June 8

Page Two

Throughout the centuries, millions of prayers have been said for peace.

Perhaps none have been more unusual than those offered by the world’s religious leaders at Assisi, Italy, late in 1986.

What happened there? Was that meeting significant? Did the people of those religions listen and act in harmony with the prayers? Did God listen?

An Awake! correspondent in Italy analyzes these questions in the following articles.

Prayers for Peace​—Who Listens to Them?

WHAT was an American Indian, in fully feathered headdress, doing on the same platform as a Greek Orthodox priest? Why was the Buddhist Dalai Lama seated along with the Archbishop of Canterbury? What could a Jewish rabbi have in common with a metropolitan of the Russian Orthodox Church? And why would Pope John Paul II of the Catholic Church be presiding at such a gathering?

Not long ago it would have been unthinkable for the pope to share a prayer platform with leaders of the other major religions. Yet, in late 1986, in the Italian city of Assisi, he joined with all these other religions in celebrating the “World Day of Prayer for Peace.” The gathering was promoted by the pope in harmony with the United Nations’ designation of 1986 as the International Year of Peace.

At Assisi, there were varied prayers for peace. But who listened to them? The Trinitarian God of Christendom? Or the God of the Jews? Allah of the Muslims? The Great Thumb and Roaring Thunder of the animists? Did any of these gods listen to these prayers? Now that some time has passed since Assisi, the answers are evident.

What Took Place

The prayers of those religious leaders were the culmination of the international day of prayer held at Assisi in central Italy on October 27. A large platform had been erected, with the word “PEACE” in 14 languages on the backdrop. Arranged in a wide semicircle, with the pope at the center, more than 60 leaders of the major religions took turns praying from a rostrum. Television cameras covered the ceremony that is said to have been watched by 500 million people throughout the world.

The first ones to pray were the Buddhists, who asked for “an ocean of happiness and joy.” Then the Hindus invoked “peace unto all beings.” The Muslims prayed: “Praise be to God, Lord of the Universe.”

“Grant us peace,” was the supplication of the African animists as they invoked their divinities. “We offer the Pipe to the Great Spirit, to Mother Earth,” said the American Indians as they smoked the peace pipe. “Give peace to the earth,” asked the Jews.

“In peace and unity let us beseech our Lord God,” was the prayer of the Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, and Greek Orthodox representatives. The Sikhs, Zoroastrians, Shintoists, and Jains also prayed for universal peace.

Occasion Given Prominence

It was the first time, the press commented, that such high-ranking clergy of the world’s religions had assembled in the same place to pray. For this reason the meeting has been termed a “historic occasion.”

Some believed that Bible prophecy was fulfilled there. Since Assisi is situated on a hill, they considered it the symbolic mount of Micah chapter 4, verse 2. A report said that the Assisi gathering was “a meeting that the prophet Micah had predicted 2,700 years ago: ‘In the [time of the] end the mount where the temple of the Lord stands will be the highest one . . . All peoples will gather at its foot and will say: Let us go up to the mountain of the Lord. He will teach us what we must do.’”​—Voce delle Contrade.

The journal Il Sabato enthusiastically said: “It is the first time anything of its kind has occurred since the Tower of Babel. Then, because of their desire to reach the heavens, men were divided. Today, in the name of religious sentiments that open them up to the gift of God, peace, men are united.”

Serious Questions Raised

The event was no doubt spectacular. However, it raised legitimate questions. The daily La Nazione asked: “Did that message serve its purpose? Will it have reached the hearts of the half a billion viewers? Will it have made a breach in the rocky positions of those who, directly or indirectly, determine and direct the events and the destiny of the world?”

Thinking people ask other penetrating questions: Does God accept all prayers regardless of the type of worship practiced? Is it enough to pray for something without making sure of God’s view on the matter? Have people been induced by this meeting to work for peace? What does the past teach us? And above all, what do the Scriptures say about how world peace will be achieved?

We must also ask: Was the gathering of this world’s religions at Assisi in reality a modern-day Tower of Babel?

A Modern Tower of Babel?

THE ancient Tower of Babel has become a symbol of confusion and division. It was there, some 4,000 years ago, that God confused the language of the people. Why? Because of their rebellion against him. They rejected obedience to God and instead centered their lives on the schemes of imperfect men. So God scattered them.​—Genesis 11:1-9.

Was what happened at Assisi so different? Were men properly reunited there? Did the religious leaders of over two billion people really promote world peace?

Was There Unity?

In an address given only a few days before, the pope had emphasized: “What will take place at Assisi will certainly not be religious syncretism [uniting].” He added: “We cannot pray together, that is, join together in common prayer, but we can be present while others pray.”

Thus the pope indicated that the criterion observed in praying for peace was that of coming together to pray, not that of praying together. Some observed that he wanted to avoid participating in a common prayer. In this way he would not be accused by Catholics of mixing the various religious beliefs.

This is borne out by the pope’s welcoming address to the religious leaders that morning. He emphatically pointed out: “The fact that we have come here does not imply any intention of seeking a religious consensus among ourselves or of negotiating our faith. Neither does it mean that religions can be reconciled at the level of a common commitment in an earthly project that would surpass all of them.”

Certainly, then, there would be no effort to reconcile the many differences in religious teachings represented by those gathered at Assisi. Religious unity would therefore be impossible. The confusion of ‘religious tongues’ would continue. Hence, there is indeed a striking similarity to the ancient Tower of Babel.

This religious disunity is evident in a sampling of beliefs. For example, Buddhism does not accept the existence of a personal God, teaching that the final goal of man is Nirvana, a state of absolute blessedness achieved through the extinction of the self. The Hindus believe in millions of gods and in a continuous cycle of reincarnations that can lead to Nirvana. Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant religions believe in a Trinity. But Muslims believe that there is one God, Allah, and that Muhammad is his prophet; however, they do not believe that God has a son. The Jews worship one God but do not accept Jesus as the Messiah. African religions believe that plants, animals, and inanimate objects have a spirit. The American Indians worship the forces of nature.

However, true peace implies at least a basic coming together, or uniting, of different peoples. But the religions that met at Assisi were so pitifully divided that they could not even agree on a common prayer! Surely, God cannot approve of all these conflicting ideas because, wrote the apostle Paul, “God is a God, not of disorder, but of peace.”​—1 Corinthians 14:33.

Is God Listening?

How can the only true God, the Creator of heaven and earth, listen favorably to the prayers of religious leaders who have no intention of working for true unity? God’s own inspired Word states clearly that those who practice true worship “should all speak in agreement, and that there should not be divisions among [them], but that [they] may be fitly united in the same mind and in the same line of thought.”​—1 Corinthians 1:10.

If God listened to these divided religions, he would be contradicting himself. It would indicate his approval of what he condemns​—division. But the God of truth cannot be guilty of a double standard. He will not contradict his own Word, for “God . . . cannot lie.” (Titus 1:2) Hence, he does not listen favorably to the prayers of such divided worship.

The Bible clearly shows that God approves only worship that is in harmony with his will. Jesus said: “Not everyone saying to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the kingdom of the heavens, but the one doing the will of my Father who is in the heavens will.” He also said that God is “looking for,” that is, he approves of and only listens to those who worship him “with spirit and truth.” That is done by observing his Word and obeying his commandments. So God disapproves of religions that do not do his will, just as he disapproved of the builders of the Tower of Babel, who also were not doing his will. He rejects such ones. As Jesus said to those who do their own will instead of God’s will: “Get away from me, you workers of lawlessness.”​—Matthew 7:21-23; John 4:23, 24.

Thus, the spiritual condition of the religions that met at Assisi is the opposite of what God requires of true worshipers. Instead of being united in the same mind and thought, they are shredded by disunity, just as prevailed at the Tower of Babel.

The fact that God does not listen favorably to the prayers of this world’s Babel-like religions becomes more obvious when we examine the testimony of history. What kind of picture does that testimony present?

[Picture on page 6]

A Babylonian temple tower

‘Your Hands Are Full of Blood’

“EVEN though you make many prayers, I am not listening; with bloodshed your very hands have become filled.” Thus said almighty God to those who professed to serve him but who were involved in shedding innocent blood.​—Isaiah 1:15.

Are this world’s religions guilty of shedding innocent blood? Yes, they certainly are. In every war of our 20th century, the religions of this world and their clergy have supported the bloodshed. This has even led to members of the same religion killing one another on a mass scale.

Yet, Jesus taught his followers to ‘return their sword to its place.’ (Matthew 26:52) The apostle Paul stated: “The weapons of our warfare are not fleshly.” (2 Corinthians 10:4) The powerful message of God’s Word is that those who practice true religion must love one another and not shed blood: “The children of God and the children of the Devil are evident by this fact: Everyone who does not carry on righteousness does not originate with God, neither does he who does not love his brother. For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we should have love for one another; not like Cain, who originated with the wicked one and slaughtered his brother.”​—1 John 3:10-12.

If a religion does not practice this kind of love, its prayers will not be heard by God. The Bible says: “Whatever we ask we receive from him, because we are observing his commandments and are doing the things that are pleasing in his eyes.” (1 John 3:22) But this world’s religions have not observed God’s commandments. Instead, they have weakly gone along with the slaughtering of some one hundred million people in the wars of this century alone!

Will Leaders and People Listen?

In his concluding speech at Assisi, John Paul II said: “We invite the world leaders to take notice of our humble imploration to God for peace.” Will the political leaders and their people in general listen to this appeal? To find out let us look to history.

History reveals that treaties and prayers for peace are nothing new. In the Middle Ages, treaties for peace were often called God’s truces or holy truces. They were proclaimed at Christendom’s religious festivals, during which all conflicts were to cease. But not even the threat of excommunication for those who violated the truces was enough to make men respect them.

In the year 1915, Pope Benedict XV launched an appeal to the nations to put an end to the “horrendous slaughter” of the first world war. He prayed to God for “the cessation of the wicked scourge.” But neither the national leaders nor their people listened. And, logically, God did not listen because the combatants on both sides were made up of members of the same religion. Thus, Catholic killed Catholic, and Protestant killed Protestant, completely contrary to God’s commandments.

In the spring of 1939, when the storm clouds of the second world war were gathering, Pius XII organized “a crusade of public prayers for peace.” The following August, just before the war broke out, he launched an appeal to national leaders and their people to desist from “the accusations, the threats, the causes for mutual distrust” so as to avoid the worst.

But all those prayers and appeals did not halt the war machine of Catholic and Protestant Germany; nor did they indicate the way to peace for Catholic Italy or for Shintoist Japan. And no excommunication was threatened against members of any religion for killing others of the same religion. So the slaughter of brother by brother went on for six years, backed by the clergy of every nation.

In response to the pope’s appeal at Assisi, in some places fighting halted on October 27, 1986. But in other countries it continued. In many instances this was in lands the religion of which was represented at Assisi. For example, the Catholic guerrilla fighters of the IRA launched a bomb attack in Ireland. The Sikhs fought in India. In Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Lebanon, Iran, and Iraq, as well as other areas, the bloodshed also continued. And even where the truce was observed for that one day, death and terror were sown again the very next day. A strange peace indeed!

Could “the God of peace” bless such initiatives that indirectly approve of those who today stop killing only to begin again tomorrow? Did God approve of Cain after he killed Abel? Surely not!​—Hebrews 13:20.

Not a Force for Peace

Recent surveys carried out in various nations indicate that a large number of people consider the religions of the world to be fomenters of war rather than promoters of peace. That is how 47 percent of the French people and 48 percent of Israelis feel.

John Taylor, secretary-general of the World Conference of Religions for Peace, said in the French Catholic monthly L’Actualité Religieuse dans le Monde: “We deceived ourselves into thinking that religion could and would bring light and charity to conflicts, and that we would greatly benefit from the uniting of forces against war, against armaments. But when examining these problems, we gradually realized that wars are not caused by armaments, but by hatreds and divisions among men . . . And here also religion has played its part.”

Historian Ernesto Galli Della Loggia, in the Catholic daily Avvenire, said even more pointedly: “Religion does not seem to have constructed a unifying framework among men and among peoples, rather the exact opposite. It has been that way for centuries. Not only have the greatest monotheistic religions fought against one another in a war without quarter but some of them​—chiefly Christianity and Islam—​have dedicated all their strength to exterminating the animist religions of the so-called primitive peoples. This has occurred because religion and political power are two sides of the same coin.”

For this and other reasons, governments either ignore religious leaders or tolerate them as if they were a necessary nuisance. And worldly religion itself is simply a veneer that has little or no beneficial effect on man or on world conditions.

At the conclusion of the day of prayer, the pope himself admitted Catholicism’s responsibility in all this bloodshed. He said: “I am ready to acknowledge that Catholics have not always been faithful to this affirmation of faith.” And then he added: “We have not always been ‘peacemakers.’ For us, therefore, but also perhaps, in a sense, for all, this encounter at Assisi is an act of penance.”

But has modern-day religion demonstrated by its actions that it has a changed attitude toward war? Is it really repentant of its dishonorable past? Speaking of present wars, Ernesto Galli Della Loggia pointed out: “Nine times out of ten these conflicts are also, if not above all, religious conflicts.”

The prayers for peace have thus been useless. Neither the political leaders nor the people are listening to them and acting in harmony with them; and neither is God, for he has said: “Even though you make many prayers, I am not listening; with bloodshed your very hands have become filled.” (Isaiah 1:15) That is why the 1986 International Year of Peace promoted by the United Nations and backed by the prayers of this world’s religions was such a failure.

[Box on page 10]

A Survey in Italy

Awake! magazine carried out a survey in various Italian cities, during which hundreds of people were interviewed, the majority Catholic. When asked whether initiatives such as the Assisi day of prayer for peace and cease-fires will help to eliminate wars and armaments, 70 percent said no, 17 percent said that it was just the first step, and only 10 percent thought it was a positive thing to do.

A priest from the northern Italian city of Bergamo said: “I think the initiative will be very useful as long as its message is carried forward. It’s a good start that must not be isolated.”

But a young Catholic woman from the same area said: “One cannot help being profoundly struck by the hypocrisy of people who have been fighting for years, also for religious reasons, and who then lay down their arms and pray for world peace, knowing full well that the next day they will carry on fighting.” And a youth from Brescia said: “Meetings like these do not help in combating religious indifference. The churches should be less interested in politics if they want God to listen to them.”

In answer to the question, “What should religion do to contribute more effectively to peace?” a Catholic from Turin said that “they should dissociate themselves from all temporal complicity and teach men to live without weapons.” A young Catholic woman from Cremona stated: “The church should have set a good example by not getting involved in wars and politics. But now it’s too late.”

On being asked, “What do you think of the pope’s peace initiative?” a lawyer from the province of Pesaro replied: “The church is using the problem of peace to its own advantage to propagandize Catholicism in the world.” An 84-year-old Catholic lady said: “It’s no use. If they want a war, they’re going to start one anyway.”

Speaking of religion’s “political designs,” the Milan publication Il Corriere della Sera made this significant comment: “The Church takes advantage of pacifism and promotes initiatives that allow her to control, rather than be subjected to, the debates of public opinion on the major political questions of the hour.”

[Pictures on page 8, 9]

Prayers were offered by people from all over the world

Many young people are interested in world peace

World Peace​—How and When?

WORLD peace is one of mankind’s fondest dreams. But to think that human governments can achieve it is an illusion. The lessons of history agree with what the Bible realistically affirms: “It does not belong to man who is walking even to direct his step.”​—Jeremiah 10:23.

Only the almighty Creator of the universe, Jehovah God, can bring lasting peace. And he has given his promise that he will do so. How? Not by human endeavors but by means of what Jesus Christ made the theme of all his teaching​—the heavenly Kingdom of God. (Matthew 6:9, 10) The Ruler of that Kingdom, Christ Jesus, is called in prophecy the true “Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6) And God’s promise is that under the rule of the Kingdom, there will be an “abundance of peace” in all the earth.​—Psalm 72:7.

However, the Bible clearly shows that before this can come about, this present warring system of things must be put out of the way. (1 John 2:15-17) And Bible prophecy indicates that its destruction is imminent.​—Matthew 24:3-14, 22, 34; Luke 21:25-28; 2 Timothy 3:1-5.

This, therefore, is the unchangeable purpose of the God “who cannot lie.” (Titus 1:2) Thus, should not the religious leaders, especially those of Christendom, have offered up prayers in harmony with this purpose? Should they not also have been acting in harmony with that purpose? Yet, none of those religious representatives at Assisi made any mention of this system’s near end and the incoming rule of God’s Kingdom, the fundamental message of Jesus and God’s Word.

This is not surprising because those religions have not taught their followers the truth about God’s purposes. Instead, they are part of this world under Satan, and they concentrate their efforts on perpetuating it. As a result, their people have become divided, putting more faith in nationalism than in God’s Kingdom. This has led them to kill one another in this world’s conflicts. Thus, these words apply to such religions: “Adulteresses, do you not know that the friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever, therefore, wants to be a friend of the world is constituting himself an enemy of God.”​—James 4:4.

Hence, the appeals for peace by these religions fall on deaf ears. They bring to mind the situation in the prophet Jeremiah’s time. Back then the false religious prophets declared: “There is peace! There is peace!” But, in reality, ‘there was no peace’ for them.​—Jeremiah 6:14.

Worldwide Educational Work

Yet, God’s purpose will be fulfilled. (Isaiah 55:11) So today a worldwide work of Bible instruction is underway. This is in harmony with the prophecy at Matthew 24:14, which states: “And this good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations; and then the end will come.”

Since those who are part of this earth-wide movement of true worship submit to God’s requirements, they have eliminated the divisive influence of nationalism among themselves. They have become a peaceful society of people who love one another and who live for God’s Kingdom. As a result, they are fulfilling the thrilling prophecy at Micah 4, which says:

“And it must occur in the final part of the days that the mountain of the house of Jehovah [his true worship] will become firmly established above the top of the mountains [all other types of worship], . . . and to it peoples must stream. And many nations will certainly go and say: ‘Come, you people, and let us go up to the mountain of Jehovah and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will instruct us about his ways, and we will walk in his paths.’ . . . And they will have to beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning shears. They will not lift up sword, nation against nation, neither will they learn war anymore.”​—Micah 4:1-3.

It is abundantly clear that this prophecy cannot have been fulfilled by the meeting at Assisi. The ones who are streaming to the symbolic mountain of pure worship are persons who are being instructed in Jehovah’s peace-loving ways and who walk according to his purpose and requirements. They are not people who remain in their previous religions, divided by conflicting doctrines and practices. Instead, they are gathered together as Micah 2:12 foretold: “In unity I shall set them, like a flock in the pen.”

The result of this educational work is that over three million people in all the earth have become proclaimers of the “good news of the kingdom.” They have become peaceful persons, and under no circumstance will they take the life of their fellowman. Just as Micah foretold, they have already beaten “their swords into plowshares . . . ; neither will they learn war anymore.” And many millions of other interested people throughout the earth are being taught by them.

Jehovah’s Witnesses look forward to the harmonious new world in which Micah 4:4 will be fulfilled toward all mankind: “They will actually sit, each one under his vine and under his fig tree, and there will be no one making them tremble; for the very mouth of Jehovah of [heavenly] armies has spoken it.” Next, in Mic 4 verse 5, Micah draws a contrast between those who worship the multiplicity of false gods and those who worship the one true God, saying: “All the peoples, for their part, will walk each one in the name of its god; but we, for our part, shall walk in the name of Jehovah our God to time indefinite, even forever.” Apparently, God’s name was never even mentioned at Assisi. However, would you not like to learn about this God of the Bible? Jehovah’s Witnesses will be happy to help you in this.

[Picture on page 12]

Who have really beaten their swords into plowshares?

Crossword Puzzle

Clues Across

2. Melchizedek’s is not disclosed in the Scriptures (Hebrews 7:3)

10. Designation of Jehovah as “the Most High” (Daniel 7:25)

11. A city of Judah rebuilt by King Rehoboam (2 Chronicles 11:9)

12. “With --- it is impossible, but not so with God” (Mark 10:27)

13. Substance used to color fabrics (Compare Exodus 35:6.)

14. To place (Acts 8:19)

15. Perceive (Luke 21:27)

16. It originated with Satan (John 8:44)

17. Turbulent masses of mankind alienated from God (Revelation 21:1)

19. Any advanced stage of life (Genesis 21:7)

21. Ruinous trouble (Revelation 12:12)

24. Device used in weaving (Job 7:6)

25. King Sennacherib was murdered in the temple of this deity (2 Kings 19:36, 37)

26. What God caused Aaron’s rod to do, proving that the tribe of Levi was designated for the priesthood (Numbers 17:5-8)

29. Imposed restriction (Deuteronomy 13:17)

30. Qualified (1 Thessalonians 2:4)

33. She was seduced by Satan’s cunning (2 Corinthians 11:3)

34. Both he and Nathan were used by Jehovah to censure David (2 Samuel 24:11-14)

36. No father would give his son a scorpion instead of this (Luke 11:11, 12)

37. Those in this condition need a physician (Mark 2:17)

38. What will happen to the name of the wicked (Proverbs 10:7)

39. She and her brother, Herod Agrippa II, heard Paul’s defense (Acts 25:23)

40. Jesus did this by Jehovah’s power (Luke 5:17)

41. Enduring (Genesis 49:24)

Clues Down

1. Dwell (Psalm 37:29)

3. This results from taking in knowledge of God and Christ [2 words] (John 17:3)

4. As the last one, death will be destroyed (1 Corinthians 15:26)

5. Securing them may imperil your own finances (Proverbs 22:26)

6. The seven of them stood for seven years of plenty in Egypt [4 words] (Genesis 41:26-29)

7. Jael used this in putting Sisera to death (Judges 4:21)

8. Joshua sent two of them to Jericho (Joshua 2:1)

9. In Jesus’ day, people reclined at this (Luke 22:14)

18. “Whom shall we -- away to?” (John 6:68)

20. For what reason? (Acts 9:4)

21. An apostate’s hope will perish, as if trusting in this (Job 8:14, King James Version)

22. He that endures to it will be saved (Matthew 24:13)

23. Behave (Genesis 19:7)

27. Job’s homeland (Job 1:1)

28. The tongue is a little one (James 3:5)

29. The Israelites were groaning like these animals, in expectation of justice and salvation (Isaiah 59:11)

31. Lacking courage (Deuteronomy 20:3)

32. Escape (Matthew 24:20)

35. Used by God to warn, guide, assure, or prophesy (Numbers 12:6)

36. One of four wise men whom Solomon exceeded in wisdom (1 Kings 4:31)

CROSSWORD SOLUTIONS PAGE 15

Answers Across

2. GENEALOGY

10. SUPREME

11. ADORAIM

12. MEN

13. DYE

14. LAY

15. SEE

16. LIE

17. SEA

19. AGE

21. WOE

24. SHUTTLE

25. NISROCH

26. BUD

29. BAN

30. FIT

33. EVE

34. GAD

36. EGG

37. ILL

38. ROT

39. BERNICE

40. HEALING

41.PERMANENT

Answers Down

1. RESIDE

3. EVERLASTING LIFE

4. ENEMY

5. LOANS

6. GOOD EARS OF GRAIN

7. HAMMER

8. SPIES

9. TABLE

18. GO

20. WHY

21. WEB

22. END

23. ACT

27. UZ

28. MEMBER

29. BEARS

31. TIMID

32. FLIGHT

3 5. DREAM

36. ETHAN

“I’m a Truffle Hunter!”

“IT’S a dog’s life!” Mine really was a dog’s life​—chained up all day in the dirtiest corner of the yard. I’d bark at strangers just because it was the accepted thing to do, being a dog. But much as I tried, I didn’t even manage to scare the chickens.

When my master didn’t forget, some food was brought out to me once a day, with one or two meager bones thrown in some days. It would be impossible to imagine more of a dog’s life than mine.

Then came the big change. It was when I discovered that hidden treasure​—truffles!

‘But what are truffles?’ you might ask. ‘And how could they change the life of a dog?’ A truffle is an edible fungus, found under the soil and greatly esteemed in some countries as a delicacy. They can be anywhere from the size of a pea to that of an orange. But the main problem is in finding them​—and that is where I come into the story.

A Trained Truffle Sniffer

Actually, it was my master’s youngest son, Giovanni, who first had the idea of training me to be a truffle dog. Evidently, in the absence of anything better, even a poor watchdog, born and bred in a village of the Langhe here in Italy, would do. Fortunately for me, that part of the Piedmont just happens to be where the best Italian truffle grounds are to be found. And one other point: Humans have a hard time picking out the spots where truffles grow.

At that time I was a seven-month-old puppy, the ideal age for training. So my master began by teaching me to dig up anything hidden below the surface of the ground. I easily unearthed the bones he hid for me. Perhaps my former days of hunger helped there. Then he switched from bones to pieces of Gorgonzola cheese. The pungent odor of the cheese was to prepare me to find the black truffles by smell.

Apparently I did well. Every time I made a find, I got an extra tidbit and a friendly pat. So I threw myself into the job, heart and soul. In the meantime, my status as a dog had undergone a radical improvement. Now I had a kennel of my own in the vegetable garden. I was no longer tied up by the manure heap to be mocked by hens and rabbits.

My Very First Truffle

By autumn I was ready to search for truffles. In fact the best ones are found from October to January. I set off along a pathway with my master hanging on to the leash. We headed for the nearby oak woods on the hillside. As we drew near, I began to notice that unmistakable aroma​—something like garlic and yet pleasantly different. I stopped in my tracks, sniffed the air, and then strained at the leash as the smell got stronger. I was excited, and so was my master​—this was going to be my first genuine truffle discovery! “Find it Flik, come on . . . find it!” urged my master.

I stopped at the foot of a young oak, completely sure of myself. The truffle was there beneath my feet​—it had to be! I began to scratch the ground, but almost immediately my master pulled me off to one side and began to dig with his short-handled spade. He did not want to tire me. I had my eyes glued to that hole as my master dug deeper and deeper. But there was no truffle in sight.

After a while he stood up and looked reprovingly at me, as if to say, “Flik, you’ve been deceiving me!” But I knew that my nose had not deceived me. I dived into the hole and dug down a little farther. A grayish object came to light. After a few blows of the spade, there was my first beautiful truffle! It weighed about a pound (0.5 kg) and was rounded and flat in shape, something like a potato. Although it had been several inches underground, I had managed to sniff it out.

That was the beginning of a brilliant career as a truffle hunter. After four years, I now consider myself an expert on this delicious, potato-shaped fungus. And thanks to that, I am better fed and cared for than ever. Anybody for a dog’s life?

[Box on page 16]

Truffles​—Choose and Serve

TRUFFLES are a type of fungus that grows underground in symbiosis with the roots of certain trees, such as beeches, poplars, willows, oaks, and nut trees. But soil is the determining factor, and that is why truffles are not found everywhere. Their ideal setting is calcareous, or limestone, soil.

The most well-known and highly regarded truffle in Italy is the white, or Alba, truffle (Tuber magnatum). Italians like it because of its pleasing aroma. Another variety, but of inferior quality, is the truffle Tuber Borchii. It is irregular in shape, with a whitish, hairy appearance and not more than two to three inches (5 to 8 cm) in diameter. It is a winter specialty that grows over a wider area of Italy, and even in Sicily.

A third type is the prized black truffle (Tuber melanosporum) or, as the French call it, Truffe du Périgord. Although inferior to the white truffle, it is more suitable for canning and is in high demand.

Even with a good search dog or pig (yes, pigs are good at sniffing out truffles), you will not always find them. You may finish up with a mildly poisonous truffle, sometimes called the pig truffle. It is easily recognized. When mature, it has a smooth, pale-brown surface covered with whitish marks and a rather unpleasant piquant odor that makes it stand out from the edible varieties. Should you happen to eat one by mistake, the consequences are not fatal. You will have an upset stomach or, at most, you will vomit. But far better to keep a keen eye and a keen nose!

An Expensive Delicacy

Although truffles have a very lowly origin, they fetch a high price in the market. But how do you prepare them? They are usually used raw, cut into thin slices, or grated over dishes such as macaroni, risotto, and roast meats.

If you can afford them, they make a welcome addition to various recipes. For example, would you like to try Truffes à la Provençal? Then put a few slices of bacon into a pan together with some white wine and a clove of garlic. Add the sliced truffles and cook it. Then take the pan off the flame and pour a little top-quality olive oil over the truffles. Add a few drops of lemon juice, serve warm, and as we say in Italy . . . buon appetito!

[Picture Credit Lines on page 15]

Agnelli photo, Alba, Italy

Agnelli photo, Alba, Italy

Young People Ask . . .

“Is the Bible Really True?”

MICHELLE was brought up as a Christian by parents who had a firm faith in the Bible. For Michelle, accepting that the Bible was true was like accepting that day followed night.

One day, though, it dawned on her​—she did not know why she believed the Bible. “I guess I believed it up till then because my mother and father believed it,” she said, “but I felt that I needed more than that to be sure that the Bible was true. I had never really proved to myself that the Bible is the inspired Word of God.”

What Difference Does It Make?

You might wonder, however, ‘Is it really so important to be sure that the Bible is true?’ Indeed it is!

For one thing, the Bible claims to be God’s book. (1 Thessalonians 2:13) If this is right, your life must depend on doing what it says. “My sayings . . . are life to those finding them,” says God’s Word.​—Proverbs 4:20-22.

Now if your life depended on a surgeon’s skill, would you not want to be sure he was no quack? You likewise need to be sure that the Bible is true.

Just Possessing a Bible Not Enough

This means more than just possessing a Bible. In big-city apartments, people often live right next to one another and remain strangers even though only a wall separates them. Thus, they never build confidence and trust in their neighbors. To do so, they must take the time to get to know one another. Similarly, the Bible can be within arm’s reach without your getting to know it. If you are ever going to trust the Bible, you need to test it out.

The apostle Paul’s advice to Christians was to “make sure of all things.” Or, as the paraphrase in The Living Bible expresses it, “Test everything that is said to be sure it is true.” (1 Thessalonians 5:21) This expression means to examine and scrutinize something to see if it is genuine. It was done in ancient times in connection with precious metals. If you had the chance to purchase a gold ring or necklace, would you not first make sure it was real gold?

Pamela, for example, was one who had passively accepted the Bible since she was ten years old. As she grew older, though, she saw the need for a deeper study of it. “Being told that the Bible is true wasn’t enough for me,” she says. “I needed logical reasons to convince me.” (1 Peter 3:15) Her attitude was thus like that of some people who lived in the ancient city of Beroea.

About 50 C.E., the apostle Paul visited this Greek city. What Paul told those Beroean Jews made sense to them. But they wanted to make sure. (Proverbs 14:15) What did they do? After they listened to Paul, they ‘examined the Scriptures daily as to whether these things were so.’ (Acts 17:11) Thus they carefully tested Paul’s words against what they could find in the Scriptures. You can do the same!

How Can You Test the Bible?

How do you begin? One of the most powerful evidences that the Bible is inspired is its unerring ability to foretell the future. “Who is there among [the nations] that can tell this?” it asks. Only almighty God can without fail ‘tell from the beginning the finale.’ (Isaiah 43:9; 46:10) And he does so repeatedly in the Bible. “After examining some of its prophecies,” 14-year-old Janine says, “I was just amazed to see how it was able to foretell all that it did.”

Another field of study might be the Bible’s historical accuracy. Says Pamela: “It really helped me to see how historically authentic the Bible is. I began to realize that these were real events and real people, not just stories.”

Other rewarding fields of study and examination are the Bible’s internal harmony, its honesty and candor, and its scientific accuracy. Pages 18 and 19 give examples of information that builds confidence in the Bible.

Yet another approach to examining the Bible is pointed to by a young man named Philip. He says: “My confidence in the Bible was built up when I saw its effect on people’s lives. I saw that those who lived by the Bible were not burdened but, in fact, very much benefited.”

Would you not expect a book from God to produce good effects? And the facts show that when people follow its directions, they become better people. (See Ephesians 4:20-32.) “Seeing how applying Bible principles makes people happy,” adds 13-year-old Sarah, “really builds your confidence that the Bible is true.” (Psalm 119:1, 2; compare 1 Kings 10:6-8.) How right she is!

“Two Are Better Than One”

Of course, you may need some assistance in looking into the Bible. And the Watch Tower Society has produced publications to help.a In addition, Ecclesiastes 4:9 reminds us that “two are better than one.” Why not go to someone you trust, someone who will not minimize the problem, and ask for help?

For example, 15-year-old Walter discovered that few of his schoolmates or teachers believed the Bible. This disturbed and confused him. However, he explained his feelings to his father. They then spent many hours together in careful study of the Bible to build confidence in its truthfulness. “I was able to find good reasons for believing the Bible rather than just blindly accepting it,” he says.​—Romans 12:1, 2.

“Be honest with your parents if you have any problems in this regard,” suggests Janel, a young woman. “Ask questions if there is something you find difficult to believe.” (Proverbs 15:22) Dennis learned the hard way. He went through a painful period of being rebellious before proving to himself that the Bible is true. His experience taught him the need for deep personal interest and effort to build trust in the Bible. “It can lead to real problems later,” he says, “if you just passively accept what your parents tell you without thinking about it yourself.”​—1 Timothy 4:15.

Another great source of help in this matter is association with others whose faith in the Bible is strong. (Proverbs 27:17) “Ask others what convinced them,” says Dennis. And when you are meeting with fellow believers, make it your practice to be a good listener. (Hebrews 10:24, 25) “I just used to sit there and not take much in at the meetings,” says 21-year-old Kimberley. “Then I realized that if I was ever going to have real faith in the Bible, I had to do much more.” She followed the advice of Proverbs 1:5. She ‘listened better and took in more instruction.’

Finally, there is the need to have the right attitude. (Psalm 25:4, 5, 9) If you are to have trust in the Bible, “it is really important to pray to God for help,” emphasizes Sarah. After all, it is his book. We need to follow a principle Jesus stated: “Keep on asking, and it will be given you; keep on seeking, and you will find.” (Matthew 7:7) In this way you can build confidence in the Bible.

The apostle Paul said to Timothy: “You, however, continue in the things that you learned and were persuaded to believe,” or, as The New Testament in Modern English puts it, “those things that you have learned and which you know are true.” (2 Timothy 3:14) Timothy was persuaded to believe the things he learned because he was given adequate proof. So was Michelle, mentioned at the beginning of this article. She examined the evidence carefully and is now able to say, “I am sure that the Bible is true.”

[Footnotes]

[Box/​Picture on page 18, 19]

Bible Prophecy and Fulfillment

Read the prophecies recorded in Luke 19:41-44; 21:20, 21. Shortly before his death in 33 C.E., Jesus wept over Jerusalem because he knew what was going to happen to it. He foretold how the Romans would come and build a “fortification with pointed stakes” around Jerusalem and how they would devastate the city, causing great distress. Then he warned his disciples to ‘flee to the mountains’ when they saw the Romans coming against the city and thus save their lives.

If you examine history, you will find that this all came true. In 66 C.E., 33 years later, the Roman armies attacked Jerusalem. Then, according to Jewish historian Josephus, the Roman commander “suddenly called off his men, abandoned hope though he had suffered no reverse, and flying in the face of all reason retired from the City.” This allowed the Christians who remembered Jesus’ prophecy to escape. In 70 C.E. the Romans returned, built an encircling fence 4.5 miles (7.2 km) long and trapped everyone inside the city. “Jerusalem itself was systematically destroyed and the Temple left in ruins,” says The Bible and Archaeology.

The Bible’s Historical Authenticity

The book A Lawyer Examines the Bible highlights the historical accuracy of the Bible this way: “While romances, legends and false testimony are careful to place the events related in some distant place and some indefinite time, thereby violating the first rules we lawyers learn of good pleading, that ‘the declaration must give time and place,’ the Bible narratives give us the date and place of the things related with the utmost precision.”

The New Bible Dictionary comments: “[The writer of Acts] sets his narrative in the framework of contemporary history; his pages are full of references to city magistrates, provincial governors, client kings, and the like, and these references time after time prove to be just right for the place and time in question.”

The Bible’s Internal Harmony and Candor

Imagine if a book began to be written during the time of the Roman Empire, continued down through the Middle Ages, and was completed in this 20th century. What would you expect if the writers’ occupations were as different as soldiers, kings, priests, fishermen, herdsmen, and doctors? Would you expect it to be harmonious or coherent? ‘Impossible!’ you say. The Bible was written under these circumstances​—yet it is harmonious throughout! The Bible is a collection of 66 books written over a period of 1,600 years by some 40 different writers.

While most ancient writers reported only their successes and virtues, the Bible writers openly admitted their mistakes as well as the failings of their kings and leaders. Read some examples of this in Numbers 20:1-13 and Deuteronomy 32:50-52 regarding Moses, who wrote those books; Jonah 1:1-3 and Jonah 4:1 regarding Jonah’s own failings; Matthew 17:18-20, Mt 18:1-6, Mt 20:20-28, and Mt 26:56 regarding the poor qualities shown by Jesus’ disciples. The honesty and candor of the Bible writers give support to their claim of being inspired by God.

[Picture on page 17]

Before buying a gold ornament, you make sure it is genuine

The World Since 1914

Part 7​—1960-1969 The 1960’s—​A Period of Turbulent Protest

THE plane crashed into the ground, taking with it any hopes that Cold War tensions could soon be relaxed. It was a United States U-2 spy plane, and it was shot down over the Soviet Union on May 1, 1960.

Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev demanded an apology and a promise from the United States that such flights cease. Dissatisfied with President Eisenhower’s answer, he protested by refusing to attend the East-West summit meetings scheduled to begin in Paris on May 16.

It was not an auspicious beginning to the 1960’s. But it was typical of a period that would be characterized by a spirit of protest and an inability of people to agree​—to agree about almost anything.

Despite Peace, Three Kinds of War

The Cold War was still very much alive. Subsequent events would keep it so. In August 1961 the Soviets cut off their occupation zone in Berlin from the Western sectors by erecting the Berlin Wall. A year later they attempted to install Soviet missiles in Cuba. This failed in the face of a U.S. naval “quarantine,” or blockade. Student unrest in Czechoslovakia helped lead to the formation of a new government. But in 1968 the Soviets intervened, lest government reforms turn the so-called Prague Spring into a full-blown summer.

Besides suffering the chill of a Cold War, the world also experienced the heat of the more “normal” kind of war. At least 54 conflicts had started between 1945 and 1959. Now during the 1960’s another 52 would be added, including the Congolese and Nigerian civil wars, the Six Day War of the Middle East, and the war in Vietnam.a

The 1960’s, however, saw the beginning of a third kind of war. Up until then the world had been relatively calm on the social or civilian level. But now youngsters of the postwar generation were coming of age. Not liking the world they saw, and feeling its problems were being dealt with ineffectively, they embarked upon a war of their own​—a war of protest.

Students on the March

Many a mile was walked in “ban the bomb” marches. In fact, almost anything that was deemed worthy of a protest warranted a march, a student strike, a sit-in, or an act of civil disobedience. A majority of young people apparently supported this new kind of warfare, at least in principle. A poll of German youths taken in 1968 showed 67 percent in favor, leading the German newsmagazine Der Spiegel to comment: “When it comes to marching, most of them are willing to lend not only their hearts but also their feet and, if need be, their fists.”

This was demonstrated in over 20 German cities during the 1968 Easter weekend, when thousands pounded the pavement in protest. Two persons died; hundreds were injured. This was an outgrowth of protests a year earlier that were directed against the Shah of Iran and his regime. At that time, on June 2 in Berlin, clashes between protesters and police resulted in one death and many injuries.

With good reason author William Burroughs said in 1968: “The youth rebellion is a worldwide phenomenon that has not been seen before in history.” In that year student unrest led to a general strike in France that almost brought down de Gaulle’s government. At the beginning of the decade, student protest actually had brought down a government, South Korea’s, although at the cost of over 200 lives. And as regards protesting students in Japan, the book 1968 Weltpanorama says: “Japan scarcely differs from America and Europe. At the most, Japanese students are only somewhat more imaginative than their fellow students in Berkeley, Paris, or Frankfurt.”

“Make Love, Not War”

Much of this protest was directed against war​—war in general and the war in Vietnam in particular. In 1946 a war of independence against the French colonial power had broken out in Indochina, of which Vietnam was a part. Eight years later a cease-fire agreement divided the country, a temporary arrangement until elections could be held to reunite it. One part came under communist, the other under noncommunist control. As in Germany and Korea, the superpowers found themselves involved in a Cold War being fought across a politically expedient border.b

Cold War tension finally erupted into open warfare in Vietnam. At first the United States supplied the south with only military aid. But during the 1960’s, it started sending troops, reaching a peak of over half a million before the decade was over. The war became like a festering sore that refused to heal. “In May [1965] a teach-in attended by twelve thousand students [in the United States] turned into an antiwar rally, and set the pattern for the massive campus antiwar demonstrations that marked the rest of the decade,” says Charles R. Morris in his book A Time of Passion​—America 1960-1980. To emphasize their stand, thousands of young men burned their draft cards. Some went even further, says Morris, giving two examples of men who “publicly burnt themselves to death to protest the war.”

“I Have a Dream”

In the war of protest, students may have taken the lead, but they were not alone. For example, the U.S. civil-rights movement was supported by blacks and whites of all ages under its leader, Southern Baptist preacher Martin Luther King, Jr. In 1963 over 200,000 people marched on Washington, where King inspired them with his “I have a dream” speech.

A measure of success was achieved when the U.S. congress responded with what has been called “the greatest outpouring of human rights legislation in this century.” And personal success came when King was awarded the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize.

Everyone Doing His Own Thing

Young people also showed their rejection of the system by rejecting its conventional dress and grooming standards. “The fashion revolution that began on London’s Carnaby Street in 1957,” explains The New Encyclopædia Britannica, “led to the permissive, youth-oriented, and anti-establishment fashions of the 1960s.” For many women it was the day of miniskirts and hot pants; for men, of beards and long hair; and for both, of unisex fashions and of the generally disheveled appearance that later became known as the hippie look.

Some of the music of the day also promoted the spirit of protest by encouraging the use of drugs and by condoning permissive sex and homosexuality. Rock stars and pop singers became idols, dictating both fashions and conduct. Communal living became popular. This and other life-styles formerly considered unacceptable were now viewed as being acceptable alternatives. All of this was to reap a sad fruitage in the 1970’s and 1980’s.

Aggiornamento and the “Jesus People”

A dictionary defines aggiornamento as “the policy of updating or modernizing Roman Catholic doctrines and institutions, adopted as one of the goals of the Second Vatican Council 1962-1965.” Pope John XXIII embarked on this policy partially to blunt charges that the church was old-fashioned and partially to neutralize the effects of the growing tendency of some to protest openly against church teachings and practices. This even included noted Catholic clergymen. German theologian Hans Küng, for example, was invited to Rome to clarify his unorthodox views but refused to go.

The spirit of religious protest was not limited to attempts to revamp conventional religions. Many young Europeans and Americans simply scorned these groups altogether, turning to new sects or to Asian philosophies. Groups like the Divine Light Mission, Hare Krishna, and the Children of God got their start during the 1960’s and grew in popularity.

From Protest to Violence and Terrorism

The spirit of protest revealed a worldwide breakdown in respect for authority​—parental, educational, governmental, and religious. It fostered a spirit that frequently led to violence, of which there has been no lack since 1914, either on or off the battlefield.

Recall some of the events that characterized the violent 1960’s: Patrice Lumumba, Congolese symbol of African nationalism, and South African Prime Minister Hendrik F. Verwoerd both brutally murdered; President Ngo Dinh Diem of the Republic of Vietnam slain during a coup; the United States lost by assassins’ bullets three leaders within less than five years: President John F. Kennedy, civil-rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr., and Senator Robert F. Kennedy.

This defiance of authority, which did not shrink back from employing violence to achieve the goals of its protest, helped lay the basis for terrorism. In fact, author and political analyst Claire Sterling says that modern terrorism began in 1968, “clearly the year when a generation born after the last world war declared its own war on society.”

Looking to the Heavens for Help

Might conquering the heavens help conquer the problems on earth? Some evidently thought so. Space exploration proceeded unabated, caught up in the Cold War, with leadership in the race seesawing between East and West. From 1961, when the Soviets placed the first man in earth orbit, until 1969, when the United States landed the first man on the moon, the world was dazzled by one space accomplishment after another.

As the decade drew to a close, Collier’s 1970 Year Book commented: “It seems quite appropriate that 1969, the year in which man first walked on the moon, is also the year to see the biggest boom in astrology . . . that this planet has ever known. The Age of Aquarius . . . [when] brotherhood will reign on earth, may or may not be upon us.”c

Apparently more and more people were looking to the heavens for help. And to the extent that putting earth satellites into orbit made possible almost instantaneous communication between continents, to that extent the physical heavens brought nations closer together. But they did not bring them closer together in solving world problems. The nations were as far apart as ever, still “not open to any agreement.”​—2 Timothy 3:1-3.

Why? Because by its very nature, the spirit of protest​—the spirit of the 1960’s—​cannot unite. It divides. To solve world problems, men must be at unity. To achieve this unity, they must look for help, not from the physical or astrological heavens, but from the heavens of God’s government.

Jehovah’s Witnesses​—who by 1969 had increased by 48 percent over their average number in 1960—​were doing just that. How grateful they were that a timely explanation of Romans chapter 13, dealing with Christian subjection, had enabled them to avoid getting caught up in the spirit of turbulent protest that characterized the 1960’s!​—See The Watchtower, November 1, November 15, and December 1, 1962.

As the 1960’s drew to a close, Jehovah’s Witnesses were busy talking, not about an Age of Aquarius, but about an age under God’s Kingdom when “brotherhood will reign on earth.” Would they live to experience it personally? Will you? Do not miss the concluding article of the series “The World Since 1914” in our next issue: “As the World Disintegrates, Let Your Hope Grow Brighter!”

[Footnotes]

[Box on page 25]

Other Items That Made the News

1960​—Severe earthquakes strike Morocco and Chile

1963​—Cyclone and flood kills 30,000 in East Pakistan

1966​—Cultural Revolution begins in China

[Picture on page 23]

Hippie movement in the 1960’s

[Credit Line]

UPI/​Bettmann Newsphotos

[Picture on page 24]

Antiwar rally in New York

[Credit Line]

UPI/​Bettmann Newsphotos

The Bible’s Viewpoint

Who Can Silence the ‘Cry of Hunger’?

“THE government cannot feed us because we are too many,” a black farmer in a fertile country of southern Africa told Awake! “For two years,” he explained, “our land has been dry. It has not been raining. The cattle are all dead because of hunger and thirst. Everyone is crying of hunger.”

A few days later, soaking rains brought relief to that region. But recovery will take a long time, and the ‘cry of hunger’ continues for other vast regions of Africa; nor is hunger limited to that continent. According to The Hunger Primer, published by Food for the Hungry, 43 countries of Asia and Latin America have “widespread undernutrition.”

But in recent times, the world’s attention has been focused on Africa’s famine, with “150 Million at Risk” according to a headline in The Times of London. Musicians in Britain and the United States have raised millions of pounds and dollars to aid hungry Africans. Horrified at seeing so many starving humans on TV screens, perhaps you have wondered, ‘Why hunger?’

Should We Blame the Weather?

“The public is not wholly satisfied by being told that the famine in Africa is caused by drought,” writes the director of the environment news service Earthscan, in the British magazine People. Why? For one thing, in past centuries drought has not always resulted in disaster.

Africa has enough good soil to grow food for more than its present population. But the world’s economic system does not encourage this. By governments’ yielding to economic pressure, farming peasants are driven away from good land​—land now used to supply overseas markets with food and goods. Concern is thus being voiced for Africa’s rural poor majority, as many wonder whether they will ever get enough to eat.

Another factor is the way governments distribute wealth. “The cities where the governments live,” explains Lloyd Timberlake in his book Africa in Crisis, “have been torn from the countryside, and development budgets have gone to filling those cities with hotels, factories, universities and cars. This has been paid for by milking the seven out of every ten Africans who live on the land.”

Can Foreign Aid Stop the ‘Cry of Hunger’?

“At the same time that the outside world gives with one hand, it takes with the other,” states Famine: A Man-Made Disaster?, a report for the Independent Commission on International Humanitarian Issues. “Donor governments,” it continues, “should harbour no illusions. Far from aid being charity, donor countries are getting a bargain.” Why? Because donor countries often get much in return for such aid. Africa, explains the British journal The Ecologist, “remains a major source of supply of crops that we consume daily in the UK. . . . [It] is also a major producer of rubber, cotton, tropical hardwoods, and is increasingly developed as a source of cattle, vegetables and fresh flowers.”

True, Africa gets money for all these exports, but the money is seldom used to help the hungry. Instead, it is used to develop cities, to promote exports, to purchase arms, and to repay foreign-aid debts. “Because the poor are feeding the rich,” states the U.S. magazine The Nation, “famine in many parts of the world will increase. . . . Increased exports will profit international agribusiness, . . . but it won’t feed hungry Africans.”

A Government to Silence the ‘Cry’

Africa’s famine highlights an age-old adage: “Man has dominated man to his injury.” Explaining why such oppression continues, the Bible says: “That which is made crooked cannot be made straight.” (Ecclesiastes 1:15; 8:9) Yes, human governments are made up of imperfect people who are prone to selfishness. How can such institutions ever become “straight” and genuinely care for the needs of earth’s poor?

For an answer, consider how one of the worst droughts in Africa’s history was overcome. It started about 1730 B.C.E. and lasted for seven years. But Egypt’s ruler accepted divine direction by storing plenty of grain during the previous good years. Because of this, none of his subjects is reported to have died from hunger. In fact, people from other lands came to buy grain from Egypt because “the famine had a strong grip on all the earth.”​—Genesis 41:1-57; 47:13-26.

To whom is divine direction pointing today? To the one shining exception to man’s sad record of oppression and crookedness​—Jesus Christ. “He went through the land doing good,” the Bible reports. “He committed no sin.” (Acts 10:38; 1 Peter 2:22) ‘But,’ you may ask, ‘what does that have to do with a government that can silence the “cry of hunger”?’ A great deal because Jesus is the one appointed by God to be Ruler over all mankind. All the good that Jesus did, including the miraculous feeding of hungry crowds, showed the superiority of God’s heavenly Kingdom over any human government. He also pointed forward to the time when God’s Kingdom will take over the rule of the entire earth.​—Mark 8:1-9; Revelation 11:15.

Soon, God’s appointed Ruler will see to the fair distribution of food. He can silence the ‘cry of hunger.’ (Luke 21:10, 11, 31) The Bible contains this heartwarming promise respecting Christ’s rule: “He will have subjects from sea to sea and . . . to the ends of the earth. He will feel sorry for the lowly one and the poor one, and the souls of the poor ones he will save. There will come to be plenty of grain on the earth.” During that time no one will ever need to say, ‘‘The government cannot feed us,” for hunger, along with suffering and death, will be no more.​—Psalm 72:8, 13, 16; Revelation 21:3-5.

[Picture on page 26]

The earth produces food in abundance

From Our Readers

Images as Aids in Worship?

I am very disappointed that you should underestimate the intelligence of millions of Catholics in believing that they would adore pieces of wood, carvings, etc., as mentioned in your article “Now I Play a Different Tune.” (January 22, 1987) These items only represent those whom Catholics love and pray to, just as you would have photographs of those you love in your own home. You would never burn these up or regard them as objects to be destroyed in any way. Otherwise your publications are very interesting, advocating following the Ten Commandments as Catholics are taught.

M. F., Scotland

The “New Catholic Encyclopedia” (1967, Volume VII, page 372) says: “Since the worship given to an image reaches and terminates in the person represented, the same type of worship due the person can be rendered to the image as representing the person.” However, the second commandment (part of the first according to Catholic tradition) states: “You shall not make yourself a carved image or any likeness of anything in heaven or on earth beneath or in the waters under the earth; you shall not bow down to them or serve them. For I, Yahweh your God, am a jealous God.”​—Exodus 20:4, 5, “The Jerusalem Bible.”​—ED.

Multiple Sclerosis

It is my habit to read all Awake! magazines, even old issues. I came across the article “Multiple Sclerosis​—A Baffling Disease.” (February 22, 1972) It really saved the life of my beloved wife. She had been suffering for the last seven years. Then I read that article on multiple sclerosis. We tried all the suggested vitamins as treatment, and I tell you, she came back to life. I took her to a specialist, and it was confirmed that she had multiple sclerosis. He prescribed the vitamins that Awake! had already suggested. Though my wife is not cured, her days that were numbered now are multiplying. We would like more information about this baffling disease.

D. K., Uganda

Cancer

We want to thank you for the articles on cancer that you published. (October 8 and October 22, 1986) Last year our daughter, who had never had a day’s illness in 16 years, was suddenly diagnosed as having tuberculosis and was hospitalized for six months. Then, as no tubercle bacilli were present, she was discharged from the hospital. But the following month we learned that she had cancer of the thyroid and that the cancer had metastasized to her lungs. She immediately underwent surgery to remove her thyroid and surrounding lymph glands, and she had part of her lungs removed. She is now taking cobalt treatments. Her operation was successful, and she is living a normal life. But as parents, we were constantly anxious and worrying as to what to do to help our daughter. Through your articles we felt reassured and regained peace of mind. The articles provided good direction as to how we can encourage our daughter in the future.

H. K., Japan

Watching the World

Crowded Cities

Population growth in a number of cities may cause severe economic and social strain and lead to political and environmental upheaval, warn experts who gathered at a United Nations conference last February. The UN estimates that by the year 2000, urban Cairo will grow from the present 9 million people to 13 million, urban Manila from 8.6 million to 11.1 million, and Mexico City from 19 million to 26 million. “These mega-cities are becoming social tinderboxes​—the seedbeds for social revolution, civil strife and unrest,” said Werner Fornos, president of Population Institute, in The New York Times. “With the numbers come the problems, so the problems will intensify.” Not all experts, however, predict that urbanization will result in disaster. “It is a very complex issue​—there are no generalizations that can be made about social stability,” said Ellen Brennan, a UN population affairs officer.

Italians Condemn Hunting

Italy’s estimated 1.5 million hunters are losing favor with the public, so finds a poll published in the Rome newspaper La Repubblica. According to the survey, 62.5 percent of the 1,200 people of all social levels who were interviewed do not consider hunting a sport and want to see it abolished. A true sport, in their eyes, is when opponents can confront each other on equal footing. “Italians no longer tolerate hunting, hunters, their organizations, their privileges,” says the report.

The Body’s Worth

It was once said that the human body, based on the value of its chemical components, was worth only $1.98 (U.S.). That has drastically changed. The value of the human body is now said to exceed $200,000 (U.S.) and is still rising. What accounts for the difference? “Tissue is being harvested for transplantation, research and diagnostic and therapeutic products,” states The New York Times. “In 1985, nearly 8,000 kidneys and 20,000 corneas were transplanted; heart transplants are being performed at the rate of 1,200 per year.”

New Use for Kangaroo Tails

Each year thousands of people suffer serious knee injuries from car accidents, skiing spills, or other sports mishaps. Surgery is often required to replace torn ligaments when they fail to heal. Until recently, ox tendons have proved to be an effective replacement for these damaged ligaments. Now, however, researchers in Sydney, Australia, claim that kangaroo-tail tendons are “a lot more flexible than the ox tendons” and are “tough enough to withstand strains.” According to The Australian, there are potentially “40 human knees in each kangaroo tail.” Though kangaroo-tail soup is considered a delicacy by some, there may be fewer tails for culinary use and more for surgical needs should future knee operations prove successful.

Sound Diagnosis

Doctors at the Safdarjung hospital in New Delhi, India, can diagnose bone fractures by using only a stethoscope and a tuning fork, reports The Times of London. This quick, painless method relies on the transmission of sound waves within bones. For example, a fracture of the femur (thighbone) interferes with the transmission of sound from a tuning fork that has been struck and pressed on the kneecap. The doctor, listening through his stethoscope placed over the pelvis, hears only a dull sound or sometimes no sound at all. In trials on patients suffering from thighbone or shinbone fractures, this “osteophonic” technique was correct in 94 percent of the cases, compared with 88 percent where the usual clinical diagnostic methods were used.

Fatal Traffic Tempers

Leaning out his car window, a California driver fired a 9mm semiautomatic at five youths, shooting one youth in the leg and mortally wounding another. The reason? Frayed tempers, claim the police, sparked by heavy traffic. Southern California authorities are increasingly concerned over the breakdown of driver behavior, notes The Herald, a California newspaper. In an argument over one fender bender on a street in Hollywood, a man pulled a gun from the trunk of his car and shot the passengers of the other vehicle. One man was killed and another wounded. Police cite minor rather than major accidents as the cause of many traffic-related fights. Officials are warning motorists to “avoid confrontations, particularly on clogged streets where tempers flare hottest.”

Pi World Record

The elusive value of pi, the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter, has now been tracked down to 133,554,000 decimal places! This is an increase of 100,000,000 places over the previous record, which was set last September. Though mathematicians know that it is impossible to represent the exact value of pi in decimals, researchers have sought a more precise value with the help of computers. Already holding the world’s record himself, Yasumasa Kaneda of Tokyo University in Japan used a supercomputer and took 37 hours to extend the record. To print out the figure, 19,000 sheets of paper were used. Why did he undertake this project? “It is not unlike climbing a mountain,” says Kaneda, “just because it’s there.”

Rubber Wine

Making wine from rubber waste may seem to the connoisseur of fine wines to be stretching things a bit, but it has been done, and the wine is said to taste “somewhat like the rice wine of Japan.” As reported in the Canadian newspaper The Globe and Mail, an agreement was signed between the Malaysian Rubber Research and Development Board and the Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd., of Japan “to study ways of using waste from its rubber factories to make everything from wine to fertilizer.” Some commercial production is expected within two years. They hope that this will be a way of dealing with the pollution problems and bad smell generated when the wastes are disposed of in the river.

Hyperactivity and Sugar

For years it has been the belief of many that excessive sugar consumption causes hyperactivity in children. But does it? According to a report published in the Massachusetts General Hospital Newsletter, medical professionals are now taking a second look. In one study involving children whose families identified them as having “adverse behavioral reactions to sugar,” after a series of experiments had been conducted, no behavioral changes were observed. Similar tests by researchers studying other children offer comparable results. “What few changes in activity were found,” notes the Newsletter, “suggested decreased activity​—rather than increased—​following sugar.”

Toys for the Emotions

Adults in Tokyo are buying talking dolls for themselves, reports the Asahi Evening News. The reason? Loneliness, say toy dealers. Although most dolls were originally marketed for girls between the ages of three and ten, students, office workers, and even grandmothers are taking them home as companions. One popular doll says, “Don’t worry over trivial things” and, “Have a mind like the Pacific Ocean.” Another doll, with no arms or legs, says, “I will win by all means.” Manufacturers and toy dealers explain the phenomenon as an apparent attempt to fill the communication gap felt by city dwellers. As one purchaser explained, her “grandchildren are too far away to visit often.”

Elephant Long-Distance Calls

THE ability of elephants to find one another quickly when miles apart has puzzled scientists for years. Now, it seems, the secret of these largest living land animals has been revealed​—they use infrasound! That is sound at frequencies too low for humans to hear.

Elephants are the first land mammals found that keep in touch with one another by infrasound, says Focus, the newsletter of World Wildlife Fund. Researcher Katharine Payne of Cornell University (U.S.) discovered the elephant’s “secret” talk about three years ago when she observed Asian elephants in a zoo. She noticed vibrations around her similar to those caused by “the lowest pipe on an organ.” Later, special recording equipment showed that Asian as well as the larger African elephants exchange an extensive array of infrasonic calls. Since low-frequency sounds travel longer distances than high-frequency sounds, the discovery may explain how elephants stay in touch with one another and are able to function as close-knit family groups.

In such a group, an old female elephant gives the orders. Her sisters and daughters listen respectfully to this matriarch. But baby elephants sometimes turn a deaf ear to any call, infrasonic or otherwise. “Even when the herd is on the move,” says Focus, “if a baby elephant wants to take a nap, the whole family stops and waits until the infant wakes up before moving.” This common concern for the 200-pound (90 kg) babies is not shared by the adult male elephants. They lead a life of their own. But “when ready to mate,” adds the newsletter, infrasound seems to give the males “an uncanny ability to locate females very quickly over distances of several miles.”

Yes, infrasonic communication is another example of the wisdom of the Creator as displayed in the animal kingdom.​—Psalm 104:24.

Don’t Miss It! The “Trust in Jehovah” District Convention

It begins this month. All sessions are free. Attend a convention near you at any location below.

Convention Locations United States

June 12-14: BIRMINGHAM, AL, Civic Center Coliseum. CICERO, IL, Hawthorne Race Course. DAYTONA BEACH, FL, The Ocean Center. FT. WORTH, TX, Will Rogers Memorial Coliseum. GREENVILLE, SC, Greenville Memorial Auditorium. MADISON, WI, Dane County Memorial Coliseum. SAN DIEGO, CA, Jack Murphy Stadium. WICHITA, KS, Kansas Coliseum.

June 19-21: DAYTONA BEACH, FL, The Ocean Center. DENVER, CO, McNichols Sports Arena. FT. WORTH, TX (Sign language also), Will Rogers Memorial Coliseum. GREENVILLE, SC, Greenville Memorial Auditorium. HIALEAH, FL, Hialeah Park Race Track. JACKSONVILLE, FL, Memorial Coliseum, Gator Bowl Sports Complex. LOS ANGELES, CA, Dodger Stadium. MACON, GA, Macon Coliseum. MADISON, WI, Dane County Memorial Coliseum. NEW HAVEN, CT, Veterans Memorial Coliseum. NEW YORK, NY, Yankee Stadium. OGDEN, UT, Dee Events Center. PHILADELPHIA, PA, Veterans Stadium. PINE BLUFF, AR, Convention Center Arena. PONTIAC, MI, Silverdome. PROVIDENCE, RI, Providence Civic Center. ST. PETERSBURG, FL, Bayfront Center. SAN FRANCISCO, CA, Cow Palace.

June 26-28: AMARILLO, TX, Civic Center Coliseum. CICERO, IL, Hawthorne Race Course. COLUMBIA, SC, Carolina Coliseum. CORVALLIS, OR, Gill Coliseum. DENVER, CO (Sign language also), McNichols Sports Arena. FT. WORTH, TX, Will Rogers Memorial Coliseum. FRESNO, CA, Convention Center. GREENSBORO, NC, Greensboro Coliseum. HIALEAH, FL, Hialeah Park Race Track. KNOXVILLE, TN, Civic Center Coliseum. MACON, GA, Macon Coliseum. MADISON, WI, Dane County Memorial Coliseum. NEW HAVEN, CT, Veterans Memorial Coliseum. PHOENIX, AZ, Veterans Memorial Coliseum. PINE BLUFF, AR, Convention Center Arena. PROVIDENCE, RI, Providence Civic Center. ROCHESTER, NY, Memorial Auditorium. ST. PETERSBURG, FL (Sign language also), Bayfront Center. SAN FRANCISCO, CA (Sign language also), Cow Palace. SOUTH BEND, IN, N.D.U. Athletic Center. WILLOUGHBY, OH (Greek only), Jehovah’s Witnesses Assembly Hall.

July 3-5: CICERO, IL (Sign language also), Hawthorne Race Course. COLUMBIA, SC, Carolina Coliseum. CORVALLIS, OR, Gill Coliseum. FRESNO, CA, Convention Center. GREENSBORO, NC, Greensboro Coliseum. HIALEAH, FL (Spanish only), Hialeah Park Race Track. HOUSTON, TX, Astrodome. LINCOLN, NE, Devaney Sports Center. LOS ANGELES, CA (Japanese and sign language also), Dodger Stadium. LOUISVILLE, KY, Coliseum, Kentucky Fair & Exposition Center. MACON, GA, Macon Coliseum. NASHVILLE, TN, Municipal Auditorium. NEW ORLEANS, LA (Sign language also), Superdome. OKLAHOMA CITY, OK, Myriad. PINE BLUFF, AR, Convention Center Arena. PROVIDENCE, RI, Providence Civic Center. ROCHESTER, MN, Mayo Civic Center Arena. ROCHESTER, NY, Memorial Auditorium. ST. LOUIS, MO, The Arena. ST. PETERSBURG, FL, Bayfront Center. SAN ANTONIO, TX (Spanish only), Convention Center Arena. SAN FRANCISCO, CA, Cow Palace. SOUTH BEND, IN, N.D.U. Athletic Center. TACOMA, WA, Tacoma Dome.

July 10-12: ALBANY, GA, Albany Civic Center. ANCHORAGE, AK, Sullivan Arena. BILLINGS, MT, Yellowstone Metra. BISMARCK, ND, Bismarck Civic Center Arena. CICERO, IL, Hawthorne Race Course. CORVALLIS, OR, Gill Coliseum. FT. LAUDERDALE, FL (French only), Jehovah’s Witnesses Assembly Hall. FRESNO, CA (Spanish only), Convention Center. HAMPTON, VA, Hampton Coliseum. HIALEAH, FL (Spanish only), Hialeah Park Race Track. LANDOVER, MD, Capital Centre. LINCOLN, NE (Sign language also), Devaney Sports Center. LOS ANGELES, CA (Korean only), Jehovah’s Witnesses Assembly Hall. LOS ANGELES, CA (Spanish only), Dodger Stadium. LOUISVILLE, KY (Sign language also), Coliseum, Kentucky Fair & Exposition Center. NASHVILLE, TN, Municipal Auditorium. ROANOKE, VA, Civic Center. ROCHESTER, MN, Mayo Civic Center Arena. SACRAMENTO, CA, ARCO Arena. ST. LOUIS, MO, The Arena. SAN ANTONIO, TX (Spanish only), Convention Center Arena. TACOMA, WA (Spanish and sign language also), Tacoma Dome.

July 17-19: ALBANY, GA (Sign language also), Albany Civic Center. CHARLESTON, WV, Charleston Civic Center Coliseum. CICERO, IL (Spanish only), Hawthorne Race Course. CROWNSVILLE, MD (Korean only), Jehovah’s Witnesses Assembly Hall. EL PASO, TX (Spanish only), Special Events Center. FRESNO, CA (Spanish only), Convention Center. HAMPTON, VA, Hampton Coliseum. HIALEAH, FL (Spanish only), Hialeah Park Race Track. LANDOVER, MD (Sign language also), Capital Centre. LITTLE ROCK, AR, Barton Coliseum. MIDLAND, TX, Chaparral Center, Midland College. PITTSBURGH, PA (Sign language also), Three Rivers Stadium. ROCHESTER, MN, Mayo Civic Center Arena. SACRAMENTO, CA, ARCO Arena. SPRINGFIELD, MA, Civic Center. TUCSON, AZ (Sign language also), Community Center.

July 24-26: BROOKLYN, NY (Italian only), Jehovah’s Witnesses Assembly Hall. JERSEY CITY, NJ (French only), Jehovah’s Witnesses Assembly Hall. LANDOVER, MD, Capital Centre. LITTLE ROCK, AR, Barton Coliseum. MIDLAND, TX, Chaparral Center, Midland College. NATICK, MA (Portuguese only), Jehovah’s Witnesses Assembly Hall. NEW YORK, NY (Sign language also), Yankee Stadium. NIAGARA FALLS, NY, International Convention Center. RENO, NV, Centennial Coliseum. ROCHESTER, MN, Mayo Civic Center Arena. SACRAMENTO, CA, ARCO Arena. SPRINGFIELD, MA (Sign language also), Civic Center.

July 31–August 2: ABILENE, TX (Spanish only), Taylor County Coliseum.

August 7-9: NEW YORK, NY (Spanish only), Yankee Stadium.

Britain

June 12-14: GUERNSEY, C.I., Beau Sejour Centre.

June 26-28: NOTTINGHAM, Nottingham Forest Football Club. SOUTHAMPTON, Southampton Football Club.

July 3-5: EDINBURGH, Rugby Union Ground. MANCHESTER, Manchester City Football Club. PLYMOUTH, Plymouth Argyle Football Club. LONDON (Italian only), North London Assembly Hall.

July 10-12: LEEDS, Leeds United Football Club. NORWICH, Norwich City Football Club. BIRMINGHAM, Aston Villa Football Club.

July 17-19: CARDIFF, Welsh National Rugby Ground.

July 24-26: LONDON (Greek and Spanish sessions also), Rugby Union Ground. CRYSTAL PALACE, National Sports Centre.

Ireland

July 3-5: NAVAN, Navan Exhibition Centre.

July 10-12: NAVAN, Navan Exhibition Centre.

Canada

July 3-5: BRAMPTON, ONT. (Spanish only), Assembly Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses. EDMONTON, ALTA. (Ukrainian sessions also), Edmonton Northlands Coliseum. KAMLOOPS, B.C., Kamloops Exhibition Association. LETHBRIDGE, ALTA. (French and Spanish sessions also), The Sportsplex. OTTAWA, ONT., Civic Centre Arena. PRINCE GEORGE, B.C., Kin Centre. REGINA, SASK., The Agridome. WINNIPEG, MAN. (Ukrainian sessions also), Winnipeg Convention Centre.

July 10-12: BRAMPTON, ONT. (Portuguese only), Assembly Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses. CASTLEGAR, B.C., Castlegar & District Community Complex. MONTREAL, QUE. (French and Italian only; Arabic sessions also), Olympic Stadium. PRINCE GEORGE, B.C., Kin Centre. SAULT STE. MARIE, ONT., Sault Memorial Gardens. SASKATOON, SASK. (Ukrainian sessions also), Saskatoon Arena. SYDNEY, N.S., Sydney Centre. VANCOUVER, B.C. (Portuguese also), B.C. Place Stadium.

July 17-19: BRAMPTON, ONT. (Italian only), Assembly Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses. CORNER BROOK, NFLD., Humber Gardens. HAMILTON, ONT. (Chinese and Hungarian sessions also), Copps Coliseum. LONDON, ONT., Grandstand Western Fairgrounds. QUEBEC CITY, QUE. (French only), Colisée, Parc de l’Exposition. SAINT JOHN, N.B., Lord Beaverbrook Rink. SUMMERLAND, B.C., Summerland Recreation Centre.

July 24-26: BRAMPTON, ONT. (Italian only), Assembly Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses. HAMILTON, ONT. (Korean and Ukrainian sessions also), Copps Coliseum.

July 31–August 2: BRAMPTON, ONT. (Greek only), Assembly Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses.