February 22

Page Two

Many people believe in God, but many do not. The latter have such questions as: If there is a God, why has he allowed suffering? Will he do something to restore peace to the earth? These and other questions are considered in our opening series

God​—Does He Really Exist? 3

Can We Know Whether There Is a God? 4

Why Does God Allow Suffering? 8

How Will God Bring Peace? And When? 11

[Picture Credit Line on page 2]

Cover photo by courtesy of U.S. Naval Observatory

God​—Does He Really Exist?

IS THERE a God of peace? For many, that question should be more precise​—is there really a God?

Millions of atheists answer no! Agnostics hold the view that “any ultimate reality (as God) is unknown and probably unknowable.” Yet, over a billion and a half religious people say there is a God, even though they may be seriously divided about their beliefs regarding him.

Is there a way of arriving at a satisfying answer to the question? By a satisfying answer we mean one that appeals to our power of reason as well as to emotion.

What, then, are some of the obstacles to having a belief in God? We have one in the words of the Bible writer John: “No man has seen God at any time.” (John 1:18) Millions reason that since they have not seen God, he does not exist. “Seeing is believing,” they say. But is that strictly logical?

In actual fact, all of us believe in things we have never seen. Why? Because by circumstantial evidence and deduction we know that such things must exist. To illustrate: Who has seen radio waves? Or television waves? Or X rays? Yet we know they exist by reason of the effects produced in a radio, on a television set, and on an X-ray plate. Similarly, we can use circumstantial evidence and deduction to establish God’s existence.

Following the Clues

Today we take the solar system for granted. Yet just 140 years ago man’s understanding of it was limited. At that time Neptune and Pluto​—the two planets farthest away from the earth and the sun were not known. Yet Neptune’s existence was suspected. Why? Because of clues​—effects—​that pointed to its existence.

National Geographic explains: “In the 1840’s, a Frenchman and an Englishman, working separately, concluded that the gravitational tug of an unknown [and thus far unseen] planet was forcing Uranus to wander from its predicted orbit.” So, what did they do? They calculated where the missing planet ought to be, “and Neptune was found within an hour’s search.”

As in so many other cases, the astronomers studied effects, or clues, and then by research found the cause. Are there any effects to establish the existence of an intelligence higher than man’s?

[Picture on page 3]

Even before Neptune was seen, its existence was indicated by its gravitational tug on Uranus. In a similar way, can God’s existence be established?

Can We Know Whether There Is a God?

THERE is one outstanding clue to the existence of a Creator that we all carry around with us. We use it daily to a lesser or greater degree and yet tend to take it for granted. It weighs about three pounds (1.4 kg), is about the size of a grapefruit, looks somewhat like a shelled walnut, and lies protected in the cranium. Yes, it is the human brain.

Yet that simple description in no way does justice to this marvel of design. French neurobiologist Dr. Jean-Pierre Changeux described it thus: “The human brain makes one think of a gigantic assembly of tens of billions of interlacing neuronal spider’s webs, in which myriads of electrical impulses flash by, relayed from time to time by a rich array of chemical signals. The anatomical and chemical organization of this machine is fantastically complicated.”​—Neuronal Man.

According to neurologist Dr. Richard Restak, each one of the brain’s up to 100 billion neurons, or nerve cells, “may have over a thousand synapses​—points of contact between nerve cells. With some cells within the cerebral cortex, the numbers may approach two hundred thousand connections.”

Dr. Changeux calculates that there are “something like 600 million [synapses] per cubic millimeter.” A cubic millimeter is about the size of a small pinhead! So how many synapses, or connecting gaps, does that make in one brain? Dr. Restak answers: “There may be from ten trillion to one hundred trillion synapses in the brain, and each one operates as a tiny calculator that tallies signals arriving as electrical impulses.” What does that mean? As Restak says: “The total number of connections within the vast network of the brain’s neuronal system is truly astronomical.”

How Is Information Transmitted?

But this is not the end of the story. The brain’s neurons make connections by means of branching fibers called dendrites. Dr. Restak states: “Estimates of the total length of dendrites within the human brain exceed several hundred thousand miles.” And all that within the compact mass of the brain inside your skull!

But how is information transmitted within the fascinating universe of the brain? How is the synaptic cleft, a millionth of an inch (0.000025 mm) wide, bridged from cell to cell? By the “simple” conversion of an electrical impulse into a chemical signal that bridges the gap as a neurotransmitter. There are dozens of different chemicals that act as neurotransmitters, several of which also “play completely different roles elsewhere in the organism.”​—Neuronal Man.

Stop and ponder on what you have just read. Could such vast complexity compressed into so small a cranial space really be the result of blind nature or of an unguided process of trial and error? Or is it rather the brilliant design of a Creator?

“The Most Remarkable Phenomenon”

The human brain is responsible for the yawning abyss that exists between even the most intelligent animal and an average human. As professors of human biology Drs. Ornstein and Thompson wrote in The Amazing Brain: “The ability of the human mind to learn​—to store and recall information—​is the most remarkable phenomenon in the biological universe. Everything that makes us human​—language, thought, knowledge, culture—​is the result of this extraordinary capability.”

Now, if this insight into the brain truly impresses you, should you not at least consider the possibility that an intelligent Designer and Creator is responsible for this complex organ? The Bible writer and lawyer Paul reasoned this way: “For all that may be known of God by men lies plain before their eyes . . . His invisible attributes, that is to say his everlasting power and deity, have been visible, ever since the world began, to the eye of reason, in the things he has made.”​—Romans 1:19, 20, The New English Bible.

The Miracle in the Womb

Let’s consider perhaps an even more intriguing question: How did the complex brain develop from a single fertilized cell in a mother’s womb? Evolutionist Dr. Restak comments: “Some flippantly respond that it is all genetically programmed, forgetting for the moment that a program is a meaningless term without a programmer.” However, since evolutionists generally do not believe in the existence of a superior “programmer,” they search for an alternative explanation. Well, what do we find when we study the brain’s development from that minuscule fertilized egg cell implanted in a mother’s womb?

Says Dr. Restak: “Nothing very brainlike can be found in the human embryo until about three weeks of age. [At that point the embryo measures less than a quarter of an inch (6 mm).] After that, the brain, along with the rest of the central nervous system, starts unfolding from a sheet of cells surrounding the embryo.” That is easy to state, but remember, we started off with just one fertilized cell. Then that cell triggers an incredible series of multiplications that will race along for nine months at the rate of 250,000 new neurons per minute until a fully formed human brain is produced with up to 100 billion cells!

Little wonder that some scientists take a humble stance when they study the brain! Dr. Miles Herkenham, a neuroscientist, says: “There will always be something to astound us, to amaze us, to keep us humble . . . The human brain is simply the most marvelous organ in the known universe.”

Such humility should lead us to recognize the superlative intelligence behind the human brain, the matchless mind behind the human mind. As the Creator himself stated: “For the thoughts of you people are not my thoughts, nor are my ways your ways . . . For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”​—Isaiah 55:8, 9.

Clues by the Thousands

There are countless more clues to indicate that something greater than blind chance has been responsible for the enormous variety and complexity of life on earth. For example, the built-in migration instinct of birds and fish leaves scientists baffled. How did that instinctive ability originate?

The New York Times recently reported: “Each spring and fall millions of storks, pelicans, buzzards, eagles and other large birds fly over Israel as they migrate between Europe and Western Asia and Africa, seeking the shortest route around the Mediterranean.” Why don’t they just fly across that sea? The report continues: “Unlike smaller birds that can flap their way across the water in one day, the bigger and heavier birds must soar and glide on columns of hot air that rise from the land. . . . The birds glide down from the top of one thermal to the bottom of the next one and repeat the process all the way down to Africa and back.” And this with no map or compass and, in many cases, no previous experience!

The timing of the migration is also impressive. The same source stated: “Each species was coming at almost the same time and through the same air corridor every year. For instance, on Sept. 4, 1984, and on Sept. 4, 1985, the honey buzzards began their parade over Israel, an estimated 220,000 of them in two days.” Who programmed this instinctive ability into the genes of these birds? Nobody? Or was it an intelligent Creator?a

A Major Stumbling Block to Belief in God

In face of this circumstantial evidence of the existence of an intelligent Creator, how is it that so many sincere and educated people still do not believe in God? Several factors could have influenced their thinking.

For example, religion down through the ages has painted God as a mysterious three-in-one Trinity who destines souls to everlasting torture in a hellfire. Also, religion has projected a perverted image of a selfish God who allows loved ones to die so that he can populate his heaven. Others have noted how often religions preach one thing and do another. Little wonder that many people have turned away from God.

Yet another reason why many doubt God’s existence is human suffering. How could a just God allow so much suffering during man’s recorded history? If he is Almighty, why does he not bring war and suffering to an end?

[Footnotes]

[Diagram/​Picture on page 5]

(For fully formatted text, see publication.)

The brain has up to 100 billion neurons like this, with thousands of miles of dendrites and trillions of synapses

​—Dendrite

​—Synapse

​—Axon

“The ability of the human mind to learn . . . is the most remarkable phenomenon in the biological universe.”​—The Amazing Brain

[Picture on page 6]

In nine months one fertilized cell becomes a baby with a brain of up to 100 billion cells

[Picture on page 7]

The migration instinct is another evidence of a higher intelligence behind creation

European white stork

Why Does God Allow Suffering?

“Human beings are unique in being able to be wicked, because they are unique in being conscious of what they are doing and in making deliberate choices.”​—Arnold Toynbee, historian, Mankind and Mother Earth.

ALL of us make deliberate choices. We do it every day. Most of our decisions have to do with the trivia of daily life​—what to eat, what to drink, what to wear, where to go. But some decisions have graver consequences that can affect us for the rest of our lives​—or can even shorten our lives.

When a doctor recommends an operation, the need to make a choice immediately arises. Is it worth the risk? How experienced and reliable is the surgeon? Will it extend or shorten my life? A serious decision has to be made.

Away back in history, deliberate choices were made that have affected mankind ever since. And those decisions have a direct bearing on our question, Why does God allow suffering?

Man​—‘Unique in Being Wicked’?

The Biblical account of early history indicates that man was not the first intelligent creation with free will and the ability to choose. Nor was he, in fact, either first or “unique in being able to be wicked.” A higher form of life already existed​—“godlike ones,” spirit creatures, also called angels.​—Psalm 8:5.

One of these “godlike ones,” of whom there are millions, saw his opportunity to become a real god-ruler for the first man and woman, instead of Jehovah their Creator. Using his free will, he deliberately lied to the woman to induce her and, through her, her husband to be disobedient to God. He implied that God was a liar and a deceiver. He told her that independent thinking and acting would not lead to death, as God had stated, but asserted: “You are bound to be like God, knowing good and bad.”​—Genesis 3:1-5.

By his course of action, this godlike one started a rebellion against God’s rulership​—a rebellion witnessed by millions of angels. In this way the exercise of rightful sovereignty became a universal issue. That opposing angel became God’s adversary, which from Hebrew is translated “Satan.” By putting in doubt God’s truthfulness, Satan also became the first slanderer, which from Greek is translated “Devil.” This initial rebellion triggered the chain of events that has led to mankind’s sufferings. ‘How so?’ you may ask.

“The Defect Is Their Own”

The first man and woman had before them the prospect of perfect endless life in a paradise setting that they, with their children, would eventually spread to all corners of the earth. But that prospect hinged on their loyalty to God. Disobedience would introduce into the picture a new genetic element​—imperfection and death—​that would be passed on to future generations. What happened?​—Genesis 2:15-17.

The apostle Paul explains the situation very simply, saying that “through the disobedience of the one man [Adam] many were constituted sinners” and “death ruled as king through that one.” (Romans 5:17-19) By rejecting God’s sovereignty, Adam and Eve started humankind down the road to suffering, sickness, and death. Even as Moses said regarding Israel, so it can be said of mankind in general: “They have acted ruinously on their own part; they are not his children, the defect is their own. A generation crooked and twisted!”​—Deuteronomy 32:5.

As a consequence, men have chosen independence from God and turned away from his rulership. But to what have they turned? Knowingly or otherwise, they have submitted to the sovereignty of “the god of this system of things [who] has blinded the minds of the unbelievers.” (2 Corinthians 4:4) They have become pawns in the hands of the Devil, “the father of the lie.” (John 8:44) This they have done by choosing man-made political and religious rulerships that have led to hatred, disaster, and suffering. Little wonder that the Bible says that Satan the Devil “is misleading [deceiving, Living Bible] the entire inhabited earth.”​—Revelation 12:9.

Why Has Suffering Been Allowed?

Why didn’t Jehovah nip the rebellion in the bud by destroying Satan back there in Eden? As the Almighty, he certainly had the power to do it. However, Satan had not challenged God’s power but, rather, his way of exercising it. By arguing against God’s stated law, Satan in effect claimed that God’s way of ruling is wrong and not really to the benefit of his creatures. He also argued that under test humans would not remain loyal to God. (Job, chapters 1 and 2) How could the challenge be met and settled once and for all?

Perhaps we can compare God’s way of dealing with wayward humankind to the prodigal, or wasteful, son in one of Jesus’ parables. Jesus told of a man with two sons, the younger of which demanded his share of the inheritance while his father was still alive. He wanted to be independent, to leave home and prove he could make it alone. The father could have taken swift action by refusing the son’s request and by locking him up in a room so that he could not escape. Would that have served any lasting purpose? No, because the son would then have stayed against his will. Furthermore, it would have denied him the exercise of his free will. So what did the father do?

Jesus explained: “The father divided the property between them. A few days later, the younger son got together everything he had and left for a distant country where he squandered his money on a life of debauchery.” Things got so bad that this Jewish son had to hire himself out as a herder of swine. Even though there was food for the pigs, there was none for him. Jesus continued: “Then he came to his senses and said, ‘How many of my father’s paid servants have more food than they want, and here am I dying of hunger!’” So, what did he do? He decided to go back home in repentance and throw himself on his father’s mercy.​—Luke 15:11-32, The Jerusalem Bible.

Now, what had it taken for that young man to come to his senses? Time and experience. The father had not taken drastic action but had allowed time for the son to see the folly of his ways. True, the boy suffered during the experience, but it brought him to his senses.

A Precedent Has Been Set

Similar to the son in the parable, our first human parents chose the path of independence from God. Of course, unlike the prodigal son, Adam and Eve never returned to their Father, but due to their rebellious course, mankind was drawn into an issue that could only be settled in the eyes of intelligent creation, visible and invisible, by allowing time to pass. Now, after 6,000 years of independence from God and his rulership, what has been proved? As Jeremiah the prophet put it: “I well know, O Jehovah, that to earthling man his way does not belong. It does not belong to man who is walking even to direct his step.” (Jeremiah 10:23) Man’s history has shown that “man has dominated man to his injury.” Like the prodigal son, many who have learned this are turning to their heavenly Father for direction, proving Satan to be a liar in his claim that he could turn everyone away from serving God.​—Ecclesiastes 8:9.

Jehovah soon will act against unrepentant Satan and those who support his independent course, thus putting an end to the rebellion and all its consequences. Sufficient time has elapsed for a precedent to be established for all future ages. With this precedent it will never again be necessary for Jehovah to allow any future rebellion, whether in the visible realm or in the invisible realm. Time and experience have shown that neither Satan nor man, separated from God, can exercise rulership in a just manner.​—Revelation 16:14-16; 20:1-3.

True, in the meantime mankind has had to endure immense suffering and often untimely death. But Jehovah has also promised to compensate for this. How so? As the apostle Paul stated: “I have hope toward God . . . that there is going to be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous.” (Acts 24:15) The resurrection of the dead to an opportunity of perfect life on earth will be a supreme act of mercy. Then each one will be able to show appreciation for the gift of true life.

Under the arrangement of the “new heavens and a new earth,” the former sufferings will gradually be forgotten, being replaced by the blessings of a fruitful, happy, and endless life. As the Bible says: “The former things will not be called to mind, neither will they come up into the heart.” (Isaiah 65:17; 2 Peter 3:13; Revelation 21:1-4) But how can we be sure that this will be possible? What changes will make everlasting peace a reality?

[Blurb on page 9]

Man was not God’s first intelligent creation with free will and the ability to choose

[Blurb on page 9]

Disobedience would introduce a new element into the picture

[Picture on page 10]

As time and experience caused the prodigal son to recognize his dependence on his father, so today many have come to recognize their need for God

How Will God Bring Peace? And When?

“Since the dawn of civilization, Man’s master institution has been states . . . There has never been one single state embracing the whole living generation of mankind all round the globe.”

“There has always been a multitude of states . . . and their collisions have precipitated the wars that have been one of the maladies of civilization.”

“The present-day global set of local sovereign states is not capable of keeping the peace.”​—Arnold Toynbee, Mankind and Mother Earth.

IN THE light of the above statements, what is one of the principal impediments to the establishment of peace? It is the division of mankind into sovereign states. Put more simply, it is nationalism.

Historian Arnold Toynbee described nationalism as the “most powerful and most vicious of the three post-Christian Western ideologies. [The others being, according to Toynbee, ‘world communism’ and ‘world capitalism.’] . . . Nationalism is about ninety per cent of the religion of about ninety per cent of the whole human race.” Yet nationalism has divided mankind for thousands of years. Then how can the God of peace rid the earth of this scourge?

Basis for a Change

In a quiet way the change is already taking place. The germ of peace and supranational thinking is being sown in the minds of millions of people around the world. How is that being accomplished? By the earth-wide educational work being carried out by Jehovah’s Witnesses. This religious group has shown by its record that it is apolitical​—completely neutral on political and nationalistic issues. This position is based on following the teachings of Christ, which in turn are based on the fundamental truth that “God is love.”​—1 John 4:8.

Jesus said: “By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love among yourselves.” He also stated: “Continue to love your enemies and to pray for those persecuting you.” (John 13:35; Matthew 5:44) In view of Jesus’ words, how could true followers of his learn war anymore? How could they hate and kill on the arbitrary basis of nationalism? Really, they could not!

That is why Jehovah’s Witnesses already form a worldwide brotherhood that is preparing itself for life in a new order here on earth under the rule of God’s heavenly Kingdom. They are living proof that it is possible to reeducate people so that they will live in peace with their neighbors of all races and tribes and tongues. In a sense, they already form one organized body embracing representatives of all mankind the world around. Even now millions of Witnesses and their associates have ‘beaten their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning shears.’ They are not willing to take up arms against their fellowman or to learn war anymore.​—Isaiah 2:4.

Big Changes Near

Over 2,500 years ago the Bible said regarding events during the time of the end: “The God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be brought to ruin. . . . It will crush and put an end to all these [competing political] kingdoms, and it itself will stand to times indefinite.” (Daniel 2:44) This is the very Kingdom that Christians are taught to pray for in the Lord’s Prayer. Jehovah’s Witnesses are announcing that Kingdom government, and they know that God will not fail to bring it about because “it is impossible for God to lie.”​—Hebrews 6:18; Titus 1:2.

For God to bring peace to the earth, another big change is necessary​—a change of spiritual rulership. Satan must go. That is one of the reasons why Christ Jesus had to die as a martyr, “that through his death he might bring to nothing the one having the means to cause death, that is, the Devil.” (Hebrews 2:14) In accordance with the prophecy in Revelation, Satan will soon be put out of action. Then there will be no more political rulers influenced by him to put out warmongering propaganda. Peace-loving people will be able to turn toward the God of peace for rulership and tranquillity.​—Revelation 20:1-3.

In a beautiful vision, John saw this new heavenly government in operation toward the earth, and he heard a voice from heaven that said: “Look! The tent of God is with mankind, and he will reside with them, and they will be his peoples. . . . And he will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away.”​—Revelation 21:1-4.

You, too, can find peace even now, and perfect peace in the future, by getting to know God’s purposes toward mankind and this beautiful, if abused, earth.

[Blurb on page 12]

The germ of peace and supranational thinking is being sown in the minds of millions of people around the world

I Finally Found It​—The Real Life!

Maclean’s, a prominent Canadian newsmagazine, reported in its November 13, 1978, sports section: “Tom Edur, at 23 years of age, had it all, the all-Canadian dream​—women, money and a spot in the NHL. He was the highest scoring defenceman for the Pittsburgh Penguins last season. He quit to recruit for the Jehovah’s Witnesses in Denver.”

Six months later The Denver Post of June 14, 1979, featured a story about Edur, reporting: “Tom Edur, it seems, still hasn’t convinced everyone that his decision to retire from professional hockey at age 23 wasn’t just a temporary whim.

“The former defenseman for the Colorado Rockies and the Pittsburgh Penguins Wednesday was claimed from the Penguins by the Edmonton Oilers in the National Hockey League expansion draft. . . .

“Edur was in his second season with the Rockies when he was traded to Pittsburgh . . . He played the final 58 games that season with Pittsburgh, and compiled one of the best plus-minus ratios in the NHL before announcing he was giving up his estimated $92,000 yearly hockey salary and retiring from the game.”

What prompted Edur’s decision? What did he find that is so superior to big-time hockey? Let him explain:

I QUIT hockey​—but not because I don’t love the game. I do. My dream had been to become a National Hockey League player. I can still remember when I was about ten years old and faithfully watching my favorite hockey team on TV. Sometimes, when their games were on radio, I’d fall asleep listening to them in bed.

I would play after school and late into the night​—until the lights at the ice rink were finally turned off. Eventually, I was playing in Canada’s organized amateur leagues, steadily moving up. At 17 years of age, I had reached the top team, the Toronto Marlboros. In 1973 we won the most prestigious title in Canada for amateurs, the Memorial Cup, comparable to winning the Rose Bowl in American football.

Becoming a Professional

At about this same time, a second professional league, the World Hockey Association, was formed. In competition with the long-established National Hockey League, it was looking for good young players. The Cleveland Crusaders of the new league approached me. This broke precedent, for the older NHL had an agreement not to draft players before they were 20. So this was a teenager’s chance of a lifetime!

The Crusaders offered me $250,000 to play for them for three years, a lot of money in those days. For an 18-year-old, it was indeed an attractive offer! But, really, I loved the game so much I would have played for much less money.

So in July of 1973 I signed a three-year contract with the Cleveland Crusaders of the newly formed World Hockey Association. Part of my dream had become a reality​—I was a professional hockey player! The “real life” I’d been seeking was about to begin. Soon I would be on the ice with some of the very hockey stars I used to watch on TV​—the heroes of my childhood!

The Shock of Reality

Once I arrived at the team’s training camp, however, I was in for a shock. Here for the first time I saw what a professional hockey team’s “real life” was like. The first thing I learned was not about hockey but about which local drinking establishments to go to. True, when I was in the amateur leagues, we had got drunk a few times. Here, though, it was straight to a bar after practice or a game. I wasn’t old enough to do that legally, but since I was one of the players, I was allowed in.

Then there was the adultery committed by so many of the professional hockey players. That I just didn’t expect. Yet I soon came to accept it, figuring that it was all part of the “real life.” So I decided to be a real pro like them. How easy it was to change my views on these matters just to be accepted!

My first season went well​—on and off the ice—​or so I thought. However, my second season showed signs of the effects of off-ice activities. In fact, the last month of the season I was drunk every night for 30 days. My playing and my attitude really deteriorated.

The third season started off worse. I didn’t think I would even make the team. My roommate helped me with my attitude. He wasn’t a follower of the other guys; he was his own boss. This impressed me, and I began to control my life to a greater degree. I wasn’t as easily swayed by the fellows when they said, ‘Let’s go for a drink’ or, ‘Let’s find some women.’ My playing improved.

Finally​—The NHL!

My contract with the Cleveland Crusaders ran out at the end of that year. I wanted to play in the long-established National Hockey League, but the NHL team that had my rights​—the Boston Bruins—​hadn’t offered enough money to satisfy me. As you can see, my attitude toward money had changed. My coach had found a job in the NHL and wanted me to play for his new team, the Colorado Rockies. I accepted.

Now I was really in the big leagues​—the NHL! My childhood dream had been completely fulfilled. I would be on TV across Canada and receive more recognition. Now this was surely going to be the “real life”! In my personal life, there had been many changes as well. I’d followed through on the advice of a friend and in the off-season had taken a personal development course. This helped me to be somewhat more positive.

Thinking that I now had everything under control, I began my first season with the NHL. My drinking had been reduced considerably, and I was changing my view on immoral activities. Still, it was becoming increasingly unpleasant to see all the drunkenness and immorality going on around me, with the sad consequences of the broken marriages of teammates.

I began to wonder if I would ever be able to find a faithful wife and have a happy and trusting relationship. Didn’t anyone else think as I did about moral standards? For the time, I put that thinking aside and concentrated on playing hockey. This resulted in my best year as a pro up to that time.

Help From a Former Schoolmate

After the season was over in 1977, I returned home to Toronto when my grandmother died. With my new, positive attitude and self-reliance, I was most uncomfortable with all the crying and sorrowing that took place at the funeral. I felt: ‘My grandmother is supposed to be in a better place, according to what my relatives sincerely believe, so why this attitude toward death?’

Later that week I came across Liz, a former school friend. I explained my feelings to her. She told me that rather than rely on myself and a so-called positive attitude I should learn to rely on God and trust in him.

That struck me because my belief in God was negligible, even though I had been confirmed as a Lutheran when I was 16 years old. My reaction was: ‘You can’t trust God; you have to do it yourself. Money doesn’t fall out of the sky!’

Liz explained that she had just started to study the Bible with Jehovah’s Witnesses. This meant nothing to me as I had never heard of the Witnesses. So she read to me some scriptures that, she said, Witnesses feel must be adhered to by all Christians. These included Ephesians 5:3-5; 1 Corinthians 6:9, 10; and Galatians 5:19-21, which show that fornication and adultery are works of the flesh that alienate a person from God and future life.

As soon as I heard these texts, I marveled because now I had found something to support my beliefs about standards for behavior​—just what I wanted to hear! I didn’t have to rely only on myself anymore, but I had support from the Bible. ‘What better source is there?’ I reasoned. ‘It’s been around for thousands of years.’ And here there is a people actually trying to live by these same principles.

Liz gave me a Bible and the books The Truth That Leads to Eternal Life, True Peace and Security​—From What Source? and Is the Bible Really the Word of God? Within a month I had read all of them. Afterward I looked for Liz but couldn’t find her. I was desperate because I wanted to learn more. Then I remembered that she had said: “There is a place in Toronto where they print these books.”

So I looked up Jehovah’s Witnesses in the phone book and made arrangements to go to the offices of the Watch Tower Society. There I obtained all the pocket-size books that were available and headed north to go canoeing and to do some serious reading. I read all the books that summer, and they really had an impact on me. I reached the conclusion that Bible principles and professional hockey just don’t mix. On ice, there is often brutal, deliberate violence, and off ice an immoral life-style is common.​—Matthew 22:39; Proverbs 10:23.

When returning to Toronto, I was able to contact Liz. I told her: “I know that what I have read is the truth. I feel I should quit hockey and teach these things to others.” She herself was only two weeks away from her baptism as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, and I was one week away from training camp, not really wanting to go. She directed me to the branch office of the Watch Tower Society in Toronto for some guidance.

A Decision to Make

I was really hoping that there they would immediately tell me to quit professional hockey. But they didn’t. Rather, they read some scriptures to help me see the need to make my own decision and to be sure I understood what I was doing. (Proverbs 21:5; 29:20) I could see I should study the Bible more before making a decision.

I headed back to Colorado to go to training camp. The first thing I did was look up Jehovah’s Witnesses in the phone book and make arrangements for them to study the Bible with me. Everything progressed well. My Bible knowledge was increasing, and my hockey playing was the best ever.

Suddenly, as happens so often in professional sports, I was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins. My coach in Cleveland and Colorado had himself in the off-season gone to Pittsburgh and now traded for me. This was a forward move in my career as a hockey player, since Pittsburgh was a better, longer-established team, but it was a setback spiritually.

The setback did not last long, however. Again I looked up the Witnesses in the phone book and made arrangements for a Bible study. Here, though, it was a little more difficult to get away from the players to study, since for a while several of us lived together in the same hotel. It became easier, however, when I rented a house in the suburbs and had my own car to drive.

With the knowledge I was gaining, the hockey season was for me just a countdown. That didn’t mean that my playing suffered. I enjoyed my best season as one of the top scorers on the team, something viewed as very good for a defenseman. Yet in my heart I knew I was through with professional hockey. ‘Why waste my time, energy, and strength in such pursuits,’ I reasoned, ‘when I can serve Jehovah God?’

The season ended, and I made preparations to be baptized at the Montreal international convention of Jehovah’s Witnesses in July 1978. So that I could get a taste of what the full-time ministry is like, the month before my baptism, I spent about 60 hours sharing my new beliefs with others. My prayers to God for help and training did not go unanswered. He showed me many things in that time and gave me training for future privileges as a full-time pioneer minister.

Efforts to Change My Mind

Things did not progress without pressures from well-meaning family members and others who thought that I was on the wrong road. I endeavored to explain my convictions to them and at the same time tried to help them spiritually. Yet they considered me foolish to give up fame and so much money. However, with Jehovah’s help I endured their criticism. In the meantime, I proposed to Liz, who had first sparked my interest in the Bible’s message. Two weeks after my baptism, we were married and were soon off to Colorado to serve as pioneers.

I had not yet told the hockey club about my new career. So in September, a week before training camp began, I announced to them that I was retiring. They were shocked. They went to great lengths to try to persuade me to return. Since I still had a year to go on my contract, they thought I was holding out for more money. They made an offer of an open contract​—any amount of money I wanted. Wanting to be helpful, they also said that I could have Sundays off to pursue my religion.

But serving Jehovah, the Most High God, is not just a one-day-a-week affair. It is a way of life. Hockey is also a full-time career. You have to be dedicated to it, playing and practicing all the time. And now I was dedicated to Jehovah. (Matthew 16:24) To play as a professional and at the same time try to serve Jehovah would, I felt, be like having two masters​—something or someone would be bound to suffer. So I let the team know I was quitting professional hockey.​—Matthew 6:24.

Even four months later, when we visited Pittsburgh, the team tried to entice me back to playing. They offered me $20,000 to play two weekend games. This was a real test, as we were low on funds at the time. But I stuck to my decision and did not play. A little while later, my accountant informed us that one of our investments had sold. Thus we were able to look after our needs. Jehovah certainly provides if you stick close to him.

Enjoying the Real Life

What I had previously thought was the real life was not. I had reached the top in the hockey world, and what was there? Not contentment or happiness. No, the glamour and glory of the sports world is not the real life. While from the outside it may seem happy and rosy, inside there is generally extreme selfishness and no real direction or purpose in life.

This doesn’t mean that I changed career because hockey itself is a bad game. I enjoyed playing very much and still play on occasion for recreation. But “godly devotion” is more beneficial than “bodily training,” says the apostle Paul, “as it holds promise of the life now and that which is to come.” (1 Timothy 4:8) Yes, my present career offers something money and fame cannot buy​—a precious relationship with Jehovah God, as well as his promised gift of the life to come, everlasting life!

How happy and thankful I am to Jehovah now to have a wife with the same mind and purpose that I have! After pioneering together for two years in the United States, we were invited in 1980 to share in the construction of the new branch facilities in Canada. Since the completion of the beautiful new home, office, and printery, we have remained here as permanent members of the branch staff.

Together Liz and I can serve the Most High God by pursuing, not “uncertain riches,” but, rather, spiritual interests so as to “get a firm hold on the real life.” (1 Timothy 6:17-19) Yes, I’m grateful I finally found it​—“the real life”!​—As told by Tom Edur.

[Picture on page 14]

When I was playing in the National Hockey League

[Picture on page 16]

Liz and I prepare together for Christian meetings and service

Young People Ask . . .

What’s Wrong With Drinking and Driving?

“I BLACKED out while driving home,” says Mike, recalling that he had too much to drink that night. “But somehow I made it to my house. When I got up the next morning, I noticed that the passenger side of my car was badly damaged, but I couldn’t remember having an accident! I drove around trying to figure out what had happened, and that’s when I saw it. The big stone pillar near the cemetery had been hit, and the paint from my car was all over it. I must have smashed into it the night before! It really scared me.”

Mike got off easy​—he lived to talk about it. Unfortunately, many others do not. “Drunk driving is the leading cause of death for young people aged 16-24,” says the 1984 Report on the National Conference for Youth on Drinking and Driving. ‘Oh, it won’t happen to me!’ you may think. But that’s probably what many a victim had said to himself! See also the box on page 20, “It Can Happen to You!”

But if drinking and driving is so dangerous, then why do so many young people do it?

Why Youths Drink and Drive

As to why youths drink, peer pressure is a popular reason given. Yet some youths retort: ‘My friends don’t pressure me to drink.’ However, peer pressure may be more subtle than you think. Youths are often influenced, not simply by overt invitations to do something, but by how they feel their peers view them. As the manual Alcohol and Alcohol Safety, by Peter Finn and Judith Platt, explains: “The need to belong is felt by everyone, but for teen-agers this need is intensified, and to be ‘out of it’ can be especially hard to take. It is no wonder that group pressure is often thought of as a major explanation for teen-age drinking.”

But why do so many youths drink and then drive? ‘Adults do it, so why shouldn’t we?’ some youths reply. And there’s no denying that some adults set a very poor example in this regard. But is that any reason for you to do something so potentially dangerous?

‘But what’s the harm in driving if all you’ve had is a couple of beers?’ some may ask. That points to a major reason why youths drink and drive​—they (and adults, too!) are victims of myths about the effects of alcohol. Here are a few examples:

MYTH: It’s safe to drive if all you’ve had is a couple of beers.

FACT: “The alcohol in two 12-ounce [355-cc] cans of beer consumed in less than an hour can slow a driver’s reaction by 2/5ths of a second​—allowing an automobile traveling at 55 miles per hour [89 km/​hr] to travel an additional 34 feet [10.4 m]—​possibly the difference between a near miss and a crash.”​—Development of a Traffic Safety and Alcohol Program for Senior Adults, by James L. Malfetti, Ed.D., and Darlene J. Winter, Ph.D.

MYTH: Having some black coffee will sober one up more quickly.

FACT: Coffee may make a person more awake, but he’s still drunk. The body eliminates alcohol at a fixed oxidation rate regardless of how much coffee one downs. Only time helps a person sober up.

MYTH: It’s OK to drive as long as you don’t feel drunk.

FACT: It’s dangerous to rely on how you feel. Alcohol creates an illusion of well-being, making the drinker feel that he’s in control when in fact his abilities have been diminished.

Dangerous though it is for anyone to mix drinking and driving, it’s even riskier for youths. Why?

Unique Risks

Lack of experience is one factor. For instance, if you were going to fly in an airplane, would you prefer a young, new pilot or a seasoned veteran with many years of flying experience? The answer is obvious. But why prefer the experienced pilot? Because you know that people are more likely to make mistakes or miscalculations when an activity is new to them.

The same applies to drinking and driving. Thus, a report on traffic safety and alcohol notes that the driving performance of youths who are drinking “worsens more rapidly than that of adults because driving is a newer and less routine skill for them. In short, most teenagers are both inexperienced drivers and inexperienced drinkers, and even more inexperienced at combining drinking and driving.”​—Senior Adults, Traffic Safety and Alcohol Program Leader’s Guide, by Darlene J. Winter, Ph.D.

Weight can be another factor​—young people generally weigh less than adults. The less a person weighs, the less fluid there is in his body to dilute the alcohol he consumes. To illustrate: Imagine taking two cubes of sugar of the same size and dissolving one in a very small glass of lemonade and the other in a large tumbler of lemonade. Now, the amount of sugar in each would be the same, but the concentration in the smaller glass would be greater. Similarly, the concentration of alcohol is higher in a person who weighs less. And the higher the concentration of alcohol in your bloodstream, the more intoxicated you become.

What Will You Do?

Since so many problems are related to alcohol, young people who abstain altogether from drinking it are doing the wise thing. However, drinking in moderation is not wrong, provided one is of legal age and drinks moderately. (See Psalm 104:15; 1 Timothy 5:23; Proverbs 23:31.) But drinking and driving​—that’s another story. What will you do?

The Bible offers this wise advice: “Shrewd is the one that has seen the calamity and proceeds to conceal himself, but the inexperienced have passed along and must suffer the penalty.” (Proverbs 22:3) Given the dangers of mixing drinking and driving, you are “shrewd” if you vow to yourself that you won’t mix the two. You can thus spare yourself needless “calamity”​—crash-related injuries that leave you crippled or claim your young life.

And you may spare the lives of others as well. You may not imagine yourself as a killer. Yet, when you mix drinking and driving, your chances of killing another person go up dramatically. “The driver, passengers, pedestrians, and people in other cars are all equal targets of the impaired driver,” says Just Along for the Ride, by the National Association of Independent Insurers. Why risk incurring bloodguilt?​—Compare Exodus 21:29; Proverbs 6:16, 17.

Not to be overlooked is the law of the land where you live. In many areas, driving while intoxicated (DWI) or driving while ability impaired (DWAI) is against the law. Many places also have a minimum legal drinking age, and the Bible tells us to be obedient to the governmental authorities. (Romans 13:1; Titus 3:1) In that way you can avoid not only fines or imprisonment but also the incurring of God’s displeasure.​—Romans 13:2-5.

Besides refraining from drinking and driving, there are other things you can do to safeguard yourself and others from an alcohol-related traffic accident: (1) Don’t get in a car with a driver who’s been drinking. Life is a gift from God. (Romans 6:23) Why put such a precious gift into the hands of someone who’s been drinking? (2) Don’t let a friend drive if he’s been drinking. He may get upset, but, then again, he may appreciate what you did once he comes to his senses.​—Compare Psalm 141:5.

“It really scares me to think that I could have killed someone that night,” says Mike. “To this day I get afraid driving at night, knowing that there are drivers out there in the same condition I was in.” Mike doesn’t mix drinking and driving at all any more. What about you? Don’t take a chance, thinking, ‘It won’t happen to me.’ Have the courage to be different. Promise yourself that you won’t drink and drive. Then, no matter what others say or do, live up to your promise.

[Box on page 20]

It Can Happen to You!

Reports about alcohol-related traffic accidents are often in the news. It’s easy to think, ‘It won’t happen to me!’ But such tragedies happen far more frequently than you may realize. Consider some of the sobering facts about youths and drinking and driving:

“Alcohol use by young people is on the rise in most parts of the world. . . . Road accidents, many of which are related to alcohol, are one of the major killers and producers of disability in young people.”​—World Health.

“A teenager is involved in an alcohol-related accident in [the United States] every 10 seconds, less time than it takes to fix a drink.”​—Aide magazine.

“A teenager is four times more likely to have an alcohol-related crash than any other driver. . . . While the life expectancy of most people in [the United States] is rising, that of 15-to-24-year-olds is not.”​—Just Along for the Ride.

So before you even consider drinking and driving, remember​—it can happen to you!

[Picture on page 19]

Drinking and driving often leads to this

[Credit Line]

H. Armstrong Roberts

Surprised by the Killer Quake!

Eyewitness Report From Mexico

“I was working on the tenth floor when the building began to shake. I leaned against the door, which suddenly shook loose and fell on me. As I tried to slide out from under the debris, I spotted my children scattered in the rubble. My oldest son, Jose, was drenched in blood. I was sure my family was dead!”​—Jose Melendrez, Sr.

IT WAS September 19, 1985. At 7:19 a.m. Mexico City’s population of 18,000,000 was shaken by one of the century’s major quakes, measured at 8.1 on the Richter scale.

For many, the timing was in their favor. An hour later, schools and places of business would have been teeming with people, all in buildings that could have become gigantic grave sites. Of the more than 700 buildings that collapsed in Mexico City, at least 100 were schools!

U.S. Ambassador John Gavin, who observed the devastation from a helicopter, said: “It looked as if a giant foot had stepped on the buildings.” Trapped inside them were thousands​—both dead and alive! According to the Mexican daily El Universal, over 8,000 bodies were recovered during the first 15 days, but estimates of the total dead reached up to 35,000.

Over 40,000 survivors were treated in hospitals and aid centers. Long lines of people waited to identify the corpses. Names of victims were read on television, over the radio, and printed in newspapers. Men, women, and children wandered the streets in despair​—they had nowhere to go. At least 400,000 people were affected to some degree.

Remarkable Survivals

When the quake struck, Jose Melendrez’ wife was in their 11th floor apartment, one floor above where he was working. She reports: “I was helping my six-year-old daughter Elizabeth get ready for school. Suddenly, the building began to rumble. I ran to warn my son Jose and his wife, at the same time calling to my two daughters Lourdes and Carmela. They took Elizabeth to the rooftop, and as the building collapsed, I grasped the staircase. When the earthquake subsided, the 11th floor was on the 4th floor!

“As we helplessly watched, the floor collapsed under Jose and his wife, throwing them down even farther into the wreckage. We were sure they were dead, especially after we heard a boiler and a gas tank explode simultaneously on the sixth floor. The gas tank, weighing 1,500 kilograms [3,300 lb] hit my son. Yet, to our surprise, they were still alive!”

Remarkably, the entire Melendrez family survived, although Jose junior was seriously hurt. “For us, it has been a very painful experience,” Jose senior explains, “but we thank Jehovah God for all the loving help we have received from our Christian brothers.”

Gregorio Montes and his family lived on the fifth floor of an eight-story building. He explains: “My wife Mary was accustomed to getting up early to take our daughter Lupita to school. They left the building about 7:15 a.m., just minutes before the quake. My five- and six-year-old daughters and I woke up frightened as the building shook. Everything was moving! But as I began praying to Jehovah, we immediately felt a calmness come over us.

“Just then, entire windows began to break and pop out! Walls began falling. By then I heard horrified women and children screaming. With my two little daughters sitting quietly on the bed, I continued on my knees praying to Jehovah.

“All of a sudden​—in the midst of all the screaming, the swaying of the building, and the flying dust—​the building collapsed! It was as if we were going down in an elevator! Although one of my daughters at that moment calmly told me, ‘Father, Armageddon is here,’ I assured her that it was not yet.

“There was a moment of silence​—all was dark and dusty. The space between the ceiling and the floor in our apartment was reduced to only about 50 centimeters (20 in.)! Caught in the debris, I could see my daughters covered with rubble and glass. Yet, they were unhurt​—with not even a scratch!

“From their position in the street, my wife Mary and Lupita saw the building fall. They were certain we were dead. However, of the 32 families that lived in the apartment complex, we were among the few that survived!”

Sixteen-year-old Judith Ramirez was already in school when the quake struck. “The teacher had begun dictating to the class,” she said. “Then all of a sudden I felt the building rock, as if I were in a ship on the high seas. There was panic. Students tried to get out by breaking windows and smashing doors.

“From a third-story window, I could see that half the building had collapsed, with some 500 students and school personnel still inside! I was afraid that our side of the building would also cave in. Since the stairway had disappeared, we made our way out of the school through a tunnel made for us. When we finally freed ourselves from the wreckage, we saw buildings on fire and chaos in the streets.”

To the Rescue!

Shortly after the earthquake hit, the Mexican government took steps to handle the situation. The police, firemen, and other officials coordinated their efforts to save as many lives as possible. Some 2,800 marines participated in the rescue operations, along with tens of thousands of others. The military was also put on alert for possible looting. More than 22,000 victims were taken care of in relief centers and camps.

Airplanes loaded with provisions and rescue equipment arrived from nearly 50 countries. Hundreds of foreign experts came as volunteers. The cooperation of so many thousands of people was covered by news media worldwide. As a result of this team effort, within ten days after the quake, 3,266 persons were rescued, and at least 17,000 missing were finally located. But to rescue a survivor was not easy.

Dangerous Rescue Efforts

Cries of individuals still inside the ruins were heard more than a week after the earthquake! One young volunteer simply sat down, buried his face in folded arms, and cried. He felt so helpless. The rescuers were often unable to pull away the rubble for fear that the building might collapse, and that added to the despair.

On the other hand, there was a feeling of joy each time a survivor was rescued. “I had the satisfaction of rescuing nine persons,” said paramedic Juan Labastida. He had arrived with a rescue team from the United States. “Although we lacked vital equipment,” he explained, “we crawled into the rubble anyway, searching for survivors. It wasn’t easy.”

Describing how they saved two lives, he said: “After arriving at what was left of a restaurant, we used a special electronic device to detect vibrations. So sensitive are its readings that just the vibrations from the energy from the human body can be detected. Without it, we may never have sensed the presence of four persons who were trapped inside! With the use of a long hose, we sent water and oxygen into the restaurant’s storage room, where two men and two women had been trapped for several days.

“As the rescue team waited outside the ruins, an expert from France and I began working our way into the building. The same electronic device also detected vibrations​—signals of weakness—​in the walls and floors as we made our way through. We were taught to touch the walls and floors with our hands. If the building was about to collapse, we would feel a tingling sensation due to the dirt falling from within the walls. It took us seven hours to reach the survivors.

“By the time we reached them, the two men had died. The two women were clinically dead, but we gave them mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and heart massage until they finally revived 15 minutes later! Yes, our efforts paid off!”

Was It All Over?

“Friday evening, the day after the earthquake,” explained a member of the Watch Tower Society’s branch staff in Mexico, “I was being shown the home of Sergio Moran, which was located on the second floor. The walls were cracked, and the heavy ceilings and floors had been weakened. Amazingly, the building had withstood the quake, although many surrounding ones had collapsed, leaving dead and injured victims buried in their debris.

“The neighborhood was tense and gloomy. Ambulances had been rushing by all day long. Just around the corner, there was a long line of people waiting to identify corpses of friends and family. I had just spent the entire day scouting the downtown area on foot. Many streets were roped off because of tall buildings that were leaning and seemed about to fall at any moment. When hearing the calls for help from people still trapped in the ruins, it was hard to keep from shedding tears.

“Suddenly, while I was talking with Sergio Moran, a second quake struck! At first, there was dead silence. I asked myself, ‘Could it be just my imagination?’ Then the lights went out. Clocks stopped at 7:38 p.m.​—some 36 hours after the first quake. The building I was in began to sway back and forth. All doubt had been removed from my mind. It was happening all over again!

“Still on the second floor, we scrambled to the doorway and supported ourselves between the doorposts. We prayed intensely to Jehovah for help. As the building rocked, we could hear a piercing squeak coming from the rooftop and the beams supporting it. After having seen the condition of the home, I was sure the building would collapse! Yet it held up, and we made it safely to the street where we were met with chaos, screams, and uncertainty.

“Fortunately, the second wave did not affect the area as badly as the first quake. In the 12 days following the first earthquake, at least 73 tremors with a Richter scale reading between 3.5 and 7.3 were reported!”

“There Will Be Great Earthquakes”

Christ Jesus spoke of “earthquakes in one place after another” as one of the features of the “sign” indicating that we are living in “the conclusion of the system of things.” (Matthew 24:3, 7) He was not referring simply to tremors; rather he stated that “there will be great earthquakes.” (Luke 21:11) Thus, the recent disaster in Mexico​—along with the more than 600 major earthquakes that have occurred since 1914—​adds to the reality of Bible prophecy fulfilled in our day.

Jehovah’s Witnesses in Mexico​—although caught by surprise for a moment—​appreciate Christ Jesus’ comforting words: “As these things [the different features of the sign] start to occur, raise yourselves erect and lift your heads up, because your deliverance is getting near.” (Luke 21:28) Yes, we are assured of a brighter future. In God’s coming new system of things, his people will be protected from earthquakes and other such disasters.​—Revelation 21:3, 4.

At least 38 of Jehovah’s Witnesses and those associating with them lost their lives in this tragedy. Too, there was considerable material damage. At least 146 families of Witnesses have lost their homes. As the Bible notes, due to “time and unforeseen occurrence,” distressing situations may befall any one of us.​—Ecclesiastes 9:11.

Loving Help

However, immediate action was taken by Jehovah’s Witnesses to locate all the Witnesses in the affected areas. “It was wonderful to see such loving concern for us,” relates Victor Castellanos. More than 5,000 kilograms (11,000 lb) of food were received and distributed to all those affected. Witness families in undamaged areas have shared their homes and material belongings with their homeless Christian brothers.

Escaping with their lives from their ruined home, Juan Chavez, his wife, and two of his children drove to the local school to locate their other two children. Returning home, the family of six was surprised to see gathered around their home a large crowd of Christian brothers​—including a traveling overseer and local elders.

“They thought we were still trapped inside and wanted to help us!” reports Mrs. Chavez. “It was amazing! We had never even met some of the Witnesses who had arrived to help us.”

Yes, although the killer quake has left its scars on Mexico, it has not adversely affected the faith and courage of Jehovah’s Witnesses there. As Mrs. Melendrez, quoted earlier, says: “We have all taken advantage of the situation by spreading the Kingdom hope to everyone we come in contact with. The earthquake has not made us give up in our efforts to serve Jehovah. On the contrary, we feel stronger in our faith and more determined than ever.”

[Pictures on page 22]

Jose Melendrez, Sr., his wife, and the building where they lived

[Pictures on page 23]

Judith Ramirez survived the collapse of the CONALEP school

Expanding in All Directions in France

By “Awake!” correspondent in France

THE worship of Jehovah’s Witnesses, which includes their public preaching activities, involves a great deal of translating, printing, and shipping of Bible literature. All this work is done by volunteers who donate their time, energy, and skills. In each country, they are housed and fed in a building called Bethel, meaning “House of God.” In France, the first Bethel was established right in Paris. However, in 1959, after various moves within and outside the city, a new Bethel home, office, and printery were built in Boulogne-Billancourt, a Paris suburb. At that time, there were barely 14,000 witnesses of Jehovah in France.

In the early 1970’s, Bible literature for France was printed in Brooklyn, New York, and shipped by boat to Le Havre, Normandy. Since Louviers is conveniently located between Paris and the Normandy coast, it was decided that a depot should be opened there. This was done in 1973, and the shipping department as well as the small printery were transferred from Boulogne to Louviers. By this time the number of French Witnesses had grown to over 48,000.

In 1975 the French government legally authorized the circulation of The Watchtower. Later, the Watchtower and Awake! subscription files for France and 15 other French-speaking countries were transferred from Switzerland to Louviers. This greatly increased the quantity of magazines handled in Louviers and created the need for more personnel and living space. Thus, a 34-room residence was built in Incarville, just a few hundred yards from the Louviers printery. It was built entirely by Witness volunteers and was dedicated in 1978.

Further Expansion

The magazines and other Bible literature are delivered to some 1,200 congregations of Jehovah’s Witnesses in France by means of a fleet of trucks. To maintain and service these, in 1984 a fine new garage was built just across the street from the Louviers printery.

It was also in the early 1980’s that the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Brooklyn, New York, decided to ship two offset rotary presses to France to enable the French Witnesses to print their own magazines rather than import them. This new printing load necessitated the building of a new three-story factory extension in Louviers. The new extension, which is connected to the small 1973 factory, provides about 140,000 square feet (13,000 sq m) of additional floor space, making it more than six times larger than the original Louviers building.

Generous Help

While all this building work took place in France, Jehovah’s Witnesses imitated God’s faithful servants of old and ‘honored Jehovah with their valuable things.’ (Proverbs 3:9; Ezra 1:4; 7:15, 16) For instance, when the French edition of Our Kingdom Ministry gave a report on the progress of the construction work and mentioned that very expensive fire doors needed to be fitted in the new factory, eight-year-old Sara and her brother Frédéric donated their savings “for the printery doors.” Some honored Jehovah by helping out with construction on weekends, while others were able to come for a period of weeks, or even months.

The shell of the new factory was built by a commercial firm, but all the woodwork, plumbing, electrical installation, and interior decorating were done by volunteer teams of Witnesses. The fine spirit manifested moved the non-Witness foreman to exclaim: “This is the best atmosphere I have ever experienced among a building crew!” One of the building firm’s non-Witness workmen even came in to help free of charge on his day off.

A Happy Inauguration

On the morning of May 4, 1985, guests invited to the inauguration enjoyed a tour of the new building. The afternoon dedication program was relayed to audiences in eight cities throughout France, with a total attendance of 56,537. M. G. Henschel, a member of the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses, gave the dedication talk. He reminded the audience that all buildings erected for Jehovah’s worship and service give evidence of Jehovah’s goodness.

The new printery in Louviers is just one aspect of the expansion of Jehovah’s work in France. Large Assembly Halls near Lyons, Marseilles, Paris, and in northern France are being planned, or construction on them is already under way. Quickly built local Kingdom Halls are also being planned in various cities in France.

With nearly 90,000 active Witnesses preaching the good news of God’s Kingdom and over 178,000 attending the Memorial of Christ’s death last year, there is indeed expansion in all directions in France.

[Pictures on page 27]

The new factory in Louviers, France, and M. G. Henschel during the dedication talk

From Our Readers

Diabetes

I wish to commend you for the fine article on “Diabetes​—How to Live With It.” (October 8, 1985) As an insulin-dependent diabetic for 17 years, I am very grateful for your fine and well-written article, which revealed the problems and the magnitude of the complications facing diabetics. It’s hard for a nondiabetic to understand this disease.

K. C., Pennsylvania

Thank you for your article about diabetes. My late father was a diabetic, and I never really understood what the illness meant. After reading your article, I wondered if, had we known more about diabetes, my family and I would not have been as impatient with him when he got into some of his moods. I pray that other readers who have a diabetic in the family will give him a little more understanding in the future.

C. G., Scotland

Thank you for the material on diabetes. I have a little girl nine years of age, and for the past three years she has had Type I diabetes. In the beginning, it was not easy to accept such a painful situation, as she had to have two shots of insulin a day. I am pleased that my little girl has accepted her disease with the prospect of being cured soon. She always has the scripture of Isaiah 33:24 in her mind.

R. S., Italy

Gutenberg and Paper

I enjoyed reading your article “Paper​—That Versatile Product!” (November 8, 1985) However, on page 23 there is a picture of Johannes Gutenberg and his press, and the caption states, “Without paper he could not have printed the Bible.” However, the Gutenberg Bible was printed on vellum as well as on paper. So paper alone was not necessary to print the Gutenberg Bible.

F. S., Pennsylvania

The caption is not correct. A limited vellum edition was made, but a more widespread edition was printed on paper. It was about this time that the development of paper joined with printing by movable type to make for widespread printing of Bibles and other publications.​—ED.

Drugs and Youths

I think that your articles on drugs are depressing. (“Young People Ask . . .” July 8, September 8, September 22, October 8, 1985) It seems as if adults are always lecturing us kids to be careful about drugs. I agree, but I personally think that adults should be just as careful. I wish you wouldn’t always use young adults as the subject in your articles about drugs.

B. F., Wisconsin

Yes, adults need to be just as careful about drugs, and not a few older adults do set a bad example in use of drugs and alcohol misuse. However, “Young People Ask . . .” articles deal especially with the problems facing youths. Further, older adults have usually established their pattern in life, and they are not as susceptible to peer pressure and efforts to get them to try something new. On the other hand, youths, who are less experienced in life, often possess a strong curiosity and a desire to try new things, and they are often easily influenced by peer pressure. Our purpose in publishing these articles is to help young people avoid getting hooked on things that will cause them much grief and sorrow.​—ED.

Watching the World

Killer Volcano

The Nevado del Ruiz volcano eruption of last November left a trail of death and destruction throughout parts of the coffee-farming country of Colombia, about 85 miles (140 km) west of Bogota. The volcano’s eruption melted the mountain’s ice cap and unleashed a deadly torrent of mud and water that killed more than 22,000 people and left some 8,000 homeless. Armero, a town of 25,000, has since become one of the world’s largest mass graves, with 21,000 people buried in up to 30 feet (9 m) of the gray mud. A town closer to the volcano, Chinchiná (population 70,000), had a death count of 1,000. Some of Jehovah’s Witnesses and their associates were among the volcano’s victims. At the time of writing, the Armero Congregation reports 16 survivors, one known dead, and 42 missing; the Chinchiná Congregation reports 38 survivors and 3 dead. Scientists say that this eruption is the deadliest anywhere since 1902.

Crime Against Elderly

Intimidation of the elderly is the fastest-growing crime in Brisbane, Australia, according to the city’s newspaper The Courier Mail. Offenses include theft, physical violence, vandalism, and fraud by con men who prey on the lonely by posing as door-to-door salesmen. Many older ones find it hard to cope with the possibility of being robbed. “If people have been leaving doors and windows open in a home they have lived in for 60 years,” says a Brisbane constable, “it’s hard to tell them they can’t do that anymore.”

Stand Up to Swallow

Standing, or at least sitting up, and swallowing a pill with at least a mouthful of water will help to clear the pill from your gullet in ten seconds. That is much less time than if you are on your back, reports The Drugs and Therapeutic Bulletin of Britain. The danger in doing otherwise is that certain drugs may dissolve before reaching your stomach, and that can cause the tender lining of the esophagus to become inflamed and swollen, bringing on pain that resembles severe angina. Even the onset of the medicine’s beneficial effects may be delayed up to half an hour by the slower absorption from the gullet. Among the worst irritants are iron and potassium tablets and the nonsteroid anti-inflammatory drugs.

Drug Wave of the Future?

Crack, a new form of cocaine hitting the streets of New York City, “is the wave of the future” for drug abusers, warns William Hopkins, director of New York State Division of Substance Abuse Services. Crack is cocaine processed into a purified form. Thus, when inhaled or injected the effect of its use is both qualitatively and quantitatively more powerful than that of cocaine. Free-basing, or smoking crack, provides the most immediate high. “Unlike normal cocaine [use], people who free-base can’t stop,” said Hopkins in The New York Times. “They free-base until all their money is used up.”

Bishops Defend Polygamy

The Anglican Church in Africa is under criticism for excluding polygamists from the church community. Surprisingly, the critic is Anglican bishop Dr. David Gitari from Kenya, who “has constituted himself a defender of local polygamy,” says Kruispunt (Crossroads), a Dutch Roman Catholic magazine. “It’s incredible,” says the bishop, “that the church assumes a much more broad-minded attitude toward divorced people than toward polygamists.” He claims that “the African moral of polygamy is a lesser evil than the European moral of divorce” because “with polygamy the African husband obliges himself to continue to care for all women to whom he is or was married.”

At a Kampala meeting of Ugandan Anglicans, Christopher Senyonjo, bishop of West Buganda, similarly urged his church “to see how polygamy can be accommodated,” reports The Church Times of London, England. Citing census figures revealing over a quarter of a million more females than males in Uganda in 1980, the bishop suggested polygamy as a means of preventing unwanted celibacy. Though asserting that “monogamy is the true marriage according to God,” he believes polygamy to be advantageous, especially in avoiding divorce when a woman is barren.

“Addicted to Violence”

“Video nasties blamed for children’s violence and distorted view of sex,” headlined an article in The Times of London. A three-year study of the effect of video films on youngsters led inquiry chairman Lord Nugent to comment: “Our worst fears were confirmed.” Dr. Clifford Hill, director of the inquiry, added: “Some children and young people are addicted to violence in much the same way as they are becoming hooked on drugs, only this is even worse. There is strong evidence that children copy what they see on the screen.” This, he said, was also true when children watched violence on television newscasts. So far, banning certain video films has not solved the problem. Of 73 teenagers picked at random in one school survey, 63 had seen at least one banned video.

Hot-Tub Dangers

Hot-tub users run the risk of getting bacterial infections, reports American Health magazine. Earaches, headaches, and skin rashes are among the ailments reported by persons using hot tubs, or “Jacuzzis,” as they are sometimes called. Fast-growing bacteria that can thrive at the tub’s water temperature attach themselves to the sides of the tub and prey on its users. Rashes on the buttocks, armpits, trunk, and hips are the most frequent causes of complaint. Some women have complained of pain and swelling in their breasts. The same bacteria have also been found in whirlpool tubs. Symptoms usually subside without medical treatment in one to two weeks. Keeping the water slightly alkaline and chlorinated is said to help lessen the chance of infection.

“Human Sacrifices”

During a 15-year period, 12,000 more Australians were killed by road accidents than were killed in the Australian armed forces during three wars: World War II and the Korean and Vietnam conflicts. A survey published by the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons shows that during the 15 years between 1969 and 1983, a total of 52,243 people were killed on Australian roads, and another 1.5 million were injured. The survey refers to this “appalling and inexcusable waste of human lives . . . as human sacrifices [offered up] by an easy-going and prosperous society.”

“Two-Edged Swords”

Auto air conditioners may not be as safe for asthma or hay-fever sufferers as these would like to believe. The American Medical News reports that a Louisiana State University Medical Center research team identified microorganisms living within the air-conditioning units that may cause breathing problems. The researchers found eight varieties of mold harbored inside 22 out of 25 car air conditioners. “The findings suggest,” says the article, “that car air conditioners are two-edged swords: While they may worsen some conditions, they also tend to filter pollen and dust from the air.”

Church’s Sales Pitch

Churches in the United States are now turning to large advertising agencies to pitch their particular brand of religion, reports The Wall Street Journal. They hope to hook more converts with splashier and slicker ads. “You have to take risks and be provocative to get the customer’s attention today,” says the clergyman George Martin, executive director of the Episcopal Ad Project in Minneapolis, Minnesota. One of the church’s ads spotlights Henry VIII of England with these words: “In the church started by a man who had six wives, forgiveness goes without saying.”

“Cry of Alarm”

“Church’s Cry of Alarm Against the Jehovah’s Witnesses,” rang the headline of the newspaper La Repubblica of Rome, Italy. The newspaper was reporting on a Catholic Church convention held in Bologna last November. Its theme was: “Christ Our God and Our Hope: Christians in the face of the Jehovah’s Witnesses.” The article explains: “With the approval of Pope Wojtyla [John Paul II], preparations are being made to mobilize dioceses, parishes, and believers against” the Witnesses. Why such concern by the Catholic Church? “The worries exist primarily,” the report continues, “because every year they ‘rob’ at least 10,000 faithful from the Catholic Church, a record.”

The present growth of the Witnesses in Italy​—up 10 percent from 1984 to more than 127,000—​surely is a reflection of the Italian people’s hunger for understanding of God’s written Word the Bible. Note what the Catholic monthly, Piccolo Missionario of November 1984 said about Catholic interest in the Witnesses: “Their sternness regarding morality is praiseworthy. They preach the refusal of adultery, abortion, divorce, premarital relations . . . We as Christians should feel ashamed: what little interest we show for the Word of God!”

Tiger Fever

Have you ever heard of Tiger Fever? Look though you may, you will not find it listed in a medical book, yet it is raging in Japan and will add an estimated 40 billion yen ($200 million, U.S.) to the country’s economy. Its symptom: extreme enthusiasm. Its victims: fans of the Hanshin Tigers, a professional baseball team in Japan. Its cause: winning the Japan series for the very first time. The beneficiaries: the train companies whose packed cars carry spectators to ballparks, merchants who hawk megaphones, and just about any other business that has rubbed shoulders with the team. A cure has yet to be found.

Listen to Moses

Hear him tell Pharaoh, “Let my people go!”

Hear the refusal.

Hear the terrible effects as the plagues come, one by one, and when the angel of death executes the final judgment.

It is all created on the exciting cassette tape entitled Jehovah’s Name to Be Declared in All the Earth. It is an important lesson for our day in an unforgettable form.

Enclosed please find $2 (U.S.) for the 72-minute cassette tape entitled Jehovah’s Name to Be Declared in All the Earth.

Life​—How Did It Get Here? By Evolution or by Creation?

Millions of people today believe in evolution. Other millions believe in creation. Still others are uncertain what to believe. This new, large-size, beautifully illustrated, 256-page book is for all such people. It presents a thoroughly researched examination of how life got here​—and what this means for the future. Obtain your copy by filling in the accompanying coupon and sending only $2.50.

Please send, postpaid, the book Life​—How Did It Get Here? By Evolution or by Creation? I enclose $2.50 (U.S.).