May 22

Page Two

Help for Alcoholics and Their Families 3-12

The alcoholic needs help. The spouse may be swallowed up in the drinker’s problems. She needs help. The children are the innocent victims. They need help. Some may be abused sexually; others may be assaulted physically; many are abandoned emotionally. They may survive the trauma but carry the wounds into adulthood. Can they be helped?

Drift-​Net Fishing on the Way Out? 14

Called curtains of death, these nets hang 36 feet [11 m] deep and trail back 30 miles [50 km], catching not simply the desired squid but also unwanted fish, seabirds, marine mammals, and sea turtles.

Why Is My Curfew So Strict? 21

Your parents expect you to come home at a reasonable hour. If you let them know where you are going, whom you will be with, and when you will get back, they will probably grant you more latitude.

[Picture Credit Line on page 2]

Photo: Steve Ignell, ABL

An Alcoholic in the Family

“Alcoholism includes alcoholics . . . While there may be only one alcoholic in a family, the whole family suffers from the alcoholism.”​—Dr. Vernon E. Johnson.

FIVE-​YEAR-​OLD Alice lay in bed, her leg throbbing with pain. An injury sustained two days earlier required that she wear a full leg cast. But the cast was put on too tightly, and her leg was swelling under the pressure. Alice begged her parents to take her to the doctor, but her father was suffering from a hangover, and her mother was torn between them, uncertain about who needed attention most.

Within several days, Alice’s leg went numb. When a dark liquid began dripping from her toe, Alice’s parents finally rushed her to the hospital. When the cast was removed, the sight of the leg caused one nurse to faint. Gangrene made it necessary for Alice’s leg to be amputated.

Alcoholism and Codependency

The tragedy of this incident goes far beyond the loss of a limb. Alice’s father was an alcoholic. As such, he was emotionally and physically unavailable when his daughter desperately needed him. “The nature of alcoholism demands that the alcoholic place his family last​—after alcohol and all its demands,” says counselor Toby Rice Drews.

What about Alice’s mother? She too had a dependency, not on alcohol, but on her alcoholic husband. Typically, the nonalcoholic spouse is totally consumed by efforts to stop the alcoholic’s drinking or at least to cope with his unpredictable behavior.a She becomes so caught up in the alcoholic’s problem that she manifests the same dependency traits​—but without the alcohol. For this reason, people like Alice’s mother are often called codependents.

Both the alcoholic and the codependent are unwittingly controlled by something or someone outside of themselves. Both are blinded by denial. Both are emotionally unavailable for their children. Both are caught up in a life of frustration, for just as the alcoholic cannot control his drinking, the codependent cannot control the alcoholic, and neither one of them can control the impact that alcoholism will have on their children.

But there is help for the alcoholic and his family. This will be considered in the following articles.

[Footnotes]

How Can the Family Help?

“First the man takes a drink, and then the drink takes a drink, and finally the drink takes the man.”​—Oriental saying.

YOU are walking along the edge of a marshland. Suddenly, the ground gives way. Within moments you are foundering in quicksand. The more you struggle, the deeper you sink.

Alcoholism engulfs the entire family in much the same way. The codependent spouse struggles desperately to change the alcoholic. Motivated by love, she threatens him, but he still drinks. She conceals his liquor, but he buys more. She hides his money, but he borrows from a friend. She appeals to his love for family, for life, even for God​—but to no avail. The more she struggles, the deeper the entire family sinks into the alcoholic morass. To help the alcoholic, family members must first understand the nature of alcoholism. They need to know why some “solutions” are almost certain to fail, and they have to learn what methods really work.

Alcoholism is more than mere drunkenness. It is a chronic drinking disorder characterized by preoccupation with alcohol and loss of control over its consumption. While most experts agree that it cannot be cured, alcoholism can be arrested with a program of lifetime abstinence.​—Compare Matthew 5:29.

In some respects the situation may be compared to that of a diabetic. While he cannot change his condition, the diabetic can cooperate with his body by abstaining from sugar. Similarly, an alcoholic cannot change his body’s response to drinking, but he can work in harmony with his disorder by abstaining completely from alcohol.

However, this is easier said than done. The alcoholic is blinded by denial. ‘I’m not that bad.’ ‘My family drives me to drink.’ ‘With a boss like mine, who wouldn’t drink?’ His rationalizing is often so convincing that the entire family may join in the denial process. ‘Your father needs to unwind at the end of the day.’ ‘Dad needs to drink. He puts up with so much nagging from Mom.’ Anything but expose the family secret: Dad is an alcoholic. “That’s the only way they can coexist,” explains Dr. Susan Forward. “Lies, excuses, and secrets are as common as air in these homes.”

Family members cannot pull the alcoholic out of the quicksand until they first get themselves out. Some may object, ‘It’s the alcoholic who needs help, not me!’ But consider: How much are your emotions and actions bound up with the alcoholic’s behavior? How often do his actions cause you to feel anger, worry, frustration, fear? How many times do you stay at home taking care of the alcoholic when you should be engaged in more important activity? When nonalcoholic family members take steps to improve their own lives, the alcoholic may follow.

Stop taking the blame. ‘If you treated me better, I wouldn’t have to drink,’ the alcoholic may claim. “The alcoholic needs you to keep believing this so he can dump the responsibility for his drinking on you,” says counselor Toby Rice Drews. Don’t fall for it. The alcoholic is dependent not just on alcohol but also on people who will credit his denial. Family members may thus unwittingly perpetuate the alcoholic’s drinking.

A Bible proverb about loss of temper could apply equally to the alcoholic: “Let him take the consequences. If you get him out of trouble once, you will have to do it again.” (Proverbs 19:19, Today’s English Version) Yes, let the alcoholic call his boss, drag himself to bed, clean up after himself. If the family does such things for him, they are only helping him drink himself to death.

Get help. It is difficult and perhaps even impossible for a family member to get out of the quicksand alone. You need support. Rely heavily on friends who will neither support the alcoholic’s denial nor let you stay stuck where you are.

Should the alcoholic agree to get help, it is a cause for great joy. But it is just the beginning of the recovery process. Physical dependence on alcohol can be arrested in a matter of days through detoxification. But the psychological dependence is much more difficult to manage.

[Box on page 5]

Distinct Traits of Alcoholics

Preoccupation: The alcoholic anxiously anticipates his drinking periods. When he is not drinking alcohol, he is thinking about alcohol.

Loss of Control: His drinking is frequently different from what he intends, no matter how firm his resolve.

Rigidity: Self-​imposed policies (“I never drink alone,” “never during work,” and so forth) are simply disguises for the alcoholic’s actual rule: “Don’t let anything interfere with my drinking.”

Tolerance: An exceptional ability to ‘hold one’s liquor’ is not a blessing​—often it is an early sign of alcoholism.

Negative Consequences: Normal habits do not wreak havoc upon one’s family, career, and physical health. Alcoholism does.​—Proverbs 23:29-35.

Denial: The alcoholic rationalizes, minimizes, and excuses his behavior.

Recovery Is Possible

“We are faced with a choice: Quit drinking and recover, or continue drinking and die.”​—A recovering alcoholic.

IMAGINE suddenly waking up one night to discover that your house is on fire. Moments later help arrives, and eventually the fire is extinguished. Could you just go back inside and pretend that nothing happened? Obviously not. The house is devastated, and reconstruction will be needed before normal life can resume.

A similar challenge faces the alcoholic when he begins to recover. His life has been ravaged by alcohol, perhaps for many years. Now he is abstinent. The “fire” is out, but major reconstruction in attitudes, life-​style, and behavior will be essential if the alcoholic is to remain abstinent. The following suggestions can help the alcoholic to attain permanent sobriety.

1. Know the Enemy

The Bible states that fleshly desires “carry on a conflict against the soul.” (1 Peter 2:11) The Greek word rendered “carry on a conflict” literally means “doing military service,” and it carries the thought of destructive warfare.​—Compare Romans 7:23-25.

Just as any good soldier takes the time to study his enemy’s tactics, the alcoholic must educate himself regarding the nature of alcoholism and how it destroys the alcoholic and those close to him.a​—Hebrews 5:14.

2. Change Drinking and Thinking

“Sobriety means getting rid of the bottle and the baby,” says one physician. In other words, much more than the drinking must change; the inner man must change as well.

The Bible wisely admonishes: “Be transformed by making your mind over.” (Romans 12:2) “Strip off the old personality with its practices.” (Colossians 3:9) If the actions change but the personality remains, the alcoholic will simply move on to another harmful dependency​—or get the old one back.

3. Get an Understanding Confidant

A Bible proverb says: “One isolating himself will seek his own selfish longing; against all practical wisdom he will break forth.” (Proverbs 18:1) Even with sobriety, the alcoholic is susceptible to rationalization. Therefore, he needs an understanding but firm confidant (often called a sponsor). It is advantageous when the confidant is himself a recovering alcoholic who has been successful in meeting the challenges of sobriety. (Compare Proverbs 27:17.) Such a confidant should respect the alcoholic’s religious convictions and must be self-​sacrificing and available to give ongoing support.​—Proverbs 17:17.

4. Be Patient

Recovery is gradual. It takes time for the alcoholic to reconstruct his life. There may be financial strain, tensions on the job, chaos at home. Becoming alcohol free does not mean becoming problem free. The recovering alcoholic at first may feel anxieties as he faces life without a chemical ‘problem solver.’ When such anxieties seem insurmountable, the recovering alcoholic should remember the comforting words of the psalmist: “Throw your burden upon Jehovah himself, and he himself will sustain you. Never will he allow the righteous one to totter.”​—Psalm 55:22.

5. Acquire Healthy Associates

The alcoholic should honestly ask himself: ‘Do my associates support my sobriety or do they continually talk about the “good old days,” making me feel that I’m missing out?’ Proverbs 18:24 says: “There exist companions disposed to break one another to pieces, but there exists a friend sticking closer than a brother.” It takes perception to see who are true friends and who are potentially damaging associates.

6. Avoid Overconfidence

“I feel great​—I don’t even have the desire to drink anymore!” The alcoholic who makes this statement is overestimating his progress and underestimating his alcoholism. The exhilaration of initial recovery, called a pink cloud, is temporary. “Strive for a balanced perspective,” recommends the book Willpower’s Not Enough. “Without it you’ll be setting yourself up for a fall, and it’s a long way down from a cloud.”​—Compare Proverbs 16:18.

7. Beware of Substitute Addictions

Many stop drinking, but then they develop eating disorders or become workaholics, compulsive gamblers, and so forth. ‘What’s the harm? At least I’m not drinking,’ the alcoholic in recovery may reason. True, some physical outlets may be healthy. But when any substance or activity is used to anesthetize your feelings, this only leads to a false, temporary sense of security.

8. Adjust to New Family Roles

Many alcoholics sabotage their recovery when things start going well! Why? Simply because sobriety is new territory. The alcoholic may feel a pull toward the familiar life-​style. Additionally, when the alcoholic becomes sober, he rocks the family boat. Therefore, each family member must change his or her role. “The entire script for the family performance must be discarded and a new one created in its place,” notes the booklet Recovery for the Whole Family. For good reason, recovery has been called a family affair.​—Compare 1 Corinthians 12:26.

9. Be on Guard Against Relapse

Overconfidence, unhealthy associations, substitute compulsions, and increasing isolation may be stepping-​stones to relapse. Maintain open communication with a confidant about any such tendencies.

One recovering alcoholic says: “All alcoholics quit drinking. Some of us are fortunate to quit while we are still alive.”

[Footnotes]

[Box on page 7]

If Medication Is Absolutely Necessary

Any medicine containing alcohol can reawaken craving and set one up for a relapse.

Dr. James W. Smith writes: “It is not unusual for an alcoholic patient to relapse after years of sobriety as a result of self-​medication with a cough syrup which contained alcohol.” The alcoholic is vulnerable to all sedatives. If sedative medication is absolutely necessary, the alcoholic should . . .

1. consult a pharmacist to determine the potential hazards.

2. notify a confidant, and if possible, call him before each dose is taken.

3. keep a record of every dose taken.

4. discontinue medication as soon as possible.

5. dispose of unused medication when legitimate use is ended.

Help for Adult Children of Alcoholics

“If you grew up in an alcoholic family, you have to straighten out the distorted learning and emotional confusion that came out of that up-​bringing. There’s no way around it.”​—Dr. George W. Vroom.

A CRITICALLY wounded soldier lies bleeding on the battlefield. Help quickly arrives, and the injured combatant is rushed to a hospital. The soldier has survived, but his problems are far from over. His wounds must be treated, and the trauma of his ordeal may last for years.

For children of an alcoholic parent, home can be like a battlefield wherein basic human needs come under attack. Some children are abused sexually; others are assaulted physically; many are abandoned emotionally. “It’s the same kind of intense terror a kid might feel when he hears bombs falling or machine guns being fired around his house,” says one young man, reflecting on his childhood. Little wonder that many children of alcoholics display the same posttraumatic stress symptoms as do combat veterans!

True, many children survive these traumas and eventually leave home. But they enter adulthood with wounds that, though not visible, are just as real and persistent as those of the injured soldier. “I am now 60 years old,” says Gloria, “and my life is still affected by the traumas associated with being born into a family with an alcoholic parent.”

What can be done to help such ones? ‘Share their sorrow,’ recommends the Bible. (Romans 12:15, Phillips) To do this, one must understand the wounds that commonly result from living in an alcoholic environment.

“I Never Had a Childhood”

A child needs to be nurtured, cared for, and constantly reassured. In the alcoholic family, such attention is often lacking. In some cases there is role reversal, and the child is expected to nurture the parent. Albert, for example, was his family’s breadwinner at 14 years of age! In the place of an alcoholic parent, a young girl named Jan carried the brunt of the household chores. She was also the primary caretaker of her siblings​—all of this starting when she was merely six years of age!

Children are not adults, and they simply cannot function as adults. When parent-​child roles are reversed, the adultlike children of today become the unfulfilled grown-​ups of tomorrow. (Compare Ephesians 6:4.) Family counselor John Bradshaw writes: “They grow up to have adult bodies. They look like and talk like adults, but there is within them an insatiable little child who never got his or her needs met.” Such ones may feel as did one Christian: “I still carry a bottomless pit of pain from not getting my most basic emotional needs met as a child.”

“It Must Be My Fault”

When Robert was just 13 years old, his father died in an accident. “I tried to be good,” Robert recalls with his eyes lowered. “I know I did things he didn’t like, but I wasn’t a bad kid.” Robert carried a heavy burden of guilt over his father’s alcoholism and did so for many years. When relating the above, Robert was 74 years old!

It is quite common for children to assume responsibility for a parent’s alcoholism. Self-​blame gives a child the illusion of control over the situation. As Janice says: “I thought that if I were better, my father would not drink again.”

The reality is that no child​—or adult—​can cause, control, or cure anyone else’s drinking. If your parent is an alcoholic, no matter what you were told or what someone implied, you are simply not to blame! And you may need to consider carefully whether as an adult, you still feel unduly responsible for the actions and behavior of others.​—Compare Romans 14:12; Philippians 2:12.

“I Can’t Trust Anyone”

Trust is built on openness and honesty. The alcoholic environment is built on secrecy and denial.

As a youth, Sara knew of her father’s alcoholism. Yet, she remembers: “I’d feel guilty for even thinking the word because nobody else in my family would say it.” Susan relates a similar experience: “Nobody in the family ever talked about what was going on, how unhappy they were, or how mad we were at [my alcoholic stepfather]. I think I just tuned it all out.” The reality of a parent’s alcoholism is thus often enshrouded in denial. “I learned to not see things because I had seen enough,” Susan says.

Trust is further broken down by the alcoholic’s inconsistent behavior. He was cheerful yesterday, but today he is raging. “I never knew when the storm was going to start,” says Martin, the adult child of an alcoholic mother. The alcoholic breaks promises, not because of carelessness, but simply because of alcohol. Dr. Claudia Black explains: “The preoccupation with drinking becomes the alcoholic’s number one priority. All else is secondary.”

“I Hide My Feelings”

When feelings cannot be comfortably shared, children learn to suppress them. They go to school with “smiles on their faces and knots in their stomachs,” says the book Adult Children​—The Secrets of Dysfunctional Families, and they dare not share their thoughts for fear of exposing the family secret. Outwardly, everything is fine; inwardly, repressed feelings begin to smolder.

In adulthood any attempts to quell the emotions with an ‘everything-​is-​fine’ facade usually fail. If feelings cannot be expressed verbally, they may come out somatically​—that is, through ulcers, chronic headaches, and so forth. “Feelings were literally eating me away,” says Shirley. “I had every physical ailment in the book.” Dr. Timmen Cermak explains: “The way adult children deal with stress is to deny it, but you can’t fool Mother Nature. . . . The body that is maintained in a highly stressful, highly tense tone for years starts breaking down.”

Beyond Survival

Adult children of alcoholics are strong; their survival from childhood trauma testifies to that fact. But more is needed than survival. New concepts in family relationships must be learned. Feelings of guilt, anger, and low self-​esteem may need to be addressed. Adult children of alcoholics must use their strength to put on what the Bible calls “the new personality.”​—Ephesians 4:23, 24; Colossians 3:9, 10.

This is no easy task. LeRoy, an adult child of an alcoholic, struggled to apply Bible principles in his own family for 20 years. “When I received all the loving counsel from the Society through the Family book and other publications, I couldn’t grasp the concept.a The result was that I did a poor job of applying the information. . . . Without feelings, I was trying mechanically to find and apply rules, like the Pharisees.”​—See Matthew 23:23, 24.

For a person like LeRoy, simple appeals to “be more loving” or to “communicate” or to “discipline your children” may be inadequate. Why? Because an adult child may never have experienced these qualities or skills, so how can he express or imitate them? LeRoy sought counseling to understand the impact of his father’s alcoholism. This cleared the way for spiritual progress. “Even though this has been a very painful time in my life, it has been a time of great spiritual growth,” he says. “For the first time in my life, I really feel I am beginning to know accurately what the love of God is.”​—1 John 5:3.

A Christian woman named Cheryl benefited from the aid of a social worker experienced in family alcoholism issues. She also confided in an empathetic elder. “It has only been since I got rid of all my ‘skeletons’ that I feel at peace with Jehovah and myself,” she says. “I now view Jehovah as my Father (something I could never do before), and I don’t feel so cheated anymore that I never got the love and guidance from my father here on earth that I needed.”

Amy, the adult daughter of an alcoholic, found that working to develop “the fruitage of the spirit” greatly helped her. (Galatians 5:22, 23) She also learned to confide her thoughts and feelings to an understanding elder. “He reminded me of the approval I really want to seek,” says Amy, “that of Jehovah God and Jesus Christ. Seeking their love and approval is never self-​destructive.”

Complete Healing

The Bible contains the written promise of Jesus Christ that those who come to him loaded down with anxieties will be refreshed. (Matthew 11:28-30) Additionally, Jehovah is called “the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation.” (2 Corinthians 1:3, 4) Maureena says: “I came to know Jehovah as the One who would never abandon me physically, mentally, or emotionally.”

We are living in an age that the Bible calls the last days, a time in which many​—even inside the family circle—​would be ‘abusive, with no natural affection, and fierce.’ (2 Timothy 3:2, 3, The New English Bible) But God promises that soon he will usher in a peaceful new world in which he will wipe out all tears and sorrow. (Revelation 21:4, 5) Says one Christian who was raised in an alcoholic home: “We hope that all of us can make it together into that new world, where we will receive the total healing that only Jehovah can give.”

A CASE HISTORY

“I am an adult child of an alcoholic. My father became an alcoholic when I was eight years old. When he drank, he became violent. I remember the terror the entire family felt. At a time when I should have had a happy childhood, I learned to bury my feelings, wants, desires, and hopes. Mother and Father were too busy taking care of his problem ever to be there for me. I was not worth their time. I came to feel worthless. At age eight the role thrust upon me forced me to stop being a child​—to grow up instantly and shoulder family duties. My life was put on hold.

“My father’s behavior was so shameful that his shame rubbed off on me. To compensate I tried to be perfect. I gave and gave, trying to buy love, never feeling worthy of unconditional love. My life became a performance, with feelings frozen. Years later my husband and children told me I was a robot, mechanical. For 30 years I had slaved for them, sacrificed my emotional needs for theirs, given to them as I had always given to my parents. And this was my thanks? It was the ultimate wound!

“In anger, confusion, and desperation, I determined to find out what was wrong with me. As I talked with others who had been reared in alcoholic homes, a lot of pent-​up feelings began to come out, things never remembered before, things that had caused my frequent bouts with debilitating depression. It was like an unburdening, a catharsis. What a relief to know that I was not alone, that others shared and understood the trauma of my upbringing in an alcoholic home!

“I turned to a group called Adult Children of Alcoholics and began to apply some of their therapy. Workbooks helped change twisted views. I kept a journal to unearth additional feelings, feelings that had been buried for years. I listened to self-​help tapes. I watched a TV seminar by a man who was himself an adult child of an alcoholic. The book Feeling Good, from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, helped me to build self-​esteem and improve my distorted thinking patterns.

“Some of these new patterns of thinking became tools, statements to cope with life and relationships. Some of these that I learned and applied are: It is not what happened to us that matters, it is how we view or perceive what happened. Feelings are not to be frozen within but need to be examined and expressed constructively or dismissed. Another tool is the phrase ‘act yourself into the right way of thinking.’ Action repeated can form new brain patterns.

“The most important tool of all is God’s Word, the Bible. From it and from the congregations of Jehovah’s Witnesses, along with their elders and other mature Witnesses, I have received the finest of spiritual healing, and I have learned to have proper love for myself. I have also learned that I am a unique person with individuality, that there is no one in the universe like me. Most important, I know that Jehovah loves me, and Jesus died for me as well as for others.

“Now, one and a half years later, I would say that I am 70 percent better. Total healing will come only when Jehovah’s new world of righteousness has replaced this present wicked world and its god, Satan the Devil.”

CONCLUSION

The Bible says: “Counsel in the heart of a man is as deep waters, but the man of discernment is one that will draw it up.” (Proverbs 20:5) There must be discernment if the one helping is to be successful in drawing out from the deep waters of the heart the things that trouble a depressed one. There is great value “in the multitude of counselors” if they have discernment. (Proverbs 11:14) The following proverb also shows the value of seeking counsel from others: “By iron, iron itself is sharpened. So one man sharpens the face of another.” (Proverbs 27:17) When troubled ones communicate, “there may be an interchange of encouragement among [them].” (Romans 1:12) And to fulfill the Bible injunction to “speak consolingly to the depressed souls,” the one doing the consoling must understand the cause and ramifications of the depression afflicting the one to be consoled.​—1 Thessalonians 5:14.

[Footnotes]

[Blurb on page 8]

Many children of alcoholics display the same posttraumatic stress symptoms as do combat veterans!

[Blurb on page 10]

The alcoholic environment is built on secrecy and denial

[Blurb on page 10]

They go to school with “smiles on their faces and knots in their stomachs”

[Blurb on page 11]

“I now view Jehovah as my Father (something I could never do before)”

[Blurb on page 12]

The most important tool of all is God’s Word, the Bible

[Picture on page 9]

“Feelings were literally eating me away”

“Devil Dogs”?

PIT-​BULL attacks in Canada, England, and the United States have been widely publicized in the past several years. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control reports that 42 percent of the 157 confirmed dog-​bite deaths that occurred in the United States between 1979 and 1988 involved pit bulls. In Britain the media have referred to vicious pit-​bull terriers as “Devil Dogs.” Equinox magazine calls the dog “a superb killing machine.”

In the illegal blood sport of dogfighting, the pit bull is considered “the Cadillac of killer dogs,” because of its strength, agility, tenacity, and ferocity. The Globe and Mail of Toronto, Canada, states that ‘the pit bull has been bred to kill other dogs.’

“Its vise-​like jaws can inflict terrible damage on other animals and humans, especially children, unable to defend themselves,” comments The Toronto Star. Gruesome accounts of attacks include that of a nine-​year-​old girl who required five hours of plastic surgery to her face after she was mauled by a pit bull. A 13-​year-​old needed treatment for bites to the face, torso, legs, groin, and buttocks. One 21-​year-​old model suffered a badly lacerated face, requiring about 70 stitches, when her friend’s pit bull responded to her attempted kiss with a bite. In England a 54-​year-​old man was mauled by two of these “Devil Dogs” and had his nose bitten off.

Kathleen Hunter, executive director of the Toronto Humane Society, once believed that with proper training the pit bull would be just like any other pet dog. However, she now admits that “a pit bull has a genetic code that makes it a very unpredictable animal. It’s truly an aggressive dog . . . , bred to attack without provocation.”a The general manager of the animal control services branch of Toronto’s Public Health Department, Jim Bandow, notes: “The pit bull is a time bomb. You can’t be sure when it’s going to go off.”

Lawmakers are trying to resolve the problem by instituting and enforcing a variety of regulations. Pit-​bull owners in Edmonton, Canada, are required to carry a minimum $500,000 in liability insurance and pay a $100 license fee. In Winnipeg, Canada, no new pit bulls are allowed within the city limits, and owners must leash and muzzle their dogs and show proof of $300,000 liability insurance. The British Parliament passed a bill with similar obligations for pit-​bull owners. Violation could result in a fine and a jail sentence.

According to God’s Law to ancient Israel, dangerous animals had to be kept under guard. If a dangerous animal was allowed to run loose, the owner shared responsibility for the damage it caused. Should the animal cause the death of a human, the owner would be bloodguilty, and that could cost him his life. (Exodus 21:29) In view of what is stated in God’s Law, it would be the course of wisdom for Christians to take the necessary steps to keep aggressive, unpredictable dogs under control or decide not to keep them.

[Footnotes]

Drift-​Net Fishing on the Way Out?

THE UN General Assembly in New York calls it “highly indiscriminate and wasteful.” The London-​based European office of IIED (International Institute for Environment and Development) describes it as a “major threat to sealife.” Sixteen Pacific nations denounce it as “unjustified plunder.” Clearly, drift-​net fishing is under global attack. Why?

Drift nets​—vertically suspended nets drifting along in the sea like curtains—​have been slipped into coastal waters for thousands of years. In the late 1970’s, however, pelagic, or open-​sea, drift-​net fishing saw such a spectacular increase that today an armada of more than a thousand drift-​net vessels from Japan, Taiwan, and the Republic of Korea comb the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian oceans for squid, albacore, billfish, and salmon. Since each ship, by some estimates, operates giant nets hanging as much as 36 feet [11 m] deep and spanning 30 miles [50 km], the combined length of the fleet’s nets amounts to some 30,000 miles [50,000 km]​—more than the distance around the earth!

“Curtains of Death”

These nearly invisible nylon gill nets are so efficient that according to the bulletin IIED Perspectives, “on current trends the nets may destroy albacore fishing in the South Pacific within two years.” Drift netting, says marine biologist Sam LaBudde, is as indiscriminate as “clear-​cutting a forest to harvest a single species of tree or felling an oak just to harvest acorns.” Indeed, while at it, this largest fishing fleet in the world also sweeps up tons of nontargeted species, such as bluefin and skipjack tuna, marlin, swordfish, and migrating steelhead trout.

According to James M. Coe, a researcher with the National Marine Fisheries Service in the United States, there is evidence that the Asian fleet is illegally catching large numbers of salmon that will never reach their native North American streams to spawn.

To make matters worse, drift nets also entangle, mutilate, and drown thousands of otters, seals, dolphins, porpoises, whales, sea turtles, and seabirds. No wonder a growing number of researchers are referring to drift netting as “marine strip-​mining” and to drift nets as “curtains of death”!

The epithets seem appropriate. A recent report from the U.S. secretary of commerce said that during just three fishing cruises, three vessels accidentally caught ‘one striped dolphin, 8 Dall porpoises, 18 northern fur seals, 19 Pacific white-​sided dolphins, and 65 northern right whale porpoises.’

Just last year a report submitted to the United Nations said that the Japanese drift-​net fishery, in the process of harvesting 106 million squid, killed 39 million fish that the fishermen did not want. In addition, their unwanted toll included 700,000 sharks, 270,000 seabirds, 26,000 marine animals, and 406 sea turtles, which are endangered.

Marine biologists are convinced that if drift netting continues unchecked, it “will inevitably exhaust a natural resource once considered inexhaustible.” In fact, much havoc may already have been caused. In 1988 a fishing captain told biologist LaBudde: “We don’t kill nearly as many dolphins as we used to.” Notes LaBudde: “That’s probably because there aren’t that many left to kill.”

Global Agreements Surfacing

Recently, however, calls for action against drift netting have been heard from London to Washington, D.C., and from Alaska to New Zealand, and some measures have been taken to pressure fishermen to cut back their fleets and haul in some of their nets for good. To name a few: A group of South Pacific States adopted the so-​called Wellington (New Zealand) Convention, permitting them to eliminate drift netting within their 200-​mile [320 km] fishing zones and prohibiting their own fishermen from using drift nets anywhere in the South Pacific.

In December 1989 a UN resolution recommended a moratorium on large-​scale drift-​net fishing on the high seas by June 30, 1992. The World Watch Institute said that without curtailment of drift-​net fishing, “humanity [will] have little hope to protect its seas for future generations” and added: “We must work out comprehensive global agreements.” South Pacific States, grouped in the Forum Fisheries Agency, therefore proposed the creation of an international commission to regulate fishing and urged fishermen to adopt responsible fishing practices.

But is international pressure having some effect? Yes, dramatically so!

On November 26, 1991, Japan agreed “to comply with a United Nations moratorium on the use of huge fishing nets in the northern Pacific Ocean that scientists say are responsible for widespread destruction of marine life.” The decision “defused a controversy that had threatened to do further damage to Japan’s reputation on environmental matters.” Japan agreed to end half of its drift-​net operations by June 1992 and the remaining half by the end of that year.

One day later an editorial in The New York Times said: “‘A sweet victory for the global environment’ was how one elated marine biologist described Japan’s announcement on Tuesday that it would shut down its drift-​net fishing industry by the end of next year [1992].”

A report in Time magazine, December 9, 1991, said that Taiwan and the Republic of Korea indicated that they would also discontinue their use of drift nets.

“As for this sea so great and wide, there there are moving things without number, living creatures, small as well as great.”​—Psalm 104:25.

[Pictures on page 15]

Drift-​net vessel in action

[Credit Line]

Photo: Steve Ignell, ABL

Sea otter skeleton entangled in lost drift net

[Credit Line]

Photo: T. Merrell

[Pictures on page 16]

Seabirds caught and killed by drift nets

[Credit Line]

Photo: A. Degànge

Trapped Dall porpoise

[Credit Line]

Photo: N. Stone

Incredible Insects Put Man’s Flying Machines to Shame

IN THE aftermath of war, journalists and military experts tend to do a lot of crowing over the sophistication of modern weaponry. They extol the virtues of “smart bombs,” laser-​guided cruise missiles, and attack-​helicopters with unprecedented​—and lethal—​maneuverability. Without question, the ingenuity behind these weapons is often remarkable. But such glowing paeans to the machinery of death rarely acknowledge a simple truth: Even the most advanced of man’s airborne wonders are primitive in design compared to the tiny flying machines that abound in creation.

Consider the cruise missile. According to The Wall Street Journal, “the cruise missile’s path is predetermined by a digitized reference map stored inside a computer processor. A zoom lens and electronic sensors keep it on course as it glides along at high-​subsonic speeds, hugging the terrain.” Sounds pretty sophisticated, doesn’t it? But now consider, in comparison, a humble insect​—the bee wolf.

A Tiny Mapmaker

Ben Smith, a technical editor for the computer magazine BYTE, recently wrote: “Compared to the bee wolf, the cruise missile is downright stupid.” Why? Because a cruise missile, for all its technical prowess, is fairly easy to fool. Smith puts it this way: “You just move the target, leaving behind a dummy target. Because the cruise missile destroys itself in the process of destroying its target, it never can discover that it has made a mistake.”

Fooling the bee wolf is another matter. One biologist studying these insects tried it. Noticing that hundreds of them lived in a community of identical holes along a small stretch of beach, he waited until one of them flew off, and then he quickly covered up the entrance of its home with sand. Then he waited to see if the insect could find the hole again. To his amazement, it landed unerringly by the hidden entrance and dug it out! Observing that the bee wolf habitually flew what looked like a reconnaissance pattern above its burrow whenever it left or returned, the biologist wondered if the insect could be memorizing the surrounding landmarks, making a sort of mental map.

To test his theory, he covered the hole again and this time rearranged some pine cones that were lying around it. When the bee wolf came home, it reconnoitered from above as usual and then landed in the wrong place! For a moment it was confused. Then it took off and flew another reconnaissance pattern​—but this time higher. Apparently this new perspective on the problem gave the little insect some more stable landmarks to refer to, for it immediately found its hidden burrow and dug it out again.

The computer aboard a cruise missile may cost almost a million dollars and weigh nearly a hundred pounds [50 kg]. The bee wolf uses a brain about the size of the head of a pin. Ben Smith adds: “The bee wolf also can walk, dig, locate and outmaneuver its prey, and find a mate (a task that would be disastrous for a cruise missile).” Smith concludes: “Even when this year’s high-​performance machines outperform last year’s model by an order of magnitude, they are still not noticeably closer to the performance of the humble bee wolf’s brain, let alone the performance of the human mind.”

Those Marvelous Wings

The same could be said of the most advanced man-​made aircraft, such as attack-​helicopters. Robin J. Wootton, an insect paleontologist in England, has spent over two decades studying the ways insects fly. Some insects, he wrote recently in the magazine Scientific American, “display astonishing aerobatic feats. Houseflies, for example, can decelerate from fast flight, hover, turn in their own length, fly upside down, loop, roll and land on a ceiling​—all in a fraction of a second.”

Just what enables these tiny flying machines thus to outperform man-​made aircraft? Well, most aircraft have gyroscopes to help them maintain stability as they maneuver. Flies have their own version of the gyroscope​—the halteres, lever-​shaped protrusions right where other insects have their hind wings. The halteres vibrate in sync with the wings. They guide the fly and keep it in balance as it darts about.

But the real secret, according to paleontologist Wootton, is in the insects’ wings. He writes that when he was a graduate student in the 1960’s, he began to suspect that insect wings were “far more than abstract patterns of veins and membrane,” as they were often depicted. Rather, he says, “each wing seemed to me to be an elegant piece of small-​scale engineering.”

For instance, the long veins in insect wings are actually strong tubes laced with tiny air-​filled ducts called tracheae. These light, rigid spars are linked together by crossveins. The pattern thus formed is more than beautiful; according to Wootton, it is similar to the lattice girders and space frames that structural engineers use to increase strength and rigidity.

Over this intricate framework is stretched a membrane that scientists still do not fully understand, beyond the fact that it is exceptionally strong and light. Wootton notes that stretching this material over the wing’s latticework helps to make the wing stronger and more rigid, much the way an artist will find that stretching his canvas over a wobbly wooden frame makes it rigid.

But the wings must not be too rigid. They must survive the tremendous pressures of beating at high speeds and must be ready to endure many collisions. Accordingly, Wootton found by examining the wings in cross section that many of them taper from base to tip, making them more flexible at the ends. He writes: “The wings in general respond to impacts not by stiff opposition but by yielding and rapid recovery, like a reed in the wind.”

Perhaps even more remarkable, the wings can change shape during flight. Of course, birds’ wings do the same, but birds use the muscles in their wings to deform them into different shapes. An insect’s muscles do not extend past the base of its wings. In this respect the insect’s wing is like the sail on a boat. To change the shape, control must come from the base, from the crew on the deck below, or from the muscles in the bug’s thorax. “But,” as Wootton notes, “insect wings are far more subtly constructed than sails and distinctly more interesting. . . . They also incorporate shock absorbers, counterweights, ripstop mechanisms and many other simple but brilliantly effective devices, all of which increase the wing’s aerodynamic effectiveness.”

Lift​—The Key Ingredient

All of these, and many other aspects of the wing’s design, enable the insect to manipulate it to gain that final key ingredient for flight​—lift. In fact, Wootton describes over half a dozen complex ways in which insects maneuver their wings to generate upward force.

Marvin Luttges, an aerospace engineer, has spent ten years studying the flight of dragonflies. These insects generate so much lift that the American magazine National Wildlife recently described the way they fly as “an aerodynamic miracle.” Luttges attached tiny weights to one variety, called the widow, and found that the little insect could carry aloft from two to two-​and-a-half times its own weight​—with ease. That means that, for their size, these creatures can lift three times more than the most efficient of man-​made aircraft!

How do they do it? Luttges and his colleagues found that with each downstroke, the dragonfly twists its wing slightly, generating tiny whirlwinds on the top surface of the wing. This complex use of what engineers call unsteady airflows is a far cry from the way man-​made airplanes fly; they depend on steady airflows. But it is the dragonfly’s ability to “tap the power of the whirlwind,” as National Wildlife puts it, that creates such “phenomenal lift.” Both the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Navy are funding and supporting Luttges’ work. If airplanes could incorporate similar principles, they could take off much more easily and land on much smaller airstrips.

Matching the dragonfly’s maneuverability, though, would be another challenge altogether. National Wildlife notes that from the time the dragonfly takes its very first flight, it performs “immediately the miracles that today’s most sophisticated human aviators can only envy.”

Little wonder, then, that paleontologist Wootton concluded on this subject: “The better we understand the functioning of insect wings, the more subtle and beautiful their designs appear.” He added: “They have few if any technological parallels​—yet.”

“Yet.” That one word reveals the optimistic​—if not arrogant—​human belief that given enough time, man could duplicate virtually any of the Creator’s works. No doubt man will continue to produce remarkable, ingenious imitations of what he finds in nature. But we should bear one point in mind. It is one thing to imitate; it is quite another to originate. As the wise man Job said over 30 centuries ago: “Ask, please, the domestic animals, and they will instruct you; also the winged creatures of the heavens, and they will tell you. Who among all these does not well know that the hand of Jehovah itself has done this?”​—Job 12:7, 9.

But Is It Genuine?

WHAT one man can make, another can fake. What you see offered may seem to be exactly what you want, but is it genuine? At times, drastic remedies have been used to curb counterfeiting. One German innkeeper in the 14th century was hanged for selling inferior wine as genuine Rüdesheimer. In Britain, during 140 years prior to 1832, over 300 people were hanged for forgery. In 1597 two goldsmiths were nailed by the ears to the pillory for falsely marking inferior gold plate.

“The collecting mania created a paradise for dishonest dealers,” says Mark Jones, who worked with the British Museum’s exhibition Fake? The Art of Deception. Even the best-​informed people have become victims. The “fossil” Piltdown man was fabricated and fooled the scientific establishment for years. The Hitler “diaries” give eloquent testimony to the ability of counterfeiters to deceive even those who should know better.

“The great growth area for faking today,” says Mark Jones, “is . . . the massive counterfeiting of brand-​named goods.” It was estimated, for example, that from 10,000 to 15,000 counterfeit Apple computers were sold each month in the United States in 1987. A $33 million fraud in fake Waterford crystal was recently exposed. “Replicas of the world’s most famous crystal were being produced at a factory in a remote French village,” said The Sunday Times in Britain.

This generation covets luxury goods. “Today,” says Vincent Carratu, a veteran in the war against counterfeiters, the commercial counterfeiter “will produce false Chanel perfumes, tomorrow he will switch to counterfeit Fila sports shirts, then later he will import fake Dunlop tennis rackets.” Whatever the consumer wants, the counterfeiter makes. But, warns Britain’s Anti-​Counterfeiting Group, “all too often . . . the ‘bargain’ designer watch sold for £50 is actually only worth £5.”

Life-​Threatening Fakes

Anti-​Counterfeiting News also points out another problem, the danger of inferior goods: “Dangerous and substandard products present a real threat to consumers’ safety.” How serious a threat is this? Trademark World gives these examples: “Fourteen aeroplane crashes and at least two deaths have been traced to counterfeit aviation parts.” The National Consumer Council in Britain exposed how thousands of below-​standard electrical plugs and fake automobile brake cylinders with inferior rubber seals made their way to the market. “All these,” it said, “could present a hazard to the consumer.”

Particularly callous are those who produce fake drugs. “Up to 70% of all drugs sold in parts of Africa are counterfeit,” says The Anti-​Counterfeiting Group in Britain. Eye drops found in Nigeria, for example, had no active ingredient and were made with contaminated water. They could have caused blindness. “If people have to rely on ‘antibiotics’ that contain no antibiotics,” said the World Health Organization in 1987, “there are bound to be deaths and so counterfeiting is mass murder.”

Even the bank notes you handle may be counterfeit. Recently, in one year alone, $110 million in counterfeit dollar notes were confiscated worldwide. Forged $100 notes circulating in Ireland were of such high quality “that 155 [were] passed in all the major banks,” says The Irish Times.

What can you do to protect yourself from fakes? One consumer-​affairs expert says that “the best protection against fraud is an informed consumer.” She adds: “If it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is.”

[Picture on page 20]

The Piltdown “fossil” was a fake that fooled scientists for years

Young People Ask . . .

Why Is My Curfew So Strict?

LEN enjoyed staying out late with his friends. But his father soon learned that Len’s late-​night antics were anything but innocent fun. “Once I got into so much trouble,” recalls Len, “that I was not allowed to leave my room for two weeks​—except for meals and school. I was not to be caught even looking out the window! When my punishment was over, I went out with some friends and stayed out till midnight. Pulling into the driveway, I saw my father sitting on the front porch waiting for me . . .”

Many youths resent having their comings and goings monitored by their parents. Says one young girl: “When I became a teenager, my parents started putting all kinds of restraints on me, like coming in by midnight. I really resented it.” When such youths act out their resentment by a show of defiance, the usual result is, not more freedom, but more and tighter restrictions.

For minor infractions the penalty may simply be that the curfew is moved to an earlier hour. For more serious offenses, a youth may be deprived of certain privileges, or he may be temporarily grounded. “If you come in late on Saturday night,” explains one teenage girl, “you might not be able to go out at all on the following Saturday.” And then there is ‘solitary confinement’: no visitors, no phone calls, no television. But for some youths, the most agonizing punishment of all is being lectured. “Oh, the guilt trip!” exclaims one teenage boy. “They start talking about how they were so worried about you. The guilt is terrible.”

Isn’t it true, though, that your parents love you and have the right to demand that you be home at a reasonable hour? And when you are not, they are bound to feel uneasy, anxious, perhaps even unable to sleep. A youth who truly loves and cares for his parents would surely not want to be responsible for such needless anxiety. Would it not show extreme selfishness?

Many youths feel, however, that their parents have put them under restrictions that are unfair or unreasonable. “They’re crazy, trying to treat me like a fifteen-​year-​old,” protests 18-​year-​old Fred. “I just refuse to do what he says and my father and I are in a real battle about it.” But there are better ways to deal with your parents than resorting to defiance.

Fair or Unfair?

First of all, just how unfair are those restrictions? As a previous article showed, your parents probably have legitimate reasons to fear for your safety and well-​being.a Are not other Christian youths your age under similar restrictions? If so, what valid grounds do you have to question your parents’ judgment?

Young Len, mentioned at the outset, didn’t grasp that his father had his best interests at heart. You’ll recall that he broke his curfew, only to find his father waiting for him on the front porch. Len’s solution? More disobedience. “As the car pulled into the driveway, I scooted down in the car seat so Dad couldn’t see me, and I asked my friend to pull out. I decided that I was going to leave home.” Len did leave home and began associating with a wild crowd that led him into sexual immorality, car theft, and drug abuse. Eventually, he landed in jail. An extreme case? Perhaps. But it well illustrates the truthfulness of Proverbs 1:32: “For the renegading of the inexperienced ones is what will kill them.”

Some youths may not object to the idea of a curfew in principle, but they resent that their siblings seem to have more freedom than they do. “My older brother Mark used to stay out as late as he wanted,” complains a youth named Patti, “but he never got grounded. Me​—if I’m in even a few minutes late, it’s all over! It’s not fair.” It’s easy to see why such a situation might upset you. But before you cry “unfair!” consider the Bible principles set forth at Galatians 6:4, 5: “Let each one prove what his own work is, and then he will have cause for exultation in regard to himself alone, and not in comparison with the other person. For each one will carry his own load.”

You are an individual. And the fact that an older sibling enjoys certain privileges does not necessarily entitle you to the same. Likely your older sibling had to prove his or her dependability over a period of time. You will too. Besides, don’t you hate it when a parent compares you to an older brother or sister? Why do the same yourself by comparing your different privileges? In his book “After All We’ve Done for Them,” Dr. Louis Fine notes: “Parents often do treat and discipline their children differently from one another. This could be because they recognize that their children are individuals with distinct needs and capabilities and should be regarded as different.”

Sometimes, though, youths feel they are being made to pay for an older sibling’s mistakes. “Just because my sister took the car out and stayed out too late, my staying out late is automatically ruled out. I’m not even given a chance to prove myself!” This situation, though, may not be nearly as unjust as it appears. Your parents are older and wiser than they were when they raised your brother or sister. Not wanting to repeat their mistakes, they may be a bit stricter with you.

But why be punished for coming in a little late? No doubt about it, being grounded is not fun. So you usually think twice about coming home late again. Young Marcus puts it this way: “I have been punished a lot of times. . . . If you weren’t punished, you’d never learn anything.” As the Bible says, “he that is holding to discipline is a path to life.”​—Proverbs 10:17.

Overprotective Parents

Admittedly, it sometimes seems that the punishment far exceeds the “crime.” Parents may be a bit overprotective and perhaps be unreasonable in their demands. Good communication, however, often nips problems in the bud. If you let your parents know where you are going, what you will be doing, whom you will be with, and when you will get back, they will probably be more willing to grant you some latitude. If they appear to be unreasonable, try approaching them at “the right time”​—perhaps when they are calm and rested. (Proverbs 25:11) Acknowledge their fears and concerns. Assure them of your love for them and your desire to cooperate. Help them appreciate that gaining more freedom is part of becoming an adult.

“You also have to let them know exactly what the situation is,” says one teenage girl. “When you explain why you can’t be home early on a certain occasion, they usually understand.” By talking matters over in a mature manner, you impress upon your parents that you are responsible​—someone who can be trusted. If your parents still have reservations, perhaps you could suggest a reasonable compromise.

What if permission is granted? Then ‘let your Yes mean Yes,’ and be home on time! (Matthew 5:37) True, even the best-​laid plans can go awry. (Compare James 4:13, 14.) An emergency or sudden change in plans can occur. If so, call home if possible, and let your parents know what’s going on. “As long as my mother knows where I am and that I’m on my way, she’s OK,” says one teenager.

Establishing a good track record is another important measure. Proverbs 20:11 says: “Even by his practices a boy makes himself recognized as to whether his activity is pure and upright.” If you set a pattern of obedience and upright conduct, your parents may remain calm if you come in a bit late on one occasion. Of course, even with Jesus’ record of perfect conduct, his parents became ‘mentally distressed’ when he was missing. (Luke 2:48) So don’t be surprised if your parents become upset​—so upset that they initially may not allow you to explain why you were late!

Proverbs 29:11 says: “All his spirit is what a stupid one lets out, but he that is wise keeps it calm to the last.” Let the storm of their anger blow over. When things have calmed down a bit, offer an explanation. But “speak truth.” (Ephesians 4:25) Do not make up far-​fetched excuses; that would only prove that you can’t be trusted. If you were careless or forgetful, offer a sincere apology, and be willing to accept punishment. Perhaps your folks will see no need to take matters any further. But then again, they may feel that some further restrictions are in order, and you will simply have to win back their confidence.

Curfews may be inconvenient, but they are hardly cruel and unusual punishment. Take them in stride. If you cooperate with your parents and avoid a defiant spirit, they may even decide that they should lighten up a bit and give you more freedom.

[Footnotes]

[Picture on page 23]

Defying your parents usually results in further limits on your freedom

The Truth Has Set Me Free

MY FATHER died when I was seven, and my poor mother was left to raise six children. We grew up in the city of Johannesburg, South Africa. As a youth, I did not enjoy the company of others. You see, I was embarrassed to talk because I stuttered so badly.

But this handicap helped me develop other abilities. At school, I often came in first when our class wrote essays. Sometimes the teachers would even read my essays to other classes. Also, stuttering did not affect my ability to sing. At home, I spent most of my spare time in the bedroom playing the guitar and singing.

Eventually, music became my only real interest. I longed to play in a rock band, and this affected my schoolwork. In fact, I left school without completing basic education. I formed a band, and we spent almost every weekend playing at different locations around Johannesburg. Soon my hair had grown long, and I began drinking too much alcohol.

I remember playing at a nightclub in Johannesburg for several weeks. One of the employees, who seemed to be a beautiful woman, took a liking to me and would buy me drinks. How disgusted I felt when I found out that this person was a male dressed up as a woman! Yes, the nightclub catered to homosexuals. To keep up the schedule at this nightclub, from 9:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m., six nights a week, we became dependent on hallucinatory drugs.

After five years of playing in a band, something happened that made me start thinking seriously about religion. A Catholic priest invited our band to play for a youth organization in his church hall. Over 500 teenagers were present, and the Catholic priest was the cashier. We were playing really wild music, and many of the kids were under the influence of alcohol. But it was another group of kids who caught my attention. They were sitting in circles on the dance floor passing around drugs. I began to question whether God really existed.

Is There a God?

In my search, I went to Seventh-​Day Adventist, Methodist, Catholic, and other churches. But I felt they had nothing to offer, and I soon stopped attending. My feeling of disillusionment was confirmed by what took place one Sunday night at a disco. The lights were low and the music loud, and my eyes caught sight of the bartender, who was the local Catholic priest. He wore a pair of jeans, a vest without a shirt, and a large crucifix around his neck. We didn’t think that he was any better than us, and we called him the hippie priest.

I became interested in Buddhism and bought a little statue of Buddha, which I put in my room next to my bed. Every day I would kneel in front of it and say, “O Buddha, please help me.” I also believed that humans have an astral soul attached to the body with a silver cord and that by this means a person could travel through the universe wherever he wanted.

This false belief in the immortality of the soul affected our music. (Compare Ecclesiastes 9:5, 10 and Ezekiel 18:4.) I began writing songs under the influence of drugs. The band learned to play my music, and we had a professional recording made of it. The recording lasted two hours, and the songs followed a theme of the life of an astral traveler. One of the songs was about Satan; it promoted the blasphemous idea that the Devil is more powerful than God.

My obsession with the occult and hallucinatory drugs was really hurting me. I would wake up at night and see dark figures moving about my room. One night I got so frightened that my arms went limp, and I could hardly move as a terrifying object came toward me. On another occasion, I was lying on my bed when strange objects suddenly appeared in the room. I began to wish I could break free from this enslavement.

A Day That Changed My Life

By this time my brother Charles and his wife, Lorraine, had become Jehovah’s Witnesses. On Saturday morning, I would often wake up with a hangover and find a little slip of paper next to my bed. On it Charles had written a few Bible texts that related to my wayward life-​style.

Then one Sunday, Charles and Lorraine invited me to accompany them to see a Bible drama enacted by Jehovah’s Witnesses at their annual district convention in Pretoria. Curious about the drama, I decided to go. How pleasantly surprised I was to see such a large crowd of clean people! I enjoyed the day even though I didn’t understand 90 percent of what I heard. When Charles introduced me to his friends, I was impressed by the warm way they welcomed me, although I had long hair and was not dressed suitably for the occasion. Arrangements were made for a Witness to study the Bible with me.

The next week, instead of attending band practice, I went to the meetings of Jehovah’s Witnesses at their Kingdom Hall. By the end of the week, I had decided to quit the band and sell my musical equipment. After the band broke up, we agreed among ourselves that I should keep the master tape of our recordings because I had written all the songs as well as composed the music. I could not resist the temptation to keep it. I also kept my acoustic guitar and continued playing the occult music that I had composed under the influence of drugs.

As I continued studying the Bible and attending Christian meetings, my understanding of God’s requirements gradually increased. I soon realized that to please God, I would have to participate in the Christian meetings and share in spreading the good news from house to house as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. (Acts 5:42; Romans 10:10) The thought of doing this made me shudder. My stuttering was so bad that I had become an introvert, usually relying on others to speak for me.

Stuttering Did Not Stop Me

When attending meetings, I used to say to myself, ‘If only I could give a comment like the others.’ Eventually I did, but how I battled to get those few words out! After the meeting concluded, many came over and commended me. They made me feel like a soccer player who has just scored a goal. I was beginning to feel the genuine love that is the mark of true Christianity.​—John 13:35.

My next hurdle came when I joined the Theocratic Ministry School and had to give a Bible reading before a small audience. I stuttered so badly that I was unable to complete the assignment in the allotted time. After the meeting the school overseer kindly gave me practical advice. He suggested that I practice reading aloud to myself. This I did, spending time day after day, reading aloud from my Bible and the Watchtower magazine. The confidence I gained from the Theocratic Ministry School helped me to face the challenge of calling on strangers in the door-​to-​door ministry. In October 1973, I was baptized in symbol of my dedication to Jehovah God.

Making the Final Break

However, I was still a new, immature Christian. For example, after sharing in house-​to-​house preaching on a cold Sunday, I would climb into my car and close the windows. While enjoying the warmth of the sun, I would listen to a cassette recording of the master tape of my music. At the same time, I had also started courting a fine young woman, Debbie, who shared in the Witness work full-​time. Once, while I was listening to that tape, Debbie approached the car, and I quickly stopped the tape. Deep down I realized that it was not music fit for a Christian.

Soon after Debbie and I got married, we started having problems. I would often wake up in the middle of the night sweating and shaking. I had terrifying nightmares of wading through rivers of blood while being chased by demons. My poor wife went through a difficult time for many months because of these demon attacks. Although Debbie wasn’t fully aware of the content of my music, she did suspect that it had a bad influence on me, and she voiced that opinion. But I stubbornly insisted: “I’m going to keep this tape forever for sentimental reasons.”

We also argued about many other things, and I would often end up shouting at her. Because we had so many fights, Debbie wisely approached the congregation elders for help. Sometimes an elder would visit and try to help us, but after the elder left, I again got angry with Debbie. Too proud to admit that we needed help, I would say: “What right did you have to go to the elders and talk to them. That is my responsibility. I am the head of the house.” Yes, I had an unbalanced view of headship. Then I would sulk and not talk to her for days. Now I realize that all she was trying to do was save her husband and her marriage.

Then one night Debbie spoke to one of the elders about my guitar playing and the type of music I listened to. So an elder came over and had a long chat with me. I remember that he asked me: “Do you have something in your home that could possibly be the cause of your problems?” At last I opened up and told him about the tape, admitting that it bothered my conscience.​—1 Timothy 1:5, 19.

That same night, after the elder left, I decided to get rid of the tape. Debbie and I took it into the backyard and tried to burn it, but it wouldn’t burn. So we dug a hole and buried it. I also sold my guitar. I thought to myself: ‘If I’m going to make the break from debasing music, then I must do it completely.’ And amazingly, I stopped having nightmares. From that time onward, things gradually improved in our marriage.

The Challenge of Public Speaking

Although the Theocratic Ministry School had given me more confidence, I still stuttered badly. I longed to be able to give a talk in the congregation without stuttering. Debbie kindly suggested that I go to a speech therapist. I agreed, and for about four months, I received professional help once a week. By applying the therapy along with the good advice from Jehovah’s organization, I have been able to make progress in public speaking.

In 1976, I had the privilege of being appointed an elder in our congregation. Two months later, I gave my first 45-​minute public talk. A few years later, I had the privilege of giving my first talk on a circuit assembly program. In time I was assigned a talk at almost every circuit assembly. Then, in December 1990, I reached the high point of my experience as a public speaker. I was privileged to give a 20-​minute talk on Christian family life to an audience of over four thousand at the English session of the “Pure Language” District Convention of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Johannesburg.

I need to work continually on my stuttering problem. If I do not, it may recur, and once I get into a stuttering spell, it is hard for me to break out of it. Now and then, I still have a bit of a problem, but reliance on Jehovah really helps. Whenever I walk to the platform to give a talk, I pray to Jehovah to help me so that I can be calm and present the information well. May I say, though, that I have never forgotten humbly to thank Jehovah after a talk because it is by his help that I’ve been able to do it.

Debbie and I have also been blessed with two lovely children, Pendray, aged 15, and Kyle, aged 11. As a family, we find great joy in going out in the house-​to-​house ministry. The enthusiasm Pendray and Kyle show for this work is a real encouragement to Debbie and me.

As I look back over my life, I feel both happiness and regret. Regret for the bad influence my music had on others but happiness that I found the truth, stopped playing debasing music, and succeeded in overcoming the obstacle of stuttering. I often think of Jesus’ words to his disciples: “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:32) Through Jehovah’s undeserved kindness, that has also been my happy experience.​—As told by William Jordaan.

[Pictures on page 26]

Debbie and William Jordaan today

I continually have to work hard on my stuttering problem

Watching the World

In Search of a New World Order

For the first time in more than 40 years, the United Nations is being revived as an instrument of collective security. On January 31, New York City was the scene of a historic gathering of the high and mighty and the small and poor as heads of governments opened the first UN Security Council summit meeting. This unique one-​day assembly of the Security Council was to search for what world leaders have called a new world order to replace the dangers of Cold War confrontations. British prime minister John Major called the summit a “turning point in the world and at the United Nations.” The world leaders want to enhance the UN’s peace-​keeping capacity. Thus, the summit meeting’s declaration states: “The members of the Council agree that the world now has the best chance of achieving international peace and security since the foundation of the United Nations.”

“Baby Killers”

Respiratory illnesses, such as bronchitis, pneumonia (even when caused by minor disorders like the common cold), are the “number one killers of children under the age of five,” United Nations statistics show. “Eight children die every minute because of these illnesses, making a total of four million infant deaths each year,” reports the weekly supplement Corriere salute. The solution? According to the experts, “earlier use of antibiotics, and, in addition, building up the children’s defenses, improving their diet, and making more widespread use of vaccination.”

Breast-​Feeding and AIDS

“Mother’s milk could soon become a leading killer of children in the Third World,” warns Time International magazine. Again, AIDS is to blame. According to limited research done in central Africa and reported in the New England Journal of Medicine, 8 out of 15 babies who contracted AIDS during the study were infected at their mother’s breast. Should this research be confirmed, health officials will face a dilemma: Should they promote bottle-​feeding, which under unsanitary conditions increases infant mortality by 500 percent, or should they continue to encourage breast-​feeding with its risk of passing on the AIDS virus? Dr. Jean Mayer, an expert on nutrition, lamented: “There is no good solution . . . This is a catastrophe of the first order.”

[Picture on page 28]

AIDS

On the Brink of Nuclear War

Thirty years ago the world teetered on the brink of nuclear war, according to information disclosed last January by a high-​ranking Soviet military officer at a closed-​door conference in Havana. During the 1962 Cuban missile crisis, Cuba had nuclear weapons with warheads equivalent to between 6 thousand and 12 thousand tons of TNT. The Soviet Union had shipped nuclear-​tipped missiles to Cuba and had authorized their use in case of an American military attack on the island. According to The New York Times, Robert S. McNamara, U.S. secretary of defense under President John F. Kennedy, indicated at the meeting that there was no question that “Kennedy would have ordered nuclear retaliation on Cuba​—and perhaps the Soviet Union—​if nuclear weapons had been fired at United States forces.” The world breathed easier when the Soviets agreed to withdraw the intermediate-​range missiles. In retrospect, Philip Brenner, a professor at American University and a participant at the conference, commented: “We came closer to nuclear war than anyone had ever imagined.”

Immune System Helped by Therapy

Evidence appears to be mounting that the mind influences resistance to cancer once it develops, reports The Harvard Mental Health Letter, a publication from the Harvard Medical School. For example, in one study a group of women with advanced breast cancer had weekly group therapy for a year to help them face their fears and communicate better with their families, while similar women received only standard medical care. “The outcome was remarkable,” says the report. “Women in the support groups not only felt less anxiety, depression, and pain but lived on the average almost twice as long​—37 months versus 19 months.” In another study, this time with patients in an early stage of malignant melanoma (skin cancer), not only did those in a six-​week support group feel less tired, confused, and depressed but “their immune functioning also improved more by several measures” than did that of similar patients who received standard medical attention.

Brazilian “Killer Bees”

How dangerous are Brazilian “killer bees”? Although descendants of 26 African queen bees were released by accident in 1956, Newsweek reports that “Brazilians have reached a modus vivendi with the Africanized bees . . . Honey production​—which hovered around 3,000 tons annually before the Africanized bees moved in—​totaled 42,000 tons last year.” Seemingly, the secret is to “educate beekeepers how to safely handle the Africanized bees and teach the public how to stay out of harm’s way.” The magazine claims: “While it is true that they kill hundreds of livestock a year, humans appear to be in no greater danger than anywhere else.”

The Bountiful Neem

“God’s gift to mankind” is what some have dubbed the tropical neem tree and for good reason! Among the varied products mankind has derived from the neem tree are tooth powder, toothpaste, edible oils, a cattle-​worm powder, insecticides, skin-​disease remedies, and medicines for diabetes and malaria. Neem oil is used in making soap, hair tonic, and insect repellents. Recently, according to New African magazine, researchers in Kenya have conducted studies to see what further medicinal and insect-​repellent properties may be reaped from the remarkable neem.

Ozone Depletion Increasing

Research shows that the depletion of the ozone layer is escalating in both the Northern and Southern hemispheres. According to The Diplomatic World Bulletin, new findings by a panel of 80 scientists from 25 countries indicate a 3 percent ozone loss over Europe and North America during the last ten years. An additional loss of 3 percent is expected by the end of the century. The loss of ozone over Antarctica, which once occurred only in winter, has now extended to other seasons also. Scientists believe that ozone depletion, caused mostly by human activity, could result in significant climate change, damaged crops, and increased cases of skin cancer.

Violent Education

Five students at the Kobe Municipal Industrial Technical College in Japan have been failed after their first year of studies. The college is forcing them to stay in the same grade because they refused to participate in kendo fencing exercises. According to The Daily Yomiuri, the students “said it would violate the Bible’s teachings for them to participate in fighting sports.” The students, who are Jehovah’s Witnesses, have filed a lawsuit claiming that “the school decision to flunk them defies the constitutional guarantee of freedom of religion,” reports the Mainichi Daily News.

Spanish Church Chided

Does the Roman Catholic Church give satisfactory guidance for dealing with problems related to family life? Only 35 percent of Spaniards believe that it does, according to a recent survey carried out by the Centro de Investigaciones sobre la Realidad Social (Center for the Investigation of Social Attitudes). How about satisfying the spiritual needs of the people? Just 42 percent of those persons polled consider that the church fulfills this responsibility. On the other hand, the Bible​—a book that does satisfy spiritual needs and that gives clear guidance on how to enjoy a happy family life—​is regularly read by only 4 percent of the population.

Airplane Evacuation Questioned

What are your chances of injury if you are forced to evacuate an airplane in an emergency? Airline critics say that they are getting worse and that the problem is increasing as airlines squeeze more seats into their planes. For instance, one airline flying a 747 from Los Angeles, U.S.A., to Sydney, Australia, has seats for 378 passengers, but another using the same plane between Osaka and Tokyo, Japan, seats 533 passengers. Although statistics show that air travel is 19 times safer than automobile travel, the potential for disaster increases as the planes are crammed with passengers. A recent evacuation test to determine if a McDonnell Douglas MD-11 aircraft could safely hold 410 seats instead of the normal 287 left one woman paralyzed from the neck down when her spine was broken; 46 others were injured​—6 suffered broken bones. Current U.S. government standards require aircraft manufacturers to show that their planes can be evacuated in 90 seconds with half of the exits blocked.

From Our Readers

Flirting Thank you for the article “Young People Ask . . . How Can I Avoid the Hurt of Flirting?” (December 8, 1991) I recently experienced the feelings of pain and betrayal that result from flirting when the young man I was engaged to ended our relationship abruptly and without cause. Later I learned that he had a reputation for being a flirt and had hurt others before me. I now realize that I am partly to blame for this painful situation because I became too emotionally involved too soon. I just wish that this information had been available months ago.

G. T., United States

A young man told me that he simply wanted me as a friend, and I agreed to that. But he continued to call and ask me out on dates. When he later asked me if I would consider him as a marriage mate, I was thrilled! But a year later he tells me that he never really wanted to get married. He says I shouldn’t have got so emotional about matters since he had told me at the beginning that he wasn’t ready for marriage. Then to “cover” himself, he says he still wants to marry me​—but in the new world. I’m still hurting, but the article is helping me to deal with the situation.

S. Y., United States

Families Draw Close I am one of those fathers who has never taken an interest in his children. I did not realize the long-​term consequences this could have. Reading your articles on “Families​—Draw Close Before It’s Too Late” (September 22, 1991) cut my heart to the quick! I promise to change and to do my best to show my children more affection.

J. B. M., Gabon

The articles talked about answering a baby’s cry. Does this mean that we should answer every cry? If so, would this not allow the infant to manipulate his parents​—to his eventual detriment?

S. H., United States

We established no inflexible rule but gave general encouragement for mothers to be responsive to their infants. And while there may be some legitimate concerns about spoiling older babies and toddlers, most doctors believe that it is difficult to spoil very young infants by responding to their cries.​—See the article “Johnny, Please Be Quiet!” in the September 8, 1982, issue of “Awake!”​—ED.

Fraud in Science I was especially interested in the article “Shenanigans in the Halls of Science.” (November 22, 1991) I am affiliated with one of the institutions mentioned in the article, and it is shocking to know that such a scenario could surface in the trusted scientific community. When competition and pressure to be number one outweigh honesty, such things happen. I admire Dr. O’Toole’s courage and honesty​—which cost her her job! The attitude appears to be, ‘Who was Dr. O’Toole to correct Dr. Imanishi-​Kari?’ Open-​mindedness is supposed to characterize scientists, but sometimes the opposite is true.

O. O., United States

Wool I wish to thank you for the article “The Wonder of Wool.” (September 22, 1991) I am now learning to be a dressmaker, and we have studied about wool. I have made this article the basis for my school project. I was a bit anxious about doing so since my schoolmates made fun of me for being one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Our principal even gave a talk to warn the students about Jehovah’s Witnesses! But my teacher read the article with interest and asked for a personal copy of Awake!

P. A., Czechoslovakia

“So That Nothing Is Wasted”

By Awake! correspondent in Ghana

I MET him at his humble workshop in Labadi, a suburb of Accra, sawing and planing the manual way with an amazing display of energy. His name is Adams Akuetteh. He is 70 years old and has been a carpenter for the past 50 years.

When I asked him what he considered the high point of his carpentry career, he quickly said the four years he spent on the construction of the new branch facilities for the Watch Tower Society at Nungua, Ghana. This was from 1984 to 1988.

“What did you do at the construction site?” I asked.

“I worked on concrete forms and assisted the roofers.”

“You seem to be remembered more,” I suggested, “in connection with the supply of nails at the site.”

“Ah, yes, nails. Nails are expensive in Ghana, you know. In those days a pound [half a kilogram] of nails cost from two to three dollars. So I said to myself, ‘Can’t we recycle some of the nails? I will try.’

“So I started on my own initiative and on my own time. When the overseer of the project saw me, he was delighted. He permanently assigned me to that job. So for four years, I combed the site every morning collecting stray nails. I also carefully removed any that I found in the wood of dismantled forms.”

“Did you throw out the dull and bent ones?”

“No. The dull ones were reused on soft wood, or a drill was used to start them for reuse on hardwood. The crooked ones I carefully straightened with a hammer.”

“Didn’t you find this job monotonous and boring?”

“A young fellow might have, but I didn’t. The project overseer told me my work was saving the Society money, Jehovah’s money, so I was delighted. It was a special joy to me to see the heaps of different sizes of salvaged nails grow. And I would say to myself, ‘Aha! Now I am ahead of the roofers!’ But then the heaps disappeared. They would shout from the rooftop for more! So I went at it full swing again.”

“What are you doing now that the construction work is over?”

“I am in the full-​time ministry again, waiting till you come to build an extension on the Ghana branch. Then I will be there, salvaging nails and saving money​—with joy.”

For four years he did what some would consider menial work. But never was it so considered by Adams Akuetteh, “the nail straightener of the Ghana branch.” With joy he recycled nails to save money for Jehovah!

Such was also the thinking of Jesus. Although he had unlimited miraculous power to multiply loaves of bread, he said after one meal: “Gather together the fragments that remain over, so that nothing is wasted.”​—John 6:12.

[Picture on page 31]

Adams Akuetteh, “the nail straightener of the Ghana branch”

Come, Hear the Free Public Talk:

“Follow the Light of the World”

Humans need light to illuminate their way just as surely as a car needs its headlights on a winding mountain road on a dark night. Spiritual light may be compared to excellent headlights, which light a roadway so that people can see exactly where they are going. What is the source of that spiritual light? And who is reflecting it today?

These are questions that will be answered in the public talk featured at the hundreds of “Light Bearers” District Conventions of Jehovah’s Witnesses to be held around the world this summer. You are cordially invited to attend.

The convention program will also feature helpful discussions on practical matters of life as well as a full-​costume Bible drama. Contact the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses in your area to find out where and when the convention nearest your home will be held, or write the publishers of this magazine.