December 8

Page Two

Like a spreading cancer, the illegal drug trade has locked its tentacles around the globe. Called “the world’s biggest business,” it has spawned an era of unparalleled crime, corruption, and violence. Most disheartening is the effect that drug abuse has had on the young. The loss in healthy and productive lives is incalculable. Awake! takes a hard look at the growing drug menace.

Drugs​—The Problems Escalate

DRUGS are very much in the news these days. It is difficult to pick up a newspaper or a news magazine and not see some reference to drug problems: A diplomat is caught carrying drugs into a country. A national leader is denounced for his role in drug-smuggling activities. A prominent athlete has to undergo drug rehabilitation. Federal agents raid a plane or a boat and uncover a large haul of narcotics. A famous entertainer dies from a drug overdose. An engineer involved in a train wreck is found to be under the influence of drugs. A politician makes drug control a main issue of his campaign. And on and on it goes.

So pronounced has the drug issue become that last year 24 nations joined together in a crackdown on drugs. They “destroyed 5,046 metric tons of coca leaf and 17,585 tons of marijuana plants,” says U.S.News & World Report. “Still, the [U.S.] State Department concludes that current eradication programs are ‘insufficient to reduce the worldwide supply of narcotics.’”

Confiscation of drugs, arrests, and convictions have increased, but so have supplies of the illicit drugs. Only a small portion of the drug output is found and seized, and in many places drugs are easier to get than ever before. For instance, despite concerted efforts in 1986 to raid and destroy cocaine-processing laboratories, the production of cocaine from coca leaves in Bolivia, Colombia, and Peru actually grew by 10 percent between 1986 and 1987. The cocaine now sold on the streets is much purer, and prices have plummeted​—giving evidence of increased supplies.

“The United States has the highest level of illicit drug use by young people in any industrialized nation in the world, and drug use initiation is occurring at earlier ages than ever before,” says a report from Behavior Today. A survey disclosed that over half of all high school seniors admitted to having tried an illicit drug during their lifetime and that this high proportion grows to about 80 percent up through those in their mid-20’s. The United States now has an estimated 1.2 million drug addicts, and 23 million more are “recreational” drug users.

Other countries are not exempt from the drug epidemic. The Soviet newspaper Pravda quoted Internal Affairs Minister Alexander Vlasov as saying: “The struggle against drug addiction and crime connected with it has become one of the main tasks of the Internal Affairs Ministry.” As reported in the Soviet Weekly, “drug-related charges have been made against 80,000 Soviet people over the last two years,” and despite treatment for addicts, “the problem remained a major one, with 131,000 registered drug users.”

Hungary is said to have between 30,000 and 50,000 drug abusers, and Poland an estimated 200,000 to 600,000 addicts and users of hard drugs, mostly youths under 25 years of age. Pakistan estimates that it has close to 313,000 opium addicts and 150,000 heroin addicts. European Parliament member Sir Jack Stewart Clark predicts that the number of regular cocaine users in Western Europe may reach three to four million by the mid-1990’s. Spain already has an estimated 60,000 to 80,000 cocaine users.

The drug problem has grown so much that a United Nations study said that it is at the point now of endangering “the very security of some states.”

Why are drugs so much in the limelight? Indeed, why do people even take drugs? Why have large-scale efforts to contain the escalating drug problem failed? What can be done to stop the growing drug menace?

Drugs​—Dangerous and Deadly

DRUGS​—substances that affect the senses—​have a history that goes back to the earliest days of mankind. Natural substances that act on the nervous system were soon discovered: alcohol to relax a weary mind. Opiates to relieve pain and induce sleep. Coca leaves to numb the senses and increase endurance.

Alcohol has long been prominent. We are told in the Bible, at Genesis 9:20, 21, that “Noah started off as a farmer and proceeded to plant a vineyard. And he began drinking of the wine and became intoxicated.” Opium appears to have been known in ancient Mesopotamia and is recorded as being widely used in ancient Greece. Peyote, tobacco, coca, soma​—all have played parts throughout history.

Drugs have even found a niche in fictional literature. Homer told of the forgetfulness that befell some of Odysseus’ crew in the land of the lotus-eaters. The renowned fictional detective Sherlock Holmes injected a 7-percent solution of cocaine, which he found “transcendently stimulating and clarifying to the mind”​—a viewpoint similar to that promoted by the nonfictional Victorian intellectual Sigmund Freud.

The medicinal value of drugs was quickly noted, but their use was not limited to medicine. They came into widespread use in religious rituals. They were used in efforts to expand awareness, intensify feelings, enhance appreciation, alter mood, and increase capacity for love. But they also had an infinite capacity for destructiveness and creating social problems.

It is interesting to note that drugs outlawed today were not always viewed as detrimental to human health and welfare. For instance, in the latter half of the 19th century in the United States, cocaine, opium, and heroin were legal and readily available. They could be purchased without prescription from any pharmacy. Some were widely used in patent medicines. Coca-Cola contained cocaine for 17 years until it was replaced by caffeine in 1903.

Nations that today seek to suppress the drug trade once fought to expand it. The Opium Wars​—two trading wars fought in the mid-19th century when China tried to stop the illegal opium trade in her country—​ended in China’s defeat and the forced legalization of opium importation there.

A Victimless Crime?

Some today also favor the legalization of drugs. They see it as a solution to the dilemmas faced in dealing with the illicit drug trade. Others feel that the “recreational” use of drugs is a private and individual matter and regard the taking of drugs as a harmless diversion. But is the use of illicit drugs a “victimless crime,” as some claim? Consider the following:

● Twenty-six-year-old Natasha Ashley, eight and a half months pregnant, is talking with a female friend on the sidewalk in a section of New York City called Little Italy. Suddenly a car jumps the curb, hitting both women and pinning Ashley’s left leg against a light post, severely crushing it from the knee down. The friend’s leg is also broken. The police find the driver in a drugged stupor in his car, still clutching a hypodermic needle in his hand. “It looked like he had overdosed while driving,” said the paramedic attending the victims.

● Michael Perkins, only 12 years old, is dead​—killed in a fire that destroyed the apartment house in which he lived. Police say it was deliberately set by crack dealers after his father complained about their drug activities in the house.

● Rosa Urena will not enter college this fall or get married next year as she had planned. She was mortally wounded as she lay asleep on her bed, hit in the head by a stray bullet that smashed through her window and the headboard of her bed. Drug peddlers had riddled her building with bullets in a territorial claim.

● A 17-year-old crack addict goes on a robbing spree to support his drug habit. By the time he is apprehended eight days later, he has killed five people and wounded six others. “All of the victims were innocent working people,” noted the chief of detectives.

The above are but a few of the many drug-related incidents that took place in just one city this year. And they are increasing at an alarming rate.

How safe would you feel on the highway knowing that a certain percentage of the other drivers have taken a drug that impairs their judgment and reflexes? Would you be calm when boarding a bus, plane, or train while recognizing that those responsible for your safety may be under the influence of drugs? “Already there have been cases of addicted airline pilots, train crews, bus and truck drivers, company managers, doctors, teachers and others in authority who have created dangerous situations through ‘going on a mission’ [drug slang for getting high] while on duty,” notes the Manchester Guardian Weekly.

In an investigation of a recent fatal commuter-train crash in Mount Vernon, New York, all five of the train-control personnel involved tested positive for drugs. Said Federal Railroad administrator John H. Riley: “Over the last 16 months, we’ve averaged one major rail accident every 10 days in which alcohol or drug use was discovered, with more than 375 people killed or injured in those accidents. We have found drug-positive results in one of every five railroad accidents we’ve tested in the last two years, and 65 percent of our fatalities occurred in accidents where one or more employees tested positive for alcohol or drugs.”

Drugs and Crime

One does not have to be in transit to be a casualty of the drug scene. Victims are often those in their own homes and on the streets. Many drug addicts, driven by the need to sustain their expensive habit, resort to crime​—robbing, mugging, burglarizing. “A Justice Department study recently discovered that an astounding 79 percent of criminal defendants in some cities test positive for drug use,” states U.S.News & World Report.

Then there are the frequent shoot-outs between rival drug factions and the retaliatory measures taken against those who do not meet their payments. Innocent bystanders are often caught in these confrontations. “If a target happens to be in a group of four or five others,” says one official, “too bad for the four or five others.”

In the U.S. capital, Washington, D.C., there were 228 murders in 1987​—57 percent of them connected with narcotics. New York City tallied 1,691 murders, an average of over 4 a day. Over 38 percent of them were prompted by drugs. “The Oakland [California] Fire Department attributes more than 180 cases of arson in the city last year to warfare between drug gangs and reprisals against slow-paying customers or residents who complained publicly about the city’s wide-open commerce in crack, a potent form of cocaine,” says a New York Times report.

Society as a whole feels the effects of drug abuse​—increased crime and violence, the burdens of reduced economic productivity and tragic accidents, public corruption—​along with their high cost. But it is the drug abusers themselves who pay the highest price. How so?

The Dangers to Users

“Drug abuse is bad. It can destroy the mind and kill the body. In a word, it is stupid,” is the way it was put by Malcolm Lawrence, former special assistant to the U.S. Secretary of State for international narcotics control matters. But what about those who boast that they are not addicted and claim they can stop whenever they wish? “I know people who have taken crack several times and never did it again,” said one high school student.

“Certainly not every kid who takes a hit off a joint or drains a bottle of booze winds up as I did,” says former addict Ken Barun, who started with marijuana at age 16 and went on to pills, hallucinogens, heroin, and cocaine​—never expecting to see his 25th birthday. But many do develop drug dependency, and no one can say who that one will be until it is too late.

One problem is the disarming effect of drugs. Cocaine, for instance, which is currently one of the most abused, at first makes you feel stronger, more alert and confident, more in control of your life. The feeling is so good that it makes you want to try it again and again. But as you do, you start to feel bad without the drug​—edgy, confused, anxious, depressed. You need more. But with repeated use can come addiction and a host of problems that include paranoia, hallucination, and psychosis.

Researchers have discovered that cocaine use can permanently damage the heart and trigger heart attacks and strokes. Len Bias, a 22-year-old basketball star in the United States who died from a cocaine-induced heart attack in 1986, is said to have used the drug only once.

Crack, a derivative of cocaine, is even worse. “The special hazards of crack are due to the drug’s extremely high addiction potential and its ability to cause serious medical and psychiatric problems,” says the journal Medical Aspects of Human Sexuality. Because it is cheap and readily available, it finds a special appeal among the young. Crack users have been known to murder their parents and take their own lives.

“Reported cocaine-related deaths and hospital emergencies increased significantly from 1983 to 1986,” says a special report from the Comptroller General of the United States. The statistics gathered by DAWN (Drug Abuse Warning Network) from participating hospitals and medical examiners showed a 167-percent increase in hospital emergencies and a 124-percent increase in deaths due to the use of the drug in that period.

Tragic Effect on the Young

One of the most tragic results of drug abuse is the effect on children. “The story of child abuse and neglect in New York City during 1987 is the story of an explosion in drug abuse,” said a report by the Internal Fatality Review Panel of the Human Resources Administration. There were 46,713 reports of child abuse and neglect, and 103 of the children died. Additionally, during the city’s 1987 fiscal year, over 2,500 infants were born with drug-addiction withdrawal symptoms. Because of cocaine, many babies are also born prematurely and with low birth weight, as the drug limits the flow of blood to the placenta and reduces the supply of oxygen and nutrients that reach the fetus.

Babies are also being born with the dreadful AIDS virus, transmitted by intravenous drug abuse and passed on from the mother to her fetus. By the end of this year, about a thousand babies infected with the AIDS virus will have been born in New York City alone. “We have just begun to see the devastation,” says Dr. Leonard Glass, director of newborn services at Kings County Hospital Center. Three or four babies die of AIDS at this Brooklyn hospital each month.

With such dangerous and deadly consequences from drugs, you would think that the world would be up in arms against the drug trade, and it would be squashed. Why, then, is it increasing? Is there any hope ahead?

[Box on page 7]

Some Commonly Abused Drugs

Drug Possible Effects Risks of Abuse

[Picture on page 9]

The unborn are helpless victims of parental drug abuse

Drugs​—Is There Any Hope?

WHY have all efforts to stem the illicit drug tide failed? To put it in one word: MONEY. Drugs are big business. Profits are measured in the billions of dollars.

The total annual revenue from narcotics sales in the United States alone is estimated to be between $60 billion and $120 billion. With about $20 billion for expenses, it leaves a net profit of from $40 billion to $100 billion. “The drug trade, with a volume of $300 billion a year, is the world’s biggest business,” says World Press Review.

With so much money at their disposal, drug merchants have exploited man’s inherent greed and selfishness and have attained the power to do virtually whatever they want. “They don’t count their money anymore​—they weigh it,” said one police lieutenant. “They can buy off witnesses; they can buy off anybody they want to.” One drug dealer in Bolivia is reported to have offered to pay off the country’s entire debt of $3.8 billion if the authorities would refrain from trying to enforce the narcotics laws.

The cocaine and marijuana kingpins of the Western Hemisphere have even exceeded the influence of the more established opium lords of Asia. “Greasing palms and, when necessary, using the gun, the drug barons have spawned corruption from Bolivia to the Bahamas, and in more than one country are threatening to supplant elected government as the reigning power,” reports Time magazine. “We are up against an organization that is stronger than the state,” says former Colombian president Belisario Betancur.

He should know. In Colombia, members of the Medellín cartel, the drug lords who dominate the cocaine business, have waged a violent campaign against all who have opposed or sought to prosecute them. Included among those killed have been a justice minister, 21 judges, a newspaper editor, over a dozen journalists, and scores of soldiers and policemen. “Never before has a criminal enterprise managed to so intimidate a major nation,” notes Newsweek. “Colombian judges fear to judge; policemen fear to arrest. Critical journalists now often write their columns from abroad, where they have plenty of company from other Colombians who have fled for their lives.”

War on Drug Supply Lost

Because of the money factor, the war to cut off drug supplies has failed on all levels. Farmers continue to grow coca, marijuana, and opium poppies, which pay several times more than the subsistence wage they may earn with conventional crops. To them the drug lords are benefactors who bolster the economy. Many police and customs officers continue to look the other way when drugs are being smuggled and earn up to $50,000 or more each time just for doing so.

Dealers also initiate children as young in age as nine or ten into the lucrative drug scene: earning 25 cents for each empty crack vial they collect off the streets, $100 a day for serving as a lookout to warn of police, $300 a day as a runner transporting drugs, and up to $3,000 a day as a teenage dealer. By flaunting their wealth before their schoolmates in their purchases of furs, heavy gold chains, and expensive cars, they entice still others.

Terrorists have found in drugs the means to finance their operations. They, in turn, give assistance to the drug traffickers. Some political leaders use the drug trade both to enrich themselves and to undermine enemy governments. Arrests or convictions do not deter them. The profits to be made are so immense that as soon as one dealer or corrupt official is struck down, two more stand up to take his place.

“Drug production and trafficking unfortunately remain big business, and drug abuse levels all over the world continue to rise,” says a U.S. State Department report made public in March. “Corruption of government officials and law enforcement officers, bribery, trafficker intimidation and violence, and the stark fact that nations are outmanned, outgunned and outspent by narcotics traffickers, continue to undermine global efforts to stop narcotics production and trafficking.” Where, then, is there hope?

Is Reducing Demand the Answer?

Some feel it lies in reducing the demand side of the drug trade. Like other businesses, the international drug trade works on both supply and demand. Without the present seemingly insatiable demand for drugs, the drug flow would dry up. Yet, despite warnings, increased education, drug testing, and pleas to ‘say no to drugs,’ drug use continues unabated. Even worse, it is spreading.

“Other countries around the world are just getting hooked,” notes a Time report. “America’s drug culture has been exported to European and Asian youth. Although statistics are hard to come by, drug use seems to be expanding worldwide, especially in the countries that export drugs to the U.S.” Bolivia, for one, has seen a recent upsurge in drug addiction. While coca is legally grown there for leaf chewing and tea, increasing numbers of youths are becoming addicted to a poisonous, smokable form of cocaine called basuco. And Vietnam reports a dramatic rise in opium and heroin addiction among young people in both the south and the north. All told, there are reported to be some 40 million users of illegal drugs worldwide.

It is now conceded that the drug problem is beyond the ability of any one nation to control. Will all the nations, then, band together and curb the present scourge? Such complete cooperation is most unlikely, considering the greed and profit motives that run so high in the illicit drug trade​—not to mention the irreconcilable political differences. Some nations refrain from invoking meaningful sanctions against political allies even though they are centers of the drug trade. Besides, millions of people depend on drug crops for their livelihood. “There are countries that would simply collapse if the drug business were to disappear overnight,” says World Press Review.

Where Hope Lies

At most, authorities hope for a reduction in drug abuse and, in time, a gradual lessening of the current drug craze. However, total eradication of the drug problem is a valid hope. It is found in the Bible’s promise: “They will not do any harm or cause any ruin in all my holy mountain; because the earth will certainly be filled with the knowledge of Jehovah as the waters are covering the very sea.” (Isaiah 11:9; Habakkuk 2:14) ‘No harm or ruin’ includes all the hurtful problems that stem from drug abuse.

But note the reason why: The earth is to be “filled with the knowledge of Jehovah.” Strong motivation is essential in steering away from drug abuse. Love of Jehovah God and a desire to please him, based on accurate knowledge of him and his ways, have helped many to break free from the influence of drugs. Take the example of Angelo.

Now 60, Angelo had a long history as a drug abuser, back to 1964. Introduced to the drug scene by friends who seemed to be having a great time, Angelo started with marijuana and progressed through cocaine, hashish, morphine, and “five-star acid” (LSD), to name a few. “I was constantly getting high,” says Angelo. “Every day I got high. I felt I could run the world. My head was in orbit. At that time the astronauts were going to the moon, and I wanted to go beyond.”

But the drugs also produced hallucinations, moodiness, withdrawal from society, and a desire to commit suicide. “In March of ’79, I got to reading the Bible,” says Angelo. “I had been having hallucinations and wanted to commit suicide. But I thought I would first find out where I would be going when I died. Some Witnesses came to my door, and I insisted they explain the Bible to me. From a study of the Bible, I realized that taking drugs is against God’s law​—that our bodies belong to God, and as 2 Corinthians 7:1 says, we are to keep them from ‘defilement.’”

How did he break free from drugs? “Praying, sincerely praying,” says Angelo, “along with studying the Bible daily. You’ve got to have a strong determination to give up drugs. It’s not easy by any means. But I felt Jehovah knew my heart, and as Proverbs 3:5, 6 implies, I could lean on him. I feel personally that it took Jehovah to set me straight, knowing the craving that I had.”

Like Angelo, many others have realized that with strong motivation, faith in God, and reliance on his help, along with the support of concerned, loving associates, the deadly drug habit can be broken. But how “will they put faith in him of whom they have not heard?” the Bible asks at Romans 10:14. The publishers of this magazine will be happy to help you gain that “accurate knowledge” of God and the sure hope of finding everlasting life in a drug-free new world.​—Ephesians 1:17; Romans 15:4.

[Blurb on page 11]

“The drug trade, with a volume of $300 billion a year, is the world’s biggest business”

[Blurb on page 12]

Strong motivation is essential in breaking free from drug abuse

Crossword Puzzle

Clues Across

1. One who pretends to be what he is not (Luke 6:42)

7. A body of water where ships can anchor (Acts 27:12)

8. Extremely poisonous snake (Psalm 91:13)

9. Archer (See 1 Samuel 31:3.)

11. Bird prized for its beauty (See 1 Kings 10:22.)

14. A god worshiped by the people of Hamath (2 Kings 17:30)

15. A Levite city given to the sons of Gershom (1 Chronicles 6:71, 73)

16. Despised animal (1 Samuel 17:43)

19. This woman heard Paul at the Areopagus and became a believer (Acts 17:33, 34)

20. One of the five sons of Bela the Benjamite (1 Chronicles 7:7)

21. A deep bin used for storage

22. An earmark of “the wisdom from above” (James 3:17)

25. His greetings were conveyed by Paul to Timothy (2 Timothy 4:21)

26. Designation given the living goat used on Atonement Day (Leviticus 16:10)

29. Its wings were given “the woman” to flee persecution from “the dragon” (Revelation 12:13, 14)

30. A site mentioned in prophecy concerning the desolation to come upon Israel (Ezekiel 6:14)

31. Site of the uttering of maledictions for those breaking God’s law [2 words] (Deuteronomy 11:29)

Clues Down

1. When “the disgusting thing” was seen here, it was a sign for Christians to flee [2 words] (Matthew 24:15, 16)

2. One of seven congregations to which the apostle John addressed messages (Revelation 1:11)

3. Bird listed in daily provisions of food for Solomon’s court (See 1 Kings 4:23.)

4. Skilled workers from this city built David’s royal palace (2 Samuel 5:11)

5. A son of Shobal of the tribe of Judah (1 Chronicles 2:52)

6. Ninth letter of the Greek alphabet

10. Burial place [2 words] (Acts 13:29)

12. A Levite who helped supervise temple reconstruction (Ezra 3:9)

13. National origin of Jaziz, overseer of David’s flocks (1 Chronicles 27:31)

17. Used in rowing (Ezekiel 27:29)

18. What Jehovah regards the earth to be (Acts 7:49)

23. A Jewish lunar month in which no festivals were held (Zechariah 1:7)

24. Thing (Joel 1:7)

27. Location where King Jehoram struck down an Edomite force (2 Kings 8:21)

28. A nephew of Abraham (Genesis 22:20, 22)

CROSSWORD SOLUTIONS PAGE 16

Answers Across

1. HYPOCRITE

7. HARBOR

8. COBRA

9. BOWMAN

11. PEACOCK

14. ASHIMA

15. ANEM

16. DOG

19. DAMARIS

20. IRI

21. SILO

22. CHASTE

25. EUBULUS

26. AZAZEL

29. EAGLE

30. DIBLAH

31. MOUNT EBAL

Answers Down

1. HOLY PLACE

2. PHILADELPHIA

3. CUCKOO

4. TYRE

5. HAROEH

6. IOTA

10. MEMORIAL TOMB

12. KADMIEL

13. HAGARITE

17. OAR

18. FOOTSTOOL

23. SHEBAT

24. OBJECT

27. ZAIR

28. HAZO

Young People Ask . . .

How Can I Learn When Others Don’t Want To?

LEARNING is not easy for 15-year-old Nozomi, a high school student in Japan. “Instead of taking their lessons seriously,” she says, “my schoolmates defy the teachers, discuss immoral things, and show a lot of interest in the opposite sex.”

Talking, flirting, teacher harassment, fighting​—such distractions are common to many classrooms. And even if such things do not go on in your school, you may still be subject to subtle pressures to fail. Says 13-year-old Roslyn: “I was really worried about what the boys would think if I was answering too many questions. . . . So I answered questions just enough to get by with my grades​—I didn’t want to get too smart.” How, then, can you deal with all the pressures that work against learning?

The Pressure From Peers

Brian was placed in a class for high-achieving students. The reaction from his peers? “They laugh at you if they put you in such a class. They think you’re really stupid to be there because it means you’ll get more homework.” Understandably, it may often seem tempting to ease up on one’s studies. But would there be any point in spending the bulk of your teenage years in school and have nothing to show for all that time? And since grades are an indicator​—admittedly not a perfect one—​of how much you are learning in school, does it not make sense to get the best grades you can?

Granted, this may mean taking some amount of abuse from peers. But the Bible warns: “Trembling at men is what lays a snare.” (Proverbs 29:25) Should you be so afraid of what others think that you set aside your own convictions and self-respect? Whom should you be more concerned about pleasing: your schoolmates or your parents and your heavenly Maker? Besides, youths who discourage you from doing well in school certainly are not thinking of your future, for says the proverb: “The one working with a slack hand will be of little means.” (Proverbs 10:4) Failing grades may thus be a rehearsal for future failure in the job market.

Easing the Pressure

So stand up to classmates who discourage you from learning! This may not be easy. But it may be of help to you to understand what often motivates their harassment. Explains ’Teen magazine: “Low-achieving teens who make fun of good students usually are suffering from fear of failure and lack of self-confidence. To cover up the fact that their self-esteem isn’t any higher than their grades, they try to convince other people that they’re actually glad not to be counted among the good students.” The youth who ‘keeps hating knowledge’ merely exposes his own foolishness.​—Proverbs 1:22.

The High School Survival Guide advises: “If your friends continually ask you to go against your own convictions . . . , take another look at your relationships.” Michael was influenced by his friends to start skipping classes. “But then I saw my friends getting caught and getting thrown out of school. I said, this isn’t for me.” He thus broke off those relationships and began applying himself in school.

As your schoolmates see that you will not give in to them, the harassment may even stop. Says Walt: “I don’t expect the whole class to change. But if they see that they aren’t bugging me, they find someone else to bother.” Remember, too, that peer pressure doesn’t stop when you become an adult. So learning how to handle it now can prove very valuable later on.

Ignoring Classroom Distractions

What, though, about annoying classroom distractions? The Bible says: “A wise person will listen and take in more instruction.” (Proverbs 1:5) Julie Hahn, author of “Have You Done Your Homework?” acknowledges that “distraction by others in the classroom can make listening difficult.” Nevertheless, she indicates that a good listener can learn, even in a noisy classroom. How? By ‘coming to class prepared to listen intelligently.’ That means doing your homework the night before so as to be familiar with the material being discussed.

Also, take meaningful notes​—nothing elaborate but at least a list of main points and some supporting details. This helps keep your mind on track when distractions occur. And when concentrating in class is simply impossible, you may have no choice but to increase the amount of homework you do. Even modest efforts along these lines can improve your grades. Homework allows you the opportunity to apply yourself in an atmosphere free from school distractions.

Speaking Up!

Sometimes, though, you find a distraction​—such as a couple of girls (or boys) who whisper incessantly—​too irritating to ignore. In some cases it may be a good idea to try speaking with the person or persons involved. Let them know how you feel and how their behavior affects you. Who knows, maybe they’ll be reasonable about the matter and quiet down somewhat.

You may even find that your classmates’ irritating actions are a reaction to something on your part that they find annoying. Perhaps an offer of some sort of compromise​—or an apology on your part—​would be in order. And while school is serious business, don’t become “righteous overmuch,” so that you lose your sense of humor. (Ecclesiastes 7:16) Often a situation causing class commotion is genuinely funny. There is no need to alienate your fellow students by being grim and humorless.

If your classmates react with hostility or refuse to change, it may even be necessary to talk matters over with your teacher. But wait for the appropriate time to speak, preferably in private. (Proverbs 25:11) Perhaps you can be assigned another seat in class, or perhaps you can be transferred to another class where students take learning more seriously.

Let Your Parents Know

What if your best efforts to work matters out with your classmates and teachers fail? One Christian parent who works as a public-school teacher advises: “Communicate with your parents about what’s happening in school​—your losses and trials. They will become more interested in you and more communicative, and this will help you to cope.” Likely your parents want you to ‘give your heart to them’ in this way.​—Proverbs 23:26.

They may even have some practical suggestions. They may, for example, suggest that more attention be given to your homework and offer you personal assistance. They may also have some ideas as to how to approach your teacher and disruptive classmates. In some cases, they may even feel it necessary to visit the school authorities on your behalf.

Making a Success of Your School Years

Remember, you are in school to learn. And whether you succeed or fail often depends upon your choice of friends. Zélia observes: “If you want to be part of the gang, you are going to have more trouble because to be accepted, they expect you to do all the things they do.” Yes, “bad associations spoil useful habits.” (1 Corinthians 15:33) On the other hand, good associations strengthen our resolve and ability to do the right things. Pick friends that share your convictions and love of learning.

At times one simply has to live with a bad situation. Yet, “a righteous man’s supplication, when it is at work, has much force.” (James 5:16) Writes one Christian girl: “Constant distractions can be difficult to deal with. I simply have to tune them out. When I feel like screaming out of frustration, I pray to Jehovah for self-control.” You too can do this, and not just as a last resort. Make prayer a part of your daily life.

Learning is indeed a challenge. But with some determination and help from your parents, teachers, and Jehovah God, you can succeed, even when others do not want to learn.

[Picture on page 15]

Taking notes is one way to block out classroom distractions

Christmas​—Is It Christian?

CHRISTMAS is widely accepted as a Christian celebration by the churches throughout the world. It is observed by hundreds of millions of people.

However, is it truly Christian? Was it of divine origin? Did Jesus Christ or his disciples establish the celebration? Was December 25 the birth date of Jesus? And does it matter whether a person celebrates it or not?

Was Christmas of Divine Origin?

Regarding the origin of Christmas and the day of Christ’s birth, note the following comments from religious and historical sources:

“Christmas was not among the earliest festivals of the Church.”​—The Catholic Encyclopedia.

“The first mention of the celebration of Christmas occurred in A.D. 336 in an early Roman calendar.”​—The World Book Encyclopedia.

“The observance of Christmas is not of divine appointment, nor is it of N[ew] T[estament] origin. The day of Christ’s birth cannot be ascertained from the N. T., or, indeed, from any other source. The fathers of the first three centuries do not speak of any special observance of the nativity.”​—Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature, by McClintock and Strong.

“Inexplicable though it seems, the date of Christ’s birth is not known. The Gospels indicate neither the day nor the month.”​—New Catholic Encyclopedia.

If Christmas were important for Christians, would not Jesus or his disciples have mentioned it? Also, the Bible tells us: “All Scripture is inspired of God and beneficial . . . that the man of God may be fully competent, completely equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16, 17) If Christmas were of divine origin, would not God have inspired the Bible writers to say something about it so that Christians could be “completely equipped for every good work”?

The Bible ignores Christmas because it is not a Christian doctrine or practice. It is not of divine origin. As the Sri Lankan Daily News observed: “It is quite significant to note that nowhere in the New Testament was a special day called Christmas set apart to celebrate the birth of Christ. . . . Christmas is of human origin. Christmas is not a part of the Bible.”

Jesus Not Born on December 25

Regarding the date December 25 given for the birth of Jesus, there is no evidence to indicate that this is correct. The evidence shows otherwise.

In the book Celebrations, by Robert J. Myers, we read: “The Biblical narrative of the birth of Jesus contains no indication of the date that the event occurred. However, Luke’s report [Luke 2:8] that the shepherds were ‘abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flocks by night’ suggests that Jesus may have been born in summer or early fall. Since December is cold and rainy in Judea, it is likely the shepherds would have sought shelter for their flocks at night.”

In Daily Life in the Time of Jesus, by Henri Daniel-Rops, we are similarly told: “The flocks . . . passed the winter under cover; and from this alone it may be seen that the traditional date for Christmas, in the winter, is unlikely to be right, since the Gospel says that the shepherds were in the fields.”

The Encyclopedia Americana says of December 25: “This date was not set in the West until about the middle of the 4th century and in the East until about a century later.” Thus, Jesus was not born on that date. And he did not authorize the celebration of Christmas; neither did his disciples or the Bible writers.

Where Did It Originate?

Where, then, did Christmas originate? On this, there is general agreement. U.S. Catholic states: “It is impossible to separate Christmas from its pagan origins.” It adds: “The Romans’ favorite festival was Saturnalia, which began on December 17 and ended with the ‘birthday of the unconquered sun’ (Natalis solis invicti) on December 25. Somewhere in the second quarter of the fourth century, savvy officials of the church of Rome decided December 25 would make a dandy day to celebrate the birthday of the ‘sun of righteousness.’ Christmas was born.”

The pagan celebration of Saturnalia took place at the winter solstice. The word “solstice” comes from two Latin words: sol (the name of a sun god) and sistere (to stop). The winter solstice is the time when the daylight hours stop getting shorter and instead begin to get longer. According to the ancient Julian calendar, the day of the winter solstice was December 25.

Thus, The World Book Encyclopedia states: “This celebration [Christmas] was probably influenced by pagan (unchristian) festivals held at that time. The ancient Romans held year-end celebrations to honor Saturn, their harvest god; and Mithras [the sun god].” The New Catholic Encyclopedia says: “On Dec. 25, 274, [Roman emperor] Aurelian had proclaimed the sun-god [Mithras] principal patron of the empire . . . Christmas originated at a time when the cult of the sun was particularly strong at Rome.” The book Celebrations states: “The clergy eventually brought the . . . world of the Saturnalia into the Church itself.” And the Encyclopædia Britannica notes that December 25 was regarded “as the birth date of the . . . [sun] god Mithra.”

Most of the customs associated with Christmas​—the yule log, mistletoe, Christmas tree, Santa Claus, lavish gift giving, revelries—​are also rooted in paganism. They have nothing to do with Christ. As James Hastings states in Encyclopædia of Religion and Ethics: “Most of the Christmas customs now prevailing . . . are not genuine Christian customs, but heathen customs which have been absorbed or tolerated by the Church. . . . The Saturnalia in Rome provided the model for most of the merry customs of the Christmas time. This old Roman feast was celebrated on 17-24 December.”

So when at times we hear people say: ‘Let’s get back to the true meaning of Christmas’ or, ‘Put Christ back into Christmas,’ keep in mind that the original meaning of Christmas is a pagan celebration of nature, and that Christ never was in Christmas. And when some denounce the commercializing of Christmas, keep in mind that the feasting and gift giving of the Saturnalia celebration meant business for merchants. So for thousands of years, the winter solstice has been commercialized.

In 1643, England’s Parliament even outlawed Christmas because of its pagan background, but later it was restored. In 1659, it was also outlawed in Massachusetts, but there too it was later restored. And U.S. Catholic reports: “Because Christians in the U.S. . . . associated Christmas with pagan customs, they didn’t celebrate Christmas in a big way until the mid-19th century.”

Dishonors God and Christ

Hence, those who celebrate Christmas do not honor God or Christ, but honor pagan celebrations and pagan gods. And by fostering such myths as Santa Claus, they promote falsehoods. That does not honor Jesus, who taught that God must be worshiped with truth. (John 4:23, 24) Said Jesus: “If you remain in my word, you are really my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”​—John 8:31, 32.

God’s Word also states: “What fellowship do righteousness and lawlessness have? Or what sharing does light have with darkness? Further, what harmony is there between Christ and Belial [Satan]? Or what portion does a faithful person have with an unbeliever?” The answer to those questions is that faithful Christians have nothing to do with such things; otherwise they lose God’s favor. Therefore, God’s Word counsels: “‘Get out from among them, and separate yourselves,’ says Jehovah, ‘and quit touching the unclean thing’; ‘and I will take you in.’ . . . ‘And you will be sons and daughters to me.’”​—2 Corinthians 6:14-18.

Real love for God has helped people break free from ungodly activities such as celebrating Christmas even though this does have an emotional appeal. They do not feel deprived by rejecting a practice that dishonors God and Christ, that in fact honors false gods. They recognize Christmas for what it is​—a pagan holiday masquerading as Christian—​and they shun it.

[Picture on page 18]

The fact that shepherds were out all night with their flocks is evidence that Christ could not have been born in December

Lost for Over 20 Years

“You’re my brother and my sister. I’ve been waiting for you!”

HOW excitedly Jimmy expressed these words when my wife and I met him! For over 20 years, he had been isolated in prisonlike conditions. Now, with our visit in 1977, a period of relief was about to begin.

But how and where could such medieval circumstances occur in our times? First, let’s go back to the beginning.

Tragic Life Brightened by Bible Truth

Jimmy Sutera was born on June 13, 1913, and raised in Brooklyn, New York. His real name is Vincent, but he has always been called Jimmy. From infancy, spinal meningitis cruelly disabled him. While still a child, he began a long series of confinements in hospitals.

One day after coming home from church, Jimmy was sitting in his yard, crying from loneliness. A kindly woman named Rebecca was touched by the scene and began to comfort him. She explained that God cared for him and that God has a name, Jehovah. Jimmy quickly grasped the clear ring of truth in her precious message. She was one of Jehovah’s Witnesses (then known as Bible Students).

Jimmy’s parents, his brothers, and his sisters all disapproved of his newfound faith. So Jimmy would secretly pursue Bible knowledge. His parents thought he was going to church, but he was actually attending meetings of the Bible Students and sharing with them in the public ministry.

In 1932, Jimmy dedicated his life to God and symbolized this by water baptism. Interestingly, the then president of the Watch Tower Society, J. F. Rutherford, delivered the baptism talk.

Though it was very hard for Jimmy to walk, he shared in the house-to-house Kingdom preaching using the testimony cards and the phonograph. Playing recorded sermons at the doorsteps of people was a principal method of spreading the Kingdom message that Jehovah’s Witnesses employed in the 1930’s. Although it was not easy for Jimmy to carry anything, off he would go, carrying the phonograph on one side and a book bag filled with Bible literature on the other.

Confined to a Nursing Home

But then Jimmy was struck with polio and suffered a series of strokes, resulting in his losing the use of his left side. He also was afflicted with Parkinson’s disease and could speak only with great difficulty and in spurts. His parents, who were by then quite elderly, decided to confine him to the care of a nursing home nearby in Brooklyn, New York. That was in 1958.

Commendably, members of his family showed real concern by visiting him several times each week, although some of them were very opposed to his religion. Unfortunately, the nursing home administration proved to be very antagonistic. Since he was not physically capable of even using the telephone to call his spiritual brothers, he lost all contact with Jehovah’s people. Here he was, in a nursing home just a few miles from the world headquarters of Jehovah’s Witnesses but trapped like a prisoner and isolated from all spiritual association!

Conditions in the nursing home deteriorated, and eventually, in the mid-1970’s, the state condemned the facility. However, because of a shortage of nursing homes in New York City, no place could be found to which to move the patients. Cockroaches ran boldly across the floor and walls. At times some of the staff even beat Jimmy. He endured, isolated in that wretched place for over 20 years. Yet his Sovereign Lord Jehovah was not far off from him and kept his faith alive and strong​—a fact that my wife and I can attest to. But how did we find him?

How We Found Jimmy

In the early 1970’s my wife, Barbara, and I also became Jehovah’s Witnesses. In time, we moved from upstate New York to Queens, New York City. While we were planning to move, my father recalled that his uncle in the city might be one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. In fact, he remembered that his uncle Jimmy used to tell him wonderful stories about little boys playing with lions in Paradise.

We had been in New York City for about a year when we learned from Uncle Jimmy’s sister, my great-aunt, that he was indeed one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, “one of you people,” as she put it. She gave us the address, and within an hour we were at the nursing home. A nurse stopped us at the door, as it was not visiting hours. I explained that we were there to see my great-uncle and that I was a minister, one of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

“I’m not prejudiced, but we do not allow Jehovah’s Witnesses in here,” came the clearly prejudiced reply. “We allow the Catholic priest, the Protestant minister, and the Episcopal priest in here, but we do not allow in any of Jehovah’s Witnesses.”

Trying to keep calm, I gave her two choices: (1) She could let us in immediately and peaceably or (2) she could deal with the police. She made a quick, peaceful choice.

I don’t remember having ever seen Jimmy, since I was only about four years of age when he entered the nursing home. We walked into his room and told him our names. Lunging up in bed, he exclaimed, “My brother!”

“No, I don’t think you know who we are,” I said, repeating our names.

“You’re my brother,” he said again, “and my sister. I’ve been waiting for you!” He meant, of course, that we were his spiritual brother and sister.

We learned that his sister, who was very opposed to our religion, had told him about us. “Al and Barbara have joined your religion,” she had said. So for several years he had been waiting for us to come to see him, to share the faith we have in common.

Faith Alive and Strong

As we spoke, it became increasingly evident that this mere shell of a man housed a giant heart filled with spirit and faith. As we explored his memory, he quoted many passages of Scripture, discussed with us deep Bible prophecy, and even sang a song he had composed that expressed his heartfelt appreciation for Jehovah. Uncle Jimmy’s face shone; his entire being radiated a joy and enthusiasm unique to one obviously sustained by God. It was like a miracle to us. It was like, well, like a resurrection.

Soon, time for the 1977 district convention was drawing near. We inquired if we could take Jimmy along. The administrator would not think of allowing it. On another visit, we asked a nurse if we could take Uncle Jimmy for a wheelchair stroll around the block. While it was not their custom to take him outside at all, she thought it would be a fine idea. So we proceeded. However, we had gone only a short distance when the administrator came running after us, screaming and telling us never to take him out again.

Right from our initial visit, we left Jimmy literature. When we returned, it was gone. “Where is your literature?” we asked.

“I placed it,” he said.

“Where is your Bible?”

“I placed it.”

Songbook, Yearbook, everything we left him he would leave with interested ones. He has such a burning desire to praise Jehovah’s name. He also knew that the administration would destroy any literature that they found.

Once, in speaking of world events and prophecy, I said: “Uncle Jimmy, isn’t it wonderful? Soon the end of this system that Jesus spoke about will be here. You will soon be glorified as a king and priest in the heavens, and all your sufferings will be over.”

Without the slightest hesitation, he emphatically replied: “That’s not the important thing.” And with unique emphasis, he stressed: “Jehovah’s name will be vindicated!” We were moved to tears by his godly perspective. He has suffered so much all his life, yet his greatest desire is to see Jehovah’s name sanctified rather than realize personal relief.

A Welcome Change

In 1978 nursing home employees in New York City went on strike, forcing the move of patients into hospitals. The state never allowed the old nursing home to reopen. So Jimmy is now in a much better home in a section of the city near the ocean. All the nurses love him and take good care of him. What about his spiritual needs?

Members of the local congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses now take Uncle Jimmy to meetings and assemblies. He distributes over a hundred magazines a month, mostly in the nursing home. However, the Witnesses also take him in the door-to-door ministry in his wheelchair. Several times his spiritual brothers and sisters have brought him to visit Barbara and me at Watchtower Farms in upstate New York, where we have been residing for the past ten years.

Uncle Jimmy says the congregation is “wonderful, everybody loves me.” It’s true. They do indeed love and care for him. The presiding overseer, Joseph Bowers, says: “I have never heard the brothers complain about caring for him.” Then, with real feeling in his voice, he adds: “My life has been enriched by knowing him.”

Although by some standards Jimmy is poorly educated, he has the ultimate issue clearly in focus​—Jehovah’s vindication as the Supreme Sovereign of the Universe. This is foremost in his mind. Happy to be alive, he cheerfully serves Jehovah, fully realizing that by his faithful life course he is proving Satan a liar and sharing in what he knows to be the most important work of all, the Kingdom ministry.​—As told by Albert Caccarile.

Stalled Mall

A recent cartoon in the Scranton Times, of Scranton, Pennsylvania, made a comment about the town’s long delay in completing plans for a shopping mall. One character says to the other: “Seems like it’s taking forever to get a start on the mall!” to which the other replies: “They should call it ‘the Downtown Mall Kingdom Hall!’ The Jehovah’s Witnesses will have it built in 3 days!”

In many countries Jehovah’s Witnesses are becoming widely known for their hundreds of quickly built Kingdom Halls. They have specially trained construction crews and good advance planning. As a result, Kingdom Halls are being built in from 30 hours to 4 days. And people are taking notice.

The Bible’s Viewpoint

What Does Genesis Really Say?

“SCIENTIFIC CREATIONISTS” say that according to the Bible book of Genesis, the universe was created by God less than ten thousand years ago. They also say that the earth and its life-forms were created in six literal 24-hour days.

On the other hand, evolutionary thinking views Genesis as a myth. It teaches that the universe and the earth, with all its living things, are the product of a chance evolutionary process that spanned billions of years.

However, there are many who are uncomfortable with both of these theories. Parts of the scientific-creationist theory seem to contradict common sense and also go against the evidence we can see for ourselves throughout nature. Yet, the idea that life in all its wonderful complexity is merely the product of blind evolutionary forces seems hard for many to accept. Are these two views, then, the only alternatives?

No. There is a third view. It is what the Bible book of Genesis itself really says. Let us consider this third alternative.

The Genesis Explanation

The opening words of Genesis tell us: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1) Do these words of Genesis say that this happened about ten thousand years ago? No, it gives no time period. “The beginning” could therefore have been billions of years ago.

However, right at “the beginning,” the Bible puts an intelligent being, the Creator, in control of the creative work. Although many scientists are uncomfortable with this idea, it harmonizes with the conclusions of astronomers that the universe did have a beginning, that it is very well ordered, and that it is governed by definite laws. An orderly arrangement based on law can come only from an intelligent mind. While science has explained many of these laws to us, Genesis alone introduces us to the Lawgiver.

The account in Genesis then goes on to outline the famous six “days” of creation. These days, though, were not the time during which the material of the earth and the universe was created. That had already happened “in the beginning.” The six days of creation were, rather, the periods of time during which the primordial, inhospitable earth was slowly made fit for habitation.

Was each one of those six days a literal 24-hour day? That is not what Genesis says. The word “day” in the Hebrew language (the language in which Genesis was written) can mean long periods of time, even thousands of years. (Compare Psalm 90:4; Genesis 2:4.) For example, “the seventh day” in which we now live is thousands of years long. (Genesis 2:2, 3) Hence, the evidence shows that the entire period of six days should be viewed as tens of thousands of years long.

“According to Their Kinds”

The order of the six creative epochs shows a procession of water, earth, light, atmosphere, plants, fish, birds, animals, and finally humans. (Genesis 1:3-27) This order of development is generally in agreement with the order uncovered by scientists.

But a noteworthy statement appears repeatedly in the account in Genesis chapter 1. For example, regarding the fifth creative day, Genesis 1:21 tells us: “And God proceeded to create the great sea monsters and every living soul that moves about, which the waters swarmed forth according to their kinds.” Regarding the sixth day, Ge 1 verse 24 reads: “Let the earth put forth living souls according to their kinds, domestic animal and moving animal and wild beast of the earth according to its kind.”

Hence, it was the kinds of animals that were created, not every individual species. But the various “kinds” were created separately and are not descended from one another. Within each “kind,” there could be great variety, as we see in the cat “kind” or the dog “kind” or the human “kind.” But genetic factors put there by the Creator would always keep these “kinds” separate from one another. That is why a cat and a dog cannot mate and start another form of life.

True, this contradicts the evolution theory. But it does not contradict any observed facts. While animals produce much variety within their “kind,” no one has ever documented that one “kind” of animal has reproduced or evolved into a different “kind.”

But what of the structural similarities that exist between certain kinds of animals? These are understandable when we consider that all of them are the product of one Creator and that they were designed from the same materials of the earth to live in a similar environment.

Additionally, Genesis provides an answer to a problem that scientists cannot solve: From where did life come? Scientists try to answer this question with various theories, but in truth they cannot. And the hard fact that has been proved repeatedly in scientific laboratories is that life can come only from already existing life, and from the same “kind” of life.

Genesis also tells us that life is older than the universe and that all other life in heaven and on earth issued from the original Source of life, the almighty Creator, who says that his name is Jehovah. Science cannot come up with a better explanation, one that harmonizes with all the scientific facts that we can observe.​—Psalm 36:9; 83:18; Isaiah 42:8; Revelation 4:11.

The Beginning of Man

The final creative work on earth, according to Genesis, was man himself: “And Jehovah God proceeded to form the man out of dust from the ground and to blow into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man came to be a living soul.” (Genesis 2:7) Scientists too consider man a latecomer compared with other life-forms.

However, this scripture does contradict the belief of most scientific creationists that man has an immortal soul separate and distinct from his body. This soul is said to depart from the body after death. Yet, Genesis, as well as many other portions of the Scriptures, shows that man does not have a soul as something immaterial residing in him. Rather, he is a soul. At death man passes into nonexistence, awaiting a resurrection. (Ecclesiastes 9:5, 10; John 5:28, 29; Acts 24:15; Revelation 20:12, 13) The Bible likens death to a sleep from which one can be awakened in the resurrection.​—John 11:11, 43, 44.

The statement at Genesis 2:7 also contradicts the theory of evolution in another way. It clearly shows that man was created directly by God and that he did not descend from animals.

Is the Genesis statement believable? Well, science has not produced any proof that man descended from animals. There is no proof that the apelike fossils dug up in Africa and elsewhere were in any way ancestors of man. Indeed, if they were alive today, they would likely be placed in zoos with other apelike creatures. Any fossils very closely related in bone structure and size to humans were likely just a branch of the human family.

Also, man’s relationship to the “dust from the ground,” as Genesis puts it, is indisputable. All the chemicals that make up the human body are found in the “dust from the ground.” In fact, man relies on this “dust” for his continued existence. He sustains and regenerates his body with food made of nutrients that are found in the “dust from the ground,” processed through the plants and animals that he eats.

Savage​—Or Son of God?

Another description of the creation of man is found at Genesis 1:26. There God says: “Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness, and let them have in subjection the fish of the sea and the flying creatures of the heavens and the domestic animals and all the earth and every moving animal that is moving upon the earth.” (Genesis 1:26) Since the Bible tells us that God is a spirit, the phrase “in our image” must be understood to mean possessing God’s qualities.

This statement explains, in a way that evolution never could, why man is so different from the animals. Only man can control the animals and the vegetation around him. Only man has a moral sense and a conscience. Only man has a wide freedom of choice and such a developed intelligence. Only man has the ability to conceive of the existence of God and the gift of speech with which to speak to Him. The Journal of Semitic Studies says: “Human speech is a secret; it is a divine gift.”

Evolutionists picture earliest humans as brutish and savage. Doubtless, much savagery was committed by some earlier members of the human race. But modern man has also been savage, as the one hundred million slaughtered in this century’s wars testify. To this very day, he behaves savagely! Nevertheless, the Bible shows that the moral and intellectual potential of early man was not inferior to that of modern man. (Compare Genesis 4:20-22; 5:22; 6:9.) This does not contradict observed facts. Take, for example, the paintings by so-called prehistoric humans found on the walls of Lascaux Cave in France. The sensitivity and artistic ability displayed in those paintings evoke much admiration even today.

Real Significance of Genesis

Thus, the early chapters of Genesis 1-3 provide a glimpse of the beginning of things. However, Genesis is not a detailed scientific textbook, nor was it intended to be. The information that it contains has a deeper purpose.

For example, it shows that man’s happiness depended on his continuing to cooperate with his Creator’s purposes. But when man refused to acknowledge this obligation and rebelled against God’s arrangements, he lost his original happiness and made the swift descent into sin and death and the savagery we still see.​—Genesis 3:1-18; Deuteronomy 32:4, 5.

The first chapters of Genesis 1-3 show, however, that immediately after man’s rebellion, God took the first step of his long-range purpose to restore humankind to its original happiness. A “seed” would come to counteract the bad effects of man’s sin. (Genesis 3:15) Who that Seed would be is a prominent theme of much of the rest of the Bible. And after recording that the Seed did eventually come in the person of the Messiah, Jesus, the Bible goes on to describe how the arrangements God has made, focusing on Jesus, would eventually reverse the tragic course humans have taken. It also describes how the entire earth will be transformed into a paradise inhabited by perfect humans, a paradise where war, violence, crime, unhappiness, and even sickness and death will never again plague the human family.​—Psalm 46:9; Revelation 21:4, 5.

Yes, Genesis is much more than just the story of creation. It sets the stage for all of mankind’s history​—past, present, and future. Much of history, and life itself, is incomprehensible if we omit those important first steps. Indeed, we put our future in jeopardy if we ignore what Genesis really says.​—1 John 2:15-17.

[Blurb on page 24]

The Genesis account of creation does not contradict observed facts

[Blurb on page 25]

The facts verify the Genesis account that living things were created “according to their kinds”

[Blurb on page 27]

Without the Bible’s account, we cannot explain human history or the purpose of life

[Picture on page 26]

The Bible shows that the entire earth will be made a paradise

From Our Readers

Poet’s Grammar

I much enjoyed reading “Tall Sailing Ships Captivate Sydney” (September 8, 1988). I feel I should, however, draw to your attention the inaccuracy of the quotation from John Masefield’s poem “Sea-Fever” as printed in the box. It should read: “I must go down to the seas again.” I enclose a copy of source material.

D. S., England

Our sources for the reading without “go” are the British “Oxford Dictionary of Quotations” (Oxford University Press) and “Familiar Quotations,” by John Bartlett. Authorities advise us that the original reading without “go” comes under “poetic license.”​—ED.

Broken Heart

I have just read “How Can I Get Over a Broken Heart?” (January 22, 1988) Everything you said applied to me. My boyfriend broke off our close friendship. He acted just the way the article said. First, he began to ignore me as his girlfriend, as though the problem would just disappear. When it didn’t go away, then he just sat down and explained the situation. For a few days, I could not adjust myself to the idea, but today, especially after having read the article, I feel relieved, although not yet happy about it. I now realize that I am not the first, nor will I be the last, to go through this.

C. V., Brazil

I came to a point where I needed help on this subject. I talked to my mother and a friend, and they both said I was silly. They said it would pass. But as Awake! described, I was really devastated and heartbroken. It seemed that nothing else mattered in life. Awake! gave me the help I needed more than anything else.

M. M., Portugal

I was 13 at the time. It lasted a year and a half. I was so hurt and upset that I have held a kind of grudge against any guy. I would not talk to any guy unless I had to, or unless he was married. I see now that was wrong. Your article helped me to see that maybe someone will come along that is a more desirable marriage mate.

J. W., United States

I feel I am now in a better position emotionally, mentally, and spiritually to go in search of a mate. The article made it plain that there is no easy and painless way of ending an engagement. These and related articles can go a long way in enabling youths to become wiser in going about their engagement, thereby minimizing the heartaches and unhappiness that result from marrying out of sympathy.

A. U. I., Nigeria

Advertising

I am a subscriber to your magazines, although not one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. I wish to thank you for the articles you print. I have a difficult and delicate job in a psychiatric hospital. I am attending a three-year interuniversity course in psychiatry, and just a few days ago, I sat for my first- and second-year exams. The articles on advertising in the February 8, 1988, issue of Awake! were a most valuable help for my sociology exam. My preparation was really based on your magazine! I got fine results. Thank you once again, and best wishes for your most interesting magazines.

P. V., Italy

Watching the World

Poison in the Air

The German Federal Office of Health examined 3,000 homes and reached an “alarming“ conclusion. “Whether in the living room, bathroom, or kitchen​—there’s poison in the air!” reports the German newspaper Hamburger Abendblatt. Harmful substances lurk in dust, paint, wallpaper, radiators, floor coverings, cleaning agents, sprays, cosmetics, and chipboard furniture. Experts recommend good home ventilation, using less harmful building products, and reacting to the instincts of your nose as an ‘early-warning device​—if it’s always tickling, beware!’

Survival Treatment

In an effort to save the millions of books contained in the British Library, researchers at the University of Surrey have developed “a way to treat books en masse to strengthen the paper and guard against future damage from acid” disintegration, reports The Independent of London. Called graft-polymerization, the process is a “method of bonding supple new plastic-like molecules to the brittle cellulose fibres that make up a sheet of paper.” Older methods of treatment have required that books be treated individually at a cost of £50. However, with this new method, researchers hope to treat up to 200,000 books each year at a cost of only £6 per book.

Stressed Youth

Over the past ten years, the number of children developing ulcers have been on the rise in Japan. According to the newspaper Mainichi Shimbun, the increase has been particularly noticeable among children under ten years of age. The reason? Akio Tsunoda, director of Kanagawa Child Medical Center, says that many of the ulcers are likely caused by stress. It was reported that a four-year-old boy developed an ulcer when he was forced to memorize 1,200 Chinese characters. A five-year-old girl’s stomach ulcer was cured when she quit piano lessons and cram-school classes. While such extracurricular activities, family problems, and “bullying at school” were cited as possible causes, researchers noted that some cases remained unexplained.

Drugs: Infants, Teens, and Crime

● Researchers now warn of “an epidemic of damaged infants, some of whom may be impaired for life because their mothers used cocaine even briefly during pregnancy,” reports The New York Times. Some of the worst effects occur when the drug is used during the first three months of pregnancy, often before the mother realizes she is pregnant. Even one cocaine hit can cause lasting damage to the fetus because a by-product of the drug, norcocaine, stays in the amniotic fluid and repeatedly batters the developing child. “Effects can include retarded growth, stiff limbs, hyper-irritability, tendency to stop breathing with higher risk of crib death, and, in extreme cases, malformed genital and urinary organs, a missing small intestine and strokes and seizures,” says the Times. A survey in 36 U.S. hospitals indicated that as many as 11 percent of pregnant women were exposing their unborn children to illegal drugs.

● A comprehensive eight-year study by two psychology professors at the University of California has confirmed that heavy use of drugs by teenagers leads directly to a host of problems when they become adults. “Young drug abusers divorce more quickly, suffer from greater job instability, commit more serious crimes and are generally more unhappy in their personal lives and relationships,” says Michael Newcomb, coauthor of the study. While there is no way to tell which youngster who starts experimenting with drugs will turn into a heavy user, “researchers say a family history of alcoholism and a lack of attachment between parent and child may be warning signs,” notes U.S.News & World Report magazine. “Parents should closely monitor their children’s behavior and send a consistent message to them by not abusing drugs or alcohol themselves.”

● “The link between drug use and crime rose sharply over a 12-year span ending in 1986,” says The New York Times, commenting on a report released by the U.S. Justice Department’s Bureau of Justice Statistics. “About 35 percent of the inmates held in state prisons around the nation in 1986 were under the influence of an illegal drug when they committed the crimes that led to their incarceration.” Twelve years earlier, 25 percent had committed crimes while under drug influence. The survey also found that some 60 percent of those who regularly abused potent drugs did not do so until after the time of their first arrest. Additionally, 13 percent of the inmates committed crimes such as burglary, robbery, and theft primarily to support their drug addiction. In all, about 50 percent of those in prison for such offenses used an illegal drug daily.

‘Belonging to Jehovah’

The Israel Museum in Jerusalem has a new display: a thumb-sized ivory pomegranate said to be from King Solomon’s temple. “The one relic that surfaced in Jerusalem this week is the only surviving witness to Israel’s glorious temple,” claimed the museum last August. The cream-colored pomegranate is inscribed in ancient Hebrew with the words: “Belonging to the Temple of Jehovah, holy to the priests.”

Best Refuge

One unexpected outcome of dividing Korea into two has been the creating of a wildlife sanctuary in the DMZ (demilitarized zone). Although soldiers sometimes go into this two-and-a-half-mile-wide [4 km] ribbon of land that stretches across the country, hunting is strictly forbidden. “So tense is the atmosphere,” observes columnist S. Chang in Japan’s Daily Yomiuri, “that even a single shot fired at a stray animal or bird could touch off an eruption of gunfire from tens of thousands of troops deployed on both sides.” The result is a quiet no-man’s land where nature flourishes. In particular, wild boars, roe deer, badgers, and scores of varieties of birds and freshwater fish are increasing. Migratory birds flock here, and even endangered species have found a haven. With two strong armies keeping people out, these clever creatures have located what must at present be one of the safest homes in the world for wildlife.

Industrious Swiss

Although people in neighboring countries are working toward lowering the retirement age and reducing the length of the workweek, the Swiss have upheld their reputation of being a hardworking people. How? In a recent national referendum, they voted not to lower the retirement age from 65 to 62 for men and from 62 to 60 for women. In an earlier referendum, they had refused to reduce their workweek to 40 hours, even refusing the addition of a fifth week of paid vacation.

High-Tech Misdiagnosis

WHEN a doctor says that his diagnosis reveals you have a certain disorder, can you be sure that his diagnosis is accurate? A report published by the Canadian newspaper The Globe and Mail says not always! “Studies comparing autopsy findings with the cause of death reported by the doctor find the doctor was wrong 10 to 30 per cent of the time.” This in spite of a proliferation of high-tech diagnostic equipment. Interestingly, Dr. T. F. McElligott, president of the Canadian Association of Pathologists, thinks that overreliance on such equipment is part of the problem.

“There is such sophisticated diagnostic imaging now,” he said, “many clinicians feel that they have not all that much more to learn from the autopsy, so they are not requesting it.” He declared, “I think this assumption is not correct.” The newspaper also drew attention to several recent studies that revealed that “about 20 per cent of fatal diseases continue to be misdiagnosed.”

For example, at a United States university teaching hospital, a 30-year study of autopsies “found that, rather than increasing the over-all accuracy of diagnoses, the reliance on high-technology tests . . . actually contributed to missed diagnoses in some cases.” Also, at one hospital in Winnipeg, Canada, 13 percent of autopsies performed in 1983 “found a major missed diagnosis that, if it had been detected before death, would have resulted in a longer life for the patient or a possible cure.”

At another Winnipeg hospital, a study of the autopsies of 200 cadavers “said 24 per cent found different underlying diseases than were diagnosed. In 10 per cent, the outcome might have been different had the diagnosis made before death proved correct.” In view of these startling facts, it is wise for people with serious health problems to seek more than one opinion from independent medical practitioners.

“The Drudgery Is Gone Forever!”

So commented one user of the Watch Tower Publications Index 1930-1985. She adds: “What a difference personal study is. . . . Can’t get over how much I can look up in just a short period of time.”

This new book has indexed publications of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society from 1930 to 1985. By using it, you can with ease find in your library of Watch Tower publications specific information on literally thousands of subjects, such as the following:

◼ the dos and don’ts of discipline in child training

◼ how to prepare for a job interview

◼ the role of DNA in cell replication

◼ what requests a prayer should not include

◼ the Bible’s view on abortion

◼ what God’s Kingdom will mean to us

Please send, postpaid, the Watch Tower Publications Index 1930-1985. I enclose $7 (U.S.). (Outside the U.S.A., write to local Watch Tower branch for information.)