September 8

Page Two

The ability to read is vital in most parts of the world if one is to cope with even everyday problems in life. More than that, the skill of reading can open doors to knowledge that can enrich one’s life more than practically any other activity. But how can one improve one’s reading? The following articles provide useful information on how you can improve your reading skill

A Growing Problem With Reading 3

Why Some Do Not Read 4

Improve Your Reading​—You Can Do It! 6

A Growing Problem With Reading

IMAGINE the problem of finding your way if you could not read a street sign. How would you take medicine properly if you could not read the instructions on the container? And how could you apply for a job if you could not read the application?

These are just a few of the problems facing those who cannot read. Yet it is estimated that one out of five American adults, about 27,000,000, are functionally illiterate.a In 1980 there were altogether some 824 million illiterates worldwide, age 15 and over, and the number is rapidly growing. The consequences are sad. For example, in the United States the Labor Department reported that up to 75 percent of the unemployed lack the necessary skills in reading and communication.

Yet those who cannot read do not simply face problems in employment. They are deprived of so much that brings pleasure and happiness. Think of the improved quality of life that can result from increased knowledge of the world around us. How limited we would be if we were to learn only from what we observe or experience ourselves! Reading opens the door to the accumulated knowledge of centuries.

Reading is a remarkable human ability. As Science Digest puts it: “In an instant your eyes and mind are playing hunches, cutting corners, filling gaps and dealing with an information processing task that would challenge the most ingenious computer.”

Would you like to improve your reading skill? Or would you like to assist someone else to do so? In the following two articles some of the factors contributing to reading problems will be examined, and suggestions will be given to help improve one’s reading.

[Footnotes]

[Picture on page 3]

How could you apply for a job if you could not read the application?

Why Some Do Not Read

MANY view reading as a chore. Why? For one thing, some never really learn to read while going to school. One 34-year-old woman said that whenever she looked at a printed page, all she saw was “jumbled-up stuff” that did not make any sense. At times, it would take her up to two minutes to read a sentence.

Not long ago, a high school graduate sued the San Francisco Unified School District for half a million dollars because it awarded him a high school diploma even though he was barely literate. According to the report, he was reading at a fifth- or sixth-grade level when he received his diploma. As a result, when applying for jobs, he found himself incapable of properly handling the application forms. How could this happen?

Diverse Methods of Instruction

Unfortunately, certain methods of reading education seem to have proved seriously defective. In recent years, much criticism has been launched against the “see and say” method. This method teaches students to recognize whole words without being able to pronounce the individual syllables and letters that make them up. The main objection to this method is that it produces readers who guess at words, who are poor at pronouncing new words, and who read inaccurately because they confuse similar-looking words.

To illustrate: In his book Why Johnny Still Can’t Read, author Rudolf Flesch reprinted a letter he received from a woman who described herself as a victim of the “see and say” method. She said: “We could look at the pictures, for example an apple. The teacher would tell us to remember the word apple because it had two P’s in it. This meant that every time I saw a word with two P’s in it, I thought it said apple.”

It is estimated that the “see and say” method enables a child to recognize only about 350 words at the end of the first grade. By the end of the second grade he can recognize about 1,100 more words, another 1,200 by the end of the third grade, and an additional 1,550 by the end of the fourth grade. That represents a total of 4,200 words in the child’s vocabulary.

By contrast, it has been estimated that children who are taught reading by the “phonics first” method can expect to learn up to 40,000 words by the end of their fourth year of elementary schooling. “Phonics” means “of vocal sounds,” and in the phonic method the student is taught not merely what the letters are called but also how they sound in a word. First the vowel sounds are learned and then the consonants. Thereafter, the two are combined into two-, three-, or four-letter combinations to form words, then phrases, and finally sentences. (See Awake! of July 8, 1967, pages 12-16.) Independent testing seems to support the “phonics first” method of reading instruction in primary grades.

To complicate matters further, however, some teachers may view negatively the learning capacity of their students. One expert stated: “Whether children are ‘advantaged’ or ‘disadvantaged,’ black or white, rich or poor, does not have anything to do with how successfully children learn to read. Based on my professional experiences, such statements are only excuses for not teaching children to read.”​—Italics ours.

Other Factors Affect Reading

Television is cited as another reason why people do not read. It has been estimated that a person in the United States who lives to be 70 will have watched 70,000 hours of television in his lifetime, second only to the time spent working and sleeping! TV Guide reports: “An increasing body of scientific evidence attests to the incompatibility of heavy TV viewing and mastery of the basic skills of reading and writing for the beginning elementary-school child. Studies . . . suggest that even children who come from backgrounds where reading is valued but who are also allowed to watch a lot of TV are highly vulnerable to reading difficulties.”

Still other factors bear directly on a person’s ability to develop good reading skills. “A child whose eyes are not functioning properly may suffer from headaches, eyestrain, nervous tension, and other ailments which may make reading a very unpleasant activity.” In regular classes, however, often little attention is given to such pupils.​—Diagnostic and Remedial Teaching, page 49.

Hearing defects are at times a factor. Partly deaf children would naturally be handicapped in classes where phonetic methods of teaching are employed.

Emotional factors play a significant role as well. For example, “a child who has met with initial failure in reading frequently develops an emotional attitude toward reading which hinders further progress,” says one authority, adding: “The sight of a book or the mention of the word reading has been known to cause certain individuals to become tense and uncomfortable.” Also, the environment of a broken home, insecurity in the home, or neurotic parents can often have an effect upon a child’s progress in reading.

Most significant of all factors affecting a poor reader is his failure to read. The point is that no one has ever learned to read without reading. Often, such failure to read has its roots in one or more of the physical or emotional factors already discussed.

Whatever the reason for an individual’s reading handicap, a genuine effort to overcome it will, in time, produce some results. Next, we will offer suggestions that may help.

[Picture on page 5]

Children who are allowed to watch too much TV are highly vulnerable to reading difficulties

Improve Your Reading​—You Can Do It!

ADMITTEDLY, there is no magic formula for better reading. However, if you can read, then you can read better! We cannot hope to read better without reading regularly. At least half an hour a day should be set aside for this purpose​—more if possible.

The Need to Be Selective

Be selective in what you read. Choose material that contains words familiar to you and subjects that are not technical. Then, progressively select material that will develop your vocabulary.

Be selective in another sense, too, for not all literature is upbuilding or refreshing to the mind. A wise man once said: “To the making of many books there is no end, and much devotion to them is wearisome to the flesh.” (Ecclesiastes 12:12) Publications abound today and many provide wholesome reading. Select those that will benefit you the most morally and spiritually. In the Bible book of Proverbs, chapter 13, verse 20, it states: “He that is walking with wise persons will become wise, but he that is having dealings with the stupid ones will fare badly.” This principle applies as much to selecting what one reads as to being selective with the company one keeps.

A Change in Reading Habits

Obviously, we cannot read at birth. Like many other things in life, reading is a skill that is developed. Can a person become a good pianist without practicing on a piano? Or can anyone become a good tennis player without playing a lot of tennis? If a person develops bad habits early in his career as a pianist or tennis player, he must correct them or remain handicapped by them.

This is true of reading. If, at an early age, a student develops bad reading habits, he handicaps himself. As a result, he must struggle through life, wrestling with the printed page with very limited reading skills. As he gets older, it becomes more difficult to break bad reading habits. But this can be done​—if a person is willing to make the effort! Let’s consider some of these habits.

The primary physical aspect of reading involves eye movement. Each time you read a line of print, your eyes make a series of stops, or fixations. These fixations are important because it is only when they occur that the eye really sees what is there. During these intervals, the visual impression is transmitted to the brain for “decoding.” The brain, not the eye, does the reading. Your eyes are an extension of your brain.

A slow reader stops at almost every word. This disjoints the messages sent to the brain, and reading becomes a chore because the eyes are overworked and little of what is read is remembered. In contrast, efficient readers have smooth and rhythmic eye movements as they progress over a page of print. They learn to reduce the number of visual stops, or fixations, per line. By reading phrases or word groupings, they are able to move more rapidly over a page of print and increase their comprehension.

This brings up the matter of regression. To regress means to go back and reread material already read. Most regressions are habitual. Of course, there are times when a particular thought may be obscure. To go back and reread what was said may then be essential. However, most regressions are not really necessary and merely slow down the reader. Whenever possible, avoid regressing.

Another habit that many authorities believe hinders good reading development is vocalization. That is when the reader moves his lips, actually saying every word to himself. Similarly, some people say the words to themselves silently, “hearing” them in the mind. This is known as subvocalization. Vocalizing or subvocalizing limits the number of words we can read per minute because, in effect, we are reading only about as fast as we speak. The average person may speak about 125 words per minute, while records show that an average reading speed is 230-250 words per minute.

Since there are many things we will want to read over faster than we can do while vocalizing, it would be good not to make vocalizing a general practice. Make yourself read faster than you could possibly vocalize or subvocalize. Make an effort to read word groupings. And remember, vocalization or subvocalization is generally not an aid to comprehension.

However, as with regression, there are times when vocalization may be appropriate. If one wants to meditate deeply on certain material, or to commit it to memory, then it could be helpful not only to repeat words over and over again but also to vocalize to some extent. Generally this is done “in an undertone,” or aloud.

Interestingly, Joshua, a leader of the ancient nation of Israel, was commanded: “This book of the law [of God] should not depart from your mouth, and you must in an undertone read in it day and night.” Why? “In order that you may take care to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way successful and then you will act wisely.” (Joshua 1:8) Reading the “book of the law” in an undertone (vocalizing) would be helpful in committing it to memory as well as meditating carefully on all the thoughts expressed there. Thus, the Law would be before Joshua constantly to remind him how he should conduct himself as a servant of God. Similarly, faithful Christians today appreciate the wisdom of “remembering” God’s Word and meditating on it, and they therefore read it regularly.​—Psalm 103:17, 18; compare Proverbs 4:5.

Developing Better Comprehension

In his book Diagnostic and Remedial Teaching, Glenn Myers Blair stated: “The primary goal of all reading improvement programs is to develop power of comprehension on the part of pupils. Other matters are of secondary importance.” Basically, comprehending what you read means getting the sense of it, understanding it. This is what makes reading valuable and worth while.

Robert Krych, educator and lecturer at City College of New York, recommended: “To aid comprehension, at all times endeavor to read with a purpose. Decide in advance what you want from the material you select to read. On one occasion you may wish to read in order to obtain specific facts. At other times, your reading may be simply for pleasure and recreation. Whatever is the case, adjust the rate of reading to the purpose and difficulty of the material to be read. Become critical when reading. Ask yourself: Why did the writer say this? What was his objective? Isolate the main point or thought of the paragraph. Ask, In what way does it affect me, the reader?” Yes, make it your habit to read with a purpose and you will find reading to be a pleasure.

Reading Well Brings Many Benefits

Good reading habits are essential, whether you are a student, a professional person, a housewife, or an office or factory worker. Many doors are open to those who read well.

A student who is a good reader becomes more proficient in his work and doubtless will learn more in school. He can minimize time spent in reading and rereading assignments.

Similarly, a businessman or professional person with good reading ability will be able to cope successfully with lengthy reports and the like. In turn, this will allow more time for personal contacts with patients, clients, or customers. Improved reading skills will enable him to engage in more extensive reading, and this will assist him to become better acquainted with the work, studies, and experiments carried on by others.

With the increased knowledge acquired through improved reading skill, family heads can often improve their job skills and ability to care for responsibility. The ability to read directions, regulations, and similar instructions will, in many parts of the world, assist in caring better for things in the home. Reading skill is also a help when it comes to managing the family’s finances.

Housewives who acquire greater knowledge through reading will be better able to care for the family with regard to proper nutrition, hygiene, prevention of sickness, or those who become ill. Mothers who are good readers may have success in teaching their children to read before they enter school.​—See Awake! of May 22, 1968, pages 20-2.

More important, one who reads well can acquire knowledge that will lead to life beyond even this present system of things. Bible prophecies pertaining to the conclusion of the present system of things are now being fulfilled. It is vital for all who would entertain the hope of enjoying everlasting life on a paradise earth to acquire a knowledge of our Creator and his purposes. Jesus stated at John 17:3: “This means everlasting life, their taking in knowledge of you, the only true God, and of the one whom you sent forth, Jesus Christ.”

Without a doubt, then, a door leading to a world of knowledge and excitement is open to anyone who is willing to enter. The key is reading. Yes, read well and that door is always open to you!

[Picture on page 7]

Be selective with your reading material

Your Medical Freedom​—The Courts Speak!

THREE recent court cases may affect your life and medical care. Physicians, hospital personnel, judges, and Jehovah’s Witnesses have given the cases much attention. All who know the facts can be grateful for the bearing these cases have on human rights, legal protections, and respect for God’s laws.

The Randolph Case​—Death After Transfusion

An accurate understanding of the first case might be hard for you to come by. Why? Because many newspapers and medical publications gave a distorted picture of it. In fact, this distortion evidently displeased Judge Bambrick, of the Supreme Court of the State of New York, who had presided over the case. He wrote a clarifying 53-page opinion.¹

In it Judge Bambrick observed that “the fourth branch of government, the press,” had so misrepresented the case that he had “to set the record straight, and restate the law of the case as it was presented to the jury.” The press sadly has kept quiet about this valuable opinion that focused in on their failure. But we are happy to share with you vital information from what Judge Bambrick wrote. His accurate account can bear on your medical freedom, whether you are a doctor, a lawyer, or simply a citizen concerned about your own rights involving medical care.

Let us draw from the judge’s published opinion the basic facts, italicizing noteworthy points: In July 1975, Mrs. Bessie Randolph (age 45) was admitted to a New York City hospital to deliver her fourth child, by cesarean section. It was noted on hospital documents that, as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, she would not take blood.a Her physician accepted her deep-seated religious convictions, for she had made her decision as a conscious, competent adult. After the successful delivery, a uterine condition led to a total hysterectomy. But Judge Bambrick states: “Due to both Mrs. Randolph’s condition and [the doctor’s] surgical technique, there was massive hemorrhaging.”

During the next hour or so she lost much blood. At 12:45 p.m. the doctor began to transfuse one unit of blood, and at 1:30 p.m. a second unit. However, Mrs. Randolph’s heart stopped, and she was pronounced dead at 2:00 p.m. Later, her husband (not one of Jehovah’s Witnesses) sued the physicians and the hospital. One doctor settled out of court. Then in February 1984 a jury returned a verdict in favor of Mr. Randolph. News reports of this were rather critical. One legal publication stated: “A jury awarded $1.25 million to the husband of a Jehovah Witness patient who died after refusing a blood transfusion.” Such reports left the impression that doctors had honored the choice of a Witness, yet they were still sued. As a result of the press distortion, other physicians have wondered whether they should cooperate with Jehovah’s Witnesses. A few hospitals have even established a policy of refusing to admit patients who will not agree to accept blood. Such policies are unwise legally and financially because federal law protects against discrimination based on race, religion, or color.

So it is understandable that Judge Bambrick would want “to set the record straight.” In his opinion he stressed that the suit was not because a death resulted from honoring a patient’s informed refusal. Rather, the suit was for malpractice. He explained:

“It is undisputed that Bessie Randolph was a competent adult who unequivocally indicated to the defendants that she refused any proposed blood transfusion treatment under any circumstances. The legal right to refuse treatment, it has been noted, is part of the common law right to self-determination or the right to bodily integrity. . . .

“It is to be remembered that this is not a ‘right to die’ case. On the contrary, Bessie Randolph wanted very much to live. But since her religious beliefs prohibited her from receiving lifesaving blood transfusions, Bessie Randolph’s spiritual ‘right to everlasting life’ was more important to her. . . . One might even argue that from the perspective of a Jehovah’s Witness, for the believer to accept a blood transfusion and thus forsake everlasting life is tantamount to ‘spiritual suicide’.”

You can appreciate that the doctors were in a difficult position when they saw that their patient might die. Yet Judge Bambrick said: “The current law identifies the patient’s right to determine the course of his own treatment based on informed consent as paramount to what might otherwise be the doctor’s obligation to provide needed medical care. . . . The ethical integrity of the medical profession is not tarnished when a competent adult rejects proposed treatment, even lifesaving treatment, and a physician honors the informed choice of his patient.”

What about the State’s interest that children in the family not be abandoned? Judge Bambrick noted that Mr. Randolph was a policeman and in a position to support and care for the children. So the judge wrote: “Under the circumstances, Mr. Randolph had the capability to support his children, and there was never any real question of abandonment.”

If you had been on the jury, you would have known these facts about Mrs. Randolph and the legal right to refuse a transfusion while relieving doctors of liability. The jury had been told: “A competent adult has a common law right to decline or accept medical treatment despite the fact that the treatment may be beneficial or even necessary to preserve a patient’s life. The patient’s right to determine the course of his or her own medical treatment is paramount to what otherwise might be the doctor’s obligation to provide needed medical care.

“Therefore, the defendants . . . cannot be held to have violated any legal or professional responsibilities when they honored the right of Bessie Randolph to decline medical treatment, specifically not to be transfused.”

Why, then, did the jury rule as it did in giving the award?

Judge Bambrick wrote: “Had [the doctor] followed Mrs. Randolph’s instructions completely, by not administering any blood transfusions whatsoever, he would not have been held liable for omitting to transfuse her, even if such an omission was held to be a proximate cause of her death. . . . The facts in this case, however, were that at 12:45 P.M. on July 17, 1975 [he] did administer a blood transfusion to Bessie Randolph and the consequences of this intervention became a jury question.”

During the trial, the jury heard expert testimony as to the nature and quality of the treatment given, once the doctor began a transfusion against the patient’s wishes. So what was involved was the question of malpractice. The judge relates: “The jury unanimously found the defendants . . . to be . . . negligent in their treatment of Bessie Randolph; and that such negligence was a proximate cause of her death. . . . Accordingly, the Court concludes that the unanimous jury verdict in favor of the plaintiff [Mr. Randolph] on the question of liability was not against the weight of the evidence and was correct in law.”

The defendants have appealed that finding. We can await the appellate court’s decision. Yet, whatever the outcome of the appeal, Judge Bambrick’s opinion merits our attention. It clarifies what happened, and it shows that press distortion has unjustly affected medical opinion, thus interfering with the rights of innocent patients.

The Doreen Shorter Case​—Lacerated, Perforated Uterus

Across the continent, another case was decided by the Washington State Supreme Court on January 11, 1985.² It, too, involved malpractice. But this time news reports were accurate and positive. They focused on a helpful step that Jehovah’s Witnesses take to relieve medical personnel of concern about possible liability. Witnesses sign legal documents stating that they will not hold others liable for damages that seem to result from their not accepting blood. Even if you are not a Witness, the case of Doreen Shorter relates to your medical rights.

Doreen and Elmer Shorter signed such a release of liability when she was admitted to a hospital. This Christian couple had learned that the fetus in Doreen’s womb had died but had failed to be discharged. The State Supreme Court opinion reports that her physician, Dr. Drury, recommended cleansing the uterus by a “dilation and curettage” (D & C), which involves carefully scraping the uterine walls.

The Court explained: “The operation did not go smoothly. Approximately 1 hour after surgery, Mrs. Shorter began to bleed internally and go into shock. Emergency exploratory surgery conducted by other surgeons revealed Dr. Drury had severely lacerated Mrs. Shorter’s uterus.” She bled to death.

“Mr. Shorter thereafter brought this wrongful death action alleging Dr. Drury’s negligence proximately caused Mrs. Shorter’s death . . . The jury found Dr. Drury negligent and that his negligence was ‘a proximate cause of the death of Doreen Shorter’. Damages were found to be $412,000.” However, the jury held that the Shorters’ stand had contributed to the outcome, so the award was changed to $103,000.

One important issue was the validity of a document for release of liability for nonuse of blood, such as the Shorters had signed. Is it appropriate for Jehovah’s Witnesses to sign such documents?b Do these protect doctors and hospitals involved? Also, do such documents release medical personnel from all liability, including negligence (malpractice) during surgery?

The State Supreme Court said: “Given the particular problems faced when a patient on religious grounds refuses to permit necessary or advisable blood transfusions, we believe the use of a release such as signed here is appropriate. . . . The alternative of physicians or hospitals refusing to care for Jehovah’s Witnesses is repugnant in a society which attempts to make medical care available to all its members.

“We believe the procedure used here, the voluntary execution of a document protecting the physician and hospital and the patient is an appropriate alternative and not contrary to the public interest.”

You may well wonder, though, ‘What if a surgeon is guilty of negligence during surgery? Is he still responsible for that malpractice?’

Notice what the Court stated: “While Mrs. Shorter accepted the consequences resulting from a refusal to receive a blood transfusion, she did not accept the consequences of Dr. Drury’s negligence which was, as the jury found, a proximate cause of Mrs. Shorter’s death.”

You deserve to know that four of the nine members of the State Supreme Court believed that the award should not have been reduced under a reasoning of “shared risk.” They wrote: “The refusal form signed by the Shorters represents their assent to relieve Dr. Drury of his duty to administer blood if required by the non-negligent performance of the procedure. . . . If Dr. Drury had performed the operation without negligence, but Mrs. Shorter had bled to death anyway, the doctor could not be held liable in this case.” However . . .

“The dangers of performing the D and C were never fully explained to the Shorters; they were not informed that three methods of accomplishing the procedure were available, nor were they told that the method Dr. Drury planned to use was the method most likely to result in uterine perforation and excessive bleeding.” Hence these judges held: “Dr. Drury’s negligence greatly increased Mrs. Shorter’s chances of bleeding to death; thus, the ‘magnitude’ of the risk was increased.” These judges felt that the full $412,000 should be restored.

Physicians and hospital authorities can see from the Randolph and Shorter cases that the courts recognize that treating Jehovah’s Witnesses while using documents for release of liability is “appropriate.” Such documented refusal of blood by an adult can be honored even where minor children and non-Witness relatives are involved. But as the Shorter opinion stated: “Such a release does not, however, shield those released from liability for their own negligence in treating the patient.” That is fair both to doctor and to patient.

In the Randolph and Shorter cases, death followed claimed malpractice. Yet in a more recent case the outcome was far happier.

The Jackson Case​—Mother and Daughter Are Fine

Ernestine Jackson was about 26 weeks pregnant when labor began in February 1984. The staff at Mercy Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, found that because of previous surgery and the position of the fetus she risked a ruptured uterus. They urged a cesarean delivery. Mr. and Mrs. Jackson gave permission, but they asked that no blood be given. They accepted the Christian beliefs of Jehovah’s Witnesses, with whom they were studying the Bible.

The staff of the Catholic hospital advised that there was up to a 50-percent chance that Mrs. Jackson would need a blood transfusion. When she “steadfastly refused to compromise,” the hospital asked Circuit Court Judge Greenfeld to appoint a guardian authorized to permit a transfusion. After a bedside hearing, Judge Greenfeld denied the hospital’s request.

‘So what happened?’ you may wonder. Well, lacking permission to use blood, the doctors performed the cesarean. No blood was needed or used. Both mother and daughter survived and later went home. They are still well.

That might seem to end the matter. But it did not. The hospital appealed, based on the question: “Did the . . . (circuit) court err in holding that a competent, pregnant adult has a paramount right to refuse consent to a blood transfusion on the basis of her religious beliefs in the circumstances presented?”

The Court of Special Appeals of Maryland³ admitted that the issue was no longer pressing because Mrs. Jackson and her child survived the operation without the use of blood. But the Court decided to consider the appeal, since other such cases might arise.

The Court observed that Mercy Hospital argued that it was run by a Catholic order and was “dedicated to the preservation of life.” Yet the Court said that Mercy Hospital could “not properly complain that Mrs. Jackson’s religious beliefs were upheld to the detriment of the hospital’s . . . Freedom of religion means the right to pursue one’s religious beliefs without interference from any other religion, non-religion or the government.”

What about the State’s interest? “The State of Maryland . . . participated in this appeal by submitting a written brief as amicus curiae, and despite Mercy’s assertions to the contrary, pointed out that any State interest in the preservation of life is not necessarily absolute.” Further, the Court observed that Maryland statutory law “embodies an emphatic legislative mandate that the patient’s decision regarding the type of treatment the patient shall endure is paramount. The statute goes so far as to declare that, in the final analysis, it is the patient who determines whether there shall be any treatment at all.”

Note the Court’s conclusion: “In his denial of Mercy’s petition for a guardian for Mrs. Jackson, Judge Greenfeld said: ‘This Court is of the opinion that a competent, pregnant adult does have the paramount right to refuse a blood transfusion in accordance with her religious beliefs, where such decision is made knowingly and voluntarily and will not endanger the delivery, survival or support of the fetus. This conclusion is consistent with a patient’s right of informed consent to medical treatment . . . and the corollary right to refuse that medical treatment.’ We agree. JUDGMENT AFFIRMED.”​—April 4, 1985.c

These cases are truly important. They underscore that each of us has the right to decide on medical treatment and that our decision can reflect our deepest religious or ethical convictions. Doctors and hospitals can further see that they can safely provide the nondiscriminatory medical care that they desire for all. As they do so, they will find that Jehovah’s Witnesses are cooperative, appreciative patients whose strong will to live adds a vital element to their recovery.

[References]

1. Randolph v. City of New York, N.Y.L.J., Oct. 12, 1984, at 6, col. 4 (N.Y. Sup. Ct. Oct. 1, 1984)

2. Shorter v. Drury, 103 Wash. 2d 645, 695 P.2d 116 (1985)

3. Mercy Hospital, Inc. v. Jackson, 62 Md. App. 409, 489 A.2d 1130 (Md. Ct. Spec. App. 1985)

4. St. Mary’s Hospital v. Ramsey, 465 So. 2d 666 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. 1985)

[Footnotes]

Young People Ask . . .

‘Can Smoking Pot Ruin My Health?’

The eye drops seem to help. At least they get enough of the red out of his eyes so that his parents do not notice it. And if they do, he can always tell them that they put too much chlorine in the school swimming pool. As for the odor, Mom’s room deodorizer gets rid of that just fine. True, he sometimes worries that his folks will one day find the joints he has stashed away in his closet. But he has the cure for worry: another puff on his marijuana cigarette.

THE young marijuana smoker tends to view his habit as a harmless pastime. He often frets more about keeping his habit a secret than about what he may be doing to his mind and body.

A survey sponsored by the National Institute of Drug Abuse in the United States, however, reveals that marijuana use is down among high school students. The reason? Apparently fears that marijuana can damage one’s health.

Teenagers, though, are not the only ones who are worried. The Surgeon General of the U.S. Public Health Service went on record as saying: “I urge other physicians and professionals to advise parents and patients about the harmful effects of using marijuana and to urge discontinuation of its use.” But is there real evidence that smoking marijuana is a “defilement of flesh”?​—2 Corinthians 7:1.

Effects on Your Lungs and Throat

Just minutes after its being inhaled, the smoke from a marijuana cigarette begins affecting the user. His pulse rate soars, his mouth and throat get dry, his eyes redden​—and the user is often thrown into a state of euphoria, albeit temporarily. But after studying thousands of research papers on the subject, the Institute of Medicine in the United States concluded that there is reason for “serious national concern” that marijuana users may pay a high price for pleasure.

Consider your lungs. Even marijuana’s staunchest supporters admit that inhaling smoke cannot possibly be good for you. Marijuana smoke, like the smoke from tobacco, consists of a number of toxic substances such as tars. However, some argue that since even heavy marijuana users smoke far less than tobacco users, the danger is minimal.

But David, a former marijuana user, says: “I’ve smoked cigarettes and marijuana, and I’d say that marijuana is harder on your lungs, if only because of how marijuana smoke is inhaled. Most cigarette smokers will suck the smoke into their mouths and then inhale it along with some air, which dilutes the smoke. They don’t suck the smoke right out of the cigarette down into their lungs, but marijuana smokers do. We used to suck on a joint for dear life, and then hold the smoke in our lungs as long as we could stand it. After all, a joint of marijuana costs a lot, and we wanted all the smoke we could get!”

Interestingly, Dr. Forest S. Tennant, Jr., surveyed 492 U.S. Army soldiers who had used marijuana. Nearly 25 percent of them “suffered sore throats from smoking cannabis, and some 6 percent reported that they had suffered from bronchitis.” In another study, Tennant and associates examined 30 marijuana users. Of these, 24 were found to have bronchial “lesions characteristic of the early stages of cancer.” True, no one can guarantee that such ones actually will develop cancer later on. But who wants to be a guinea pig for cancer research?

The Bible shows that God “gives to all persons life and breath.” (Acts 17:25) Would it show respect to the Giver of life to inhale something that damages the lungs and the throat?

Marijuana and Your Brain

At Ecclesiastes 12:6 the human brain is poetically called “the golden bowl.” Barely larger than your fist and weighing a scant three pounds (1.4 kg), the brain is not only the precious receptacle of your memories but also the command center for your entire nervous system. Yet, warns the Institute of Medicine: “We can say with confidence that marijuana produces acute effects on the brain, including chemical and electrophysiological changes.”​—Italics ours.

Exactly how the drug performs its mind-altering tricks is unknown. Nor is there conclusive proof that marijuana permanently damages the brain. Dr. Robert Heath has done some experiments in which monkeys were exposed to heavy doses of marijuana. An examination of the monkeys’ brains revealed brain cell damage. Heath’s studies, though, have come under fire for being limited (reportedly only four monkeys were examined) and lacking scientific controls. Nevertheless, as the Institute of Medicine acknowledged, the possibility that marijuana might damage “the golden bowl” should not be dismissed lightly.

Birth Defects?

Parenthood may seem light-years away right now. But likely you have given some thought to the prospect of getting married and having children. Could smoking marijuana pose some sort of threat to your as-yet-unborn offspring? Researchers fear that it may.

The publication Marijuana Effects on the Endocrine and Reproductive Systems reports that marijuana appeared to induce spontaneous abortions in female mice. The drug also seemed to suppress the production of certain hormones in male animals. True, a man is not a mouse. However, say researchers: “Clinical [marijuana] studies on human subjects generally agree with the animal findings.” Exactly how significant or even dangerous the effect is upon the reproductive system is still unknown. Nevertheless, the researchers warn that marijuana seems to pose the greatest threat to adolescents since their reproductive systems are still developing.

The Institute of Medicine further reports that marijuana is known “to cause birth defects when administered in large doses to experimental animals.” True, “no adequate clinical studies have been carried out to determine if marijuana use can harm the human fetus.” However, “a slowly developing or low-level effect [of marijuana on human offspring] might be undetected by the studies done so far.” (Italics ours.) This is because birth defects do not always manifest themselves immediately.

For example, years ago doctors administered the hormone DES to prevent miscarriages. Children born to mothers using this drug seemed perfectly healthy. However, years later, as those children grew up, some of the females developed cancer. It could likewise take years to prove that marijuana induces birth defects. But the Institute of Medicine acknowledges that “nervous system abnormalities, and reductions in birth weight and height may indeed exist” because some parents used marijuana.

Dr. Gabriel Nahas thus says that smoking marijuana may be “genetic roulette.” Could anyone who views children as “an inheritance from Jehovah” take such risks?​—Psalm 127:3.

“Nothing Like It”

There is therefore ample reason to avoid smoking marijuana. Says the Bible, “The beauty of young men is their power.” (Proverbs 20:29) Why even risk throwing away vibrant health for the pleasures of a mind-altering drug?

The book Self-Destructive Behavior in Children and Adolescents observes that using drugs “remains one of the few pleasurable options for many young people; it may be a predictable, reliable way to punctuate an otherwise unrewarding existence.” There are less dangerous ways, though, to add meaning to life. One former marijuana user says: “I no longer need to get high anymore. I know the truth and have a relationship with Jehovah God​—and there’s just nothing like it.”

So rather than polluting your body, work at developing this relationship with God! It is not too difficult. In fact, God makes this promise to those who conscientiously ‘cleanse themselves of every defilement of flesh and spirit’: “‘I will take you in.’ ‘And I shall be a father to you.’” (2 Corinthians 6:17–7:1) You, too, will find that when you enjoy God’s friendship, there is nothing like it!

[Box on page 16]

Marijuana​—A New Wonder Drug?

Much ado has been made over claims that marijuana may have therapeutic value in treating glaucoma, asthma, and in easing the nausea that cancer patients experience during chemotherapy. An Institute of Medicine report acknowledges that there is some truth to these claims. But does this mean that in the near future doctors will be prescribing joints (marijuana cigarettes)?

Not likely. For while some of marijuana’s over 400 chemical compounds may prove useful, smoking marijuana would hardly be the logical way to take such medicines. “Using marijuana,” says noted authority Dr. Carlton Turner, “would be like giving people molded bread to eat to get penicillin.” So if any marijuana compounds ever become bona fide medicines, it will be marijuana “derivatives or analogues,” chemical compounds similar thereto, that doctors will prescribe. No wonder, then, that the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services wrote: “It should be emphasized that possible therapeutic benefits in no way modify the significance of the negative health effects of marijuana.”

[Picture on page 15]

Is smoking marijuana worth the risk?

DAMAGED REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM

LUNG CANCER

Brain Damage

Acrostic Puzzle

Directions: Guess the words from the clues at the left and write them on the numbered dashes at the right. Then transfer each letter to the correspondingly numbered square in the pattern below. The initial letters of the column at the right, when read down, will indicate where the text appearing in the panel below is found. The solution is found on page 21.

A. Refuse or dross; the wicked are likened to this. (Psalm 119:119, NE)

B. Taking in knowledge of Jehovah and Jesus Christ can result in this kind of life. (John 17:3)

C. The Beroeans were “--------- examining the Scriptures daily.” (Acts 17:11)

D. A loyal disciple who ministered to Paul both in Ephesus and in Rome. (2 Timothy 1:16-18)

E. The 13th letter of the Greek alphabet.

F. Sudden collapse or disgrace. (Ezekiel 26:15 or Proverbs 29:16)

G. To bind, as with ropes. (Judges 16:11)

H. Calls upon (as a higher power). (1 Peter 1:17, RS)

I. God promised Abraham, “I shall surely -------- your seed.” (Genesis 22:17)

J. Sacrifices. (Exodus 24:5 or 2 Chronicles 1:6)

K. Paul desired only that he might “bear -------- witness to the good news.” (Acts 20:24)

L. King of Judah who built the Siloam tunnel, which exists to this day. (2 Kings 20:20)

M. Let this mean “yes.” [2 words] (Matthew 5:37)

A.

B.

C.

D.

E.

F.

G.

H.

I.

J.

K.

L.

M.

ACROSTIC SOLUTION

CLUE WORDS: (A) scum (B) everlasting (C) carefully (D) Onesiphorus (E) ny (F) downfall (G) tie (H) invokes (I) multiply (J) offerings (K) thorough (L) Hezekiah (M) your yes

The Bible’s Viewpoint . . .

Horoscopes​—Helpful or Harmful?

A HOUSEWIFE begins her daily routine by reading a newspaper’s “Your Stars” column. A stockbroker telephones his astrologer before trading. A gambler at the track clutches a wad of money in one hand, and in the other, the book How to Play the Horses Horoscopically. Sports stars, politicians, and many others dutifully consult their horoscopes before making a decision.

Do the positions of the stars, planets, moon, and sun at a person’s birth as charted by astrologers affect your life? Millions today believe they do. So you may wonder:

Are Horoscopes Really Helpful?

Yes, answer the ardent followers. Why do they feel this way? One person explained: “I read my horoscope every day . . . and I’d say about 80 percent of the time the things I’ve been told turned out right.” Yes, they feel that answers, or at least guides to answering their problems, are found in the horoscope.

However, are horoscope columns in newspapers and magazines really helpful? Observe what noted astrologer Alexandra Mark wrote in her book Astrology for the Aquarian Age: “These readings . . . have almost no chance of being applicable to an individual except on the basis of coincidence. But the power of suggestion cannot be overlooked.” Stop and think, would you want your life to be guided by mere coincidence or solely by the power of suggestion?

‘However,’ you may ask, ‘would casting a personal horoscope based on one’s exact time and place of birth be more accurate?’ Such a belief obviously is based on the notion that somehow the heavenly bodies exert a powerful influence on the lives of people. Yet how could this be true in view of the vast distances between the planets and the earth? Scientists have shown that the effect, if any, of the heavenly bodies on individuals is negligible. In fact, the very premise under which astrology was formulated, that the earth was the center of the universe and that the sun and the planets revolved around it, is false.

While the helpfulness of horoscopes is questionable, we would do well to ask the more important question:

Could Horoscopes Be Harmful?

Yes, they could. When you read the horoscope columns, there is a risk of losing your ability to make meaningful decisions, or as astronomer Roger Culver puts it: “The danger is you can pass the buck​—the stars made me do it.” True, a person may read the columns only for their entertainment value, but suppose an event in his life coincided with what he read in the horoscope. Could he be subtly led to believe that there is some truth in the horoscopic forecasts? Would he be tempted to become more deeply involved in astrology?

If so, something more serious could happen. What began as harmless curiosity could turn into a practice that violates what the Almighty God has said. The ancient Israelites were told by Jehovah God that he hated any form of divination, including looking to the heavenly bodies.

To show exactly how grave the matter is, the Bible says: “In case there should be found in your midst in one of your cities that Jehovah your God is giving you a man or a woman who should practice what is bad in the eyes of Jehovah your God so as to overstep his covenant, and he should go and worship other gods and bow down to them or to the sun or the moon or all the army of the heavens, a thing that I have not commanded, and it has been told you and you have heard it and have searched thoroughly, and, look! the thing is established as the truth, this detestable thing has been done in Israel! you must also bring that man or that woman who has done this bad thing out to your gates, yes, the man or the woman, and you must stone such one with stones, and such one must die.”​—Deuteronomy 17:2-5.

Why does God detest using the sun, moon, and stars as omens? First, it goes against his purpose in having created them. (Genesis 1:14-18) We are to look to the Creator, not the created, for guidance. (Romans 1:25) Second, God is to occupy a unique place in our life. The worship of him is to be shared with no other person or thing. (Deuteronomy 4:24) A person could rely so much on his horoscope that the thin line between dependence and worship may be crossed. Third, it could open the door to occultism. And dabbling in the occult could make an unsuspecting person an easy target for the supernatural force behind occultism​—the demons. (Compare Deuteronomy 18:9-12; Isaiah 47:12-14; Acts 16:16-18.) To prevent our getting dangerously involved with horoscopes, God provides us with something better:

A Superior Guide

Jehovah God has provided his Word, the Bible, which is always trustworthy. He assures us: “So my word that goes forth from my mouth will prove to be. . . . It will have certain success in that for which I have sent it.”​—Isaiah 55:11.

However, it takes effort on our part to probe into God’s Word and to draw out the specific counsel. That is what wise King Solomon did. He wrote: “For I took all this to my heart, even to search out all this, that the righteous ones and the wise ones and their works are in the hand of the true God.” (Ecclesiastes 9:1) So, rather than being guided by the shaky hand of the astrologer’s horoscope, place your confidence in the firm hand of Jehovah God.

[Box on page 18]

“People are confused. They want help in making decisions involving finance, personal relationships and employment. Religion isn’t meeting the need as it once did and psychiatry has its limitations. So . . . in an attempt to attach themselves to something that appears to have scientific possibility [they] have turned in growing numbers to astrology.”​—Dr. Alan Rosenburg, psychiatrist, Nature/​Science Annual.

[Box on page 19]

The Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal, on November 16, 1984, suggested the publishing of this disclaimer with all horoscope columns: “The following astrological forecasts should be read for entertainment value only. Such predictions have no reliable basis in scientific fact.”

“School and Jehovah’s Witnesses”​—The Brochure Is Helping

Children returning to school this fall need all the help they can receive, particularly those trying to abide by godly principles. Two years ago the 32-page publication School and Jehovah’s Witnesses was provided to give this help.

AS A family, have you reviewed the contents of School and Jehovah’s Witnesses? Note the opening words of the publication: “This brochure is published to promote understanding and cooperation between Jehovah’s Witnesses and school authorities. It is our desire to cooperate with all who are working for the success of basic educational programs offered in school.”

So you will want to make sure that schoolteachers and principals receive a personal copy. “It is important that parents become acquainted with their children’s teachers​—making arrangements to meet and talk with them,” the brochure says. Therefore, if the teacher has not already received the brochure, this meeting would be an appropriate time to present it and explain its features. It really is a help!

Help to Teachers

A mother from Peoria, Illinois, writes: “Our son’s teacher has thanked us many times for giving her the brochure. She has said that it has helped her ‘not just to go along with but really to understand the Witnesses’ stand on many issues.’

“Because of this, we have been able to keep open a channel of communication. Our son’s teacher has remarked to us that she keeps the brochure on hand, and if she is not sure if our son should participate in some school activity, she will check the brochure before class and dismiss him quietly to some other project if need be. . . .

“Many times she has written my husband and me for further explanations. We have been able to give additional information to her throughout the school year, and have even been able to clear up a lot of wrong information she had concerning the Witnesses.

“This brochure has truly achieved its purpose in our case, making for a better relationship between school, student, and parents.”

At times a teacher may not have properly understood the beliefs of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Then he or she gets the reputation of being uncooperative. A mother from Salem, Oregon, writes regarding her daughter’s third-grade teacher who had such a reputation:

“Shortly after school began we had our first parent-teacher meeting. I presented the teacher with the brochure School and Jehovah’s Witnesses. I pointed out its cooperative attitude, showing that Jehovah’s people want to be partners with the teachers. I suggested he might prefer to keep this brochure as a guide for understanding our child and other Witness students he may have in years to come.

“His response rather surprised me, as I expected to have my first experience with an uncooperative teacher. He eagerly took the brochure, looked through it quickly and sounded sincere as he replied that he would really appreciate having something to explain our beliefs and practices.

“I returned a few days later and asked the teacher if he had found time to look through the brochure. He said that he sat up in bed and read it completely​—front to back. He agreed that the information was very well presented; he very much appreciated having it. I told him that if he ever had any questions regarding it or our child’s actions to please let me know. He assured me that he would.

“One month later, while the class was busy with Halloween preparations, our daughter showed us a workbook and explained that she was the only one in class who had it. Her teacher had given it to her and told her it was to work in whenever the class was doing something she did not feel she should be doing.

“This brochure, School and Jehovah’s Witnesses, is truly the finest piece of tact and cooperative spirit and practicality.”

Many other families who have put the School brochure to use have made similar expressions. They have been delighted with the positive response of teachers who appreciate the guidelines that are provided.

Help to Witness Students

In particular, Witness students are benefited, and many have expressed gratitude. A girl from Ontario, Canada, reports:

“Our history teacher was talking to the class about how he feels when people at hockey games and other sporting events do not stand up for the national anthem. He said that this was disrespectful not only to the country but to others too. I wanted to talk to him after class, but I didn’t have the opportunity to do so. Instead I wrote him a letter and enclosed with it the brochure. . . . To my surprise he wrote me back. This is what he wrote.

“‘Your religious beliefs are your own. They are highly personal, worthy of respect and due consideration, by you and those who do not hold with your faith. Please, never interpret my feelings and opinions as a criticism of you or your beliefs. I hope to express the attitudes of respect and tolerance and would actively support any person’s right to freedom of religion. . . . Thank you for the brochure, it was very enlightening.’”

Time and time again the School brochure has helped teachers to appreciate the beliefs of Jehovah’s Witnesses and to deal understandingly with students. Young ones who are trying to abide by godly principles are thus helped. As the girl from Ontario said: “It has made it a lot easier for us to talk to teachers and fellow students about our beliefs.” So be sure that teachers receive the brochure and are encouraged to read it.

Blind But Leading a Full Life

I WAS a boy of ten growing up in Ecuador when it happened. In an accidental explosion, I lost both my right hand and my right eye. My left eye was affected, too, but an operation saved about 50 percent of the vision in it.

Then I slowly began losing the sight in my good eye. When I had it examined, I was told that within a few months I would be completely blind. I was crushed. Words cannot describe how depressed I felt.

During this time my father died, leaving my mother alone with two boys: my brother Eddie, who is two years older than I, and me. The love of my mother and the understanding of my brother Eddie helped me to cope for a while. Yet I felt that I was a burden to them. So I decided that whenever my mother died, I would commit suicide.

The time from the age of 23 to 30 was most difficult. I spent day after day thinking about and searching for some kind of work. But the answer was always the same: To work, a person needs his hands and his sight. Many were the times my mother would say to me: “Just pray to God for comfort.”

“If God existed,” I would exclaim bitterly, “I would not have lost my hand or my eyes! What sin could I have committed at ten years of age, so that God punished me by making me an invalid?” As always, such conversations left my mother crying, which only added to my depression.

Meditating on my situation, I thought, ‘My life would be less sad if only I had faith.’ With that I decided to visit a religious order near my home. They gave me some books for my brother Eddie to read to me. These did nothing to comfort me. Finally, I asked them for a Bible, and they lent me one. As I listened to Eddie read, I felt great relief inside, even though I did not fully understand what was being said. Before long, however, the Bible had to be returned.

Light for the First Time

Shortly afterward I went to visit a friend who was studying the Bible with some Protestants, or so I thought. The lady, Beatriz, was very friendly and tried to include me in the discussion, but I was hostile. I considered Protestants to be agents of capitalist imperialism; I was a member of the Communist Party in Ecuador at the time.

Beatriz was one of Jehovah’s Witnesses and was not discouraged by my attitude. She continued to converse kindly with me. In fact, she gave me her address and invited me to get in touch with her if I had any questions. Not long after this I went to her house with some questions.

Beatriz was not at home, but her aunt, Castorina, also one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, received me very kindly. When she mentioned God to me, I recall replying, “I do not believe in anything, neither in God, nor in the virgin, nor in the saints; and for me to believe, you have to give me proof!” I left her house surprised and humbled by her answers, promising to return for a study of the Bible.

In January of 1965 I began studying the Bible, using the book “Let God Be True.” I remember asking, “Where do you get all the questions to ask me?” Beatriz and her aunt then explained that there were printed questions at the bottom of the page and that these were designed to draw out the main points of the paragraphs. That presented a problem for me. How could I prepare in advance for my study? I was eager, in fact, determined, to learn. So I again asked my brother Eddie to read aloud to me.

For the first time in 20 years “light” began to enter, no, not through my eyes, but through my ears. Peace slowly began to calm my troubled mind. I talked to everyone about the new things I was learning. When we finished studying the book “Let God Be True,” I was sure of one thing: God does exist!

At this point I began doing something I would never have dreamed of doing before​—going out and talking to others about the Bible! One day while we were visiting homes, a lady replied, “Please speak to the doctor.” I expected a medical doctor. But what a surprise to meet a Catholic priest who asked us to return that night because he was busy!

That evening we were received kindly by the priest. I started by asking, “Is it permissible to use the Bible?” He assured me that it was. We talked about the doctrine of hellfire. From the beginning of our discussion, he confidently claimed that he could prove from the Bible that hell was a place of fire and torment. That discussion lasted for two hours, and he could not prove his point from the Bible. For the next three weeks, we continued discussing it.

“Now I can show you in the Bible that there is eternal torment by fire,” he claimed during one visit. “In Matthew chapter 25 Jesus says to the goats, ‘Go away from me to eternal fire prepared for the Devil and his demons.’”

I replied: “But if the fire is prepared for the Devil and his demons, why do you think these poor animals are thrown into the fire with them?”

“Oh, but the goats mentioned are not literal animals. They are symbolic of bad people,” he answered.

“Then the fire must also be symbolic,” I replied.

Finally he admitted: “Perhaps we are not able to prove from the Bible that hell is a place of torment, but philosophically it can be confirmed.” That did it! It was plain to me that he did not have the truth.

Later, something similar happened when I spoke with a Protestant missionary. I discussed the doctrine of the Trinity with him. After a lengthy discussion, he admitted: “The Bible does say that the Father is greater than the Son, but I still prefer to believe that Jesus Christ is God.” My preference was to believe the Bible! I knew now that I had found the truth. On September 25, 1965, I was baptized as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

Joy in Teaching Others

I found great joy in teaching the Bible to others, and I began spending the greater part of my time doing this. Of course, it was necessary that someone accompany me to read the verses from the Bible. As always, my dear brother Eddie helped me to prepare in advance, reading the publications out loud to me.

In April 1966, I became a regular pioneer (full-time preacher). I was so happy to be using my life in such a worthwhile way! Four months later my brother married, and shortly afterward I was invited to be a special pioneer, devoting 150 hours each month to preaching the good news. But how could I do it? How could I conduct Bible studies alone?

When the book The Truth That Leads to Eternal Life was published in 1968, I memorized the answers to all the questions in the 22 chapters. In this way I was able to use the book in teaching others. I also memorized the answers to the questions in various other Bible study aids published by the Watchtower Society. When the generously illustrated publication My Book of Bible Stories was released in 1978, I soon memorized the pages on which the illustrations are found.

Then, when the new illustrated study book You Can Live Forever in Paradise on Earth was released in 1982, I developed a similar method of teaching. I have never seen the pictures, but I know them all by heart so as to explain them when teaching others. When using the book, I simply count the pages to a certain illustration and then explain it. This method makes it a lot easier for me to conduct Bible studies with the help of this publication.

Incidentally, after I started special pioneering I decided to try to get my brother Eddie to accept a regular Bible study with me. He agreed, although not with much enthusiasm. I was surprised to learn that he understood practically nothing of what he had patiently been reading to me all this time. “Eddie, how can you know so little about the Bible when you have been reading it to me for so long?” I asked him one day. His reply that he had done it just to help me made me realize all the more what a fine brother I had. It was not long, though, before he began to appreciate the precious truths of the Bible and made steady spiritual progress.

Dangers and Hardships

As you can imagine, being without sight has its problems. Why, several times I almost lost my life due to this! For example, I was walking home one night when I happened to bump into a man. He angrily blocked my way. Suddenly I felt something hard on my shoulder. My collar was turned up due to the cold weather, so I couldn’t tell what it was. I tried to excuse myself by explaining that I was blind.

But the man had been drinking and he paid no heed to me. I felt him lift whatever it was off my shoulder and say in a menacing tone, “And now what?” I raised my head and inquired, “What?” With that, he apparently realized that I really was blind and his tone of voice changed. Then I understood the danger that I had been in. The hard object he had placed on my shoulder was the blade of a machete. He had come close to cutting my head off! I had shown no fear simply because I did not realize the danger. The man went on his way, and I returned home safely.

There have been other difficulties, but these have only served to show me that the hand of Jehovah is not short. By now, there were seven in our family​—my mother, my brother Eddie, his wife and three children, and me. Due to a work shortage, Eddie was forced to take a job in another town, with all of us accompanying him. However, there the work situation got worse. Eddie lost his job and was out of work for almost a year.

Fortunately, I was able to continue as a special pioneer. Not one day did we go without sufficient food and clothing. How much I appreciated the words of Jesus: “Keep on, then, seeking first the kingdom and his righteousness, and all these other things will be added to you”!​—Matthew 6:33.

A Fruitful Ministry

Through the years, I have had other evidences of God’s blessing on my ministry. I recall one day visiting the home of a Protestant family, and a discussion about the hellfire doctrine promptly ensued. They called the pastor, who lived nearby. The pastor insisted that this teaching was correct, and the conversation went like this:

“There was once a ruler of the Incas named Atahuallpa who died many years ago,” I started. “He was an idolater and a polygamist, and he was fratricidal. So where is his soul?”

“Then he must be in hellfire,” answered the pastor.

“But this ruler knew nothing of the true God. He never read the Bible or came to a knowledge of it.”

“Then he must be in heaven,” he responded.

“Yet 1 Corinthians 6:9 says that idolaters will not inherit God’s Kingdom,” I replied.

Silence. Hearing no reply, a high-school teacher who had accompanied the pastor spoke up and said, “If the pastor is not able to answer your question, then would you please tell us? Just where is Atahuallpa’s soul?”

I then proceeded to show them from the Bible that the dead are unconscious in the grave and that God has set a future time of resurrection and judgment. (Ecclesiastes 9:5, 10; John 5:28, 29; Acts 17:31) The explanation proved to have lasting effect on the schoolteacher because later he, of his own accord, looked up Jehovah’s Witnesses. He is now serving as a ministerial servant in one of the congregations of Jehovah’s Witnesses here in Ecuador.

My heart is full of joy, as my entire family are now Jehovah’s Witnesses. Eddie, his wife and her sister, who had been preparing to become a nun, were baptized in 1969. My mother followed in 1970. I am so thankful to my family, as well as to other Witnesses, for their kindness to me. But, most of all, I am thankful to Jehovah God, who has opened my eyes (spiritually, of course) and given meaning to my life. With his help I have been able to live a full life despite my blindness.​—As told by Rodrigo Vaca.

[Blurb on page 23]

“If God existed, I would not have lost my hand or my eyes!” I would exclaim bitterly

[Blurb on page 25]

By memorizing all the answers and the pages on which the illustrations are found, I am able to conduct Bible studies

[Blurb on page 25]

I asked, ‘Where is the soul of Atahuallpa, an idolater and a polygamist?’

[Picture on page 24]

I find great joy in teaching the Bible to others

They Call Me Man’s Best Friend

WELL, many call me that. I hope my family agrees. I adopted this family when I was a puppy only six weeks old. And now, by their own admission, they would be at a loss to know what to do without me​—a sentiment I heartily agree with.

And why not? We dogs are loyal to our adopted family to the end. Man cannot say that. We never come home drunk, never get mad, never hold a grudge, and even though you may beat us (which you should never do), a pat on the head will cause our tail to wag and let you know that all is well between us. We are usually the first to greet you when you come home. If you live on a busy street, we can pick out the sound of your car from all the others passing by. My adopted family cannot understand this, but it’s easy for me. Neither can they comprehend my ability to pick out their scent from all other people who may have walked by and follow it.

However, my life is not all roses. One thing that confuses me is when I’m punished. If, for example, the door of the house is accidentally left open and I run out, when it’s discovered that I’m gone I’m angrily called back. Then when I come back I’m punished! Why was I punished for coming back? Once I jumped on the table and ate an entire package of sandwich meat. To put it mildly, my family was upset with me. “You know better than that!” they scolded. No, I didn’t, but I do now. I understand now that the table is out of bounds for me. However, if they had waited an hour to scold me, I wouldn’t have known why.

In my house I make no distinction in age. My devotion and loyalty are extended to all family members, young or old, strong or feeble. This makes me valuable, according to a doctor of veterinary medicine. He said: “The greatest problems confronting the elderly aren’t physical ailments, but the loneliness and rejection they experience. By providing love and companionship, animal pets (including dogs) give purpose and meaning at a time when the elderly often are alienated from society.” A recent Better Homes and Gardens magazine said: “Pets help treat the emotionally disturbed; motivate the physically ill, the handicapped, and the disabled; and revitalize the lonely and elderly.”

We can also by our companionship help terminally ill cancer victims stay active longer and we can help increase the life expectancy of heart-disease victims. By means of the curative effects that our companionship brings, we are indeed leaving our mark in homes for the aged, hospitals, prisons, and schools. We have reduced the suicide rate to practically zero among inmates in some institutions for the criminally insane. Our being there gives their life an added dimension​—a devoted life in their midst to care for. It is a proved fact that our presence as pets can reduce the blood pressure and anxiety levels in both children and adults.

But before you run out and buy a dog to cure all your ailments, I must warn you that we’re not miracle workers. I know of no dog that has been named “Penicillin”​—though the name does have a nice sound as it rolls off the tongue, doesn’t it? But if you are lonely and need cheering up, we can be the shot in the arm that will bring you out of your depression.

Lastly, since I am barking about our virtues, I must remind you of the frequent heroics of dogs​—how we chew our way through doors to warn our masters of fire in the house, how we pull children from burning buildings, how we race home to get the father of a child lost in the forest, how we jump into a lake to save a drowning child. That is the stuff that movies are made of; nevertheless it’s true of us. There are no coward dogs in a smoke-filled room. We want to get you out and save your life.

Of course, we may lose our life trying. But we dogs are like that.

From Our Readers

Death of a Loved One

This letter is to thank you for the fine articles on “When Someone You Love Dies.” (April 22, 1985) When my mother died of a terminal disease in January 1984, I suffered many of the grief reactions you discussed. You mentioned that often a letter from a friend can help. This is true. A dear friend wrote a letter expressing sadness for my loss, and it was so encouraging that I have since read that letter many times when I think of my mother. I would like to suggest that after losing a loved one, a person should return to a normal routine as soon as possible. I am busy now in the full-time ministry, and it has helped me tremendously.

A. M., Oklahoma

Thank you for the wonderful information you gave us in the articles “When Someone You Love Dies.” I was raised by my grandmother, and when she died this past January I thought that I was going crazy. Even though I had the hope of her being resurrected, I felt so angry and confused. I was bothered that I, a man, wept openly at the funeral. Since then, I have been torn by feelings of guilt. Your articles are just what I needed. I would like to say one thing to those whose parents are still alive. Tell them you love them, as often as you can. One day you may not be able to.

P. W., New York

Being Just Friends

I completely disagree with your viewpoints in the article “Young People Ask . . . Can a Boy and a Girl ‘Just Be Friends’?” (June 8, 1985) I have many male friends for whom I feel nothing sexually. The Bible says to treat a boy like your brother. You seem to turn this around by stating that it is wrong to have close male friends. I strongly believe that boys and girls can “just be friends.”

D. B., Alabama

Yes, it can be a healthy part of one’s development to have a number of friends of both sexes. The article in question was dealing more specifically with a boy or a girl thinking that he or she could have one close, confidential friend of the opposite sex, a “steady,” and then keep this relationship on a strictly platonic basis. It is unrealistic to believe that one can cultivate such a close friendship with just one of the opposite sex without getting emotionally involved.​—ED.

My deepest appreciation for the articles “Young People Ask . . . Can a Boy and a Girl ‘Just Be Friends’?” (June 8, 1985) and “Young People Ask . . . What’s Wrong With Being ‘Just Friends’?” (June 22, 1985) They really opened my mind. If I had had this information a couple of years earlier, I would definitely have been relieved of the emotional turmoil I have now experienced. The problem was that I never remembered to put a boundary where it was needed. But the advice of Proverbs 22:3 definitely will safeguard me now and in the future.

J. L., New York

Thank you for the article “Young People Ask . . . Can a Boy and a Girl ‘Just Be Friends’?” It came just in time. At the moment I am trying to get over the effects of being “burned” because of a one-sided romantic feeling that came from being ‘just good friends’ with one of the opposite sex. It really was an emotional turmoil.

D. G., Arkansas

Watching the World

Children Expelled From Schools in Paraguay

During 1984, school authorities in Paraguay expelled more than 60 children of Jehovah’s Witnesses because the children declined to take part in patriotic flag-salute ceremonies in violation of their Bible-trained consciences. Expulsions have continued in 1985. Other Witness students have not been accepted for enrollment. At issue is the trustworthiness of the guarantee by the constitution of Paraguay of “the right to profess . . . and practice [one’s] religion . . . as long as it does not oppose good customs or public order.”

On April 15, 1985, a lower court in Asunción ruled in favor of a petition by five family heads to have their ten children readmitted to school. The attorneys successfully argued that “the silence maintained [during patriotic ceremonies] by the students who are children of Jehovah’s Witnesses is considered RESPECTFUL and is in no way intended to offend.” But on May 8, the Court of Appeals overturned the ruling. Additionally, on April 17 the Ministry of Education and Worship issued Resolution No. 1.051, endorsing the expulsion of children who do not salute the national emblem. The family heads have now taken their case to the highest court of Paraguay, the Supreme Court of Justice. In the meantime, a separate lower court decision​—favorable to Jehovah’s Witnesses—​involving ten more children is being challenged by the Ministry. The upcoming court decisions will determine whether that country stands by its constitutional guarantees of freedom of religion or not.

New Japanese Bible

The Watch Tower Society released a new Reference Bible in modern Japanese. “The first of its kind,” reports Japan’s Asahi Evening News. It calls this Bible “a boon to all seeking accuracy in translation,” adding that it “is easy to read.” The article also notes that “this new work has 11,400 footnotes which contain alternate textual renderings making this new Reference Bible a multiversion translation. It has 125,000 marginal references to other texts that reveal the interlocking harmony of the 66 books.” The Bible was released to a crowd of 28,564 of Jehovah’s Witnesses assembled at Yokohama Stadium on May 19. By means of telephone hookups to 30 other convention sites throughout Japan, the total attendance figure swelled to 174,959.

48 Million Addicts

Despite the efforts of national and international organizations to stem the tide of drug abuse, this 20th-century plague continues to spread earth wide, says a United Nations antidrug conference in Vienna. It has been estimated that there are at least 48 million drug addicts. Of these, says the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, “about 38 million use cannabis, about 2 million use opium, and an uncertain number but certainly ‘several million’ are victims of cocaine, while about seven hundred thousand use heroin regularly.”

Transfusion Tumors

Blood transfusions may cause tumors in cancer patients, suggest new but controversial scientific studies. According to reports delivered at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, blood transfusions weaken the patient’s immune system and may thereby spur the growth and return of tumors in patients with lung, breast, colon, and rectal cancers. Dr. Neil Blumberg, a blood-transfusion specialist at the University of Rochester Medical Center in New York, studied patients with colon and rectal cancer. His findings, as published in the British Medical Journal, show that recurrences of the cancer after surgery were more likely in patients who had a transfusion than in similar patients who did not have transfusions. “In our particular group of patients, there was an association that suggested that transfusion was one of the most important risk factors,” Dr. Blumberg said in an Associated Press news dispatch.

Deep-Sea “Waterfalls”

Scientists from the Australian Navy research laboratories discovered off the coast of Tasmania a deep-sea “waterfall” 12 times higher than Niagara Falls and 6 times higher than Victoria Falls. The “waterfall” is 1,970 feet (600 m) high, reports The Evening Post of Wellington, New Zealand. In the same area, the research team also discovered a 6,560-foot-high (2,000 m) deep-sea volcano with its peak more than one and a half miles (2.4 km) below the surface.

Birthday Parties​—Christian?

Among heathens, according to Horst Fuhrmann, professor of medieval history at the University of Regensburg, “the birthday celebration was in honor of one’s guardian angel or god, whose altar was decorated with flowers and wreaths; sacrifices were offered to the god of festival, friends offered congratulations and brought gifts.” Professor Fuhrmann continues in the German newspaper Süddeutschen Zeitung: “Great prominence was given the birthday parties held for the emperor, replete with parades, public banquets, circus plays, and the hunting of animals: spectacles disgusting to the Christians.” Thus, says Fuhrmann, Christians “refused to celebrate the birthday.”

Buckled-Up Behavior

Children are better behaved passengers when buckled up, claims the American Academy of Pediatrics. Their publication states that university studies show that when not buckled up “children squirmed around on the seats, stood up, complained, fought, and pulled at the steering wheel. When buckled into car safety seats, however, there were 95% fewer incidents of bad behavior.” In addition, when children are buckled up, parents are less distracted and irritated, so that they can concentrate more on their driving.

“Dial-a-Shrink”

Add “dial-a-shrink in New York” to the growing list of personal services now available by telephone, says The Medical Post of Canada. [“Shrink” is an American colloquial term for “psychiatrist.”] At $19 (U.S.) for each ten minutes, a person with problems can receive professional counseling and charge it to his credit card. Calls are coming in at the rate of about 20 a day. They are mostly from women in their 30’s and 40’s who are having anxiety and depression problems due to “failing relationships.” Individuals who are not inclined to have a face-to-face interview are attracted to the service because it offers anonymity and the convenience of calling from one’s own home or office.

Tobacco Update

NICOTINE​—POTENT DRUG. What drug is one of the oldest, is the most widely used, and, in the same amounts, is stronger and more addictive than cocaine? It is nicotine. According to Jack Henningfield, a scientist at the National Institute of Drug Abuse Addiction Research Center, Baltimore, Maryland, the euphoric effect of nicotine is the same as morphine and cocaine. In a Gannett News Service release, Henningfield said that nicotine “does something biological in the brain.”

DEADLY EXHALATIONS. Passive tobacco smoking, inhaling smoke exhaled by smokers, is killing thousands a year, according to independent studies in England and North America. The London Daily Telegraph, in summarizing a conference called by the British Department of Health, reports: “As many as 5,000 non-smokers die each year as a result of inhaling other people’s cigarette smoke.” And James Repace, a researcher for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, told a Canadian federal hearing that tobacco smoke in the workplace kills an estimated 5,000 nonsmokers a year in the United States and about 500 in Canada by lung cancer alone, according to The Globe and Mail of Toronto. It added: “Estimates by other scientists of all deaths associated with ambient on-the-job tobacco smoke range up to 50,000 annually in the United States and 5,000 in Canada.”

NONSMOKERS PREFERRED. A growing number of major employers in the United States​—Grumman, Boeing, and Goodyear—​are joining a drive against smoking in workplaces. Why? “Employing a smoker costs $1,000 [U.S.] more a year than a nonsmoker for a variety of reasons,” so Marvin Kristein, a professor of economics at the State University of New York, was quoted as saying in The New York Times. That can add up to a tidy sum for these large companies. For example, The New York Times reports that “Boeing will save $10 million [U.S.] a year once it puts its smoking ban into effect.” These and other factors led Goodyear’s chairman, Robert Mercer, to predict last year: “We’ll get to the point where non-smoking is a condition of employment.”

Financial Tidal Wave

Forty years after being defeated in World War II, Japan is about to become the world’s principal creditor, states the Detroit Free Press. A gush of money, representing Japanese consumers’ savings and the profits of Japanese industry, is surging through the world economy at a rate of $50 billion to $100 billion (U.S.) per year, about half of it ending up in the United States. According to the report, the phenomenon is due principally to the current American economy, “its exceptionally strong dollar, its federal budget deficits, its relatively high interest rates, and its record trade deficits.” Mr. C. Fred Bergsten, director of the Institute for International Economics, estimates that, with current trends, within five years the United States will owe Japan and the rest of the world one trillion dollars (U.S.), and the rest of the world will owe Japan $500 billion (U.S.).

World’s Best Notes

Bank notes made in Brazil are among the world’s best, both in quality and security, claims the president of Brazil’s mint, Carlos Alberto Direito. Brazil’s bank notes, which are made solely from the country’s own raw materials, are printed on special cotton-fiber paper. They are electronically cut and are carefully checked by 120 skilled women workers. Brazil also prints money for the countries of Angola, Bolivia, Peru, and Venezuela.

Can You Pass This Survival Test?

1. What are you facing that is more awesome than a nuclear war?

2. Is there a way around it?

3. When is it expected?

4. Are you marked for survival?

Answers.

Please send, postpaid, the hardcover, 192-page book Survival Into a New Earth, containing Bible prophecies describing the events yet before us and the way to survive into a beautiful, cleansed earth. I enclose $1 (U.S.).

Are You Looking for a Marriage Mate?

What qualities in a mate will contribute most to a happy marriage? A young woman who was wondering about this wrote in a letter of appreciation:

“I really didn’t have anywhere I could go to for information on choosing a mate or what questions to ask yourself when considering marriage. I have been praying continually to Jehovah for help in choosing my mate . . . I could hardly believe it when the book Making Your Family Life Happy was released. It was truly an answer to my prayers. And I know it will help me to become a good wife, one my husband will be proud of. I thank you for publishing this book. It is greatly appreciated by me.”

If you desire help in choosing a marriage mate, or in making your marriage a happier one, you can benefit from this book. Receive a copy by filling in and mailing the coupon.

Please send, postpaid, the hardcover, 192-page book Making Your Family Life Happy. I enclose $1 (U.S.).