April 8

Page Two

When Man and Beast Live in Peace 3-11

Many people enjoy domestic animals as pets. But what about wild beasts? Will these ever live in genuine peace with humans, without being locked in cages?

Preventing the Return of Bad Habits 13

Have you overcome bad habits only to have them come back and renew their grip on you? How can you prevent this?

The Colosseum​—Ancient Rome’s “Entertainment” Center 24

How was it built?

What was its purpose?

Did early Christians die there?

[Picture Credit Line on page 2]

Cover, 2, 10: Illustration of girl with cubs based on a photo courtesy of Hartebeespoortdam Snake and Animal Park

Obstacles to Peace Between Man and Beast

Pictures like the one on the cover of this magazine are a delight to children. Adults too are often attracted to such a scene.

Why do humans react this way? Is genuine peace between man and even the most ferocious beast just a childish dream? Or will it become a reality?

Man an Obstacle

A big obstacle to such peace is man himself. An ancient proverb says: “Man has dominated man to his injury.” (Ecclesiastes 8:9) And man’s history of working injury to his own kind is reflected in his treatment of animals.

For example, numerous wild beasts were captured and made to fight in the arenas of ancient Rome. In 106 C.E., the Roman emperor Trajan reportedly staged games in which 10,000 gladiators and 11,000 beasts were slain to satisfy the bloodlust of sadistic spectators.

True, that particular type of entertainment is not fashionable today. But the growing list of extinct and endangered species testifies that something is wrong with man’s treatment of wild creatures. As the human population explodes, the habitat of wild animals shrinks. And because of human greed, there is demand for exotic animal skins, horns, and tusks. Some experts fear that the only specimens of most large species will eventually be confined to zoos.

Man-Eaters

Another obstacle to peace may appear to be some wild beasts themselves. In Africa and Asia, it is not unusual to read reports of wild beasts that have attacked and killed humans. The Guinness Book of Animal Facts and Feats states that members of the cat family “probably account for close on 1000 deaths annually.” In India alone, tigers kill more than 50 people each year. Some leopards in that country have also become man-eaters.

In his book Dangerous to Man, Roger Caras explains that leopards sometimes turn to man-eating after scavenging dead human bodies in the wake of disease epidemics. Such epidemics, he explains, have often been “followed by months of terror as leopards indulged their new taste for human flesh and started killing.”

But Caras observes that disease epidemics do not account for all leopard attacks. Another cause is the animal’s excitability, especially when it is near children.

During the years 1918-26, one leopard in India killed 125 humans, as reported by Colonel J. Corbett in his book The Man-Eating Leopard of Rudraprayag. Decades later, man-eating leopards killed at least 82 people in the district of Bhagalpur.

A game ranger in Tanganyika (now part of Tanzania) related how he spent five months in 1950 trying without success to shoot a man-eating leopard that terrorized people around the village of Ruponda. Eventually, after killing 18 children, it was trapped by an African villager. Another leopard killed 26 women and children in the village of Masaguru.

Then there is the African lion. When it turns to eating humans, the victims are often adult men. “In my twenty-three years in the Game Department,” writes C. Ionides in his book Mambas and Man-Eaters, “I shot over forty lions, the majority of which were man-eaters, while the remainder were either on their way to becoming man-eaters or were stock-raiders.” According to Ionides, lions become a menace to humans when man drastically reduces their usual prey.

Earth-Wide Peace Foretold

In spite of such obstacles to peace between man and beast, the Bible states: “Every species of wild beast . . . is to be tamed and has been tamed by humankind.”​—James 3:7.

The Bible foretells at Ezekiel 34:25: “I [God] will conclude with them a covenant of peace, and I shall certainly cause the injurious wild beast to cease out of the land, and they will actually dwell in the wilderness in security and sleep in the forests.”

Are such Bible prophecies just an unrealistic dream? Before rejecting the prospect of earth-wide peace between man and beast, consider some indications pointing to the truthfulness of what the Bible says. Some amazing examples of harmony between caring humans and potentially dangerous beasts have been documented.

Can Man and Beast Live in Peace?

“I felt as though I were on the doorstep of paradise; man and beast in trusting harmony.” Thus Joy Adamson described a scene alongside Kenya’s Ura River as she watched a variety of birds and animals come to drink. A fascinating part of the scene was the animal peacefully sitting next to her​—a full-grown lioness!

Was there something exceptional about this particular lioness, Elsa, whom millions came to know through the book Born Free, by Joy Adamson? No, she was an ordinary lioness. The difference was that she had learned to live peacefully with humans.

Later, when the film Born Free was made, a number of tame lionesses were used to portray Elsa. One was called Mara. She was suspicious at first, and then she was very possessive, not allowing her new human friends out of sight. To calm her down, Joy’s husband, George Adamson, moved his tent against Mara’s enclosure. Eventually, he moved his tent right inside the enclosure! “For the next three months,” he wrote in his book Bwana Game, “she slept regularly inside [my tent], usually stretched out on the floor alongside my bed and sometimes on it. . . . She never gave me cause for anxiety regarding my personal safety.”

“One of our favourite games,” wrote Mr. Adamson, “was for me to lie flat on the ground hidden behind a tuft of grass. Mara would stalk me with great stealth, belly low to the ground in proper lion fashion and then there would be the final lightning rush and she would land on top of me. Always she kept control of her formidable claws and never hurt me.”

Another lioness who played the part of Elsa was named Girl. When the film was completed, Girl was returned to the wild, where she mated and produced two cubs. Two of Adamson’s friends located the lair. Adamson wrote: “With the most remarkable trust and good nature Girl permitted the two men, who were taking a considerable risk, to approach within a few feet [a meter or so] of the birthplace . . . Girl’s behaviour was the more remarkable as [one of the men] was a comparative stranger to her.” As for Adamson, Girl even permitted him to touch her cubs, whereas other lions were driven away.

Taming a Vicious Lion

Characteristics differ from lion to lion. While Joy Adamson was raising Elsa, farther south in Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia), a game warden, Norman Carr, was doing the same with two male cubs. One of the cubs, Big Boy, was very friendly. The other, Little Boy, was inclined to be sulky. Regarding the latter, Carr wrote the following in his book Return to the Wild:

“When Little Boy is in one of these moods, I squat beside him as he snarls at me, just out of range of his paws which he is quite liable to use in a vicious hook with two-inch razor claws extended. Patiently I try to woo him by talking to him soothingly as I inch up closer and closer; and when I eventually make contact he is still snarling but in a less determined manner. As I put my arm around his shaggy shoulders and caress his chest, he will visibly relax as if all his tensed-up muscles have been deflated. . . . He puts his head in my lap, inviting me to fondle him.”

In the foreword to Carr’s book, the Earl of Dalhousie, who was governor-general of the country, relates an incident he witnessed when the lions were over two years old and roaming unattended on a plain near Carr’s camp. Carr whistled, and this is how the Earl described the response: “They came bounding up to their master’s whistle and rubbed their mighty heads against him, at the same time thundering out their happy but terrifying greeting. Their affection for him had certainly not diminished.”

Lions have a natural fear of man and normally seek to avoid him. This instinctive reaction found in lions and other beasts is accurately described in the Bible. (Genesis 9:2) Without it man would be a most vulnerable prey. Yet, some beasts become man-eaters.

“Exceptions to the Rule”

An expert on this subject, Roger Caras, explains: “Among almost all species of big cats there seem to appear a number of abnormal individuals who seek man as food. They are exceptions to the rule . . . Man can generally live pretty much in peace with [the big cats].”

Many animals do not seem to recognize man when he sits concealed in a vehicle. In this way humans are able to take close-up photographs of lions. “But,” warns the book Maberly’s Mammals of Southern Africa, “considerable danger is invited if you open your door, or attempt to get out close to lions, because they recognise the human presence, and the suddenness of the appearance adds to the shock of fear which may very easily prompt an attack in supposed self-defense. . . . There is less danger in actually coming face to face with a lion in the bush than in suddenly appearing out of a motor car in front of him!”

What About Leopards?

Leopards that become man-eaters are also exceptions to the rule. Jonathan Scott explains in his book The Leopard’s Tale: “Unmolested and in good health, the leopard is a shy, retiring creature showing a marked fear of man. If confronted it will usually flee for the nearest available cover.”

Scott spent months in Kenya’s Masai Mara Game Reserve studying the movements of a female leopard that he named Chui. Chui gradually got used to the presence of Scott’s motor vehicle, and on one occasion her cubs, named Dark and Light, came right up and examined his car. Scott believes that behind the leopard’s cold exterior lies a potentially warm nature.

Others have experienced the warm side of a leopard’s nature. For example, Joy Adamson raised an orphaned leopard cub that she called Penny. After being released into the wild, Penny mated and produced a litter. When her human friends were in the vicinity, Penny revealed herself and urged them to come and see her newborn cubs. At the lair, sitting next to the proud mother, Adamson described the delightful scene: “She licked our hands while the cubs cuddled between her front legs, all so sublimely happy. The general belief is that leopards are the most dangerous of all African animals, and leopardesses with young especially fierce.” But Adamson stated that her experience with Penny might prove that “most of the accepted beliefs are a fallacy.”

Another “good-natured” leopardess, named Harriet, provided Arjan Singh of northern India with an even more remarkable experience. Singh raised Harriet from cubhood and trained her so that she could fend for herself in the jungle next to his farm. As part of the training, Singh would sometimes encourage the leopard to attack. “When I crouched down and incited her to charge,” he explains in his book Prince of Cats, “she came at me head-on . . . , but when she leapt at me she made quite certain that she went over the top, pivoting on my head and sliding down my back, without leaving so much as a scratch on my bare shoulders.”

The leopard’s method of play with Singh’s dog Eelie was also remarkable. Singh comments that a “film shows [the leopard] sitting up on her haunches and boxing as the dog charges her​—but she makes no attempt to knock the attacker down. Her big paws go up one side of Eelie’s neck, over her head and down the other side as softly as dusters.”

This friendly relationship between man, dog, and leopard continued after Harriet left home to pursue life in the neighboring jungle. “If someone says that leopards are not to be trusted,” concludes Singh, “I need only think of the many times Harriet came to [my farm] in the middle of the night and gently woke me to exchange greetings as I lay asleep in the open.”

Eventually, Harriet mated and produced two cubs. When her lair was threatened by a flood, the leopard carried the cubs in her mouth and brought them one at a time to the safety of Singh’s home. When the flood subsided, Harriet climbed into Singh’s boat, inducing him to row her back and forth across the river as she took her cubs one at a time to a new jungle lair.

The African Elephant

It has been said that the African elephant is too wild to domesticate. Many people, however, have proved the facts to be otherwise. One example is the touching relationship between three African elephants and an American named Randall Moore. The elephants were part of a group of calves captured in South Africa’s Kruger National Park and shipped to the United States. In time they were trained for a circus act and performed well. When their owner died, Moore was given the trio and returned them to Africa.

The two females, named Owalla and Durga, were introduced to the Pilanesberg Reserve of Bophuthatswana in 1982. At the time the park had a number of orphaned elephant calves who were in bad shape and needed supervision by adult females. Would circus-trained Owalla and Durga be able to take on this role?

After a year, Moore received reports that his elephants had adopted all 14 orphans and that more orphans were to be introduced to the park. After a four-year absence, Moore returned to see for himself. Anticipating a long search in the Pilanesberg Mountains, he was surprised, soon after his arrival, to spot Owalla and Durga among a large herd. “My first, unprofessional impulse,” he wrote in Back to Africa, “was to run up to them, embrace them and lavish them with praise. I replaced that urge with a more rational approach.”

First, Owalla and Durga had to be certain of the presence of their old friend. They inspected his outstretched hand with their trunks. “Owalla,” writes Moore, “towered above me as if awaiting the next command. The remainder of the herd in frozen posture clustered around. I obliged. ‘Owalla . . . Trunk UP and FOOT!’ Owalla immediately lifted her front foot high into the air and curled her trunk skyward in the classic salute position of those far-off circus days. Who was it who first said that an elephant never forgets?”

Three years later, in October 1989, Owalla’s memory was given another test. This time Moore decided to try something he had not done since introducing the elephants to the park seven years previously. Owalla obeyed his command to stretch down and allowed him to climb on her back. Television viewers in South Africa were thrilled to see him ride her amid more than 30 wild elephants. “I did this,” Moore explained in an interview with Awake!, “not as a publicity act but because I was curious to know the amount of bonding and intelligence possible with an elephant.” The Pilanesberg orphans thrived under the intelligent care of Owalla and Durga.

True, the instances of friendship between man and wild beast today are not the rule; they take careful cultivation. It would be foolhardy indeed for the average person to venture into the wild and try to approach lions, leopards, and elephants. But while such friendship between wild beasts and humans is relatively rare today, what about the future? Will it be the rule?

[Box/​Pictures on page 8]

Lions Can Be Tamed!

“COME and take some photographs of me with my lions,” said Jack Seale, director of Hartebeespoortdam Snake and Animal Park in South Africa. Nervously, I followed him to the lions’ enclosure, hoping he would allow me to take the photographs from outside the protective fence.

The enclosure was clean, with plenty of shade from surrounding trees. Nine healthy lions quickly recognized their trainer as he stepped into the enclosure with an assistant. The lions made friendly growls and paced about excitedly.

“Come inside,” Jack said. I pretended not to hear. “Come inside,” he repeated louder. To defend themselves from the lions, all they had were sticks! My heart beat rapidly as I fought cowardice, finally climbing inside. Quickly I began clicking my camera as Jack fondled some of his magnificent charges. What a relief I felt when all of us were safely outside! But I need not have feared.

“The reason we go in with sticks,” Jack explained afterward, “is that the lions are affectionate and give love bites. We hold out the sticks so they can chew them instead of our arms.” Jack and his pride had just returned from the Etosha National Park in Namibia. Why had he taken them so far away into the wild? He explained:

“They were used to film a documentary about what the research scientists are doing to control the population increase of lions in the wild in Namibia. But my lions prefer the life they have grown used to here. In Namibia, as soon as they saw my truck, they came up to it. There was no difficulty in getting them to come back home.”​—Contributed.

[Credit Line]

Courtesy Hartebeespoortdam Snake and Animal Park

[Picture on page 9]

Randall Moore, with his charges in the African bush

What About the Future?

Why is peace between man and beast so appealing? It is because humans were originally created to be at peace with the animals, even those categorized as wild.

When God made the first man and woman, he put them in a paradise area of the earth to enjoy life. It was his purpose for them to have children and to expand the boundaries of that original Paradise until it encompassed the whole earth. In that entire realm, mankind was to have the animals in peaceful subjection.

The Genesis account states: “Let them have in subjection the fish of the sea and the flying creatures of the heavens and the domestic animals and all the earth and every moving animal that is moving upon the earth. . . . After that God saw everything he had made and, look! it was very good.”​—Genesis 1:26-31; 2:9.

This subjection of the animals was not to be with brutality. Humans and animals were purposed to live together in peace. This can be seen by the fact that when the animals passed before man to be named, he was not armed. And there was no mention of fear displayed by either man or beast.​—Genesis 2:19, 20.

Original Purpose to Be Fulfilled

Happily, that original purpose of God will soon be carried out, when all man-made governments have been replaced by the Kingdom of God, which rules from heaven. (Daniel 2:44; Matthew 6:9, 10) With God-rule totally reestablished over the entire earth, God’s original purpose for earth and its human and animal inhabitants will proceed to be fulfilled.

The transforming effects of God’s righteous rule are nicely described in many Bible prophecies. For example, note what Isaiah wrote under inspiration: “The wolf will actually reside for a while with the male lamb, and with the kid the leopard itself will lie down, and the calf and the maned young lion and the well-fed animal all together; and a mere little boy will be leader over them. And the cow and the bear themselves will feed; together their young ones will lie down. And even the lion will eat straw just like the bull. They will not do any harm or cause any ruin in all my holy mountain; because the earth will certainly be filled with the knowledge of Jehovah as the waters are covering the very sea.”​—Isaiah 11:6, 7, 9.

Other prophecies also show the profound peace that will exist in God’s new world. In this regard Micah foretold: “They will have to beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning shears. They will not lift up sword, nation against nation, neither will they learn war anymore. And they will actually sit, each one under his vine and under his fig tree, and there will be no one making them tremble.”​—Micah 4:3, 4.

None of the wild animals will then disturb mankind’s peace, for God’s prophetic word says: “I will conclude with them a covenant of peace, and I shall certainly cause the injurious wild beast to cease out of the land, and they will actually dwell in the wilderness in security and sleep in the forests. . . . And they will actually prove to be on their soil in security.”​—Ezekiel 34:25, 27.

So the peace and harmony throughout that restored Paradise will be complete. That is why conditions there could be described in the last book of the Bible this way: “‘[God] will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away.’ And the One seated on the throne said: ‘Look! I am making all things new.’ Also, he says: ‘Write, because these words are faithful and true.’”​—Revelation 21:4, 5.

Yes, faithful and true. This means that we can depend on God’s promises, for unlike imperfect humans, he has the power, the wisdom, and the determination to carry out his purposes. As one of God’s faithful servants in ancient times said: “Not one word out of all the good words that Jehovah your God has spoken to you has failed. They have all come true for you. Not one word of them has failed.”​—Joshua 23:14; see also Isaiah 55:11.

We can have the same confidence that soon, in God’s new world, his original purpose for this earth, for humans, and for animals will be fulfilled. God-given peace will become an earth-wide reality. And not only will such peace reign among humans but it will also be reflected in the animal realm.

Crossword Puzzle

Clues Across

1. Jesus told the religious leaders that they could “interpret the appearance of the sky” but could not interpret these [4 words] (Matthew 16:3)

7. Where Solomon built the temple [2 words] (2 Chronicles 3:1)

10. Expulsion from one’s native land (Esther 2:6)

11. His wife, Joanna, was one of several women who ministered to Jesus (Luke 8:3)

12. An ally of Gog of Magog along with Tubal (Ezekiel 38:2)

17. What the hypocritical Pharisees would do to the fringes of their garments to increase their prominence among men (Matthew 23:5)

18. His son Ammiel was one of 12 men sent by Moses to spy out the land of Canaan (Numbers 13:12)

21. Used by Jesus to represent utter destruction resulting from adverse judgment by God (Luke 12:5)

24. God’s Kingdom was likened to one “cut not by hands” (Daniel 2:45)

25. As a result of Jacob’s grappling with an angel, the sons of Israel refrained from eating this part of the thigh of an animal (Genesis 32:32)

26. According to the Law, unless blood is poured out, this will not take place (Hebrews 9:22)

29. Among those assembled to convey Paul safely to Felix [2 words] (Acts 23:23, 24)

Clues Down

1. Used for the foundation of the tabernacle [2 words] (Exodus 26:19)

2. The prophet Elisha would often lodge in the home of a hospitable person of prominence in this city (2 Kings 4:8)

3. Paul called him his “beloved and faithful child in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 4:17)

4. To make a mistake (Mark 12:24, King James Version)

5. A Jairite listed as “a priest of David” (2 Samuel 20:26)

6. The one in 2 down who for her kindness was rewarded with a son [2 words] (2 Kings 4:12-17)

7. In his anger, Saul called Jonathan a “son of a rebellious ----” (1 Samuel 20:30)

8. A modern linear measure

9. The one concerning the end is unknown (Matthew 24:36)

13. Resemblance of one of the four living creatures around God’s throne (Revelation 4:7)

14. Free from contamination (Acts 18:6)

15. The place in Edom where King Hadar had his royal residence (Genesis 36:39)

16. The last letter of the Hebrew alphabet (Psalm 119:169)

19. Only a senseless one will deny his existence (Psalm 14:1)

20. An animal particularly dangerous to sheep (John 10:12)

21. When they feared running aground, the sailors lowered this on the ship on which Paul was a prisoner (Acts 27:17)

22. “And the name of -----’- daughter was Serah” (Numbers 26:46)

23. Noted for being instinctively wise (Proverbs 30:24, 25)

27. To be indebted for (Revelation 7:10)

28. Gained possession of (Luke 20:33)

Crossword Solutions Page 21

Answers Across

1. SIGNS OF THE TIMES

7. MOUNT MORIAH

10. EXILE

11. CHUZA

12. MESHECH

17. ENLARGE

18. GEMALLI

21. GEHENNA

24. STONE

25. SINEW

26. FORGIVENESS

29. SEVENTY HORSEMEN

Answers Down

1. SOCKET PEDESTALS

2. SHUNEM

3. TIMOTHY

4. ERR

5. IRA

6. SHUNAMMITE WOMAN

7. MAID

8. INCH

9. HOUR

13. EAGLE

14. CLEAN

15. PAU

16. TAW

19. JEHOVAH

20. WOLF

21. GEAR

22. ASHERS

23. ANTS

27. OWE

28. GOT

Preventing the Return of Bad Habits

“I’VE WON! The battle is over at last!”

Those words express the feeling of triumph experienced by a person who has struggled against an undesirable habit and who has conquered it.

Yet, how upsetting a relapse could be to such a person! How disappointing to discover that the bad habit, believed to be gone forever, has made a surprising and powerful return!

Perhaps you have had the experience of relapsing into a bad habit you very much wanted to overcome. If that is the case, you may begin to doubt your ability to abandon the unwanted practice permanently. And unwanted practices may be many: overeating, “addiction” to sweets, overdrinking, impulse buying, habitual lateness, gambling, smoking, and a host of other habits.

“Why Did I Regress When the Worst Was Over?”

It would seem that once you have lived through the initial withdrawal stages of a bad habit, avoiding it would become easier. However, various studies show that this is often not the case.

In the book Selfwatching, authors R. Hodgson and P. Miller explain: “Relapse is most likely to occur in the first three months after treatment. In fact, one study indicates that approximately 66 per cent of smokers, alcoholics and drug addicts return to their old behaviour within 90 days of their initial resolve to change. However, those who are able to curb their addiction during the first three to six months have an excellent chance of maintaining that control.”

Why is the recurrence of bad habits a threat months​—or sometimes years—​after an initial period of abstinence? One reason is that certain pressures in life may resurface, and bad habits were sources of some temporary relief in times past. So even after you feel that you have overcome an undesirable habit, if you come under stress​—such as caused by a financial setback, health problems, various disappointments—​beware of a relapse! If you are bored or lonely, do not be surprised if your former habit attempts a comeback.

Other causes of relapse can be social pressures, conflicts with people, negative emotions, and being in situations where temptation is strong.

Relapse Prevention

Even after an initial period of successfully fighting an unwanted habit, it is essential that you keep using the strategies that helped you break the habit in the first place. These strategies can be used continuously, or in some cases it may be enough to revive them from time to time, as in periods of stress or strong temptation.

For example, you may have kept written records to monitor your progress, such as daily or weekly readings as you try to lose weight. This is useful in breaking a habit and should not be abandoned even when you believe the danger is past.

You may also have had some means of rewarding yourself whenever you successfully resisted the habit you were trying to overcome. A modified reward system may be helpful in preventing a relapse. Or, in breaking a habit, did you enlist the aid of a friend? Allow this one to help you keep free of your past bad habit.

What other strategies will help you resist regressing, especially during pressure periods?

Resist by Substitution

Dr. R. Stuart, psychological director for Weight Watchers International, Inc., recommends the following for those striving to lose weight: “Keep your mind busy with a range of absorbing activities. Crafts work well, and so do hobbies. If possible, have the supplies at hand and the work area already set up, so that you can pursue your activity at a moment’s notice.” Perhaps such a technique can help you.

Yes, replace your former bad habit with healthy activity. Remember, that habit likely gave you some measure of relief when life became stressful, so choose substitutes that will effectively serve the same purpose. You might read, exercise, play a musical instrument, paint, or visit with friends. Start now by writing down a list of potential substitute activities. Highlight those that you decide to follow through on. Practice these new activities over and over as you did your former habit. This will make it easier to resort to them when you are feeling stressed. In fact, these substitute activities will actually become habits​—good habits!

The Importance of Fighting Discouragement

Since the temptation to return to bad habits may be especially strong when you are under pressure, can you adjust some of the circumstances in your life to lessen the pressure? Even when certain problems cannot be avoided, you can learn to control your emotions so as not to feel overwhelmed with discouragement.

The power of discouragement is often underestimated. Says a Bible proverb: “The spirit of a man can put up with his [health] malady; but as for a stricken spirit, who can bear it?” (Proverbs 18:14) How true! Often it is not the problem but the resulting discouragement that weakens us.

Another Bible proverb puts it this way: “Have you shown yourself discouraged in the day of distress? Your power will be scanty.” (Proverbs 24:10) Uncontrolled negative emotions will weaken you. They will make you vulnerable to relapse, perhaps pressuring you to return to a bad habit for relief. How vital, then, to fight discouragement!

But what if, despite your efforts, you still find yourself starting to slide back?

Temporary Setback Versus Full-Scale Relapse

How easy it is to think: ‘I failed, so I may as well give up.’ Fight that mood. Refuse to let a temporary setback, or even several setbacks, spell defeat for you.

Consider this illustration: If you were walking up a flight of stairs and slipped back one or two steps because of stumbling, would you reason, ‘I’ll just have to walk back to the foot of the stairs and start over’? Of course not! Why, then, should you apply this false reasoning to the fight against bad habits?

Feelings of guilt often follow a setback. You might carry these feelings to an extreme by concluding that you are no good, that you are of weak character and do not deserve anything good. Do not allow yourself to indulge in such exaggerated guilt. It saps you of the strength that you need to resume the battle. And remember this: The greatest man ever to walk this earth, Jesus Christ, came to redeem sinners, not perfect people. So none of us will do things perfectly at this time.

Another point to consider is that guilt may be a convenient escape to allow us to do the same thing over again. In their book You Can’t Afford the Luxury of a Negative Thought, P. McWilliams and J. Roger explain this possible consequence: “Guilt . . . lets us do it again. When we’ve ‘paid the price’ for our ‘crime,’ we’re free to do it again as long as we’re willing to pay the price. The price? More guilt.”

You do not have to let a temporary setback turn into a full-scale avalanche of relapse. Keep in mind that, in the end, overcoming the habit is what counts, not whether you experienced a few regressions along the way.

In this regard it is wise to decide in advance what strategy you will use should you catch yourself slipping back to your old habit. Such a backup plan will equip you to fight the regression at the earliest moment.

Possible​—And Worth It!

The fight against a bad habit, then, goes beyond enduring the initial period of painful withdrawal. It involves living through disappointments without permanently reverting to the bad habit.

Difficult? Yes, but entirely possible. The strategy that helped you break the habit in the first place will, if continued, help prevent or overcome relapses. The greatest benefit? Self-respect​—a worthwhile reward in itself. And likely you will also be more highly esteemed by those who know you.

[Picture on page 14]

Slipping back a few steps does not require starting again from the beginning

[Picture on page 15]

The threat of relapse is reduced by staying busy with absorbing activities

Young People Ask . . .

How Can I Be an Example to My Younger Brothers and Sisters?

PAUL knew how much his younger brother enjoyed watching television. So he was surprised one day when he saw him turn off the set right in the middle of a program. The reason? Paul’s brother explained: “It wasn’t a clean show. I knew you would have turned it off, so I turned it off myself.”

Without even realizing it, Paul had set an example for his younger brother to follow​—and a good one at that. Do you have younger siblings? Then what you say and do can likewise affect them. Says the book Sibling Rivalry, by Seymour V. Reit: “The drive to emulate an older sibling is incredibly strong and guides much of a young child’s actions. Older sibs are natural models.”

So, like it or not, because you are older and more responsible, your brothers and sisters will probably look up to you. They may try to copy the way you say and do things. Granted, always having to be an example to your siblings may seem burdensome at times.a “I’m the example for everyone else,” complains a teenage girl named Linda. “So my mom tells me that’s why I have to do good in school . . . I really have too much responsibility.” The pressure may be particularly great if you live in a single-parent household. “I’m practically their father,” wrote one boy about his younger siblings.

Nevertheless, being the older brother or sister has its advantages. For one thing, it allows you to be a positive influence in the lives of your siblings. Let’s see how.

In the Home

An ancient proverb says: “By wisdom a household will be built up, and by discernment it will prove firmly established.” (Proverbs 24:3) Of course, it is primarily the responsibility of your parents to build up your home, to make it a place where peace and pleasantness reign. But by showing some wisdom and discernment yourself, you can make a large contribution to the happiness of your family.

For example, how do you react when Mom or Dad asks you to take out the garbage or to clean up your room? Are you cooperative? Obedient? Or do you rebel or talk back disrespectfully? If so, don’t be surprised if your younger siblings soon begin talking back too. The wise and discerning thing to do is to follow the words of Proverbs 1:8: “Listen, my son, to the discipline of your father, and do not forsake the law of your mother.”

Granted, you may have a legitimate cause for complaint. Lamented one 18-year-old girl: “I don’t think my mom puts enough responsibility on my two brothers. Responsibility falls on me for everything: housework, setting examples, everything.” Perhaps she has a point. But rather than rebelling, is it not better to talk matters over with your parents in a calm and respectful manner? You can let them know how you feel and what you think might improve matters. By openly and freely communicating with your parents, not only are you making life better for yourself but you are also teaching your younger siblings the adult way to settle disagreements.

However, after talking things over with your parents, remember, they have the last word on the matter. So be happy with their decision. In this way you will also be setting a good example for your siblings.

Heated disputes over household chores can often be avoided altogether if you take the initiative. In other words, do you always have to be told not to leave your clothes all over the floor, or do you straighten things up without being prompted? Your quiet example in this regard can do much to help a younger brother or sister learn that in a family each one must carry his own load if things are to run smoothly.​—Compare Galatians 6:5.

At School

‘I hate school.’ ‘I don’t see why I have to go. I’m not learning anything.’ ‘Just as soon as I can, I’m going to quit school.’ Youths are often heard expressing such negative views of school. But do your younger siblings hear you talking that way? Do they see you skipping school or cutting classes? This could easily affect their attitude toward school.

Setting the right example means developing a wholesome, positive attitude regarding school. This may not be easy. But remember: Applying yourself in school can help you develop both mentally and spiritually. At the same time, it can help you to develop skills that will enable you to support yourself one day as an adult. The book Questions Young People Ask​—Answers That Work has a section entitled “School and Work.”b This contains useful information that may improve your attitude toward learning.

A good attitude toward school is sure to rub off on your younger brothers and sisters. And by taking a personal interest in their grades and homework​—volunteering to help them out from time to time—​you can do much to nurture their academic development. But what about the way you conduct yourself in school? How do you treat teachers, counselors, and school administrators? Are you sarcastic, argumentative, or do you set a good example by showing respect for their authority?​—Compare Titus 3:1, 2.

Your siblings will also observe what kind of friends you pick. If you begin running with the “in” crowd, you may soon find yourself “out” with God! Warns the oft-quoted text at 1 Corinthians 15:33: “Do not be misled. Bad associations spoil useful habits.” At the same time, you might set a dangerous precedent for your siblings. One youth who was raised by a Christian mother chose to reject God’s ways and began associating with a group of young drug abusers. Soon he was a drug abuser himself. Fearing that his younger brother would follow in his footsteps, he warned him: “Don’t you start using drugs!” But his actions proved more influential than his words, and his brother soon fell in with the same bad crowd. Surely, you would not want your conscience burdened with the knowledge that you had become a stumbling block for your own brother or sister!​—Compare Matthew 18:7.

Setting the Example in Worship

For Christian youths it is most important to set a good example in matters related to worship. Your seriousness, reverence, and upbuilding speech not only will make the heart of your heavenly Father rejoice but can make a lasting impression on your younger brothers and sisters.​—Proverbs 27:11.

To illustrate: For some young ones among Jehovah’s Witnesses, the public preaching is difficult. (Matthew 24:14; 28:19, 20) Like Jeremiah of old, some youths simply feel inadequate. (Compare Jeremiah 1:6.) Others may even be embarrassed about being seen by their friends when engaging in this life-saving work. Could it be that your siblings are hindered by such negative attitudes? If so, try to have a positive view of the preaching work. Make a point of regularly going out in the preaching work with your family. As your siblings see you getting joy and fulfillment out of this work, they may want to imitate your faith.​—Compare Hebrews 13:7.

Consider, for example, a teenage girl named Crystal. She explains: “My personal goal is to spend at least two months each year as an auxiliary pioneer during the summer.”c What effect has her zeal had on her younger brother? Says Crystal: “My 12-year-old brother has been spending more time in the preaching work since I started doing this.”

Christian meetings give you another opportunity to set a good example. Attending regularly is a Scriptural requirement. (Hebrews 10:24, 25) Why not teach your siblings how to be organized and disciplined so that they can get their schoolwork done early and still attend the meetings? They may also learn to enjoy the meetings more if they see that you are always well prepared and make an effort to participate.

Living up to God’s requirements is not easy. But all Christian youths are required by God to “become an example . . . in speaking, in conduct, in love, in faith, in chasteness” whether they have siblings or not. (1 Timothy 4:12) Why not begin at home? Your doing so may make a world of difference​—in your siblings’ lives and in your life as well!

[Footnotes]

[Picture on page 18]

The way you treat your parents can affect how your younger siblings will treat them

Narcolepsy​—The Sleeping Illness

EBBA was a young, healthy woman. But she would often fall asleep​—suddenly, without warning—​during daylight hours.

As the years passed, her situation worsened; she would fall asleep several times a day. She began hearing voices and having terrifying hallucinations. She would collapse like a house of cards for no apparent reason. Or she would suddenly lose strength in her hands and drop her purse. Ebba began to wonder if she was mentally ill or under demon attack.

After 32 years Ebba’s emotional distress resulted in her being hospitalized. Physicians thought she was schizophrenic and began treating her with antipsychotic drugs. She responded positively to the medication, but her doctors could still not pinpoint just what her illness was. And the medication left her tired and apathetic.

Thirteen years passed. One day her husband, Louis, happened to read a magazine article about two women who had the same symptoms as his wife. The name of this illness? Narcolepsy.

The Nature of Narcolepsy

Narcolepsy is an illness that causes its victims to have frequent attacks of sleepiness. Explains sleep researcher Wilse B. Webb: “People with narcolepsy will, while performing normal day-to-day activities, suddenly and involuntarily lapse into sleep lasting from a very few minutes to episodes of up to 15 minutes.” The attacks can come virtually anytime​—during a lecture, while carrying on conversation, or while driving an automobile. Other symptoms often include sudden muscle weakness, sleep paralysis, and frightening hallucinations.

Some estimate that the United States alone may be home to tens of thousands of narcoleptics. And while the disease itself is not life threatening, the danger of accidental injury is quite serious.

For many years doctors brushed off narcolepsy as a purely psychological problem. Psychiatrists called it an escape mechanism, a form of hysteria, a withdrawal of ego. However, evidence began to accumulate that narcolepsy is physical in nature. It was learned, for example, that the illness seemed to run in families and that the malady afflicts even certain breeds of dogs. The American Journal of Psychiatry thus concludes: “At the present time narcolepsy is considered to be primarily an organic neurologic [brain] disorder rather than a psychogenic [originating in the mind] disorder.”a

Still, being branded as “lazy” or even “insane” by friends and family members may very well cause psychological damage. In one study of 24 sufferers of narcolepsy, fully two thirds had psychiatric problems, such as depression or alcoholism. The disease also dramatically disrupted their lives in other ways. Of the 24 men studied, 18 proved to be “unemployable.”

What Causes the Symptoms

If you have a normal sleep pattern, within 60 to 90 minutes after you fall asleep, you will reach the dream stage called REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep. Although you don’t realize it, your muscles go perfectly limp during REM sleep. This apparently serves to protect us from acting out our dreams.

Narcolepsy, however, disrupts the normal REM pattern. A narcoleptic patient plunges into the dreamy REM condition almost the instant he falls asleep. And during the day​—virtually without warning—​he will get that urge to sleep and again be shifted almost instantly into the REM state. Some doctors would thus define narcolepsy as a “REM dysfunction disorder.”

Narcolepsy can also cause the normal states of the mind and the body to become out of phase. A patient may awaken from sleep with his body still in the REM state and discover to his horror that he is unable to move a muscle! Or his body is thrust into REM sleep while he is wide awake and going about his daily routine. For no apparent reason, his muscles suddenly grow weak or so limp (muscle paralysis called cataplexy) that he collapses into a heap. From about two thirds to three fourths of narcoleptic patients experience these frightening symptoms.

Almost any emotional stimulus​—laughter, anger, fear—​can trigger cataplexy. The book Sleep, by Gay Gaer Luce and Julius Segal, says: “They cannot laugh at a joke, spank their children in anger, mourn, or exhibit certain strong feelings without becoming literally weak with emotion and collapsing like jelly.”

REM sleep features may even intrude on a patient’s waking thoughts and superimpose a vivid dream​—or a terrifying nightmare—​on reality. He may awaken in bed, his body paralyzed in the REM state, and hear voices and see frightening things. Such waking dreams (called hypnagogic hallucinations) may also occur during the day, and about half of all narcoleptics experience them.

It is thus understandable that some narcoleptics tend to withdraw from others for fear of being stigmatized as “lazy,” “mentally ill,” or “possessed by demons.”

Coping With the Illness

Far too often narcoleptics explain away their symptoms as fatigue or chronic tiredness and fail to seek medical help. Even when they do, narcolepsy is not always easily diagnosed, especially in its early stages. Says the American Family Physician: “Patients with narcolepsy experience symptoms for an average of 15 years before receiving a correct diagnosis.” Still, if you suffer from chronic daytime sleepiness, you are wise to consult a physician and not try to diagnose yourself. A thorough examination may identify a medical problem that needs attention.

What, though, if a doctor confirms your condition to be narcolepsy?b While the disease is incurable, doctors claim that there are a number of medications that can help the sufferer to lead a reasonably normal life. Central-nervous-system stimulants are often prescribed to help a patient stay awake during the day. Antidepressants are used to control problems with cataplexy.

A number of new approaches are also being tried. Some researchers claim that codeine, which makes most persons drowsy, has the opposite effect on narcoleptics. There is also optimism regarding research with a medication commonly called GHB (gamma-hydroxybutyrate) that may prove to be an effective tool in combating daytime drowsiness and auxiliary symptoms. Of course, drug treatment may lead to addiction or drug tolerance, and there may be side effects. You are therefore wise to be cautious and well-informed when it comes to taking medication. (Proverbs 14:15) A physician, however, can minimize such risks by carefully monitoring a patient’s reaction to medication and making adjustments where necessary. At any rate, a Christian need not feel that he is violating Bible principles if he is taking medication under a doctor’s supervision, not for pleasure but to relieve this potentially dangerous condition.

There are also practical steps that you can take. Accept the fact that you have a serious illness as well as the limitations it imposes. (Proverbs 11:2) Driving, operating machinery, or even swimming may simply be too dangerous. You may also have to consider changing your employment or even retiring.

If your case is a relatively mild one, it may help if you take several naps during the day. These can minimize the possibility of your falling asleep at inconvenient times. And if displaying strong emotions triggers a cataplexic collapse, you may have to learn to hold your feelings under tight rein. Of course, all Christians must control their spirit. (Proverbs 16:32) But avoiding all emotional displays requires extraordinary effort! You may have to remind yourself continually that life and health are at stake. Your loved ones can also be of great support if they have been helped to understand your condition and the limitations it may bring.

Ebba, mentioned at the outset, was finally properly diagnosed and placed on a medication that works for her. And although her illness caused her many years of suffering, she finds comfort in knowing that she was neither insane nor the victim of demonic attacks. She knows, too, that under God’s Kingdom “no resident will say: ‘I am sick.’” (Isaiah 33:24) The sleeping illness called narcolepsy will be gone forever.

[Footnotes]

[Picture on page 20]

A narcoleptic may fall asleep even in the middle of a conversation

The Bible’s Viewpoint

Does the Bible Condone Snake Handling?

IN SMALL churches, the faithful gather. They play electric guitars and sing gospel music. They offer prayers for healings. They listen to homespun sermons and babble ecstatically in what they call the “new tongues.” In all of this, they are not too different from any number of Pentecostal or charismatic groups in Christendom. Then they get out the poison, the fire, and the snakes.

The poison is usually strychnine, dissolved in water. The fire might be that of a flaming kerosene-soaked cloth or an acetylene torch, and the snakes could be rattlesnakes or copperheads, not too hard to find in the Appalachian Mountains of the United States, where these groups are the most common. When they feel called by “the spirit” to do so, they will drink the poison and hold their hands in the fire. They may also handle the snakes, draping them over their arms and shoulders, holding them against their bodies, passing them from one to another. Why?

“I handle serpents because it’s in the Bible, like a commandment,” says Dewey, the leader of a small West Virginia church.a Dewey claims to have been bitten 106 times, and he has scars to prove it. Does the Bible really command such things?

“Thou Shall Not Tempt the Lord”

“He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love,” says the Bible at 1 John 4:8, King James Version. Would a God of love require his worshipers to inflict needless pain on themselves? “A bite hurts,” says Dewey. “It’s a pain about 100 times worse than a toothache . . . You feel like you’re on fire.” Although most snakebite victims survive, scores of deaths have been documented, including the death of Dewey’s sister in 1961.

Of course, Christians have always been ready to die for their faith, but their deaths have usually been inflicted by others because of refusal to compromise Bible principles. On the other hand, when Satan invited Jesus Christ to endanger his life needlessly and deliberately by jumping off the battlement of Jerusalem’s temple, “Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.” (Matthew 4:7, KJ) Is it not tempting God, or presumptuously challenging him, to play with snakes, fire, or poison? Does not such testing indicate a gross lack of faith on the part of the worshiper, an attempt to force God to prove himself true to his Word by spectacular deeds?

What Do the Scriptures Command?

Members of snake-handling groups claim that their practices are commanded by God’s Word, and they cite Mark 16:17, 18 as proof. According to the King James Version, these verses read: “And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.”

First, it should be noted that almost all Bible scholars agree that these verses were not originally part of Mark’s Gospel. “The doubtful genuineness of Mk 16 verses 9-20 makes it unwise to build a doctrine or base an experience on them (especially vv. Mk 16:16-18),” points out noted commentator Charles Ryrie.

However, those who handle snakes in their worship are not often impressed by what Bible scholars think of the genuineness of Mark 16:9-20. The verses are in the King James Bible, which is the only Bible most of them trust, and for them that is the end of the matter.

But even if these verses were authentic, they do not command the handling of serpents or the drinking of poison, and they say nothing of fire. So they cannot be read as a requirement for worship. In fact, the apostle Paul did encounter a serpent on the island of Malta (Melita, KJ) but only by accident because it was in a bundle of sticks he was laying on a fire. Although Paul was bitten and was divinely protected from harm, he did not pass the viper around for others to hold. Instead, he “shook off the beast into the fire.” Far from feeling a burning pain as modern snake handlers do, he “felt no harm.”​—Acts 28:3-6, KJ.

A Test of Faith?

According to The Encyclopaedia of American Religions, snake handling is a relatively recent phenomenon. “In 1909,” it says, “George Went Hensley, a young resident of rural Grasshopper Valley, Tennessee, became convinced that the references in Mark 16:17-18 to snakes and poison were, in fact, a command. He captured a rattlesnake and a few days later at nearby Sale Creek, in the midst of a worship service, he brought out the snake for participants to handle as a test of their faith.” But there is no evidence, Scriptural or historical, that early Christians required any such ‘tests of their faith.’

In addition, consider this: Paul was used by God to resurrect the dead; yet he took reasonable precautions regarding his own health and the health of his companions. (1 Timothy 5:23; 2 Timothy 4:13) Paul did not try to create opportunities to resurrect people.

Thus, rather than having bodies racked with pain or scarred from snakebites, Christians are exhorted to ‘present their bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is their reasonable service.’ (Romans 12:1, KJ) Instead of commanding that Christians test their faith by reckless acts, the apostle’s reasonable counsel is: “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves.” (2 Corinthians 13:5, KJ) Test your beliefs against God’s Word. Honest self-examination, comparing your beliefs with the Scriptures, will help you determine if your faith will pass the all-important test of God’s approval.

[Footnotes]

The Colosseum​—Ancient Rome’s “Entertainment” Center

By Awake! correspondent in Italy

“THE Colosseum, one of the most famous of Rome’s ancient monuments; a symbol of its former power and glory, and a witness of great atrocities,” says Luca, acting as a tour guide for his friends Marco and Paolo.

Perhaps you too would like to know more about the Colosseum​—when it was built and what spectacles were staged there. Did any of the early Christians ever go there? Did they die there, torn to pieces by wild beasts, as some believe? Well, listen to what Luca has to say to his friends.

Luca: “The Colosseum was originally called the Flavian Amphitheater because it was the collective work of the emperors of the Flavia family: Vespasian, Titus, and Domitian. Vespasian began the construction during the years 72 to 75 C.E., his son Titus continued the work and inaugurated the structure in 80 C.E., and his brother Domitian later completed it.”

Paolo: “But why is it called the Colosseum?”

Luca: “That’s an interesting question, but there is no sure answer to it. It seems that it was not until the eighth century C.E. that the arena came to be called the Colosseum. Some think that the name derives from its colossal size. Others say it was because of the nearby colossus of Nero, an enormous statue about 110 feet [35 m] high, that represented Nero as the sun-god.

“Simply stating that it was the largest of the Roman amphitheaters doesn’t mean much without some details. For example, it was built in the form of an ellipse, with a greater axis of 617 feet [188 m] and a lesser one of 512 feet [156 m]. It has a perimeter of 1,729 feet [527 m] and is 187 feet [57 m] high. The work required tens of thousands of tons of travertine, a form of marble quarried in the nearby town of Tivoli, and 300 tons of iron to join the marble blocks together. The builders also used a lot of what we today would call prefabricated materials. Blocks and columns of stone were produced elsewhere and then transported to the construction site. This explains the speed with which the Colosseum was built. Just think, between five and eight years were sufficient to erect this massive structure.”

Marco: “I was just thinking, Luca, how many slaves must have worked on the Colosseum!”

Luca: “It’s possible that prisoners of war were used for the heavy work, but that’s all. The rapidity with which the construction was brought to a completion and the variety of materials used indicate that professional workers and craftsmen were used.”

Paolo: “How many stories does the Colosseum have?”

Luca: “From the outside you can see three stories with perfectly symmetrical arches. Originally every arch was adorned with a statue, and each story had 80 arches. Above the third story, you can see a fourth one with large rectangular windows in the wall.”

Marco: “How many spectators could it hold?”

Luca: “The majority of reference works indicate about 45,000 seated and 5,000 standing. Some sources claim that it could hold over 70,000 spectators. In any case, it had a considerable capacity. The audience was protected by an enormous awning, or velarium, that covered the seating area of the arena.

“The amphitheater was built on a concrete platform 42 feet [13 m] thick, which has contributed to its stability over the centuries. What you now see has withstood various fires and earthquakes during its history. The Colosseum’s greatest enemies, however, were the builders of the Renaissance and Baroque periods, who used it as a handy and inexpensive source of travertine and marble. Some of the important buildings in Rome were built or restored with material taken from here. But let’s go inside now.”

Paolo: “What impressive ruins! Tell me, Luca, what used to be down there in the center?”

Luca: “That was the subterranean area for the equipment used in the spectacles. The stage scenery was kept there, along with the cages for the wild animals, the weapons, and the hoists with counterweights for lifting the wild beasts and the gladiators to the level of the arena. The arena floor, which covered the subterranean area, was made of wood. This explains why no trace of it remains. The perimeter of the arena itself was surrounded by a high net or protective metal railing. On this net, which was supported by poles, there were spikes and ivory rolls that prevented the wild animals from climbing it. As a further precaution, it seems there were numerous archers placed around the arena.”

Paolo: “Did the spectators have to pay to get in?”

Luca: “No, entry to the Colosseum was free. This was part of the policy of the emperors, who offered free entertainment in order to keep the people under control. In reality, these spectacles were like a drug that corrupted people’s consciences. The Roman poet Juvenal used the famous phrase ‘panem et circenses,’ ‘bread and circuses,’ in deploring the behavior of the Roman people, who lived mostly to eat and to enjoy themselves.

“Roman society was divided into classes, as the seating division in the arena shows. The front seats were reserved for the senators. Behind these were the gentlemen’s seats, and the rest, higher up, were for women and slaves.”

Marco: “Is this where the gladiators fought?”

Luca: “Yes. There were mainly two types of spectacle, the munera, or combat between two gladiators, and the venationes, the hunting of wild animals. Also, criminals were put to death here, being consigned unarmed to the gladiators or thrown to the wild animals. Their death offered a horrible spectacle for the ‘enjoyment’ of the public.”

Paolo: “If I remember correctly, the gladiators were slaves, right?”

Luca: “Yes, slaves chosen mostly from among prisoners of war, who accepted any work to save their skins. Some were criminals who, in order to avoid the death sentence, looked for a better chance in gladiatorial combat. Others volunteered as gladiators. There were schools that trained them before they began their career. They were allowed to use various instruments of combat, such as the sword, or the spear and shield, or the net and the trident (three-pronged spear). Even though the events were called ludi gladiatorii, gladiator games, such encounters were tragic spectacles that often ended with the death of one of the contestants.”

Marco: “In fact, I remember that when the gladiators entered the arena, they greeted the emperor with the words, ‘Ave, Caesar, morituri te salutant,’ which means, ‘Hail, Caesar, those who are going to die salute you.’”

Paolo: “What about that scene in the movies where the emperor thrusts out his hand with the thumb down to decree the death of the defeated gladiator​—did that really happen?”

Luca: “Yes, it did. In earlier periods, it was the winner who decided the fate of the loser. Later on, this right was given to the emperor himself, who decided after having heard the crowd’s verdict. If the spectators felt that the loser had fought bravely, they raised their thumbs and shouted, ‘Mitte!’ (Leave him!), asking for his life to be spared, and if the emperor also showed a raised thumb, the loser was allowed to live. If, instead, the spectators thought the loser had acted in a cowardly way, they lowered their thumbs and shouted, ‘Iugula!’ (Slaughter him!) If the emperor repeated the same gesture, the vanquished gladiator’s death sentence had been pronounced. All he could do was offer his throat to the victor for the death blow. All of this was amid the applause and ovations of the crowd. The winner was then given precious gifts and gold coins.”

Marco: “What a cruel spectacle!”

Luca: “Oh, yes! Human blood literally flowed, not to mention the blood of wild animals that were killed. The spectacles involving animals were often simple exhibitions of trained wild animals that obeyed the orders of their trainer, much like what we see in a modern-day circus ring. But more often, wild animals fought with one another or were pursued and killed. It was real slaughter. Just think, when the Colosseum was inaugurated, 5,000 wild animals were killed in one day!”

Paolo: “I wonder how people could enjoy such things.”

Luca: “Well, think of today’s boxing matches. The audiences roar their approval on seeing the loser knocked senseless to the floor, his face streaked with blood. Or how about those who are attracted by films that attempt to thrill the public by showing blood, death, and gore everywhere? People today are perhaps just as insensitive.

“So the arenas were places of violence and corruption. For this reason the early Christians were careful not to frequent them. In fact, the third-century writer Tertullian, in his work De spectaculis, defined what went on in the arena as ‘rubbish’ and emphasized that the arena was ‘completely foreign’ to Christians.”

Marco: “Is it possible that some Christians died a martyr’s death in the Colosseum?”

Luca: “Christians unquestionably died in Roman arenas, torn to pieces by wild animals. Historical sources prove this. It may be that at 1 Corinthians 15:32, the apostle Paul is saying that he was exposed to dangerous wild beasts in the arena at Ephesus.

“Certainly, somewhere in Rome, Christians suffered a martyr’s death, but it is impossible to say whether they were martyred in the Colosseum. The Enciclopedia Universale, Volume 4, says: ‘It has not been historically proved that the Colosseum was a place of Christian martyrdom.’ However, several Catholic authors claim that it was. They evidently base their opinions on legends that were born in successive periods and that have been accepted by the Catholic hierarchy.

“However, what is upbuilding for Christians today is the fact that ancient followers of Christ were faithful to death in remaining neutral in a violent world. The important thing is not so much knowing where their martyrdom occurred but knowing that they fully maintained their integrity.

“Have you enjoyed your visit to this colossus of Roman architecture?”

“Certainly,” answer Paolo and Marco, “and we thank you for your fine explanations.”

The stones that speak to us through history can reveal many interesting things. The Colosseum highlights the extraordinary talents of the ancient Romans in the fields of architecture and construction. They were builders of bridges, roads, aqueducts, theaters, arenas, temples, and palaces. However, the Colosseum was the scene of horrendous spectacles in which Christians in the past, as well as today, refuse to take part either as spectators or as willing participants.

[Picture on page 25]

Inside the Colosseum today

[Picture on page 26]

The Colosseum in its faded glory

Watching the World

World Prison Listing

What country ranks number one in imprisonments for lawbreakers? The United States, says Sentencing Project, a research group. South Africa is number two and the Soviet Union is number three, according to its listing. More than a million Americans are in prison, thus giving the United States top billing as the nation that has the largest share of its population incarcerated​—426 out of every 100,000 residents. The annual cost for incarceration? For just the United States, it is $16 billion. “We [have] got to stop jailing and start rehabilitating,” commented a U.S. government official about the report. “We can build all the jails we think we need and slam the doors down on thousands of people, but it won’t make a bit of difference until we address the fundamental causes of crime.”

Brain-Tumor Treatment

“Stereotactic radiosurgery” may be difficult to pronounce, yet for some sufferers of small, primary brain tumors, those words may spell hope. Stereotactic radiosurgery, according to the Los Angeles Times, “aims several precisely focused beams of radiation at the target mass, killing it.” The rest of the brain, skull, and skin remain relatively unaffected by this nonsurgical procedure. However, it cannot be used on organs other than the brain and is ineffective against tumors more than 1.4 inches [3.5 cm] in diameter. Nevertheless, “this is a truly remarkable concept,” says Dr. Michael L. J. Apuzzo, professor of Neurological Surgery at the University of Southern California School of Medicine.

China Battles Illiteracy

China has made remarkable progress in its 40-year battle against illiteracy, but the uphill struggle is not over. In 1949 some 80 percent of the Chinese people could not read; now the figure is down to nearly 20 percent, reports China Today. Yet, in a country where the population is nearing 1.2 thousand million, that is still a substantial number. China Today estimates that there are some 220 million illiterate or semiliterate people in the country; every year another 2 million teenagers who cannot properly read and write reach age 15. Hence, the government has launched a ten-year program to teach at least four million illiterates to read and write each year.

Guilty Surgeon

“It is a sentence destined to cause an uproar in the medical world,” said La Repubblica. For the first time in Italy, a surgeon was found guilty of manslaughter. He was convicted of causing the death of an elderly woman by performing an extremely risky operation without her consent. The sentence of a court in Florence stated that the surgeon had performed the operation “when it was not at all necessary and in spite of the patient’s categorical opposition to that type of operation.” The court rejected the reasoning of defense lawyers who claimed that the patient was in such serious condition that the operation could not be deferred, but it accepted the arguments of the prosecution and the plaintiff’s lawyers. They based their arguments on the “patient’s consent,” “without which every operation is illegal,” and every cut made by the scalpel “is equivalent to a knife-thrust,” observes La Repubblica. “The judgment states that only the patient has the right of choice concerning his own body and his own destiny.”

Youths Under Stress

“Girls suffer far more than do boys from the stress of daily routine,” reports the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. A four-year study of 1,700 youths between the ages of 12 and 17 carried out at the University of Bielefeld, Germany, showed that under excessive pressure, girls tend to swallow their anxieties and react with headaches, nervousness, sleeplessness, and stomach problems. It was said that boys more commonly work off everyday stress by extroverted behavior, becoming gruff, aggressive, or violent. Where does the stress originate? From parents’ unreasonably high scholastic expectations, from too little recognition from persons of the same age, from excessive consumer demands, and from too much hectic leisure time.

Altitude Record

On October 24, 1990, 52-year-old Helen Stamataki succeeded in stepping onto the 4.3-mile-high [7 km] mountain crest of the Himalayas called the Tukutche Peak, thus setting a record for Greeks in mountaineering, reported the Athenian newspaper “TA NEA.” It stated that she is the first woman to do this “without the help of oxygen, an act that is considered by most of the alpinists as being extremely venturous, since the alpinist may sustain pulmonary edema and die within a few hours.”

Abandoned Cars

“Abandoned bicycles used to trouble us, but now it’s abandoned cars that give us a hard time,” complained an official of Japan’s National Police Agency. About four million cars are abandoned throughout Japan each year, according to a government estimate. In the past, car owners sold their old cars to scrap-iron dealers, but now they must pay the dealers to remove them. Explaining why cars are getting dumped, The Daily Yomiuri said that disposal firms do not find car-scrapping a profitable business in the wake of a recent sharp fall in scrap-iron prices. The police, though, are taking action. They have started prosecuting people for abandoning cars.

Allergic to Spaghetti

One Italian in a thousand cannot enjoy eating a plate of spaghetti because of being “allergic to pasta.” Or, rather, according to the Milan daily Corriere della Sera, these poor souls are suffering from an illness called celiac disease. Since bread and pasta are the staple of many Italians, the illness is becoming a social problem. In fact, specialists in this field met together in a conference held in Rome last November to discuss cures. Celiac disease causes a permanent intolerance to gluten, a component of wheat, barley, rye, and oats, and brings about a change in the mucous membrane of the intestines.

Blood-Bank Crisis in India

“Blood: does it give life or does it take it?” asked a recent issue of India Today in a report on the deplorable state of the nation’s private blood banks. India’s Health Ministry commissioned a study that found that over 70 percent of the blood drawn from professional blood donors in that country is not tested properly for the lethal HIV virus that causes AIDS. The report also noted the unhygienic conditions that prevail in many private blood banks, which buy blood from sickly and poor donors. Many of these donors are “alcoholics or drug abusers,” or they “have indiscriminate sexual habits.” So India Today lamented that because of “hepatitis, malaria, syphilis and now AIDS” that donated blood may transmit, “buying blood from outside is like playing Russian roulette.”

Consumers Beware

“Over the last decade, the profits to be made in the $150 billion pharmaceutical market have inspired a new form of forgery: drugs that are not what they seem,” reports Newsweek. “The names are familiar,” and they include some of the world’s best-selling medicines. “The counterfeits look like the real thing, right down to the labels, manufacturers’ pamphlets and purity seals.” But inside they may contain harmful substances, such as industrial solvents, sawdust, dirt, talcum powder, and contaminated water. Often the doses contained are weak and diluted or completely worthless. The result? “Hundreds if not thousands of people have died,” says health economist Susan Foster of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Doctors and hospitals may themselves unwittingly dispense the drugs. Legitimate manufacturers are hard-pressed to find a solution. The drugs often originate in countries that do not recognize international drug patents. Usually, legitimate drug companies keep the problem quiet so as to avoid publicity that will scare people away from buying their product.

Justified Fear?

Airplane travel is still rated as one of the safest means of transportation. Yet, for those who have a fear of flying, the following statistics on drinking and flying, published in Newsweek, may come as no surprise: “More than 10,000 of the 675,500 licensed U.S. pilots have drunk-driving records. More than 1,200 airline pilots have been treated for alcoholism and returned to duty in the past 15 years. Between 5 and 10 percent of general aviation pilots killed in plane crashes each year have alcohol in their blood. Six commuter and air-taxi accidents between 1980 and 1988 were attributed solely or in part to pilot drinking.”

From Our Readers

Color Thank you for the article “Add Some Color to Your Life.” (October 8, 1990) The guidance given therein was excellent and helped me a great deal in my choice of clothing. I have difficulty matching colors, and I tended to wear only black and white. Now things will be different!

D. M. D., Brazil

Immune System I am writing in appreciation for your articles on the immune system. (November 22, 1990) I studied immunology some time ago as part of my graduate studies requirements. How I wish my professor had been as explicit and graphic as you were. Truly a refresher course! Thanks for putting immunology in a nutshell.

O. O. O., United States

I just wanted to congratulate you for the best scientific article I’ve ever read on the immune system. I especially enjoyed “A Spiritual Immunity to the Moral Breakdown.” What insight!

R. K., United States

Afterschool Jobs I am 17 years old and was glad to receive the article “Young People Ask . . . Will an Afterschool Job Help Me Grow Up?” (November 22, 1990) I took a job during summer vacation this year, as I wanted to learn about the adult world. I had to deal with an arrogant boss, unpleasant problems with fellow workers, and so on. If I had read this article earlier, I think I would have chosen to learn about life in a less painful way. I am so glad that you understand the needs of young people.

T. F., Japan

Eating Disorders For seven years I’ve battled bulimia. I told my mother, and she said it was just a phase I would grow out of. Six months later I hadn’t grown out of it. So I confided in a couple of Christian women, and they checked up on me from time to time. I’ve had but one relapse since then. Having other persons for support is a major help, but the real motivation is the fear of displeasing my Friend, Jehovah. I’ve read many books on the subject, but your articles (December 22, 1990) were the clearest and dealt head-on with the disorder.

E. S., United States

By the time I was 13 years old, I had developed the habit of eating and vomiting. In less than an hour, I would eat an amount that would normally satisfy ten people. With the help of a professional counselor who specializes in eating disorders, I made changes. Now I am a baptized Witness of Jehovah. Thank you so much for giving us such well-researched and balanced articles regarding such complicated problems.

N. I., Japan

Global Brotherhood At the beginning of November, my teacher asked us to write an essay on the subject “Should one civilization be judged superior to another?” The articles on global brotherhood (December 8, 1990) came just at the right time! My teacher asked me where I found my information, and I gave her the Awake! articles. I got a score of 18 points (out of 20) for this essay!

L. Q., France

Glaucoma My mother-in-law came to see me and told me she was seeing blue and yellow colours and a halo round people’s faces. I found the article “Glaucoma​—Insidious Stealer of Sight!” (May 8, 1988) Because of this information, an early diagnosis was made, and my mother-in-law is now about to have treatment. How thankful I am for Awake!

G. S., England

An Ironic Contrast

THE global population boom is expected to add nearly the equivalent of another China to our world during the 1990’s. The crunch hits hardest in the world’s cities. In fact, within the next 15 years, city dwellers on this planet are expected to outnumber their rural counterparts for the first time. The magazine International Wildlife notes that as the world’s cities swell into overstuffed megacities, they “foul the air and water, gobble arable land around their perimeters, deplete forest reserves to provide fuel and lumber, and breed crime, disease and despair.”

Meanwhile, more and more rural areas are being abandoned. For instance, in the United States, there are hundreds of rural towns that are dying from a lack of people. In the vast Great Plains region in the western United States, some counties now have more ghost towns than live ones. Ten counties in North Dakota have only four people or less per square mile [1.5 people or less per sq km]; 18 counties have lost at least 50 percent of their population since 1930. Some even feel, as The Wall Street Journal put it, that the entire Great Plains region is “inexorably slipping back into the grassland from whence it came.” Why? Experts blame mismanagement of the land, the abuse of a limited water supply, drought, and a depressed economy.

Teeming cities bursting at the seams. Sweeping prairies dotted with abandoned towns. In that ironic contrast lies further grim proof that man governs country no better than city, and this planet no better than its people. As the Bible so aptly puts it: “It does not belong to man who is walking even to direct his step.” (Jeremiah 10:23) But capable, fair government is not beyond the ability of man’s Creator. He has promised that soon now the entire earth will be productive, cultivated by peaceable inhabitants instead of destroyed by tenants out of control.​—Psalm 67:6; 72:16; Isaiah 65:21-23.

A Message for Today

The Watchtower contains such a message, as noted by a reader who recently requested a subscription. She wrote: “I have been reading your magazine with great interest. I had a chance to read the scriptures in the different articles during my leisure time.

“I am always amazed at the message of your magazine in light of today’s news. It can’t be emphasized enough how necessary your publications are for a better understanding of the Bible. Your magazine was the reason why I decided to get out my dusty Bible and look into the Book of books. I really look forward to each issue.”

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