tight screws on what is taught in science courses in public schools? Attempts to loosen their grip, even by laws enacted under religious pressure, have been thwarted in the courts.

These questions will be examined in the next issue, in the article entitled “Creationism​—Is It Scientific?”

[Picture on page 18]

The lungfish did not change. It is the same today as in ancient fossils

Pages of Geologic History

A part of historical geology that especially attracts our interest is called paleontology. This is the study of the fossils of once living things that are found in many sedimentary strata. Where one stratum lies above another, the lower one must have formed first and is therefore older. A series of strata may form a vertical column that is like a book of the history of the earth.

Some of the longest chapters in this history are found in deeply eroded canyons, such as the Grand Canyon in Colorado and Arizona. There is no one place on earth where the column is complete, but geologists compare the sequence of strata in one place with that in another and try to assemble the various chapters into a whole book.

The chapters in this book are called geologic periods, and these are grouped into larger sections called eras. The first geologic era has been called the Azoic because no fossils are found in it. Then comes the Paleozoic era, starting with the Cambrian period, where we find the first fossils. In the Mesozoic era we find the dinosaur skeletons, as well as the first birds and small mammals. In the last era, the Cenozoic, the large mammals predominate. Finally, in the Pleistocene, human artifacts and fossil bones are found.

It is intensely interesting to Bible readers to note that the order in which living things appear in the geologic column corresponds closely with the Genesis record of the order in which God created them. For example, the small crustaceans, a few inches long, which appear in such variety and abundance in the Cambrian layer, are not mentioned in the Bible. The geologist tells us that these sea creatures came before land vegetation, but since they are not included in the Bible record there is no conflict.

However, those who reject the Bible account of creation and support evolution discount this evidence. Instead of seeing that paleontology is in harmony with the Bible, they appeal to the fossil record for proof of evolution of one species into another.

[Picture on page 19]

However evolutionists interpret the record of the rocks, different life forms appear suddenly

Young People Ask . . .

Do My Clothes Reveal the Real Me?

“A LOT of us have had sex and done drugs,” wrote a 14-year-old to a newspaper columnist. “But you have no right to think that all teenagers do,” he continued. “A lot of teenagers don’t.”

You, too, may resent the notion that all teenagers are pot smokers and promiscuous. Maybe you’ve seen the effects drugs and illicit sex have had on your friends and want a better way of life for yourself. Tired of being judged as a “teenager,” you may want to be viewed as an individual. And as an individual you may feel you have the right to decide what you’ll wear.

What appearance do you give to others? Some, by their choice of clothing, unwittingly give others the wrong impression. “The way we dress,” says researcher John T. Molloy, “has a remarkable impact on the people we meet and greatly affects how they treat us.”

People do “look at things according to their face value.” (2 Corinthians 10:7) It would be unwise to ignore this basic fact of human nature. So do you reveal the “real you” by the way you dress? What guides your selection of clothes?

“In” Today​—Obsolete Tomorrow

The winds of change are very temperamental when it comes to styles and fashion. What is “in” today is often obsolete tomorrow. Over the past few years, in some countries love beads have given way to neck chains, granny glasses to contact lenses, miniskirts to slit skirts, wide lapels to narrow lapels and tapered slacks to straight-legged slacks. The Bible well describes how life is, saying: “The scene of this world is changing.”​—1 Corinthians 7:31.

‘But is it wrong to be in style?’ you might ask. People who look to the Bible for guidance would answer: ‘Not necessarily.’ Servants of God in Bible times attired themselves according to local tastes. For example, the Bible says that Tamar wore a striped robe, “for that was the way the daughters of the king, the virgins, used to dress” in those days.​—2 Samuel 13:18.

However, some become enslaved to style, becoming frustrated if they cannot wear certain styles or brand names. As one young girl lamented: “You see in a store a great pair of pants that everybody else has and you say, ‘Mom, get me those pants,’ and she says, ‘No, I can make them at home.’ I say, ‘But you don’t understand. I want these pants.’”

The recent designer-jean fad illustrates how easily people are manipulated. Jeans suddenly became high fashion. A baffling array of blue jeans sporting the names of designers such as Calvin Klein and Gloria Vanderbilt came on the scene. People were, and still are, willing to pay extravagant prices for pants that, in effect, turned them into walking billboards.

Why? “People want a name,” says Eli Kaplan, quoted in Newsweek magazine. He is president of the company manufacturing “Sergio Valente” jeans. Who, then, is this Mr. Valente, whose prestigious name is so conspicuously sewn on jean pockets? “He doesn’t exist,” reports Newsweek. “Who was going to buy Eli Kaplan jeans?” asks Mr. Kaplan.

Succumbing to every whim of fashion designers can strip you of your individuality, obscure the real you. So don’t let yourself be controlled by provocative ads and slogans. Instead, consider carefully the counsel found in the Bible at Romans 12:2: “Quit being fashioned after this system of things, but be transformed by making your mind over, that you may prove to yourselves the good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

What is the ‘acceptable will of God’ when it comes to your choice of clothing? Does the Bible give guidelines?

‘Modest and Well Arranged’

Christians today are not bound by stringent dress codes. First Timothy 2:9, however, encourages Christians to “adorn themselves in well-arranged dress, with modesty and soundness of mind.”

“Well-arranged dress” would naturally be neat and clean. “Modesty” takes into consideration circumstances and the feelings of others. A well-tailored suit may be appropriate for your job, though out of place at the beach. Conversely, swim wear would hardly be considered modest in an office.

Some lack consideration for the feelings of others and consider only how they personally feel. But the Bible reminds us: “‘Conscience,’ I say, not your own, but that of the other person.” (1 Corinthians 10:29) If you’re not sure a certain outfit is appropriate, don’t be afraid to ask your parents for advice. You want to be sure your clothing reveals the real you!

Dress Appropriately

Appropriate dress can also help to impress others favorably. For example, the Bible tells of Queen Esther’s needing to appear before her husband, the king. Such an unbidden appearance was a capital offense! Esther thus fasted and no doubt fervently prayed for God’s help. She also gave attention to her appearance by “dressing up royally.” And “as soon as the king saw Esther the queen standing in the courtyard, she gained favor in his eyes.”​—Esther 5:1, 2.

Your being dressed in an appropriate manner might thus help you make a good impression at a job interview. But what is appropriate? Vicki L. Baum, director of a Career Development Center, observes: “Some women get confused when they go for an interview. They think it’s like going on a date, and they look seductive.” The results? “It takes away from your professionalism.” She therefore recommends: “Forget about the slits in your dresses, your sweater dresses, things that are tight or suggestive or sexy in any way.”

Young men, too, should strive to wear well-arranged clothing when job hunting. Writer John T. Molloy says that successful businessmen, whom you likely will encounter, “have their hair combed and their shoes shined. And they expect the same of other men.”

Immodest attire can damage your relationships with others. Psychology Today refers to a survey taken among adolescents that showed “a lowcut top, shorts, tight jeans, or no bra” would likely be interpreted by males as a sexual come-on. As one young man confessed: “I personally find it rather hard to think only pure thoughts about younger women when I see the way they dress.” Following the Bible’s counsel to dress modestly allows people to appreciate your inner qualities. Wouldn’t you rather be attractive to others because of the way you are inside, rather than merely because of how you look?

Of course, there may be times when being physically attractive seems to go a long way. Yet, you need not be preoccupied with your outward appearance. Remember, it’s the inner person that is important. The apostle Peter thus encouraged Christians to let their adornment be “the secret person of the heart in the incorruptible apparel of the quiet and mild spirit, which is of great value in the eyes of God”​—yes, and in the eyes of others!​—1 Peter 3:4.

Do your clothes, therefore, reveal the real you? Or are you sending out the wrong message? Do you let people see your inner beauty? One who is inwardly beautiful will be attractive to others​—even if the clothes are not of the latest style or are “tattooed” with silly, even phony, designer labels.

Who knows what fad will next send youths stampeding into the stores? You, however, can be different, no longer enslaved to the thinking of others. Your holding to high standards of dress and conduct will gradually gain for you the respect of others. Best of all, you will be developing a personality that is pleasing in the eyes of God. And, after all, that’s what really counts, isn’t it?

[Picture on page 21]

“Mom, I have to have these pants”

[Picture on page 23]

Modest attire can cause others to treat you with greater respect

Do You Enjoy Reading?

If you don’t like reading . . . this is for you!

Do you really like to read? Many people don’t. They consider reading a chore and cannot understand why other people read so much.

I used to be that way. I read slowly, so I lost interest quickly. I didn’t like reading, so I didn’t read very much. Not reading much, I never got the practice I needed to become a good reader.

Oh, I read what I had to to get through school, and I got above-average grades, but reading was not fun. I remember counting the pages to the end of a chapter to see how soon I could go out into the yard and play. “Two and a half pages more,” I remember thinking, “I’ll never get there!”

My wife cannot understand this. She says: “My mother read to me avidly​—not just about the Bible, but anything she found that was at my age level. Then she took me to the library and introduced me to the pleasure of checking out and reading books.”

Since my wife got a good start, she read a great deal. The practice helped her to read easily and well. Someone showed her some principles of speed reading. Unlike me, she wanted a book to be longer​—to have more pages to read so she could enjoy them too!

Many persons have not learned to read easily and rapidly enough to enjoy it. I was almost 25 years old when a strong desire to know things that are found in books pushed me to read enough for reading to become easy​—almost effortless.

What wonderful things you can learn by reading! Think of the people you can meet. What would you have been willing to do to get to hear Moses speak to the nation of Israel or to hear the wisdom of ancient King Solomon? They have been dead for thousands of years, but they wrote, and you can read their words​—just as if you were hearing them today.

How far would you be willing to go to hear someone who knew Jesus personally? Imagine the aged apostle John sitting down nearly 2,000 years ago to write his experiences as a close companion of Jesus Christ. Then remember that you can read what John wrote! You will find it in the Bible book that bears his name.

If your family appreciated the marvelous blessing of reading, they may have encouraged you to read well. Remember, too, that God chose to have his Word written down so we could read and use it.

If reading presents a problem for you, don’t be ashamed to start with simple things. You will feel good about your success. My Book of Bible Stories, Your Youth​—Getting the Best out of It, Making Your Family Life Happy and You Can Live Forever in Paradise on Earth, all published by the Society that publishes this magazine, provide important but easy-to-read information. So do the personal life stories often printed in this magazine.

As you progress you will enjoy reading things that are more and more difficult. You will come to appreciate that reading​—like speech and writing—​is a gift from God. You will find that it can provide instruction and pleasure and can help you on the road to everlasting life. What great joys you can have through developing the wonderful gift of reading!​—Contributed.

Television​—How It Affects Us

TELEVISION has become very much a part of life for most people today. In the U.S. some consider it the most important item in the home. In China it has replaced bicycles and sewing machines as the latest status symbol. In Britain more and more people are seeking medical treatment for stomach ailments, backaches and poor leg circulation due to long hours spent sitting in front of the “telly.”

Worldwide, there are 465 million television sets in use​—one for every 10 people on earth—​and some sets are turned on as many as six and a half hours a day. This proliferation of TV has become the focal point of a great deal of research and study.

Power of the Visual Medium

“Television has a transforming power at least equal to that of the printing press and possibly as great as that of the alphabet itself,” claims communications professor Neil Postman in an interview published in U.S. News & World Report. This is really not surprising because, basically, television is a visual medium. But, unlike the printed page, its motion, sound and often colorful pictures give the viewer a you-are-there feeling. In this way, it engages the viewer’s full attention​—body, mind and emotion. This, in turn, lowers or even overpowers the viewer’s critical and analytical faculties, making whatever appears on the TV screen seem quite believable and acceptable.

Advertisers apparently are well aware of this unique power of television. Each year they spend billions of dollars on TV commercials with one objective​—to move the viewers to buy their products. Typically, such commercials as those for designer jeans say nothing about the quality or cost of the product, but capitalize on the power of the “image” they present to the prospective buyers, who are willing to pay two or three times the usual price for what they see advertised on TV.

Another characteristic of television is its ability to reach a vast audience around the world more or less simultaneously. For instance, it was reported that 600 million TV viewers worldwide saw man first set foot on the moon at the moment it happened, and some 1,000 million people watched the events of the 20th Olympic Games on TV as they took place.

Since the TV networks are constantly striving to attract larger and larger audiences with programs that appeal to them, they, in essence, become arbiters of public taste and attitudes. By their programming, the networks dictate what the viewers see and when they see it. They also determine what are the socially or politically important issues to be discussed or debated. It must be remembered, however, that in deciding what to put on the air, the determining factor usually is not the public’s interests or welfare but its buying power.

TV’s Effects on Children

Most researchers and people in the television industry agree that children are particularly vulnerable and susceptible to what they see on TV. One underlying cause for this is the amount of time and attention children give to television. Professor Postman, quoted earlier, explains it in this way: “TV is a medium that becomes intelligible to children beginning at about the age of 36 months. From this very early age on, television continuously exerts influence.”

How does this ‘continuous influence’ affect children? “I can spot the heavy TV viewers right away,” observes a kindergarten teacher of 20 years. “They are usually the children whose play is copied from TV superheroes​—the ones you see standing on top of the tables with towels or aprons tied around their necks as capes like Batman has. They do a lot of aimless running around, punching and shouting. The heavy viewers are often the ones who can’t sit still and listen to a story without squirming and interrupting incessantly. But if I put on a film they will sit motionless and stare at it.”

The “stare” is clearly a carry-over from television viewing, and it creates another problem for children​—poor reading ability. In reading, the eyes must move across the printed page line by line while the brain deciphers the meaning of what is read. “What is not generally realized,” observes Dr. Edgar Gording, director of the Gording Institute of Developmental Vision, “is that habitual television viewing trains eyes not to move.” (Evidence is also accumulating to show that children’s comprehension, imagination, range of conversation and use of words are affected by excessive TV viewing as well.)

Here is another serious consequence of television viewing by children. The ugly skeletons hidden in the closet of the adult world​—adultery, divorce, homosexuality, incest, corruption, brutality, violence, and so forth—​are fully exposed to children through television. The result? The disappearance of childhood innocence.

What About the Adults?

For most people who own a set, TV viewing is relaxing, convenient and seemingly harmless. However, since the mid-1970’s, a great deal has been said and published about the harmful effects of TV, especially of its violence. Though some measures have been taken by the networks to cut the amount of violence in TV programs, the TV tube was turning from blood-red to blue. “You push down violence and up pops exploitative sex,” says a media analyst. Even a member of a network’s censor board admits: “With the mix of programming today, sexuality has taken the place of violence.”

The networks, however, defend their position by saying that “the viewers speak with forked tongue” because surveys consistently show that programs riddled with flirtatious behavior and verbal innuendos, such as are presented in many of the situation comedies and variety shows, are among the most popular. They claim that they are merely giving the public what it wants.

Not only is the quality of TV entertainment often questionable but the limitations of the medium also make it an inefficient source of news and information. Why? Because not only does television dictate at what time you get your nightly news but you may have to watch the entire newscast to get a particular report, such as the weather. Books, magazines and newspapers, on the other hand, can be picked up and read at any time, and you can scan, skip, pick and choose as you please.

The Alternative

The Daily Yomiuri of Japan reported that 42 families in the city of Kobe participated in a municipally sponsored program to break “the mental shackles of soap operas and situation comedies.” The average family in Kobe watches TV about four hours a day. But for one month these families, ranging from young newlyweds in their 20’s to retirees, unplugged their TV sets to see what life without TV is like. What did they find?

First, they found that the “withdrawal symptoms” were not entirely painless or easy to take. One family was not able to last one single day without TV. Four other families soon gave in and dropped out of the program. What about the rest? Note what the report says:

“People related with enthusiasm how a feeling of tranquillity had returned to their homes, that they were sleeping and rising earlier, reading more, and were in a generally healthier frame of mind.

“One mother said that she and her husband now have lively conversations with their kids, a rarity when the TV set was their primary nightly companion.

“Others said that their children, who never used to lift a finger in the house, were now making their beds and helping with the dishes.”

The attitude of many TV owners seems to be changing. At one time most of them would find it unthinkable or even pitiable to be without a TV set. Now they often say they wish they had the willpower or courage to do without, or at least had better control of their TV-viewing habits. If that is how you feel, you may be assured that whatever effort you need to put forth now will be amply rewarded.

[Picture on page 26]

Because habitual TV viewing trains eyes not to move, it hinders reading ability​—so say the experts

From Our Readers

The New Morality

Congratulations for your courage and timing in bringing before the public the articles about the new morality. (June 22, 1982) The subject is terrifying, alarming and scary, but true. Plain language and true issues that concern every human being. I think everybody should know the facts.

P. M., Florida

I read and reread your issue on “The New Morality.” (September 22, 1982, French edition) I was surprised and hurt. I didn’t think it was so serious and so extensive. Thank you for telling us the truth, for being practical and for giving us good advice on how to stay free of this world and its practices. Thank you for your frankness and the concern that you have for us.

S. B., Canada

A Shocking Injustice

I read the article “A Shocking Injustice!” [the Oneda trial and conviction, Italy] in your October 22, 1982, issue. Clearly the parents have been wronged. They have been treated as the worst kind of criminals. Not they but the authorities responsible for such illegal treatment have broken the law. Let us hope that in the next trial justice will not continue to be trampled upon.

D. K., Germany

About Ulcers

May I heartily commend you on the article “So You Think You Have an Ulcer?” (September 8, 1982) Having experienced a vagotomy operation myself four years ago, I found the article so fascinatingly accurate and practical. In fact, if I had had the wealth of information the article contains, I might have avoided getting an ulcer, or certainly have handled the situation better than I did. Keep up the good work!

I. B., England

Keeping Your Job

I want to thank you for the important information presented in your magazine. I work in a firm where there is a big problem of employees’ leaving the job. Many do not worry about keeping their job. I remembered the article “Keeping Your Job” published in an older issue. (March 8, 1981) I reread it and then made a photocopy of it and put it in a plastic envelope and took it to my manager. He was so enthusiastic that at the next meeting of workers he read the entire article to the 100 employees attending. The results were very satisfying. And 10 of them asked for subscriptions for Awake!

H. M., Brazil

Sugar​—How Sweet?

May I tell you how much I enjoyed the articles on “Sugar​—How Sweet?” (November 22, 1982) It proved what I knew was true in my case, and that is that sugar raises my blood pressure. So I can’t indulge in eating it. Now maybe my doctor will believe it, because I plan to show the article to him. I’ve been trying to convince him for years. Thank you so much.

B. P., California

Watching the World

Mushrooming Nuclear Club

● Today six countries, the United States, the U.S.S.R., France, Britain, China and India, have produced nuclear weapons. But by the year 2000 that number could grow to 31, claim U.S. military analysts in a special report to The New York Times. Pakistan and South Africa are named. In the Middle East, Israel, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Iran and Iraq are listed. In Asia, South Korea, Taiwan, Japan and the Philippines are potential nuclear powers. In Latin America, the intelligence survey lists Mexico, Brazil and Argentina. West Germany, Sweden, Italy and Spain are included for Europe. Canada and Australia have nuclear weapons capabilities too. What does this portend for the future since many of these countries have engaged in long-standing regional disputes?

The Churches and the Bomb

● The chasm between the Church of England and the Church of Rome is being bridged by the nuclear bomb issue. Both churches experience that their clergy boldly are speaking out against nuclear weapons. The bishop of Salisbury, John Austin Baker, representing a “working party” of the Church of England, stated: “Nuclear weapons are a direct denial of the Christian conception of peace.” (Its counterpart in the United States of America, the Episcopal Church, called for an immediate nuclear freeze during its governing body convention.)

The U.S. National Conference of Catholic Bishops in its proposed pastoral letter to the nation’s 51 million Roman Catholics stated: “We have judged immoral even the threat to use nuclear weapons.” Both the prime minister of England and the president of the United States take issue with the churches’ conclusions.

Scientists and War

● One half of the physicists in the world are involved in making war weapons, according to Australia’s leading scientist, Sir Mark Oliphant. In a speech given at the Fifth Biennial Physics Congress in Canberra, Australia, he said: “It is a sobering fact that the terrible new and accurate weapons of mass destruction now deployed in the world arose not from demands by the armed services, but from proposals made by men of science.” And Sir Mark raised a question for Australian scientists to answer: Should they oppose war or join the “technological destruction of human dignity and values”?

Catholic Holy Years

● Pope John Paul II declared the year 1983 a Holy Year. His announcement surprised Vatican sources. Since 1470, the Roman Catholic Church celebrated Holy Years every quarter of a century. Now it appears that Catholics will celebrate six Holy Years each century. For in 1933, Pope Pius XI announced a Holy Year to mark the 1,900th anniversary of Jesus Christ’s death. (But in fact it marked Hitler’s rise to power.) One reason for selecting 1983 is to commemorate the 1,950th anniversary of Jesus’ death (Redemption to Christianity). Thus a new pattern is emerging in which Holy Years will be observed every quarter of a century along with the ’33 and ’83 years for the Redemption celebrations. The other reasons the pope gave were: the coming Synod of Bishops, the “worthy preparation” for the Holy Year 2000 and for “a gust of spiritual renewal at all levels.” At the end of the last Holy Year in 1975, the Catholic magazine Commonweal stated: “The word of God is preached no more clearly and effectively than it was a year ago.” Will 1983 fare any better?

Harmful Toys

● Certain toy games may promote a linkage of sexual acts with violence, according to an article in The Vancouver Sun by Linda Hossie. One store, she notes, sells miniature figures of women in violent pornographic shapes for players of the fantasy game Dungeons and Dragons. These lead statuettes are potential dungeon victims and “are sexually explicit figures of women undergoing torture.” The figurines are naked and bound in sexually humiliating positions.

What effect may this have on youth? The director of adolescent psychiatry at Vancouver General Hospital, Dr. Sadi Bayrakal, says: “Those toys which desensitize children to any kind of violence are harmful. . . . Children are much more vulnerable [than adults]. They have difficulty differentiating between reality and fantasy. So that [the violence of a toy] might be seen as acceptable violence.”

Big Soviet Weddings

● “Nearly every wedding now is a fantastic waste of energy and finances,” complained a recent article in the Soviet newspaper Pravda. Noting that one rural wedding feast lasted four days, it said: “Milkmaids were doing the gopak [cossack dance] so long that they forgot about their cows. The combine and tractor drivers could not start up their machinery because their hands were trembling so much from hangovers.” The article pointed out that “in ancient Russia, the newlyweds never drank at their weddings, but now the organizers of the celebrations stock up with a minimum of a bottle of alcohol per guest for each day of the feast, including for children and old people.” The custom of trying to outdo one another by inviting hundreds of guests to receptions was also attacked by Pravda.

Europe Going Jobless

● For the first time since World War II, unemployment has reached “10.1 percent of the working population of nine European nations,” reports Daily Telegraph of London. The number of unemployed soared to over 11 million in the European Common Market countries last September. Britain has the largest number out of work among the Common Market countries​—3,343,000 unemployed. Belgium’s jobless rate is 14.8 percent of workers​—the highest percentage of unemployment of the nine countries.

Dangerous Leftovers

● Over and over again, German children have been injured or killed while playing with World War II ammunition or weapons they have found. An official of the State of North-Rhine-Westphalia reported in the newspaper Die Welt that the search along the Rhine and the Ruhr rivers for leftovers from World War II will have to go on “for decades.” Between 1949 and the end of 1981, at some 300,000 different locations, about 30 million bombs, mines, rockets, grenades and other explosive devices were unearthed. The find of small arms munition has been put at a weight of 5,718 tons. Experts say that the bombs will “remain live for at least 65 years.”

World in Debt

● “More than 40 countries are falling behind in their international debt payments,” reports The Courier Mail of Australia. Mexico, Argentina and Costa Rica are negotiating with the World Bank to delay their payments. In Africa many countries are being buried under a mountain of debt. Canada’s economy also has a 20-percent chance of collapsing in the next six months, according to Peter Martin, chief economist with a Toronto investment firm. He declared: “Never in the past 50 years have we been closer to the abyss than we are right now.” Unemployment, loss of business profits and consumers with little money contribute to Canada’s economic problems.

Chewing Saves Money

● According to researchers, the soft refined foods eaten in most industrialized nations may be responsible for making orthodontists wealthy. They fed 43 squirrel monkeys either artificially soft foods or naturally chewy foods. As reported in the journal Science, 19 of 22 monkeys raised on the tough diet were found to have healthy jaws and teeth, whereas 14 of the 18 soft-diet monkeys had abnormalities similar to common defects suffered by many Americans: buck teeth, impacted and crooked teeth and twisted incisors. The researchers said more chewing could save millions in orthodontic bills.

“Never Had It So Bad”

● “During my 30 years in the police,” states the chief constable of Greater Manchester, James Anderton, “recorded crime in England and Wales alone has risen from half a million to almost three million . . . We have never had it so bad.” He says that every citizen of Manchester will be a crime victim by the year 2000 if the present crime rate continues, according to Liverpool Daily Post. Anderton continued: “Perhaps the saddest reflection on our times is the fact that the more enlightened and educated we are and the better our standards of living, the worse our crime problems become.” Adding to the problem, statistics indicate that crime committed by handguns increased 80 percent over the year in England and Wales.

Zambian Crime “Alarming”

● “We are reaching a breaking point,” says Samuel Mbilishi of the Zambian Central Committee. “Crime, lawlessness, anti-social activities, et cetera have reached a very alarming stage and are retarding development,” he states in Times of Zambia. Independence was gained so that Zambians could live a happy and peaceful life, Mr. Mbilishi said in his Independence Day speech: “We did not achieve Independence to live in perpetual fear and misery all the time.” Not only people in Zambia but many in nations the world over are caught in fear’s grip due to increases in crime. The Bible predicted such ‘an increase of lawlessness’ as an indicator pointing to the near end of wickedness.​—Matthew 24:3, 12.

Antidotes for Loneliness

● For many, loneliness can be lessened by acknowledging the problem and putting forth a real effort to change, according to the authors of a new book, In Search of Intimacy. They liken loneliness more to a hunger than an illness. When the body needs nourishment, hunger is its signal. When the body has psychological needs, a feeling of loneliness is the sign. They have found that too much television watching for too long a time period can increase loneliness. Suggested antidotes are: learn how to listen, avoid blaming self, keep busy in upbuilding activities and get involved in organizations.

Physician on Phone

● Most people who telephone their doctor for advice or reassurance about a medical problem “don’t know how to use the phone effectively,” states Dr. P. Bruno. How can one prepare to talk to a physician on the phone? The following six suggestions from the Brooklyn Lung Association appeared in Self magazine: 1. Take your temperature before you call. 2. Make a list of your symptoms and when they started. 3. Give information about symptoms without self-diagnosis. 4. Be specific with information. 5. Write down what the doctor says. 6. Talk to doctor yourself if at all possible.

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