February 8

Page Two

In our everyday lives, we are constantly exposed to advertising. On television and radio, in magazines and newspapers, as well as by other means, we are offered products and services by those who are anxious to sell them. What are advertising’s good points, and what are the bad ones? How does all of this affect you?

Advertising​—How Necessary?

THE blue peacock of India displays a sudden, glorious blaze of color. Feathers, five times the length of his body, resplendent with eyelike markings, rise from his back to stand shimmering in the sunlight. A majestic sight, he slowly parades in front of his prospective mate, the peahen. How could she possibly resist what has been described as “the most magnificent . . . advertisement in the world”? Advertising is a worldwide phenomenon. Our series examines its motivation and its effects, as seen by Awake! correspondent in Britain.

Basically, what is advertising? It is the action of making something known. In nature it is often essential for the preservation and propagation of life.

Howling wolves, for example, advertise their presence to avoid unnecessary encounters with other packs as each searches for food. A female moth can detect a few molecules of a pheromone, a chemical substance, released many miles away by a male of her own species that is advertising for a mate. Predators wisely avoid the cinnabar caterpillar, whose vivid yellow and black stripes advertise that it is not just distasteful but toxic.

What of us humans? We have gone a step further and commercialized the art of advertising. Consider a few examples.

Commercial Advertising

An Egyptian papyrus discovered at Thebes is perhaps the oldest commercial advertisement in existence. Written over three thousand years ago, it advertised a reward for the return of a runaway slave.

The public criers of ancient Greece, later identified with the town criers of European cities, were in effect mobile publicity men, attracting attention to their proclamations.

In medieval England, the symbol of three hanging golden balls, drawn from the coat of arms of the Italian Medici family of financiers, advertised moneylenders. Today, that same sign survives to identify a pawnbroker’s shop.

Over 250 years ago, London’s Dr. Samuel Johnson complained: “Advertisements are now so numerous that they are very negligently perused. . . . The trade of advertising is now so near to perfection that it is not easy to propose any improvement.” But since then, how things have changed! In the last 50 years, the trade has mushroomed into an industry.

Advertising is big business now, very big. Newspapers, billboards, glossy magazine pages, neon lights, radio and television commercials​—all vie for our attention in a constant bombardment of persuasion, sometimes blatant and at other times amazingly clever and subtle.

The high-pitched drone of modern airships draws our gaze to enormous floating advertisements. Smaller aircraft trail slogans across the sky. The diversification seems endless! But is it really necessary?

How does advertising work? If there was less of it, would we, the consumers, be better​—or worse—​off? What part can it play in our lives?

Advertising​—The Powerful Persuader

ADVERTISING fulfills a need that can be traced back for as long as men have bought and sold. It is an art that has developed over the years.

Modern advertising really took off after World War II. The industrial growth and boom of the 1950’s spilled over into the 1960’s. ‘You’ve never had it so good!’ said Harold Macmillan, Britain’s prime minister at the time. His observation seemed to prove true.

Affluence meant greater purchasing power, which led to more production and the need for increased sales. The circle of supply and demand was complete, all revolving around the hub​—advertising.

Today, selling is an art caught up in the proliferation of credit cards​—22.6 million are in daily use in Britain, the country with the largest number in Europe.

At the turn of the century, space in newspapers and magazines was sold to clients who simply filled it with the basic fact that they had a product to sell. “Cameras by Eastman Kodak” illustrates this. A hundred years ago, Kodak’s annual bill for magazine advertising in the United States came to $350! But now in the United States, more than this amount is spent on commercial advertising per person, per year!

The United States is the undisputed home of modern advertising. Since the second world war, most Western nations have followed its lead, and developing countries are now following suit. Multinational corporations help as they spread their influence.

Advertising is not only big business but also a high-powered industry​—some even call it a science. In any event, it is becoming increasingly difficult to avoid its intrusions into our lives. Wherever we look, whatever we do, advertising is ahead of us, there to greet us. It cajoles, it implores, it reasons, it shouts. Whether consciously or subconsciously, all of us are affected, for better or for worse, by advertising.

Who owns and runs this powerful and persuasive commercial machine? How does it work?

How Do You Place an Advertisement?

If you want to insert an advertisement in your local newspaper, it is easy enough to telephone the newspaper office. But placing an advertisement on television or country-wide on billboards is another proposition. For that, you need the services of an advertising agency. Around the world there are now many from which to choose, but we should look first at New York’s Madison Avenue, Ad Alley as it is often called, where the first agencies sprang up.

Rosser Reeves revolutionized the advertising industry’s techniques in 1954, about ten years after he had helped to launch and develop Ted Bates & Company in Ad Alley. From a small beginning, he built a globe-encircling agency in 50 countries, worth $3 billion in 1984. Other entrepreneurs followed suit, to amass fortunes as the industry entered its postwar boom.

Until five years ago, most British advertising firms were United States subsidiaries, but that is no longer true. When Britain’s Saatchi & Saatchi purchased Ted Bates & Company in 1986, it became the world’s largest advertising agency. Even so, the United States still accounts for more than half the total amount of money the world spends annually on advertising.

What kind of figure are we talking about? No less than $150 billion a year, from which, according to The Economist, advertising-agency commissions come close to $23 billion.

But the real power of advertising does not lie with the money. As Bill Bernbach, one of Madison Avenue’s greatest innovators, put it: “All of us who use the mass media are the shapers of society. We can vulgarize that society. We can brutalize it. Or we can elevate it.” Therein lies advertising’s awesome power. Just how responsibly is it wielded?

The “Hard Sell”

“Hard sell,” according to Britain’s Advertising Association, is “punchy, persuasive, high-pressure advertising.” But the American definition, “aggressive high-pressure salesmanship,” may be more pointed. It is the complete antithesis of the “gentle persuasion” of the “soft sell.” What is involved, and how does it affect us?

When a market nears the saturation point, aggressive salesmanship takes over as manufacturers fight to keep or extend their share of it. In many Western countries, cars, television sets, and like commodities are now experiencing the hard sell in the face of overcapacity.

An interesting medical situation exists in the United States that illustrates the motive behind high-pressure advertising. “Hospitals Learn the Hard Sell,” headlined Time magazine. Faced as hospitals are with an increase in the number of empty beds and in competition between hospitals and clinics, aggressive advertising is taking over. One California medical center advertisement asks: “Kidney Stones? Who Ya Gotta Call . . . Stonebusters!”

One of the problems with the hard sell, however, is that it is often difficult to fight against it. The power of persuasion may become so great that we may be coerced into buying something we do not need or into doing something not in our best interests. Let us take two well-known examples.

Bottle-Feeding Versus Breast-Feeding

The World Health Organization’s code of practice now prohibits the distribution of free dried-milk samples to mothers. Its aim is to safeguard breast-feeding because breast milk contains antibodies that help to protect against disease. It also suppresses ovulation, acting as a form of contraception, and that is helpful in countries where other forms of birth control are not available.

The recent distribution of such samples in some of Britain’s National Health hospitals brought back a flood of memories and fears. The results of a five-year survey in Liverpool, England, revealed that “mothers don’t understand the instructions on the labels [of artificial milk feeds] and the bottles and teats are kept in unhygienic conditions.” Researcher Dr. A. J. H. Stephens added fairly: “Breast-milk substitutes are quite safe provided they are mixed correctly and hygienically.” [Italics ours.] But problems abound when they are not.

In 1983 a shocking report in Africa Now revealed that an estimated ten million cases of infectious disease and infant malnutrition each year were caused by bottle-feeding. Earlier, in 1974, the charity War on Want had claimed that in developing countries a million babies a year died as a result of powdered-milk sales. The reason? “Aggressive marketing and promotion of breast-milk substitutes,” reported Africa Now.

The Observer delineated the tragedy for those who lacked the ability to cope with the necessary hygienic requirements in preparing such feeds: “The weight of evidence from poor countries [is] that advertising was persuading poorly educated mothers that milk substitutes are as good as breast milk, and that babies were dying as a result of poor sterilisation of bottles.” In some cases, after receiving free samples, mothers could not afford to buy the product. By that time their breast milk had dried up. That hard sell had a tragic outcome.

The Tobacco Harvest

In the 1980’s, so successful is cigarette advertising to women in Britain that despite acknowledged health-risk factors, smoking among women has dropped by only a fifth in the past 15 years, compared with a drop of one third for men.a As a result, “lung cancer is now killing nearly as many women as breast cancer, and more and more women are suffering from ‘male’ diseases of the heart and chest,” reports London’s The Sunday Times.

Britain’s Health Education Council is greatly concerned, but what can it do on an advertising budget of £1.5 million compared with the tobacco industry’s £100 million?

One idea is to curb tobacco advertising. Some countries have already imposed a total ban​—Norway in 1975, neighboring Finland three years later, and the Sudan in 1983, for example. In many other lands, such as West Germany, the United States, and the Republic of South Africa, pressure groups are persistently lobbying for additional restrictions on cigarette advertising.

But in Britain, where cigarette manufacturers trade in a “struggling market,” the hard sell continues in printed form, particularly in women’s magazines. Why there? Simply because “women form an extremely lucrative source of income,” observes The Sunday Times. When an advertiser is employed to sell a commodity, morality does not necessarily come into it.

Advertising’s Use of Sports

It is logical for manufacturers to sponsor sports with which they are connected​—tires and petrol in motor racing, for instance. But how do tobacco companies get involved in such promotions, to the tune of £8.2 million in Britain in 1985? “Sport is supposed to make people healthy and smoking makes them ill,” observed one Member of Parliament, “so tobacco sponsorship is irreconcilable with the idea of promoting healthy living through sport.” Yet such promotions are profitable investments. Consider why.

First of all, there is the immediate association of a sporting event with an advertised brand name, but that is only the beginning. By means of large signs, skillfully put around the place where the events are being televised, cigarette advertisements can appear on millions of television screens, and the tobacco companies are not paying a penny for the privilege. In this way they also circumvent the 20-year-old ban placed on all television tobacco advertising in the United Kingdom.

In 1982 an estimated 350 million viewers in 90 countries saw Martina Navratilova win the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championship wearing an outfit of the same colors as a popular cigarette packet. “It’s got nothing to do with cigarettes. Who’s worrying anyway?” was the response of one of the promoters, in the face of BBC Television protests. More stringent restrictions have been imposed to meet this kind of sporting challenge, but it is not easy to keep ahead of such subtle persuasion.

Positive Persuasion

Advertising can generate work and stimulate an economy​—welcome contributions to society. Advertising can even create a market where no market exists. Consider the impact of diamonds in Japan.

Unlike the Western world where a diamond engagement ring is the usual culmination of a successful courtship, Japanese society is built on different customs. In 1968 less than 5 percent of Japanese women received an engagement ring. But a campaign to promote diamonds started that year, and as a result, 60 percent of Japanese brides were wearing diamonds by 1981. “In a mere 13 years, the 1,500 year Japanese tradition was radically revised,” commented E. J. Epstein in his book The Diamond Invention. Such is advertising’s power of persuasion.

Advertising can also be employed to alert people to danger. In 1986 the British government appointed a London advertising agency to warn the country of the serious threat posed by AIDS. Every home in the country received a free leaflet, augmented by advertisements on radio and television, and in newspapers and magazines.

But the greatest record of effective publicity traces back nearly two thousand years, to those first intrepid followers of Jesus Christ. Do you know just how skilled those early Christians were at advertising? It is an intriguing story.

[Footnotes]

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What Sells the Ad?

MODERN advertising is expensive. Television commercials may cost tens of thousands of dollars, as may extensive newspaper and magazine spreads. Will people read them? Will they remember them? Will they act upon them? To ensure that they do, science now plays an increasingly important role in advertisement preparation. Eye-tracking equipment, monitoring viewers’ eyes by means of infrared beams, quickly reveals which part of the prepared layout is catching the most attention. But even then, sales must rest on stimulating the desire to buy. Psychophysiologists say they have the answer as they check the brain’s reaction. But the simple fact remains: “The more likable a TV commercial is, the more persuasive it will be,” reports the Ogilvy Center for Research & Development.

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Advertising made a huge difference in the sale of diamond rings in Japan

Advertising​—Christianity’s Powerful Weapon

FOLLOWING the death of Jesus Christ, the first Christians were scattered and persecuted. Explains Professor K. S. Latourette in his History of Christianity: “Because they refused to participate in pagan ceremonies the Christians were dubbed atheists. Through their abstention from . . . the pagan festivals, the public amusements which to Christians were shot through and through with pagan beliefs, practices, and immoralities​—they were derided as haters of the human race.”

That Christianity should have survived and expanded around the then known world in the face of such opposition is quite extraordinary. How was it possible? Part of the secret rested on preaching or publicity!

Describing Jesus’ work as a persuasive preacher and teacher, Professor C. J. Cadoux writes in The Early Church and the World: “The work of persuasion had to be carried on by means both of words and of deeds. There was bound, therefore, to be much publicity in his life and teaching. . . . A good deal of his early teaching​—as well as that of his disciples—​was delivered in public.” Commenting further on the activity of the disciples after Jesus’ death, Cadoux continues: “Publicity is courted. The witnesses deliver their testimony with outspoken frankness.”

What kind of people are we talking about? Explains Edmond de Pressensé in The Early Years of Christianity: “The teaching . . . was an unstudied speech, springing from the heart. The Apostles were not the only speakers; the other Christians spoke as freely as they of the wonderful works of God.” Christians were their own publicity agents, all of them eagerly sharing their faith with others in their public preaching and teaching work.

Edward Gibbon, in his Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, points out that “the public highways, which had been constructed for the use of the [Roman] legions, opened an easy passage for the Christian missionaries from Damascus to Corinth, and from Italy to the extremity of Spain or Britain.” Gibbon adds: “There is the strongest reason to believe that before the reigns of Diocletian and Constantine the faith of Christ had been preached in every province, and in all the great cities of the empire.”

To propagate their faith, the Christians exploited every means available. As Bible translator Edgar Goodspeed reveals in his book Christianity Goes to Press: “They were to an unusual extent a book-buying and book-reading people. They were also a translating and publishing people. . . . [In 140 C.E.] Christian publishers . . . resorted to the leaf-book form, the codex, and found it so practical . . . and convenient that it became their characteristic book form.”

20th-Century Advertising

Today, Jehovah’s Witnesses are just as zealous and active as their first-century counterparts were in publicizing the Christian faith throughout the world​—and in using modern technology. Consider the following 20th-century highlights:

● 1914. “Photo-Drama of Creation.” This drama consisted of picture slides and moving pictures synchronized with phonograph records of talks and music. The project was one of the pioneers in the field of sound motion pictures.

● 1920. “Millions Now Living Will Never Die.” Over a two-year period, billboards and newspapers, along with an extensive personal advertising campaign worldwide, heralded this popular lecture and subsequent booklet.

● 1922. “Advertise the King and Kingdom.” This was the challenging theme of the Cedar Point, Ohio, convention. The exhortation to “advertise, advertise, advertise, the King and his Kingdom” set the pace for Jehovah’s Witnesses as personal publicity agents from that time on.

● 1924. WBBR, Watch Tower Society’s radio station. Built to take advantage of early radio transmission. By 1933, the peak year, a network of 408 stations was being used by Jehovah’s Witnesses to advertise the Bible’s message on six continents.

● 1934. Portable phonographs and 78-rpm records. For ten years Jehovah’s Witnesses used this then up-to-date method of communication, manufacturing some 20,000 phonographs to meet the demand.

A Mighty Final Witness!

As World War II drew to its close in 1945, Jehovah’s Witnesses were poised to enter the field of preaching to an unprecedented extent. Jesus said that with faith his followers would “do works greater” than those he had performed. This would be in the extent of their preaching. How true this prophecy has proved to be!​—John 14:12.

In the year 1987, some three million four hundred thousand Witnesses in 210 countries spent over 700 million hours preaching and teaching. “Whatever part of the world you live in, it is difficult not to meet Jehovah’s Witnesses,” notes Church of England cleric Jack Roundhill, adding: “They carry out their witness in market-places and from public platforms and wherever they can find an audience. But the characteristic method of the Witnesses is to take their message right into the house of anyone who will let them in. Often they get no further than the doorstep, and if so, they will use the doorstep as their pulpit.”

Advertising by word of mouth pays a rich dividend, with over 230,000 new Witnesses being baptized during the course of the year. For the annual Memorial celebration of the death of Jesus Christ, they attracted nearly nine million people to their Kingdom Halls.

From their many printing plants around the world, millions of books, booklets, and tracts pour forth in a steadily increasing stream, in over 200 languages. The Watchtower and Awake! are the most widely circulated religious magazines in the world today, having a combined circulation of 46 million copies a month. But they have never contained commercial advertising. And one of the Witnesses’ hardbound books, The Truth That Leads to Eternal Life, has a circulation of over 106 million in 116 languages! The circulation of others of their Bible-based books numbers into the tens of millions each.

Yes, Jehovah’s Witnesses are well prepared to advertise the King and his Kingdom, the righteous government soon to take over man’s affairs. With such motivation, their enthusiastic advertising is indeed a powerful Christian weapon!

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Phonographs were used for preaching

In its day, the Photo-Drama advertising drew large audiences

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Witnesses now preach in over 200 lands

In some 54,000 congregations, Witnesses publicize God’s Kingdom

Worldwide, hundreds of millions of Bible publications, in some 200 languages, come off presses like this one

Is Religion Slipping out of the Picture?

By Awake! correspondent in the Netherlands

MANY people in Europe find themselves facing that question, which appeared in the cover article of the Dutch weekly De Tijd. The magazine also raised questions such as: Is it true that religion in Europe is dying off? What does the average person think as to the future of religion?

Undoubtedly, you too have questions about the present state of religion. Even in the United States, where traditional religion still has a strong hold, credibility has been shaken by the scandals that have rocked the TV evangelists and by the divisions within Catholic ranks. In many Catholic countries, the fall in church attendance over the last two decades has also been noticeable.

Here in the Netherlands, there was a time, not too long ago, when you could have fired a cannon on the streets on a Sunday morning without hitting anyone​—they were all in church! Now very few attend. What has happened?

Former Churches Now Restaurants and Shops

During the past ten years, the two largest religious bodies in the Netherlands, the Roman Catholic Church and the Dutch Reformed Church, have lost many members and churchgoers. Only 19 percent of the believers attend either of these churches, and for the Catholic Church that represents a drop from 85 percent attendance in 1967!

As a consequence of this, many churches have become superfluous. Some have been torn down, and others have been sold for other purposes. So do not be surprised if you walk into a former church building in Rotterdam or Amsterdam and find that it is now a supermarket, a flowershop, a clothing store, a restaurant, a bicycle shop, a sports hall, or a discotheque. This comes as a shock to many people. And this slump within the churches has had its effect on priests and preachers.

Dwindling Clergy and Divided Flocks

Just as many of their members have left the church, so likewise many priests and preachers have abandoned their calling. In a recent five-year period, the number of Catholic priests fell by some 900. At the same time, very few have been added, as the number of “vocations” has fallen off. Those remaining are getting old. For example, 89 percent of the nuns in the Netherlands are over 50 years old.

The clergy also find themselves no longer able to cope with the problems that confront them within the church. Some completely buckled under the pressure and have had to turn to psychiatric treatment. The daily Apeldoornse Courant put it this way: “When they venture to be conservative in their preaching, the more progressive members of the congregation are stumbled. Should they position themselves progressively, this then draws criticism from those members sticking more closely to the Bible. Should a preacher or priest dare to choose the middle road, he then runs the risk of being rejected by the whole congregation.”

Of course, these events have had an influence on Dutch society. A census by the Dutch Social Cultural Planning Office in 1985 reveals that for the first time more than half the population views itself as being nonreligious.

Divisiveness within the churches, often concerning political issues, has led many to doubt. Church support of “freedom movements” in various South American and African countries has led to considerable internal strife. There has even been a national advertising campaign under the motto: NO CHURCH MONEY FOR ARMED VIOLENCE.

How do you react to such developments? Do you think the churches will emerge unscathed from this period of crisis? To formulate an answer, we really need to dig deeper into the basic causes of the present religious confusion.

Why Is Religion Slipping?

Historians, sociologists, and theologians are thoroughly divided as to the causes for the present developments within the churches. Some quote the pleasure-loving of this materialistic society and the growing indifference of the populace. It brings to mind the words of the apostle Paul in 2 Timothy 3:1, 2, 4: “But know this, that in the last days critical times hard to deal with will be here. For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, . . . lovers of pleasures rather than lovers of God.”

Others try to explain matters on the basis of European history. This history is soaked in blood and tears, from the religious wars of the 16th century all the way up to the religious involvement in the world wars of our 20th century. All of this has left behind a deep-rooted suspicion of any form of philosophy, theology, and ideology. After all, these were often the reasons behind wars, persecution, and violence.

Within the churches of today, many find missing an optimistic expectation for the future. To quote a German Roman Catholic theologian, Professor J. B. Metz of the University of Münster: “Our Western religiousness is secularized down to the bone. It seems that not even a trace of messianism has been left over. Rulership by God has vanished from it. He does not fulfill a role within the churches anymore, or within the theological and the social and political issues of our day.”

In addition, there is the influence of both world wars, which began in Europe in this century. Auschwitz, as a symbol of concentration camps during the second world war, has increased the criticism of the churches. For many, the fact that Pope Pius XII, as leader of the Roman Catholic Church, kept virtually silent during critical periods is something hard to swallow.

In view of this, many have lost confidence in the church and its leaders. And how do you personally view these developments? Have they made you indifferent, and do you reason as do many others: ‘I will outlast this situation’? Still, looking at it from another angle, you no doubt see the threat of a nuclear holocaust and the ecological crisis, and without doubt you ponder the questions: ‘Really, what kind of future is there in store for me and my children?’ ‘As far as the future goes, does religion have anything to offer us?’

What Future Is There for Religion in Europe?

Many people consider it possible that Judeo-Christian tradition will have ceased to exist within a short time. Some theologians are of the opinion that Europe has already become a post-Christian society.

What does the Bible, the source of the faith Jesus Christ taught, say about the future of religion? If there is anybody who can say something significant on this subject, then of course it should be the Founder of Christianity, Jesus Christ.

As one studies the Bible, one of the things that immediately comes to the fore is what the apostle Peter said about the Bible itself at 1 Peter 1:24, 25: “All flesh is like grass, and all its glory is like a blossom of grass; the grass becomes withered, and the flower falls off, but the saying of Jehovah endures forever.” The Bible will always exist, and history reveals that whatever its enemies have done in an effort to destroy it, they have not succeeded. And what has become of the teachings that Jesus Christ taught when on earth more than 19 centuries ago? How many of these teachings can one find in the various forms of religion?

In talking to a Samaritan woman at a well, Jesus explained what the requirements of pure worship are: “Nevertheless, the hour is coming, and it is now, when the true worshipers will worship the Father with spirit and truth, for, indeed, the Father is looking for suchlike ones to worship him. God is a Spirit, and those worshiping him must worship with spirit and truth.” This worship “with spirit and truth” will always remain.​—John 4:23, 24.

But what is it that is going to disappear? Divided Christendom, the friend of the political world. And why will it have to go? Because it has shown disregard for the warning: “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.

In the last book of the Bible, Revelation, chapters 17 and 18, the world empire of false religion is symbolically described as a harlot, “Babylon the Great.” Revelation 17:16 and Re 18:8 describe how political elements will destroy her, and all who have shared in her sins will also receive of her plagues. That is why the following exhortation is sounded in Re 18 verse 4 of chapter 18: “Get out of her, my people, if you do not want to share with her in her sins, and if you do not want to receive part of her plagues.” At that time the prophecy of Zephaniah will also be fulfilled: “For then I shall give to peoples the change to a pure language, in order for them all to call upon the name of Jehovah, in order to serve him shoulder to shoulder.”​—Zephaniah 3:9.

Do you see where you stand in that picture? Are you serving with those who call on the name of Jehovah? What is needed so as to be able to do this?

What Can You Do in Order to Find Safety?

Although Christendom, along with all false religion, is bound to vanish from Europe as well as the rest of the world, true Christianity will remain forever. The crucial question is whether your faith will collapse or remain strong enough to enable you to survive when Christendom crashes down. What is necessary in order to survive? You must ‘worship the Father with spirit and truth.’ The Creator expects of you that you will get to know him through his Word, the Bible. Of that Word, Jesus said: “Your word is truth.” (John 17:17) In the Bible, the course making survival possible is marked out, regardless of where you live on the face of the earth.

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Church in Hoorn, now apartments and a clothing store

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Lutheran church in Arnhem, now used for storage, cinema, and discotheque

Clouds​—They Tell a Story

POETS, ancient and modern, have turned to the sky and the clouds for inspiration. Even city dwellers will look up to the sky to see what weather awaits them. The wise country person remembers the old saying, “Red sky at night is the shepherd’s delight, red sky in the morning is the shepherd’s warning.” Just a fable? No, it was based on the type of clouds that can augur good or bad weather in the reflection of the sun.

Clouds come in different shapes and designs. They all tell a story. There are the ones that seem to pile up higher and higher into the sky. Often they are what are called cumulus clouds, from the Latin word for “pile,” or “heap.” If they are rain-bearing cumulus clouds, they will likely be dark or gray and then they are called cumulonimbus, nimbo being the Latin term for “rain.”

What about those clouds high in the sky that look like curling, wispy feathers? Instead of being composed mainly of water droplets, as most clouds are, these, because of their altitude, are made of ice crystals and are called cirrus, from the Latin word for “curl.” The low-lying clouds that cover the whole sky and bring snow or rain are called stratus (layerlike) clouds because they hang like a blanket, or a layer, across the sky.

There are several variations on these basic types, but regardless of which clouds we see in our part of the world, how grateful we can be to have such variety in the sky. Just compare a good photo showing clouds in the sky with one that has none. Usually, you will soon see which picture has character.

But how are clouds formed? That is another subject for another occasion. However, the next time you look at clouds, recall the words of Elihu: “Look up to heaven and see, and behold the clouds, that they are indeed higher than you.” (Job 35:5) Then remember their Creator, Jehovah God.

[Pictures on page 17]

Right: Cirrus clouds

Below: Stratocumulus clouds in a sunrise

Above: Cumulus clouds

Left: Cumulonimbus forming a thunderhead

Young People Ask . . .

How Can I Avoid a Broken Heart?

PSYCHOANALYST Erich Fromm is quoted as saying: “There is hardly any enterprise which is started with such tremendous hopes and expectations and yet which fails as regularly as love.”

When a romance fails, however, the result is often pain and heartbreak. And the sad fact of life is that the only sure way to avoid getting a broken heart is to avoid getting romantically involved in the first place. True, as far as Christians are concerned, dating is serious business, a way of selecting a suitable marriage mate. Nevertheless, the very nature of dating often makes it somewhat of a trial-and-error process. So it is not unusual for two people to begin dating with the best of intentions​—only to find that they simply are not suitable for each other as marriage mates.

The Pitfalls of Young Love

Perhaps the greatest romantic hazard is to date during your teen years. This is “the bloom of youth,” when passion is rising to peak power. (1 Corinthians 7:36) Dr. Ari Kiev observes: “For most young people, relationships with the opposite sex . . . are frequently aggravated by an abundance of confusing sex drives.” No wonder, then, that youths often fall ‘in love’ with the greatest of ease. “I met this fellow,” recalls a young woman named Barbara. “We corresponded maybe for about a year. And then in one of his letters, he said that he loved me. I said to myself, ‘I’ve only seen him once. How in the world can he say that?’”

But even when teen couples try to restrain passion and pursue a relationship on the basis of compatibility, the odds are slim that they will stay compatible! Why? Because a teenage personality is in a state of flux. You are discovering who you are, what you really like, what you want to do with your life. Things important to you today may mean little tomorrow. Teen romances are thus often doomed relationships, seldom culminating in marriage.

Wisely, then, the Bible recommends marriage only for those “past the bloom of youth.” (1 Corinthians 7:36) This would rule out dating while a person is still very young. Following this advice may not be easy, but it will certainly “remove vexation from your heart, and ward off calamity from your flesh” if you do not date until you are old enough to marry.​—Ecclesiastes 11:10.

Looking Before You Leap

Nevertheless, simply being older does not make one immune to heartbreak. In her book Love Lives, Carol Botwin pinpoints how even adults sometimes fall into romantic pitfalls: “They leap into relationships too fast. . . . They want commitment too fast.” Giving your heart to someone you hardly know is one sure way to break it.

“You look at things according to their face value,” said the apostle Paul to Christians at Corinth. (2 Corinthians 10:7) Do not make a similar mistake by getting romantically involved purely on the basis of physical appearance. First try to find out what kind of person he or she is. If circumstances do not lend themselves to getting acquainted at a safe distance, you might discreetly determine if this person you are interested in is well reported on by others.

The Bible says that a capable wife’s works would “praise her even in the gates.” (Proverbs 31:31) You can similarly expect a fine Christian man or woman to have a good reputation. If it turns out that he or she has a dubious record​—perhaps known for starting relationship after relationship and then backing out when things get serious—​beware! Your feelings may very well be the next ones trampled on.

Speaking Truth

Even when someone’s reputation seems to be good and the interest is mutual, it is still premature to start planning your wedding. A closer examination of this person may well reveal serious personality flaws or spiritual weaknesses. How, then, can you get to know what this one is really like? While there is nothing wrong with engaging in recreational activities together, courtship serves its purpose best when it also includes some serious confidential talk.​—Compare Proverbs 15:22.

What are your goals? Your interests? Your views on having children? Budgeting money? It is most important that you ‘speak truth with one another,’ not bending the truth because you fear losing this person. (Ephesians 4:25) Sooner or later the real you will come out anyway. And you are better off letting the other person know just who you are and what you want out of life than to begin a relationship that is likely to terminate in disappointment​—or a miserable marriage.

But what if the other person resorts to pretense to keep the relationship alive? Warns the Bible: “Anyone inexperienced puts faith in every word, but the shrewd one considers his steps.” (Proverbs 14:15) Not that you should be overly suspicious, but it is only reasonable to try personally to determine if this person’s actions speak as loud as his or her words.

Learning where he or she stands on key issues is something that should be done at the outset​—not later on when both are too emotionally involved. Steve, for example, was looking for a marriage mate that shared his devotion to the Christian ministry. Soon he became interested in a girl who was very attractive to him. He recalls: “But then I started to realize she didn’t have any goals, and she wasn’t very active as a Christian.” Steve wisely called off the relationship.

Too Close for Comfort

This points to another important aspect of avoiding heartbreak. Judy puts it this way: “I’ve learned from past experiences that it’s so easy to get emotionally involved. Sometimes you let the person get too close, and even when you find you don’t love each other, you’re so emotionally involved, you’re scared to hurt the person.”

The Shulammite girl of Bible times was evidently quite aware of the power of unbridled romantic emotions. So when being wooed by powerful King Solomon, she told her girl companions “not to awaken or arouse love in [her] until it feels inclined.” (Song of Solomon 2:7) It may likewise be prudent to keep a strong grip on your feelings when first getting to know someone.

This would include avoiding premature or inappropriate expressions of affection. The principle applies: “Can a man rake together fire into his bosom and yet his very garments not be burned?” (Proverbs 6:27) Kissing or holding hands at the opening stage of a relationship is counterproductive. Such activities may not only arouse immoral sexual desires but also suppress good judgment and objectivity. You can hardly make a cool judgment about someone if your passions are aroused. Besides, heavy displays of affection simply worsen the pain of breaking up if a relationship does not work out.

When Judy finally began dating a young man, she was thus careful to let the relationship develop gradually, maintaining a safe distance until she was reasonably sure he was the man she wanted to marry. “Then I knew it was all right to let my feelings for him develop,” she says.

Courtship has the potential both for happiness and for misery. How you handle courtship has a lot to do with the outcome. True, there is no way of guaranteeing that a relationship will work out. And even after taking every precaution, heartbreak can still occur. Nevertheless, by dating only when you are ready for marriage, keeping your emotions under control, and exercising due caution, you can do much to minimize heartbreak and maximize the possibility of a courtship that will result in a happy marriage.

[Picture on page 18]

Teen romances seldom lead to marriage but often to heartache

[Picture on page 20]

Get to know someone well before getting romantically involved

Crossword Puzzle

Clues Across

2. The means by which John “came to be in the Lord’s day” (Revelation 1:10)

8. It was prophesied that Jesus would ride into Jerusalem upon this animal (Zechariah 9:9)

9. Clothing (Acts 10:30)

12. Can be used to steer boats (Acts 27:40)

13. This officer commanded 30 other Reubenites in David’s army (1 Chronicles 11:42)

14. Solomon placed him in charge of the palace household (1 Kings 4:6)

16. Accumulate (Daniel 11:2)

17. Where Satan will be bruised (Genesis 3:15)

18. Green gemstone (Revelation 21:19)

21. One of the cities allotted the Merarite Levites (1 Chronicles 6:77)

25. The “great crowd” were seen holding these branches in their hands (Revelation 7:9)

27. Assign as one’s share (Ezekiel 45:1)

28. Son of Harum of the tribe of Judah (1 Chronicles 4:8)

30. Plural of 8 across (Judges 10:4)

31. A string of this color was put above the fringed edges of every Israelite’s garment (Numbers 15:38)

32. Jehovah is pleased when children obey them (Colossians 3:20)

35. A needle has one (Mark 10:25)

36. Where Paul preached daily while awaiting Timothy and Silas in Athens (Acts 17:16, 17)

Clues Down

1. Sites laid waste [2 words] (Ezra 9:9)

2. Result of cooperating with the governing body in Jerusalem (Acts 16:4, 5)

3. Respectful form of address (John 4:11)

4. Starting point of the Exodus from Egypt (Numbers 33:3)

5. A number denoting fullness or entirety (Luke 19:13)

6. Indigenous inhabitant (Numbers 15:30)

7. Locations where Jehovah’s name must be glorified [4 words] (Isaiah 24:15)

10. Type of tree foretold to flourish in the desert under paradisaic conditions (Isaiah 41:19)

11. Used to waterproof the ark (Genesis 6:14)

14. Used in the Bible to refer to a Roman province, it is now the name of a continent (Acts 16:6)

15. A priest who was the son of Zechariah (Nehemiah 11:12)

17. Confine (Deuteronomy 28:57)

19. Animal sacrificed by Abraham in place of Isaac (Genesis 22:13)

20. Her sons became the founders of the priestly and royal tribes of Israel (Genesis 29:32, 34, 35)

22. At times Jesus and his apostles had no time for one (Mark 6:31)

23. One of the most valuable trees in Bible times (2 Kings 18:32)

24. The kind of man who does not stumble in word (James 3:2)

26. This captured city was renamed Dan (Joshua 19:47)

28. Poisonous snake (Romans 3:13)

29. Should not be done with blood (Genesis 9:4)

33. By means of it, the human race survived (Genesis 6:17-20)

34. Though inanimate, it obeyed Jesus (Matthew 8:27)

CROSSWORD SOLUTIONS PAGE 25

Answers Across

2. INSPIRATION

8. ASS

9. RAIMENT

12. OARS

13. ADINA

14. AHISHAR

16. AMASS

17. HEAD

18. EMERALD

21. RIMMONO

25. PALM

27. ALLOT

28. AHARHEL

30. ASSES

31. BLUE

32. PARENTS

35. EYE

36. MARKETPLACE

Answers Down

1. DESOLATED PLACES

2. INCREASE

3. SIR

4. RAMESES

5. TEN

6. NATIVE

7. ISLANDS OF THE SEA

10. ASH

11. TAR

14. ASIA

15. AMZI

17. HEM

19. RAM

20. LEAH

22. MEAL

23. OIL-OLIVE

24. PERFECT

26. LESHEM

28. ASP

29. EAT

33. ARK

34. SEA

We Were Lilliputians Among Dwarfs

A FEW years after the Spanish Civil War, when I was still a young girl, my mother and I went to the circus in our hometown of Cuenca. Stepping into the big top, I suddenly heard a commanding voice shouting: “Senora, Senora, I would like to hire your daughter!” My mother, taken by surprise, immediately answered: “I have another one you can hire as well!” This strange encounter was to change our lives completely.

You see, my younger sister Carmen and I are not much taller than dolls, lilliputians indeed, even among dwarfs. Carmen and I are only about three feet [1 m] tall. That certainly explains our stage name, Las Hermanas Mínimas (The Tiny Sisters), when we later performed in circuses, bullrings, local festivals, and cabarets throughout Spain, France, and Italy. But let me tell you a bit more about how show business became part of our lives.

Running the Gauntlet

Father died during the Civil War, when Carmen and I were still very young. Being a dwarf was considered a curse by many at that time. So you can imagine what it was like for my mother to have not one but two dwarfs. Aunts, uncles, and cousins all felt so ashamed of us that some even suggested rather heartlessly that Mother push us over a cliff to get rid of us. The neighborhood kids used to throw stones at us, cruelly reminding us that we were outsiders. We would never have stepped outside the house if it hadn’t been necessary to go to school.

School wasn’t too bad, apart from the daily walk home, which often became somewhat like running the gauntlet because we were chased by the other children, who used to jeer, taunt, and pelt us with stones. Our teacher, however, was very understanding and compassionate. She devoted extra time to us, teaching us not only the normal curriculum but also all kinds of needlework. And what is more, she found clients who were more than willing to buy our handiwork. Now that we were growing up, agewise at least, it was important to think of some way of making a living.

Carmen and I hated being the center of curiosity, but wherever we went, people would rudely stare at us. This made us decide to work at home. However, as a result, our life became more and more solitary, a self-imposed confinement that continued until that decisive day when Mother and I went to the circus.

Life as Circus Dolls

It was the circus manager himself who had shouted to my mother and who wanted to hire me on the spot. I didn’t really like the idea. Yet, he had a very convincing argument. “How will you support yourself later on in life if you don’t work now?” he asked, arousing again all my innermost anxieties as to my future. He warned me: “You are going to end up in the Misericordia.” (Misericordia, or house of mercy, was the name given at that time to the local Invalids’ Home.) This was a prospect I disliked even more than performing in a circus. I had always cherished the idea of being a teacher.

But for now, teaching remained just a dream. After a few weeks of learning classical dancing, the two of us started to tour Spain, often performing for rather unappreciative audiences but at other times for enthusiastic little children. They were so delighted with our performances that they sometimes wanted their mothers to buy us as dolls.

At that time, life was exciting, traveling to places I had only dreamed of before. How our lives had changed! After years of being afraid to go out of the house, here we were out there in the limelight. Looking back, I am sure that getting away from our self-imposed isolation helped us to accept our physical condition without suffering permanent emotional damage.

Circus Life​—No Children’s Playground

There was one drawback, however, in our newfound life. Our lilliputian world turned out to be anything but the innocent children’s playground that was portrayed onstage. Not a few of our fellow dwarf performers used to act in the most unpredictable way. Feelings of resentment and frustration easily build up since “grown-ups” so often don’t treat us like normal persons. Every once in a while these feelings would overflow in senseless outbursts of violence. But it also seemed to me that some of these dwarfs engaged in riotous behavior in order to build up their battered self-confidence.

My sister and I felt uncomfortable in this environment. For us, performing was nothing more than a means to make a decent living, the only one available to us in Spain at that time. We tried to stay clear of any trouble, and eventually we gained the respect of everyone. Sometimes, circus officials said to belligerent dwarfs: “Look at The Tiny Sisters. You should imitate them!”

During all these years, I never forgot the warning the circus manager had voiced. How would I support myself later on in life? So despite failing health, Carmen and I worked hard so that we could lay aside enough money for the rainy day that we thought was bound to come.

Nevertheless, I now see a positive side to all that hard work. Keeping busy among the hustle and bustle of circus life made it easier for us to accept our physical condition, and we certainly avoided shutting ourselves off from everybody. Above all, we were too occupied to lapse into self-pity.

Small Book​—Big Impression

After many years, during one of our tours through Spain, a teenager approached us right there in the fairgrounds, explaining something about God’s Kingdom. She gave us two small books, which we happily accepted. That very afternoon, we started to thumb through one of them, The Truth That Leads to Eternal Life. What we read really touched our hearts, to such an extent that we started to talk to other performers about what we were reading. But how disappointed we felt when we discovered that not everyone was interested in what to us seemed so thrilling!

Two years passed, and then another Witness called at our home in Madrid. We were delighted to listen again to the Kingdom message, and the Witness even promised to come back with a Catholic Bible translation so that we could see for ourselves that the Witnesses’ Bible was not a different one. Soon, a study was started, and it didn’t take very long to convince us that we had found the truth. After only one year, Carmen was baptized, and some months later, I also dedicated my life to Jehovah and was baptized.

A Teacher at Last

Preaching from house to house was a real challenge for both of us. Oh, yes, we were accustomed to performing on stage, but standing in front of a door and trying to start a conversation with someone we had never seen before was quite another matter. We had never really overcome our deep-seated shyness and timidity. We asked ourselves: ‘How will people react when they see two dwarfs at their door?’ ‘Will they mistake us for beggars?’ I am happy to say that this has happened very rarely.

Thanks to the kindness and patience of our spiritual brothers, we overcame our fears little by little, and preaching began to occupy much of our time. Finally, my childhood dream came true​—I was at last a teacher! I don’t teach the basics of mathematics, grammar, or suchlike, but the basics of gaining everlasting life.

Of course, people are often startled to find such tiny persons at the door. On the other hand, some are so astonished to find out that we can speak just like anyone else that they listen to our message quite attentively.

We always feel happy when we can go from house to house accompanied by our dear brothers of the congregation to which we belong. They support us wonderfully, even in such seemingly unimportant matters as ringing the bell​—often we just can’t reach it! On other occasions, the brothers lovingly help us to climb the stairs.

We appreciate very much the loving care of the congregation. They show us genuine compassion, not just a superficial pity that would make us feel inferior. Carmen had an accident a few months ago, and she finds it very difficult to get up on a chair. So whenever she has to present a talk in the Theocratic Ministry School, someone has to lift her up and place her on the chair. The children in the congregation are intrigued by us, but it is not the rude curiosity that we encounter on the streets. Our brothers treat us as normal people, and that really has helped us to feel comfortable in the congregation.

The worries about our future, which accompanied me during so many years of my life, have disappeared. The fear of not having enough to live on, once we couldn’t work anymore, was replaced by a sure hope of a better future. Years ago we worked constantly, accepting every contract that was offered to us, always fretting about tomorrow. But as soon as we got to know the truth of God’s Word, we began to cut down on our show-business engagements. At the same time, we learned to live with less in a material way.

Even though we do not perform anymore, our daily housework keeps us busy. As we get older, our physical problems increase, and even climbing up the stairs has become a major challenge. Therefore, we had to look for a ground-floor apartment. In this way we don’t have to depend too much on others. We mix freely with the brothers and keep busy in the preaching activity, all of which helps us maintain an outgoing spirit.

Reflecting back over the last 50 years or so, I am still amazed at how much our lives have changed. Our early cloistered years gave way to the razzmatazz of the circus. Although our lives are more sedate now, they are more rewarding as we dedicate our time to public preaching. Both of us are so thankful to Jehovah that he has let us see the truth of his Word, which did so much to relieve our concern for the future. We are also grateful for the loving care and warmhearted support of our Christian brothers, which has helped us to bear the burden of being lilliputians even among dwarfs.​—As told by Amparo Sánchez Escríbano.

The Bible’s Viewpoint

Who Are “Born Again”?

NICODEMUS was a member of the Jewish high court, a scholar in religious law, and he had seen enough evidence of Jesus’ miracles to convince himself that Jesus was the Messiah. Yet, he could not understand what Jesus meant by the statement: “Unless anyone is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”​—John 3:1-3, 10.

“How can a man be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked. “He cannot enter into the womb of his mother a second time and be born, can he?”​—John 3:4.

Millions of people today profess to be “born again” and claim to understand clearly what this means. Others, like Nicodemus, are puzzled with the whole concept of being born again. Since Jesus Christ made the point that this was a prerequisite for entering the Kingdom of God, it is vital that we do understand what he meant by being “born again.”

In response to Nicodemus’ question, Jesus further said: “Most truly I say to you, Unless anyone is born from water and spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. What has been born from the flesh is flesh, and what has been born from the spirit is spirit. Do not marvel because I told you, You people must be born again.”​—John 3:5-7.

Difficult to grasp? Jesus knew that understanding spiritual truths is not easy. So in order to make things clearer, he used an illustration about the wind. “The wind blows where it wants to, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from and where it is going. So is everyone that has been born from the spirit.” (John 3:8) Nicodemus could hear, feel, and see the effects of the wind, but he could not understand its source or its final destination. Yet, the reality of the wind was beyond question. Similarly, those who lack spiritual insight would find it difficult to grasp how Jehovah, by means of his spirit, could cause a person to be born again and what the ultimate destiny of such a one would be. However, with the help of inspired Bible writers, we can comprehend such matters.​—John 16:13.

Clearing Up the Puzzle

What did Jesus have in mind when he spoke about being “born from water and spirit”? Birth means beginning. A new birth means a new beginning. In the case of Jesus’ disciples, their first step toward being born again began once they repented of their sins, turned away from a wrong course, and were baptized in water. Starting at Pentecost 33 C.E., in response to such action, Jehovah gave them what Peter referred to as “a new birth to a living hope . . . reserved in the heavens.” (1 Peter 1:3, 4; 3:21) Jehovah’s holy spirit implanted in them a conviction that they would eventually live with Jesus Christ in heaven. This gave them a whole new outlook on life​—a new beginning.

Was this simply an emotional religious experience? No. God’s holy spirit made them into something entirely new, “a new creation.” (2 Corinthians 5:17) When they were first born as humans, they were sinful children of Adam, inheriting all the imperfection that he passed on to his descendants. Now, upon being “born again,” these disciples obtained a clean standing before God. How? The merits of Jesus’ sacrifice were applied in their behalf. Thereby, God viewed them as righteous even while they were still imperfect humans. (Romans 3:25, 26; 5:12-21; 1 Corinthians 6:11) More than that, Jehovah now recognized them as his sons. The apostle Paul shows how: “For all who are led by God’s spirit, these are God’s sons . . . God’s children.” (Romans 8:14, 16) They were now accepted as part of God’s heavenly family.

And there was more. Paul explains again: “If, then, we are children, we are also heirs: heirs indeed of God, but joint heirs with Christ.” (Romans 8:17) These spiritual sons of God now had the prospect of inheriting what Christ Jesus was going to inherit​—kingly power in heaven. Jesus revealed to the apostle John the number of persons who would be corulers with him over the earth​—144,000. (Revelation 7:4; 14:1-3) Then he went on to show John that these favored disciples “will be priests of God and of the Christ, and will rule as kings with him for the thousand years.”​—Revelation 20:6.

Benefits to Others

Does this mean then that in order to gain God’s favor, everyone must be “born again”? Not at all. Jesus’ sacrifice covers more than the 144,000 persons who have been specially chosen to be with him in the heavens. When the apostle John wrote to “born again” Christians toward the end of the first century, he said regarding the sacrifice of Jesus: “He is a propitiatory sacrifice for our sins, yet not for ours only but also for the whole world’s.” (1 John 2:2) How is this so?

In this way. Those who are “born again” will rule with Jesus Christ in Jehovah’s heavenly Kingdom to bring benefits to others of mankind who will live on earth. This was foretold in a remarkable promise made to Jesus’ forefather Abraham almost 4,000 years ago. “By means of your seed all nations of the earth will certainly bless themselves,” Jehovah told Abraham. (Genesis 22:18) Yes, great blessings were to be made available to all nations through Abraham’s “seed”!

Who was that “seed”? Jesus Christ, joined by his genuine “born again” followers. The apostle Paul explains: “Moreover, if you belong to Christ, you are really Abraham’s seed.” (Galatians 3:16, 29) And what are the blessings that come to people of all nations through Jesus Christ and these “born again” disciples? The privilege of being restored to God’s favor and enjoying all his provisions for a paradise earth.​—Genesis 1:27, 28; Psalm 37:29; Proverbs 2:21, 22; Isaiah 45:18.

So the 144,000 “born again” disciples will “enter into the [heavenly] kingdom of God” to administer the marvelous blessings that God’s Kingdom will bring to untold millions right here on the earth. (Matthew 6:10; Romans 8:19-21; Revelation 21:1-5) Whether Nicodemus ever understood Jesus’ words and was “born again” to become part of this ruling body, we do not know. What we do know is that the opportunity to receive the benefits of their heavenly rulership is there for anyone who wishes to avail himself of it. Will you?

[Blurb on page 27]

Must everyone be “born again” to gain God’s favor?

From Our Readers

Getting Along With Others

Thank you for the article “Young People Ask . . . Why Is It So Hard to Get Along With My Brother and Sister?” (July 22, 1987) I’m 16 years old, and I’m often in difficulties with my sisters. A few days ago I had a fight with one of them, and I felt like attacking her. I did give her a hard push but managed to control myself. I know Christians should not fight as we do. Your article helped me to see how to control the situation and keep peace in the family. I’m going to do all I can to put the suggestions into practice and contribute to our family unity.

R. A. G., Brazil

Africa’s Wildlife

I thoroughly enjoyed your articles on Africa’s wildlife. (September 22, 1987) The articles made me laugh, and also at times I felt deep sorrow for the terrible slaughter of these different animals for commercialism. Thank you for these enlightening facts about what is happening to animals.

S. R., Virgin Islands

Ice for Headaches

I was reading your September 22, 1987, issue and began getting a headache after reading “Watching the World.” I flipped to page 31. My headache was getting worse, but there was the article “When Your Head Aches” telling about how crushed ice helps headaches. So I went downstairs and got some ice. This is one way Awake! has helped me, and there have been many more. I am nine years old. Keep up the good work.

M. M., United States

Speaking in Tongues

I have received copies of your article where I was grossly misquoted. (April 8, 1987, “Speaking in Tongues​—Is It From God?”) You misconstrued my words to make it appear that I am embarrassed by speaking in tongues, when that is definitely not the case. In truth I was quoting C. S. Lewis, who said that tongues were an embarrassment. Then I proceeded to tell the mighty importance of tongues in church history, i.e. why it should not be an embarrassment to the church. . . . This misquotation actually makes it seem that I oppose tongues, which I certainly do not.

Vinson Synan, United States

We regret that we inadvertently attributed the statement of C. S. Lewis, “Speaking in tongues is an embarrassment to us,” to Vinson Synan. However, we correctly quoted Dr. Synan’s statement appearing in the publication “One in Christ”: “Embarrassing as it may be, glossolalia is the gift that God has chosen at strategic points in history to expand and renew the Church.” We did not quote Dr. Synan to indicate that he was opposed to speaking in tongues but to show that he acknowledged that the matter of speaking in tongues could be a dilemma for some sincere worshipers today. In that article Dr. Synan indicated a possible dilemma for some: “I agree with Larry Christenson who stated . . . ‘God has sovereignly chosen to use the gift of tongues as a catalyst for renewal . . . it may not make sense to our own reason . . . but he comes knocking where he chooses . . . ’” We hope that this clarifies Dr. Synan’s position with regard to speaking in tongues, which differs from ours.​—ED.

Watching the World

Church Letdown

“At a time when our Bishops and Church leaders should be giving us guidance on sexual morality, they have let us down badly,” laments Peter Thomson, vicar of Cobham, England. How so? According to a report in the North Kent Weekly News, Thomson explained: “I am appalled that there is one London specialist who is dealing with about 20 clergymen suffering from AIDS and that Childwatch is investigating five alleged cases of clergy sexually abusing children.” He also expressed sadness over the divergence between what the Bible says and what is being taught today. In reply, “a spokesman for the Rochester Diocese said that the Church of England had a broad spectrum of priests with differing views,” the paper reported.

Better Paper

Each year 12 million tons of paper obtained from wood pulp are used for newspaper production in the United States. As wood supplies are getting scarce, attention has been turned to kenaf, a shrub known from antiquity that reaches a height of over 16 feet [5 m] in just three months. According to the French daily Le Figaro, the paper obtained from kenaf fiber is “stronger, smoother, and whiter” than paper obtained from wood pulp, and it “lasts longer.” Moreover, “it does not yellow.” As another advantage, kenaf can yield as much as nine times more pulp per acre [0.4 ha] than a pine forest. In spite of these advantages, it is estimated that in 1988 kenaf fiber will represent only “1 percent of the newspaper market.”

Bogus Parts Problem

Why do planes and helicopters crash? Of growing concern is the suspicion that a number of the accidents may be due to use of counterfeit and substandard parts in aircraft maintenance. Small, regional airlines that face fierce competition and that use older aircraft whose supply of parts from the original manufacturer has dwindled are usually the most vulnerable. Since a grounded plane may cost an airline some $50,000 a day in lost revenues, independent dealers who offer cheap prices and fast delivery are sometimes sought. “As a result, carriers can sometimes end up with bogus parts bought unwittingly from unscrupulous dealers,” says Fortune magazine. The parts, artfully copied so that they are difficult to detect, may be made of inferior materials or contain defects and do not stand up under test. A jet engine alone may have 3,600 parts.

A Costly Gesture!

Curious bystanders​—keep out! A British engineer who went to an auction merely out of curiosity is probably still meditating on that recommendation. The French daily Le Monde reported that “during the auction, the engineer accidentally moved his arm, a gesture that the auctioneer interpreted as a bid for the highest price.” The engineer suddenly found himself the proud possessor of ten English Regency houses for which he was obliged to pay the sum of $3,000,000! The newspaper stated that his efforts to cancel the purchase were to no avail.

How Accurate Can You Get?

A clock said to gain or lose only one second over a period of 30 million years has been developed by a research team of physicists at the University of Western Australia. According to the newspaper The West Australian, the clock centers around an “ultra-pure sapphire crystal” and took three years to produce. It is designed for precise readings over short periods of time. However, it is but a step toward the team’s goal of building the most accurate clock in the world​—one that will be only one second off in ten billion years!

Risky Phone Use

While a car phone is seen as the ultimate in quick communication, a division of the Automobile Association of America warns of possible dangers. It cautions that “whenever you use a cellular phone while driving, realize that you may be endangering yourself, your passengers and other motorists,” according to a report in The Toronto Star. Complicated controls, awkward mounting locations, and driving with one hand are listed as the main hazards for users. Over 100,000 cellular car phones are in use in Canada, with an estimated 200,000 users predicted by the end of 1991. While high-ranking police officials are said to endorse the use of the car phone, they are calling on users to make calls only “when safe to do so.”

Brazil’s Nuclear Accident

What seemed to be a real find for the two men collecting old metal and paper in Goiânia, Brazil, turned into a serious nuclear accident, reports Veja magazine. In an abandoned building, the two discovered an old radiotherapy machine, which they sold to scrap-metal dealer Devair Alves Ferreira. Inside was found a small capsule that shone with an unusual sheen. Later, the capsule itself was opened, exposing a powdery stone. What they did not know was that it was radioactive cesium 137. “It gave off a blue radiance in the dark. It was pretty,” said Devair. Fascinated, the men showed it to their families and friends, eventually contaminating about 244 persons, at least 20 seriously. Devair’s wife and his six-year-old niece were the first two victims to die as a result. Because of the number of persons affected, the accident is considered the world’s second most serious nuclear accident, after Chernobyl.

Relieving Migraines

An acrylic splint properly fitted to the teeth of the lower jaw can head off a severe migraine headache, reports The Medical Post of Canada. The splint is said to correct misalignment in the contacts between the teeth, which “are thought to provoke migraines by creating spasm and pain of the temporalis muscles,” notes the Post. Dr. Phillip Lamey of the Glasgow Dental Hospital has treated 19 patients with notable success. Though not all migraine sufferers can be treated this way, Dr. Lamey explained that those with “a dental precipitating factor” may take heart. Persons with such classic migraine symptoms as severe headaches accompanied by nausea and vomiting are likely to benefit from the treatment. Such symptoms usually occur upon the person’s awaking or shortly thereafter.

Desert Irrigation

Space-borne radar has identified ancient Egyptian riverbeds under sand dunes of the Sahara Desert. Some of these watercourses are as wide as the river Nile itself, states a report in The Times of London. Seven wells drilled experimentally in the Selima Sand Sheet, part of an almost entirely uninhabited desert near the Sudanese border, are said to have produced rich supplies of water. As a result, once fertile soil covering an area of 300,000 acres [121,500 ha], where an experimental farm is already doing well, could soon be cultivated and inhabited again.

Current Capers

Criminal schemes to obtain electricity are defrauding Britain’s electricity boards of an estimated £50 million a year, reports The Sunday Times of London. Illegal connections are so extensive that they are said to consume 5 percent of the power companies’ profits. But thieves who splice into power lines to steal electricity are taking a big risk. One power company warns in a TV commercial that “stealing electricity could carry the death penalty.” Power stealing, however, is not limited to individuals. In one case, the power supply at a local railroad station was allegedly tapped to supply current to run a whole fairground. Who picks up the bill? “Britain’s 18 m[illion] electricity consumers,” says the Times.

Is There a Secret to Long Life?

HOW long do you expect to live? Most people in the industrialized world would say, “Until I’m 70 or maybe 80.” Yet when a National Geographic writer asked that question of some of the inhabitants of the Soviet Abkhaz Republic, bordering the Black Sea, the natural answer was, “To a 100.”

What are some of the factors that contribute to longevity? Yuri Dadivanyan, Chief Geriatrician of the Armenian Ministry of Health believes the main factor is the genetic code inherited from one’s ancestors. However, he mentioned another factor: “Regular physical work is also very important. Most long-lived people continue to work as hard as they can after reaching the age of retirement even though they are not short of money.”

He also added: “In Armenia old people enjoy everybody’s respect. . . . Their life experience is very much appreciated. . . . Maybe the respect for gray hair and old age that is encouraged in everyone from childhood makes the old people retain their sense of dignity and their youthful spirit.”

One comment is outstanding in the aforementioned National Geographic article: “In none of the three communities [studied for longevity] is there any forced retirement age, and the elderly are not shelved, as occurs in most of our industrialized societies.”

The Bible speaks of a much longer life span in the future, “length of days to time indefinite, even forever.” (Psalm 21:4) That life forever on a perfect earth will soon be a reality.​—Revelation 21:1-4; Luke 21:10, 11, 25-33.

[Pictures on page 31]

Three active workers at the Watch Tower world headquarters​—ages: 80, 92, and 88

“Look! I Am Making All Things New”

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