January 8

Page Two

Why has religion so often created divisions, fomented hatred, and supported sectarian warfare? Why is religion such a controversial subject? Will it always be so? “Awake!” is pleased, starting with this issue, to make an in-depth study of religion and its future​—a future that will affect every person now alive, you included. This study will be developed in this and the next 23 issues of “Awake!”

A Closer Look at Religion

IF ASKED, you might agree with Voltaire when he called religion “the parent of fanaticism and civil discord, . . . the enemy of mankind.” Or in a spirit of indifference you might say, as did 17th-century Anglican clergyman Robert Burton: “One religion is as true as another.”

Possibly you might admit to being like the person who, as described by 18th-century French essayist Joseph Joubert, “finds in it his joy and his duty.”

Skin-Deep Religion

Nowadays, a person who truly “finds in [religion] his joy and his duty” has reasons to be disturbed. Even in religious countries, many people have only a foggy idea of what they should really believe; their religion has little influence on their daily lives. In some places, statistics show a drop in church membership. For example, recent statistics on Germany revealed that only 6.8 million Catholics attended Mass out of a total of 26.3 million. No wonder Catholic churchmen say they do not consider the Federal Republic to be “a Christian country except in only the most superficial interpretation of that term.”

According to the World Christian Encyclopedia, published in 1982, “it is not Christianity alone which is in decline; it is the entire phenomenon of religion.”

Why Review Religion’s History?

In view of such circumstances, just what is the future of religion? Our series of 24 Awake! articles to appear during 1989 has been designed to answer that question. By reviewing religion’s past, from its early years down to modern times, these articles will present a concise, and yet comprehensive, history of world religion. A glance into the rearview mirror of history will enable us to look into religion’s future in accordance with the well-known principle: You reap what you sow.

Do not be hasty in saying, ‘Religious history is not for me!’ The present is based on the past and whether one is a believer or not, the history of religion has affected everyone, directly or indirectly.

People who deny God’s existence are still in fact religious. How so? By replacing God as the object of their devotion with something else. J. M. Barrie, Scottish novelist of the early 20th century, expressed it this way: “One’s religion is whatever he is most interested in.”

As used in this magazine, religion is defined as a form of worship, including a system of religious attitudes, beliefs, and practices, either held personally or advocated by an organization. It usually involves belief in God or in a number of gods, or it treats humans, objects, desires, or forces as objects of worship.

We hope you will enjoy “Religion’s Future in View of Its Past.” Since religion has long been a source of conflict, it is most appropriate that we begin with the subject “Religious Disunity​—How It Began.”

Religion’s Future in View of Its Past

Part 1​—4026-2370 B.C.E.​—Religious Disunity—​How It Began

“Man is by his constitution a religious animal.”​—Edmund Burke, 18th-century Irish statesman

HUMANS have an instinctive need to worship. The New Encyclopædia Britannica says that “as far as scholars have discovered, there has never existed any people, anywhere, at any time, who were not in some sense religious.” Right from mankind’s beginning, man and woman logically turned in adoration to their Creator. They looked to him as the Authority to offer them guidance and counsel. Thus, for all intents and purposes, the birth on earth of religion coincided with Adam’s creation. According to Bible chronology, this was in the year 4026 B.C.E.

Some may object to the use of the term “Adam’s creation.” But the unproved theory of evolution has recently met with severe setbacks, even from its own supporters. For additional information, see the book Life​—How Did It Get Here? By Evolution or by Creation? published by the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc.

Today, a person cannot factually argue that the Bible’s account of a common origin for mankind is unscientific. A 1988 Newsweek article reported that geneticists now tend to agree that modern man originated from a single mother. It quotes Harvard paleontologist S. J. Gould as saying that “all human beings, despite differences in external appearance, are really members of a single entity that’s had a very recent origin in one place.” He adds: “There is a kind of biological brotherhood that’s much more profound than we ever realized.”

These facts speak for the accuracy of the Bible. This indicates that there is no reason for us to doubt its explanation of how religious conflict began.

How One Religion Became Two

The Encyclopedia of Religion says that almost all known religions have certain beliefs that, while differing in detail, are surprisingly similar. For example, they believe that mankind fell from an original position of divine favor, that death is unnatural, and that sacrifice is necessary to regain divine favor. This is strong circumstantial evidence indicating that all of today’s religions had a common origin.

The Bible explains how this came about. It tells us that the first man and woman rejected God’s direction and turned to another source for guidance and counsel. Although evidently not aware of Satan and his rebellion against God, they took an independent course and followed the counsel of a creature, represented by the serpent, rather than the Creator. The Bible later revealed that Satan was the true voice behind the misleading serpent.​—Genesis 2:16–3:24; Revelation 12:9.

Thus man moved out from under theocratic rule and established his own standards as to good and evil. By their independent actions, Adam and Eve set mankind on a course that would result in many different religions, all of them constituting false worship in contrast with the true worship practiced by Jehovah’s faithful witnesses down through history. Directly or indirectly, the beneficiary of that false worship has been the great Adversary, Satan. Thus, the apostle Paul was able to write: “The things which the nations sacrifice they sacrifice to demons, and not to God; and I do not want you to become sharers with the demons.” He went on to show that there are only two forms of worship, saying: “You cannot be drinking the cup of Jehovah and the cup of demons; you cannot be partaking of ‘the table of Jehovah’ and the table of demons.”​—1 Corinthians 10:20, 21.

Therefore, Adam’s rebellion initiated a second form of worship, one that placed the creature ahead of the Creator. And the real sponsor of that new religion was the new self-appointed “god,” Satan the Devil.​—2 Corinthians 4:4; 1 John 5:19.

Adam and Eve’s first two sons, Cain and Abel, offered sacrifices to the Creator, indicating that both of them were religiously inclined. The subsequent course of events, however, showed that they were not religiously united. This became apparent less than 130 years into mankind’s history, when a sacrifice made by Abel was accepted by the Creator, whereas Cain’s was rejected. Obviously, God was not willing to accept just any personal religion. This fact angered Cain and motivated him to murder his brother.​—Genesis 4:1-12; 1 John 3:12.

For the first time in human history, religious hatred stained the earth with innocent blood. It would not be the last time. “Probably half or more of the wars now being fought around the world are either openly religious conflicts or involved with religious disputes,” noted a modern-day newspaper columnist.

In the days of Enosh, a nephew of Cain and Abel, “a start was made of calling on the name of Jehovah.” (Genesis 4:26) Since Abel had previously made a start of calling on God’s name in faith, this later “calling on the name of Jehovah” is understood to mean that people began to use the name profanely or in a debased way. It was clearly a case of religious hypocrisy.

The Jewish Jerusalem Targum, or paraphrase, notes: “That was the generation in whose days they began to err, and to make themselves idols, and surnamed their idols by the name of the Word of the Lord.” Idolatry, coupled with a pretense of representing God, has characterized false religion ever since.

At Jude 14, 15, we read of faithful Enoch’s prophecy regarding idolatrous mankind of that first millennium. He said: “Look! Jehovah came with his holy myriads, to execute judgment against all, and to convict all the ungodly concerning all their ungodly deeds that they did in an ungodly way, and concerning all the shocking things that ungodly sinners spoke against him.” This prophecy was fulfilled in the second millennium of man’s history, when false religion was rampant. The ungodliness may even have included the idolizing of angels who in disobedience to God had materialized on earth and married “the daughters of men,” producing a hybrid race of “mighty ones who were of old, the men of fame.”​—Genesis 6:4.

Noah, however, “found favor in the eyes of Jehovah” because he “walked with the true God.” (Genesis 6:8, 9) He and his family, a total of eight adherents of true religion, were greatly outnumbered by the wicked. Because false religion and those who practiced it were in the majority, “the badness of man was abundant in the earth,” and “the earth became filled with violence.” (Genesis 6:5, 11) God determined to bring a flood to destroy people who practiced false religion. Only Noah and his family survived under God’s protection, reason enough for them afterward “to build an altar to Jehovah” as an act of true worship. (Genesis 8:20) The Flood had clearly identified which of the two religious systems existing in Noah’s day was true and which was false.

The foregoing is based on the premise that the Bible record is true. But in addition to the proofs mentioned at the beginning of our article, take a look at the evidence presented in the box “Was There Really a Global Flood?”

Religion’s Future​—Your Future

The gaining of knowledge about religion’s past is vital because there basically are only two kinds of religion​—one acceptable to mankind’s Creator and the other clearly unacceptable. Logically, then, if a person is to have the Creator’s approval, he must share His views on religion. Do not forget that all of us are involved because “man is by his constitution a religious animal.”

In looking at religion’s past, let us do so with an open mind, even more importantly, with a receptive heart. Whenever a particular religion comes under scrutiny, let us pause long enough to ask ourselves whether its teachings are understandable, clear, and logical. And what about its accomplishments? Has it drawn its members closer to the Creator by impressing upon them the importance of obeying his commands, or has it instead allowed them to set up their own standards of conduct? Has religion taught people to trust in God to solve world problems? Or has it instead misled them into trusting in political means to do so? Has it promoted unity and peace among earth’s inhabitants, or has it instead fomented disunity and instigated wars?

These and other questions will help us distinguish between the one original religion introduced by mankind’s Creator and the many counterfeit kinds introduced by his adversary.

Is religion implicated in the present moral breakdown and collapse of ethics? The following article will briefly discuss that question.

[Box on page 7]

Was There Really a Global Flood?

“Far from the Genesis Flood being an unlikely event in recent geological times it fits quite naturally into such a period . . . In fact it was the most likely period for such a rapid and violent upheaval.”​—The Flood Reconsidered.

“Archaeology has also unearthed other versions of the [Genesis] story of the Deluge . . . The similarities are more striking than the differences.”​—Digging Up the Bible Lands.

“A world cataclysm during which the earth was inundated or submerged by water [is] a concept found in almost every mythology in the world. . . . In Inca mythology it was provoked by the supreme god, Viracocha, who was dissatisfied with the first men and decided to destroy them.”​—Funk and Wagnalls Standard Dictionary of Folklore, Mythology and Legend.

“Even greater similarities to the Genesis account are present in another Babylonian epic whose hero bears the name Gilgamesh. . . . It most likely came into existence around the beginning of the second millennium. . . . [Clay tablet XI] is virtually intact, thus providing the most complete version of the deluge story in cuneiform script.”​—Encyclopædia Judaica.

“Like the Hebrews, Babylonians, Greeks, Norsemen, and other peoples of the Old World, many Indian tribes of North and South America had traditions of the Deluge. . . . ‘When the earliest missionaries came’ . . . , the Reverend Myron Eells reported in 1878, ‘they found that those Indians had their traditions of a flood, and that one man and his wife were saved on a raft.’”​—Indian Legends of the Pacific Northwest.

“Religion Is Implicated in Our Great Moral Breakdown”

THIS headline in El Heraldo of Barranquilla, Colombia, was startling in itself. But the one who said it made it even more significant​—Catholic Jesuit priest Alberto Múnera, doctor of theology at the Gregorian University of Rome. He was commenting on the moral breakdown in Colombia.

He stated: “All of Colombia is Catholic. We cannot ignore the fact that religion is implicated in our great moral breakdown. As a theologian, one asks oneself: What is the matter with our Catholic religion when it seems not to have sufficient elements to sustain the morality of a body [of people] or to permit it to face up to a change of epoch in a decent way, to pass from a former situation to a new one without the whole structure of society breaking down?”

After detailing evidence of the political and moral breakdown, including drug trafficking, political assassinations, and armed violence, he asked: “Who are doing these things? People who belong to the Islamic religion or to Buddhism . . . or people without a religion? Or are they people whom you have seen in the religious ceremonies participating piously in the Eucharist and praying to Our Lord that he help them to prosper in their work?”

Certainly, Jesus and the disciples emphasized Christian conduct as evidence of true Christianity, not participation in rituals. Jesus said: “By this love you have for one another, everyone will know that you are my disciples.” (John 13:35, The Jerusalem Bible) Is it love when a Catholic kills or hates his fellowman, or robs, rapes, lies, or steals, or peddles drugs? And is it Christian love when the church takes no action to keep its ranks clean of such crassly immoral elements? In fact, rich criminals are often honored with impressive funerals and other religious ceremonies.

In contrast, the early Christian congregation disciplined unrepentant sinners guilty of gross wrongdoing. The apostle Paul wrote: “What I wrote was that you should not associate with a brother Christian who is leading an immoral life, or is a usurer, or idolatrous, or a slanderer, or a drunkard, or is dishonest; you should not even eat a meal with people like that.” Yet, seldom does one hear of excommunication, except for reasons of atheistic politics or heresy.​—1 Corinthians 5:9-11; 6:9-11, JB.

Instead of paying due attention to Bible education and the Christian new personality, the Catholic Church over the centuries has contented itself with praying with the rosary, attendance at Mass, and confession to a priest. (Ephesians 4:17-24) The end result today is the consequent moral breakdown and dwindling support for the church. Jesuit Múnera commented on the state of the Catholic Church in Colombia: “With a religion like that, evidently we cannot respond to situations in which we are living. It is one of the fundamental causes for which our Christianity seems so broken down . . . that [Catholics] do not seem to be Christians in any respect today.”

Of course, the present moral breakdown applies to people of all religions. Many who expect a church baptism, wedding, and funeral continue to lie, steal, fornicate, and cheat with relative immunity. Even many convicted criminals claim some religious affiliation​—Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, and so on. Yet, their actions show that their religion failed to produce in them a new personality. The blame for that can lie with the criminal himself and/​or with his religion that failed to influence his thinking and conduct. Where quantity means more than quality, religion too pays the price.

It is just as Paul prophesied for “the last days”: “They will keep up the outward appearance of religion but will have rejected the inner power of it. Have nothing to do with people like that.”​—2 Timothy 3:1-5, JB.

Religion After the Flood

Edmond and Jules de Goncourt, collaborating French writers of the 19th century, wrote: “If there is a God, atheism must strike Him as less of an insult than religion.” And of a truth, false religion is an insult to mankind’s Creator. By destroying it in 2370 B.C.E. at the Flood, however, the Creator proved that he will not let himself be insulted forever.

This fundamental truth did not change, even though false religion reappeared. In fact, after the Flood, it was due to take on tangible forms that would reach out across the centuries to embrace the entire earth. It would reach out to touch you! In our next issue, our article “A Hunter, a Tower, and You!” will explain how.

[Picture on page 9]

Religion is often skin deep. It does not prevent racial hatred, crime, and immorality

The Iron Lady Gets a Face-Lift

By Awake! correspondent in France

SHE’S along in years but doesn’t have any wrinkles. She has always been well looked after. Every seven years she gets a face-lift. And just recently she was put on a slimming diet that gave her back some of her youth. She really needed it.

Since her birth in 1889, the Eiffel Tower, fondly known as the Iron Lady, has experienced many a misadventure. Concrete floors were poured that overloaded the first floor, and unsightly stores and booths were set up on its various floors. Girders began to bend under the extra load. It also became necessary to remove the gas piping that went up to the restaurants on the first and second floors. It was no longer up to modern safety standards.

In the early 1980’s, the city of Paris gave the green light for necessary renovation work to be done. The aim was to give life and prestige back to the old Iron Lady and facilitate the welcoming of the millions of visitors that come to see her every year.a The removal of parasite structures helped her to “lose weight”​—more than a thousand tons. Yet, the renovation has allowed the adding of new stores, a modern conference room, a video museum retracing her history, a post office, and restaurants worthy of the site and catering to different classes of clients.

The old hydraulic elevator between the second and third floors (taking tourists from the middle of the tower to the top) has been removed. In extremely cold weather, it was necessary to suspend its use. Thus, tourists visiting Paris in winter were often disappointed at not being able to go up any farther than the second platform. Now, four high-speed electric elevators can do the shuttling under all weather conditions. This greatly reduces the lines of people waiting to go to the top.

Some people regret that in the recent modifications, she lost her spiral staircase connecting the second and third floors. But she was given new lighting. Hundreds of skillfully placed floodlights enhance her delicate structure and allow her to show off at night in all her splendor.

The Iron Lady is a hundred years old this year. Though she was highly controversial at her birth, hardly anyone would wish to see her disappear from the Paris skyline. She is still its most famous symbol throughout the world.

[Footnotes]

[Pictures on page 10, 11]

Millions of tourists enjoy a bird’s-eye view of Paris from the Eiffel Tower

Saying It in 17 Syllables

By Awake! correspondent in Japan

A fallen petal

Flies back to its branch:

Ah! a butterfly!

What a delicate picture captured in just a few words! In fact, in Japanese, it is in just 17 syllables. Yes, ever the masters of miniaturization, the Japanese celebrate their land and people in what is known as the haiku, a three-line, nonrhyming form of poetry.

Originally, haiku was part of a 31-syllable, five-line verse form called waka or tanka. By the Middle Ages, aspiring poets were fond of using waka in a sort of literary game: one giving the first three lines and another matching them with two more. In time, the opening three-line form became popular on its own, and thus was born the haiku.

To Construct a “Haiku”

Haiku is a lesson in brevity. The first and last lines are five syllables in length and the middle one is seven. Traditionally, each haiku contains the name of a season or a word to convey the time of the year. “Snow” makes one think of winter, “frog” or “blossom” calls out spring, while the word “heat” can plunge the reader right into the middle of a sweltering summer day. Yes, the expert “haikuist” can recreate the mood in just a syllable or two.

Barley drying

In front of the door

Old bamboo blinds hanging.

Can you visualize the old farmhouse? Barley grain is left out front to dry. Over the door are hung bamboo blinds, much faded by the sun of bygone harvests.

Called by some ‘the poetry of sensation,’ a well-composed haiku can make the reader feel the setting.

Snail, my little man

Slowly, ah, very slowly

Climb up Mount Fuji.

Just imagine that scene. Towering over 12,000 feet [3,700 m] above sea level, Mount Fuji rises abruptly, and the surrounding foothills pale into nothing. To reach her top is no mean feat, and puny man must climb just like a snail, ever so slowly. You can almost feel the aching limbs!

Haiku poets, like Issa Kobayashi of the early 19th century, saw humor in everyday life, albeit somewhat on the dark side. This is reflected in his haiku:

The change of clothes

Changed, yes,

But the same lice of my journeying.

These haiku examples all carry the traditional references to nature and season. They enhance the reader’s feeling for the flora and fauna, the seasonal changes, the delicate scenery, and a host of other details about the land and its people. Without describing his own sentiments, the poet arouses the reader’s feelings by his masterful choice of a few words. What a beautiful use of the gift of language!

Teaching With “Haiku”

The simplicity of haiku makes it a ready introduction to poetry for anyone. Some teachers feel that haiku is a beneficial first step into creative writing. Also, the delicate treatment of nature and the seasons causes the student to be more conscious of the world around him. And taking such a close look at the beauty of creation can move one to a deeper appreciation of the Creator.

A kindergarten teacher in Osaka, Japan, had some rewarding experiences in teaching haiku to her young pupils. Little ones aged three to five learned about a hundred haiku in a school year. The result was that these children were observed to be “more appreciative of nature and considerate towards animals.” A happy result in this age of frenetic entertainment dominated by fantasy!

It might be noted here that some professionals feel that to excel in haiku, they must get into the religious aspects, such as Zen Buddhism and meditation. However, the general public in Japan learns haiku simply as a part of Japanese literature, and that is what it will always be for them.

“Haiku” Goes Abroad

Though born, bred, and cultivated in Japan, haiku has gained a wide reputation as the world’s shortest poetic form. In the late 1950’s, a growing interest in haiku developed in the West, especially in the United States, where there are several English-language haiku publications. A teacher in California, for example, found to her delight that her pupils grasped the basics of haiku quickly. This is one student’s first poem:

From the mountain

The moon

Slowly goes to the stars.

Not a bad effort for a young child!

Making its way to the Third World, haiku is also being composed in Africa. The Senegalese have proved to be sensitive poets. Here is an example of their work:

The folds in the riverbed

Smile sadly

Under the blazing sun.

How poignantly this haiku expresses the intensity of the African sun. There, people live close to nature and consciously feel its power and beauty. They make excellent “haikuists.”

Of course, when it comes to translating haiku from Japanese into any other language, the problem of form presents itself. Whereas the five-seven-five form in Japanese is tidy and trim, the same syllable combination can prove to be quite a mouthful in another language. Thus, some teachers advocate ignoring the syllable count or even writing in just two lines. Others favor retaining the three-line form, making the middle one slightly longer. Here is a prize-winning non-Japanese haiku, perfect in form and content:

A bitter morning:

Sparrows sitting together

Without any necks.

It tells us that it is a cold morning in winter. Sparrows huddle together, perhaps on a telephone wire, each with its neck tucked in its feathery shoulders to keep warm. The whole picture conveyed in a single breath-length!

That is where the growing attraction of haiku lies​—the challenge of expressing the beauty of nature, capturing the minute details of a scene and stirring the emotions of the reader in just three lines and 17 syllables. You will find them all in the haiku.

[Picture on page 12]

A fallen petal

Flies back to its branch:

Ah! a butterfly!

[Picture on page 13]

Barley drying

In front of the door

Old bamboo blinds hanging.

[Picture on page 14]

Snail, my little man

Slowly, ah, very slowly

Climb up Mount Fuji.

Kew Gardens​—Transplant Center for the World

By Awake! correspondent in Britain

OVERCOMING his natural fear of heights, horticulturist Simon Goodenough, from London, England, found himself on the remote South Atlantic island of St. Helena, gingerly lowering himself on ropes down the face of a cliff. Eventually, he reached his goal and gently removed a lone specimen of a rare type of tree daisy from the side of the cliff. This nearly extinct shrub then began a 6,800-mile [11,000 km] journey to England for intensive care.

The plant responded so well to the treatment it received in England that it began to propagate. It was returned to St. Helena, and two years later the single rare plant had become a thousand, helping to reverse that island’s erosion problem.

This is just one of the many transplant successes achieved by the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, in London, England. But, you may wonder, why send this plant so far? What is so special about the gardens at Kew?

Gardens for Science and Pleasure

Upwards of one million visitors come to Kew each year to enjoy a visit to its 288 acres [117 ha] of well-arranged gardens. Whatever the season, the air is laden with the refreshing scents of many types of vegetation. Its living collection of over 40,000 different kinds of plants has caused Kew Gardens to be viewed by some as the finest botanical garden in the world. But there is more to Kew Gardens than mere beauty.

Did you know that one of the principal roles of botanical gardens is public education? Why, Kew has been described as “a university whose texts are flowers”! How did this botanical seat of learning get started?

Ever since the middle of the 18th century, when Augusta, the Dowager Princess of Wales, cultivated gardens on her land alongside the river Thames at Richmond, Kew has been a center of horticultural interest. But it was largely thanks to Sir Joseph Banks (1743-1820) that Kew Gardens became famous. He organized a massive plant-gathering project, and from London, botanists traveled the world seeking out plant specimens to bring back for classification. The result? Kew has one of the largest collections of dried and pressed vegetation in the world, its files containing details of some 6,500,000 plants.

Famous Successes

Kew’s envoys helped move plants from one area of the globe to another. David Nelson, a Kew gardener, set sail from England in 1787 on board the famous ship Bounty, under the command of Captain Bligh. His mission? To collect carbohydrate-rich breadfruit from Tahiti in the South Pacific and plant them as a food source in the Caribbean. The ill-fated voyage ended in mutiny, with Nelson, a castaway with the captain, eventually making land on the Indonesian island of Timor, where he died. Other Kew representatives followed, however, and the breadfruit finally reached its destination on the island of St. Vincent.

Economic botany, or the search for useful plants, became Kew’s speciality. The Gardens contributed to the production of a substance that some believe altered the history of the world: quinine, a potent antimalaria drug extracted from the bark of a Peruvian cinchona tree.

A certain Clements Markham nurtured the ambition to help control the malaria that scourged the subcontinent of India. In 1859 he set off with gardeners from Kew to explore Peru, Ecuador, and Bolivia, to collect seeds and plants of every known species of the evergreen cinchona. Despite bad weather and the rigors of transshipment, some seedlings reached the protection of Kew’s greenhouses. Here, under the experts’ tender care, they reproduced and subsequently were dispatched to India. It was not long before doses of quinine became regularly available in the villages of India.

A display case in a Kew museum graphically depicts another transplant success story. There you can see details of the collection of rubber-tree seeds (Hevea brasiliensis). Joseph Hooker, a former director of Kew, devised a project to transfer these seeds from South America to Kew. Despite transportation difficulties, 70,000 seeds finally arrived in Liverpool, England, where they continued their journey by special train to Kew. Although only 2,397 of them germinated successfully, within two months 1,919 were shipped to Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) and Malaya. From these grew today’s vast rubber plantations in those lands.

Other 19th-century achievements of Kew include the selecting of trees to grow on Ascension Island, which previously was almost treeless. The Gardens sent cacti to the Canary Islands for use in rearing the cochineal insect, which when pulverized is used as a coloring agent in cosmetics and some drinks. Many other useful plants were shipped to Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.

But what of Kew today? Do we still benefit from its gardeners’ expertise?

England’s Therapeutic Climate

The Gardens’ director sees their function as concerned with “disseminating knowledge on economic plants suitable for cultivation in different regions of the world, particularly the arid tropics.” He believes that the depletion of fossil-fuel reserves such as coal and oil will force mankind to use plants as its primary source of fuel and medicinal compounds. Some areas already enjoy an improved environment thanks to cultivating plants studied at Kew for their ability to provide good soil cover for the land.

To combat the ravages of plant infection, a system of “intermediate quarantining” is proving useful. Any diseased plant material arriving at Kew needs time for treatment before traveling on to its new destination. Here is where England’s climate proves to be therapeutic. For example, controlled exposure to Kew’s temperate weather kills the infection that sometimes contaminates West Indian cocoa. Such treatment allows the now-healthy plants to resume their journey to enhance the West African crop.

Threat of Extinction

The fight is also on to preserve plants. “Of the 300,000 plant species that live on the five continents, at least 20,000 are threatened with extinction,” says Peter Raven, director of the St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.A., botanical garden. The French magazine Science et Vie, (Science and Life) adds: “This number could well increase to 40,000 before the middle of the next century. That is one in seven!” Faced with such a critical situation, what is being done to stop the trend toward extinction?

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature maintains a monitoring unit at Kew. Here scientists carefully study the seeds of endangered plants and observe the optimum conditions for their cultivation. With this information, they assess how to mimic a plant’s environment. Then the gardeners start the process of “bulking up,” or propagating, the endangered species.

A further protection is the plan to ensure that all threatened species are grown in more than one botanical garden. How is this arranged? By the exchange of seeds between botanical gardens, which has led to the establishment of seed banks. Maintaining these banks is seen as an investment for the future.

You may wonder why such conservation warrants the great efforts that botanical gardens expend. The Natural World, edited by Malcolm Coe, suggests one pressing reason: “Damage to the stability and resilience of ecosystems will ultimately damage man’s well-being.”

Striking, indeed, have been the successes achieved by Kew Gardens, such as transplanting the shrub that now helps fight St. Helena’s erosion problems. But can these successes be repeated elsewhere? To what extent will transplanting make arid regions fertile? Only time will tell. But meantime, we appreciate the work of Kew Gardens’ dedicated botanists and horticulturists. And perhaps one day, you may even have the opportunity to visit and see for yourself this “transplant center for the world.”

[Picture on page 15]

Giant lily pads in a conservatory in Kew Gardens

[Pictures on page 16]

Regal Pelargonia grenada, one of some 250 varieties of geranium

Hibiscus flowers come in white, pink, red, yellow, and orange

[Picture on page 17]

There are some one hundred species and thousands of varieties of roses around the world

[Picture on page 18]

The pagoda is a famous landmark in Kew Gardens

Young People Ask . . .

Why Do I Have to Do All Those Chores?

“Tidy my room? Why? I can’t be bothered. In any case, it’ll be the same again in a couple of days.”​—Stéphanie, age 15.

“When the chores my mother gives me take up the whole afternoon, I feel I’ve worked pretty hard. Then I stop and think. Mom works nonstop all day and every day. I realize that it is not easy for her.”​—Steven, age 15.

TEENAGERS’ feelings about doing household chores range from willing cooperation to plain reluctance. You may even feel some measure of resentment yourself when asked to use your free time for something as “boring” as cleaning and washing. Nevertheless, whether you view chores as a delightful diversion or an irritating intrusion, they are essential to the smooth running of a household. When family members do not willingly cooperate in such matters, difficulties and tensions result.

Why Your Help Counts

You may find it hard to believe that something as tedious as taking out the garbage could possibly mean that much. However, even routine chores are important, for they make for a pleasant home and help keep valued articles in good shape. In her book Moi, ta mère (I, Your Mother) French author Christiane Collange stressed this point with a touch of humor: “It is tiresome to have to put things away and take care of them. But if you neglect them, they have their revenge by getting dirty, breaking, or getting lost.”

Your loving cooperation can also relieve the pressure on your parents, who often work full- or part-time. By helping out around the house, you can even get to understand your parents better. How so? Sixteen-year-old Dominic, who lives near Paris, explained: “It is when you give your parents a helping hand that you start to understand why they are tired. When you’ve been on the job several hours, you can put yourself in their shoes and realize that they are truly tired.” Be assured, too, that parents appreciate your support!

Developing Strength of Character

Home chores can also be viewed as a lesson in life, a daily exercise in willpower. True, the benefits are not always immediate. But remember, your efforts to bear responsibilities will bring rewards later on in life. As the Bible states: “It is good for someone to bear the yoke from a young age.”​—Lamentations 3:27, The New Jerusalem Bible.

Yes, you need to develop strength of character, a personality capable of resisting the pressures of adult life. So you should start early by cultivating good work habits that will enable you to stand on your own feet​—even if it means reducing the time spent relaxing.

Stéphanie admitted: “I used not to like doing housework. I would say to myself: ‘If you don’t want to, don’t do it.’ But my viewpoint has changed. I now realize that helping out at home will teach me to become a responsible person, and that will stand me in good stead later.”

If you are a boy, do not be upset if your parents ask you to perform chores that are generally performed by girls, or if you are a girl, vice versa. Your parents may think it wise to broaden your training. Later on, when you are on your own as an adult, you may be glad to have mastered a variety of household skills. Besides, it is no dishonor for a boy to know how to sew on a button or for a girl to know how to drive a nail in the wall! Interestingly, the Bible account at John 21:9-12 indicates that Jesus Christ cooked a meal for his disciples, a task usually reserved for women in ancient times.​—Compare Proverbs 31:15.

Getting on the Same Wavelength

“Try as I may, my parents are never satisfied,” complain some frustrated teenagers. The problem may be, though, that parents and children simply do not talk the same language. In his book L’autorité des parents dans la famille (Parent Power!), John Rosemond made the following pertinent comment: “What does ‘cleaning’ a room mean? Parents think their children know, but a child’s idea of ‘clean’ is never the same as the parents’ . . . If certain tasks must be done daily, a list of what to include would prevent many useless arguments. A clearly defined rule is always easier to obey.”

The help your parents require can generally be divided into two categories: (1) chores for the family in general, for instance, setting or clearing the table, washing the dishes, cleaning the home, cooking, shopping, emptying the trash can, gardening; (2) personal chores, such as making your bed, straightening your room, putting away your clothes, and polishing your shoes. If you are not sure what your parents expect of you when they ask you to do any of the above, request specific instructions, even a checklist if necessary. Remember that often more time is spent arguing about chores than it might take actually to do them! As two French youths, Côme and Dominic, put it: “The less work we do, the less we want to do, and the more fuss we make about doing it.” So the quicker you do your chores, the happier everyone can be.

But what can be done if you think your parents are demanding the impossible from you and next to nothing from your brothers and sisters? You have an acute sense of justice and feel upset. So why not choose an appropriate time to have a heart-to-heart chat with your parents? You may discover that your brothers and sisters have less time than you, owing to more homework and longer school hours, or that you are the healthiest and strongest among the children. Is that something to be unhappy about?

What if you think that family chores are taking up too much of your time? Then count up the hours you spend watching television, listening to your favorite music, or reading! Perhaps what you need to do is reorganize the way you spend your time.

“It all started,” said Steven, “when my parents asked me to look after my room and wash the dishes.” Steven found this burdensome. But he learned that with proper organization of his time, he could get his chores done quite easily.

Pleasing God With Your Work

By helping out at home, you are honoring your parents as Israelite children and teenagers of Bible times did. Laban’s daughter Rachel, for example, guarded her father’s flocks. Similarly, the daughters of Reuel, or Jethro, had the responsibility of drawing water for the flock​—tedious, strenuous work. (Genesis 29:9; Exodus 2:16) Boys too received practical training, Jesus doubtless learning the carpenter’s trade from his adoptive father, Joseph.​—Matthew 13:55; Mark 6:3.

As in ancient times, blessings can result from gladly giving your parents support. Consider the Bible’s account of Rebekah. When Abraham’s servant asked for a drink, Rebekah immediately responded. Not only did she give him a drink but she also willingly offered to draw water for his camels. The Bible reported that she “ran yet again and again to the well to draw water, and kept drawing for all his camels.” (Genesis 24:15-21) The caravan was made up of ten camels. When one considers that a camel can drink from five to seven gallons [19-26 L] of water a day, it is obvious that Rebekah must have drawn dozens of gallons [liters] of water in order to water all the camels. Her willingness to work, however, brought blessings to her. She was chosen to be the wife of Isaac and share in the outworking of Jehovah’s purpose to produce the Seed that would bless mankind!​—Genesis 22:18.

Be assured that when you share in household chores, God is similarly well-pleased with your diligent efforts to ‘honor your parents.’​—Ephesians 6:1, 2.

[Picture on page 20]

Often, more time is spent arguing about chores than it might take to do them!

The Bible’s Viewpoint

Should You Fear the Evil Eye?

A WOMAN in an Amazonian village gently lays her baby in a hammock. Then, after carefully tying a red string around its tiny wrist, she binds another string around its middle. Ritual completed, she steps back and lets out a sigh of relief: “Now, baby is protected against the evil eye.”

Fear of the evil eye is not limited to tribespeople in South America. Lawyers in Italy and farmers in India, as well as businessmen in North America, also quiver at the evil eye.

What is the evil eye? It is the belief that some people possess the power to injure and even kill you by merely looking at you. They may use this evil glance when your prosperity has aroused their jealousy. Moreover, it is believed that many a well-intentioned person has the evil eye and that his gaze may harm others involuntarily.

Do you share this dread? And if so, does this fear help you or harm you?

Fact or Fiction?

Most reference works on the subject describe fear of the evil eye as a superstition. Since a superstition is defined as a belief “based on neither reason nor fact,” some people believe that fear of the evil eye is nothing more than a product of feeble minds.

Admittedly, numerous stories about the evil eye are fiction. To fear, for example, that people with cross-eye, cataracts, or cowlicks are prone to possess the evil eye is a figment of the imagination. Or to believe that the fatal glance is at work whenever your baby falls ill, your cow dies, or your hens refuse to lay is attributing more to it than is warranted.

Nevertheless, just as a solid nut is hidden under the thick husk of a coconut, there are also some solid facts hidden under the thick layer of tales about the evil eye. So let us cut through the fiction and uncover some facts.

The Origin of the Evil Eye

The Encyclopædia of Religion and Ethics answers that the ancient Babylonians feared the influence of the evil eye. Who promoted that fear? Babylonian sorcerers or witches. They were noted for causing terrible sufferings by casting spells with a glance of their eyes. However, these sorcerers did not do this of their own accord. Who empowered them? Spirit creatures called demons. Explains the book The Religion of Babylonia and Assyria: “Witches could invoke the demons at their will and bring such persons as they chose within the demons’ power.”

The Bible likewise points to self-demonized angels as the source of “uncanny power.” (1 Samuel 15:23; 1 Timothy 4:1; Jude 6) In addition, God’s Word confirms that demons share their malicious power with spiritists and demon-controlled persons. (Acts 16:16-18; Revelation 22:15) As a result, such people are able to ‘bind others with a spell,’ sometimes by means of their eyes. (Deuteronomy 18:10-12) Thus, the evil eye is indeed based on some facts.

So if you live in a community where witch doctors’ spells are a part of daily life, it is no wonder that your fear of the evil eye has been kept alive. However, no matter how threatening those spells may be, you should not share your neighbors’ fear. Why not? First of all, fearing the evil eye can easily lead you into servitude to demons​—something the Bible forbids. (See 1 Corinthians 10:20, 21.) Second, you can avail yourself of a form of protection that thwarts the effects of the evil eye and removes all reasons for fear. What protection? Wearing amulets?

Protection That Works

To answer, consider this example: What will you do if you fear that a huge tree will fall over and crush your house? Will you fortify the roof, hoping that it will withstand the impact of the falling tree? Or will you call for the help of a lumberjack or tree surgeon who has a record of felling trees safely? Felling the tree removes the source of danger and thus eliminates your fear.

Similarly, what will dispel your fear if a spiritist threatens to use his evil eye against you? Will you try to fortify yourself by tying amulets around your neck? Or will you call for the help of a person who has a record of rendering demons powerless? Obviously, the latter is the wise course, for that person removes the source of danger and thus eliminates your fear.

But like the psalmist, you may ask: “From where will my help come?” Inspired by God, he answers: “My help is from Jehovah, the Maker of heaven and earth.” Does the Creator’s help include protection against the evil eye? Yes, for the psalmist further assures us: “Jehovah himself will guard you against all calamity.” (Psalm 121) To bolster your confidence in Jehovah’s ability to protect, consider his trust-inspiring record of dealings with the demons.

‘The Demons Shudder’​—Why?

In Noah’s day, Jehovah dismissed disobedient angels from their positions of favor by restraining them ‘in a prison’ of spiritual darkness. (1 Peter 3:19; Genesis 6:1-4) Then, in the first century, Jesus, acting as God’s representative, expelled powerful demons at will. (Matthew 8:31, 32; Mark 1:39) And again, during this 20th century, Jesus used his God-given power to oust Satan and his demons from heaven. (Revelation 12:7-9) Hence, the demons learned the hard way that their power is nothing compared with God’s power. Yet, Jehovah is about to add another page to this record. Soon, Satan and these cast-out rebels will be thrown into an abyss for a thousand years.​—Revelation 20:1-3.

How does this knowledge affect them? The Bible reveals: “The demons believe and shudder.” (James 2:19) Then, how does this knowledge affect you? Will you still fear those ‘shuddering’ demons and their human henchmen? Or will you “only fear Jehovah” by trusting fully in his invisible protection against the evil eye?​—1 Samuel 12:24.

Truly, if faith moves you to untie your amulets and to strengthen your bond with Jehovah’s Witnesses in your community, you will soon join them in echoing the words of the ancient sons of Korah. They proclaimed: “God is for us a refuge and strength, a help that is readily to be found during distresses. That is why we shall not fear.”​—Psalm 46:1, 2; compare Romans 8:31.

Recordings That Bring Praise to Jehovah

“ONE day spent at Bethel playing music is worth a thousand spent elsewhere.” “I consider it the highest musical privilege presently in existence.” “I feel it is an honor to use the talents that Jehovah so graciously bestowed on me possibly to attract others to the truth with music.” These are some of the comments from professional musicians, Jehovah’s Witnesses, who have volunteered their time and effort to produce music with a unique orchestra.

Why would these musicians freely volunteer their talents when they could be doing the same kind of work for profit? Let them answer for themselves. Jim has played double bass for 22 years with the New York Philharmonic orchestra. He stated: “I feel extremely privileged to come to the world headquarters of Jehovah’s Witnesses and record music.” Joe, violinist and guitarist, has recorded music professionally. He feels this way: “It is an answer to my prayers to be used by Jehovah with anything I have.” Harold, a pianist, has had many fine privileges of responsibility as a minister of Jehovah’s Witnesses. He has always kept his professional music career secondary to his ministry. He says: “Recording music for Jehovah’s Witnesses is one of the most enjoyable privileges I have had in Jehovah’s organization.”

In these days when the recording business is a fiercely competitive, multimillion-dollar industry, it may seem hard for some to believe that 60 people would come together to record music for four days without accepting any monetary reward and even at their own expense! However, the sponsor of this recording project is the Watchtower Society​—the nonprofit organization that publishes this magazine. And everyone involved with the orchestra ​—from conductor to technician—​is a minister of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Their motive for working so hard? To bring praise to God.

From Printing to Recording

How, though, did the Watchtower Society​—well known for its printing operations—​become involved in making sound recordings? In 1966 the Society arranged for a costumed Bible drama to be presented at its yearly district conventions. This dramatic portrayal of ancient Bible events was so well received that similar presentations became regular features at these conventions.

Back then, the first Bible dramas were presented live. Later, it was decided that prerecorded tapes could be produced to add music and sound effects to the presentations. Thus, the actors on stage would simply mime the voices already recorded on tape. The Society had its large headquarters staff at Brooklyn to draw from to provide actors and technicians, and a recording studio was established. But when the decision was later made to produce original music for these dramas, a new challenge presented itself.

Assembling an Orchestra

A search began for composers and musicians among Jehovah’s Witnesses in North America who would be willing to donate their time and talents to producing Christian music. Over the years, the Watchtower orchestra has grown to nearly symphonic proportions​—60 to 70 volunteers. Quite a few among them are professional musicians. However, they will tell you what their primary profession is. David has played cello with the Denver symphony orchestra for several years. His view of the music industry has been affected by the truth of God’s Word. He expressed it this way: “I have scaled down my personal ambition and desire for advancement in the music world. I am glad to support my family as a musician and also have time to engage in the full-time ministry.”

John’s view also has, as he put it, “changed dramatically. Although I was still working on Broadway as a bassist when I was baptized as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, I began to see that it was hard to balance my love for Jehovah and my love for music. I found the music industry to be a master. I could not give my whole soul to Jehovah in the preaching work when I knew I had to play music at night. There are too many opportunities to compromise our faith. So I started in the full-time ministry.”

Nearly 50 of the participants in the Society’s music recording projects, including music copyists and technicians, serve in local congregations of Jehovah’s Witnesses as elders or ministerial servants. About 35 are able to devote their full time to the ministry, including service at Brooklyn Bethel and Watchtower Farms.

In 1980 the Society expanded the work of this unique orchestra. Arrangements of songs used by Jehovah’s Witnesses as an enjoyable feature of their worship were made available on cassette tapes. Delegates at the 1980 district conventions were thrilled by the release of Kingdom Melodies No. 1​—the first of a series of music tapes produced by the Watchtower orchestra for the praise of Jehovah.

Tom, a professional musician for many years, has been involved in the Society’s music recording projects for the past 15 years. He remarked: “It is true that our efforts fall short musically of what can be accomplished by a professional symphony orchestra. But what we may lack in experience is certainly made up for in zeal and enthusiasm.” Sallie has years of experience as a professional violinist. She appreciates “the spirit of cooperation that exists here that none in the world can match.” Bill, a retired percussionist, summed it up, saying: “The orchestra still isn’t the New York Philharmonic in quality, but I think we do well. I love it! I earnestly look forward to each recording session.”

Dramas and Bible Readings

The voices for the Bible dramas are recorded in the Society’s studios. Members of the Brooklyn headquarters staff serve as actors and actresses. Drama scenes are recorded separately and then edited together. Finally, sound effects and music are added.

Since 1978 the Society’s recording facilities have been put to yet another use​—recording the Holy Scriptures. Over the years, since the first release of the cassette of The Good News According to John, the entire Bible has been recorded. Now anyone with a hearing ear can benefit from God’s Word.

How are such recordings made? Let’s look in on a recording session. An ordained minister of Jehovah’s Witnesses is reading from the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures. To help him put meaning into the reading and to look carefully after the recording quality, there are three others sitting behind a soundproof window in the control room​—the engineer, who operates the recording console to make sure the equipment is functioning properly; the follower, who carefully checks the reading for accuracy of content; and the director, who provides helpful guidance on pronunciation and speech qualities to the reader.

While these three are busy with the recording, an editor removes page-turning noises and other unwanted sounds from previous recordings by physically cutting the recorded tape with a razor blade. A proofreader then carefully listens to the final version to be sure nothing has been left out.

Producing music, drama, Watchtower, and Bible-reading tapes is a lot of work, but letters from all over the world expressing appreciation for these tapes indicate that it is well worth the effort. Have you had opportunity to benefit from these unique recordings? The publishers of this magazine would be more than happy to help you obtain them. After all, they do more than provide you with instruction and enjoyment. They bring praise to Jehovah himself.

[Pictures on page 25]

Professional Witness musicians share in all sections of the orchestra

[Pictures on page 26]

The different sections of the orchestra combine to make music that is recorded in the Watchtower studio

Cassettes Changed His Life

A Witness in Barbados was studying the Bible with a lad whose brother was a seaman. This seaman had traveled abroad and was disillusioned with what he had seen of religion. He ridiculed his brother’s interest in the Bible. Although skeptical, he accepted some Bible literature and some Bible cassette tapes, which he took on his next voyage. By the time he reached Australia, he had read all the literature and listened to the tapes. He wanted to know more. Australian Witnesses happened to visit his ship, and he happily accepted more Bible literature.

After several months at sea, he returned to Barbados​—a changed man. He quit smoking tobacco and marijuana, gave up gambling and drinking, and left off his immoral ways. He was eventually baptized. What triggered his change? In retrospect he said: “It was the Bible tapes that opened up the Scriptures to me and made it especially easy for me to absorb Bible truths.”

From Our Readers

Saris

I have just read the article “Saris by the Millions” in the July 8, 1988, issue of Awake!, and it made me feel so happy. I looked at the photograph of the woman wearing a sari and thought, ‘What beautiful attire!’ It was written in a way that the reader feels favorably disposed and respectful toward the women of India. This kind of article offsets any small trace of racial prejudice that might be in our hearts. It mentioned that the ordinary Indian woman puts on an older ‘house sari’ to do her daily housework. This helped me, here in faraway Japan doing the same work, to feel self-respect. I was also helped to give thought to ‘femininity of dress.’ So from now on, if I am indoors and need to buy something at the neighborhood grocery, I intend considering whether my dress is feminine and well-arranged before leaving home.

N. I., “A woman who would just love to try on a sari,” Japan

Tooth Rescue

My son, 16 at the time, knocked a tooth out while riding a bicycle. I remembered reading in the Awake! (June 8, 1983) either to put the tooth in its socket or hold it in the mouth or put it in milk, but I couldn’t remember which was best, so I called the hospital’s emergency room. They said to pack it in ice, totally opposite of what I’d read. So I called another, told them what I remembered, and they said to put it back in the socket if possible. So we did that, took him to the emergency room, then the oral surgeon, then the endodontist, and they all said that if we had packed it in ice as the first emergency room had said, he would have lost the tooth. So you are making us an educated people; I only hate to think of what I have missed by not thoroughly reading each issue in the past.

P. L., United States

Artificial Intelligence

The article on artificial intelligence in the July 8, 1988, issue of Awake! was missing much; either the author was ignorant of several developments in the field or if aware discounted them for some reason . . . The article totally ignores neural networks, which give computers essentially the same ability as the human eye or ear to discern patterns. Currently, these neural networks can only emulate ganglions of less complex creatures . . . It is uncertain whether or not they will ever approach the complexity of the human brain neuron, but it may not be necessary . . . I’m afraid this article is like many I’ve read in the popular press, pushing the idea that “it’s ok, humans, you will always be superior in intelligence to anything on earth.” I think it’s an unwarranted fear of humans, to meet a more intelligent being, and also very egocentric.

J. O., United States

“Awake!” discussed current developments in artificial intelligence, what is presently in practical use. Reader J. O. is concerned primarily with experimental future prospects, for which he admits some uncertainties. “A study by M.I.T.’s Lincoln Laboratory suggests that in five years it should be possible to build a neural network as complex as the brain of a bee,” says a recent “New York Times” editorial. (September 7, 1988) Credit should be given where it is due​—any level of artificial intelligence is still just a very inferior imitation of the Creator’s work.​—ED.

Watching the World

Faithful Disobedience

According to a survey conducted by the National Catholic Reporter, many Catholics believe that it is not necessary to adhere to the official teachings of the church in order to be a good Catholic. For example, 70 percent of those surveyed believed they could be good Catholics without going to church on Sunday. And 66 percent felt that being a good Catholic did not obligate them to obey the church’s teaching on birth control, while 57 percent felt that obedience on the matter of divorce and remarriage was not required. Although 55 percent claimed that they would never leave the church, only 13 percent said that it was the most important part of their life.

Sea of Concern

Soviet scientists have reported that the Aral sea, once the world’s fourth-largest lake, is shrinking at an alarming pace because of the diversion of water from its tributaries for irrigation. According to current data, the lake has fallen 43 feet [13 m] within the last 28 years. Nearly half of the 27,200-square-mile [70,400 sq km] watery expanse has disappeared. As a result, it is now ranked sixth among the world’s lakes. According to National Geographic, “twenty species of fish . . . have been killed off” because of the sharply increased salinity of the water, destroying a fishing industry that formerly employed up to 60,000 people. Though ways are being considered to reverse the sea’s decline, the situation is expected to worsen into the next century.

Musician’s Syndrome

A study of eight large orchestras on three continents has revealed that over 50 percent of musicians suffer from what has been called musician’s syndrome. The ailment consists of severe pain in the muscles and joints of the arms of stringed-instrument players and in the soft palate or the throat muscles of those who play wind instruments. The major symptom is pain that can be so intense as to wake the musician at night. Other symptoms include heaviness, stiffness, weakness or pinpricks in the arms. The syndrome causes a substantial loss of agility, speed, and precision, leading to a degree of mental depression. According to the Italian medical journal Doctor, the cure lies in reducing the effort required to use the instrument by means of a well-coordinated playing technique.

Sleep for Health

Is it true that getting plenty of rest helps the body to fight disease? Scientists say yes! They have discovered a definite link between the body’s immune response and deep sleep. According to American Health, they have found that tiny proteins known as muramyl peptides induce the most restful type of deep, dream-free sleep and “trigger the production of interleukin 1, a key component of the body’s defensive system.” Researcher Dr. James M. Krueger believes that “sleep may play a role in the recuperative process, whether it’s recovery from a day’s activity or a disease.”

In-Flight Deaths

Although figures are often given for plane-crash victims, very little is said about deaths occurring during flight. However, a report published in JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association) indicates that during an eight-year period, 42 international airline companies registered 577 passengers who died while in flight. This is approximately 72 per year, an average of one death for every three million passengers. The most frequent cause appears to be heart attacks. Of the deaths registered, 66 percent were men. In most cases (77 percent), those who died during a flight reported no health problems prior to traveling. “In view of the hundreds of millions of passengers who fly each year, the average of 72 deaths per year,” notes JAMA, “is minuscule.”

Deadly Occupation

In recent years, farming has surpassed construction and mining as the deadliest occupation in the United States, reports The New York Times. Information provided by the National Safety Council shows that about 1,600 adults were killed in 1987 when they were caught in the gears of farm machinery, crushed by tractor rollovers, or involved in other related accidents. The council said that similar accidents have left as many as 160,000 farm people disabled. However, according to the Times, those figures do not reflect “the 300 children under the age of 16 who died in farm-related mishaps or the 23,000 who were injured using or playing near farm equipment.”

Lost at Sea

During 1988 the bodies of as many as 7,000 diseased seals washed up on the shores of the North Sea. The cause of death was a virus producing pneumonialike symptoms. Is man responsible? That question has been raised by some scientists who observe that man pours millions of tons of industrial waste, pesticides, oil, and sewage sludge into the North Sea each year. As a result, “industrial chemicals trapped in the seals’ abundant fat may weaken their immune systems, leaving them helpless against a marauding virus,” reports The Economist. PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), though banned for more than a decade, have been found in the water and in the seals’ blubber. Until scientists can pinpoint a direct link between the seal deaths and the thousands of chemicals polluting the sea, however, the truth remains “lost at sea,” notes The Economist.

Costly Calls

Touted as a way to “bring people together as a cure for loneliness or as a come-on for blind dates,” the telephone party line is hooking customers, and the talk is not cheap. Every day thousands of people throughout the United States are dialing special phone numbers that connect them with other people who simply want to talk. Is it worth it? “One man ran up a $95,000 phone bill,” reports the Daily News. Topping that, however, an 18-year-old Brooklyn youth racked up a phone bill totaling $152,000! Persons using the party line have reportedly spent over 23 hours per sitting, talking to other party-line marathoners.

Effect of Loud Music

While parents have often worried about their children listening to loud music, youths are now hearing warnings from another source​—the musicians themselves. The reason? “More and more performers are discovering that their hearing is permanently damaged,” reports Time magazine. The problem begins when the sound-carrying hairs located in the inner ear are regularly exposed to noise above 100 decibels​—rock concerts often are about 120. Thus, “repeated assaults by high-decibel rock,” explains Time, cause these hairs to flatten and “lose their resilience permanently.” One audiologist said that hours of music blasting through stereo earphones was as if “the nozzle of a fire hose [had] been stuck down the ear canal.”

Canada Apologizes

A shameful page in Canadian history was acknowledged by the Canadian government. During the heat of World War II, 21,000 Japanese Canadians were falsely accused of being traitors and imprisoned in work camps, unable to return home for six or seven years. An editorial in The Toronto Star notes that they had their “homes, farms, furniture, fishing boats, cars and other property confiscated and sold for a fraction of their worth, with proceeds used to pay for their imprisonment.” After World War II, the injustices continued. In 1946 about 2,000 Canadians were deported simply because they were of Japanese ancestry. Prime Minister Mulroney declared that to “put things right,” the Canadian Parliament publicly apologized for these injustices and would pay each surviving citizen $21,000 as compensation.

Make Your Own Rainbow

HAVE you ever made your own rainbow? Have you ever sprayed water through the air on a sunny day and suddenly thrilled to your own miniature rainbow? If not, no doubt you have been stopped in your tracks when someone exclaimed, “Look! A rainbow!” That beautiful arch of colors never ceases to amaze us. But what exactly is a rainbow? How is it formed?

There are three basic prerequisites if you are to see a rainbow​—the sun behind you and no higher than 40 degrees above the horizon, and a rain shower ahead of you. If conditions are ideal, you will actually see two rainbows​—an inner one with stronger colors and an outer one that might look washed out. And how many colors will you see? Technically, there are seven colors​—violet, indigo, blue, green, yellow, orange, and red—​although some experts discount indigo. Most people perceive only four or five because of some blending.

But what makes the colors? The raindrops break up the sunlight into colors by acting like tiny prisms and mirrors, thus transmitting colored light to the eyes. Each rainbow is unique to each observer. Why is that? Because difference of observer position will mean difference of angle between the raindrops and the sun’s rays. Furthermore, each person is viewing different sets of raindrops. So when you admire the beauty of a rainbow, you are seeing something unique​—your particular rainbow.

Enjoy Yourself With Kingdom Melodies on Tape

Play the tapes when you’re driving the car, doing chores in the house, or anytime you feel like giving yourself a lift.

Let the wonderful music flow into your heart. It’s a beautiful feeling.

Each of the eight cassettes of Kingdom Melodies is only $2 and has a playing time of about one hour. Receive the cassettes that are listed below by filling in and mailing the accompanying coupon.

Please send, postpaid, the cassette(s) checked below. For each cassette ordered, I have enclosed $2 (U.S.) to cover the cost. (Outside the U.S.A., write to local Watch Tower branch for information.)

◻ Kingdom Melodies No. 1

◻ Kingdom Melodies No. 2

◻ Kingdom Melodies No. 3

◻ Kingdom Melodies No. 4

◻ Kingdom Melodies No. 5

◻ Kingdom Melodies No. 6

◻ Kingdom Melodies No. 7

◻ Kingdom Melodies No. 8