Page Two

ABORTION​—The Making and the Taking of a Life 3-12

Pro-lifers march for the rights of the unborn. Pro-choicers insist it’s the woman’s right to decide. While this moral war rages, annually from 50 million to 60 million of the unborn lose their lives.

Revival of Science by Revolution 13

In their search for scientific truth, talented individuals played a key role in laying the foundations of modern science.

“Quality Time” Doled Out in Limited Quantities 16

A term coined to ease parental guilt, to allow parents to spend less time with their children.

[Picture Credit Line on page 2]

Cover photo and above, four-month-old fetus: S. J. Allen/​Int’l Stock Photo Ltd.

[Picture Credit Line on page 2]

Below: Taken from Giordano Bruno and Galilei (German edition)

Do These Religions Have the Answer?

IN A moral quandary over the abortion question, many seek the guidance of their spiritual leaders. How do these respond?

The Catholic Church takes a staunch position against abortion, teaching that life begins at conception. Some priests are politically involved and call on the pope to excommunicate Catholic politicians who cast pro-abortion votes. Nevertheless, many Catholics are for abortion and call for liberalization.

The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) reports that 46 percent of pastors “do not believe the Bible teaches that abortion is wrong.” The church’s official stand is pro-abortion.

The 16th General Synod of the United Church of Christ resolved that it ‘upholds the right of men and women to have adequate family planning services and to safe legal abortion as one option.’

The Evangelical Lutheran Church policy states that abortion “ought to be an option only of last resort”; yet it refused to call abortion a “sin” or to say that “life begins at conception.”

The Southern Baptist Convention is strongly antiabortion. But the American Baptist Church states: “We are divided as to the proper witness of the church to the state regarding abortion. Consequently, we acknowledge the freedom of each individual to advocate for a public policy on abortion that reflects his or her beliefs.”

Judaism is divided, the Orthodox branch taking a largely antiabortion stand, while Reform and Conservative Jews largely favor abortion.

Islam allows abortion for any reason for the first 40 days of life but only for a threat to the mother’s life thereafter. The Hadith says that the fetus is “40 days in the form of a seed, then he is a clot of blood for a like period, then a morsel of flesh for a like period, then . . . there is sent to him the angel who blows the breath of life into him.”

Shintoism holds no official position and leaves abortion to personal choice.

Hindus, Buddhists, and Sikhs teach a general respect for life. But they are not embroiled in debate on the abortion issue, since they believe in reincarnation; abortion merely sends the unborn baby on to another life.

Part 4

Science​—Mankind’s Ongoing Search for Truth

Revival of Science by Revolution

TURBULENCE struck the world during the second half of the 18th century as revolutions changed the political landscape, first in America, then in France. Meanwhile, in England a different kind of revolution began, the industrial revolution. It had much to do with another kind of revolution, a scientific one.

Some date the rebirth of science from the 1540’s, when Polish astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus and Belgian anatomist Andreas Vesalius published books that profoundly affected scientific thinking. Others place the change earlier, in 1452, when Leonardo da Vinci was born. An incessant experimenter who made numerous scientific contributions, Leonardo developed ideas that were in some cases the seeds of inventions perfected centuries later, such as the airplane, the military tank, and the parachute.

But science as we now know it, says Ernest Nagel, professor emeritus at Columbia University, “did not become firmly established as a continuing institution in Western society until the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.” Once it did, a major turning point in human history had been reached. Notes the book The Scientist: “Between roughly 1590 and 1690 a host of geniuses . . . produced a flowering of research scarcely equalled in any other 100-year period.”

Villains Darken the Path

Pseudosciences also flourished, like villains whose incorrect theories stood in the way of genuine scientific advancement. The phlogiston theory was one of these. “Phlogiston,” from the Greek, means “burned.” It was introduced in 1702 by George Ernst Stahl, who held that phlogiston was released when combustible materials burned. He thought of it as a principle rather than as a real substance, but the belief that it was an actual substance grew over the years. Not until between 1770 and 1790 was Antoine-Laurent Lavoisier able to discredit this theory.

The Book of Popular Science admits that while the phlogiston theory “was utterly wrong, yet for a time it provided a working hypothesis that apparently explained many natural phenomena. It was simply one of many scientific hypotheses that have been tried in the balance and that have been found wanting in the course of the years.”

Alchemy was another villain. Harrap’s Illustrated Dictionary of Science defines it as “a blend of philosophy, mysticism and chemical technology, originating before the Christian era, seeking variously the conversion of base metals into gold, the prolongation of life and the secret of immortality.” Before being rejected, alchemy helped lay the foundation for modern chemistry, a transformation that was completed by the end of the 17th century.

So although villains, the phlogiston theory and alchemy were not without redeeming value. Not so, however, the human villains who because of religious persuasion fostered antiscientific attitudes. Rivalry between science and theology​—both professing to be the sole authority on questions of the universe—​has often led to outright confrontation.

For example, in the second century C.E., the renowned astronomer Ptolemy devised the geocentric theory, meaning that while the planets revolve in a circle, the center of the circle, called the epicycle, also moves on the circumference of another circle. It was mathematical ingenuity at its best and was an explanation of the apparent movement in the sky of the sun, moon, planets, and stars that was widely accepted until the 16th century.

Copernicus (1473-1543) developed an alternative theory. He believed that whereas the planets, including the earth, revolve around the sun, the sun is at rest. This idea​—a moving earth no longer the center of the universe—​if true, would have far-reaching consequences. Less than a hundred years later, Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei through telescopes made observations that convinced him that the Copernican hypothesis of an earth revolving around the sun was indeed true. But the Catholic Church rejected Galileo’s views as heretical and forced him to recant.

Religious errors had caused church theologians to deny scientific truth. Not until almost 360 years later did the church clear Galileo. L’Osservatore Romano, in its weekly edition of November 4, 1992, acknowledged “subjective error of judgement” in the case against Galileo.

Villains Still Exist

Likewise, in this 20th century, the religions of Christendom display a similar disrespect for truth. This they do by giving preference to unproved scientific theories in the face of truth, both scientific and religious. The best example is the unprovable theory of evolution, basically the illegitimate offspring of seriously flawed scientific “knowledge” and false religious teachings.a

Charles Darwin published his book On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection on November 24, 1859. But the idea of evolution actually stems from pre-Christian times. For example, Greek philosopher Aristotle pictured man at the top of a line evolving from lower animal life. At first, clergymen rejected Darwin’s theory, but The Book of Popular Science notes: “Evolution [later] became something more than a scientific theory . . . It became a battle cry and even a philosophy.” The idea of survival of the fittest appealed to people striving to get to the top of the ladder.

Clergy resistance soon withered. The Encyclopedia of Religion says that “Darwin’s theory of evolution achieved not merely acceptance but resounding acclaim,” and that “by the time of his death in [1882], most thoughtful and articulate clergy had worked their way to the conclusion that evolution was wholly compatible with an enlightened understanding of scripture.”

This despite the following admission by The Book of Popular Science: “Even the firmest supporters of the doctrine of organic evolution had to concede that there were glaring inaccuracies and gaps in Darwin’s original theory.” Saying that “much of Darwin’s original theory has been revamped or discarded,” the book nevertheless says that evolution’s “influence upon almost every field of human activity has been very great. History, archaeology and ethnology have undergone profound changes because of the theory.”

Today, many thoughtful scientists seriously question the theory of evolution. Sir Fred Hoyle, founder of the Cambridge Institute of Theoretical Astronomy and associate member of the American National Academy of Sciences, wrote some ten years ago: “Personally, I have little doubt that scientific historians of the future will find it mysterious that a theory which could be seen to be unworkable came to be so widely believed.”

Striking as it does at the very basis of human existence, evolution robs the Creator of his due. It also belies its claim to be scientific and does no credit to mankind’s ongoing search for scientific truth. Karl Marx was glad to embrace evolution and ‘survival of the fittest’ to bolster the rise of Communism. But evolution is a villain of the vilest kind.

Who Are the Victims?

Anyone misled into believing pseudoscientific theories becomes a victim. But even believing scientific truths poses a danger. The spectacular scientific advances resulting from the scientific revolution deceived many into believing that now nothing was beyond reach.

This belief was intensified as scientific progress continued to erode the antiscientific attitude false religion had once fostered. Commerce and politics began recognizing science as a powerful tool to be used in achieving their goals, be it monetary reward or consolidation of political power.

Clearly stated, science was slowly developing into a god, giving rise to scientism. Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary defines this as “an exaggerated trust in the efficacy of the methods of natural science applied to all areas of investigation.”

As the 19th century drew to a close, people wondered what the 20th century would bring. Would science establish the “veritable heaven on earth” many thought it capable of producing? Or would its villains continue to strew the revolution’s battlefield with the tangled bodies of additional victims? “Working 20th-Century ‘Magic,’” appearing in our next issue, will answer.

[Footnotes]

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At the Pull of a Plug

AS RECENT as the early 19th century, electricity was considered an interesting phenomenon but with little practical use. Men from different countries and various backgrounds, including H. C. Ørsted (1777-1851), M. Faraday (1791-1867), A. Ampère (1775-1836), and B. Franklin (1706-90), made important discoveries, however, that proved otherwise, thereby laying the foundation for today’s world of electricity​—the world that at the pull of a plug stops dead in its tracks.

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Nicolaus Copernicus

Galileo Galilei

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Photos taken from Giordano Bruno and Galilei (German edition)

“Quality Time” Doled Out in Limited Quantities

FEW parents take enough time for their children these days. Many are single and are struggling to provide for their offspring without the help of a spouse. And because of the deteriorating economic climate, more married parents are finding that both father and mother must work outside the home in order for the family to stay afloat financially. Little surprise, then, that the notion of quality time has flourished.

As it is generally understood, quality time usually involves scheduling some time to spend with a child, often with a specific activity in mind​—a special outing, for instance, such as a trip to the zoo. Clearly, the notion has merit. Children need any special attention they can get. However, the popular concept of quality time has some drawbacks that are becoming more obvious to experts in child care.

Apparently, many busy, career-oriented parents have adopted the beguiling notion that spending a structured, scheduled bit of time with a child will take care of all the child’s needs for parental attention. Thus, the New York Daily News quotes Dr. Lee Salk, a professor at Cornell University Medical School in the United States, as saying: “The concept of quality time is nonsense.” He explains: “The term has grown out of parental guilt. People were giving themselves permission to spend less time with their children.”

But doesn’t the quality of the time, with the parent’s undivided attention focused on the child, make up for the lack of quantity? No, for a simple reason​—parents teach their children most powerfully by example. The dark side of this truism was grimly illustrated by a recent study of inner-city youths. Those who had family members in jail while growing up were twice as likely to end up in jail themselves. Similarly, those growing up under the care of alcohol or drug abusers were nearly twice as likely to take up those deadly habits.

Good parental example can be just as powerful. The problem is that setting a good example takes time, long stretches of it, not just tidy little packets of quality time. As the New York Daily News put it: “The problem with the quality-time concept is that the key moments between a parent and child​—the conversations and decisions that instill security, values and self-esteem—​are spontaneous.” No one can schedule a spontaneous moment. A parent may set aside 15 minutes of quality time to spend with a child, but who is to say that parent and child will reach a good rapport during that time? And how will the child learn by example if those are the only minutes in the day spent with a parent?

Since parents have so little time to spare, what is the solution? There are no simple answers. Nothing can change the reality that this world has made child rearing a very difficult task. Some parents may be able to pull back on the career front. One author of a recent book on child care urges any parent who can to do just that​—stay at home with the children. But for many parents, there is no such option. And even those with a flexible work schedule or those who hold no paying job still find it hard to spend enough time with their children.

Some experts urge parents to look at the work they do around the home, such as cleaning, cooking, maintenance, auto care, laundry, and shopping, to see whether they could do some of these tasks with their children. Working together on even the most mundane chores, or just relaxing together, may offer parents the time they need to keep open the lines of communication and provide a positive example. Christian parents have other work that they will want to do with their children at their sides. Christian meetings, the ministry, family Bible study, association with fellow believers​—all of these provide parents crucial time to be with their children.

Interestingly, the Law to the nation of Israel made a similar point some 3,000 years ago. At Deuteronomy 6:6, 7, we read: “These words that I am commanding you today must prove to be on your heart; and you must inculcate them in your son and speak of them when you sit in your house and when you walk on the road and when you lie down and when you get up.” Life was not necessarily easier in ancient times. Think of all the time required just to attend to the very business of survival​—how much work it took for a father to provide for his family, or how much labor went into such tasks as cooking or laundry! But parents who loved Jehovah did as much as they could with their children at their sides and so found many moments in the day to inculcate God’s Law into their young hearts.

Christian parents today need to do the same. When it comes to spending time with their children, they must resist easy answers. The old saying, “It’s not the quantity, it’s the quality,” does not apply in child rearing. Especially during their formative years, children need not only special time but also just “together” time.

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Family busy at home, children involved

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Serving Jehovah together

Young People Ask . . .

Why Do I Have to Suffer With a Disability?

“I WAS five years old,” Becky recalls. “A friend was giving me a ride on his bike when a car came around the corner and hit us.” The result? “I suffered a broken leg and extensive head injuries. The doctors didn’t expect me to live.” Becky did live, however, and today she is a cheerful 16-year-old. Nevertheless, the accident left its mark. “It left me very weak,” she says.

A young man named Craig is also disabled, the result of a disease known as CP (cerebral palsy). “CP affects my muscles and nervous system,” explains Craig. “My muscles don’t react properly to the messages my brain sends them. Therefore, I have trouble walking, speaking, and keeping my balance. I can do all those things but just not very smoothly.”

Do you likewise have some sort of physical disability? Statistics show that by the year 2000, the number of young people with disabilities will reach about 59 million worldwide. (World Health, January/​February 1985) However, the fact that so many have the same problem you do gives little comfort when you want to run, jump, and play like other youths but cannot.

The Problems of the Disabled

Physical disabilities are nothing new. In Bible times some had to deal with lameness (2 Samuel 4:4; 9:13), blindness (Mark 8:22), and deformities (Matthew 12:10). Such disabled ones often had difficulty in carrying out the most basic tasks of life.​—Compare Deuteronomy 28:29; Proverbs 26:7.

You may have a similar battle with the limits placed upon you. Getting dressed, eating, or going to school may require enormous amounts of effort​—and considerable help from others. “I can’t do any fine motor movements on my right side,” says Becky. “So I had to learn to write with my left hand. Walking has also been difficult. I walk pretty normally now, but some days I have a bad limp.” Or consider the problems faced by one young boy afflicted with dwarfism. He says, and not without a sense of humor: “Reaching light switches on the wall is another real pain . . . Houses are definitely designed for tall people.”​—How It Feels to Live With a Physical Disability, by Jill Krementz.

You may find, though, that your most distressing problems are not physical in nature. Explains Parents magazine: “Teens are very sensitive to the reactions of others, making life especially difficult for young people with special needs. . . . They wonder what other people think of their appearance and often distrust expressions of friendship, interpreting these well-meant gestures as unwelcome expressions of pity.” It’s only natural to want to be liked and accepted by others. Yet, you may feel alienated. As young Michelle put it: “All my life I have been different from everyone else. The reason is that I’m missing my left hand.”

Being different may also subject you to endless teasing. “I had specialized schooling until the fifth grade,” recalls Craig. “But in the fifth grade, I began going to a regular school. I didn’t really have too many problems until one day some boys began laughing at me. It was because of the way I walked.” Becky also has painful memories of cruel treatment by her schoolmates. Because earlier surgery damaged her vocal chords, her voice has a slightly raspy quality to it. “The kids in school used to call me monster voice,” she says.

Adults may likewise display unfair prejudices. Some may avoid making eye contact with you. Others may avoid talking to you at all, directing their remarks to your parents or companions​—as if you were invisible or mentally defective. Most irritating of all may be the well-wishers who constantly lavish you with pity, reinforcing the feeling that you are damaged goods.

God’s View of the Matter

How, though, does God feel about you? Is your disability some sort of sign of his disapproval? Note what Jesus said when he encountered “a man blind from birth.” His disciples asked: “Who sinned, this man or his parents, so that he was born blind?” Jesus answered: “Neither this man sinned nor his parents.” (John 9:1-3) No, the blindness was not the result of some specific sin on the part of the blind man or his parents. Rather, it was the result of the imperfection all of us have inherited from Adam. Explains the apostle Paul: “Through one man sin entered into the world and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men because they had all sinned.”​—Romans 5:12.

Physical disabilities, then, are not the result of divine intervention or punishment. Some are the product of carelessness. Yet others are simply due to “time and unforeseen occurrence.” (Ecclesiastes 9:11) And there are youths who suffer physically because of abuse or neglect on the part of their parents.

Whatever the cause of your difficulties, you need not feel that God views you as damaged. On the contrary, he views you as precious and valuable, especially if you are God-fearing. (Luke 12:7) He “cares for you” in a very personal way and is pleased to use you in his service. (1 Peter 5:7) Why, one of the most outstanding servants of God of all time, the apostle Paul, evidently suffered a physical disability​—“a thorn in the flesh.” (2 Corinthians 12:7) How comforting it is to know that “mere man sees what appears to the eyes; but as for Jehovah, he sees what the heart is.” (1 Samuel 16:7) He fully understands your potential and knows what you will be able to do when you are restored to perfection in his new world.​—Revelation 21:3, 4.

Coping With Others

Unfortunately, your schoolmates and others may not share God’s lofty viewpoint. Indeed, people are sometimes just plain cruel. Do not be surprised, then, if some of your peers are equally merciless regarding your affliction. Usually, though, people do not really mean to hurt or embarrass; sometimes they are just curious. Ill at ease with your affliction or perhaps simply insensitive, they may say something foolish or hurtful.

What can you do? Sometimes you can head off embarrassing situations. You might, for example, try putting others at ease if you sense they seem to be tense or at a loss for words. Recognize that all of us tend to fear what we do not understand. Help others to look past your infirmity so that they can get to know the real you. When the situation seems to warrant it, you might try saying something like: “Are you wondering why I have to use a wheelchair?” According to Parents magazine, one teacher, an amputee, satisfies her students’ curiosity by opening with: “I bet you’re wondering what happened. Would you like to know?”

In spite of your best efforts, you may still be hurt from time to time. Says young Becky: “When I was younger, I really used to get upset when others teased me; I’ve been sensitive all my life. But now I don’t let it upset me. Sometimes I’m even able to laugh at the situation.” Yes, a sense of humor can go a long way in deflecting hurtful comments. There is “a time to laugh.” (Ecclesiastes 3:4) King Solomon further gave this advice: “Do not give your heart to all the words that people may speak.” (Ecclesiastes 7:21) Sometimes the best way to handle foolish talk is to ignore it. “Don’t worry about what people say,” says Becky.

Hope Helps You Cope

Really, the whole human race is defective. “All creation keeps on groaning together and being in pain together until now,” says the Bible. (Romans 8:22) But you can have a hope for the future. Take, for example, a young girl we’ll call Carol. She was born virtually deaf. Then a bike accident resulted in her having a leg amputated. Carol wanted to die. But she began studying the Bible with Jehovah’s Witnesses and learned of a coming righteous new world in which “no resident will say: ‘I am sick.’” (Isaiah 33:24) Indeed, she gained the hope that one day her disabilities will be cured​—miraculously!​—Isaiah 35:5, 6.

What effect has learning about God had on Carol’s disposition? Some close Christian friends say about her: “She is always cheerful and never dwells on her handicap.” Interestingly, though, they also say: “Many of her friends don’t realize that she wears an artificial leg and has such profound hearing loss.” Why? “She relies on lipreading and hearing aids.” Obviously, Carol has done more than hope for the future. She has endeavored to reach her full potential now. How you can do the same will be the topic of our next article in this series.

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Some find it helpful to explain their situation to those who seem curious

Horses Were My Life

Tiny hooves peeped through first, followed by a head resting on a pair of front legs. I had some difficulty with the shoulders, but the rest came out very quickly. Once the umbilical cord was severed, the mare jumped to her feet, whinnying for joy and impatient to see her foal.

THIS was just one of the many times I had to leave my bed during the night to help a “mother” in distress. I accepted this without complaint. You see, breeding purebred horses was my passion.

My love for horses began very early in my life. I started riding when I was six. Born at Roncq, in the north of France, I was brought up by Catholic parents, who sent me to a Catholic boarding school for my secondary education. Schools for horse breeding did not exist, so I decided to leave school and enter the world of horses. I started out with a trainer in Chantilly, a town north of Paris that is famous for its purebreds. There, I got an inside view of the demanding, austere world of racing. Why demanding? Racehorses may be compared with high-class athletes​—they need constant attention.

Training Racehorses

The delicate period of training and preparation usually starts in the fall when the horses are 18 months old. They have to get used to their new surroundings and learn to give up their former carefree play, buckling down to work. First, the trainer must introduce the horse to a bridle, which is no easy task.

Just girthing a horse can sometimes set off a rodeo! The colt must be trained to accept a saddle, and finally the time comes for the horse to be mounted for the first time. The first rider is usually chosen from among those training to be jockeys. Many of them thus get their first taste of licking the dust! Training horses requires much skill and patience, coupled with a sensitive approach. Indeed, if the animal is traumatized, its entire racing career could be endangered.

Early each morning, we took the horses out to teach them the different gaits​—namely the walk, the trot, and the canter—​all of which are part and parcel of training. When being trained, a horse must successively change gaits according to instructions. However, a brief gallop is allowed from time to time, giving the horses free rein over a short distance.

At the end of the morning, we returned to the stables for the horses to be meticulously groomed. All traces of perspiration were removed, and their hooves were also carefully cleaned.

If a horse makes good progress, it can start taking part in races for two-year-olds by the end of winter. A purebred’s career generally finishes at the end of its third or, at the latest, its fourth year. Trotters, however, continue racing up to eight years of age.

My Dreams Come True

As I was particularly interested in breeding horses, I started training on a stud farm in Normandy, northwestern France​—an excellent region for breeding racehorses because of its climate and lush pastures. Eighteen months later I became assistant director of the Bois-Roussel Stud Farm, the largest in Europe at the time, with 300 horses to care for and hundreds of acres of space.

At the Bois-Roussel Stud Farm, I met the woman who was to become my wife; she worked there as a secretary. I had no idea how much this was going to affect my life. You see, she was acquainted with Jehovah’s Witnesses and started talking to me about them. At the time I was not interested.

When the director heard of our plans to get married in a few months, he asked if we would take charge of another stud farm for which he had joint ownership. Thus my fondest dreams came true. Here I was, director of an important stud farm at the age of 24! There are very few stud-farm directors in France; these posts are usually reserved for members of the exclusive racing-world circle. Smaller than Bois-Roussel, the La Louvière Breeding Farm was also located in Normandy and to me was a little 250-acre [100 ha] paradise, with about a hundred horses, counting stallions, mares, and foals.

As the previous director would not be leaving for six weeks, the owner offered us a trip to the United States in the meantime. We visited large American stud farms to study their breeding methods and contacted several farms where we would later be sending our mares to be covered by their stallions.

Life on a Stud Farm

Life on a stud farm is all absorbing but certainly not tiresome. Indeed, it brought us great satisfaction, for we were in constant contact with nature and had beautiful, healthy animals to look after. In the morning we awakened to the gentle sound of horses munching fresh grass. What music this was to my ears!

Work on the farm is divided into the mating and the birthing seasons, the weaning of the foals, and the selling of the young purebreds. Stallions are carefully selected on the basis of excellent racing records, as well as ancestry and pedigree. Each spring about 40 mares are covered, and as much as a hundred thousand dollars may be paid to have a purebred stallion with an outstanding record sire a foal. In view of such investments, it is not difficult to understand why so much care is taken during both gestation and birth periods.

Unfortunately, accidents do happen, and sometimes the little foal is an orphan from birth. In this case we are faced with the difficult task of persuading a brood mare to adopt it. The mare is held in curb by the stableboys, who relieve one another day and night for about 48 hours, when the little foal is brought near in order to feed. The mare has to be held to prevent her from kicking, as she could easily kill the orphan. One of the mare’s front legs has to be held against her abdomen and a twitch tightened over her upper lip to restrain her.

Eventually the mare begins to tire, and success is assured when she finally accepts the foal. Often, the new mother becomes so protective that it is difficult even to get near the foal. The birth must be promptly declared to the French National Registry, where it is entered in the register for the particular breed.

Horses and Foals

A few days after giving birth, the mares, followed by their foals, are led out to the paddocks. Like many young animals, foals immediately go wild, joyfully frolicking around their mothers and kicking in all directions. What a delight to watch them leaping, rearing, and rolling in the grass! They love water and enthusiastically splash themselves, stamping all the while.

Horses do not like being alone and easily become bored. However, stallions and training colts must be isolated. If a horse cannot bear solitude, a companion animal has to be found. We were obliged to supply one of our stallions with a sheep. They got along very well. In fact, the sheep refused to leave the horse day or night. One champion racehorse called Allez France had a sheep companion that accompanied her even to racecourses​—though not in the races themselves!

August brings weaning time, a sad period for mothers and foals. They must be separated and must not see or even hear each other. The foals demonstrate their grief by constant whinnying for several days, after which they get over it. On January 1 of the year following their birth, they are called yearlings. At the Deauville annual auctions, the price for a yearling can easily exceed a million dollars.

Some of the horses born and bred on our stud farm had successful careers. One such was High Echelon, who won the Prix d’Amérique in 1979, as world champion in the trotter category. We also raised other purebreds that won a number of important classic races.

Contacted by the Truth

Several months went by on the new farm without our being visited by Jehovah’s Witnesses. So my wife suggested that I write to a nearby congregation to ask for someone to come. A few days later, a couple were at our door. Personally, I could not believe that the Bible accurately described our day. When my wife told me that God’s Kingdom had been set up in 1914, I felt this was just the Witnesses’ interpretation. I had never seen that date in the Bible.

We had a long discussion with the couple, who were full-time evangelizers, and their explanations​—especially on the book of Daniel—​aroused my interest, and I agreed to a Bible study. However, this was not easy to fit into my schedule, for I was wholly absorbed in my work.

The couple traveled 15 miles [25 km] to visit us and would often return home without having conducted our Bible study because I had been obliged to stay with a sick horse or look after a mare giving birth. But as I grew in appreciation for the need to give first place to Kingdom interests and God’s righteousness, I took steps to ‘buy out the opportune time’ for study.​—Ephesians 5:16; Matthew 6:33.

Faced With a Choice

We soon started attending meetings, and six months later I attended the 1975 “Divine Sovereignty” District Assembly in Annecy, southeastern France. During that convention, I started to realize that my work was not in harmony with the Bible. I came to understand the principle expressed in Isaiah 65:11, which clearly shows that “those setting in order a table for the god of Good Luck” cannot have God’s approval. Since we were breeding racehorses only, we were indirectly contributing to the gambling industry. Our consciences would not allow us to get baptized.

The time had come for a crucial decision. Would I continue with my beloved career or dedicate my life to Jehovah God? As God’s will had become the most important thing in my life, I discussed the subject with the two owners and handed in my resignation. I had to remain one more year awaiting a replacement, but at the following circuit assembly, held in September 1976 in Gargenville (Paris area), my wife and I were baptized.

In the world of horse breeders, many people got to know about my decision. I particularly remember a hospital surgeon who came to visit the farm. He said that from a moral standpoint, he fully understood why I had made such a choice. Looking around, he was struck by the opulence of the horse-breeding farm​—the colorful flower beds, the wood-paneled boxes, and the miles of clean white fencing. He confided that in contrast he had been unable to raise the necessary funds for the upkeep and decoration of his hospital.

I have never regretted my decision. My wife and I left France early in 1992 to serve in a French-speaking territory where the need for Kingdom proclaimers was greater. There, I have the privilege of serving as an elder in the congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses. We share the apostle Paul’s viewpoint expressed in Philippians 3:8: “I do indeed also consider all things to be loss on account of the excelling value of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord. On account of him I have taken the loss of all things and I consider them as a lot of refuse, that I may gain Christ.”

My wife and I still love nature and animals, particularly horses. We look forward to the day when man’s relationship with the animals will no longer be based on selfish gain.​—As told by Stephane Jesuspret.

If That Figurine Could Talk!

“DO BE careful! I would hate to see her broken!” Jane usually says that as she shows me off to her friends, especially if any one of them dares to touch me. Well, I am a prized possession. And I know that both John and Jane value me​—they handle me so carefully. But if truth be told, I am not that easily broken.

Looking out of my delicately painted eyes at people who admire me, I often chuckle to myself at the processes necessary to make me. No human could possibly stand up to such a rigorous experience! It’s an interesting story.

Sticky Beginnings

China clay, my main ingredient, is ground together with white granite and calcined animal bone, mixed with water. The balance has to be just right. Electromagnets draw out any iron particles that may be in the creamy liquid, or slip, as the trade calls it, after which water is squeezed out until it looks like a lump of Plasticine.

The slip is next pushed into a pug mill, which is like a giant mixing machine, to be poked and kneaded. A vacuum pump removes all air bubbles, which would cause my clay to crack when it is eventually heated in the kiln.

My designer has made a model of me that is about 13 percent larger than I will eventually become. And little wonder! I shrink as I am put through a kiln three or four times at temperatures ranging from 1,500 to 2,200 degrees Fahrenheit [800 to 1,200° C.]. Oh, yes, there are yet months of work ahead before I am able to smile at you as only I can. Let me tell you more.

Assembling the Pieces

Do you think I am cast in one piece? Most people do, but nothing could be further from the truth. I am cast in many plaster molds that draw the moisture out so that my clay sets firmly. When my caster eventually opens his molds, there I am, but rather disjointed​—my head here, a leg there, my skirt carefully laid elsewhere. Oh, how I long to be put together!

With gentle hands my assembler now takes hold of me. I am glad he has noted the rough edges left by the molds. Carefully he cleans them off, including that ugly seam around my head. I feel better already! With great skill he connects my arms to my body, making sure my muff is positioned just right. With the deftness of a surgeon, he joins and welds until no one would ever guess my life had been so fragmented.

Now I stand to dry. As no telltale cracks appear, I am ready for my tests of fire. The kiln is heated, and I am gently conveyed into it, along with many other figurines.

Decoration

A voice of authority says of me, “Best!” I have made it, and now I stand in line to be taken to the decoration department. I am going to be covered with a glass commonly called glaze, which means I have to be plunged into a vat of the liquid. Then, into the kiln I go again to come out sparkling and shiny, ready for my on-glaze coats of color.

I am painted freehand, which is why no two of us figurines are exactly alike. It takes years of training, and the young lady who will paint me says she must brush steadily but quickly. Otherwise, lines may appear where the paint dries.

Do you like my eyes? They are most difficult to do. One day I heard a painter confide to a friend that he has to rest me firmly against the bench and take a deep breath and hold it until the extremely fine strokes of the eyes, pupils, and brows are all completed. Breathing or moving in any way can spoil a brush stroke in a split second, I heard him say.

So now I am dressed, and I am called Autumn Breeze. On my base my name and my maker’s name are carefully stamped​—a seal of approval, you might say. A final firing to set my appearance, and I am ready to go anywhere in the world.

In fact, I was destined for the home market and stayed in England, which is where John saw me. I am glad he did. Jane, his wife, was so happy when he gave me to her to commemorate their 25th wedding anniversary. It was then that I first heard Jane say: “Oh, we must be careful! I would hate to see her broken!” It is good to know I am safe in their hands. And it is so nice to give pleasure​—and to be appreciated.

[Pictures on page 26]

The assembler connects the various pieces of the figurine in preparation for the kiln

The slip pouring from the pug mill into a plaster mold

Opening the plaster molds

After the glass glaze, a figurine is painted freehand with multiple coats of color

Facial details are skillfully applied

[Credit Line]

All photos: Courtesy Royal Doulton

[Picture Credit Line on page 25]

“Autumn Breeze,” courtesy Royal Doulton

Watching the World

AIDS in Paris

“In Paris, 1 in every 3 deaths among men between 25 and 44 is caused by the AIDS virus,” says the French newspaper Le Monde. These latest statistics were recently made public by INSERM (French National Institute of Health and Medical Research). The report further reveals that between 1983 and 1990, infection by the AIDS virus increased the death rate among this same age group by 50 percent. Dr. Jonathan Mann, director of WHO (World Health Organization), predicted: “The worst is still ahead; everywhere the epidemic is progressing.” According to WHO, five thousand persons throughout the world are infected each day.

Children and Bottle-Feeding

About 25 percent of Japan’s children experience eating difficulties. The cause may be bottle-feeding. For over 20 years, reports Asahi Evening News, nursery-school teachers have noticed that some children have difficulty with food that is hard to chew. Some children have trouble swallowing it, others spit it out, and yet others still have it in their mouths after their afternoon nap. Doctors have observed that the jaws of these children are weak and their chins small. Dentist Naohiko Inoue and public-health specialist Reiko Sakashita claim to have traced the cause to infancy and blame bottle-feeding. It seems that when babies feed from bottles, they need only to suck without moving their jaws. However, when babies are breast-feeding, they vigorously use their jaws and strengthen the very muscles they will later on need in order to chew food.

Sea Turtles’ Problem

Although water is home to sea turtles, dry land is where they lay their eggs. After roaming vast distances in the world’s oceans, sea turtles return to specific beaches for breeding. After mating offshore, the female lumbers up the beach​—possibly the very one on which she was born—​and placidly lays her eggs at a carefully chosen site. This is done repeatedly for a few days, until all the eggs​—usually about a thousand—​have been laid and painstakingly covered. But then comes the problem. The South African journal Prisma calls it “the systematic stripping of nests” by man in his “unparalleled greed and a flagrant disregard for the environment,” which “has seriously interfered with the reproductive patterns of the turtles.” Some species now face extinction.

Tobacco Advertisers Exploit Women

“You’ve come a long way, baby.” For years in the United States, female smokers have been cheered on by such persuasive advertising slogans. These women have been exploited, laments Kathy Harty, chief of a smoking-prevention program for one of the northern states. Harty has cocreated a TV and radio advertising campaign stressing that message. One antismoking commercial shows an attractive woman stubbing out her cigarette on an advertising executive’s bald head. A radio ad features a woman telling cigarette manufacturers: “Thank you for making our hair smell like an ashtray. Thank you for staining our teeth and increasing our dry-cleaning bills. Thank you for the 52,000 cases of lung cancer you cause in women each year. We only hope we can return the favor some day.” Harty explains: “We want [women] to think about it twice: ‘Do I really want this cigarette? Do I really want to make someone else rich and myself sick?’”

Astronomers’ Hope

In a ten-year program managed by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration, astronomers are planning to spend $100 million in an effort to discover radio broadcasts from intelligent beings on other planets. According to the International Herald Tribune, their plan is to monitor simultaneously millions of microwave channels at radio telescopes in Argentina, Australia, India, Russia, Puerto Rico, and the United States. While some scientists optimistically forecast early success, others point out that the 50 searches conducted since 1960 have been unfruitful.

Preset the Television?

“For children, less TV is better, especially violent TV,” says the American Academy of Pediatrics in a study published in The Journal of the American Medical Association. The article reported that “infants as young as 14 months of age demonstrably observe and incorporate behaviors seen on television.” Much of what they see is aggressive and violent in nature. In an effort to restore parental authority, the report suggests using the modern technology of an electronic time-channel lock on the television so that programs, channels, and times can be preset. In this way, even when parents are not at home, they can control what their children watch on television and when they watch it.

Honey​—A Healer

Since ancient times, bee honey has been used for its healing properties. La Presse Médicale, a French magazine, reports that modern medical science is now beginning to rediscover honey’s healing powers. In a recent study, doctors experimented with the use of pure natural honey for treating burns and various types of flesh wounds. Honey was applied directly to the wounds and covered with dry sterile bandages. This dressing was changed every 24 hours. The results show honey to be outstandingly effective as a cleansing and healing agent. It kills most germs on contact and stimulates new tissue growth. La Presse Médicale concludes: “As it is simple and inexpensive, honey should be better known and added to the list of commonly used antiseptic products.”

Superathletes Without Supergood Health

“Excessive training and emotional tension that precede an important competition have an extraordinarily negative effect on athletes’ immunological systems,” reports O Estado de S. Paulo. “The result can be a deficiency in the defense against infections much like the symptoms of AIDS.” Research by Dr. Gerd Uhlenbruck and Dr. Heinz Liesen reveals that professional athletes or supertrained ones have a higher rate of malignant tumors and infections. They suggest that this may be due to stress imposed by the “rigorous training and regimen of competition.” The report adds: “On the other hand, moderate practice of sports strengthens the organism and helps not only to prevent cancer but also to prolong the individual’s life.”

Telesurgery in the Future?

“The patient is in Rome, the surgeon operates from Milan,” explains the Italian daily Il Messaggero in describing the “first ever experiment in telesurgery using a robot.” Hundreds of miles away, by means of a phone hookup and a video monitor, the surgeon identifies the “exact point of the incision, gives the OK, and the robot goes into action. Its mechanical arm holding a scalpel is lowered onto the patient’s body and cuts.” In this demonstration operation enacted at the Rome Surgery ’92 congress, the patient was only a mannequin, since Italian law does not allow machines to operate on humans, but within six or seven years, telesurgery, that is, “remote control surgery,” may well become reality. According to Licinio Angelini, professor of general surgery at La Sapienza University, Rome, in the future “all those movements that are now carried out by the surgeon with some difficulty will be entrusted to machines.”

Unemployment and Health

Unemployment among young people is one of the most serious problems of the Western world, claims Dr. Anne Hammarström of the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden. Her findings, as reported in the British Medical Journal, show that young unemployed men tend to lapse into unhealthy behavior, such as increased drinking and involvement in crime. Young unemployed women, however, are affected differently, developing more physical illnesses, along with feelings of guilt, worrying that they are a burden to their families. Men get significantly more attention from the public, since their reaction to unemployment is more obvious, observes Hammarström. She recommends that “the health care sector should be more alert to the effects of unemployment on women.” The Journal concludes that “the only fully effective remedy is meaningful employment.”

‘Germany a Pagan Country’

“The Federal Republic [of Germany] has become a pagan country with a Christian residue. Six million have lost their faith in God. The number of people who do not belong to any religion is greater than those who go to church. Just 10 percent attend church each Sunday.” Those were the findings of a survey commissioned by the German newsmagazine Der Spiegel. Answers were compared with those given in a similar survey in 1967. The “new pagans,” as the magazine called those who had left the church, “have said good-bye to the churches without pain or anger. It was not indignation but indifference that robbed the churches of their allegiance.”

From Our Readers

Women’s Issues Thank you very much for the articles dealing with the battering of women (November 22, 1988), help for the families of alcoholics (May 22, 1992), and respect for women (July 8, 1992). These articles show an amazing depth of understanding of the human psyche. On the night of my wedding, I was drawn into a whirlpool of traumatic experiences. I developed health problems and consulted doctors and mental-health professionals. A matter such as this is not easy for many to understand, and if you go to someone for help who does not know what to say, it becomes even more difficult. At any rate, I finally feel that the puzzle has been put in order and that the pieces fit into place, thanks to your articles.

N. H., Argentina

Niagara I couldn’t help smiling as I read the article “Niagara Falls​—An Ageless Jewel of the Americas.” (October 8, 1992) We have small waterfalls here in the jungles, but the thought of such a stupendous sight made me contemplate Jehovah’s love for us and his desire for us to have full appreciation for his creation.

P. J. O., Nigeria

Respecting Women During my childhood, I absorbed a cultural prejudice that made me a great woman-hater. Marriage was unthinkable for me! But thanks to the series of articles on the subject “Women​—Deserving of Respect” (July 8, 1992), I have changed my attitude toward women. I read the articles twice, and now I think that I someday may be an exemplary husband.

N. B. M., Côte d’ Ivoire

Phone Calls I was impressed with your article “Young People Ask . . . What’s Wrong With Talking to Each Other?” (August 22, 1992) I too was talking to a member of the opposite sex on the phone. I was on cloud nine! But when I confronted this person and informed him of my feelings, I discovered that he was not serious about me at all. I was the victim of a flirt. I wish I had read your article a year ago. Maybe then my heart wouldn’t be so crushed.

L. R., United States

Space Exploration I work for the Italian branch of the European Space Agency. On more than one occasion I have suggested that the press-review brochure prepared for our personnel include articles from Awake!​—but without results. However, the articles on “Space Exploration” (September 8, 1992) were used and took up nearly all the space in our press review! Thanks to Awake! I’ve had many opportunities to discuss the Bible with my colleagues.

P. B., Italy

Entertainment I am 20 years old and have just finished the series “How Does Entertainment Affect Your Life?” (November 8, 1992) I found the information both timely and balanced. Some youths feel fenced in by all the restrictions and guidelines we must observe as Christians. My brother, for example, quit being a Christian because he felt that way. But I consider these guidelines to be a protection, and I feel very safe and loved knowing that Jehovah cares enough about us to keep us separate from Satan’s world.

D. C., United States

I greatly appreciated the issue on entertainment, but I would like to know where you get the information that enables you to describe the details of films like Basic Instinct?

A. A., Italy

The comments were based on news reports in reputable newspapers and magazines. It was not necessary for members of our research staff to view this objectionable film.​—ED.

One Solitary Life

“HE WAS born in an obscure village, the child of a peasant woman. He grew up in still another village, where he worked in a carpenter’s shop until he was thirty. Then for three years he was an itinerant preacher.

“He never wrote a book. He never held an office. He never had a family or owned a house. He did not go to college. He never visited a big city. He never travelled two hundred miles from the place where he was born. He did none of the things one usually associates with greatness. He had no credentials but himself.

“He was only thirty-three when the tide of public opinion turned against him. His friends ran away. He was turned over to his enemies and went through the mockery of a trial. He was nailed to a [stake] between two thieves. While he was dying, his executioners gambled for his clothing, the only property he had on earth. When he was dead, he was laid in a borrowed grave through the pity of a friend.

“Nineteen centuries have come and gone, and today he remains the central figure of the human race, and the leader of mankind’s progress. All the armies that ever marched, all the navies that ever sailed, all the parliaments that ever sat, all the kings that ever reigned, put together, have not affected the life of man on this planet so much as that one solitary life.”a​—An anonymous commentary on the life of Jesus Christ.

[Footnotes]

Receive Divine Teaching for Our Critical Times

How It Will Really Benefit You

YOU can receive it by attending a “Divine Teaching” District Convention of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Millions will be in attendance this summer in cities around the world. In the United States alone, over 150 of these four-day conventions will be held during June, July, and August.

Whether you are old or young​—a husband, wife, father, mother, teenager, or child—​you will receive teaching presented in a clear, appealing way that will benefit you. “Making Marriage a Lasting Union,” “Work Hard for the Salvation of Your Household,” and “Parents​—Your Children Need Specialized Attention” are just some of the subjects the program will feature.

Specific attention will be focused on the problems young people face and how they can deal with these during our critical times. They should be encouraged by the modern-day drama entitled Youths Who Remember Their Creator Now. Another well-rehearsed drama called Do Not Be Misled or Mock God will address the challenge Christian youths face because of today’s popular videos and music.

Indeed, we are living in critical times. Jesus foretold that “after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened.” (Matthew 24:29) The convention program will discuss evidence as to when that “tribulation” occurs, as well as when the sun is darkened.

In these critical times, many ask, What is the purpose of life? This subject will be thoroughly explored, and you will no doubt be delighted with what you receive on this subject. Yet another part of the program will review the record of Jehovah’s Witnesses in modern times and show what they have accomplished.

On the final day of the convention, the public discourse will feature the subject “Helpful Teaching for Our Critical Times.” The program will conclude with the admonition “Keep Holding Fast to Divine Teaching.”

Surely, you will benefit by being present all four days! You are cordially invited to attend. To find out the location nearest to your home, contact the local Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses or write the publishers of this magazine or see the June 8 issue of Awake!, which will contain the addresses of all convention locations in the United States, Canada, and Britain.