June 22

Page Two

The number of people suffering from allergies is increasing. What causes allergies, and what can be done to alleviate them? You will find the following articles informative and helpful

Allergies​—What Can Be Done? 3

Questions People Ask About Allergies 7

Allergies​—What Can Be Done?

JOYCE sneezes endlessly every August. Her husband once went into shock and almost died after eating crabs. One of their sons has a problem with wheezing when exerting himself, and a daughter broke out in hives the last time she was given penicillin.

Happily, Joyce’s family is not typical of the average household. But consider the magnitude of the allergy problem in just one country, the United States. There, 17 percent of the population are said to have significant allergies, representing the largest segment of those with chronic diseases. Furthermore, the number of ailments diagnosed as allergies is undoubtedly going to rise as our environment becomes more complex and polluted.

The fact that many people are hypersensitive to things in their environment is a relatively recent discovery. Yet, four centuries before the birth of Christ, Hippocrates described an illness that we today recognize as asthma. Perhaps the earliest record of a fatal allergic reaction was discovered on the tomb of an ancient Egyptian king, Menes. He died after being stung by a hornet.

Dr. John Bostock of England, who lived in the early 1800’s, is believed to have been the first to use the expression “hay fever,” after noticing that he regularly had a summer “cold.” In 1906 an Austrian pediatrician proposed the word “allergy,” derived from two Greek words that can roughly be translated ‘altered responses.’

Allergens and Antibodies

It is this altered response that causes the problem in allergic individuals. From birth we inhale, swallow, and touch many things that are foreign to our bodies. For most of us this contact seems to be harmless. But if someone who has an allergy breathes in, swallows, or touches even a minute amount of the substance to which he is unusually sensitive, he will develop specific symptoms. The substances that cause allergic reactions are known as allergens.

Some common allergens are:

• Inhalants​—pollens, dust, mold, and dog and cat dander.

• Ingestants​—eggs, chocolate, nuts, shellfish, milk, antibiotics, and aspirin.

• Contactants​—poison ivy, dyes, metals, wool, and cosmetics.

• Injectants​—bee and wasp stings, and penicillin.

These are only a few of the many allergens. In fact, the number seems limitless.

What happens, though, that causes allergic reactions? Normally, you produce in your body substances called antibodies, to fight off invaders, such as germs. If you are allergic, these defense mechanisms overreact. They attack foreign substances, such as those allergens listed above. A specific type of antibody, IgE, is overproduced in your body, causing dramatic results when it meets an offending allergen. The reaction causes a release of chemicals such as histamine. Histamine causes your nose to swell and your eyes to itch.

Why, Why, Why?

A major question of any allergy sufferer is, “Why me?” All the answers are not known. We do know that heredity is an important factor. One study shows that 80 percent of hay-fever sufferers have a family history of this allergy. Although the tendency is inherited, the specific allergy need not be​—a parent may have asthma, but the child may have hay fever.

It is also generally agreed that emotional stress, such as tension, overwork, fatigue, fright, and extreme anger, can prompt allergies. But whether psychosomatic factors alone can actually cause an allergy to develop is a question that needs more study.

Then, of course, there is the factor of the increasingly complex environment with its many pollutants. How much this contributes to the increase in allergies is unknown, but there is no question about the ill effect that polluted air has on asthma sufferers.

Gloria is a middle-aged asthmatic who lives in a big city laden with pollution. For the past 14 years asthma has plagued her. She wheezes as she speaks: “When an attack occurs I can’t breathe, and it frightens me. Yesterday someone called me, and I couldn’t even answer the phone because I couldn’t speak. So I let the phone ring.”

The healthy may find it hard to believe that an allergy can severely affect someone. Incredulous looks and other similar responses often confront the sufferer whenever he talks about his problem of allergic reactions, whether it be asthma or another allergy. “It is very difficult for others to understand this problem,” says one allergy sufferer from Canada. “We need kindness, too, instead of suspicion and unkind words.”

If you regularly entertain guests in your house, you may want to give kind consideration to those who suffer from allergies and try to eliminate the source of their discomfort.

What Can Be Done?

The term “allergies” encompasses several different recognized diseases. So let’s take a brief look at these conditions and see what can be done about them.

Asthma is the most serious of all the allergic diseases and is still a killer, although many who suffer from it can lead normal lives. The free movement of air in and out of the lungs is blocked​—thus the typical wheezing during an attack. The problem can be curbed through prevention​—removing the known allergens from the home or work environment and doing breathing exercises. Moreover, there have been several recent advances in treatment, both with tablets and with inhalers. The asthmatic patient should be encouraged to be as active as possible without overexertion. Relatives and friends must resist the temptation to overprotect the person who has asthma.

Hay Fever is the most common allergic reaction. Although hay fever is not generally dangerous, when it is severe the patient suffers greatly. “Hay fever” is a misleading name, for hay is not responsible for the symptoms. Pollen, or at times mold, generally is, and the patient rarely has an actual fever. Hay fever usually occurs in either spring or fall when grasses, weeds, or trees are flowering. Antihistamines and inhalants may control the worst symptoms.

Perennial Allergic Rhinitis is a condition of year-round nasal irritation and may include the common annoyance of a runny or stopped-up nose. Children are often affected, leading their parents mistakenly to believe that the children are repeatedly catching cold. The most common causes are house dust, animal dander, and molds. Skin tests may be helpful here, but the results can be misleading. So regard these tests only as aids in identifying possible allergens. The best treatment for this illness is avoidance of the allergen whenever possible, which may mean getting rid of the family pet. Or special precautions may be necessary in the home to lessen the dust, which easily accumulates on mattresses, rugs, stuffed toys, and similar things.

Dermatitis is an inflammation of the skin marked by redness, blistering, oozing, or crusting. Today the word “eczema” is synonymous with chronic dermatitis. At home and at work, the skin is exposed to all kinds of irritants, and normally it is able to resist their harmful effects. But some of these substances lead to allergic reactions in certain people, and the number of such substances is increasing as new products and compounds are developed. In treating contact dermatitis, first remove the offending allergen.

Hives are raised, itching welts that appear suddenly on the skin, usually remain for a few hours, and then disappear as mysteriously as they came. In some cases they appear intermittently for months before disappearing. They may be caused by many things, such as cold, heat, and anxiety, as well as a wide variety of allergens. They are the bane of the allergist because the actual cause is hard to identify. “Anti-itch” medicine may be used until the hives disappear.

Bites, Stings may cause hives, fainting, breathing difficulties, and even death to an allergic person. Tips to help you avoid being stung are: When out-of-doors, don’t walk barefoot; avoid hair sprays, perfumes, or lotions, which may attract wasps; wear light rather than dark clothing. If you do get stung, apply ice to lessen the absorption of venom and remove the stinger as carefully as possible. For those who are very allergic to stings, specific desensitization is now available.

Food Allergy is a controversial allergic disease and the most difficult to pinpoint and treat. It goes without saying that foods can and do bother many people in different ways, and yet the cause may or may not be food allergy. Some experts believe that true food allergy is rare; yet almost any food can be an allergen to somebody. Unfortunately, skin tests are generally of questionable value in diagnosing food allergy. The most effective treatment is to isolate the offending food and then not to eat it.

Drug Allergy has become worse in recent years. Allergic reactions to medications are baffling. Reactions vary and may be so serious as to cause death. If you sense a drug allergy, discuss it with your doctor.

Although we already know a lot about allergy, and scientists have made considerable progress in the past decade, there is still much to discover. It is very possible that many of these discoveries will have to wait for God’s New Order. Mankind will then be brought back to perfection, and the causes, whatever they may be, of this complex illness will be permanently eradicated.​—Isaiah 33:24.

Questions People Ask About Allergies

How can I be allergic to house dust when I keep such a clean house?

House dust is found in the cleanest of homes. In a city, the average six-room house or apartment collects 40 to 50 pounds (18 to 23 kg) of dust every year. Though no amount of housecleaning can completely solve the problem, there are many “dust measures” that can help. For example, keep one room of the house, usually the bedroom, as dust free as possible to provide a haven for the allergy sufferer. Incidentally, feather pillows are dust collectors.

Various devices (electrostatic air filters, for example) are marketed to remove dust from the air, but their value is questionable. Probably of more importance is frequently to change your furnace and air-conditioner filters. To get rid of polluted indoor air, daily air out your house, even in winter.

Must we get rid of our pet, since we have a child who has been found to be allergic to it?

This is a common problem for the allergist in a pet-oriented society. Many people keep animals in the house, and they form close attachments to them.

Unfortunately, allergy to the dander and the hair of cats and dogs is a particularly severe problem for the allergic child. Generally there is no problem when the animal is kept outside. But when the pet is kept indoors, the dander soon permeates the house. Thus, a child may not be worse when he is holding the pet than when he is elsewhere in the house. It’s just that the pet is “everywhere,” or at least his dander is. In fact, it usually takes about six months after a pet is put out of the house for the dander to disappear completely.

Finally, the symptoms with this allergy are worse than those with other allergies, and the desensitization shots are more dangerous. Little wonder that in some allergy centers, if the parents of a pet-allergic child refuse to remove the pet from the house, the policy of the clinic is to report the parents to the child-abuse authorities.

How long will our ten-year-old child have to take shots for asthma, and will he ever outgrow it?

Allergy desensitization shots have been used with variable results since early in this century, but there is no sure way of knowing when to stop the shots. Most specialists stop the allergy shots after a few years to see if they are still needed.

People can develop allergies at any age, though most begin in childhood. Likewise, many allergies disappear as a person gets older. Childhood food allergies and asthma often go away as the child grows up. Hay fever may get less severe as a person approaches middle age.

How did I become allergic to mold?

The answer is unknown, but much has recently been learned about mold allergy. Molds belong to the fungus family and are present everywhere. Only a few species cause allergy. One type of allergy is caused by summer molds. These are kicked up when a person mows the lawn and may cause more allergy symptoms than the grass itself. Another kind of mold grows year-round in houses, particularly in damp environments, such as basements and bathrooms. Houseplants often harbor molds on their stems and leaves.

Could our child’s school-discipline problem be due to the food additives he gets in processed food?

This is perhaps the most controversial issue in connection with allergies today. Often the question of hyperactivity is raised. In the early 1970’s some researchers presented evidence that color additives and other chemicals in foods may be guilty. A California pediatric allergist, Dr. Benjamin Feingold, for example, developed the theory that salicylates, artificial food colorings, and artificial flavorings cause hyperactivity. He popularized a dietary regimen that is very restrictive and, if followed, needs careful planning to ensure adequate vitamins.

Although diets that restrict chemical food additives apparently can help a segment of hyperactive children, the American Council on Science and Health stated in 1982 that such additives “are not significant causes of hyperactivity in children.”

What vitamins can I take instead of medications to cure my allergies?

There is no known cure for allergies. Even desensitization shots are only given to relieve the symptoms of allergies until the body fights them off. Some allergists have promoted the use of vitamins, often in massive doses, for the treatment of allergies, though the value of this treatment in eliminating these diseases is questioned by many researchers.a

Skin tests showed that I am allergic to almost all foods; so, what can I eat?

Nearly every allergic patient nowadays has heard of skin tests in which the suspected food allergen is injected into the skin and the reaction is measured. A person may have severe skin reactions to foods that give him no trouble. Conversely, there have been instances in which a person was known to have severe allergy to shellfish, for example, and yet it did not show up clearly in skin tests. Thus, even though skin tests may show reactions to certain foods, if the person has noticed no unpleasant effects when eating them in the past, it is probably safe to continue.

Can my migraine headaches be due to allergies?

The swelling of the blood vessels in the head causes migraine headaches. Recent tests show that certain foods contain chemicals that can cause these headaches. Foods such as chocolate, bananas, nuts, wine, cheese, hot dogs, and the food seasoning monosodium glutamate are suspect. Many other things can cause migraines, but if other causes have been eliminated, the migraine sufferer might consider eliminating these foods from the diet. The problem of migraines appears to be technically a chemical one and not an allergy.

Why do my allergies seem to get better when I’m pregnant?

Most women’s allergies are reduced when they are pregnant, though occasionally a patient may get worse. It appears that a hormonal component is the cause of this. The precise reason is unknown and is another indication of how much is yet to be learned about the problem called allergy.

[Footnotes]

Keeping Integrity in Nazi Germany

LIKE many young people in pre-World War II Germany, I enjoyed sports, especially gymnastics and soccer. My life was filled with these things. But eventually this changed.

Through a workmate of my father, I became acquainted with the Bible. At first I was skeptical about what this Bibelforscher (Bible Student, as a witness of Jehovah was then known) had to say. Later, what he said impressed me, particularly the information about Jesus Christ and his activity as a man.

Time of Testing Begins

In 1933, due to the Nazi takeover in Germany, the sports club to which I belonged was banned. This, together with what I was learning from the Scriptures, helped me to become more concerned with spiritual matters. In 1935 I dedicated myself to Jehovah God and symbolized this by water baptism, and at about the same time, I married a fellow believer.

Hard times had begun and worse were on the way. The owner of the business that I worked for received a letter from the German Workers’ Front, an organization that was a branch of the NSDAP (Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei, or Nazi Party). The letter stated:

“We herewith request you to dismiss according to the rules and regulations of your company the Bible Student employed by you, inasmuch as he manifestly disturbs the peace of your enterprise by not becoming a member of the German Workers’ Front.” The owner of the firm complied with the letter, and since I could not conscientiously affiliate myself with a political party, I lost my job.

One year later my mother-in-law and I were arrested. Efforts were made to get me to give up my faith and to betray my spiritual brothers. My refusal to cooperate resulted in my being taken to Buchenwald concentration camp on November 25, 1937. My mother-in-law was also sent to a concentration camp.

Tests of Integrity in Buchenwald

My imprisonment in Buchenwald lasted for nearly eight years. This was supposed to be where I would end my life​—at least devilish-minded men thought so. The German SS guards repeatedly told us: “You won’t get out of here alive.” I was forced to work from four o’clock in the morning until sundown, despite having little to eat. But thanks to Jehovah God, toward whom I wanted to maintain my integrity, I was able to keep going.

During such hard times, spiritual food was very important. How did we get it in the concentration camp? From time to time, more Jehovah’s Witnesses were brought to Buchenwald. They were brought not only from Germany but also from Holland, Belgium, and France. Whatever they remembered from what they had read in recent issues of The Watchtower was written down and, by our secret means of distribution, passed on to fellow Witnesses. Thus we received the spiritual nourishment that we so desperately needed in order to keep our integrity.

However, our supply of spiritual food did not remain a secret, although the guards did not succeed in finding out how we received it. One day we were given the following ultimatum: If all printed matter is not turned in by tomorrow at 12 o’clock, every second man will be shot. In a concentration camp, that was not always an idle threat!

Our brothers who were responsible for the written material found a means of getting together to discuss the matter and to pray about it. It was decided to turn in portions of our handwritten “food provisions.” In these writings, various unchristian practices of the Catholic Church were exposed. The decision to turn in such material brought good results. No one was executed, and a good witness was given. In fact, some of the SS officers showed interest in what had been committed to writing.

We were also able to supply other camps with spiritual sustenance. Whenever brothers were transferred from Buchenwald to other camps, they would risk their lives by hiding on themselves Bible truths in handwritten form. And within Buchenwald, we organized a special campaign to witness to other inmates, reaching thousands of them with the good news.

Deny the Faith or Die

When World War II began in 1939, we experienced the hardest test. It was demanded that we sign a declaration stating that we had renounced our faith and were willing to name persons who were actively advocating teachings of the Bible Students. If we signed, we were to be released. Any Witness refusing to sign was to be shot.

Time and again this threat was used. The command would be given: “Bible Students, to the gate!” We would stand there​—skinny, in tattered clothing. On the towers were armed guards. The camp commander would repeat his threat that all those who refused to sign would be put to death. Total silence. No one volunteered.

On one occasion, two Witnesses who had previously signed the document stepped forward, stating that they wished to cancel their signatures! They preferred to die with their brothers. There was astonishment, and even anxiety, on the part of the otherwise hardened SS. At first, there was no abuse, no threatening, only the command: “Dismissed! Do not report for work.” Two hours later, the words rang out again: “Bible Students, to the gate!” This cat-and-mouse process continued for three days.

Loud enough for us to hear, the SS would discuss how we were to be lined up and shot. We even heard one of the commanders say: “The best thing for us to do is to stand around them and shoot at them from all sides.” But that this was simply a ploy to break our morale became clear when we again had to appear on the parade grounds.

Camp commander Huttig began his speech with the unflattering words: “You scoundrels, you pigs . . .” But what were we hearing? Not the usual threats of death, but: “The Führer is much too good to you. The execution of your sentences has been postponed until the victory.” Deep gratitude to Jehovah welled up within us, despite the fact that Huttig screamed: “But remember . . . forbearance is not acquittal.” The enemy had lost.

Another Victory

Even though conditions became more bearable the following year, many hardships still lay ahead. During one bitterly cold winter, we were told to donate clothing to the German troops in the East. When we refused to support the war effort in this way, we were stripped of our gloves, our earmuffs, and our undershirts. Our leather shoes were also confiscated. Instead we were given wooden clogs, called Dutchmen. Despite the lack of clothing, we were forced to go out to work, even at temperatures of 5 degrees Fahrenheit (-15° C.).

One day it was declared that the Bible Students would be denied all medical aid in the camp infirmary. We were, therefore, forced to support one another all the more, helping and caring for and lovingly ‘dragging along’ sick ones, so to speak. (Galatians 6:2) This measure, which was intended to break us, actually had the opposite effect. Yes, we even began to discern the hand of our God in this matter!

Since we cared for the sick and the weak with Christian love, we had no deaths. On the other hand, many of the inmates that were treated in the camp infirmary died. Naturally, the God-estranged SS men, having become inhuman, could not comprehend what love could accomplish. After some time, on seeing that all of us would still report for roll call, one SS doctor shook his head in disbelief and said: “A medical wonder.”

Celebrating the Memorial

It was March 1942, and the time for celebrating the Lord’s Evening Meal, or Memorial of Christ’s death, was approaching. But how could we organize it in a concentration camp? One brother was able to obtain bed sheets to use as tablecloths; the SS commander who granted permission believed they were to be used for a birthday celebration. The Memorial was to be held in the D wing of our block.

The first group of brothers had been smuggled into the D wing and were already gathered for the celebration. Other brothers casually stood on guard outside the room. Suddenly something unexpected happened. The commander was on his way for a routine inspection! And he was headed right toward the D wing. The hearts of the brothers keeping watch almost stood still. There was nothing they could do. The commander was coming up the stairs. So they prayed silently. Halfway up the stairs the commander stood still, looked around, and, inexplicably, went back down.

Even now, 40 years later, memories of such events help me to trust fully in Jehovah in whatever circumstances I find myself. He changed seemingly hopeless situations into grand deliverances.​—Isaiah 26:3, 4.

A Time of Relief

At the end of the war, we were released from the camp. We felt as did the Israelites of old, of whom it was said: “When Jehovah gathered back the captive ones of Zion, we became like those who were dreaming. At that time our mouth came to be filled with laughter, and our tongue with a joyful cry.”​—Psalm 126:1, 2.

Shortly before the end of World War II my wife had been arrested to be taken to a concentration camp. My mother-in-law had been in Ravensbruck, and just a few months before the end of the war the SS sent her to upper Bavaria. But in 1945 all of us returned home. We were happy to be together again, grateful that we had kept integrity, and appreciative that we could again freely carry on our worship of Jehovah.

Arrested Again

Some years after World War II, because of a ban on the activity of Jehovah’s Witnesses in the country where I lived, I was again arrested and I was separated from my family for nearly four years. During this difficult time, we repeatedly felt the help of Jehovah, our merciful God.

After the war, we were blessed with a son, and when he reached adulthood, he was also confronted with a decision involving the principle of neutrality that is set forth in the Bible at Isaiah 2:4. To our joy, he chose the way of integrity to Jehovah. Thus for two years he became acquainted with prison life.

Because of keeping integrity to God, our small family can now look back on a total of 23 years in concentration camps and prisons. Not all of us have to experience the same things. But we are all faced each day with the challenge of maintaining integrity in a perverse world. Therefore, may you also determine to hold fast to your integrity. This you will never regret, for as the psalmist says: “As for me, because of my integrity you have upheld me, and you will set me before your face to time indefinite. Blessed be Jehovah the God of Israel from time indefinite even to time indefinite.” (Psalm 41:12, 13)​—Since the author lives in a country where the activities of Jehovah’s Witnesses are currently banned, his name is not used.

[Blurb on page 11]

Any Witness refusing to sign was to be shot

[Blurb on page 12]

The SS commander said: “The best thing for us to do is to stand around them and shoot at them from all sides”

[Blurb on page 13]

Our small family can look back on a total of 23 years in concentration camps and prisons

[Pictures on page 10]

Buchenwald concentration camp where I spent eight harrowing years

[Credit Line]

UPI/​BETTMANN NEWSPHOTOS

Britain’s History of Religious Disunity

By “Awake!” correspondent in Britain

For many years religious bodies in Britain have been discussing unity. They are not suggesting that any among them be extinguished but that there should be “union, without absorption.” Each would recognize the others’ distinctive methods of worship and service. Recently there have been two such ecumenical efforts: one between the Church of England and the Roman Catholic Church; the other between the Church of England and certain Free, or Nonconformist, churches. The following two articles will help in analysing what the probabilities are for religious unity in Britain.

RELIGIOUS disunity in Britain has been apparent from earliest days. No one knows how, in the second century, Christianity reached Britain. Later, two distinct churches developed​—the Celtic, which was independent, and the Roman, under the pope’s control.

For several centuries there was no serious clash, mainly because the two churches were concentrated in different parts of the country. However, by the seventh century their missionary activities brought them into collision. Their differences were over ceremonial details, the date of Easter, and suchlike, rather than over doctrine.

In 663 C.E. the King of Northumbria invited both sides to the Council of Whitby, of which he was chairman. Though of the Celtic persuasion himself, he took the side of Rome, and the Council agreed. As a result, the Celtic influence on religion soon faded in most of Britain. Rome had triumphed. For almost 900 years she remained the dominant church, continually strengthening her religious control as well as her political influence. Her growing arrogance spawned deep resentment in the rulers and discontent among the people.

The Break With Rome

Church/​State hostility reached a climax in the 16th century during the reign of Henry VIII. Catherine of Aragon had not provided him a surviving male heir, so he desperately wanted to divorce her and marry Anne Boleyn. The pope refused to dissolve the marriage by special dispensation, though this was a fairly common practice at the time. Apparently in this case political factors dictated the pope’s refusal. Henry then had Parliament enact a series of bills that severed all ties to Rome and made him supreme head of the church in England. Thus, in 1534, the church in England became independent.

Upon Henry’s death his nine-year-old son, Edward, became king. A council of regency was appointed to govern until he came of age. It was a reforming body, determined to remove idolatry and superstition from religious worship. But Edward died six years later, to be succeeded by Mary, Henry’s daughter by his first wife. As a devout Roman Catholic, Mary determined to return the Church of England to the bosom of Rome. In 1554 the anti-Rome laws were repealed. Full communion with Rome was restored a year later. Then followed the savage persecution of unrepentant Protestants, some 300 of whom were burnt to death at the stake.

Mary, however, ruled for only five years. Her half sister Elizabeth succeeded her to the throne, and Elizabeth determined to follow in the footsteps of Henry VIII, her father. Within a year, two Acts of Parliament restored the legislation repealed during Mary’s reign. The pope retaliated by excommunicating Elizabeth. He then attempted an invasion of Britain, supported by the Spanish Armada, but it failed disastrously. All of this, in turn, brought savage persecution upon the recusants, as Catholics who refused to attend Anglican services were known. About 250 of them were put to death.

Internal Divisions

The Church of England was once again freed from Rome but not from trouble. Internal division appeared. On one hand the Anglicans, or High Churchmen, wished to cling to Roman rituals, which had been left intact in spite of the break with Rome. On the other hand, the Puritans, or Low Churchmen, regarded such rituals as superstitious, unscriptural, and idolatrous. Among the Puritans were those whose revulsion was so strong that they left their homes and sailed away to the “New World.” The first of them left on the Mayflower on September 16, 1620.

In 1642 three years of civil war erupted. Charles I, claiming to rule by divine right, had dissolved Parliament and was ruling autocratically. Supporting him were the Anglicans. On the other side were Parliament and the Puritans, successfully led by Oliver Cromwell. In 1649 they beheaded Charles, and the nation became a commonwealth headed by a protector. During the next ten years, Parliament disestablished the Church of England and replaced the Anglican form of worship with the austere Calvinistic Presbyterian style. What churches and monasteries still stood after the war were either closed or destroyed.

Cromwell proscribed the Anglican and Roman rituals but otherwise allowed freedom of worship. Thus it was that many sects arose, most to flutter and die. A few, however, grew into modern-day religious bodies, among them the Baptists, the Quakers, and the Congregationalists. Then, in 1738, John Wesley founded Methodism.

The Puritans and their presbyterianism soon lost favor with the people, who grew tired of their austere form of worship. So in 1660, not long after Cromwell’s death, Charles II was invited to come from exile to take the throne. He and the Anglicans moved cautiously but positively and in two years persuaded Parliament to reestablish the Church of England. Eventually, in 1829, full civil rights were restored to Roman Catholics.

Thus, the almost three centuries from 1534 to 1829 were a turbulent period of religious conflict and division in Britain. It was a time of fragmentation, as various religious bodies were formed. The next two centuries up to the present were relatively quiet as each church went its own way. However, with the 20th century came serious talk of getting together again. What has happened?

[Pictures on page 15]

Protestants

Henry VIII 1509-1547a

Elizabeth I 1558-1603

Oliver Cromwell 1653-1658

Catholics

Mary I 1553-1558

Charles I 1625-1649

Charles II 1660-1685

[Footnotes]

Will Britain’s Churches Unite?

WHEN the Anglican Church broke away from Rome, she was simply a national church, whereas the Roman Church was already of international status. However, the expanding British Empire was to take the Church of England to many parts of the world. Today, daughter churches are to be found in more than 20 countries. All are independent but tied to the mother church by being part of the “Anglican Communion.” Thus the Church of England, too, came to have international status, an advantage when negotiating with the Vatican.

In comparatively recent times the Catholic Church has promulgated three dogmas that have heightened the barrier between itself and the Protestant churches. These are the Immaculate Conception (sinlessness) of Mary (1854), the bodily assumption of Mary into heaven (1950), and the doctrinal infallibility of the pope (1870). Stumbling blocks to unity with other religions, indeed!

Anglican-Roman Catholic Efforts

In 1966 the Pope and the Archbishop of Canterbury, who is generally acknowledged to be the spiritual head of the Anglican Church, agreed to the formation of the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission. Beginning in 1970, it spent 12 years examining the difficulties hindering unity and recommending possible solutions. The Commission, made up of ten scholars from each religion, paid particular attention to three controversial issues: authority (including papal primacy and infallibility); Catholic adoration of the Eucharist; and the ordained ministry.

How was the Commission’s report received by the two churches? Neither rejected it out of hand. In fact, it is expected that each Church will take years to formulate an official response. But a London Times editorial forecast that “actual union between the two [Rome and Canterbury] is surely a generation away at least.” Blocking the path are such issues as contraception, married clergy, the infallibility and jurisdiction of the pope, the adoration of Mary, and the ordination of Anglican clergy, declared to be “utterly invalid and altogether void” by Leo XIII at the First Vatican Council in 1896.

When Pope John Paul II visited Britain in the summer of 1982, he and the Archbishop of Canterbury agreed to set up another international commission to study further the possibility of moving towards unity.

Anglican and Free Church Efforts

Meanwhile, the Church of England has also been holding discussions on unity with three of the Free, or Nonconformist, Churches​—Methodist, Moravian, and United Reformed. The United Reformed resulted from a merger in 1972 of Congregationalists and Presbyterians in England and Wales.

Serious obstacles to unity exist. For example, the Church of England is against women ministers, whereas the Free Churches have them. On the other hand, the Free Churches dislike the episcopal structure of the Church of England. Nevertheless, each of the Free Churches decided for unity. Yet the Church of England, after debating the proposals in July 1982, decided not to unite with the Free Churches.

The Free Churches were bitterly disappointed. The secretary of the United Reformed Church commented, “I think this will make other Churches very wary of dealing with the Church of England.” The secretary of the Methodist conference said he thought it was very doubtful that any scheme for unity could be attempted for a generation.

Anglican enthusiasts for ecumenism were also disappointed. Unity remained elusive after years of work. Others, however, heralded these setbacks as rescuing the church from ecumenical entanglements that obscure its own mission. Supporting this view, The Economist says: “The Church of England now faces a long period free to preoccupy itself with its own mission. . . . The problem for the Church of England is how to minister to those who want to know about belief when it is not sure itself what it believes.”

So in the space of a few months, two substantial efforts at attaining religious unity in Britain had bogged down.

The Motives for Seeking Unity

Why the concern of Christendom’s religions to unite? Cardinal Hume told a conference of Catholic bishops in Rome that “there can be no doubt that a major obstacle to the effective preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the scandal of the disunity among his followers. . . . Throughout this century in particular, Christians have experienced increasing frustration and impatience with divisions amongst themselves.”

Some years ago, Anglican bishop Charles Brent said of the need for religious unity: “It’s little short of absurd to try to bring into the Church of Christ the great nations of the Far East unless we can present a united front.”

Others think that the motive for seeking unity lies elsewhere. Russell Lewis wrote in the Daily Mail: “My impression is that the drive for unity is not really a popular movement at all but something got up by a trendy elite of bishops and lesser clergy who think that it will stop the decline in their audience ratings. It is striking how the big urge to unity has coincided with plummeting attendances beginning in the Sixties in the Protestant mainline churches and in the Seventies among the Catholics.”

Whatever the motives for seeking unity, the religious disunity that has prevailed for centuries in Britain is contrary to the apostle Paul’s clear exhortation to Christians: “Agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought.”​—1 Corinthians 1:10, New International Version.

What Happens Now?

Well aware of the religious disunity around them and the setbacks they have encountered, the ecumenists continue their conciliatory efforts. For them, unity is a pious hope for the distant future. For the time being, they seem happy to settle for cooperation and mutual respect. The talk is of “union without absorption” as the joint chairmen of the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission described it.

Striking the same note, the Archbishop of Canterbury told the representatives of several religions: “I rejoice in our distinctiveness. It would be a sad day if we were to be amalgamated into some grey uniformity.” So the unity they have in mind for the foreseeable future is not true unity at all, not a return to the pure Christianity of the first century, not a return to the Bible.

Where do the tens of thousands of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Britain stand on this issue of unity? They have achieved impressive harmony and unity not only in Britain but earth wide, among peoples of all races and nationalities. This unity is not shattered by bickering over doctrine, practice, or internal government. It is not shattered when nations go to war, for Jehovah’s Witnesses remain strictly neutral and keep their Christian brotherhood intact.

About the Witnesses, the Milwaukee Sentinel wrote: “Their agreement is not on just the trivialities of life, but the vital things​—rules of conduct, adherence to principles, worship of God.”

Commenting on how such unity is achieved, a British newspaper remarked: “Behind everything a Witness does lies a Scriptural reason. Indeed, their one basic tenet is recognition of the Bible as . . . true.”

The Witnesses invite you to examine the validity of this claim. When next they call, why not speak to them about it?

[Pictures on page 17]

Historic meeting in 1982 of Pope John Paul and the Archbishop of Canterbury, Robert Runcie

[Credit Line]

UPI/​BETTMANN NEWSPHOTOS

‘Every Day Another 274 Premature Deaths’

Under that title the Toronto publication The Journal recently reported that the British Medical Association had mounted a campaign against the advertising methods of the tobacco industry. The article quoted Dr. John Havard, the association’s secretary, as saying: “The tobacco industry spends millions of pounds [sterling] employing advertising, public relations, and promotional experts to help them promote a product we know​—and they should know—​is directly responsible for disease, illness, and death.

“Advertising, sports and arts sponsorship, competitions, clothes bearing brand names, and holidays are all part of the industry’s attempt to fool their consumers into believing smoking is glamorous, healthy, and desirable.

“These same consumers are our patients, and we know the truth​—that smoking causes appalling illness and so many unnecessary deaths that the figure of 100,000 premature deaths a year is almost beyond comprehension.

“Tobacco companies are responsible for a massive cover-up exercise carried out world-wide by an industry which callously ignores the medical facts.”

Young People Ask . . .

What’s Wrong With Being ‘Just Friends’?

“HOW important do you feel it is to have someone that you can be close to of the opposite sex?” That question was posed some time ago to a number of Christian youths. Said one teenage girl in reply: ‘It’s very important to me. Sometimes when you’re down, what you need is just someone to hold your hand.’

True friendship is a marvelous gift. But our previous issue of this magazine showed that when youths seek close friendships with members of the opposite sex, they leave themselves open to possible heartache and grief. Further, what starts off as a seemingly innocent friendship frequently winds up a disaster​—physically, mentally, and emotionally.

Why It’s a Risky Business

“Everywhere you go,” says a young man named Hilton, “people are talking about [sex]. At work and school this is the conversation. Television promotes sex.” With so much emphasis today being placed on sex, little wonder that more and more young people are succumbing to “the desires incidental to youth.” (2 Timothy 2:22) A study done by The Alan Guttmacher Institute estimates that “some 12 million of the 29 million young people [in the United States] between the ages of 13 and 19 have had sexual intercourse . . . Nearly half of the 15-17-year-old males and one-third of comparable young women are sexually active.”

In view of this, close companionship with a member of the opposite sex is a risky business! True, a couple initially may be attracted to each other because of personality or common interests. But continued association between two young people of the opposite sex almost inevitably results in some sort of physical contact. A youth named Rachelle recalls what developed between her and a boy at school: “It started out as just a friendship. Then it developed into more of a boyfriend and girlfriend relationship. Eventually we started holding hands, putting our arms around each other, walking to class together. Finally, we kissed.”

A Chain Reaction

‘But what’s so wrong about that?’ you might ask. Well, when two people of the opposite sex touch each other, often powerful sexual desires are aroused. And when that happens, a series of events​—a chain reaction—​is set off that can eventually result in sexual relations. Only married couples are entitled to such intimacies. That is why the Bible says to “flee from fornication.”​—1 Corinthians 6:18.

Nevertheless, many feel like the youth who said: “It will never happen to me! Other kids have fun, why can’t I?” True, a couple may not mean for such a thing to happen. But consider a survey taken by Psychology Today: “Almost half the respondents (49 percent) have had a friendship turn into a sexual relationship.” In fact, “nearly a third (31 percent) reported having had sexual intercourse with a friend in the past month.”​—Italics ours.

Yes, once the chain reaction is started, perhaps merely by holding hands, it is very hard to stop it. One young woman admits that she used to think it was “a little ridiculous” to say that holding hands and kissing could really lead to sexual immorality. But now she’s changed her mind. Why? She confesses: “It happened just that way to me.”

Even if sex relations are averted, emotional damage can still result when displays of affection get out of hand. One youth tried to comfort a female friend who confided in him about some personal problems. Before long they were engaging in petting. The result? Troubled consciences and “bad feelings” between them.

Keeping Friendship Within Bounds

In his book The Friendship Factor, Alan Loy McGinnis gives this bit of practical advice when it comes to friendships with the opposite sex: “Don’t trust yourself too far.” Is it wise for young, single persons to take romantic walks into secluded areas? If a member of the opposite sex confides in you, is it necessary to show sympathy by holding hands? The Bible warns: “He that is trusting in his own heart is stupid.”​—Proverbs 28:26.

And what about visiting a member of the opposite sex alone? Peter recalls: “My parents and her parents were good friends. I guess they expected us to be ‘just friends’ as well. That was okay when we were very young. But as we got into our early teens, we began to look at each other differently. Little did our parents realize that when they would let us go off to play or to listen to records, we would find ourselves spending time kissing and embracing.” Fortunately, Peter and his friend did not go so far as to have sex relations. However, says Peter: “Nothing would have happened in the first place had we been properly chaperoned.”

Chaperoned? To some youths this seems hopelessly outmoded. But did you know that in some countries parents always have their daughter chaperoned until she is married? This serves as a protection. Would it not be a good idea, therefore, to make sure that you are never left alone with a young member of the opposite sex​—even if you are ‘just friends’?

But what if, even after applying all these suggestions, romantic feelings begin to develop? If you are not ready for marriage, it would be best to follow the advice of Proverbs 22:3: “Shrewd is the one that has seen the calamity and proceeds to conceal himself.” Or as the book The Friendship Factor puts it: “Bail out if necessary. Once in a while, no matter how much we try, a friendship with the opposite sex gets out of hand and we know where it is going to lead.” Then, as this book says, it is time to “back away.”

‘Widening Out’ in Our Friendships

A youth named Gail admits: “I’m not ready to get married and settle down. I’m still getting to know myself, and I have many spiritual goals yet to achieve. So I really don’t need to be too close to anyone of the opposite sex. It would be more of a hindrance than a help.” But does this mean being deprived of friendship? Not at all, for when writing the Corinthian congregation, the apostle Paul encouraged them to “widen out” in their affections for one another.​—2 Corinthians 6:12, 13.

For example, a young woman named Susan says: “I learned to develop close friendships with older Christian women in the congregation. They needed companionship, and I needed their steadying influence. So I would drop in for coffee. We would talk and laugh. I made real, lifelong friendships with them.”

But what if you need someone to confide in or to hold your hand? That’s what parents are for. (Compare Proverbs 23:26.) And while a levelheaded youth can perhaps offer you good advice, remember that Job asked, “Is there not wisdom among the aged and understanding in length of days?” (Job 12:12) Yes, going to a peer for advice is often akin to ‘the blind leading the blind.’ (Matthew 15:14) An older person or parent, though, may prove a far more reliable confidant. Why limit your friendships to peers? One of the most beautiful friendships on record was between David and Jonathan. (1 Samuel 18:1) Yet Jonathan was old enough to be David’s father!

True, exercising caution in our friendships curbs our freedom. But remember that we are living in a time when young people are constantly being exposed to immoral influences. How much better it is for you to resist these influences and to “remember, now, your Grand Creator,” for being friends with God is the most satisfying friendship there is.​—Ecclesiastes 12:1.

[Picture on page 21]

What begins as friendship often ends in hurt feelings or sexual immorality

[Picture on page 22]

Older people and parents can also serve as reliable and understanding friends

They Are Helping Children to Read

READING is one of the most important skills a person can learn, unlocking many kinds of knowledge. Yet millions of youngsters, who spend much of their time glued to a television set, fail to master this skill. So they miss out on learning so many valuable things, including a knowledge of God’s purposes that comes from reading the Bible and Bible literature. Yet how can a child be taught to read?

A Christian parent from Manitoba, Canada, describes the results realized from using the publication My Book of Bible Stories in conjunction with the album of four cassette tapes of this book. The parent explains:

“Peter was four years old. His older brother and sister had both started attending school, and he remained at home. As soon as the other children would leave for school, Peter would go to the living room and put on the tape recorder the tapes of My Book of Bible Stories. At first I sat with him, and as the Bible Stories book was being read on tape I followed the words on the page with my finger. Peter caught on right away. Soon he was on his own. This continued till he started kindergarten.

“One day, while Peter was yet four years old, the teacher was taking the class for a walk, and Peter pointed out a rather wordy sign to the teacher. She said, ‘Can you read what it says?’ So Peter proceeded to read the whole thing to her. The teacher was really surprised. When she walked the class back to school, she got a book from the library and sat Peter down beside her. He read her several stories, and she was just amazed.

“Soon the word got around to the other teachers and finally to the school principal. He took Peter into his office and asked him to read to him. Another teacher was also present. They asked him how he had learned to read so well. He said his family helped him, but the Bible Stories tapes helped him the most.

“In time, other children in school heard of Peter’s ability to read and would even sneak into his class to get him to read to them, to see if what they’d heard was true. Finally the principal decided he wanted to have Peter read before the whole student body in the auditorium.

“The principal was so impressed that he phoned me. He said that usually when he phones parents he has to tell them about something bad a child has done, but this time it was to tell us how well Peter reads and how proud they were of him. He said that Peter’s voice would rise and fall as in conversation and with no hesitation at all. He proceeded to tell us that he had questioned Peter about how he learned to read and that Peter had given most of the credit to the Bible Stories tapes. He asked if Peter could read the whole Bible Stories book, and I said: ‘Yes, he can.’

“He then requested to borrow our tapes to evaluate the grade level they were. A week later he phoned and said how very impressed he was with the tapes and the fine reading on them. He requested a set of tapes for himself because he was going to show them to his nieces and nephews.”

Do you know of a child that could learn to read, or improve in reading ability, by listening to Bible accounts while following along, word for word, in the publication from which the reading was being done? “We are delighted at the help the tapes have been to us,” writes the couple from Manitoba, Canada, “and would certainly recommend that other parents use them.”

Female Circumcision​—Why?

“LONDON clinic circumcising women”! Not long ago headlines like this startled the public in England and other lands. Readers learned that doctors in prestigious Harley Street, London, had been performing an operation that most persons had never heard of: female circumcision.

Yet female circumcision is common in some other parts of the world​—particularly Africa. The custom is at least 2,000 years old and has been practiced at one time or another on all five continents. Estimates of the number of women alive today who have been circumcised run as high as 70 million.

If you live in a land where female circumcision is not practiced, perhaps you wonder what this custom is and why people do it. If it is practiced where you live, you may have wondered: ‘Should I let my daughter be circumcised?’ Neighbors, relatives, and the sheer weight of a long, long tradition can pressure parents to go along with the custom. Yet the operation entails risks. Hence, parents, before consenting to the operation, need to give the matter much thought. They should find out exactly what the operation is, what it is meant to accomplish, and what the risks are. So what is female circumcision?

What Is It?

Really, the term is a misnomer. “Circumcision” means “cutting around” and refers to the operation on a boy. For a girl, the operation is more an “excision,” that is, a partial or a total cutting off of the clitoris, perhaps also cutting away the labia minora, the inner lips of the vulva. This operation, performed on girls from one week old to ten years or more, is the milder form of female circumcision.

But there is a more severe operation known as infibulation. Here is a description of infibulation being performed on a little girl in Djibouti: “The old woman takes her razor and excises the clitoris. The infibulation follows: the operator cuts with her razor from top to bottom of the small lip [of the vulva] and then scrapes the flesh from the inside of the large lip . . . Then the operator applies a paste and ensures the adhesion of the large lips by means of acacia thorns.” (From Minority Rights Group, Report No. 47, quoted in The Economist.) The scar tissue closes the vagina almost completely, and when the girl gets married, it has to be opened again, perhaps with a razor blade.

The Operation Is Dangerous

Both operations are painful and dangerous. Recently, a Malian had to appear in court in France when his three-month-old daughter almost died after he had performed excision on her. How many children die because of the operation? Statistics are not available, but fatalities must be common, since the operation is generally performed by women having no knowledge of proper hygiene and is often done without using anesthesia. In 1982, newspapers reported that President Moi of Kenya outlawed the practice in his country after the death there of 14 little girls.

If a girl survives the operation, there are further hazards. A UNESCO report lists some of them: severe shock from fear and pain; uncontrolled bleeding; tetanus and other infections; painful menstruation during adolescence; infection when the scars are broken after marriage; difficulties during childbirth. The magazine World Health adds: “The permanent changes in the female genitalia, the growth of dermoid cyst and the development of bladder fistulae, as well as other pathological conditions . . . may affect normal sexuality and interfere in marital relationships, and can lead to infertility or result in divorce.”

Yes, this is a risky procedure. So why do parents do it?

‘It Has Always Been Done’

In some places, the practice is accompanied by superstitious rites, but seemingly no religion specifically commands it. It is observed by members of different religions, including those of Christendom.

Some view the operation as needed to calm a woman’s sexual inclinations or to make her truly feminine (the clitoris being viewed as a mannish organ). An Egyptian mother explained it this way to a researcher: “We are circumcised and insist on circumcising our daughters so that there is no mixing between a male and a female. The woman must be truly female, and the man must be male. Every woman must be circumcised in order not to be oversexed and constantly in a state of excitement.” She went on: “It is shameful not to be circumcised. We are not foreigners; only foreigners do not get circumcised.”

The Ivory Coast magazine Ivoire Dimanche suggests that female circumcision is an initiation rite: “Excision became a social act by means of which the young girl joined the group of women, or simply became a woman.” Female circumcision is also thought to have health benefits. Two Nigerian women approached a doctor in England asking him to circumcise them. One had been unable to conceive a baby, and the other had had to have her baby through a cesarean section. Both felt the reason for their problems was that they had not been circumcised as children.

Some insist that female circumcision is necessary for hygiene, while others maintain that it preserves a girl’s chastity. It is also said that a woman’s external genitals are “dirty and ugly,” and circumcision is “an effort to obtain a smooth, and therefore clean, body.” Supposedly, a man would not want to marry an uncircumcised girl. Yet, often it is not men but women who insist on preserving the custom. Usually, it is arranged for by mothers or by female relatives and performed by a local woman. The Sunday Times Magazine reports that in the Sudan, where the operation is illegal, it is “carried out by an illegal conspiracy of woman and woman.”

The truth is, the original reasons for female circumcision have long since been forgotten, and probably the major reason why it is still practiced is that ‘it has always been done.’ If parents fail to circumcise their daughters, the grandparents may find ways to get it done. Uncircumcised little girls may ask their parents to circumcise them so that they can be like everyone else.

International groups such as the World Health Organization and UNESCO strongly discourage female circumcision, but some view their efforts as an intrusion into their personal affairs. Two African women told the newspaper The Globe and Mail: “It represents a rite of passage for girls and should continue. It’s our business, and we will decide what to preserve and what to be rid of.”

The Christian Stand

Parents must weigh all these views when determining their own feelings about female circumcision. For Christian parents, there is another question: Is female circumcision in harmony with Bible principles?

According to Scripture, every male Israelite had to be circumcised as a sign of the covenant between Jehovah and the children of Abraham. (Genesis 17:10-14; Leviticus 12:2, 3) However, the sons of Christian parents are not required to be circumcised. (Galatians 5:6) Hence, daughters of Christians are certainly not required to undergo either excision or infibulation. Is female circumcision, then, merely a matter of conscience?

Well, some governments have banned it. In those lands Christians should obey the law and not circumcise their daughters. (Romans 13:1-5) But what if female circumcision is customary and not against the law? Remember, female circumcision is dangerous. Little girls die because of it. According to the Bible, when we deliberately put someone’s life unnecessarily in danger, we could become bloodguilty. (Compare 1 Chronicles 11:17-19.) Christian parents would not want to incur bloodguilt by risking their daughters’ lives in this way.​—Psalm 51:14.

Female circumcision is also very painful. The mental and physical suffering that it causes can last through the teen years right into marriage and childbirth. Is this the way loving parents treat their children? No. Christian mothers ‘cherish their own children.’ (1 Thessalonians 2:7) Christian parents ‘give good gifts to their children.’ (Matthew 7:11) Female circumcision may be an ancient tradition, but it is not a ‘good gift.’

Doctors can find no health benefits in the operation. Neither is it necessary for hygiene. For the Israelites, personal cleanliness was a part of their worship, and yet Jehovah did not tell them to circumcise their daughters. What about preserving a girl’s chastity? Again, Jehovah commands Christian women to be modest, but he did not say that circumcision was necessary for this. (1 Timothy 2:9) Furthermore, there is no evidence at all that the operation makes a girl more feminine. In fact, it scars and disfigures her sexual organs.

True, female circumcision is a long-standing custom, and customs may be respected when they do not violate a Christian’s conscience. But would it not violate your conscience to subject your daughter to unnecessary suffering? This was the feeling of one Christian elder in the African country of Burkina Faso.

He went to his native village for a visit, and while he was there, his parents urged him to bring or send his nine-year-old daughter to the village so that she could be circumcised. Kindly, but with firmness and courage, the Witness explained the medical and Scriptural reasons for not adhering to this custom. Although it caused some friction in the family, he stood firm for his principles and protected the child from being circumcised. The Witness family decided that their children would not be sent unaccompanied to the village so that they could not be pressured to conform to customs contrary to the wishes of their parents.

This mature Christian showed how knowledge combined with deep love gives parents the courage and wisdom to do what is right for their children. Other Christian parents do well to follow his example.

[Blurb on page 26]

Doctors can find no health benefits in the operation

[Blurb on page 27]

Female circumcision may be an ancient tradition, but it is not a ‘good gift’

[Pictures on page 25]

Would it not violate your conscience to subject your daughter to unnecessary suffering?

From Our Readers

Coping With Unemployment

Your article “How to Cope With Unemployment” (July 22, 1984) has been more than effective in helping me to create employment for myself. I had lost my job. But from the suggestions listed there, I bought a bicycle that I use to make deliveries of goods between stores.

G. N. C., Nigeria

Help at School

I am 13 years old. Some months ago, I had to present at school an essay about insects. I was rather worried because I had only two days left. Then I saw your article “Insects​—Friends or Foes?” (June 22, 1984) I decided to use this information. The teacher appreciated the information from your magazine a lot and gave me a good grade. Thank you for having printed that article.

D. P., Italy

Working Wives

After reading your issue on “A Wife’s Income​—Worth the Cost?” (February 22, 1985), the impression I received was that you are against wives working. It is wrong to distribute an article like this. You do not seem to be aware of everyday facts. The wage a man receives barely covers the cost of keeping the home. Without the small amount the wife brings home, the marriage would break down.

F. R., England

We did acknowledge that at times it could be necessary for a wife to work for extra income. But it can put added stress on the marriage and hinder proper rearing of the children. These problems should be acknowledged and faced, even as shown in our article “Working Couples​—The Key to Success.” (February 8, 1985) A couple will have to determine their needs, count the costs, and then make their own decision.​—ED.

Your articles on ‘Working Couples’ (February 8, 1985) and “A Wife’s Income​—Is It Worth the Cost?” (February 22, 1985) were very balanced in their approach and suggestions regarding both husband and wife’s feeling the need to work to make ends meet. My husband is self-employed as a sewing machine repairman, and he recently taught me how to clean and oil the machines so he can concentrate on repairs. That way he can take in more work without having to spend more time working, and we can work together at home. Maybe other husbands who are self-employed could teach their wives or older children some helpful aspect of the business so they would be able to make more money while working together.

E. P., Texas

I just read the article “A Wife’s Income​—Is It Worth the Cost?” and the two interviews. Like the mother who quit her job because she needed to spend time with her child, I too worked for three months and then quit because I noticed a change (not for the good) in both my small sons. I now have part-time work and can leave our children with their father while I’m working.

D. C., Ohio

Watching the World

Synthetic-Heroin Threat

● Add synthetic heroin to the roster of dangerous drugs now being widely distributed in some American cities. The drug is made from fentanyl, a legitimate surgical anesthetic, that has been restructured chemically. One variety is believed to be as much as 3,000 times more potent than heroin. A user needs less than a millionth of a gram to stay “high” for four to six hours. Says Robert Roberton, chief of the California Division of Drug Programs, “What we’re talking about is the drug of the future. It will replace heroin. . . . Why bother with growing and refining and smuggling heroin over the borders when you can make something just as good, if not better, so cheaply and quickly?” According to the New York Daily News, a small laboratory​—with raw materials costing no more than $10,000 (U.S.)​—can make enough synthetic heroin in a few weeks to supply New York City, if not the country, for years.

Pace of Life

● The Japanese walk faster, keep more accurate clocks, and sell stamps more quickly than Americans, Englishmen, Italians, Taiwanese, and Indonesians. That is the conclusion of a recent study of the “pace of life” by Robert Levine, professor of psychology at California State University at Fresno. The tests were conducted in six different countries. Americans ranked second overall. Levine says that in Japan and America “speed is frequently confused with progress.” But he adds: “We expect that future research will demonstrate that pace of life is related to rate of heart disease, hypertension, ulcers, suicide, alcoholism, divorce and other indicators of general psychological and physical well-being.”

Classical Whale Rescue

● In February, a Soviet icebreaker was dispatched to open a path for an estimated 1,000 to 3,000 beluga whales who were trapped behind heavy ice floes in the Senyavin Strait of Russia. But the whales​—also known in Russia as polar dolphins—​would not follow. “At last someone recalled that dolphins react acutely to music,” reports Izvestia. “And so music began to pour off the top deck. Popular, martial, classical. The classical proved most to the taste of the belugas.” In time, the whales became fully accustomed to the ship. “They hemmed it about from all sides,” continues the report. “They were happy as children, jumping, spreading out all over the ice field.” Finally, in late February, after ramming through 15 miles (24 km) of ice, the ship led the whales to open sea.

‘Always a Pig’

● Jewish scholars and scientists are disputing the claim, made by AID (the U.S. Agency for International Development), that the babirusa​—a pig-like animal from Indonesia—​chews the cud and might be acceptable as kosher food. (Leviticus 11:26 prohibited Jews from eating meat from a cloven-hoofed animal if it did not chew the cud.) Warren Thomas, director of the Los Angeles Zoo, maintains that the two babirusas in his zoo never chew the cud. “There’s no way to get a self-respecting rabbi to buy that this is a kosher pig,” he adds. Concludes The Wall Street Journal: “The final word may come from Rabbi J. David Bleich, . . . [an] authority on Jewish dietary law, who claims . . . that the babirusa is likely a ‘mutation of a swine,’” and is therefore unacceptable to Jews. ‘Once a pig, always a pig,’ is what the rabbi is saying​—whether the babirusa chews the cud or not.

Up to 41,000 Lives Monthly

● Armed conflicts have taken as many as 21 million lives since World War II​—an average of between 33,000 and 41,000 lives each month—​says a recent report by the United Nations. Eighty percent of the total military expenditures in the world​—more than $800 billion (U.S.) last year​—was spent for weapons and conventional forces. The UN report notes that “the cost of a single new nuclear submarine equals the annual education budget of 23 developing countries with a total of 160 million school-age children.”

Vietnam Veterans

● Just how badly veterans were psychologically scarred by the Vietnam war was revealed in a recent study by the Ralph Bunche Institute of City University in New York City. The study rated current life quality with the level of combat experienced. The results? Roughly one quarter of veterans who saw heavy combat were unemployed​—three times the rate of those who were in light combat. Also, 65 percent of those who had been in heavy combat have been divorced, and 21 percent have been arrested. This compares to 29 percent divorced and 15 percent arrested of those in light combat.

Better Teeth

● According to a CDC (Centers for Disease Control) study, in the years 1979 and 1980, 51 percent of nine-year-old children had teeth without cavities compared to only 29 percent in the years 1971-73. The dramatic improvement is attributed mainly to the fact that more Americans​—presently 52 percent—​drink fluoridated water. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation says: “At an estimated cost of less than $1 [U.S.] per child per year, fluoridation remains society’s least expensive and most effective caries preventive measure.” However, many medical authorities oppose medicating water with fluoride​—an enzyme poison—​since it does not cut down cavities in adults and may have long-term health risks.

Where Would You Like Your Shot?

● The effectiveness of a vaccination may depend on where in the body the doctor injects it, according to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control). That is the conclusion of two separate surveys by the CDC and a vaccine manufacturer that analyzed the rate of immunity induced by hepatitis B vaccinations. “In both surveys, vaccine response was significantly higher in hospitals using arm injection than in those using buttock injection,” says the CDC. Adds The New York Times: “Those who feel that it is more consonant with human dignity to be jabbed in the arm than in the seat, now have support from scientific studies.”

Light Up Your Life

● Bright light has “a marked antidepressant effect,” says a study conducted by researchers from NIMH (National Institute of Mental Health). According to the study, 10 out of 13 patients suffering from “winter depression”​—brought on by short daylight hours and extended periods indoors—​responded favorably to lights several times brighter than ordinary room light. The lights “caused a marked improvement in mood which was seen within a few days and lasted throughout the week of treatment,” said the study. “Removal of the light regularly caused relapse within a few days.”

Kissing Danger

● Dr. Hans Neumann is against what he calls the American “cocktail party kiss”​—a casual kissing on the mouth that is popular with many people today when greeting acquaintances. “I have seen cases of strep throats and upper respiratory infections transmitted in this manner,” and “there also are some more remote infection hazards, such as herpes,” he writes in Connecticut Medicine. If acquaintances must kiss, Neumann advocates the European approach: Kiss on the cheek. Or follow the Oriental custom, he says. “Kissing is absolutely not done in public. It’s embarrassing.”

Infertility Rise

● According to a study by the National Center for Health Statistics, 27 percent of women of childbearing age in the United States cannot bear children. “Of 54 million married and unmarried women age 15 to 44, 9.4 million have been sterilized voluntarily for birth control, 1.2 million have been sterilized for other reasons, and 4.4 million have a physical problem that makes it impossible or difficult to conceive or carry a baby to term,” reports American Medical News in summarizing the study. The center notes that surgical sterilization has become the leading form of birth control in the country.

World’s Longest Tunnel

● After 21 years of digging from both ends, Japanese engineers have finally met in the 33.5-mile-long (53.9 km) Seikan tunnel, linking Honshū and Hokkaidō islands. The underwater section alone is 14.5 miles (23.3 km) in length, making this the longest underwater tunnel in the world. However, what some call “the greatest engineering accomplishment of the century” has an uncertain destiny. Originally, the tunnel was part of a plan to connect Tokyo and Sapporo, Hokkaidō’s capital, by bullet train. But now authorities admit that rail travel cannot compete with the airlines. To justify using the tunnel, JNR (Japan National Railways) plans to run an ordinary railway through it in 1987 at a loss of an estimated 34 million dollars (U.S.) a year.

Soil Erosion

● “Soil erosion is draining land of productivity on every continent,” writes editor Lester R. Brown in State of the World 1985. An estimated 25.4 thousand million tons of topsoil are being lost annually. Brown adds: “The ninefold increase in fertilizer use and the near-tripling of the world’s irrigated cropland since mid-century have masked the effects of soil erosion on crop productivity.” But the area of cropland per capita is shrinking. Concludes the book: “Some governments have failed to support soil conservation enthusiastically because they could not see the link between topsoil losses and land productivity.”

Avalanche Defense

● Up to March of this year, 26 people were reported killed by avalanches in the Swiss Alps. This is a significant decrease from the 98 killed in 1951. Nevertheless, there is concern about a man-made problem that could increase the threat of avalanches​—acid rain that is killing forests. Authorities say that forests are the best defense against avalanches, preventing many of these from getting under way.

Kids Are Expensive

● According to the Institute of Family Studies in Australia, the annual minimum cost of rearing a two-year-old child is $861.12 ($603.91, U.S.) and for an 11-year-old child $1,450.80 ($1,017.46, U.S.), while it costs $2,156.96 ($1,512.70, U.S.) to rear a teenager. The study noted the heavy financial burden on parents who are supporting children in their late teens and early twenties. Says Kerry Lovering, who directed the study: “This extension of dependency, unique to the latter part of the 20th century, is having a major impact on all families in Australia.”

Your View of Sex​—What Difference Does It Make?

What does the Bible say regarding sex? The chapter with the above title in the book True Peace and Security​—From What Source? answers. This hardbound 192-page book is only $1.

Please send, postpaid, the hardcover, 192-page book True Peace and Security​—From What Source? I enclose $1 (U.S.).

“My Book of Bible Stories”

Now on Four Cassettes in One Handy Album

Millions of families have enjoyed the 256-page publication My Book of Bible Stories. Its 116 Bible accounts give the reader an idea of what the Bible is all about. Now this Bible Stories book has been recorded on four cassette tapes with heartwarming appeal for children. Listen to the stories together as a family. Or children can play the tapes for themselves and their companions. The album with the four cassettes is only $8. My Book of Bible Stories, which has the same page size as this magazine, with beautifully colored pictures, is only $2.50.

Please indicate by marking the respective boxes whether you want the book or the album of cassette tapes, or both.

[ ] I enclose $2.50 for My Book of Bible Stories.

[ ] I enclose $8 for the vinyl album with the four cassette tapes of My Book of Bible Stories.

(Outside the U.S.A., write to local Watch Tower branch for information.)