January 8

Page Two

The peace and tranquillity reflected in this picture are what people desire. Strife, injustice, want, and oppression are what most experience. These spawn increasing acts of terrorism.

Will terrorism be a scourge forever? Or is there reason to believe that what this picture reflects will soon come to prevail earth wide? The following articles will examine the causes of terrorism and also provide you with an encouraging hope for the future.

Terrorism​—Who Are Affected?

Awake! has no involvement in politics. It takes a neutral position in this world’s political conflicts. However, in accordance with its purpose, it probes beneath the surface and points to the real meaning behind current events. For that reason, Awake! examines the deeper motives behind terrorism as experts in the field see them. We leave our readers to draw their own conclusions

“Today the streets of the world’s great cities, its airport tarmacs, and military bases are being turned into battlefields as small bands of terrorists and lone assassins seek to achieve political goals.”

“From 1973 to 1984 there were over 5,000 terrorist incidents recorded worldwide that took over 4,000 lives and wounded twice that many.”

“During the past fifteen years, diplomats from 113 countries have been targets of acts of terrorism occurring in 128 different nations.”​—Fighting Back—​Winning the War Against Terrorism.

ARE you affected by terrorism? Did you cancel or change any travel plans during 1986 because of the fear of terrorists? Terrorism is now either a subliminal or a conscious stress factor in the lives of many people today. As Yitzhak Rabin, Israel’s minister of defense, wrote: “Fear of terrorism has become the normal way of life for many people all over the world.” It is very likely that you are helping to cover the costs imposed by terrorism. How so? A part of your taxes probably goes toward the higher costs of better security and increased preparedness that many governments are incurring because of the threat of terrorism.

Northern Ireland and the Middle East have been living with terrorism for decades. In recent years terrorism has left its mark on many European and Central and South American countries. And through television, radio, and the press, all of us have become acquainted with terrorist violence. It has almost become our daily fare. Terrorist bombs, murders, and kidnappings are so frequent that we have perhaps become callous. As a consequence, the abnormal seems normal, the unthinkable thinkable, and in some countries, such as Lebanon, the intolerable is tolerated.

Yes, terrorism is a fact of life​—part of the regular output of the media, who have converted terrorist leaders and groups into household names. Terrorism is now a worldwide scourge.​—See accompanying map.

What Is Terrorism?

It might seem simple to define a terrorist. But that depends on which side of the issue you find yourself. Are the subversives of El Salvador terrorists or a ‘people’s national liberation movement’? Are the contras of Nicaragua terrorists, or are they “freedom fighters”? Terrorism, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. Political persuasion can distort a definition.

Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli ambassador to the United Nations, offers this definition of terrorism: “The deliberate and systematic murder, maiming, and menacing of the innocent to inspire fear for political ends.” (Terrorism​—How the West Can Win) Sam Sarkesian of Loyola University, Chicago, defines it as “usually characterized by a variety of tactics, such as assassination, hijacking, kidnapping, sabotage, and the use of ‘innocent’ victims to affect a third party. Terrorism, in short, is the creation of fear in a population in order to force the existing system to respond to the terrorists’ demands and/​or objectives.”​—Hydra of Carnage.

On the other hand, Catholic professor of theology James Burtchaell writes: “Terrorism is the warfare of the desperate. . . . [It] is always the gesture of those who feel themselves at a disadvantage.”​—Fighting Back.

Whichever way you look at it, terrorism usually means violence and death for innocent people. As Jan Schreiber writes in his book The Ultimate Weapon: “Like an army, a terrorist gang operates in a dehumanized mode, making atrocity the stuff of daily life.”

Not a New Phenomenon

Although centuries old, terrorism as a form of political persuasion has especially been used in recent decades. Back in 1945, when it became evident that the British Labour government was not going to cede Palestine to the Jews, terrorist groups sprang up, including the “Irgun Zva’i Leumi (National Military Organization, called Etzel) and Lohamei Herut Yisrael (Fighters for the Freedom of Israel) [also known as Lehi or the Stern gang]​—[who] engaged in acts of terrorism. On July 22, Etzel blew up a wing of the King David Hotel in Jerusalem, which housed the government administration, and about 100 Jews, Britons, and Arabs were killed.”​—The Jews in Their Land, by David Ben-Gurion.

Since the 1960’s, terrorism has gathered momentum, especially in relation to the problems of Israel, the Palestinian refugees, and the Arab states.

Terrorism is not confined to Northern Ireland and the Middle East. Spain has its Basque ETA terrorists; India is troubled by Sikh separatists; Sri Lanka has been torn with strife because of Tamil militants; Peru has the Maoist Sendero Luminoso (Shining Path) fighters. In the so-called democratic world, the list seems endless.

But why are the democratic countries so affected? And what really are the causes behind terrorism? Are terrorists simply oppressed groups seeking justice and redress? Or is there more to it? And is terrorism here to stay? The following articles will examine these and other questions.

[Map on page 5]

(For fully formatted text, see publication)]

Some countries recently in the news because of terrorism

United Kingdom

N. Ireland

Germany

France

Spain

Italy

Turkey

Lebanon

Israel

Afghanistan

Bangladesh

India

Sri Lanka

Japan

S. Korea

Philippines

Angola

SW Africa

S. Africa

United States

El Salvador

Nicaragua

Panama

Venezuela

Colombia

Peru

Argentina

Terrorism​—What Is Behind It and Why?

“LONDON, April 17​—Machine-gun fire from the Libyan Embassy raked a crowd today during a protest against the Government of Muammar el-Qaddafi, killing a police officer and wounding 10 people.”​—The New York Times.

“In plain view, the gunmen inside fired from an open window, riddling the demonstrators with automatic gunfire . . . The unarmed policewoman was shot in the back. . . . Ten days after this barbaric incident, the British government provided the killers, along with their murder weapons, with safe passage out of the country.”​—Terrorism—​How the West Can Win.

As embassy staff, the gunmen were granted diplomatic immunity.

WHY do people and groups resort to terrorism? Who are the main targets? What does terrorism accomplish?

One point of view is that terrorism is a symptom that can indicate a variety of racial, social, and political injustices. Catholic priest and theologian James T. Burtchaell stated: “Some terrorism is perpetrated by an ethnic and/​or religious (and usually economic) minority that demands self-governance: Basques in Spain, Catholics in Ulster, Huks in the Philippines. . . . Some is undertaken by governments threatened by majority dissent . . . Some is the venture of a national minority that aspires to control the government.”

But is it just minority groups that resort to terrorism? Burtchaell continues: “Some terrorism is sponsored by governments to discredit, destabilize, and displace the government of another, uncooperative nation.”​—Fighting Back.

According to other commentators, the motives behind terrorism can be interpreted differently, depending on the observer’s political sympathies. Some argue that when injustices are committed and the people have no legal redress, terror becomes their only answer. Others see in terrorism a strategy against Western democracies, inspired and manipulated by the opposing political ideology. Let us examine some of the facts and opinions about this complex problem.

Why the Terror in Northern Ireland?

According to the writers of Northern Ireland​—The Divided Province, British Protestants, many from Scotland, were transplanted onto Irish Catholic soil over 350 years ago, which created a clash of cultures and later led to competition for jobs. That book states: “The Protestants of Northern Ireland mostly arrived during the 17th century in a process begun in 1607 and known as the ‘plantation’ of Ulster. This at last established firm English rule upon the whole island of Ireland.” This English rule has been the basis for bitterness and violence for centuries.

The Catholic Irish Free State (Eire) was formed in 1921, and the six mainly Protestant counties in the northeast were left as a separate entity, forming Northern Ireland. From the Irish nationalist viewpoint, this act dismembered Ireland. Ever since then, the illegal IRA (Irish Republican Army) has continued its fight to reunite Ireland​—which the Protestants strongly resist. Why? Because they refuse to come under what they perceive to be ‘Catholic Papist rule’ in Dublin.

The Protestant viewpoint is summed up in the words of The New York Times regarding the recent vote in Ireland to keep a ban on divorce, which was upheld by a 3 to 2 margin: “Politicians in Northern Ireland who oppose any ties with the republic were among the first to denounce the vote as a measure of the ‘stranglehold’ of the Roman Catholic Church on the Irish Republic.”

The IRA is presently divided into two factions​—the Officials and the Provisionals (Provos). According to professor of history Thomas E. Hachey, “the IRA Officials are committed to an all-Ireland, thirty-two-county socialist republic. . . . The Provos advocate a federal solution and a federal constitution for Ireland.” (The Rationalization of Terrorism) How seriously the latter feel about their aims was illustrated in 1984 when the Provos left a time bomb in a Brighton hotel, nearly killing British Prime Minister Thatcher and her cabinet.

In spite of religious, political, and ethnic factors, some questions remain: Are there any deeper motives behind terrorism? To what extent are the great powers involved?

The Motives Behind Terrorism

Most of the Arab terrorist groups justify their actions by pointing to the plight of the Palestinian refugees who lost their homeland, Palestine, when the nation of Israel was formed in 1948. Over the decades, feelings have run so high that now the Arab terrorists’ aim is not just a separate homeland but something more sinister to Jews​—the annihilation of Israel. How is this known?

The following quotation is taken from the “Open Letter” of Hizballah (“Party of God”), a Shi‘ite group operating in the Middle East.

“Our sons are now in a state of ever-escalating confrontation against these enemies [Israel, United States, France, and the (Lebanese) Phalange] until the following objectives are achieved:

“Israel’s final departure from Lebanon as a prelude to its final obliteration from existence and the liberation of venerable Jerusalem from the talons of occupation.”​—Hydra of Carnage.

On the other hand, many terrorist acts have been perpetrated by “martyrs” under the influence of Iran’s Ayatollah Khomeini and his philosophy, expressed in these words quoted from the book Sacred Rage: “The governments of the world should know that Islam cannot be defeated. Islam will be victorious in all the countries of the world, and Islam and the teachings of the Koran will prevail all over the world.”

This perspective leads to his further conclusion: “We have in reality, then, no choice but to destroy those systems of government that are corrupt in themselves . . . and to overthrow all treacherous, corrupt, oppressive and criminal regimes. This is the duty that all Muslims must fulfill.”

The driving force behind other terrorists is revolutionary socialism and the overthrow of capitalism. Writer Jan Schreiber states in his book The Ultimate Weapon​—Terrorists and World Order: “In general the capacity to exploit is equated with capitalism, and capitalism, whether or not tempered by democracy, is equated with fascism.” As a Japanese supporter of terrorism expressed it: “What we will never accept in this world is the fact, brought about by capitalism, of people exploiting other people. And this is our motive for being willing to fight.”

However, others see terrorists in a different light. Israeli ambassador Benjamin Netanyahu writes: “Terrorism is not an automatic result of anything. It is a choice, an evil choice.” He reasons: “The root cause of terrorism lies not in grievances but in a disposition toward unbridled violence. This can be traced to a world view which asserts that certain ideological and religious goals justify, indeed demand, the shedding of all moral inhibitions.”​—Terrorism—​How the West Can Win.

But why has our modern society suddenly become the victim of terrorism?

A Vulnerable Society

Neil Livingstone, a U.S. expert on terrorism, writes: “As our world has become ever more urban and complex, we have correspondingly become ever more vulnerable to the designs of small groups, or even single individuals, bent on disrupting the lives of or inflicting their will on, the majority.” Why is our society so vulnerable to terrorist activity? “Our slender lifelines of water, energy, transportation, communication, and sanitation are all at the mercy of sophisticated terrorists and saboteurs.”​—Hydra of Carnage.

Because of the fragility of our life-support systems, one terrorist can exercise the power of an army of ancient times. Livingstone adds: “As a result of technological advances . . . one man can command more killing technology than ever before. One individual in the age of technology is potentially the equal of an army [of the age] when the chief weapons of war were the sword, the bow, and the spear. This is one of the chief reasons why terrorists represent such a threat to the contemporary world.”

Another vulnerable point in modern society is the instant impact of news events. Television multiplies the power of terrorism. The terrorist wants international publicity for his cause​—and thanks to the media, he gets it!

Only about a century ago, it took days for news to travel around the world. Now news is instantaneous. In some cases the terrorist can actually see himself enacting his role on TV. Often he knows what the other side is doing while he continues to play his cards close to his chest. Jan Schreiber goes so far as to say that “the drive to seize public attention” has been “the most consistently successful terrorist ploy.”

But are there any other reasons why terrorism continues to prosper?

Terrorism and Two Opposing Ideologies

Offering no hope for the future, two consultants on terrorism write: “Terrorism will not disappear. Small, weak states have discovered that it can greatly increase their political clout, and plagued as they are by resource shortages, they are not likely to abandon terrorism as a political and military tool.” At the same time, they add, some major powers see advantages in waging surrogate warfare through terrorism. “Larger, stronger states, by contrast, have discovered that terrorist proxies can help them achieve their national objectives without the risk attendant to other forms of warfare.”​—Fighting Back.

If the stronger states have discovered that terrorism can help them achieve their aims, could this account for some, or a major part, of world terrorism? Jan Schreiber writes: “Disclosures in the mid-seventies confirmed what dispassionate observers had long known without proof; that the two dominant ideologies of the world had employed, and would likely continue to employ, all means, fair and foul, to confound their enemies and gain, or retain, supremacy.”

This clash of ideologies is implicit in a speech by Soviet leader Gorbachev when he said: “It must be crystal clear that international relations can be channeled toward normal cooperation only if the imperialists abandon their attempts to solve the historical argument between the two social systems by military means.”​—A Time for Peace.

Others also recognize this international “chess game” between the two major powers. For example, Robin Wright states in her book Sacred Rage: “Muslim militants also feel the United States has looked at the Middle East primarily as an area for rivalry with the Soviet Union, virtually ignoring the powerful local forces at play. In a bipolar world, the U.S. has not been sensitive to the frustrated calls for recognition of the emerging Third World.” Apparently, some smaller nations see themselves being used as pawns in the clash of ideologies.

Western experts view much of terrorism as another weapon being used to destabilize the capitalist system. Ambassador Robert B. Oakley, a U.S. expert on counterterrorism, stated: “Left unchallenged, the rise of terrorism will undermine the system of political, economic, and military relationships which the United States and its allies have come to rely upon to preserve, protect, and promote their national and mutual interests . . . During the years ahead, we must be prepared for continued serious threats from international terrorism . . . much of it supported or encouraged by a handful of ruthless governments.”

U.S. ambassador Robert M. Sayre expressed his opinion more directly: “Terrorism is politically motivated and is planned and organized. . . . Most of it is carried out by states and groups of Marxist-Leninist persuasion, and the Soviet Union and its Eastern-bloc partners lend support and comfort to them.”​—Department of State Bulletin.

Terrorism and Bible Prophecy

Why is the clash between the two great powers, with terrorism as a tool, of special interest to Bible students? Because of a significant prophecy found in the Bible book of Daniel, chapter 11. This prophecy describes an ongoing conflict between two great powers, “the king of the north” and “the king of the south.” “The king of the north” is identified as being atheistic, having rejected “the God of his fathers.” (Daniel 11:37) He magnifies himself and gives glory to the god of fortresses, or armaments. He acts effectively against fortified strongholds and establishes his world position. (Daniel 11:38, 39) Does “the king of the south” stand idle while his opponent expands?

The ominous prophecy states: “And in the time of the end the king of the south will engage with him in a pushing, and against him the king of the north will storm with chariots and with horsemen and with many ships; and he will certainly enter into the lands and flood over and pass through.” (Daniel 11:40) Logically, terrorism under its different guises is now being used by both kings in their struggle for world dominance.a Daniel’s words indicate that there will be competitive coexistence between the two leading world powers until God brings an end to their rivalry at his war of Armageddon.​—Revelation 16:14-16.

The questions remain: Can man alone end the scourge of terrorism? If so, how and when? If not, why not? Our next article will discuss these questions.

[Footnotes]

[Picture on page 7]

The motives behind much of terrorism are related to Daniel’s prophecy regarding the time of the end

[Credit Line]

Pacemaker Press Int’l, Belfast

[Picture on page 8]

Modern terrorism has made effective use of the news media

[Credit Line]

Reuters/​Bettmann Newsphotos

Terrorism​—What Is the Answer?

IF YOU travel by air at all, you have seen for yourself the effects of terrorism. Security checks are mandatory at nearly all international airports. Terrorism is costing governments and airlines a fortune in security measures. At the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, security cost the U.S. government some $65 million. How effective are these measures?

In some respects they are paying off. Over the last 20 years, in the United States alone, some 35,000 pistols or explosive devices have been found and 13,000 arrests made. (Department of State Bulletin) El Al, the Israeli airline, which has perhaps the strictest security check of all, has drastically cut down terrorist success in the air.

However, governments and agencies are really dealing with symptoms rather than causes. Their remedies do not get to the root cause for a disease that goes deep into modern society​—a disease based on hatred and selfishness. Injustices and inequalities abound and multiply​—whatever the prevailing ideology may be. Therefore, where can an answer be found? Can religion change hatred to love? Can politics bring unity out of disunity? Can the United Nations really unite the nations? Or is there some other answer?

Does Religion Have the Answer?

The terrorist situation that has prevailed in Northern Ireland since 1969 has taken over 2,000 lives, with more than 20,000 injured in a country of some 1.5 million. The antagonists profess to share the same Christian heritage, based on the premise that “God is love.” (1 John 4:8) Yet Catholic and Protestant terrorism continue. As John Hickey writes in Religion and the Northern Ireland Problem: “It is possible now . . . to accept danger or death as a consequence simply of being a Roman Catholic or a Protestant; to accept savage retaliation​—sectarian murders—​as the way of keeping Northern Ireland’s particular version of the ‘balance of terror.’”

The same writer also states: “Politics in [Northern Ireland] is not politics exploiting religion. . . . It is more a question of religion inspiring politics.” And if that is the case, it is the politics of mutual murder and revenge.

Most religions claim to teach love as a basic maxim. A high percentage of terrorists have a religious affiliation​—professed Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, Sikh, or other. But how far does their religion influence their actions? In his book The Ultimate Weapon​—Terrorists and World Order, Jan Schreiber quotes IRA leader Ruairi O’Bradaigh: “I was with a very hard man once. We’d set up a mine together, to go off under a party of British soldiers. . . . Sure enough, they were right on target. And what did this hard fellow do? Just before making the connection, to explode the mine and blow them all to smithereens, he closed his eyes. Then he crossed himself and whispered devoutly: ‘May the Lord, now, have mercy on their souls!’”

Religion has not prevented right-wing Catholics in Spain from forming their own terrorist group, known as the Guerrilleros del Cristo Rey, or Guerrillas of Christ the King. According to the writers of The Terrorists, the Guerrilleros “owe their existence to religion as much as to politics.”

Should religion’s failure to stem terrorism surprise us? Professor C. E. Zoppo, of the University of California’s political science department, writes: “Organized religions in the West, when confronted with the uses of violence for political purposes, denied their religious enemies those moral rights that they promoted among their followers . . . and even permitted terrorism against the ‘infidels.’” He continues by citing the Holy Crusade in the time of Pope Urban II. He states: “The Crusade was expected to subdue Islam permanently and was considered a ‘war to end wars.’ Islam was regarded as the incarnation of all the forces of evil, so whereas killing an enemy Christian soldier would earn a Christian soldier forty days’ penance, killing Muslims became the ‘epitome of all penance.’”​—The Rationalization of Terrorism.

Other religions also attribute merit to the killing of an unbeliever, or infidel. They believe it is a passport to their heavenly paradise. Therefore, a terrorist’s religious faith can actually strengthen his motivation to murder and even to carry out suicide bombing.

Is There a Political Solution?

Political and military experts in the West have their answers for terrorism, even though not always united in their application of them. The policy of victim nations right now is to fight fire with fire. William Casey, director of the CIA (Central Intelligence Agency) states: “We cannot and will not abstain from forcible action to prevent, preempt, or respond to terrorist acts where conditions merit the use of force. Many countries, including the United States, have the specific forces and capabilities we need to carry out operations against terrorist groups.”​—Hydra of Carnage.

The United States raid on Libya in April 1986, in retaliation for a terrorist bomb explosion at a Berlin nightclub, illustrates that philosophy. But it also exacts an immediate price​—civilian casualties in Libya, viewed as unavoidable by U.S. authorities, and the loss of a U.S. plane with its crew. Terrorism and counterterrorism also have their hidden price​—prestige and credibility.

The politicians and militarists view these as normal sacrifices in this form of covert warfare. As Benjamin Netanyahu writes: “All citizens in a democracy threatened by terrorism must see themselves, in a certain sense, as soldiers in a common battle. They must not pressure their government to capitulate or to surrender to terrorism. . . . If we seriously want to win the war against terrorism, people must be prepared to endure sacrifice and even, should there be the loss of loved ones, immeasurable pain.”​—Terrorism—​How the West Can Win.

Then could the underlying causes of terrorism be removed by politics? Could injustices be righted and the situation defused? Not according to political commentators. Why not? Because, as we have seen in our previous article, they say that much of terrorism is just another tool in the clash between the two great political systems. Therefore, politics breeds terrorism.

As an example, French writer and journalist Jean-François Revel wrote: “In their manifestos and books, the terrorists describe their attacks on democracies as the ‘strategy of tension.’ The idea is that it is much easier to go from fascism to communism than from democracy to communism. The ‘revolutionaries’ must therefore first push the democratic governments toward a fascist pattern of behavior so as to build, in the second phase, socialism on the ashes of fascism.” Thus, in some countries terrorists will deliberately murder military officers in order to provoke a right-wing military coup.

Can the UN Stem the Tide?

Political scientist C. E. Zoppo explained the quandary that the UN finds itself in: “It is not surprising . . . that the United Nations has not been able to reach any agreement on what constitutes international terrorism or on what would be appropriate responses by the member states.” It should not be surprising to anyone when we realize that the UN is an international arena in which the major powers, like fighting elks, lock their horns in battle and become immobilized by semantics.

Another factor is that in the UN the democratic victim-nations of terrorism find themselves in a minority. As Zoppo illustrated: “A U.N. General Assembly resolution on international terrorism . . . while ‘deeply perturbed over acts of international terrorism,’ reaffirmed ‘the inalienable right to self-determination and independence of all peoples under colonial and racist regimes and other forms of alien domination.’” This same resolution condemned “the continuation of repressive and terrorist acts by colonial, racist, and alien regimes in denying peoples their legitimate right to self-determination and independence.”

Thus, according to Zoppo, the UN has approved a double standard on terrorism. He continues: “Implicitly, terrorism is condoned when it is a means to national self-determination and condemned when it is state terror to prevent independence. Newly established nations, having used terrorism themselves as a tool for liberation, find condemning it in others awkward.” (The Rationalization of Terrorism) Therefore, as an effective instrument against terrorism, the UN is stymied. Morality does not prevail because, as Zoppo concludes, “politics basically defines what is moral.” In the meantime, the innocent victims of terrorism suffer and die.

A Brotherhood Without Terror

Jan Schreiber explains the dilemma the nations face: “The disconcerting fact is that those countries wishing to eliminate terrorism from the world​—and they do not appear to be in a majority—​are forced to content themselves with halfway measures. Either the standard punishments do not impress terrorists dedicated to making sacrifices for the sake of an ideology, or they call forth a violent response from those still able to fight.”​—The Ultimate Weapon—​Terrorists and World Order.

In his analysis of the problem, Professor Zoppo concludes: “Hardly a modern nation was born without terror.” That would seem to indicate that terror is an unavoidable ingredient of the political process. Yet we can affirm that there is one “nation” that has been formed without terror or violence​—or political intervention. It is a nation numbering over three million, of peoples from all over the world, drawn from different cultures, languages, and religions. Who are they? The people who call on you with this magazine​—Jehovah’s Witnesses.

They are more than an international association of people. They are a supranational brotherhood, who now share a common belief and God-given hope. They are spreading their influence worldwide, not by terrorism, but by peaceable Bible education. In virtually every nation of the earth, they are recommending God’s Kingdom government by Christ as the only solution to mankind’s problems.​—Matthew 6:9, 10.

Yes, Jehovah’s Witnesses have risen above divisive politics and nationalism, which result in wars and terrorism. They now form a people living in genuine peace, and they are preparing for the time, very soon, when the earth will be ruled only by God’s Kingdom. That will not be brought about by world conversion but by a world cleansing at God’s war of Armageddon.​—Matthew 24:37-39; Revelation 16:14, 16.

Then, true peace and everlasting life will be the portion of the meek of the earth. (Titus 1:2; Revelation 21:3, 4) If you would like to know more about this Kingdom, where terrorism will be no more, please feel free to contact Jehovah’s Witnesses in your community or write to the publishers of this magazine in your country.

[Blurb on page 11]

Over the last 20 years, in the United States alone, some 35,000 pistols or explosive devices have been found and 13,000 arrests made.​—Department of State Bulletin

[Blurb on page 12]

“Just before making the connection, to explode the mine and blow them all to smithereens, he closed his eyes. Then he crossed himself and whispered devoutly: ‘May the Lord, now, have mercy on their souls!’”

[Box on page 14]

God’s Kingdom by Christ Jesus Will Remove Terrorism

Terrorism is said to be the warfare of the desperate who feel themselves at a disadvantage. Under God’s Kingdom no one need feel at a disadvantage, as can be seen in the following prophecies pertaining to rule by Christ Jesus:

“O God, give your own judicial decisions to the king, and your righteousness to the son of the king. May he plead the cause of your people with righteousness and of your afflicted ones with judicial decision. Let him judge the afflicted ones of the people, let him save the sons of the poor one, and let him crush the defrauder. For he will deliver the poor one crying for help, also the afflicted one and whoever has no helper. He will feel sorry for the lowly one and the poor one, and the souls of the poor ones he will save. From oppression and from violence he will redeem their soul, and their blood will be precious in his eyes.”​—Psalm 72:1, 2, 4, 12-14.

College Education​—A Preparation for What?

A FEW years ago, columnist Bill Reel wrote an article that appeared in the Daily News, a New York City newspaper, in which he presented some sobering facts about college education

“What do you know after four years of higher education?” he asked. “No offense, but you don’t know much. Oh, you might know quite a lot about Romantic poets or Renaissance painters or computer technology or accounting procedures. I hope you learned enough to make a living. . . . But nobody 22 years old knows much. You haven’t lived long enough. Wisdom comes only with age. So get humble.

“You graduate from college with dreams for the future. Sadly, most of your aspirations will turn to ashes. I don’t want to demoralize you, but you might as well hear the truth: When you acquire the possessions you covet, if you acquire them, and when you achieve the successes you pursue, if you achieve them, they won’t satisfy you. Instead, at those very moments when you would expect to be reveling in triumph, you will feel empty rather than fulfilled, depressed rather than elated, agitated rather than peaceful.”

As for the materialistic temptations that would face such college graduates, Reel pointed out “that all the magazines aimed at bright, upscale, affluent young Americans​—aimed, in other words, at you—​are packed with ads for sleek automobiles and heady alcohol and chic clothes and elaborate stereos and exotic beauty aids. The media hope to suck you into an unceasing orgy of conspicuous consumption. They will try mightily to persuade you that you urgently require what you merely wish for. They will attempt to confuse needs and wants in your impressionable minds.

“Many of you will be seduced by these smooth media manipulators, who are expert at exploiting your defects of character. . . . Your flashy acquisitions will give you no satisfaction whatsoever. Quite the reverse, in fact. The quest for possessions is an insatiable appetite that will sap your soul.”

The Ostrich and the Stork

OTHER than the fact that both are large, winged, and feathered creatures with long legs, the stork and the ostrich have very little in common. In many ways they are opposites.

In flight the stork is the very picture of grace. Its enormous wingspan can reach 8.5 feet (2.6 m). With their marvelous flying power, some storks winter in distant lands to the south. Ostriches are not so blessed. Their large bodies remain earthbound even when their wings flap furiously. Thus the Bible asks: “Has the wing of the female ostrich flapped joyously, or has she the pinions of a stork and the plumage?”​—Job 39:13.

When angered or frightened, however, an ostrich can run as fast as 40 miles per hour (64 km/​hr) with the help of its wings. As the Bible states: “At the time she flaps her wings on high, she laughs at the horse and at its rider.” (Job 39:18) One observer watched an ostrich chase a horse, giving it powerful kicks.

The two birds also have contrasting traits. The name for stork in Hebrew is derived from a word meaning “loving-kindness,” or “loyal love.” How appropriate this name is! After separating for migration, a pair of storks will reunite at the same nest year after year. They share in rebuilding the nest, incubating the eggs, and caring for newly hatched chicks. The brood usually numbers four, and for many weeks, the parents are kept busy feeding them. “Not until they are two months old,” states the Larousse Encyclopedia of Animal Life, “are the young storks able to make their first flight, accompanied by their parents, who still watch over them and teach them to hunt.”

Ostriches, by contrast, are polygamous, and the hens are not overly concerned about their eggs. These are gathered into a communal nest, but some are left outside. When ostriches sense danger, they temporarily abandon their eggs or chicks.

Such seeming neglect harmonizes with the Bible’s description of the female ostrich: “She leaves her eggs to the earth itself . . . And she forgets that some foot may crush them . . . She does treat her sons roughly, as if not hers.” (Job 39:14-16) “Few readers of the Bible realize how exact is this passage,” state ornithologists Dr. R. C. Murphy and Dr. D. Amadon.

Ostriches have a small head, and their brain is the size of a walnut. This explains why zoo director Terry Murphy wrote: “If there is one species that is an exception to the rule that birds are intelligent creatures it is the ostrich.”

In his book Some of My Best Friends Are Animals, Murphy describes how one ostrich slept close to the fence on a cold night and froze to death. Another was strangled to death by entangling its neck between two bars of the fence. “But the most ridiculous thing about them,’’ wrote Murphy, “is the things they eat.”

Recently, while trying to get a closeup picture of an ostrich, a tourist had his camera wrenched from his grasp. In dismay he watched it slowly descend down the ostrich’s long neck! The Guinness Book of Animal Facts and Feats lists the following items discovered in the stomach of one specimen: “A 3 ft long piece of rope, a spool of film, an alarm-clock key, a cycle valve, a pencil, a comb, three gloves, a handkerchief, glove-fasteners, pieces of a gold necklace, two collar-studs, a Belgian franc, two farthings and four halfpennies.”

Appropriately, the Bible speaks of the female ostrich: “God has made her forget wisdom.” (Job 39:17) Does this imply that an error was made by the Creator? By no means. Actually, the seeming neglect of the ostrich works for its preservation. Those eggs carelessly left outside a nest are sometimes needed to feed new chicks. Also, since the ostrich has no teeth, natural objects swallowed, like stones, are an important aid to digestion.

When an ostrich abandons its eggs or chicks, this distracts enemies. Sometimes ostriches display amazing bravery when doing this. One ostrich, on seeing an approaching truck, abandoned her chicks and ran toward the vehicle! She then veered to the side of it with one of her wings sagging, feigning injury.

The ostrich and the stork draw attention to the unfathomable mental resources of the One who designed them so differently. (Romans 11:33) As the psalmist exclaimed: “How many your works are, O Jehovah! All of them in wisdom you have made.”​—Psalm 104:24.

[Pictures on page 16, 17]

Marabou stork

Ostrich

Saddle-bill stork

Wood stork

The Bible’s Viewpoint

Does God Have Time for Me?

“IF THERE’S a God, he’s not interested in you or me!” Have you ever heard people say that? Most people believe that God exists, but many feel that he could not possibly have the time to be concerned about them.

How can we be sure that God cares? He has provided us with loving gifts, including life itself. He created pleasures for us​—the taste of food, the sound of music, the marvels of nature, the scent of fresh mountain air, the soft touch of a loved one, the laughter of children, and the warmth of a baby’s smile. All of these are gifts from God. We enjoy them only because he lovingly gave us the ability to do so by means of our five senses.​—James 1:17.

In addition, if God did not care about humans, why would he have provided the Bible that gives so much guidance and comfort to people and that is filled with information about his ways and dealings?​—2 Timothy 3:16, 17.

The Bible shows that God is interested in individuals​—that he is interested in you. His written Word shows how you can have a happier life, a better family, and finer children. Yes, the Bible shows you the way to contentment and satisfaction. It relates God’s wisdom and strengthens your faith in his promises. It provides a firm hope for the future. Does that sound like the kind of help that comes from someone who does not care?

Further, a person who cared about you would be approachable. Is that true of God? Consider what these Bible writers say: “Taste and see that Jehovah is good,” wrote David. Further, the disciple James admonished: “Draw close to God, and he will draw close to you.” And the apostle Paul said that God made humans “to seek God, if they might grope for him and really find him, although, in fact, he is not far off from each one of us.”​—Psalm 34:8; James 4:8; Acts 17:24-27.

Do You Make Time for God?

Isn’t that interesting? These Biblical statements say that God is close but that we must make time to pursue a relationship with him. He cares, but we must make an effort, show some initiative!

Jesus said: “Keep on asking, . . . keep on seeking, . . . keep on knocking, and it will be opened to you.” He said that if your son asks for bread, you will not give him a stone, or if he asks for a fish, you will not give him a snake. “Therefore,” Jesus continued, “if you, although being wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more so will your Father who is in the heavens give good things to those asking him?”​—Matthew 7:7-11.

Think of what Jesus was saying​—if you seek God’s favor, he will show greater interest in you than parents show in their own children!

‘Will God Even Listen to Me?’

However, some may have done very bad things​—both in the eyes of God and of men. They might say: ‘Surely, God would never listen to me!’

But those people can do something about their lives. They can change. The Bible says: “Let the wicked man leave his way, and the harmful man his thoughts; and let him return to Jehovah, who will have mercy upon him, and to our God, for he will forgive in a large way.”​—Isaiah 55:7.

The Bible gives quite a list of things people might have done. It says: “Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men kept for unnatural purposes, nor men who lie with men, nor thieves, nor greedy persons, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit God’s kingdom. And yet that is what some of you were.” They had changed. They had put aside their old ways. They had turned around, been washed clean, been sanctified and “declared righteous in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and with the spirit of our God.” So there is hope for all who really want God to care for them!​—1 Corinthians 6:9-11.

Someone Died for You

However, there is far greater proof that God cares for individuals​—that he has time for you. God sent the one dearest to Him in all the universe to give his life as a ransom for those who will accept it. The Scripture says: “God recommends his own love to us in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”​—Romans 5:8.

Do we really show appreciation for that magnificent act of love? Do we make the time to speak with thanksgiving to the God who cares so much? And do we take the time to speak to others about him?​—1 John 4:16, 19.

What He Expects

Thus, the Scriptures already cited show that God is close but that he expects us to make an effort. They urge us to take positive action: “Taste,” “search,” “seek,” “grope,” ‘ask,’ ‘knock.’ Such actions show willingness, determination, appreciation, and faith.

We are counseled to search the Scriptures, to learn about God, to bring our lives into harmony with his ways, to accept his Son as Ransomer, and to come under God’s arrangement for salvation. If you make the effort to do so, you will see that God really does have time for you.

[Picture on page 18]

God has time for you. Do you make time for God?

Young People Ask . . .

Who Says It’s Just a Crush?

“DID you ever have a crush on someone when you were a teenager?” The Awake! reporter has aimed his query at a group of adults, ages 21 to 70. The immediate response? Laughter​—and a flurry of memories.

“Did I!” replies Jerry.a “I was just a teenager, and I had a real crush on a girl six years older than I. She was gorgeous​—big brown eyes! But I kept my feelings secret. Not even my mom could detect that I liked the girl.”

“I had a terrible crush on my art teacher,” recalls Valerie, now a married woman. “He was so good-looking.” Not to be outdone, Jane, a mother of two, says: “When I was a teenager, I had a crush on my favorite singer. I’d get up early in the morning so I could get a front-row seat at his concerts. Once a couple of girls and I even ran down to his dressing room! But when I finally saw him, I just stood there with my mouth open.” Why, even the senior member of our group recalls having had a crush on a movie star!

Yes, ask just about any group of grown-ups, and you’ll find that almost all had infatuations, or crushes, when they were younger. Often these centered on persons that were unattainable​—teachers, singing stars, older acquaintances. Psychologist Kathy Moricca says: “Crushes are part of growing up. Almost all young people have them.” And most manage to survive their infatuations​—pride and sense of humor intact. Indeed, years later most can usually laugh off the experience.

However, when you are caught in the grip of a crush, there seems to be little to laugh about. “I was frustrated,” recalls Jerry, “because I couldn’t do anything about it. I knew she was too old for me, but I liked her. I was really bent out of shape over the whole thing.” Valerie adds: “I pictured myself married to my teacher. We would have four children and live in a lovely home. It was really hard getting over him.”

It hurts to care for someone you can never have. And being told that what you feel is nothing more than a childish crush does not make you feel any better. As far as you are concerned, your feelings are real! ‘Why doesn’t anyone believe me when I say I’m in love?’ you wonder.

The Anatomy of a Crush

“Love is from God,” says the apostle John. (1 John 4:7) It is therefore no sin to have strong feelings for someone​—provided such feelings are not immoral or improper (such as for someone married). However, Christian love is based on principle, not passion. (Compare 1 Corinthians 13:4-7.) And the Bible associates such love, not with youths, but with spiritually mature, or “full-grown,” Christians.​—Ephesians 4:13-15.

When you are young, “desires incidental to youth” often rule your thoughts and actions. (2 Timothy 2:22) Indeed, puberty unleashes new and potent feelings. It takes years for most of us to learn how to bring such desires under control. Interestingly, the book The Individual, Marriage, and the Family further observes: “Because of our society’s emphasis on the importance of romantic love, the young person . . . dreams of the fulfillment of love long before he is ready for or even encounters an appropriate object of romantic love.”

How frustrating it is to have whipped-up romantic feelings​—and no one to lavish them on! Further, often “girls become poised and socially at ease at an earlier age than boys,” as Seventeen magazine observes. As a result, “they often find their male classmates immature and unexciting compared to teachers” or other older, unattainable men. A girl might thus imagine that a favorite teacher, pop singer, or some older acquaintance is the “ideal” man. Boys, though, can become similarly infatuated.

However, the odds of a real romance developing with that charming teacher or sensual singer are about nil. Obviously, then, any love felt for such distant figures is rooted more in fantasy than reality. No wonder that, according to The Individual, Marriage, and the Family, such infatuations tend to be “rather short-lived”! Or as ’Teen magazine put it: “For most teens, crushes are as common as colds.” Some youths, though, persist in their fantasies, insisting they feel real love.

Crushes​—Harmless or Harmful?

‘But if almost everyone experiences crushes,’ you ask, ‘what’s the harm?’ Well, ‘almost everyone’ has also had the measles. The fact is, crushes can be harmful.

For one thing, many objects of teenage affection are not worthy of a Christian’s esteem. A wise man said: “Foolishness has been put in many high positions.” (Ecclesiastes 10:6) Thus a singer is idolized because he has a smooth voice or striking looks. But what are his morals? Is not the life-style of many rock idols one of foolishness? The Bible also warns Christians: “Friendship with the world is enmity with God.” (James 4:4) Would it not jeopardize your friendship with God if you set your heart on a person whose conduct God condemns? It is also wrong to harbor amorous feelings for someone married.​—Proverbs 5:15-18.

Further, the Bible says: “Guard yourselves from idols.” (1 John 5:21) This is true even when the idolized one leads a reasonably acceptable life. What do you call it when a youth’s room is decorated wall to wall with pictures of a beloved singing star? Is it not dangerously akin to idolatry? “I don’t idolize him at all,” claims one young girl of her favorite singer. But she also admits: “I am always thinking about this particular person . . . I have to get this person out of my mind.”

Indeed, some allow their fantasies to override reason. Writes another girl of her infatuation with a popular singer: ‘I want him to be my boyfriend, and I have prayed that it come true! I used to sleep with his album because that was the closest I could get to him. I’m at the point where if I can’t have him, I’ll kill myself.’ Could such mindless passion be pleasing to God, who commands us to serve him with “a sound mind”?​—Romans 12:3.

Says the Bible at Proverbs 13:12: “Expectation postponed is making the heart sick.” Cultivating romantic ‘expectations’ for an impossible relationship can literally make you sick. Unrequited love is cited by doctors as a cause of “depression, anxiety, and general distress . . . sleeplessness or lethargy, chest pains or breathlessness.”

Think, too, of the havoc you wreak when you allow a fantasy to dominate your life. Dr. Lawrence Bauman observes that one of the first evidences of a runaway crush is “slackening off of school effort.” Isolation from friends and family is another common result of being caught in a crush. (Compare Proverbs 18:1.) “Even my family was upset about my behavior,” confesses one young girl who “loved” a popular singer to the neglect of everyone else.

Even where no dire consequences result, there is also the humiliation of making a fool of oneself. “I’m embarrassed to admit this,” says writer Gil Schwartz, “but I behaved like a buffoon during my crush on Judy.” Long after the crush has dissipated, memories of your following someone around or perhaps making a scene in public can linger.

Fortunately, like the adults mentioned at the outset, most youths simply outgrow their crushes. And a future article will help those who do not. In the meantime, the best advice is to recognize a crush for what it is​—a youthful fantasy.

Perhaps there may be some redeeming value in ‘having loved and lost.’ However, never let a hopeless infatuation gain control of your life or waste your emotions. Writer Gil Schwartz recalls just how futile this is. “For all the passion and plotting I invested in Judy,” he recalls, “I’ll bet she never gave me a second thought.”

[Footnotes]

[Picture on page 20]

Crushes on older​—unavailable—​members of the opposite sex are quite common

A Closer Look at Four-Color Printing

Beginning with this issue, most English-language editions of “Awake!” as well as some other language editions join “The Watchtower” in changing permanently to a four-color format. Four-color printing is the process of reproducing natural colors by combining three basic colors and black. How are four-color pictures produced on a printed page? What technology is now being used? The following article describes part of what is involved in four-color work at the Watchtower Society’s headquarters in Brooklyn, New York.

THE printing of pictures in magazines, newspapers, and books produces an optical illusion. For example, consider how a black-and-white photograph or drawing is reproduced by the widely used offset-printing method.

Printing in black and white uses one printing ink​—black. When you look at a black-and-white picture, however, your eye sees tones of gray too. How are the various tones of gray, as well as the black, produced on a printed page? By the use of dots.

Dots? Yes, dots of ink. If you use a strong magnifying glass to look at a printed picture, you will see that the picture is made up of many small dots. There is no longer the continuous tone of an artist’s drawing or of a photograph. To get on the printed page, a picture must be transformed into dots.

How are the dots made? The drawing or photo is reconstructed into a pattern of small and clearly defined dots by a large machine called a scanner. The scanner has a computer that electronically interprets tones and produces varying sizes of dots. A laser is used to expose those dots on photographic film. The various tones of gray are thus obtained by changing the size of these dots, which accept the ink that is then transferred from the printing plates to the paper.

When printing is done on white paper, the lighter the shade, the smaller the dots will be. Darker shades will be reproduced as bigger dots. Thus, the dots “trick” the eye into seeing what appears to be continuous tones of black and shades of gray of the original photo or drawing.

Color Reproduction More Complicated

Full-color reproduction is more complicated than black and white. Here, three basic colors plus black are used: (1) cyan (greenish blue); (2) magenta (raspberry red); and (3) yellow; plus (4) black. Dots carrying each of these four inks are combined in layers on the paper by the printing press to reproduce the wide range of colors your eye sees on a printed page.

However, from the original drawing or photograph, it is first necessary to isolate each of the three main colors and the black into sets of dots that indicate the lighter or darker intensities of each color. But how do these four colors make all the other different colors that you see on a printed page?

Let us say that we have a photo of green grass that we want reproduced in our magazine. During printing, the paper will pass through four sections on the press, each section adding one of the colors. The dots on one set of printing plates pick up cyan ink and transfer their shape to the paper. As the paper moves at high speed along the press, another set of plates with its dots picks up yellow ink and transfers their impression to the paper alongside the dots of cyan. Light reflected from the cyan and yellow inks plus white paper is seen by the eye as green. All the other colors of the rainbow result when the four printing sections lay down their dot combinations in the four colors of ink.

Our Production Sequence

Long before the finished product comes off the press, much work must be done. Film (negatives or positives) must be made of the photo or art to be printed. This film will be the basis for making the printing plates for the press.

A color page of a printed magazine requires, at a minimum, four pieces of film, one for each of the three main colors plus one for the black. This film is produced by our laser scanner. The scanner analyzes the photo or art work to be reproduced and stores the image in its memory.

The scanning machine looks like a ten-foot-long (3 m) lathe. It has a high-intensity light-beam that probes across the color picture as it spins on a cylinder. As it scans, the light is reflected and is split by optical devices into three light-paths, one for each primary color. Each light-path has a filter that blocks out all but one basic color. The black is produced by combining the signals for the three basic colors in the areas that appear black in the original.

The scanner, with the help of a computer, translates the intensities of each color into electronic signals, and through an electronic “screening” process produces the corresponding dots, which are then stored in the computer’s memory.

What if the photo or drawing is too big or too stiff to bend around the cylinder of the scanner? Then a color photograph or transparency (35 mm or larger) is made and mounted on the cylinder. The scanner can enlarge or reduce the image as desired.

Page-Makeup Station

Next, the information stored in the computer is displayed at a page-makeup station. This station has a keyboard and a monitor that resembles a large television screen. By pressing certain keys, the operator causes the picture to appear on the screen. By electronic means, he makes needed adjustments in color tones. Details can be either sharpened or eliminated.

The station can also combine elements of different pictures to make a single picture. For example, a sunset from one picture, a man from a second, and a house from a third can be combined to form one picture of a man in front of a house at sunset.

After adjustments, the electronic signals representing the picture can be sent by computer to other machines to make either proofs or film.

Making Color Proofs

The color-proofing device uses beams of red, green, and blue light to make a color proof. This proof material is made of the same kind of paper that you get back from a camera shop when you send in pictures to get processed.

Several staff members analyze the proofs. Perhaps some feel that the sky in a picture is not blue enough​—it is too green. “Take some yellow out,” others suggest. “But the bananas in the fruit basket have to stay just as yellow,” another cautions. So adjustments in color tone need to be made to take some yellow out of the sky but not out of the bananas. To do this, we go back to the page-makeup station, where the operator makes the changes.

Now we have an actual copy of the picture that we will be printing. Once this picture is approved, we tell the computer that it is time to put the pages in order for producing the film.

The Final Product

The film recorder has a laser. The laser reacts to the signals and in turn exposes the electronic dots onto film negatives. A separate piece of film is made for each color. One film has the dots representing the magenta in the original picture; a second has the cyan; a third has the yellow; and a fourth has the black. These films are the actual size of the picture as it will appear in the magazine.

The final assembly of text with pictures is made on a light-table. Now we take our pieces of film with all the dots representing the pictures, and in their proper printing sequence. These flats of film are given to a person called an image assembler. He looks at the quality of the film, and adds on a separate sheet of plastic the words or text in negative form. The people doing this work use magnifying lenses to make sure that the film for each color fits precisely on top of the other. Otherwise, when out of alignment, distortion occurs when the picture is printed.

Now we have the pictures and words in the right places to make a magazine. We make another proof of all the pieces of this magazine in place. Once this is approved, we can send these materials to the plate rooms in the factories in Brooklyn and Wallkill, New York.

Duplicate sets are sent to the Watch Tower Society’s other four-color printing branches around the world. Each branch then makes offset plates from the film.

In the plate-making process, a high-intensity ultraviolet light is passed through the film, and the pictures and the words are exposed onto the offset plate. The plate is made of an aluminum alloy and is chemically coated. How thick are these plates that will be curved to fit the press cylinders? This varies for different types of presses, but at our Brooklyn plant the plates are only 8/1,000 inch thick! At our Watchtower Farms plant, located outside New York City, the presses are larger, and hence the plates are thicker.

The plates are mounted on the press in proper color order and are now ready for the printing of the magazine. As the cylinders of the press rotate, each plate gets its one color from a special reservoir that contains ink of that color. The ink is transferred from the metal plate to a cylinder covered with a rubber sheet, or blanket, which in turn transfers the ink to the paper. When all four colors are imposed on top of one another on the paper, we approximate natural color.

But we are not through yet. Imposing four inks on top of one another creates a sticky combination that needs to be dried quickly. So the paper passes through a high-velocity hot-air drying unit toward the end of the press. High temperature quickly dries the ink. Then the heated paper runs over water-cooled rollers to bring the temperature down and harden the ink.

Color Limits

How well does this process reproduce the colors of an original photograph or drawing? No machine can reproduce exactly what the human eye sees. The human eye can see from five million to ten million shades of color! But an offset press can print only five hundred to a thousand shades. Thus we cannot duplicate the brightest white or the darkest color details of the original picture.

Another important factor is the type of paper used. The color brightness achieved is limited by the quality and makeup of the paper and how effectively the inks are laid down on that type of paper. With the Awake! and The Watchtower, the paper quality is limited by cost considerations because we want these magazines to be as low in cost as possible so they can be readily obtained by millions of people earth wide, including those with limited funds.

The cost to readers is also reduced because our work is nonprofit. Something else that contributes to the low cost is the fact that the thousands of workers producing the magazines in Watch Tower branches throughout the world are all full-time volunteer ministers who receive only room and board and a small monthly reimbursement for expenses.

Worth the Effort

The average person looking at a magazine in full color may not at first appreciate the enormous amount of work and technology that is involved, from writing the material to printing it and bringing it to his home. In fact, to get a magazine ready for the press, virtually the same effort must be put forth for one in a language requiring just a few thousand copies as for an English Awake! or Watchtower magazine with its millions of copies.

But it is worth the effort. Natural color makes printed material more interesting and appealing and therefore encourages reading. Obviously we respond favorably to color because our Creator made us to see in color. Therefore, this step forward to regular four-color printing in Awake! is desirable. And as we keep learning how to improve our printing methods, we will continue to upgrade the quality of our magazines to make them even more beneficial and enjoyable.

[Pictures on page 24]

Operator setting up scanner

Inset: Blown-up section of picture

[Picture on page 25]

Operator at page-makeup station

[Picture on page 26]

Comparing color proofs with original transparency

From Our Readers

Hope for the Mentally Ill

I must express my appreciation for the articles on mental illness. (September 8, 1986) Although suffering from schizophrenia and having been in a psychiatric hospital, I still did not understand or accept the diagnosis until I read your articles. I take medication once a month to control the symptoms, and I think it is a small price to pay to be able to function normally and feel well.

B. B., England

I just had to write and thank you for the articles on “Hope for the Mentally Ill.” There was mental illness in my family and family background. Your articles stated how mental illness is often a badge of shame, a malady draped with the language of contempt. That’s exactly how I felt. Your articles will enlighten many people, I’m sure, and help them to show more compassion for those who suffer from emotional disorders.

J. R. F., United States

My grateful thanks to you for the articles on “Hope for the Mentally Ill.” For six years now I have been suffering from schizophrenia without being aware of it and was even interned in a mental institution where, fortunately, they discovered what my problem was. Now under medication I feel practically normal, for which I thank Jehovah. Before reading the articles my knowledge of schizophrenia and its symptoms was limited. Now, however, with a better understanding of this ailment, how happy I am to know that even though there is no cure, it can be controlled and that in the near future Jehovah, through Christ Jesus, will put an end to all sickness.

A. M. S., Brazil

I am writing about the last sentence in the article “Mental Illness​—Is There a Cure?” It states: “Her faith helps more than any medication doctors have to offer.” Might this statement cause some in the truth to put off seeking medical help for mental problems?

I. V. R., England

We believe that statement should be understood in the context of the entire series of articles. It was shown that Irene needed to stay on her medication. But the point is that at best the medication, though necessary, was of limited value and had undesirable side effects. Her faith in Jehovah not only helps sustain her through these problems but gives her a sure hope of a complete cure in the new system under Christ Jesus, something far better than the limited benefits medicine can give her.​—ED.

Down’s Syndrome

I am writing concerning the item “Down’s Syndrome​—A Modern Approach,” dealing with newly developed cosmetic surgery to alter the appearance of children suffering from Down’s syndrome. (February 8, 1986) Although you take a strong attitude toward the blood issue, you deal with this subject in a favorable light.

T. N., Japan

The information was presented only as a news item, not as a recommendation. The last paragraph stated: “Of course, plastic surgery in such instances has its critics. And ‘Awake!’ does not endorse or recommend specific forms of therapy, recognizing that these are matters for personal decision.” Such an operation would be different from taking blood, something strictly forbidden in God’s Word.​—Leviticus 17:10-14; Acts 15:29.​—ED.

Watching the World

Music and Satanism

Law enforcement authorities in recent years have observed that crimes ranging from arson to child abuse to murder are frequently surrounded by an increasing amount of satanic and occult trappings. In many cases, authorities state that adolescents involved in criminal activity are strongly influenced by punk and “heavy-metal” rock music, notes The Register, a California newspaper. One police probation officer explained: “Basically, the music teaches that you don’t have to listen to your parents, and that you should live life the way you want.” She added that some rebellious teens take lyrics literally and begin to live them​—including embracing Satan as a symbol of power. Orange County deputy district attorney Dick Fredrickson says: “Once you fall into that heavy-metal syndrome and the embracing of Satan, then it’s easy to do things you otherwise would not do.” The article pointed out that satanic messages and traces of the occult have become so common at the scene of a crime that police officers are receiving special training to recognize them.

Baby Experiments

Each year, as many as 2,000 babies in Britain have medical experiments carried out on them without the knowledge of their parents, according to 19 senior doctors and academics at Britain’s Institute of Medical Ethics. The Medical Post reported that the group’s study revealed that such failure to obtain parental consent occurs “most often with research involving newborn infants.” Dr. Richard Nicholson, deputy director of the Institute, stated that doctors publicly admit that such unauthorized experiments occur because “difficulties in obtaining consent from parents are so great that they don’t even make the attempt.”

“Paperless Marriages”

When a man and a woman live together as husband and wife without benefit of a legal marriage, how long does that relationship last? Statistics from Norway and Sweden show that “half of the paperless marriages do not last over two years, and 60 percent to 80 percent of them break up in a maximum of five years,” reports the French daily Le Monde.

Illiteracy Up

“There have rarely been so many . . . illiterate people” in France. This statement by the French daily Le Figaro is based on a report establishing “that about 15 percent of the [French] population, namely 8 million people (immigrants excluded), are as good as illiterate. . . . They can scarcely read and can only write phonetically. Also, according to the UNESCO definition of illiteracy, they are incapable of ‘understanding a brief and simple text relating to facts of everyday life.’” Schoolchildren are no exception, as approximately a quarter of those entering high school cannot read properly.

Suicides and TV

Two new studies claim that television dramas about suicide, as well as television news coverage on the subject, seem to cause “a temporary increase in the number of teen-agers who take their own lives,” notes The New York Times. The reports suggest that media coverage of the subject results in an “imitative effect” on teenagers, thus influencing the suicide rate. A study by two sociologists revealed that the number of suicides increased by as much as 7 percent in the seven days after special reports or televised coverage of news incidents of suicide. The results were “nearly 3 extra suicides nationwide per program, or 110 more suicides than would otherwise be expected in the [six] years covered in the study.” Dr. David P. Phillips warns that “for about a week after news stories on suicide, teen-agers and their friends, parents and counselors should be especially alert for signs of suicidal tendencies.”

Youths’ Fears

Unemployment is the biggest fear among British teenagers, reports The Guardian of London. A survey of 15- and 16-year-olds reveals that fear of nuclear war ranks as their second greatest worry. Though girls expressed more pessimism than boys, “a substantial proportion of both sexes felt helpless or fatalistic” about nuclear war prospects. Such anxieties are not limited to Britain. Throughout much of western Europe, the worsening employment situation contributes to what the European Common Market’s Economic and Social Committee calls “vague feelings of uneasiness about the future” that have led to a ‘sharp fall in the birth rate.’

Murderous Traffic

Since the State of Israel was founded in 1948, there have been 13,717 traffic deaths on the country’s roads​—three times more deaths than the 4,500 killed during the Middle East wars and in terrorist attacks. According to a news release by Israel’s Minister of Transport, the government in Jerusalem has decided to appoint a select committee to investigate the causes of the unusual number of traffic deaths on Israeli roads.

Whale Migration

Radio transmission is helping to unravel the mysteries of whale migration. “Whales off the coast of Japan have been tracked over a distance of 2,000 kilometers [1,250 mi],” says the French daily La Croix. “Gray whales from the Mexican coast migrate as far as Alaska.” By equipping certain whales with transmitters, scientists have collected reams of information concerning diving time, travel speed, and migratory cycles. Gathering these facts was a challenge because radio signals can be received only when the whale surfaces​—for no longer than three seconds each time!

Shock Treatment

Recently, a new form of treatment to save victims of snakebite was discovered, and The New York Times reports that it defies scientific explanation. The remedy involves a series of high-voltage, low-current electric shocks that by means of a modified stun gun are administered to the area of a bite approximately five to ten seconds apart. Each of the 34 cases treated showed evidence of venomous bites penetrating the victim’s skin. The researchers explained that when treatment was given within a half hour of an attack, none of the victims showed the usual serious medical complications, and no deaths occurred among those treated. The researchers also noted that within 15 minutes of the therapy, the pain caused by the poisonous bites disappeared. Similar relief was also obtained in two cases where victims were not treated until two hours after suffering venomous bites. In addition to snakebites, researchers say, the bites of venomous ants and scorpions can successfully be treated with shock therapy.

Harmful Habit

Gastroenterologist Dr. Keith Taylor at the Stanford Medical Center says that late night snacks can be harmful, especially if a person repeatedly goes to sleep an hour or so after eating. Why? He explains that most body functions, including digestion, are slowed down during sleep. Thus, the excess acid produced as a result “frequently backs up into the esophagus when you’re lying down, causing irritation,” notes Parade Magazine. People already suffering with ulcers of the stomach or the duodenum will likely suffer even greater discomfort. Dr. Taylor suggests eating at least two or three hours before retiring at night. Milk is not recommended for ulcer patients, since researchers claim that, rather than being a neutralizer to line the stomach, milk stimulates acid production.

“Awake!” Shares in Spreading the Good News

Here you see two of Jehovah’s Witnesses making use of Awake! in preaching the good news of God’s Kingdom in Austria. This same preaching work is being accomplished in more than 200 lands and islands of the sea worldwide. Over three million Witnesses spend their time in this work. Why?

Because a comparison of Bible prophecy with world events shows that since World War I, we have been living at the climax of human history, the conclusion of this system of things. God’s Kingdom by Christ Jesus has been established in the heavens and will soon intervene in earth’s affairs to remove all wickedness and bring in a peaceful and secure system of things earth wide.​—Daniel 2:44; Matthew 6:9, 10; 24:3-35.

More than 60 years ago, Awake! entered into this preaching activity under the name The Golden Age. By the end of its first decade, more than 75,000 copies of each issue were being distributed. As we near the end of the seventh decade of this magazine’s existence, over ten million copies of each issue, in 53 languages, are being printed for distribution.

Together with its companion magazine, The Watchtower, Awake! presents the most significant message of this century. The next time Jehovah’s Witnesses call at your door, invite them in and let them explain how this message can benefit you and your family.

An Armchair Visit to Central Europe and the Caribbean Islands

You can enjoy such a visit to Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Trinidad, Tobago, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands through the pages of the 1987 Yearbook of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Read the encouraging stories about the opening up of Kingdom preaching in these places, as well as an up-to-date report on the activities of Jehovah’s Witnesses worldwide.

Please send, postpaid, the 1987 Yearbook of Jehovah’s Witnesses. I enclose $1 (U.S.).