September 22

Page Two

Families​—Draw Close Before It’s Too Late 3-13

Family life is in decay, and children are the losers. What can you do to safeguard your children before it is too late? Families in different parts of the world have found answers that work.

Estrogen Replacement Therapy​—Is It for You? 14

Before you answer, consider the pros and cons.

“Never Say Never!” 20

Doctors may tell you it can never be done, but maybe it can. This was one of those times.

Families​—Draw Close Before It’s Too Late

“Family is the oldest human institution. In many ways it is the most important. It is society’s most basic unit. Entire civilizations have survived or disappeared, depending on whether family life was strong or weak.”​—The World Book Encyclopedia (1973 Edition).

THE family unit is an umbrella of protection for children. In many places today, that umbrella is full of holes; in many other places, it’s being closed and stuck in the closet. The traditional family is frequently sidetracked as outmoded. Television comedies often portray fathers as ninnies, mothers as smarter, but children know best.

Marital infidelity is commonplace. In some industrialized countries, one of every two first marriages ends in divorce. As divorces escalate, single families proliferate. In increasing numbers, two become one without benefit of marriage. Homosexuals seek to dignify their relation with marital vows. Sex, normal and abnormal, takes center stage in movies and videos. Schools view chastity as impractical and pass out condoms to make fornication safe​—which they don’t. Sexually transmitted diseases and teenage pregnancies skyrocket. Babies are the victims​—if they are allowed to come to birth. With the demise of the traditional family, children are the primary losers.

Years ago, Nobel prize winner Alexis Carrel, in his book Man, the Unknown, sounded this warning: “Modern society has committed a serious mistake by entirely substituting the school for the familial training. The mothers abandon their children to the kindergarten [sooner now, with day care and preschool] in order to attend to their careers, their social ambitions, their sexual pleasures, their literary or artistic fancies, or simply to play bridge, go to the cinema, and waste their time in busy idleness. They are, thus, responsible for the disappearance of the familial group where the child was kept in contact with adults and learned a great deal from them. . . . In order to reach his full strength, the individual requires the relative isolation and the attention of the restricted social group consisting of the family.”​—Page 176.

More recently, comedian Steve Allen commented on television’s assault on the family, with its preoccupation with foul language and sexual immorality. He said: “The flow is carrying us all along right into the sewer. The very sort of language parents forbid their children to use is now being encouraged not only by anything-goes cable entrepreneurs, but the once high-minded networks. Shows that depict children and others using vulgar language only point up the collapse of the American family.”

What legacy is society now leaving to its children? Read the papers, watch television, note the videos, tune in the evening news, listen to the rap music, see the adult examples everywhere around you. Children are glutted on mental and emotional junk food. “If you want to destroy a country,” former British education secretary Sir Keith Joseph said, “you debauch its currency.” And he added: “The way to destroy a society is to debauch the children.” “Debauch,” according to Webster’s, means “to lead away from virtue or excellence.” That is being done with a vengeance today. Much is said about juvenile delinquency; more should be said about adult delinquency.

They Will Come Back to Haunt Us

Geneva B. Johnson, president and chief executive officer of Family Service America, said in a lecture delivered earlier this year: “The family is deeply, perhaps fatally, ill.” Calling it a “grim picture for many of our children,” she then said forebodingly: “The willingness of the nation to relegate so many of our poorly housed, poorly fed, poorly treated medically, and poorly educated children to the role of outcasts in a rich society is going to come back to haunt us.” It is already coming back to haunt us. You can read about it in the newspapers, hear about it on the newscasts, and see it on your television set. Here is a small sampling:

Judonne pulls out a gun and shoots Jermaine three times in the chest. Jermaine is dead; he was 15. Judonne is 14. They had been best friends. They argued over a girl.

One hundred people gather at the funeral of 16-year-old Michael Hilliard. He was shot in the back of the head as he walked away from an argument at a basketball game.

In Brooklyn, New York, three teenagers set fire to a homeless couple. When rubbing alcohol didn’t work, they tried gasoline. It worked.

In Florida a five-year-old pushed a toddler to his death from a fifth-floor stairwell.

In Texas a ten-year-old took a gun and shot his playmate and stuffed his body under the house.

In Georgia a 15-year-old boy stabbed his principal while being disciplined.

In New York City, a gang in their late teens and early 20’s, armed with bats, pipes, axes, knives, and a meat cleaver, went “wilding” near a settlement of homeless men, injuring many and leaving one with his throat slashed. Motive? One investigator explained: “They were getting their jollies attacking the homeless.”

In Detroit, Michigan, an 11-year-old boy joined a 15-year-old in raping a 2-year-old girl. They allegedly left their victim in a garbage Dumpster.

In Cleveland, Ohio, four boys ages six to nine raped a nine-year-old girl at an elementary school. Commenting on this, columnist Brent Larkin, writing in the Cleveland Plain Dealer, said: “It speaks volumes about what’s happening in this country, about how our value systems are headed straight for the sewer.”

Dr. Leslie Fisher, a professor of psychology at Cleveland State University, blamed television. He called it “a big sex machine,” and “kids 8 and 9 years old are watching these things.” He also blamed parents for the deterioration of the American family: “Mommy and daddy are too involved in their own problems and can’t take the time to tend their children.”

Garbage In, Garbage Out

Various elements in society, especially the media, entertainers, and the entertainment industry​—elements that profit by pandering to the worst in humanity—​disgorge sex and violence and corruption and thereby contribute heavily to the degradation of the young and the family. So the rule goes into operation: Sow rot, reap rot. Garbage in, garbage out. The chickens are coming home to roost​—and the homecoming is horrendous.

Is society breeding a generation of children without conscience? The question was raised after the notorious “wilding” spree in New York’s Central Park where a 28-year-old woman was beaten and raped and left for dead by a roving gang of teenagers. Police said they were “smug and remorseless” and when arrested “joked and rapped and sang.” They gave reasons for doing it: “It was fun,” “We were bored,” “It was something to do.” Time magazine called them “psychic amputees” who had “lost, perhaps never developed, that psychic appendage we call conscience.”

U.S.News & World Report urged: “This nation must act to avoid another generation of the children without conscience.” Dr. Ken Magid, a prominent psychologist, and Carole McKelvey highlight that very danger in their explosive book High Risk: Children Without a Conscience. Case histories and testimony from many psychologists and psychiatrists give overwhelming support to Magid’s contention: The root cause is a failure of strong bonding between parent and child at birth and in the formative years that follow.

Surely, families must draw close during those formative years before it’s too late!

Love at First Sight​—And Forever After!

“IF YOU watch babies after they are born,” notes Dr. Cecilia McCarton, of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, “they are exquisitely awake and tuned into their environment. They are responsive to their mothers. They turn toward sounds. And they fixate on their mother’s face.” And the mother makes eye contact with her baby. It’s love at first sight​—for both of them!

This moment of bonding between mother and baby happens naturally if the birth is natural, without drugs that dull the senses of mother and baby. His cries stimulate her production of milk. The touch of his skin against hers releases a hormone that reduces her postdelivery bleeding. The child is born with brain programs to ensure attachment​—crying, sucking, babblings and gurglings, smiling and ecstatic kickings to entice mother’s attentions. Attachment, to the mother primarily, makes it possible for the infant to develop a sense of love and caring and trust. The father quickly becomes important as an attachment figure. His relations lack the intimacy of the mother’s but add an important dimension: poking, tickling, gentle roughhousing, which the baby responds to with excited laughter and wigglings.

Dr. Richard Restak reports that for the newborn to be held and cuddled is like a nutrient. “Touch,” he says, “is as necessary to normal infant development as food and oxygen. Mother opens her arms to the infant, snuggles him, and a host of psychobiological processes are brought into harmony.” Under this treatment even the physical brain develops “a different physiognomy of bumps and crevices.”

Guard Against Detachment

Some have indicated that if this attachment between mother and baby does not take place at the time of birth, tragedy lies ahead. Not so. With loving mothering there are hundreds of intimate moments in the weeks that follow that make bonding secure. Denial of such intimacies over a longer period of time, however, can lead to dire consequences. “Although we all need one another throughout our lives,” Dr. Restak tells us, “that needing is most acute in the first year. Deprive a baby of light, the opportunity to gaze at a human face, the delight of being picked up, cuddled, cooed at, fussed over, touched​—and the infant doesn’t abide such deprivations.”

Babies cry for many reasons. Usually they want attention. If their cries are not responded to after a time, they may stop. They feel that their care-giver is not responding. They cry again. If still no response, they feel neglected, insecure. They try harder. If this goes on for a longer time and if it is repeated frequently, the baby feels abandoned. It is first angry, even enraged, and finally it gives up. Detachment occurs. Not receiving love, it does not learn to love. Conscience is undeveloped. It trusts no one, cares for no one. It becomes a problem child and, in extreme cases, a psychopathic personality incapable of feeling remorse for criminal acts.

Love at first sight is not the end of it. It must continue forever after. Not just in words but also in deeds. “Let us love, neither in word nor with the tongue, but in deed and truth.” (1 John 3:18) Lots of hugs and kisses. Early on, before it’s too late, teach and instruct in the true values of God’s Word, the Bible. Then it will be with your children as it was with Timothy: “From infancy you have known the holy writings, which are able to make you wise.” (2 Timothy 3:15) Daily spend time with them, throughout childhood and the teen years. “These words that I am commanding you today must prove to be on your heart; and you must inculcate them in your son and speak of them when you sit in your house and when you walk on the road and when you lie down and when you get up.”​—Deuteronomy 6:6, 7.

‘We May Cry, but It’s for the Best’

Discipline is a touchy subject for many. When properly administered, however, it is an essential part of parental love. One little girl recognized this. She made a card for her mother, addressed “To Ma, To a Nice Lady.” It was decorated with crayon drawings of a golden sun, flying birds, and red flowers. The card read: “This is for you because we all love you. We want to show our appreciation by making a card. When we have low marks you sign our paper. When we’re bad you smack us. We may cry, but we know it’s for the best. . . . All I want to say is that I love you very, very much. Thanks for all you do for me. Love and kisses. [Signed] Michele.”

Michele agrees with Proverbs 13:24: “The one holding back his rod is hating his son, but the one loving him is he that does look for him with discipline.” Use of the rod, representing authority, may involve a spanking, but many times it does not. Different children, different misbehaviors, call for different disciplining. A rebuke kindly given may suffice; stubbornness may require stronger medicine: “A rebuke works deeper in one having understanding than striking a stupid one a hundred times.” (Proverbs 17:10) Also applicable: “A servant [or, a child] will not let himself be corrected by mere words, for he understands but he is paying no heed.”​—Proverbs 29:19.

In the Bible the word “discipline” means to instruct, train, chasten​—including spanking if it takes that to correct behavior. Hebrews 12:11 shows its purpose: “True, no discipline seems for the present to be joyous, but grievous; yet afterward to those who have been trained by it it yields peaceable fruit, namely, righteousness.” Parents are not to be overly harsh in their disciplining: “You fathers, do not be exasperating your children, so that they do not become downhearted.” (Colossians 3:21) Neither are they to be overly permissive: “The rod and reproof are what give wisdom; but a boy let on the loose will be causing his mother shame.” (Proverbs 29:15) Permissiveness says, ‘Do as you like; don’t bother me.’ Discipline says, ‘Do what is right; I care about you.’

U.S.News & World Report, August 7, 1989, rightly said: “Parents who are not harshly punitive, but who set firm boundaries and stick to them, are significantly more likely to produce children who are high achievers and who get along well with others.” In its conclusion the article stated: “Perhaps the most striking theme to emerge from all the scientific data is that establishing a pattern of love and trust and acceptable limits within each family is what really counts, and not lots of technical details. The true aim of discipline, a word that has the same Latin root as disciple, is not to punish unruly children but to teach and guide them and help instill inner controls.”

They Hear What You Say, They Copy What You Do

An article on discipline in The Atlantic Monthly was introduced with this statement: “A child can be expected to behave well only if his parents live by the values they teach.” The article proceeded to show the value of inner controls: “Teenagers who behaved well tended to have parents who were themselves responsible, upright, and self-disciplined​—who lived in accord with the values they professed and encouraged their children to follow suit. When the good teenagers were exposed, as a part of the investigation, to problem teenagers, their behavior was not permanently affected. They had far too securely internalized their parents’ values.” It proved to be as the proverb says: “Train up a boy according to the way for him; even when he grows old he will not turn aside from it.”​—Proverbs 22:6.

Parents who tried to instill true values in their children, but which they themselves did not follow, had no success. Their children “had not been able to internalize those values.” The study proved that “what made the difference was how closely the parents lived by the values that they tried to teach their children.”

It proves to be as author James Baldwin said: “Children have never been very good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them.” If you love your children and you want to teach them the true values, use the best method of all: You be the example of your own teachings. Do not be like the scribes and the Pharisees that Jesus condemned as hypocrites: “Therefore all the things they tell you, do and observe, but do not do according to their deeds, for they say but do not perform.” (Matthew 23:3) Or like the ones the apostle Paul questioned accusingly: “Do you, however, the one teaching someone else, not teach yourself? You, the one preaching ‘Do not steal,’ do you steal?”​—Romans 2:21.

Today many dismiss the Bible as outmoded and its guidelines as impractical. Jesus challenges that position with these words: “All the same, wisdom is proved righteous by all its children.” (Luke 7:35) The following accounts by families from many countries prove his words true.

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A close bond with the mother helps the baby to develop emotionally

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Father’s time with the child is also vital

Raising Families Worldwide​—Parenting With Love, Discipline, Example, and Spiritual Values

PARENTS from several countries have sent in reports on their successful rearing of children from babyhood through the teen years. All of them are Jehovah’s Witnesses, and therefore their reports stress the need for attention in the four areas listed in the title above. The excerpts reproduced here reflect only a few different aspects of the family training they followed.

From Hawaii

“As the Bible tells us, love is the ‘greatest’ quality. Love in all its precious facets must radiate throughout the home and family. Carol and I have shared this divine quality in our marriage. We are close. We like to be together. I cannot overemphasize my belief that the major key to successful child-rearing is a happily married couple.

“I remember to this day the powerful feelings that welled up in my heart during the days and weeks after our first child was born. There was wonder over the beginning of a new living creature. I remember seeing Carol so happy and contented while nursing baby Rachel. I was happy for her, but I also felt a little resentment, a tinge of jealousy. Carol was bonding with Rachel, but where was I? I felt as if I had been pushed​—ever so gently but nevertheless pushed—​outside our family center. With Jehovah’s help I was able to express my feelings and concern to Carol, and she showed me much sympathy and support.

“Thereafter I was able to get closer to our new baby by helping with all the baby chores, including some of the disagreeable ones​—washing a soiled diaper is a unique experience, to say the least! We’ve had five more children after Rachel. Rebecca is the last one, now eight years old. We’ve conducted personal, individual Bible studies with each one of our children.

“One more thing about the early child-rearing. Carol and I enjoyed talking with our babies from the time they were born. We talked about all manner of things. Sometimes we talked about Jehovah and his beautiful, wondrous works. Sometimes we talked about silly, playful, funny things. Of course, we were trying to teach them something, but more than that we were just having a pleasant, relaxed, innocent time together. I believe such talks contributed a great deal to parent-child bonding. No doubt they helped to create the good communication that we have had in our family.

“Jehovah has taught us the greater value of spiritual things, of giving of ourselves. Carol and I have never had an abundance of material things, but we’ve never really sought them or missed them. If we had spent more of our time slaving for riches, we would not have had enough time to devote to Jehovah and our family. We made the right choice.” (Carol’s comments follow.)

“I think nursing your babies helps greatly in the bonding of babies to their mothers. You spend so much time cuddling and carrying your baby that you can’t help getting close. The mother can never leave the baby’s side for more than two to four hours. Ed and I have always been very strict about not leaving our children with sitters. I always wanted to be able to teach my babies and watch them as they grew up. So during the time that they were little, I did not hold an outside job. I think this helped them realize how important they were to us. The main way to get close to your children is to spend time with them. Nothing takes the place of your being there physically. All the material things will not take the place of you.

“The teen years were difficult only because I had to adjust to the babies’ growing up. It was very hard to take, to realize that they didn’t need me as much and were becoming independent. It is a scary time, and it tests all your work of teaching, disciplining, and molding that you have done. It is really too late to start when they are teenagers. Too late to try then to teach them morals, a love for mankind, and especially a love for Jehovah. These things must be inculcated from birth on.

“You have 12 years to get your work done before those critical teen years. But if you have worked hard to apply Bible principles, it is time to reap joy and peace when they decide they want to serve Jehovah from the heart.”​—Edward and Carol Owens.

From Zimbabwe

“Children are ‘an inheritance from Jehovah.’ So says the Bible at Psalm 127:3. Bearing this in mind has helped us as parents to do all we could in caring for this inheritance. One of the primary efforts in our family was to do things together​—pray together, study the Bible together, worship together, work together, visit friends together, play together.

“Discipline was needed at times. One time our son, in his early teens, was late getting home. We were worried. He was evasive. We sensed that something was wrong, but we decided to shelve the matter until the next morning. Around midnight we heard a knock on our bedroom door. It was our son, with tears in his eyes.

“‘Father, Mother, I have not been able to sleep for the last four hours, all because I did not listen when you counseled me from the Bible about bad association. After school today some of the kids pressured me into going swimming with them, and one of the boys pulled me under the water. If another boy had not helped me, I would have drowned. They laughed at me and called me a coward. I came straight home, but I stayed outside the house because I felt guilty. I’m sorry I didn’t listen to you when you warned me about bad associations, as shown in the Bible.’​—1 Corinthians 15:33.

“He wept and so did we. We were pleased that he had learned a lesson, but we disciplined him to make a deeper impression. Exodus 34:6, 7 shows that Jehovah is merciful and pardons error, but still ‘by no means will he give exemption from punishment.’”​—David and Betty Mupfururirwa.

From Brazil

“I am a widow and have to raise my boy by myself. At the same time, I work as a teacher. It is not easy to instruct and discipline children. What is needed is coherent instruction, balanced discipline, and a good example on the part of the parents. It was hard for me to be firm and at the same time sympathetic. I had to develop the art of listening, especially listening with my heart. It is important to communicate, not just talk, but get the child involved, make him respond emotionally. I tried to make him feel a part of the family by getting him involved in the family budget. When the light bill or the water bill arrived, or the price of clothes or shoes went up, we discussed these matters together.

“It is important to commend with sincerity for things well done. As opportunities arose, I would show him the value of following God’s laws and principles. On one occasion, after having counseled him several times, I had to use the literal rod. How difficult it was for me, but, oh, what blessed results! In the adolescent phase we have our ups and downs, but we can see the value of instruction and discipline. He tells me his personal problems and expresses his sentiments.

“I have to stay alert to maintain good communication. So I try not to get too involved in my secular work in order always to have time for my son. When we do have problems, I try to listen very attentively, and with the help of Jehovah, we overcome them. I let him know that I make my share of mistakes. On one occasion I was very angry, and I told him to ‘shut his mouth.’ He told me that to tell someone to ‘shut his mouth’ showed a lack of love. He had a point. That afternoon we had a real long talk.”​—Yolanda Moraes.

From Republic of Korea

“I eagerly applied Bible principles in my family life. Especially Deuteronomy 6:6-9 was deep in my heart. So I tried to be with my children as much as I could, to draw close to them, to inculcate the principles of God’s Word in their minds and hearts. I also invited full-time missionaries and Bethel family members to our home to give my children a feel for full-time service.

“The first thing parents should do when children cause problems is to display the fruits of the spirit. It is easy to get upset at the children and to lose one’s temper. We parents, however, must be patient and show exemplary conduct. It is important to respect children and give them the opportunity to explain the situation. If there is no clear evidence of wrongdoing, then trust them and always build them up. When you have to discipline a child, first reason with him, show him what he did wrong, and point out how displeasing his action was to Jehovah and to his parents. Only then discipline. Often my sons would say after they were disciplined: ‘Dad, I don’t understand myself, why I was rebellious. I was so foolish.’ They appreciate parents who care enough to discipline them.

“Parents need to be alert to the start of bad conduct. When my oldest son was in middle school third grade, I heard loud rock music coming from his room. I discovered that he had joined a student discipline team (older, exemplary students who counseled other students), and he had been exposed to worldly influences. I learned that under continued pressure from team members and out of curiosity, he had smoked. We reasoned together on the dangers of smoking, and my son concluded on his own that he should resign from the team, which he did. To fill the vacuum left by dropping objectionable school activities, we arranged for healthy recreation with the family and congregation members.

“Finally, I want to say that the most important thing is for parents to set a good example. I had always told my two boys that I wanted to serve God full-time as a minister preaching the good news. When my second boy finished school, I was able to retire from my job at a silk factory and become a full-time minister. My two boys saw my determination and followed suit. After serving time in prison because of the neutrality issue, both entered full-time service and are continuing to this day.”​—Shim Yoo Ki.

From Sweden

“We have raised seven children, five boys and two girls. Now grown, all are very active in preaching the good news of God’s Kingdom. From an early age, the children attended the congregation meetings and went with us in field service. Step-by-step they learned to do the preaching work​—ring the doorbell, say hello, give their name, and offer a handbill, tract, or magazine. When still quite young, they gave talks in the Theocratic Ministry School.

“Sometimes serious problems required special attention. Showing love and patience is then important​—no shouting or quarreling. Problems were solved by reasoning things out and stressing Jehovah’s views. We trained them in money matters. When older, they worked distributing newspapers, peat harvesting, gardening, and so forth. Visiting their grandparents far away from home made them aware of older people’s problems and sympathetic toward them.

“On our 30th wedding anniversary, we received the following letter:

“‘To Our Beloved Parents:

“‘THANK YOU FOR ALL! The warm love you have lavished on us, the genuine faith you have instilled in us, the wonderful hope you have given us​—this cannot be evaluated in words or money. However, we do hope that through this little keepsake, you will understand how much we feel for you, our beloved father and mother. [Signed] Your children.’

“Looking back on all these ‘20-year-projects,’ we feel deep gratitude to Jehovah, our heavenly Father, who has been so merciful toward us.”​—Bertil and Britta Östberg.

Miscellaneous Tidbits From Parents

“The nursing mother is Jehovah’s method of bringing baby in close physical contact with mother, but a father can augment it with a rocking chair. I took personal delight in cradling our children in my arms and rocking them to sleep nearly every night.”

“As their father, I was not equipped to nurse our children, but I did get close physical contact by giving them their nightly bath. For me and for them, it was fun time!”

“From time to time, I have taken each one of our children, separately, out to eat with me alone. They love this one-on-one time with Daddy.”

“As the years passed, little by little we entrusted them with more freedom and responsibilities. A squeezed spring in one’s hand must be released slowly to avoid having it fly away unrestrained.”

“Show lots of affection. No child ever died from hugs and kisses​—but their feelings can die without them.”

“Be patient, don’t beat them down. Don’t harp at them all the time. Let them develop self-esteem. For every criticism give four praises!”

“Give them your best, to make them their best.”

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Young children like Rebecca need genuine affection

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Taking the time to do things together will contribute to a strong family bond

Estrogen Replacement Therapy​—Is It for You?

IF YOU are a woman who is confused and worried about taking estrogen after menopause, you have company. ERT (estrogen replacement therapy) confuses many people today, even doctors. On the one hand, you may have learned that estrogen helps prevent heart attacks and protects against bone loss that may lead to terrible fractures. On the other hand, you may have heard that estrogen is linked to cancer of the womb and possibly even to breast cancer.

You may have been told that the cancer risk is eliminated by taking a second female hormone produced by the ovaries, progesterone, or its synthetic counterpart, progestin. But you may also have heard that progesterone causes menstrual bleeding every month and may cancel the benefits of estrogen to the heart.

Adding to the confusion, many doctors take strong positions for or against ERT. Writes one doctor in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology: “We now generally consider that the benefits of estrogen replacement therapy far outweigh its risks. To avoid the problems of estrogen deficiency, [nearly all] women should begin a lifelong course of estrogen replacement therapy during the perimenopausal period.”

Expressing the opposite view, a doctor in Britain with 50 years of experience in cancer research said: “If you mess about with hormones, there is a very real possibility of serious damage. Oestrogen stimulates the tissues to grow and growing tissue is far more sensitive to carcinogenic substances. It is almost impossible to handle hormones safely, so it is better to forget it.”

Menopause and ERT

When girls reach puberty, at about 11 years of age, their ovaries begin to produce estrogen, a hormone that plays a major role in the development of female characteristics and in the control of the menstrual cycle. About 40 years later, on the average, by the time menopause occurs, estrogen production will have declined to the point that it no longer sustains ovulation and menstrual periods. Eventually the ovaries stop producing estrogen altogether. This may usher in a time of reduced responsibilities, opening the door to new ventures and opportunities and the time to learn and do new things.

But it is also a time when lack of estrogen may cause both short-term and long-term problems. To counteract these problems, doctors began prescribing synthetic estrogen in the 1940’s. By 1975 six million women were taking it. Then came the news that estrogen users were five times more likely to develop endometrial cancer than nonusers. There was also talk of an estrogen link to breast cancer. Enthusiasm for ERT quickly fizzled. But researchers labored to minimize the risks, and by the early 1980’s, the addition of progestins seemed to cancel the cancer risk. ERT then made a comeback worldwide.

What accounts for its popularity? Elimination of hot flashes, preservation of an active sex life, and a reduced risk of developing osteoporosis and heart disease.

Hot Flashes, Other Problems

The hot flash (or, flush), hallmark of the menopause, is a direct result of estrogen loss. A typical hot flash begins with a sudden reddening of the skin over the head, neck, and chest. Accompanying this is a feeling of intense body heat, followed by sometimes profuse perspiration. A majority of menopausal women experience them. For some they are but a mild sensation. For others they are severe and disabling, producing sweat-drenched clothes and sheets and causing socially embarrassing situations and sleepless nights.

Another result of declining estrogen production is the drying and thinning of the walls of the vagina. In time sexual intercourse becomes uncomfortable, painful, or even impossible. Some women accept these changes as an inescapable consequence of advancing years and assume that their sex life is over. However, vaginal change can usually be prevented or rapidly corrected by ERT.

One of the most common health problems affecting older women is osteoporosis, a condition wherein the bones become more porous, thinner, and weaker because of the loss of calcium and protein. This leads to broken bones and fractured hips. When osteoporosis becomes severe, a woman might break an arm by merely lifting a casserole out of an oven. She might even break a rib with a sneeze! Everybody experiences bone loss as he or she grows old, but in postmenopausal women the process speeds up because of the lack of estrogen.a Women who smoke tobacco and who regularly drink alcoholic beverages are more prone to this problem than those who do not.

Osteoporosis often develops without warning signs, and people don’t know they’re in trouble until they fracture a bone. By then it is usually too late to remedy the situation. What about taking large doses of calcium? Without estrogen it does little to curtail the loss of bone. Calcium is important; that is why doctors recommend that women take it along with estrogen. Estrogen helps the body absorb calcium.

Heart Disease

In Europe and the United States, the major cause of death in postmenopausal women is heart disease. Does ERT reduce its likelihood? There is strong evidence that it does. It seems that estrogen increases the level of so-called good cholesterol, HDL, in the bloodstream and decreases the level of so-called bad cholesterol, LDL. The Nurses’ Health Study followed the health records of 121,700 women from 1976 to 1982. The data showed a 70 percent reduction in the risk of heart disease in current users of estrogen as compared with nonusers.

Such findings argue powerfully in favor of ERT, but so far we have considered only the positive side. Before you rush to your doctor to ask for a prescription, consider the risks.

Cancer and Progesterone

Estrogen, taken by itself, promotes the buildup of cells on the lining of the womb. In time cancer may develop. On the average, 1 in every 1,000 postmenopausal women develops endometrial (womb) cancer each year. For those who take estrogen, the number developing endometrial cancer shoots up to from 4 to 8 in every 1,000. For long-term users of high doses of estrogen, the figure is 10 per 1,000 each year. Some doctors suspect that estrogen is also linked to other gynecologic problems.

To counteract these risks, doctors prescribe, in addition to estrogen, progestin. Because it inhibits cell buildup in the womb, progestin reduces both the cancerous and the noncancerous problems associated with taking estrogen by itself. Dr. Lila Nachtigall and Joan Heilman, in their book on estrogen, caution: “If you have a uterus, you must never stop taking progesterone unless you stop taking estrogen too. Progesterone is what makes ERT so safe today.”

But adding a progestin carries its own problems. A major complaint is that the estrogen-progestin combination causes the return of menstrual periods. A much more serious problem with progestin is that it may negate the beneficial effects of estrogen on the heart. Another factor in the risk/​benefit equation is the effect, if any, of ERT on the likelihood of acquiring breast cancer.

Since 1974, researchers have conducted at least 30 studies to see if there is any link between ERT and breast cancer. The studies showed no association between short-term ERT and breast cancer. Long-term use was different. Studies in the United States showed a possible increased risk of 50 percent after 15 or more years of ERT. European studies suggested an even higher risk with long-term ERT. Other rigorous studies, however, showed no connection between long-term estrogen use and breast cancer.

Is ERT for You?

“It’s not yet possible to write up a set of simple rules for estrogen replacement,” says Dr. Isaac Schiff of Harvard Medical School. “The decision should be an individualized one, based on thorough, thoughtful, and frank discussion between the physician and patient.”

As an alternative to ERT, some prefer nonprescription or natural remedies. Some women, for example, find that vitamin E works wonders in easing the severity and frequency of their hot flashes. And whether you take ERT or not, good nutrition and regular exercise are proved allies against both heart disease and osteoporosis.

Of course, neither estrogen replacement nor any other therapy will make you younger or stop the aging process. These are things that will only be accomplished by God’s Kingdom. (Matthew 6:10) In the meantime, ERT is helping some to cushion the negative effects of life after menopause.

[Footnotes]

[Picture on page 15]

Before accepting ERT treatment, ask your doctor what the possible risks are

Young People Ask . . .

What’s the Harm in Using Sarcasm?

‘You’re pretty smart . . . for an idiot!’

‘That’s a beautiful dress. Too bad it didn’t come in your size!’

‘The last time I saw makeup like that was at the circus.’

RAZOR-SHARP words, regardless of their intent, can cut deeply into one’s self-esteem. Even when spoken in jest, sarcastic words can result in enemies, hurt feelings, ruined friendships.

It may be, though, that you have a “gift” for sarcasm. Friends howl at your stinging one-liners and put-downs. They cheer you on and encourage you to weave more clever words. Or it may be that sarcasm has become your primary means of self-defense. Armed with weaponlike words, you wound and cripple anyone who poses any sort of threat to your well-being​—or to your ego. You may even occasionally find yourself saying harsh words to your parents or siblings.

There is a place for sarcasm. In its milder forms, it can be amusing. And at times sarcasm can express deep feelings. Why, the Bible shows that the apostle Paul, Job, and even God himself used sarcasm to express righteous indignation. (Job 12:2; Zechariah 11:13; 2 Corinthians 12:13) However, unkind or cruel sarcasm is nothing less than violent, aggressive behavior. As author Mary Susan Miller points out in her book Childstress!, it is a form of “knifing and mugging,” only with “more socially acceptable weapons” than guns or knives.

Still, many view the making of a cuttingly sarcastic remark as just another way to express humor. What, then, is the harm in doing so?

Just Harmless Fun?

“On my job,” says Eric, “everybody uses sarcasm. Most of the time it’s understood as a joke.” Interestingly, The New York Times reports: “Psychologists repeatedly say . . . that men react more enthusiastically than women to ‘aggressive’ humor.” Teenage boys, then, may take particular delight in teasing, badgering, and harassing others verbally.

Granted, mild sarcasm may be humorous. But when sarcasm is meanspirited, the pain of the cutting remark may remain long after the laughter fades. (Compare Proverbs 14:13.) Often a playful war of wits becomes a heated argument. As one young man put it: “When you’ve been deeply hurt by what someone has said, you may react by coming back with the most hurtful thing you can think of. Then it’s no longer just joking; you’re actually trying to hurt the other person. And sarcasm can be a very effective weapon.”

Indeed, the English word “sarcasm” is derived from a Greek verb that literally means “to tear flesh like dogs.” (Compare Galatians 5:15.) Just as a dog uses his sharp incisor teeth to tear flesh off a bone, a sarcastic person can strip another of his dignity. As the Journal of Contemporary Ethnography says: “The core of sarcasm . . . is open hostility or contempt.” It matters little if it’s a direct attack, a subtle put-down, or a slip of the tongue. An unkind, sarcastic remark makes someone an object of derision​—a victim.

With what effects? As 19-year-old Josh puts it: “Sarcasm can make you feel really dumb.” The damage, though, may be far more long-lasting. In her book Toxic Parents, Dr. Susan Forward notes the effects of verbal battering by parents: “I’ve seen thousands of patients [who] have suffered a damaged sense of self-worth because a parent had . . . ‘joked’ about how stupid or ugly or unwanted they were.” Imagine, then, what might result from inflicting cruel sarcasm on a friend, an acquaintance, or a sibling. Concludes Dr. Forward: “Humor that belittles can be extremely damaging.”​—Compare Proverbs 26:18, 19.

Little wonder, then, that a book on child development concluded: “Sarcasm . . . should be forever stricken from human discourse. It usually offends, often cuts deeply, and almost never leads to productive dialogue.”

Avoid Hasty Speech

What, though, if using sarcastic speech has become an ingrained habit? Then it is high time to learn to think before you speak. Wise King Solomon said: “Have you beheld a man hasty with his words? There is more hope for someone stupid than for him.”​—Proverbs 29:20.

Hasty speech can be particularly destructive when used among family members. Why? “Because their opinions are the ones that mean the most to you,” explains 16-year-old Penny. Yet, the book Raising Good Children quotes educator John Holt as saying: “Too often family members take out on each other all the pain and frustration of their lives that they don’t dare take out on anyone else.” Family members know one another so well that they tend to be intolerant of one another’s shortcomings; tempers easily flare, and then sarcastic words fly.

For good reason the Bible admonishes: “In the abundance of words there does not fail to be transgression, but the one keeping his lips in check is acting discreetly.” (Proverbs 10:19) As 18-year-old Joanne has learned: “You have to think of who you’re talking to and what you’re going to say before you talk.” If you find yourself emotionally upset, do not be quick to express your feelings. Instead, pause for a moment and ask yourself: ‘Are the words I feel like saying kind? Are they necessary? Will I later be sorry for what I’ve said?’

By weighing your words carefully, you can avoid hurting the feelings of others, and you spare yourself unnecessary shame and embarrassment.

When You Are the Victim

What, though, if you are on the receiving end of sarcasm, perhaps from friends or schoolmates? Before succumbing to the urge to retaliate, realize that we are living in “critical times hard to deal with.” (2 Timothy 3:1-5) Youths face huge pressures. Notes the book The Loneliness of Children: “Children . . . bring to their schools all the prejudices, resentments, aggressiveness, and pent-up hostilities they have been taught at home.” Such hostilities are often released in the form of cruel speech.

Knowing this can help you avoid the tendency to retaliate when victimized. (Compare Proverbs 19:11.) It also helps to remember the apostle Paul’s words: “Return evil for evil to no one.” (Romans 12:17) ‘Turning the other cheek’ to someone who has slapped you verbally takes real self-control. (Matthew 5:39) But it does not mean that you must make no response whatsoever when sarcastic speech amounts to an insult​—or a threat. The book Violence, by coauthor Irwin Kutash, observes: “Affronts that are not successfully counteracted can have far-reaching effects for victims . . . These victims become easy targets for further victimization.”

At times, then, circumstances may warrant your counteracting a verbal attack, not by lashing back with spiteful words, but by calmly and peacefully speaking to the abuser in private.a (Proverbs 15:1) Joanne tried this, telling a classmate: “I didn’t appreciate the comment you made in front of the class. It was really hurtful.” The result? Says Joanne: “Since then he’s respected me and hasn’t said anything else.”

Twenty-year-old David, however, points to another source of hurtful speech, saying: “Your parents are supposed to love you the most; yet, they are sometimes the ones that make the most biting comments.” Of course, this is often done in innocence; in trying to correct you, they unwittingly crush you. Why not try talking to your parents about it, letting them know how you feel? Perhaps they’ll be more sensitive to your feelings next time.

Finally, it helps if you do not take yourself too seriously. Author Donald W. Ball observes: “The effectiveness of sarcasm . . . lies in its imagined consequences.” Yes, don’t blow an incident out of proportion by imagining that you have sustained irreparable damage because of one unkind remark. Keep a sense of humor!

The best way to avoid being a victim of sarcasm, though, is to avoid using it yourself. Says the Golden Rule: “All things, therefore, that you want men to do to you, you also must likewise do to them.” (Matthew 7:12) When you apply this rule, you can avoid being a user​—and perhaps a victim—​of hurtful, sarcastic speech.

[Footnotes]

[Picture on page 18]

Sarcasm can hurt

“Never Say Never!”

ECCLESIASTES 9:11 tells us that ‘time and unforeseen occurrence befall us all.’ It happened to our family toward the end of November 1986. Tiarah, one of our three children, was three and a half years of age at the time she caught what we thought was a cold, accompanied by a persistent cough. We took her to the pediatrician, who referred us to a general practitioner. He also thought that Tiarah had a cold, with some chest congestion, but nothing to worry about. He prescribed another cough medicine as well as antibiotics.

Tiarah’s condition worsened. She had a fever of 105° F. [41° C.], along with vomiting, bowel upset, and chest pains. Chest X rays were taken, and the antibiotics were increased. The nurse called us when Tiarah’s X rays came back. The doctors thought that she had acute pneumonia. By then she was running a fever of 107° F. [42° C.] to 109° F [43° C.]. It was causing her blood count to become extremely low, 2.0. On December 16, Tiarah was admitted to the hospital.

We are Jehovah’s Witnesses and abide by the counsel given to Christians at Acts 15:29, to ‘abstain from blood.’ We were not, however, overly concerned about the blood issue. Tiarah’s pediatrician is a blood specialist, and he was very much aware that we would not accept blood transfusions. When Tiarah was to be admitted to the hospital, we immediately reminded the pediatrician of our stand on blood. His reply was: “Yes, yes, I understand your beliefs, but I don’t think you have to worry about the blood issue.”

After the hospital took their own X rays, EKG, and blood tests, Tiarah was taken to a room. We stayed until she fell asleep. The next morning I was told that Tiarah did have pneumonia, that it was a very bad case, and that she would no doubt be staying in the hospital for about 10 to 15 days. Her temperature hovered around 109° F., which made the doctors very concerned. They reexamined the X rays, the EKG, and the blood tests, and they decided to take more tests. These tests showed that she did not have pneumonia but probably some type of tumor on her lung.

Blood Becomes an Issue

Needless to say, this put a different light on Tiarah’s situation. They took endless tests, including one for TB, which came back negative. They took sonograms, CAT scans, multiple X rays. The last X rays showed extensive infection of the right lung. The left lung appeared near collapse​—and that lung was crucial, as it was doing most of the work of breathing. The issue of blood transfusion was raised again. We had upon Tiarah’s admission to the hospital signed affidavits releasing the hospital of responsibility regarding our not accepting blood. They now felt that because our child’s life was in danger, we would change our mind.

When we stood by our decision, everything changed. The hospital administration told us that we were unfit parents, that they would get a court order permitting them to give Tiarah blood, and that they would have our other two children taken away from us. They would wait for the court order, and when it came, they would remove the infected lung. For what seemed like the 50th time, we explained to them that we don’t oppose medical treatment, and while we do not accept blood, we do accept blood substitutes.

All to no avail. The doctors refused to listen. They resorted to pressure to make us change our minds. They began telling everyone on the staff and those who worked on the floor​—from doctors to nurses to cleaning personnel—​what we were doing to our child. These people would then come to us and ask us why we were letting our child die. My husband and I told the doctors that we would look for a doctor and a hospital that would take Tiarah and do whatever procedures were necessary and do them without blood. They told us that no hospital would move her in her condition. I told them: “Never say never!”

Even If She Died, She Didn’t Want Blood

I explained the situation to Tiarah, told her what the doctors said, what Jehovah’s viewpoint on the matter was, and what we had decided to do, which was to find a doctor and a hospital that would help her without giving her blood. Tiarah understood very well for her young age. She wanted to obey Jehovah. Even if she died, she didn’t want blood. To hear my own daughter, sick as she was, take her own stand like that brought tears to my eyes. I realized then as I’ve never realized before the importance of starting Bible training from a child’s infancy, since even at the age of three and a half, Tiarah could tell us in her own simple way that she wanted to stay faithful to Jehovah despite all odds.​—Ephesians 6:4; 2 Timothy 3:15.

In our efforts to get Tiarah out of the hospital before the court order came through to give her blood, my husband had talked with one of the congregation elders. He talked to a doctor who said that he would see what he could do. That gave us some hope.

I had stayed at the hospital since the evening after Tiarah was admitted. I was mentally, physically, and emotionally exhausted. My dear husband, realizing this, insisted that I go home, that he would stay with Tiarah that night. I did go home, but I couldn’t sleep. I cleaned the house, called my parents, and talked to other friends who were Witnesses. Eventually I fell asleep​—I don’t know for how long—​and then the phone rang. I was afraid to pick it up, fearing that it was my husband calling to tell me Tiarah had died.

I finally answered. It was the doctor the elder had contacted telling me that they had found a doctor who was willing to respect our stand on blood and who would take Tiarah even in her deteriorated condition. He had already made arrangements with our hospital for Tiarah’s release! I thanked him tearfully. I hung up the phone and fell on my knees and gave thanks to Jehovah.

After being in that first hospital for ten days, Tiarah was admitted to one in another borough of New York City. That hospital specialized in pulmonary problems in children. When Tiarah arrived, they were waiting for her. They ran a series of CAT scans, X rays, sonograms, EKGs, and blood tests for their records, and they examined the records we gave them from the other hospital. After all this checking, the doctor we now had, a pulmonary specialist, felt that a transfusion would be a mistake and that her body would reject it.

Complete Cure Without Blood

While Tiarah was in this hospital, she was given extremely good care by those specializing in working on young children with pulmonary conditions. They consulted us on medical problems and advised us of the procedures they would follow. They did not put her completely to sleep but used a local anesthesia. Then they drew some fluid from the lung cavity and sent it to the lab for testing with various antibiotics. They found one simple antibiotic used for colds that would combat the germ. Tiarah received multiple doses of this antibiotic, and she was put in an oxygen tent for ten days. She steadily improved.

In studying her CAT scan and X rays, the doctors found that she had an abscess on the lower part of her right lung. Even though the antibiotic was reducing the amount of fluid surrounding the lung, it was not combating the abscess. In fact, the abscess was producing more fluid, and the doctors felt that it might have to be surgically removed. But first they continued the antibiotic treatment, with another kind added to it. They also gave her large doses of iron and put her on intravenous feeding for three days, followed by a light diet of solid food. Her blood count rose to 5.0, then to 7.0. The blood specialist and the pulmonary specialist were surprised at such fast and continuous improvement​—so much so that the pulmonary doctor said: “Your God must be helping.”

Since the abscess was unaffected by the heavy doses of antibiotics, fluid from inside the abscess itself was tested. It was found that another kind of antibiotic would fight this particular germ. Since it was a cold germ commonly found in the mouth, the doctor thought that Tiarah must have swallowed it with some food and that it went down the wrong pipe and into her lung. The antibiotics were trying to fight this germ, which caused a wall to form around it, and it became an abscess. According to the doctor, this was very unusual, so he felt it necessary to document all his findings and procedures and submit his report to a medical journal.

After staying in that hospital for one month, Tiarah was released as an outpatient. She still had to see the specialist once every week for three months and take big dosages of antibiotics and iron. She never did have surgery, however. She has completely recovered, without a spot on her lungs.

Tiarah is now a publisher in the Christian congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses. On February 14, 1991, she gave her first talk in the congregation’s Theocratic Ministry School. My husband and I thank Jehovah for blessing our strong stand to abstain from blood in obedience to His commands. May all of us continue to praise Jehovah because he is worthy to be praised. And remember, if a doctor tells you that you will never make it without blood, tell him, “Never say never!”​—Contributed by Nina Hooks, Brooklyn, New York.

The Wonder of Wool

By Awake! correspondent in Australia

WHAT is cozily warm in winter but surprisingly cool in summer? What is coarser than cotton, yet makes lightweight fabrics? What is a skier’s protection and a designer’s dream cloth? What can be stretched almost one third of its length and then return to its original length when released?

The answer to all these questions is wool​—versatile, durable wool! Yes, the amazing coat of the docile sheep produces one of the most versatile fabrics available to man.

Centuries-Old Use

When early explorers arrived in South America, they found many of its people, such as the Peruvians, wearing beautiful alpaca wool garments. Even further back, in ancient Bible times, large flocks of sheep were kept, and garments were made of dyed and processed wool.​—Exodus 26:1; Leviticus 13:47.

Modern history focuses on the sturdy Spanish merino sheep, outstanding not only for its prolific, high-quality wool production but also for its hardiness and ability to survive in rugged climates. The hardy merino was ideal for the arid climate of Australia, the island continent down under. In the late 18th century, founders of the new colony were on the lookout for more than something to eat. They needed a promising export on which to build an economy.

They selected wool because it literally grows on the hoof. Sheep could wander virtually unattended for long periods of time, and very little labor was needed to produce wool in volume. It could easily be packed and did not age in storage. Its resistance to mildew would enable it to withstand the long six-month voyage to England by sailing ship. Another big advantage was that wool did not burn readily.

“Riding on the Sheep’s Back”

And so, for a century and a half after the first merinos arrived in 1797, Australia survived economically largely because of wool exports. Following World War I, however, with the gradual development of secondary industries, together with the increasing use of synthetic materials in place of wool, the expression that Australia was financially “riding on the sheep’s back” became less applicable. That is, until the last half of the ’80’s when the Australian wool trade entered an unprecedented boom. At that time Australia’s sheep population stood at about 166 million​—more than 10 sheep to every person in the country, and the annual production of wool had reached over 950,000 tons.

By 1990, however, the boom had turned to bust. The demand for wool plummeted and left Australia’s 70,000 sheep farmers with too many sheep​—about 20,000,000 too many, according to the Sunday Correspondent of London, England.

Why So Wonderful?

Wool’s versatility and usefulness certainly cause wonder, as a brief review of its qualities reveals. Wool grows in a similar way to human hair, and many breeds of sheep have long hair mixed with their wool. This has been bred out of the merino strain, leaving just the fleecy undercoat that is so much in demand. Although wool is coarser than cotton or linen, its low density allows for the manufacture of lightweight fabrics. Its excellent affinity for dyes also increases its versatility. If you see a young woman wearing a bright red scarf that blows lightly in the breeze, it could be pure wool.

But have you ever tried to break off a strand of wool with your fingers? Tough, isn’t it? Yes, a single fiber of wool can resist breakage by a force of from one half to one ounce [15 to 30 g]​—so you will need scissors to cut wool fabrics. Wool fiber also has a crimp, or wave, which makes it very pliable, and when stretched up to 30 percent of its length, it will return to normal length when released. It is this quality that makes wool wrinkle-resistant when dry.

Moreover, it is the air trapped between the unique fibers of wool that provides it with an insulating quality, making it warm in winter but cool in summer. Its surface is also water resistant, so that a damp woolen cardigan will not chill you by drying too rapidly, as other fabrics could. After all, sheep wear it all the time in all sorts of weather and do not suffer from colds.

You may not realize that felt​—which has hundreds of uses, from carpets to tennis balls—​is actually wool that has been compacted under heat and pressure. And worsted material, used for men’s and women’s suits and some soft, fine dresses, is produced from wool spun in a particular way.

From Sheep to You

In larger wool-producing countries, the shearing shed is an integral part of the rural landscape. Usually, sheep are sheared once a year, but in some warmer climates, shearing may be done twice annually.

Sheepshearers are a hardy bunch, with sinewy arms and strong backs. Using power shears, the shearer aims to remove the fleece in one piece. An experienced shearer can clip about 200 sheep a day. He first cuts the belly wool off, starting inside a leg, then moves up over the back, neck, and shoulders and down the other side. The best wool comes from the shoulders and the sides of the sheep.

As the newly sheared sheep are released from the shed, it is a pleasure to see them joyfully leaping about with newfound freedom after losing their heavy overcoats.

Next, the fleece is sorted and graded. Sorters stand at waist-high boards, examining the wool for brightness, crimp, purity, fineness, softness, and length. A skillful wool classer can work through about 10,000 pounds [4,500 kg] of fleece per week. Next the fleece is cleaned and dried, and the wax, or lanolin, is extracted. Wool sheared from a live sheep is the best.

Tender Care for Longer Life

You probably don’t need to be reminded that moths love wool. They lay their eggs so that the newly hatched caterpillars have plenty to eat. Their preference is for wool flavored with perspiration or substances spilled on it. So never store away soiled or dirty woolens. If you can buy mothproof garments, that is an extra protection. Store woolen clothes in airtight containers when you are not wearing the garments regularly. And even woolen clothes you wear frequently should be brushed and shaken regularly, for wool loves air.

Modern technology has helped a lot, for today much wool sold has been treated for insect and mildew resistance and is often preshrunk and fire-resistant. Still, you need to take care when laundering. Many modern washing machines have a wool cycle. But if you are washing by hand, gently squeeze the garment clean, working with your hands under the water, which should be warm or cool. Wool-washing agents are obviously better than soap, but if these are not available, dissolve your soap powder before you start. Do not use detergents, as they are usually alkaline and can damage the garment. Use the same temperature for rinsing, making sure that all soap is removed by using lots of fresh water. Roll the wet garment in a towel and squeeze out the moisture.

One of the advantages of woolen clothing is that it seldom needs ironing. If you want an extrasmooth finish, however, use either a steam iron or an iron along with a damp cloth but only after the garment has completely dried. Light, quick strokes with the iron prevent the shine that no one wants, and it is better to lift and lower the iron rather than to push it along.

Wool Is a Wonder

You must surely agree that wool is a fascinating material. From overcoats to tennis balls, it supplies us with durable products. The early Australian settlers certainly made a wise choice in selecting sheep. We are grateful to them for that as we continue to enjoy the almost endless variety of things made from this wonder product, wool.

[Pictures on page 24]

Before shearing

Shearing time

After shearing

Enjoying the product

La Raclette!​—From Mountain Height to Dinner Table

By Awake! correspondent in Switzerland

IT IS said that one day about the year 1875, some men were working in a vineyard close to the Swiss town of Sierre. It was very cold. At noon they gathered around the fire to have some bread, cheese, and wine. One of them craved something warm to eat. So he placed his piece of cheese over the embers until the outer layer started to melt. He then scraped it on his bread and​—la raclette was born!

There are other versions of this story. Although its origin may not be well documented, la raclette is indeed a well-established dish, especially in the mountainous region of Valais in Switzerland. The French word racler means “to scrape,” and it appropriately describes this unusual way of serving melted cheese. But even more unusual is the way raclette cheese is made.

Cheese Made on the Spot

When summer arrives in Valais, the retreating snow gives way to lush pasture grounds. The cows relish this feed, and moving upward, they graze pasture after pasture up to the very edge of the glaciers. In the past, storing the milk or transporting it down to the valley twice a day for processing was out of the question. So the solution was to make the cheese right there, on the spot. Yes, cheese was made outdoors wherever the herd was. How?

A big caldron, a strainer, wood for the fire, and other necessary implements were transported on horseback or on mules up to the location. Stones for building a fireplace were selected from the surrounding area. The cream was not removed from the milk, and the result was a smooth and rich cheese.

Today, cheese makers in the Valais region do not have to do their work outdoors. They continue to make cheese on the spot, but for their cheese making, they now enjoy the convenience of cabins that have been built at various altitudes. Each cabin has all the necessary equipment permanently installed and a cellar where fresh cheese is treated with a salt solution to give it its protective crust. The cheese is shaped in the form of a wheel, each wheel weighing about 11 pounds [5 kg]. After some three to five months, the cheese wheels are considered mature.

Serving la Raclette

Traditionally, la raclette is served with boiled potatoes, pickles, small white onions, pepper and other spices, and, of course, a glass of white wine from Valais. If you order the dish in a restaurant, a waiter will bring to your table half a wheel of cheese with its side layer already bubbling from being heated. He then scrapes off some of that delicious-looking layer and places it on your potato!

At home you can use an electric raclette stove. Some are designed to melt cheese in small portions, and others are big enough to accommodate up to a half wheel of cheese. Of course, you need not have a special raclette stove. You can melt the slices of cheese in your kitchen oven.

Many offer this dish to their guests because of its wide popularity and simplicity. So next time you have friends for dinner, why not try this unique meal from the mountains of Switzerland: la raclette!

[Pictures on page 26]

La raclette: an unusual way to serve melted cheese

Making the cheese

Some things that go with “la raclette”

Serving “la raclette”

Watching the World

More Disasters in Store

“Because of the destruction of the environment,” reports the German newspaper Schweinfurter Tagblatt on a statement of WHO (World Health Organization), “the number of natural disasters will increase considerably by the year 2000.” According to WHO, “there are now more and more ecological disasters caused by man himself.” The chemical disasters at Bhopal (India) and Séveso (Italy), the atomic reactor accident at Chernobyl (U.S.S.R.), the off-shore oil-slick catastrophe in Alaska, and the burning oil fields in Kuwait were cited as examples. “Pollution of air, water, and soil, as well as the depletion of the ozone layer and the greenhouse effect, show that industrial development is destructive,” the article adds. “More than 50 million people have lost their homes through natural disasters since the beginning of this century.”

Soaring Cost of Justice

Canadians forked out “over a record $7.7 billion [thousand million] last year on police, courts, jails and legal aid,” reports The Toronto Star. This means that every Canadian spends $295 a year to support the justice system. In spite of the large expenditure of money, “the crime rate jumped 32 per cent,” says the Star. The number of prison inmates increased 37 percent between 1981 and 1987. Commenting on the high cost of justice, the executive director of Toronto’s John Howard Society, Sherry Kulman, said: “Seven billion [thousand million] is a lot of money and I’m really surprised people aren’t saying ‘wait a minute, what’s going on here?’” She added: “Isn’t it about time people realized that the system isn’t working?”

Vehicle Retrieval by Satellite

As vehicle hijacking reaches serious proportions in South Africa, the latest in a string of innovations to retrieve vehicles taken by hijackers and thieves is satellite tracking. The Star, a Johannesburg newspaper, explains that once the driver has the system installed, he merely has to activate a transmitter should the vehicle be hijacked or stolen. The vehicle is then tracked by a satellite and its location displayed on a computer screen in a “control room where it is shown as a ‘bleep’ on a map.” The control room, in turn, alerts helicopter or ground security units, who go after the vehicle. The report adds: “Pilot tests have so far proved that a vehicle can be located . . . within about 15 minutes, and that the retrieval rate is 95 percent.”

Drugs in the Schools

How are youths introduced to drugs in school? “Drugs do not reach the schools by the hand of strangers, but through students themselves,” says Abílio Pereira, a police chief in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. “No one accepts drugs from someone he is not acquainted with.” He adds: “I was used to finding marijuana on 17-year-old boys. Now we have problems with 12- and even 10-year-old boys.” To start with, drugs may be offered free in a happy-hour atmosphere, but once the young people are hooked, the dealers charge for them. “There is no school where drugs do not enter,” states Alberto Corazza, a district police chief in São Paulo. Says Veja magazine: “Never has it been so easy to buy drugs in the schools, never has the dealers’ network been so widespread among students and never has it been so hard to control this sort of commerce.”

Treatments Compared

Patients with terminal cancer who are treated with conventional therapy fare neither better nor worse than do those treated by unorthodox therapies, says a study published in The New England Journal of Medicine. Over 150 cancer patients with an average life expectancy of a year or less were used in the study. Half received traditional treatments, such as chemotherapy and radiation, while the other half were treated with a vegetarian diet, coffee enemas, and vaccines that are intended to energize the immune system. The patients had advanced lung cancer, colon cancer, pancreatic cancer, or melanoma. At the end of one year, just over half of the patients in each group were alive, and 15 percent at the end of two years. “The results show very clearly that for patients with advanced cancers our treatments are probably not prolonging life,” said Dr. Barrie Cassileth, the paper’s author. “We have to ask how to make these people most comfortable, and in some cases that may mean no treatment at all.”

Too Clean?

When the tanker Exxon Valdez went aground off the Alaskan coast, the resultant oil spill killed a large number of animals​—at last count some 580,000 birds, 5,500 sea otters, and 22 whales. While there was talk of permanent damage, that is not true, says the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and most species should be back to full strength in about five years. “Recovery might have been even quicker if some beaches had not been blasted with jets of hot water as a way to calm public outcry,” reports Fortune magazine. “Agency studies show that more small organisms die from hot water than from oil.” According to chief scientist Sylvia Earle, “sometimes the best, and ironically the most difficult, thing to do in the face of an ecological disaster is to do nothing.”

More Barracks Than Hospitals

Governments around the world spend 5.4 percent of their gross national product on military activities but only 4.2 percent on health care, reports Demos, a bulletin published by the Dutch Inter University Demographic Institute. The ratio in the developing countries is even more lopsided: 5.6 percent for defense but only 1.4 percent for medical care. Governments in Southeast Asia, notes Demos, top the list by spending seven times more on the military than on health.

Problems With Humidifiers

“Acute problems, such as humidifier fever, a flu-like illness affecting groups of people in offices, can be linked to massive humidifiers where water sits and accumulates organisms,” reports The Medical Post of Canada. Home humidifiers present similar risks when bacteria and fungi breed in stagnant water that is later sprayed into the air. In The Medical Post, one expert suggested that when humidifying the air for medical reasons, patients should consider “steam-generated humidity in a room, including something as simple as keeping a kettle boiling on the stove.”

Pocket-Size Electronic Bibles

“For now, in the world of electronics, small is beautiful,” reports Newsweek. Among the latest hand-held gadgets are three $400 versions of the Bible, including the Revised Standard and King James editions, put out by a New Jersey, U.S.A., firm. “Why spend $400 for a Bible?” asks Newsweek. “Because it has typewriter-style keys and some intelligence.” Forgotten scripture locations can be found by simply typing in some key words that may be remembered. The firm “may have struck the absent-minded-clergy market,” says the article. “It has already sold 50,000 electronic Bibles in six months.”

Embarrassing Dating Error

Eleven years ago, an artistic South African grandmother, Joan Ahrens, produced some fine paintings using rocks as her canvases, imitating traditional Bushman art. Later, one of her painted rocks was picked up in the veld near her former home in the city of Pietermaritzburg. Eventually it got into the hands of the curator of the city’s museum. Unaware of the origin of this rock art, the curator had it dated in England by the Oxford University radio carbon accelerator unit. Experts estimated that the painting was 1,200 years old! Why such an embarrassing error? “It has since been established,” according to a report in South Africa’s Sunday Times, “that the oil paint used by Mrs Ahrens contained natural oils which contained carbon​—the only substance dated by Oxford.”

The Price of Fraud and Arson

Credit card fraud in Britain costs banks and finance houses £75 million ($150 million, U.S.) a year, according to The Times of London. Yet even this sum is minuscule compared to the estimated cost of arson: £500 million ($1,000 million) in 1990 alone, when total fire losses reached a record £1,000 million ($2,000 million). Although vandalism by males from 10 to 25 years of age is the most common cause of arson, up to 20 percent of arson cases are tied to fraud​—businesses, cars, and homes are deliberately destroyed to collect insurance payments. Britain’s Home Office figures also reveal that 1,008 schools were deliberately damaged or destroyed by arson in the year 1988, reports The Times.

From Our Readers

TMJ Syndrome Thank you for the article “Out Of the Jaws​—The Great Impostor.” (June 22, 1991) Until a little while ago, I was afflicted with this problem. I would wake up during the night, panic stricken because my jaw was stuck! Various doctors misdiagnosed my problem until I consulted a dental expert. He immediately discovered that it was caused by poorly aligned teeth. The suggestions given in the article are practical, useful, and can give immediate relief.

S. F., Italy

Bad Habits Thank you for the help I found in the article “Preventing the Return of Bad Habits” (April 8, 1991) in overcoming TV addiction. Chapter 36 of the book Questions Young People Ask​—Answers That Work [published by the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc.] helped for a while, but I fell back into heavy TV viewing again. Your article helped me substitute a bad habit with a good one, namely, reading the spiritual food that comes out in Awake!

A. G., United States

Children of Divorce Heartfelt thanks for the series “Help for Children of Divorce.” (April 22, 1991) When I was three, my father divorced my mother. She did a fine job in bringing up my little sister and me to love Jehovah. But during the teenage years, it was just as you described. I felt that “all relationships are unreliable, doomed to unravel someday in betrayal and infidelity.” I was afraid to love and be loved, and even among fellow Christians, I kept all relationships on a superficial level. Learning to do things for other people and serving as a full-time evangelizer helped me overcome these tendencies to some extent. However, your article enabled me to understand some of my deepest feelings for the first time.

M. H., Japan

The articles made my husband and me feel guilty. My first mate was disfellowshipped from the Christian congregation for unfaithfulness. My boys and I then moved in with my parents, about 2,000 miles [3,200 km] away. The boys had little contact with their father. After I remarried, we continued to discourage any contact, feeling the father was a bad influence. Did we make the right decision?

C. W., United States

Neither divorce nor expulsion from the Christian congregation ends a parent-child relationship; children continue to need both parents. Nevertheless, each situation is different. Physical distance or indifference on the part of an ex-spouse may greatly limit parent-child contact. On the other hand, the courts may impose visitation arrangements, and a Christian may have little choice but to cooperate. Where no visitation arrangements have been imposed, it is up to the custodial parent to determine if association with an ex-spouse would pose grave physical or spiritual dangers.​—ED.

Thanks for the naked truth in your articles on divorce. My parents divorced when I was nearly 20 years old, and I went through a stage where I despised the very institution of marriage. I viewed it as a trap or a prison! Thanks to your Bible-enlightened books and magazines, I actually look forward to marriage someday, with its real potential in sight.

L. T., United States

Colosseum I found the article “The Colosseum​—Ancient Rome’s ‘Entertainment’ Center” (April 8, 1991) to be most engaging. As a historian, I thought it was inspiring the way you separated the truth from legend.

N. H., United States

The Engineering of a Shell

HAVE you ever noticed how easy it is to snap a piece of chalk crayon in two? But now, try to snap the shell of the red abalone in two. Chances are you would need a hammer to break it. Yet the abalone shell is made of the same stuff as the chalk​—calcium carbonate. The shell is just put together differently. So differently, in fact, that it is some 40 times more resistant to fracturing than chalk crayon is.

How does the abalone manage this engineering feat? Scientists at the University of Washington in Seattle, U.S.A., have unlocked some of this marine snail’s secrets. The abalone uses its single dishlike shell as a protective wall against the world outside. For the sake of strength, the shell grows in layers. The outer layer is rough and coarse. But the inner layer, called the nacre, glistens in translucent beauty, and herein lies the shell’s strength.

The Washington scientists have learned that this inner layer “has a laminated, brick-and-mortar structure,” notes Science News. Only about a micron wide (one millionth of a meter), these tiny bricks are held together with a mortar made by the abalone itself, a powerful adhesive that scientists are still trying to figure out. Scientists say that the layers of microscopic “bricks” absorb impacts by sliding against adjacent layers. Meanwhile, the organic layers of mortar somehow bridge developing cracks with special “ligaments.” In all, the shell may have as many as five mechanisms for resisting breakage!

Scientists are so impressed with the abalone’s remarkably strong shell that they are trying to develop similar techniques in making strong ceramics. If they succeed, they will no doubt be showered with applause. How sad that the Great Designer, whose work they are striving to imitate, is so rarely given the credit for his incomparable ingenuity!​—Job 37:14.

Should You Believe in the Trinity?

Is Jesus Christ the Almighty God?

A person from Hayward, California, U.S.A., writes: “I am amazed, thrilled, and delighted with the above-named brochure. It is a masterly work of accumulating data from various religious sources, quoting admissions that the doctrine of the Trinity is false, misleading, and not supported by God’s Word, the Bible.”

Many have appreciated this scholarly, well-documented examination of this fundamental teaching of the churches of Christendom. If you would like to receive a copy of this brochure, please fill in and mail the accompanying coupon.

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