June 8

Page Two

Gambling Does It Pay? 3-11

Millions of people throughout the world try their hand at lotteries and other forms of gambling. The lure of a quick fortune is hard for many to resist, especially those living in poverty. But is gambling a realistic road to economic security? Is there a better way?

Learning to Live With Arthritis 12

Arthritis can be a painful, even crippling, disease. What can be done to relieve the suffering? Is a cure in sight?

Why Do I Have to Be Different? 16

There are many ways that young Christians are different from other youths. Why should they be? Who benefits?

Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?

THE answer seems to be: almost everybody. And the easiest way to become one​—according to popular opinion—​is by striking it rich in a lottery or a soccer pool.a

Pandering to prevailing taste​—and wanting the extra income that lotteries generate—​governments from Moscow to Madrid, from Manila to Mexico City, sponsor State lotteries that offer prizes as high as a hundred million dollars.

A few people do become millionaires. One Englishman had filled out soccer coupons for 25 years before he finally won a record jackpot. For a stake of 50 cents, he won nearly $1.5 million. Even more spectacular was the payoff for a woman from New York, who became one of the world’s biggest winners when she won $55 million in the Florida State lottery.

But they are exceptions. More typical is the middle-​aged Spanish clerk who bought lottery tickets every week for 30 years. Although he has never won anything substantial, he remains undaunted. “I always expect to win,” he says. Likewise, a man in Montreal, who spent an entire week’s wages on a Canadian lottery, summed up the viewpoint of many when he explained: “Drawings like this are the only way the little guy can dream about a better life.” Yet he didn’t win.

Despite the universal appeal of lotteries, another form of gambling is enjoying increasing popularity: playing the slot machines. Although the one-​armed bandits don’t offer overnight riches, they do give the player an instant opportunity to win a jackpot​—which may be substantial. And they are no longer confined to casinos. Catchy jingles, flashing lights, and the occasional clatter of cascading coins advertise their pervasive presence in many European cafés, clubs, restaurants, and hotels.

Frances is an elderly widow who lives in New York City. Two or three times every week, she takes a two-​and-a-half-​hour bus ride to Atlantic City, New Jersey. On arrival she enters one of the city’s casinos, and there she plays the slot machines for six hours or so before returning home. “I don’t know what I’d do without Atlantic City,” she remarks. “This is our fun, you know, this is what we do.”

For others, gambling is much more than mere amusement, an escape from everyday routine, or a hopeful stab at riches. In their case it is an important​—if not essential—​part of life.

“I’m a gambler because I enjoy the risk involved,” explains Luciano, from Córdoba, Spain. “I’m not making excuses for myself,” he adds, “but the fact is I was feeling depressed, and that is why I started playing bingo. Then I looked for other games of chance. You feel great when you have a pocketful of bills and are ready to play.” Another habitual gambler, who had lost his job as a company director, was asked if he had ever considered giving up his vice. “Give it up?” he replied. “I couldn’t do that. It’s my living.”

Although the motives may vary, gamblers are certainly not a minority group. To a greater or lesser extent, 3 out of 4 adult Americans gamble; the proportion in Spain, another country where gambling is endemic, is similar. And gambling is big business. Only a few industrial corporations in the world have annual sales that exceed those generated by the lotteries in 39 countries.

Evidently, gambling’s magic is potent. But is it a harmless enchantment, or does it harbor hidden dangers? An ancient proverb warns: “He that is hastening to gain riches will not remain innocent.” (Proverbs 28:20) Is this true in the case of those who would be rich the gambling way?

[Footnotes]

The Bitter Price of Gambling

Bobby was found dead in a car parked on a north London street. Only 23 years of age, he had committed suicide.

The elderly man had been sleeping on the streets for some time before appearing at a welfare center. He was very weak, as he had not eaten for four days, nor had he taken his prescribed medicine for a heart condition.

Emilio, father of five, was heartbroken. He had been deserted by his wife and children. Now they refused even to talk to him.

A SUICIDE, a vagrant, and a rejected father: three sad cases, apparently unrelated but not uncommon in present-​day society. But each tragedy had a common factor​—an addiction to gambling.

Many compulsive gamblers refuse to admit they have a problem, and family members often cover up for them to avoid the social stigma. But every day millions of households throughout the world face anguish and despair because of this destructive addiction.

Nobody knows how many compulsive gamblers there are. For the United States, ten million is considered a conservative estimate. The numbers are alarming and are escalating everywhere as gambling opportunities multiply in country after country. Compulsive gambling has been described as “the fastest growing addiction.”

Many of the new addicts started off as casual gamblers who just wanted to “try their luck.” Then they got swept along into the nightmare of gambling addiction.

When Gambling Gets Out Of Control

What changes casual gamblers into compulsive ones? The causes vary, but in one way or another, gamblers arrive at a point in their lives when they feel they cannot live without gambling. (See box on page 7.) Some discover in gambling an excitement that is missing in their lives. One gambler explained: “It doesn’t really matter to me whether I win or lose. When I make a bet, especially if I wager more than those around me, I feel that I’m the most important person in the world. People respect me. I feel so excited!”

Others turn to gambling out of loneliness or depression. Ester, mother of four, was married to a military man who was often away from home. She felt lonely and started to play slot machines in amusement arcades. Before long, she was playing several hours every day. The shopping money was soon lost, and the problems multiplied. She tried to keep her losses from her husband while frantically trying to borrow money from banks or others to maintain her 200 dollar-a-day addiction.

There are also those whose obsession was triggered by a big win. Robert Custer, an authority on compulsive gambling, explains: “It is generally those who win early and consistently in their gambling career who become the compulsive gamblers.” Thereafter, the desire to keep winning becomes overpowering.

Superstition’s Subtle Snare

Many gamblers are swayed by hunches rather than logic. Simple arithmetic should deter a would-​be gambler if he were ruled by reason alone. To illustrate, in the United States, the chances of being killed by lightning are about 1 in 1,700,000. Winning a State lottery is at least twice as remote.

Who expects to be struck by lightning? Only an incurable pessimist. Yet, nearly everyone who buys a lottery ticket dreams of his number coming up. True, a lottery win is a more appealing prospect, but the reason many hope in the near hopeless is superstition. Their choice of favorite “lucky numbers” convinces them that they may well beat the odds.​—See box on page 8.

Claudio Alsina, a Spanish mathematician, has pointed out that if casinos and lotteries were to use letters instead of numbers in games of chance, the possibilities of winning would remain exactly the same, but the magic​—and likely a fair proportion of the receipts—​would disappear. The fascination certain numbers exert is extraordinary. The numbers 9, 7, 6 and 0 are favorites with some, while others choose their “lucky number” from such things as a birthday or a horoscope reading. And there are those who are guided by some bizarre happening.

One day a man had a disagreeable surprise as he approached the Monte Carlo casino. A pigeon flying overhead soiled his hat. That same day he won $15,000. Convinced that the pigeon droppings were a favorable omen, he never entered the casino again without first wandering around outside in hopes of receiving another “sign from heaven.” Thus, superstition deludes many gamblers into thinking that a winning streak will never end. However, this is often accompanied by the merciless grip of an obsession that controls them and that may finally consume them.

For the Love of Money

People gamble to win money, big money if possible. But in the case of the compulsive gambler, the money he wins acquires a special magic. In his eyes, as Robert Custer explains, “money is importance. . . . Money is friendship. . . . Money is medicine.” And why does money mean so much to him?

In gambling circles, people admire the big winner or the big spender. They want to be around him. Thus, the money he has won tells the gambler that he is somebody, that he is smart. The money also makes him forget his problems, helps him relax, and gives him a lift. In the words of researcher Jay Livingston, compulsive gamblers “put all their emotional eggs in the money basket.” It is a tragic error.

When the bubble bursts and he loses again and again, money becomes even more important. Now he desperately wants to get back what he has lost. How can he scrape together enough money to pay his creditors, to recapture that winning streak? Before long his life degenerates into a constant search for cash.

Such a wretched plight is a fact of life for millions of gamblers. They come from both sexes, from all age groups, and from all walks of life. And anyone is vulnerable, as can be seen by the recent surge of gambling addiction among teenagers and housewives.

Teenage and Housewife Addicts

Youngsters are easy prey for the fascinating slot machines or other games of chance that give them the prospect of quick money. A survey in an English city revealed that 4 out of 5 of the 14-​year-​olds played slot machines regularly and that most had started by the age of 9. Some were skipping school to gamble. A survey of U.S. high school students revealed that 6 percent “showed signs of probable pathological gambling.”

Manuel Melgarejo, president of a self-​help group made up of ex-​gamblers in Madrid, Spain, explained to Awake! that an impressionable youngster can be hooked by winning just one hefty jackpot on a slot machine. Overnight, gambling becomes a pastime and a passion. Before long, the young addict may be selling family heirlooms or stealing from the family, even turning to petty thievery or prostitution to finance the addiction.

Experts are also noting a significant increase in the number of housewives who are compulsive gamblers. In the United States, for example, women now represent about 30 percent of the total number of compulsive gamblers, but it is estimated that by the year 2000, this will have risen to 50 percent.

María, a working-​class mother of two girls, is typical of many housewives who have become compulsive gamblers. Over the last seven years, she has spent $35,000​—mainly household money—​on bingo and on slot machines. “The money is gone forever,” she sighs. “I just long for the day when I can enter a café with $50 in my purse and have the strength to spend it on my children [instead of putting it in a slot machine].”

Dreams That Become Nightmares

Dreams are the stuff that gambling is built on. For some gamblers, dreams of wealth are transitory, but for the compulsive ones, they become his obsession, an obsession he pursues relentlessly, into the jaws of bankruptcy, prison, and even death.

Gambling promises to fill legitimate needs​—an agreeable pastime, a little excitement, some extra money, or an escape from everyday worries—​but the hidden price may prove exorbitant, as compulsive gamblers have discovered to their sorrow. Can these needs be satisfied elsewhere?

[Box on page 7]

Portrait of a Compulsive Gambler

THE gambler keeps gambling regardless of how much he loses. If he does win, he uses the money to continue gambling. While he may claim that he can stop whenever he wishes, the compulsive gambler who has money in his pocket will not go but a few days without betting on something. He has a pathological urge to gamble.

He constantly incurs debts. When he is unable to pay his creditors, he frantically borrows more money to cover the most pressing debts and to keep on gambling. Sooner or later he becomes dishonest. He may even gamble away his employer’s money. Usually, he ends up being dismissed from his job.

Everything, even his wife and children, becomes subservient to his gambling. His compulsion inevitably leads to marital strife and may finally result in separation or divorce.

Intense feelings of guilt make him become more and more introverted. He finds it difficult to relate to other people. Eventually, he suffers severe depression and possibly even tries to commit suicide; he can see no other way out of his dilemma.

[Box/​Picture on page 8]

The Man Who Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo

CHARLES WELLS, an Englishman, visited the Monte Carlo casino in July 1891. In just a few days, he converted ten thousand francs into a million, and astonishingly, he repeated the feat four months later. Many other gamblers tried to discover his “system” but to no avail. Wells always insisted that he never had one. In fact, the next year he lost all his money, and he died penniless. Ironically, the episode turned out to be a publicity coup for the casino. It acquired an international fame that it has never lost.

The Monte Carlo Fallacy

Many gamblers believe that slot machines or roulette wheels have a memory. Thus, the roulette player may assume that if a certain sequence of numbers has come up so far, the odds are that the wheel will continue to favor numbers that correspond to that sequence. Similarly, some who play the slot machines take for granted that if the jackpot has not been won for some time on a particular machine, it must come up soon. Such wrong assumptions are called the Monte Carlo fallacy.

Both the roulette wheel and the mechanism that allots the jackpot of the slot machine work entirely by chance. Thus, what may have happened earlier is irrelevant. In these games of chance, as The New Encyclopædia Britannica points out, “each play has the same probability as each of the others of producing a given outcome.” So the odds against winning are exactly the same each time. The Monte Carlo fallacy, however, has ruined many a gambler while filling the coffers of the casinos.

Something Better Than Something for Nothing

NEARLY all gamblers end up poorer than before they started gambling. Often, even the few who do win large sums find that their winnings are not a passport to happiness.

A 36-​year-​old bachelor in Japan won $45,000 in a lottery. He intended to buy a house with his winnings, but he was the subject of so much envy and backbiting that he decided it just wasn’t worth it. To the astonishment of his workmates, he burned his winning ticket before their eyes.

Police in Florida arrested a woman who, despite having won $5 million in a lottery, plotted to kill her daughter-​in-​law. Her son said that she was frantic because of bad investments and excessive spending that had eaten away her fortune.

A Loser Who Became a Winner

Domingo was a compulsive gambler and father of five. He explains: “If I won, it was worse. I thought I was some sort of genius, and I couldn’t wait to get back to the gaming tables to prove that it wasn’t a fluke.

“When this obsession took hold of me, it was as if I were drugged. I was prepared to abandon my wife and children just to keep on gambling. Even though I repeatedly swore to my wife that I would never gamble again, I knew in my heart that these promises were worthless. I remember once assuring my wife that I was finished with gambling for good, when at that very moment, I was scheming how to obtain money to wager.

“I lost all my money, my wife’s money, and my business, and I plunged heavily into debt. Not a day passed without a wager of some sort, until something happened that forced me to take stock of myself. I began to study the Bible with Jehovah’s Witnesses. I was impressed by what I learned, but I didn’t stop gambling right away. I’m grateful that the Witness who studied with me was so patient.

“But the message of the Bible soon started to affect me. It helped me to abandon my dream world and to see myself as God saw me. It was a shock. I felt deeply ashamed, like those to whom the apostle Paul wrote in the first century: ‘What, then, was the fruit that you used to have at that time? Things of which you are now ashamed. For the end of those things is death.’​—Romans 6:21.

“Getting to know God, his name, his personality, and especially his mercy moved me to want to change my ways, to think of others rather than myself. Finally I broke free from the gambling habit completely, and my wife and I were baptized.

“Jesus said that the truth would set us free. (John 8:32) That was certainly true in my case. It was the truth of God’s Word that gave me something worthwhile to live for, gave me back my self-​respect, and brought me great satisfaction. I was even able to help one of my former gambling friends to remake his life just as I had done. When he and his wife were baptized, it gave me a greater thrill than any gambling win had ever done.

“In the last 20 years, I have not wagered anything, not even a small amount. I can’t say it has been easy, but it has not been that difficult either. And what God has given me has more than filled those needs that I sought to satisfy by gambling.”a

The Scriptural viewpoint is of prime importance for those who wish to do the will of God. And those who follow God’s counsel not only avoid the grief that gambling can bring but find that he offers them something that far excels any gambling win.

A Fortune of Far Greater Worth

Paul, writing to Timothy in the first century, said: “Instruct [them] not to fix their hopes on so uncertain a thing as money, but upon God, who endows us richly with all things to enjoy. Tell them to do good . . . , to be ready to give away and to share, and so acquire a treasure which will form a good foundation for the future. Thus they will grasp the life which is life indeed.”​—1 Timothy 6:17-19, The New English Bible.

One treasure to be grasped is a good name with God. This leads to a “life which is life indeed”​—everlasting life, the greatest prize ever offered. Jesus said in prayer to God: “This means everlasting life, their taking in knowledge of you, the only true God, and of the one whom you sent forth, Jesus Christ.”​—John 17:3.

Unlike uncertain monetary prizes, the prize that God offers can be won by anyone and everyone who does God’s will. Furthermore, doing God’s will provides all the excitement anyone could wish for, and it gives the person self-​respect and a meaningful life. Meanwhile, in view of the bitter price of gambling, remember the advice of an old English proverb: “The best throw of the dice is to throw them away.”

[Footnotes]

[Picture on page 10]

Everlasting life on a paradise earth is a far greater prize than any attained by gambling

Should Christians Gamble?

SHOULD a Christian gamble to try to get something for nothing? No, for God’s Word encourages him to work to provide for himself and his family: “‘If anyone does not want to work, neither let him eat.’ . . . By working with quietness they should eat food they themselves earn.”​—2 Thessalonians 3:10, 12.

A sociologist called the lottery ‘a means by which many poor people make a few people rich,’ and this is true of gambling in general. Would a Christian want to enrich himself at the expense of those who can ill afford it? Christians should ‘love their neighbors as themselves.’ (Mark 12:31) But gambling inspires selfishness rather than love, indifference rather than compassion.

Gambling is often motivated by covetousness​—greed—​a spirit alien to Christianity. At Romans 7:7, Paul said: “You must not covet.” The word “covet” means “to long for, lust after.” Doesn’t that describe the gambler’s inordinate desire to win his neighbors’ money? Such a desire is incompatible with the Christian ideal of sharing and giving.

The Bible says: “The love of money is a root of all sorts of injurious things, and by reaching out for this love some have . . . stabbed themselves all over with many pains.” (1 Timothy 6:10) This describes the plight of the compulsive gambler, enslaved by a habit that stabs him painfully, time and again.

Jesus said that people can be recognized by “their fruits.” (Matthew 7:20) Apart from the misery suffered by compulsive gamblers and their families, gambling has long been associated with dishonesty and crime. The New Encyclopædia Britannica observes: “Much of the stigma attached to gambling has resulted from the dishonesty of its promoters.” Organized crime has been linked with both legal and illegal gambling activities. Would a Christian want to support this industry, even indirectly?

As explained in the second article of this series, gambling often involves a superstitious quest for lucky numbers, lucky days, or lucky streaks. Lady Luck has been courted for centuries by gamblers eager to curry her favor. She was called Fortuna by the Romans, and the city of Rome eventually had 26 temples erected in her honor.

The prophet Isaiah referred to a similar deity, called gadh, worshiped by apostate Israelites. He wrote: “You men are those leaving Jehovah, . . . those setting in order a table for the god of Good Luck [Hebrew, gadh].” (Isaiah 65:11) On the last day of the year, it was the custom to prepare for the god of Good Luck a table covered with various kinds of food. In this way the ancients hoped to ensure good luck during the coming year.

God did not approve of those who naively trusted in gadh, or Lady Luck, to solve their problems. Relying on luck was equated with leaving the true God, Jehovah. Rather than kowtowing to the fickle fancy of Fortune, Christians should trust in the true God, Jehovah, the One who promises us riches of far greater worth, the One who will never fail us.

Learning to Live With Arthritis

By Awake! correspondent in Britain

David, 72 years old, moves with difficulty. Deformed elbows and wrists reflect the crippling effects of a disease all too common among the aged.

Peggie, in her late 60’s, walks with difficulty. She too suffers, as her deformed hands show. Yet, she manages to do a little housework and enjoys crocheting.

Isa, who had been confined to her wheelchair for 37 years, could do little for herself. However, her infectious smile conveyed a remarkable vitality.

DAVID, Peggie, and Isa​—three among some six million Britons who have suffered from arthritis. According to The Times of London, every year this disease “accounts for the loss of 88 million working days . . . , far more than the losses caused by strikes.” Arthritis is Britain’s “largest single cause of disability.”

Wherever you live, arthritis can attack. No area of the world is immune. Of this malady, medical doctor Vernon Coleman writes: “Few diseases affect as many people . . . Few cause as much pain and disablement, and few are the subject of so many myths and so much misunderstanding.”​—See box on page 14.

It is not surprising that many arthritics, like David, find life depressing. On the other hand, Peggie, Isa, and others came to grips with their disabilities, even being optimistic. How can this be? What about you? If you are arthritic, or think you are, what steps can you take that can help you to cope successfully with the disease?

If You Are a Victim

First, obtain an early diagnosis. “It cannot be stressed too strongly,” says The Arthritis Book, “that early diagnosis can help to minimize later pain and disability.” Yes, treatment of arthritis is indeed “a fight for time.” Dr. Coleman concurs: “If . . . treatment is initiated early and with enthusiasm the outlook is greatly improved.”

So do not procrastinate. Find out the details of your health problem. Then, if it is arthritis, make arrangements to start treatment without delay.

Coping With Pain

For arthritis sufferers, the minimizing of pain is of high priority. Yet, in some cases of osteoarthritis, certain doctors give this advice: ‘Keep taking the pain.’ Why? Because pain-​numbing drugs suppress the body’s natural alarm signals. Ignoring these signals may lead to irreparable joint damage.

The possible side effects of such pain-​killing medication should also be considered. The Lancet warned that the “risk of [hospital] admission with bleeding peptic ulcer . . . substantially increased in takers of NANSAID [nonaspirin nonsteroidal anti-​inflammatory drugs].” Thus, many prefer to keep their use of drugs to a minimum. Some find pain relief by concentrating on matters that capture their interest. Nursing Mirror notes: “Distraction can be used as a sensory shield by diverting attention and focusing on something unrelated to the pain.”

This is not to say that avoidance of all pain suppressants is advisable. In some cases failure to suppress pain may discourage the use of painful joints, leading to stiffness, atrophy, and eventual loss of joint function. NANSAID and aspirin are widely used for pain relief. They are also prescribed to reduce swelling and inflammation. Both are considered effective by many arthritis sufferers and their doctors.

In view of the potential dangers, however, know as much as possible about a treatment before embarking on it. Find out what the risks are. Speak to your doctor about this.

Though extreme cold and dampness do not cause arthritis, climatic factors do appear to influence the degree of pain felt by sufferers. Thus, for some, moving to a warm, dry climate has brought relief. But if such a change is impractical, there are some alternatives.

Dr. Frederic McDuffie, a leader in research on rheumatoid arthritis, notes that direct “application of cold and heat can also be useful.” In one study, patients applied an ice pack for 20 minutes to knee joints afflicted with rheumatoid arthritis. They did this three times a day for four weeks, and they reported more pain-​free movement and increased muscle strength. They showed greater agility and slept better. Why? McDuffie explains that “cold reduces the nerve transmission of pain impulses.”

Unfortunately, what works well for one person may prove ineffective for another. Many arthritis sufferers find a gentle massage helpful. Isa related: “When my pain troubles me, I get my husband to rub the area really hard. This hurts, but sometimes it relieves the pain.”

Heat therapy is also considered beneficial. Some doctors recommend the use of a hot-​water bottle or a heating pad for pain relief. Rheumatologist Dr. F. Dudley Hart explains: “Heat relaxes the muscles, lessens stiffness and eases pains.”

‘Use or Lose!’

“One of the most important things . . . to help your arthritis is . . . exercise,” states The Arthritis Helpbook. ‘Yes,’ you say, ‘but that is so painful.’ True, but aim for balance.

Walking, swimming, and cycling are the favorite forms of general exercise. However, for your exercise to be really effective, you will need a program tailored to your type of arthritis. Discuss this with your doctor or physiotherapist to ascertain which movements will best help you.

When you experience pain during periods of exercise, take a brief rest. If your affected joints are hot and inflamed, you should discontinue the exercise at that time​—it may be too strenuous. Remember, your goal should be mobility rather than strength. Moving the joints through as full a range of motion as possible at least twice daily can be a help in continued free movement.

A Cure in Sight?

“Cure for arthritis ‘very close,’” announced Liverpool’s Daily Post back on May 28, 1980. The report that followed noted, however, that “no definite time scale has been set.”

Over 12 years later, research continues. For rheumatoid arthritis, attention now focuses on designing drugs to manipulate the “faulty” genes believed to be its cause. Professor Ravinder Maini of the Arthritis and Rheumatism Council hopes that these will become available “in five to 10 years.”

In the meantime, to restore mobility and relieve suffering, some arthritis victims have opted for surgical joint replacement. Others find that certain diets help. Acupuncture, homeopathy, and osteopathy all have their champions in this field.

Opinions about the proper treatment vary greatly. Some types have been labeled “quackery” by medical professionals solely because such treatments are considered unorthodox, not because they lack effectiveness. Nevertheless, a host of so-​called cures of questionable worth are offered to arthritis sufferers.

At present, the medical profession has not found a cure for this crippling disease. It is, therefore, wise to weigh carefully all factors when selecting a particular form of treatment. Once this has been done, stick with what works best for you.

How Others Can Help

If you have an arthritic relative or friend, there is much you can do to help that one cope with the limitations experienced. How?

Though living alone, Peggie finds her children very supportive. They keep in close touch by letter and telephone. Whenever her daughters, who live abroad, visit, they gladly help with decorating and other household chores that she now finds too difficult. Her teenage granddaughter stops by every week to care for the heavy housecleaning.

David’s wife now takes a more active interest in caring for him. With instruction from a community nurse, she has learned how to help him with his personal hygiene. David now feels happier, and the two of them are able to do more things together.

“Most things other people do,” Isa said before her death, “I cannot do for myself.” How welcome, then, the loving care of her husband, who washed her, dressed her, and even did her hair!

Arthritis sufferers usually treasure any independence their disease still allows. Relatives and friends should avoid undermining this. What is needed most, according to Dr. Hart, is “practical sympathy and reassurance.” Do something for the sufferer, then, that he cannot do for himself. Brief visits, encouraging words, and help with chores and shopping elicit the greatest appreciation.

Develop an Optimistic Outlook

‘With a disease like arthritis, that is easier said than done,’ you may say. True, but much depends on what you, your relatives, and your friends envisage for the future.

Consider Peggie and Isa. Isa said: “I’ve stopped worrying about my disability.” Instead, she and Peggie sought out opportunities to help others. Peggie spends time making encouraging visits on her neighbors. Isa, with the help of her children and grandchildren, shared full-​time in telling others of the promises foretold in the Bible. Peggie is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, as was Isa.

Yes, Peggie and Isa found much comfort in the soon-​to-​be-​fulfilled promise that “no one who lives in our land will ever again complain of being sick.” (Isaiah 33:24, Today’s English Version) For arthritis sufferers, what a happy day that will be!

[Box on page 14]

Rheumatism or Arthritis?

All of us experience aches and pains from time to time. We may dismiss them as “a touch of rheumatism.” Medically, rheumatism is a general description of 200 or more painful conditions, though only about half fall into the category of arthritis. Four common kinds of arthritis are:

Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis or osteoarthrosis) occurs mainly in older persons and is characterized by degeneration of joint cartilage, enlargement of bone at the margins of the joint, and changes in the synovial, or fluid-​producing, membrane of a joint. “By the time we are 65 years old, 80 per cent of us can expect to have osteoarthritic changes in one or more joints; a quarter of us will suffer more or less pain and disability from them.”​—New Scientist.

Rheumatoid arthritis is usually indicated by the inflammation of numerous joints and their fluid-​producing membranes and by atrophy, or wasting, of the muscles and bone that surround a joint. At times, this can result from an injury. “May start at any age but is more common in women than men in a ratio of about 3:1.”​—Nursing Mirror.

Ankylosing spondylitis (or spinal arthritis) “affects the spine chiefly leading to a stiff or ‘poker’ back. . . . more common in males.”​—101 Questions and Answers About Arthritis.

Gout is a hereditary form of arthritis characterized by an excess of uric acid (hyperuricemia) in the blood that results in attacks of acute arthritis usually involving a single joint, followed by complete remission. “Men are affected about 20 times as frequently as women.”​—Nursing Mirror.

[Box on page 15]

A DIET FOR ARTHRITIS?

The following excerpts from books and news reports reveal the wide disagreement among experts. Individual appraisal and decision is therefore necessary.

“It’s what you don’t eat that counts. . . . Do not eat: Meat in any form, including broth; fruit of any kind; dairy products . . . ; egg yolks; vinegar, or any other acid; pepper . . . of any variety; hot spices; chocolate; dry roasted nuts; alcoholic beverages, particularly wine; soft drinks . . . ; all additives, preservatives, chemicals, most especially monosodium glutamate.”​—New Hope for the Arthritic, 1976.

“The best possible diet for an arthritic condition is wholesome food that includes essential nutrients​—proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, and minerals—​eaten at regular, well-​spaced intervals. Raw fruit, leafy vegetables, and whole-​grain cereals should be included if you are not allergic to them.”​—Arthritis—​Relief Beyond Drugs, 1981.

“True allergic arthritis is rare but does occur occasionally with sensitivity to wheat flour (gluten) or milk products (cheese) or other substances. If in doubt it may be desirable to keep a food diary to note what has been eaten on the days arthritis flares up or worsens.”​—101 Questions and Answers About Arthritis, 1983.

“The Special Arthritis Diet. Forget it. There isn’t any. There is no scientific evidence that arthritis can be helped or made worse by any vitamin, mineral, protein, fat, or carbohydrate. If patients decide to embark on a diet of yoghurt, organic foods, vegetable juice, alkaline foods, or acid foods, it probably won’t hurt them.”​—The Arthritis Book, 1984.

“Researchers have discovered that a diet of fish and lean meat, with fish-​oil supplements, reduces stiffness and pain in the joints caused by rheumatoid arthritis.”​—The Sunday Times, London, 1985.

On one matter authorities do agree: Avoid being overweight, which only exacerbates joint problems, especially in the hips, knees, and ankles.

Young People Ask . . .

Why Do I Have to Be Different?

“IT’S hard being different.” So said one Christian youth. If you are a Christian yourself, you no doubt understand exactly how he feels. Like most youths, you want to be liked and accepted by others. The problem is, being accepted usually means conformity​—talking, dressing, and acting like your peers. A youth who dares to be different risks social ostracism and ridicule.

Youths among Jehovah’s Witnesses therefore face a tough situation. Simply put, as Christians, they are different from other youths. This is not because they have a superior attitude or think they are better than other people. Rather, because of their Bible training, they often do not see eye to eye with their peers when it comes to morals. Their views on patriotic ceremonies, the celebration of religious holidays, and dating may likewise make them stand out like the proverbial sore thumb among their peers.a

One Witness youth calls being different “the hardest part of being a Christian.” Another says: “The kids look down on you. I’ve been called a wimp and a nerd many times.” Your Christian parents may further insist that you be different not only in moral behavior but also in such matters as dress, grooming, and taste in music.

God’s People Are Different!

‘What’s so wrong with being like other kids?’ you may wonder. Well, being different has characterized God’s people from the very beginning. At one time, God selected ancient Israel to become his “special property.” (Exodus 19:5) That meant being different from all other peoples. At Leviticus 18:3, God commanded: “The way the land of Egypt does, in which you dwelt, you must not do; and the way the land of Canaan does, into which I am bringing you, you must not do; and in their statutes you must not walk.”

The ancient Egyptians were steeped in the degrading worship of animals. Belief in the immortality of the soul pervaded their lives. Incest was common. Similarly, Canaan was a land saturated with idolatry, sexual perversion, bloodshed, child sacrifice, and prostitution. “Do not make yourselves unclean by any of these things,” God therefore warned. “You must not do any of all these detestable things.”​—Leviticus 18:24-26.

Jehovah backed up this exhortation with a Law code that governed practically every aspect of their lives: their diet (Leviticus 11), their hygienic practices (Deuteronomy 23:12, 13), their sexual practices (Leviticus 18:6-23). The Law even regulated their dress and grooming! “They must make for themselves fringed edges upon the skirts of their garments throughout their generations,” said Jehovah, “and they must put a blue string above the fringed edge of the skirt.” (Numbers 15:38) Males were required to wear beards and were forbidden to cut off their “sidelocks.” (Leviticus 19:27; 21:5) This law was to be heeded even if a Jew didn’t like fringed garments or preferred the clean-​shaved look.

Now, imagine being told that you had to wear a beard and certain clothing. Would you not resent this as a violation of your personal rights? Yet, God’s laws served an important and beneficial purpose. Explained Jehovah: “The purpose is that you may remember and may certainly do all my commandments and indeed prove to be holy to your God. I am Jehovah your God.” (Numbers 15:38-41) The dress code served as a powerful visual reminder that the Jews were different​—a people set aside as holy to Jehovah. The dietary restrictions not only protected their health but helped prevent them from getting socially or religiously involved with non-​Jews. Why, it was virtually impossible to associate with a pagan without breaking some aspect of God’s Law. The Mosaic Law thus served as a “wall” that kept His people separate from other nations.​—Compare Ephesians 2:14.

Christians Must Be Different

Christians today “have been discharged from the Law” of Moses and enjoy considerable freedom in matters of personal choice. (Romans 7:6) Nevertheless, Jesus Christ told his followers: “You are no part of the world . . . I have chosen you out of the world, [and] on this account the world hates you.” (John 15:19) Jesus was not saying that Christians had to leave planet Earth. (Compare 1 Corinthians 5:10.) He simply meant that they must be separate from “the world”​—the part of mankind that is alienated from God. Why? Because as the apostle John later said, “the whole world is lying in the power of the wicked one.”​—1 John 5:19.

Now consider some of the youths you know in school. What about their thinking, their conduct, their speech, their taste in music or clothing? Does it seem to you that such youths are guided by godly standards​—or are they guided by the rules set by “the god of this system of things,” Satan the Devil? (2 Corinthians 4:4) If the latter is true, what a predicament you place yourself in if you act, talk, or even look unkempt like them! At the very least, you undermine your claim to being a Witness for Jehovah. Worse yet, you might find yourself succumbing to bad influences.

“Your friends really do affect your conduct,” admits a young woman named Kim. “When I was in school, I wasn’t too strong in the [Christian] truth, so I had a lot of worldly friends. But that wasn’t good because I got into a lot of bad things.” Yet you don’t have to get involved with serious wrongdoing to jeopardize your relationship with God. Note carefully what the Bible says at James 4:4: “Do you not know that the friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever, therefore, wants to be a friend of the world is constituting himself an enemy of God.”

Do you really want to risk becoming God’s enemy? Of course not! Then make it clear that you are no part of the world. This means more than simply avoiding drugs and immoral sex, however.

How to Be Different

Take, for example, your taste in clothes. What you wear sends a message about who you are, what you stand for, what you believe in. Unlike the Jewish arrangement, though, Christianity allows you much room for individuality and personal preference. But does that mean jumping on every fashion bandwagon that comes along?

One Christian girl wanted to follow the then popular fad of wearing ripped-​up jeans to school. Naturally, nobody wants to look out of style. Your parents are wise, however, to draw the line at your wearing styles that are sloppy, suggestive, outlandish, or offensive. Were you to dress in such ways, what impression would you give others? A young girl named Jeffie found out when she had her hair cut in a faddish style. “I just thought it looked ‘different,’” she recalls. “But people started asking me, ‘Are you really one of Jehovah’s Witnesses?’ and that was embarrassing.”

Balanced advice is given at 1 Timothy 2:9, where Christians are urged to dress “with modesty and soundness of mind.” You can usually be modest without looking conspicuously out-​of-​date. True, dressing conservatively will probably not win you any popularity contests, but it will help you to stand out as different​—and that is something that may gain you God’s approval!

What about your taste in music? Music fills the waking hours of many youths. When kept in balance, music can be enjoyable and upbuilding. Exodus 32:17-22, however, shows that music can also stir up base emotions and passions. And much of today’s music is simply unfit for a Christian’s ears. Rap and heavy-​metal music, for example, are popular, but much​—if not most—​of it revolves around immoral sex, rebellion, violence, or even spiritism. Do you go along with the teenage crowd in your choice of music, or do you have the courage to be selective?

Yes, it takes courage to be different. When you refuse to let friends and classmates dictate your choice of entertainment, speech, or dress, it is sure to evoke a reaction. Jesus warned: “Because you are no part of the world, . . . the world hates you.” (John 15:19) Being different may therefore be one of the hardest things you ever have to do​—but it is not impossible. It is the course that upholds God’s standards. It brings you self-​respect and a clean conscience. The question is, How can you find the courage to be different? Our next issue will address that question.

[Footnotes]

[Pictures on page 18]

A youth who fails to be different from his peers undermines his claim to being a Christian

Crossword Puzzle

Clues Across

1. A necessary requirement for a person to have his paths made straight [3 words] (Proverbs 3:5, 6)

8. This Benjamite’s sons built the cities of Ono and Lod (1 Chronicles 8:12)

9. The proconsul of Achaia who dismissed the case against Paul without even listening to him (Acts 18:12-16)

10. Israel’s punishment from God for unfaithfulness (Ezekiel 39:23)

11. Having your own was proverbial of peace and security (Micah 4:4)

13. Foolishness results from being this to anger (Proverbs 14:17)

15. Though now in this stage of life, David had never seen the righteous forsaken (Psalm 37:25)

17. Father of Shelemiah, one of three men sent by King Jehoiakim to seize Jeremiah and his secretary (Jeremiah 36:26)

18. Command (Acts 16:18)

21. Demeanor (Job 36:9)

22. Unless it is poured out, no forgiveness takes place (Hebrews 9:22)

24. One of three women who went to Jesus’ tomb to rub his body with spices (Mark 16:1)

25. A city that became synonymous with the northern boundary of Israel (Judges 20:1)

27. The flying angel gave good news to every one of these on earth (Revelation 14:6)

29. Jesus was said to have been put to death outside the one of Jerusalem (Hebrews 13:12)

30. One of the heads of the paternal houses who came with Ezra to Jerusalem (Ezra 8:14)

31. A son of Ashhur by his wife Helah (1 Chronicles 4:7)

32. A son of Ashhur by his wife Naarah (1 Chronicles 4:6)

33. One of two opposing political powers that would dominate the world scene [4 words] (Daniel 11:5)

Clues Down

1. Those whom Jesus personally selected at the start of his ministry [2 words] (Matthew 10:2)

2. What you cannot do for two masters (Matthew 6:24)

3. Part of King Ahasuerus’ domain (Esther 10:1)

4. A son of Tola of the tribe of Issachar (1 Chronicles 7:2)

5. Description of the fish that swallowed Jonah (Matthew 12:40)

6. Uneatable but very valuable bird (Leviticus 11:13)

7. Record of Jehovah’s judgments against Judah [3 words]

12. One of the tribes that Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh defeated with God’s help (1 Chronicles 5:18-22)

14. The Caesar who reportedly had Paul executed

16. A city that the tribe of Manasseh was unable to possess (Judges 1:27)

19. “---- close to God, and he will ---- close to you” (James 4:8)

20. Overjoyed at finding Peter at the gate, she failed to let him in (Acts 12:13, 14)

21. Append (Proverbs 30:6)

23. Noted for its cedars (Psalm 104:16)

26. Indicative of lowliness (Psalm 113:7)

28. Abraham was the first one on record to do so (See Hebrews 7:4-6.)

29. City captured by the Philistines because of the unfaithfulness of Ahaz (2 Chronicles 28:18, 19)

30. Annul (Esther 8:8)

Crossword Solutions Page 26

Solutions Across

1. TRUST IN JEHOVAH

8. ELPAAL

9. GALLIO

10. EXILE

11. VINE

13. QUICK

15. OLD

17. ABDEEL

18. ORDER

21. AIR

22. BLOOD

24. SALOME

25. DAN

27. TRIBE

29. GATE

30. UTHAI

31. ETHNAN

32. TEMENI

33. KING OF THE SOUTH

Solutions Down

1. TWELVE APOSTLES

2. SLAVE

3. ISLES

4. JERIEL

5. HUGE

6. VULTURE

7. BOOK OF JEREMIAH

12. NODAB

14. NERO

16. DOR

19. DRAW

20. RHODA

21. ADD

23. LEBANON

26. ASHPIT

28. TITHE

29. GIMZO

30. UNDO

The Bible’s Viewpoint

Prayers​—Repetitious or Spontaneous?

A JUMBO jet was cruising at 41,000 feet [12,500 m]. Below lay the cold waters of the Pacific. Suddenly, one engine cut out. Then, the other three lost power. The plane plummeted six miles [10 km] in two minutes! But at 9,000 feet [2,700 m] the jet regained power and made it safely to San Francisco. Sighed one passenger: “I prayed harder than at any time of my life.”

In times of disaster, danger, or deep sorrow, many people, even the nonreligious, turn to the Almighty for help. In contrast, the religious regularly repeat formal prayers in churches and temples or at home. With the aid of rosaries, many say Paternosters and Ave Marias. Others use prayer books. Millions of Orientals twirl wheels with prayers inside them as a means of repeating prayers rapidly.

Have you ever wondered, ‘How should we pray? Should prayers be repetitious or spontaneous?’

What Prayer Is Like

Suppose that your much loved father, living in another country, encouraged you to telephone whenever you wished​—free of charge. Would you not call often? Would you not delight in maintaining, even strengthening, your precious bond? Would you not discuss your anxieties and express deep gratitude for any help and encouragement he had given you throughout your life? That personal relationship would be a great treasure to you, would it not?

In your phone calls, you might mention some matters again and again, but you would not express yourself by reading from a book or formally repeating yourself, would you? Neither, then, would Christian prayer be like that. In fact, Christ Jesus said that prayers should be nothing like that.

What Did Christ Jesus Say?

“When praying, do not say the same things over and over again, just as the people of the nations do, for they imagine they will get a hearing for their use of many words.”a (Matthew 6:7) Other versions express it this way: “In your prayers, do not go babbling on like the heathen.” (The New English Bible) “In praying do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do.”​—Revised Standard Version.

Some people confuse verbosity with piety, fluency with devotion, repetition and length with a guaranteed response. However, God does not measure the value of a prayer by the yard or meter. Obviously, Jesus did not want his followers to use rigid formulas or to recite prayers. Hence, of what lasting value are rosaries, prayer books, or prayer wheels?

After saying the above, Jesus went on to give his disciples a model prayer​—the well-​known Lord’s Prayer. (Matthew 6:9-13) But did he intend for them to keep parroting those very words? No. In fact, when restating it more than a year later, not even Jesus used the exact words. (Luke 11:2-4) Is there any record of early Christians’ doing so or of their repeating other formal prayers? Again, no.

Does this mean that we cannot mention the same point or request many times? Not at all, for Jesus also said: “Keep on asking, and it will be given you; keep on seeking, and you will find.” (Matthew 7:7) It is often necessary for us to make the same request many times. Jehovah thereby sees how earnest we are in our requests and how deeply we feel about the matter.

For example, in the fifth century B.C.E., living as a member of the Judean exile community in Babylon was a devout man named Nehemiah. He was the royal cupbearer to the Persian king. When he was told that his kinsmen, the settlers in Judea, were faring badly, he prayed “day and night” for their relief. (Nehemiah 1:6) His prayers were favorably heard. Jehovah moved the sympathetic Persian ruler to grant Nehemiah the authority to make a trip to Jerusalem to set matters straight. This he did, to the happiness of his people and the preservation of their faith.​—Nehemiah 1:3–2:8.

How Heartfelt Prayer Helps

Although he is the Supreme Power of the universe, Jehovah invites his “children” to approach him wholeheartedly. “Draw close to God, and he will draw close to you,” says Jesus’ disciple James. (James 4:8) But how? Well, we must pray in the name of Jesus. (John 14:6, 14) Furthermore, as Paul stated: “Without faith it is impossible to please him well, for he that approaches God must believe that he is and that he becomes the rewarder of those earnestly seeking him.”​—Hebrews 11:6.

Those with problems, even those who have committed serious wrongs, can ask for and receive help and forgiveness. Jesus illustrated this with his story of a religious leader who, when praying, thanked God that he was more holy than others; but a tax collector (resented and viewed as a serious wrongdoer in those days) simply said: “O God, be gracious to me a sinner.” Certainly, that simple, heartfelt prayer did not come out of a book. And Jesus condemned the religious hypocrite but said of the other: “He that humbles himself will be exalted.”​—Luke 18:10-14.

Ugly world trends cause many to worry and suffer from depression. Christians may even fret about their standing before God. But a regular, frequent, spontaneous turning to Jehovah for help can work wonders. Wrote Paul: “Do not be anxious over anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication along with thanksgiving let your petitions be made known to God; and the peace of God that excels all thought will guard your hearts and your mental powers by means of Christ Jesus.”​—Philippians 4:6, 7.

Supplication means an earnest entreaty, begging God for help, pouring out our hearts to him as would a child to a very loving and understanding parent. Such prayers do not come out of books, nor are they repeated parrot-​fashion. They come from hearts that need help and have real faith in Jehovah, the “Hearer of prayer.”​—Psalm 65:2.

[Footnotes]

[Picture Credit Line on page 20]

Drawings of Albrecht Dürer/​Dover Publications, Inc.

The Arabian Camel​—Africa’s All-​Purpose Vehicle

By Awake! correspondent in Chad

SEEING a camel for the first time as it lopes along on its gangling legs, its nose in the air and its hump swaying from side to side, one is truly amazed. Some even get the impression that the camel is made of spare parts that were left over from creation!

Why the strange hump, the long neck, the spindly legs, and the huge round feet, not to mention those long, curly eyelashes? As ungainly as it may seem, the Arabian camel has been greatly valued over the centuries.

A Useful Creature Then . . .

Already in Abraham’s time, the dromedary, or Arabian camel (one hump), seems to have been used extensively. Abraham himself acquired a number of them during his stay in Egypt. (Genesis 12:16) In fact, he may even have made his famous trek from Ur of the Chaldeans to the land of Canaan astride a camel.

Job was a camel owner. His herd was some 3,000 strong and contributed to his being one of the richest men in his part of the world. (Job 1:3) So camels have been appreciated by man in Egypt and elsewhere for at least 4,000 years.

They were introduced to the rest of North Africa by the second century C.E. This enabled their owners to develop a nomadic way of life in the Sahara Desert, which would have been impossible without the camel.

Eventually, these nomads developed routes across the desert and started a slave trade. They acquired slaves in sub-​Saharan Africa and put them to work in isolated oases from which they could never escape on foot.

Long camel trains carried salt across the desert to places where this commodity was rare and therefore in great demand. Although its role in the slave trade has stopped, and its role in the salt trade has greatly diminished, the Arabian camel is still far from obsolete.

. . . and Now

Camel trains are still common in the Sahel-​Sahara region of Africa​—a mode of transportation unchanged since Abraham’s time. The nomadic tribes depend greatly on their camels, still every bit as vital to their life-​style as during the previous millenniums.

Being nomads, their first necessity is transportation​—of themselves, of water, of foodstuffs, and of whatever household items are needed. They also milk the camel and carefully save its hair in order to make cloth, blankets, and tents. The hide is used for leather, and its flesh for meat.

Caravans average about 25 miles [40 km] a day. But in an emergency some camels can cover 100 miles [160 km] in one day. This is an important consideration when water sources can be many miles [many kilometers] apart.

Their use is not limited to the far-​flung areas of the desert either. The camel is still a common sight, and its groaning, moaning, and gurgling are still common sounds in many markets here in the Sahel. Camels are used to carry people and merchandise from the countryside to the market, often transporting loads of 400 pounds [200 kg] or more.

Raising camels for meat is being encouraged as a practical alternative to beef as cattle raising becomes more difficult because of the advancing deserts. About 1,300 camels were consumed in N’Djamena, the capital city of Chad, in 1990, plus an unknown number in the rural areas. More than one inexperienced Westerner has been surprised to learn that the inexpensive “beef” that he found in the market was actually camel meat.

In this same city, it is not unusual to meet one or more of the beasts plying the streets, carrying huge sacks of grain plus a driver. The driver may be making home deliveries or perhaps simply looking for prospective customers.

Some villages in the drier areas of the country use camels to draw up water from very deep wells. A huge bucket or waterskin is attached to the end of a long rope and lowered into the well. The other end of the rope is placed over a pulley a yard or so [a meter or so] above the mouth of the well and is then tied to the camel. A boy on the camel’s back gives the command to pull, and the bucket with its precious liquid comes up and out of the well.

Leftover Parts?

A brief study of the camel shows that its different parts were obviously designed in such a way as to enable it to adapt to a hot, arid climate. These parts are not mere accidents of nature. They give the camel a distinct advantage in this difficult part of the world.

Why such a long neck? This gives the camel an advantage similar to that of the giraffe, enabling it to eat from trees. Like the giraffe, it often feeds on the thorny, acacia-​type trees that are common in the Sahel. Most of the year, it does not rain, so there is often not much vegetation available on the ground; the trees survive because of their long roots and become the obvious food for camels.

Why the long legs and the strange feet? As well as contributing to the camel’s height advantage for feeding, its long legs give it the added benefit of speed. From a distance the Arabian camel seems to be sauntering along at a leisurely pace, but pedestrians who try to keep up with one soon realize that each step of the camel covers a lot of ground.

The large, roundish feet are quite soft and seem to spread out as the camel steps down, giving it the advantage of being able to walk easily on sand. The small, hard hoof of a cow or a horse tends to sink into sand, but the camel stays on top. The bottom of the foot is covered with a thick callus from birth, and these prevent burns from the hot desert sand.

Camels find it difficult to walk in mud, though; hence, their disappearance from the southern Sahel during the rainy season. Their masters take them into the desert so that they will not slip and possibly break a leg or otherwise injure themselves.

And the famous hump? Some will tell you that it is for storing water, but it is actually composed mainly of fat and is really for food storage. An underfed camel often has a diminished hump, which sometimes even sags or flops over, but after a few weeks of good feeding, the hump is eventually restored.

Incidentally, the Bactrian, or two-​humped, camel, which is better suited to the colder deserts of central Asia, is quite easily interbred with the one-​humped camel. This indicates that the two types are simply variations of the same “kind.”​—Genesis 1:24; see also Awake! of December 8, 1988, page 25.

And those long curly eyelashes? Long before modern fashion invented long, false eyelashes, camels had the real thing, and not simply for beauty. They protect the eyes from the blowing sand, thus enabling the camel to continue on the move where other animals would be blinded and have to stop. The long, slit-​shaped nostrils complement the eyes by filtering out sand when the camel inhales and by limiting water loss by extracting moisture when it exhales.

This, as well as other characteristics, gives the camel its renowned ability to go several days without drinking. Without difficulty it can survive a water loss of up to a third of its body weight. But when it does drink, be prepared. Camels have been known to consume up to 35 gallons [135 L] of water in ten minutes to replace the water they have lost. So Rebecca volunteered for quite an assignment when she offered to water ten camels!​—Genesis 24:10, 19.

Thus, although it may seem unusual to the uninitiated, the camel is no accident or afterthought of creation. It is no strange amalgam of leftover parts that other animals could not use. It may not be as sleek as the horse or as colorful as the peacock, but the inhabitants of northern Africa fully appreciate the Arabian camel as a blessing from God, proof of an intelligent Creator.​—Revelation 4:11.

[Pictures on page 23]

With its long neck, humped back, padded feet, and long eyelashes, the camel is well suited for life in the desert

Left-​Handedness​—Disadvantage or Advantage?

IF YOU are left-​handed, does it bother you that you are different from people who are right-​handed? It is true that left-​handers are in a minority, although the exact percentage is difficult to determine. Estimates of the number of left-​handed people have ranged all the way from 1 to 30 percent.

Michael Barsley, who researched the subject thoroughly, wrote in his book Left-​Handed People: “Between the 1 per cent and the 30 per cent, there must obviously be an approximately accurate figure, but no one’s statistics have been universally accepted. We might estimate that 4 or 5 per cent is likely in a civilised democracy with an enlightened educational outlook.”

Grolier’s Encyclopedia International sets the world figure of those who are left-​handed at about 6 percent. But even 5 or 6 percent of the world’s population would come to some 300 million people. So you have lots of company if you are a left-​hander.

A left-​handed person may chafe at the way so many household appliances are obviously designed for the convenience of those who are right-​handed. For example, the cold-​water tap is usually placed on the right side of the sink, apparently because it is the tap most used. TV dials and controls are also usually found on the right side. So left-​handers must reach across their body to operate such things.

What Causes Left-​Handedness?

Why is it that some use their left hand for almost everything they do? There are varied explanations. Studies suggest that the trait is inherited, although a child’s environment in the formative years may have a bearing on the degree of favoritism shown to the right or the left hand.

Over the years some interesting theories have surfaced. Paul Broca, 19th-​century French neurosurgeon, advanced the theory that a left-​handed person is a mirror-​image of a right-​handed person with regard to brain function.

Others took this theory a step further, believing that it would apply physically as well. So they expected the heart to be located on the right side of the body of a left-​handed person. Anatomists soon proved that this was not the case. However, there does appear to be a strong link between brain patterns or organization and left- or right-​handedness, and neuroscientists are doing more research on the subject.

Each side of the human brain is described as a hemisphere, and since the 19th century, it has been understood that the brain hemispheres specialize in different tasks. Research suggests that for most people the brain’s left hemisphere is the seat of verbal, mathematical, logical, and other analytical functions, whereas the right hemisphere seems to favor things like music and art. Those who are left-​handed, however, seem to vary in how they process information and use the two hemispheres.

Is There Prejudice?

In enlightened lands today, apart from occasional teasing, there is no real prejudice against the left-​handed. However, this has not always been the case. Some countries have been intolerant of left-​handers. Left-​handed writing was even forbidden in some schools. And it was not so long ago that parents and schoolteachers were known to strap the child’s “wrong” hand behind his back to force him to use his “right” hand.

In the past, man’s natural aversion to anything different was fanned by religious myths. At one time some claimed that the Devil was left-​handed, while God supposedly was right-​handed. This can be seen in many centuries-​old paintings. As you look at them, note which hand is used to gesture or hold objects. Left-​handedness was also said to be characteristic of witchcraft.

It should be noted that such myths find no support anywhere in the Holy Bible. In Bible times left-​handed as well as right-​handed men performed God-​approved exploits. A vivid example is the account of Judge Ehud. Because they were oppressed by King Eglon of Moab, the Israelites turned to God for aid. Jehovah used left-​handed Ehud to put fat King Eglon to death, and it was Ehud’s left-​handedness that proved a definite advantage in his strategy.​—Judges 3:15, 21.

Too, the Israelite tribe of Benjamin had an elite band of 700 warriors who were left-​handed and noted for their accuracy with the deadly sling. (Judges 20:16) Later, warriors who were able to use both the left and the right hand are mentioned as serving in the armies of King David. (1 Chronicles 12:2) So anyone who shows prejudice toward those who are left-​handed is acting out of ignorance.

No Need for Feeling Inferior

Consider also some of the achievements of left-​handers in our modern society. Many of them have won reputations in the field of sports. Babe Ruth, considered one of the all-​time greats in baseball history, was left-​handed, as are many other baseball players.

In the sport of cricket there are also many successful left-​handers, both with the ball and with the bat. In one test cricket series in England, the West Indies team had more left-​handers than right-​handers. One of the greatest all-​rounders of the game, West Indian Sir Gary Sobers, batted and bowled left-​handed.

The popular Olympic sport of fencing also has a number of left-​handed participants. At the 1980 Olympic Games, 3 out of 4 fencing gold medalists were left-​handers.

Some well-​known entertainers of modern times have been left-​handed. Charles Chaplin, in one of his successful films, played the violin left-​handed. Others were Harpo Marx and the versatile Danny Kaye.

In the art world, probably no one is better known for his left-​handed work than Leonardo da Vinci. While there is some question as to whether he was left-​handed from birth, there seems to be ample evidence that he both wrote and painted with his left hand, though on occasion he also demonstrated his ambidexterity by using his right hand.

Mirror Writing

There is a close connection between left-​handedness and mirror writing, in which the letters are written in reverse form and the writing spreads across the page from right to left. Dr. Macdonald Critchley in his booklet Mirror-​Writing explains: “By the term mirror-​writing . . . is understood that variety of script which runs in an opposite direction to the normal, the individual letters being also reversed. The writing is therefore illegible until held up before a looking-​glass; a familiar example of mirror-​writing is seen in the imprints on a blotting-​pad.”

Obviously this suits a pen held in the left hand, so this intriguing form of writing is done almost exclusively by left-​handers. An early report of this was of a soldier who had lost his right arm from war injuries. When he began to write with his left hand, he automatically began to write mirror-​wise. Some children do this with singular letters such as b, d, p, and q when learning to write.

Possibly the one best known for mirror writing in the realm of literature is Lewis Carroll, the left-​handed author of Alice in Wonderland. This seems to have been the inspiration for his work Through the Looking Glass, where everything is inverted, backward, or mirrored.

A Blessing or a Disadvantage?

So if you are left-​handed, you can be glad that in most places you are more understood than were your fellow left-​handers of the past. Today, many tools, appliances, and household items​—such as scissors, can openers, potato peelers, and bricklayers’ trowels—​are especially designed for you. You can even buy a fountain pen with a specially shaped nib that allows for easier writing with the left hand.

Certainly there is no need to apologize for being left-​handed. It could well be that some of your reflex actions are quicker and more accurate than those of right-​handers. You might have musical or artistic genius lying dormant in your left hand.

What, then, do you conclude? Is being left-​handed a blessing or a disadvantage in a right-​handed world? While some may not actually pronounce it a blessing, it is proving less and less a disadvantage, and sometimes it may be an advantage.

Watching the World

Murder Epidemic

The homicide rate in the United States continued to soar in 1991. Time magazine predicted that when all the figures are tallied up, they will show about 25,000 murders for the year, well beyond 1990’s record of 23,440. This grim total, according to Time, makes the U.S. murder rate “by far the highest in the Western world,” with some 10 homicides for every 100,000 citizens. In Britain the rate is 5.5 killings per 100,000; in Japan it is only 1.3. Little wonder that the Federal Centers for Disease Control now considers murder an epidemic; every 22 minutes another life is lost to shooting, stabbing, strangling, or beating. For women, murder is now the leading cause of death in the workplace. Police are too swamped to cope with the epidemic. In the mid-1960’s, they brought 9 out of every 10 murderers to justice; these days, they track down fewer than 7 out of 10.

Church Tragedy in Mexico

Tragedy struck recently in a Pentecostal church in the town of El Charquillo, Mexico. Butane fumes​—possibly from a gas lamp that was lit for the church’s evening service—​overpowered and killed 30 people in the church. According to a report in The Christian Century, three men who survived the disaster claim that the church’s pastor discouraged the congregation from leaving the building even though some were feeling faint, ill, and disoriented because of the fumes. The pastor allegedly told his ailing flock that these feelings were not due to illness but rather to the presence of Christ or the spirit of God entering their bodies.

For Safer Cycling

Last year, accidents killed some 710 bicyclists in just the western part of Germany, with another 64,000 injured. According to the Rheinische Post, a Düsseldorf newspaper, scientist Dietmar Otte led an investigation into 1,200 bicycle accidents occurring over a five-​year period. About half involved head injuries. Otte figures that bicycle helmets could have reduced the severity of half of these injuries or prevented them outright. But helmets may be even more effective. A report published in JAMA (The Journal of the American Medical Association) found that from 1984 through 1988, bicycling accidents in the United States caused nearly a million head injuries. Of those, 2,985 were fatal. According to JAMA, “universal use of helmets by all bicyclists could have prevented as many as . . . one death every day and one head injury every 4 minutes.” Children in particular benefit from wearing helmets, since they are likely to sustain more serious head injuries than adults.

In Name Only

Although there are about 45 million Catholics in France, for the majority of them, being Catholic means little more than a church baptism, a wedding, and a church funeral. A recent survey sponsored by the magazine Madame Figaro reveals that 2 out of 3 of those in France who call themselves Catholic never take Communion; 4 out of 5 never go to confession, and just 1 in 10 regularly attend Mass. As to prayer, 36 percent seldom pray, and 34 percent never pray at all. Commenting on the survey, the magazine states: “Catholicism is more a religion of tradition than a real-​life religion.” Citing French cardinal Lustiger’s words that “man is a religious animal,” Madame Figaro adds: “Undoubtedly he is. But he is obviously becoming less and less aware of it.”

Bible Translation Spreads

According to statistics from the United Bible Societies, as quoted by the German Bible Society, parts of the Bible were translated into 32 new languages in 1991. Hence, Biblical texts are now available in a total of 1,978 languages, reports the German newspaper Wetterauer Zeitung. (Another source gives 1,982 tongues.) The complete Bible has been translated into 322 languages, the Christian Greek Scriptures into 758, and other portions of the Bible into 898. In Africa, Bible texts are available in 566 languages. In Asia the figure is 490, in the Americas 411, in the Pacific area 321, and in Europe 187.

Still Deadly

Two years after the end of the war with South Africa, land mines are still claiming the lives of children in Namibia. In December 1991, the newspaper Lesotho Today reported that “more than 40 people have been killed in the last 18 months, and about 100 injured.” This was in spite of television and newspaper warnings. One mother, who lost three of her eight children to these explosives, lamented: “It is hard to believe that two years after the war has ended we are still being robbed of our children.” Although thousands of land mines have been removed, it may not be possible to locate and get rid of all of them, as they are dispersed over a large area and many are well hidden underground.

Transvestite Burglary Rings

An unusual crime wave has swept through Florida, U.S.A., in recent years. Transvestites​—men dressed up as women—​have been robbing clothing boutiques in dozens of towns. According to The Wall Street Journal, police estimate that there are over a hundred transvestites in the rings. Detective Michael Roggin told the Journal that last year these gangs accounted for some 25 burglaries in the city of West Palm Beach alone, stealing some $400,000 worth of clothing. They robbed one boutique six times in eight months, and when the owner put a metal grate inside the store window, they tried to drive a car through it. Yet, for all their flamboyance, these gangsters are hard to catch. “If this were 20 years ago, they’d stand out like a sore thumb,” one police sergeant explained to the Journal. “But in today’s society, you know, it’s become second nature to see all sorts of people out walking around.”

Shoplifter Repellent

Fed up with frequent shoplifting in his store, a bookshop owner in Iwaki City, Japan, came up with a new way to deal with the problem. “He decided to edit and sell the video footage taken from the security cameras set up at five locations within his store,” reports Tokyo’s Mainichi Daily News. The edited tapes clearly show nine people, including five minors, in the act of shoplifting. The shop advertised the tapes with the words: “Now on sale for 280 yen [about $2, U.S.], footage of shoplifters in this store.” Despite warnings from the authorities that he may be infringing on the customers’ rights, the shop owner intends to continue his antishoplifting tactics. “It’s a lesson for them,” he says. The first batch of tapes sold out quickly​—and put a sudden stop to shoplifting in the bookstore.

Brazilian Coffee Plague

Coffee growers were already facing hard times due to falling prices​—and now this. New Scientist magazine reports that “crickets have reached plague proportions in one of Brazil’s most important coffee growing regions.” Swarming over farmlands by the millions, the crickets lay their eggs on the roots of coffee plants. The newly hatched young, called nymphs, eat the roots and kill the plant. Where the crickets swarm, coffee plantations are likely to lose up to 60 percent of their coffee crop. For the last six years, this plague has steadily grown worse. According to New Scientist, the Brazilian Coffee Institute blames human damage to the environment for the plague. Among other factors, mankind has killed off the crickets’ natural predators, especially the armadillo.

Unreliable Astrologers

Early in 1991 the Association for Scientific Research into the Parasciences in Germany gathered 152 predictions by 27 astrologers. They then evaluated them at the year’s end. Wetterauer Zeitung reported that 103 of the predictions “were completely wrong.” For instance, astrologers predicted an atomic disaster and a cure for AIDS during 1991. The 14 prognoses that came true were simply general statements. Others were too vague to be judged for accuracy, while some even contradicted one another. On the other hand, all astrologers had said nothing about several momentous events of 1991. “If just one of the astrologers had known what he was doing,” commented the manager of the association, “he would, for instance, have seen Gorbachev’s resignation in advance or the decline of the Soviet Union.”

Self-​Defeating Technology

Almost 25 percent of Americans killed in the Persian Gulf war and 15 percent of those wounded were victims of what the military calls friendly fire​—being hit by their own forces. In previous wars such fire accounted for less than 2 percent of American casualties. Much of the problem has resulted from increased use of high technology. More sophisticated weaponry has enabled tanks and helicopters to fire at targets as far as five miles [8 km] away with great precision. This may reduce retaliatory strikes, but it is beyond the range of current technology to distinguish between friend and foe when distant vehicles are close together​—especially in fast-​paced fighting when visibility is poor.

From Our Readers

Perfume I can’t tell you how disappointed I was when I read the article “Those Costly Perfumes.” (October 8, 1991) It actually tells people how to choose perfume without any warnings about how adversely it affects the countless individuals suffering from environmental illness! Thousands are severely or mildly allergic to perfumes. Why add to the problem?

C. M., United States

We appreciate these comments. However, the Bible does not condemn the use of fragrances, so individuals can make a personal decision in this regard. (Compare Exodus 30:7; John 12:3-5.) Nevertheless, a Christian would certainly want to take into consideration the adverse effects perfume might have on others, for example in congregation meetings.​—ED.

Religiously Divided Homes Thank you for the article “Young People Ask . . . What if My Parents Don’t Support Me in My Faith?” (January 8, 1992) Serving God without family support is often very difficult and sometimes discouraging. You helped me appreciate that I have a lot of “family” support in the Christian congregation.

S. H., United States

Being married to an unbelieving mate, I have experienced a similar lack of support. The article helped me realize that I was contributing to the problem by being sullen and argumentative. I needed the simple but sound advice to take the initiative to get help in the congregation. Thank you for helping me step back and take an objective look at my situation.

K. V., United States

Radon You made a mistake in your article “Radon​—A Danger in Your Home?” (October 22, 1991) You state: “The rate at which a radioactive substance decays is called its half-​life.” Although the rate of decay and half-​life are related, they are not the same.

J. G., United States

Thank you for pointing this out. It would have been more accurate to say that the half-​life is the time it takes for half of the atoms in a radioactive substance to decay. The rate of decay (number of atoms disintegrating per second) actually decreases as the number of radioactive atoms remaining decreases.​—ED.

Sports As a physical education and sports teacher, I paid particular attention to the series “Sports​—What Place Do They Have?” (August 22, 1991) You correctly identify the perversities and dangers of modern sports, such as excessive competition, commercial interests, violence, and cheating. However, there is an appreciable difference in the way sports are approached in Europe and in the United States; your articles referred almost exclusively to American sports.

S. O.,France

“Awake!” has often published articles on sports that present an international point of view, including a number of first-​person accounts by European, African, and Latin-​American athletes. And while the current articles focused on U.S. sports, we believe that readers in various lands can benefit from applying the Bible principles discussed therein.​—ED.

I am living testimony that sports, or “bodily training,” is “beneficial for a little.” During my school years, I was on the school’s volleyball team and played intensely in games and competitions. My associations were not good, however, and I became spiritually weak. Much time was therefore wasted. After finishing school, I decided to dedicate myself to Jehovah and took up the full-​time ministry. Today I find much joy in this, since “godly devotion is beneficial for all things.”​—1 Timothy 4:8.

P. G., Brazil

We Invite You to Attend: The “Light Bearers” District Convention of Jehovah’s Witnesses

It begins this month and will continue through July. All sessions are free. Listen to helpful Bible discussions on practical matters of life and enjoy a full-​costume Bible drama. Attend a convention near you at any location below:

CONVENTION LOCATIONS

JUNE 5-7

COLUMBUS, OH, Greater Columbus Convention Center, 400 N. High St.

JUNE 12-14

AMARILLO, TX, Civic Center Coliseum, 3rd & Buchanan Sts.

BILOXI, MS, Mississippi Coast Coliseum, 3800 W. Beach Blvd.

BIRMINGHAM, AL, Civic Center Coliseum, One Civic Center Plaza.

BISMARCK, ND, Civic Center Arena, 601 E. Sweet Ave.

CICERO, IL, Hawthorne Race Track, 35th & Cicero Ave.

COLUMBIA, SC, Carolina Coliseum, Assembly & Blossom Sts.

KNOXVILLE, TN, Thompson-​Boling Assembly Center, 1600 Stadium Dr.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Sign language also), Dodger Stadium, 1000 Elysian Park Ave.

NEW HAVEN, CT, Veterans Memorial Coliseum, 275 S. Orange St.

NEW YORK, NY, Yankee Stadium, 157th St. & River Ave.

PHILADELPHIA, PA, Veterans Stadium, S. Broad & Pattison Ave.

SAN DIEGO, CA, Jack Murphy Stadium, 9449 Friars Rd.

TUCSON, AZ, Convention Center, 260 S. Church St.

WEST PALM BEACH, FL, Palm Beach Jai-​Alai, 1415 45th St.

WICHITA, KS, Kansas Coliseum, I-135 at 85th St. N.

JUNE 19-21

AMARILLO, TX, Civic Center Coliseum, 3rd & Buchanan Sts.

BILOXI, MS, Mississippi Coast Coliseum, 3800 W. Beach Blvd.

CICERO, IL (Sign language also), Hawthorne Race Track, 35th & Cicero Ave.

COLUMBUS, OH, Greater Columbus Convention Center, 400 N. High St.

CORVALLIS, OR, Gill Coliseum, 600 S.W. 26th St.

DAYTONA BEACH, FL, The Ocean Center, 101 N. Atlantic Ave.

DENVER, CO, McNichols Sports Arena, 1635 Clay St.

FORT WORTH, TX, Tarrant County Convention Center, 1111 Houston St.

MACON, GA, Coliseum, 200 Coliseum Dr.

MADISON, WI, Dane County Exposition Center, 1881 Expo Mall East.

NEW HAVEN, CT, Veterans Memorial Coliseum, 275 S. Orange St.

NEW YORK, NY (Sign language also), Yankee Stadium, 157th St. & River Ave.

PONTIAC, MI (Sign language also), Silverdome, 1200 Featherstone Rd.

ST. LOUIS, MO, The Arena, 5700 Oakland Ave.

ST. PETERSBURG, FL, Bayfront Center, 400 1st St. S.

SAN FRANCISCO, CA, Cow Palace, Geneva Ave.

TUCSON, AZ (Sign language also), Convention Center, 260 S. Church St.

WEST PALM BEACH, FL, Palm Beach Jai-​Alai, 1415 45th St.

JUNE 26-28

ABILENE, TX (Spanish only), Taylor County Coliseum, E. South 11th St. & Loop 322.

CICERO, IL, Hawthorne Race Track, 35th & Cicero Ave.

COLUMBIA, SC, Carolina Coliseum, Assembly & Blossom Sts.

COLUMBUS, OH, Greater Columbus Convention Center, 400 N. High St.

CORVALLIS, OR, Gill Coliseum, 600 S.W. 26th St.

DAYTONA BEACH, FL, The Ocean Center, 101 N. Atlantic Ave.

DENVER, CO (Sign language also), McNichols Sports Arena, 1635 Clay St.

FORT WORTH, TX, Tarrant County Convention Center, 1111 Houston St.

HOUSTON, TX (Sign language also), Astrodome, Loop 610 at Kirby Dr.

KANSAS CITY, MO, Kemper Arena, 1800 Genessee St.

MACON, GA, Coliseum, 200 Coliseum Dr.

MADISON, WI, Dane County Exposition Center, 1881 Expo Mall East.

MEMPHIS, TN, Mid-​South Coliseum, Mid-​South Fairgrounds.

OGDEN, UT, Dee Events Center, 4600 South 1400 E.

PROVIDENCE, RI, Civic Center, One LaSalle Sq.

ST. LOUIS, MO, The Arena, 5700 Oakland Ave.

ST. PETERSBURG, FL (Sign language also), Bayfront Center, 400 1st St. S.

SAN FRANCISCO, CA (Sign language also), Cow Palace, Geneva Ave.

SOUTH BEND, IN, Notre Dame University Joyce Athletic Center, Juniper Rd.

WEST PALM BEACH, FL (Spanish only), Auditorium, 1610 Palm Beach Lakes Blvd.

WEST PALM BEACH, FL, Palm Beach Jai-​Alai, 1415 45th St.

JULY 3-5

BILLINGS, MT, MetraPark Arena, Hwy. #10.

CICERO, IL, Hawthorne Race Track, 35th & Cicero Ave.

COLUMBIA, SC, Carolina Coliseum, Assembly & Blossom Sts.

COLUMBUS, OH, Greater Columbus Convention Center, 400 N. High St.

CORVALLIS, OR, Gill Coliseum, 600 S.W. 26th St.

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL (French only), Assembly Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses, 20850 Griffin Rd.

FORT WORTH, TX (Sign language also), Tarrant County Convention Center, 1111 Houston St.

FRESNO, CA, Convention Center, 700 “M” St.

JERSEY CITY, NJ (Portuguese only), Assembly Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses, 2932 Kennedy Blvd.

KANSAS CITY, MO, Kemper Arena, 1800 Genessee St.

LAFAYETTE, LA, Cajundome, West Congress.

LINCOLN, NE (Sign language also), Devaney Sports Center, 16th St. & Military Rd.

LONG ISLAND CITY, NY (Japanese only), Assembly Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses, 44-17 Greenpoint Ave.

LOUISVILLE, KY, Freedom Hall Coliseum, Kentucky Fair & Expo Center, 937 Phillips Lane.

MACON, GA, Coliseum, 200 Coliseum Dr.

MADISON, WI, Dane County Exposition Center, 1881 Expo Mall East.

MEMPHIS, TN, Mid-​South Coliseum, Mid-​South Fairgrounds.

MOBILE, AL, Municipal Auditorium, 401 Auditorium Dr.

OGDEN, UT, Dee Events Center, 4600 South 1400 E.

PHILADELPHIA, PA, Veterans Stadium, S. Broad & Pattison Ave.

PROVIDENCE, RI (Sign language also), Civic Center, One LaSalle Sq.

ROCHESTER, MN, Mayo Civic Center Arena, 30 2nd Ave. S.E.

ROMEOVILLE, IL (Greek only), Assembly Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses, 800 Schmidt Rd.

SACRAMENTO, CA, ARCO Arena, 1 Sports Pkwy.

ST. PETERSBURG, FL, Bayfront Center, 400 1st St. S.

SAN ANTONIO, TX (Spanish only), Convention Center Arena, S. Alamo & Market Sts.

SAN FRANCISCO, CA (Chinese also; Portuguese sessions also), Cow Palace, Geneva Ave.

SOUTH BEND, IN, Notre Dame University Joyce Athletic Center, Juniper Rd.

SPRINGFIELD, MA, Civic Center, 1277 Main St.

SYRACUSE, NY, Onondaga County War Memorial Arena, 515 Montgomery St.

TACOMA, WA, Tacoma Dome, 2727 E. “D” St.

TUCSON, AZ, Convention Center, 260 S. Church St.

WEST PALM BEACH, FL (Spanish only), Auditorium, 1610 Palm Beach Lakes Blvd.

WEST PALM BEACH, FL, Palm Beach Jai-​Alai, 1415 45th St.

WOODLAND HILLS, CA (Korean only), Assembly Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses, 20600 Ventura Blvd.

JULY 10-12

CICERO, IL (Spanish only), Hawthorne Race Track, 35th & Cicero Ave.

CLEVELAND, OH, Cleveland State University Convocation Centre, Prospect & E. 21st Sts.

COLUMBIA, SC, Carolina Coliseum, Assembly & Blossom Sts.

FRESNO, CA, Convention Center, 700 “M” St.

JACKSONVILLE, FL, Memorial Coliseum, Gator Bowl Sports Complex.

JERSEY CITY, NJ (Korean only), Assembly Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses, 2932 Kennedy Blvd.

LAFAYETTE, LA, Cajundome, West Congress.

LOUISVILLE, KY (Sign language also), Freedom Hall Coliseum, Kentucky Fair & Expo Center, 937 Phillips Lane.

MACON, GA (Sign language also), Coliseum, 200 Coliseum Dr.

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK, Myriad, One Myriad Gardens.

PROVIDENCE, RI, Civic Center, One LaSalle Sq.

RENO, NV, Reno-​Sparks Convention Arena, 4590 S. Virginia St.

RICHMOND, VA, Coliseum, 601 E. Leigh St.

ROANOKE, VA, Civic Center, 710 Williamson Rd. N.E.

The “Light Bearers” District Convention (continued from page 32)

ROCHESTER, MN, Mayo Civic Center Arena, 30 2nd Ave. S.E.

SACRAMENTO, CA, ARCO Arena, 1 Sports Pkwy.

ST. PETERSBURG, FL (Spanish only), Bayfront Center, 400 1st St. S.

SAN ANTONIO, TX (Spanish only), Convention Center Arena, S. Alamo & Market Sts.

SAN FRANCISCO, CA (Spanish only), Cow Palace, Geneva Ave.

SOUTH BEND, IN, Notre Dame University Joyce Athletic Center, Juniper Rd.

SPRINGFIELD, IL, Prairie Capital Convention Center, One Convention Center Plaza.

SPRINGFIELD, MA, Civic Center, 1277 Main St.

SYRACUSE, NY, Onondaga County War Memorial Arena, 515 Montgomery St.

TACOMA, WA (Sign language also), Tacoma Dome, 2727 E. “D” St.

TUCSON, AZ (Spanish only), Convention Center, 260 S. Church St.

WOODLAND HILLS, CA (Tagalog only), Assembly Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses, 20600 Ventura Blvd.

JULY 17-19

BEAUMONT, TX (Spanish only), Civic Center Arena, 701 Main St.

CLEVELAND, OH, Cleveland State University Convocation Centre, Prospect & E. 21st Sts.

FRESNO, CA, Convention Center, 700 “M” St.

HAMPTON, VA, Coliseum, 1000 Coliseum Dr.

JACKSONVILLE, FL, Memorial Coliseum, Gator Bowl Sports Complex.

KENNEWICK, WA (Spanish only), Tri-​Cities Coliseum, 7100 W. Quinault.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Vietnamese sessions also), Dodger Stadium, 1000 Elysian Park Ave.

MEMPHIS, TN, Mid-​South Coliseum, Mid-​South Fairgrounds.

NEW YORK, NY (Spanish only), Yankee Stadium, 157th St. & River Ave.

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK, Myriad, One Myriad Gardens.

RICHMOND, VA (Sign language also), Coliseum, 601 E. Leigh St.

ROANOKE, VA, Civic Center, 710 Williamson Rd. N.E.

ROCHESTER, MN, Mayo Civic Center Arena, 30 2nd Ave. S.E.

ROCHESTER, NY, Community War Memorial, 100 Exchange Blvd.

ST. PETERSBURG, FL (Spanish only), Bayfront Center, 400 1st St. S.

SAN FRANCISCO, CA (Spanish only), Cow Palace, Geneva Ave.

SPRINGFIELD, MA, Civic Center, 1277 Main St.

TUCSON, AZ (Spanish only), Convention Center, 260 S. Church St.

WEST PALM BEACH, FL (Spanish only), Auditorium, 1610 Palm Beach Lakes Blvd.

JULY 24-26

BEAUMONT, TX (Spanish only), Civic Center Arena, 701 Main St.

BROOKLYN, NY (Italian only), Assembly Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses, 973 Flatbush Ave.

CLEVELAND, OH, Cleveland State University Convocation Centre, Prospect & E. 21st Sts.

FRESNO, CA (Spanish only), Convention Center, 700 “M” St.

HAMPTON, VA, Coliseum, 1000 Coliseum Dr.

JERSEY CITY, NJ (French only), Assembly Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses, 2932 Kennedy Blvd.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Spanish only), Dodger Stadium, 1000 Elysian Park Ave.

RICHMOND, VA, Coliseum, 601 E. Leigh St.

ROCHESTER, MN, Mayo Civic Center Arena, 30 2nd Ave. S.E.

ROCHESTER, NY, Community War Memorial, 100 Exchange Blvd.

SACRAMENTO, CA, ARCO Arena, 1 Sports Pkwy.

WEST PALM BEACH, FL (Spanish only), Auditorium, 1610 Palm Beach Lakes Blvd.

JULY 31–AUGUST 2

BELTON, TX (Spanish only), Bell County Expo Center Arena, 301 W. Loop 121.

FRESNO, CA (Spanish only), Convention Center, 700 “M” St.

RICHMOND, VA, Coliseum, 601 E. Leigh St.

AUGUST 7-9

CLEVELAND, OH, Cleveland State University Convocation Centre, Prospect & E. 21st Sts.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Spanish only), Dodger Stadium, 1000 Elysian Park Ave.

Britain

JUNE 12-14

JERSEY, C.I., Fort Regent Leisure Centre, St. Heilier.

JUNE 26-28

PLYMOUTH, Plymouth Argyle Football Club, Home Park.

JULY 3-5

STOKE, Stoke City Football Club, Victoria Ground, Stoke-​on-​Trent.

SUNDERLAND, Sunderland Football Club, Roker Park, Grantham Rd.

JULY 10-12

NORWICH, Norwich City Football Club, Carrow Rd.

PERTH, St. Johnstone Football Club, McDiarmid, Park, Crieff Rd.

WEST BROMWICH, The Hawthorns, Halfords Lane.

JULY 17-19

CARDIFF, Welsh National Rugby Ground, Cardiff Arms Park.

LONDON (CRYSTAL PALACE), National Sports Centre, Norwood.

LONDON (Greek only), North London Assembly Hall, 174 Bowes Rd.

JULY 24-26

LONDON (Spanish also), Rugby Union Ground, Whitton Rd, Twickenham.

SHEFFIELD, Don Valley Athletics Stadium, Attercliffe.

Ireland

JULY 3-5

NAVAN, Navan Exhibition Centre.

JULY 10-12

NAVAN (Sign language also), Navan Exhibition Centre.

JULY 17-19

NAVAN, Navan Exhibition Centre.

Canada

JUNE 19-21

WINDSOR, ONT., St. Denis Athletic and Community Centre, University of Windsor, College Ave. & Huron Church Rd.

JUNE 26-28

CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I., Charlottetown Civic Centre, 46 Kensington Rd.

PENTICTON, B.C., Penticton Trade & Convention Centre, 273 Power St.

TORONTO, ONT. (Chinese and sign language also; Korean, Polish, Ukrainian, and Vietnamese sessions also), SkyDome, 300 Bremner Blvd.

JULY 3-5

BRAMPTON, ONT. (Portuguese only), Assembly Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses, Hwy. 7, 1 mile W. of Mississauga Rd., Norval.

EDMONTON, ALTA. (Sign language also), Edmonton Northlands Coliseum, 75th St. & 118th Ave.

KAMLOOPS, B.C., Kamloops Exhibition Association, 479 Chilcotin Rd.

KITCHENER, ONT. (Spanish also), Kitchener Memorial Auditorium Complex, 400 East Ave.

MONTREAL, QUE. (French only; sign language also), Olympic Stadium, boul. Pie-​IX & rue Sherbrooke.

REGINA, SASK. (Sign language also), The Agridome, Exhibition Grounds, Elphinstone St. & Saskatchewan Dr.

VANCOUVER, B.C. (Sign language also; Portuguese sessions also), Pacific Coliseum, P.N.E. Grounds, Hastings St. E. & Renfrew St.

WINNIPEG, MAN., Winnipeg Convention Centre, 375 York Ave.

JULY 10-12

BRAMPTON, ONT. (Spanish only), Assembly Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses, Hwy. 7, 1 mile W. of Mississauga Rd., Norval.

MONTREAL, QUE. (Italian only), Assembly Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses, 12700, boul. Métropolitain Est, Pointe-​aux-​Trembles.

OTTAWA, ONT. (Arabic and sign language also; Armenian sessions also), Civic Centre Arena, Lansdowne Park, 1015 Bank St.

PRINCE GEORGE, B.C., Kin Centre, Arenas I & II, Ospika Blvd. S. & 18th Ave.

QUEBEC CITY, QUE. (French only; sign language also), Colisée, 2205, avenue du Colisée.

SUDBURY, ONT., Sudbury Community Arena, 240 Elgin St.

SYDNEY, N.S. (Sign language also; Spanish sessions also), Sydney Centre 200, George & Falmouth Sts.

TRAIL, B.C., Trail Memorial Center, 1051 Victoria St.

JULY 17-19

BRAMPTON, ONT. (Italian only), Assembly Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses, Hwy. 7, 1 mile W. of Mississauga Rd., Norval.

CALGARY, ALTA. (Spanish and sign language also; French sessions also), Stampede Corral, Stampede Park, 12th Ave. & 4th St. SE.

HULL, QUE. (French only), Palais des Congres, 200, Promenade du Portage.

MONTREAL, QUE. (Spanish only), Assembly Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses, 12700, boul. Métropolitain Est, Pointe-​aux-​Trembles.

ST. JOHN’S, NFLD. (Sign language also), St. John’s Memorial Stadium, Lake Ave.

SHERBROOKE, QUE. (French only), Palais des Sports, 360, rue Parc.

TERRACE, B.C., Terrace Arena, 3320 Kalum St.

VICTORIA, B.C. (Sign language also), The Esquimalt Sports Centre, Fraser St. & Esquimalt Rd.

JULY 24-26

BRAMPTON, ONT. (Greek only), Assembly Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses, Hwy. 7, 1 mile W. of Mississauga Rd., Norval.

NANAIMO, B.C., Beban Park Recreation Centre, 2300 Bowen Rd.