Page Two

Protect Your Children! 3-13

How widespread is the sexual abuse of children? What can be done to protect them? Will such hideous crimes ever be eliminated?

A Day in the Life of a Butterfly 16

A butterfly is a beautiful creature. What is its daily routine?

Do We Really Need Priests? 26

What is the origin of the priesthood? Do Christians need priests today?

[Picture Credit Line on page 2]

Giraudon/​Art Resource, N.Y.

Jehovah’s Witnesses Vindicated in Child-Custody Battle

INGRID HOFFMANN has been battling to keep custody of her two children since the middle of the last decade. An Austrian woman, she was born and raised a Roman Catholic. She married a fellow Catholic, and gave birth to a son in 1980 and a daughter in 1982. But in 1983 the couple divorced; both parents sought custody of the children. The father charged that the mother’s religion​—she had become one of Jehovah’s Witnesses—​would harm the children, deprive them of a normal, healthy upbringing. He cited such issues as the Witnesses’ refusal to celebrate certain holidays common in his land and their abstention from blood transfusions.​—Acts 15:28, 29.

These specious arguments failed to convince. Both the trial court and the appeals court rejected the father’s claims and awarded custody to the mother. However, in September 1986, the Supreme Court of Austria reversed the lower court’s rulings. It held that these decisions had violated the Austrian Religious Education Act, a law that requires Catholic-born children to be educated as Catholics. The court also ruled that it would not be in the best interests of the children to allow them to be raised as Jehovah’s Witnesses!

What recourse did Ingrid Hoffmann have against such blatant religious prejudice? In February 1987 her case was presented to the European Commission of Human Rights. On April 13, 1992, this commission, which is composed of jurists representing various member nations of the Council of Europe, referred the case for a full hearing before the European Court of Human Rights.

The court ruled on June 23, 1993. It stated: “The European Court therefore accepts that there has been a difference in treatment and that that difference was on the ground of religion; this conclusion is supported by the tone and phrasing of the [Austrian] Supreme Court’s considerations regarding the practical consequences of the applicant’s religion. Such a difference in treatment is discriminatory.” [Italics ours.] It further noted that the Supreme Court “weighed the facts differently from the courts below, whose reasoning was moreover supported by psychological expert opinion. Notwithstanding any possible arguments to the contrary, a distinction based essentially on a difference in religion alone is not acceptable.”

By a vote of five to four, the judges ruled in favor of Ingrid Hoffmann and against Austria, stating, in effect, that Austria had discriminated against her on the basis of her religion and had violated her right to raise her family. Furthermore, by a vote of eight to one, the judges awarded her monetary damages.

This remarkable victory for religious freedom came just a month after another one in the very same court​—the case of Kokkinakis v. Greece, which established that Greece had violated a man’s right to teach God’s Word from house to house. Lovers of freedom the world over rejoice when such attempts to suppress religious liberty are thwarted and personal rights to worship God and raise a family according to Bible principles are protected.

A Day in the Life of a Butterfly

IF YOUR daily routine seems stressful and difficult, spare a thought for the hardworking butterfly. At first you may think that a butterfly’s work schedule looks like a dream vacation. Flitting from flower to flower, supping a little nectar here and there, basking at will in the sunshine, the butterfly appears to be the epitome of the carefree life-style.

But in the insect world, things are not always what they seem. Butterflies are busy creatures who perform a vital service while constantly working against the clock. Let’s join a butterfly on a typical workday.

A Sunshine Breakfast

Do you wake up feeling groggy? Early morning blues are endemic among butterflies. Some mornings they can’t get going at all​—literally. Their problem is body temperature, which fluctuates according to their surroundings. After they spend a cold night perched on a leaf, their blood is so cold they can hardly move, much less fly. So they must wait for the sun.

When the sun rises, the butterfly opens his wings and angles them toward its warming rays. The outstretched wings, acting like miniature solar panels, soon capture the necessary heat, and off the butterfly sails. But what if the sky is cloudy? In cool temperate regions, butterflies must stay put​—immobilized on a convenient twig or flower—​until the sun shines. This is not laziness. It’s sheer necessity.

If the day is not too hot, the butterfly pauses from time to time for further sunshine therapy. Like a car refueling at a gas station, he needs his fill of solar energy. In the tropics the butterfly may need to bask only first thing in the morning or after a shower of rain. Generally speaking, the cooler the weather, the more time he spends basking. Once his energy is restored, he continues with the work at hand.

‘Love at First Scent’

The most urgent task is to find a mate. With a life expectancy that rarely exceeds a few weeks, there is no time to lose. And finding a mate in the butterfly world is no easy job​—it requires heroic patience and persistence.

“Love at first sight” is unknown among butterflies. They are notoriously nearsighted, and more often than not they mistake a different species for one of their own. This leads to many a fruitless chase that comes to naught when the butterfly suitor finally realizes his eyes have deceived him.

To make life even more difficult, the female usually isn’t receptive. The ardent male flies persistently around her, in a type of high-speed aerial waltz, hoping that she will eventually relent. But these spectacular butterfly ballets usually come to an abrupt end when the female flies off, leaving the hapless male to continue his search.

Surprisingly enough, the female isn’t that fussy about the fancy colors of her male consort. Although Darwin blithely assumed that butterflies’ brilliant colors provided some ‘evolutionary advantage,’ the evidence has not been forthcoming. In one experiment females of the North American species Anartia amathea mated quite happily with males whose bright crimson and black wings had been painted black all over. What seems to matter most is the male’s flight pattern, his persistence, and, above all, the unique “love-dust.”

The love-dust carries a pheromone that is the male’s trump card. It is a heady perfume, tailor-made to affect the females of his species. During courtship he attempts to dust her with this “superscent.” Although the love-dust is no guarantee of success, it works wonders when a willing female is finally found.

A Taste of Nectar

All the energy expended in this search for a mate must be replenished. Hence the butterflies’ taste for nectar. Flowers advertise this high-energy food by means of attractive shapes and colors. Once he alights on the flower, the butterfly deftly sucks up the nectar with a long tubelike proboscis, which he pokes into the base of the flower.

While feeding on the nectar, the insect gets a dusting of pollen on his hairy body, thus taking the pollen with him to the next flower he visits. During a typical workday, hundreds of flowers are pollinated. In tropical forests, however, flowers do not abound. What do tropical butterflies usually drink?

Tropical butterflies like nothing better than gorging on rotten fruit. The overripe fruit that falls to the ground provides them a plentiful source of sugary energy.

Butterflies also like salt. They may often be found sucking up the salty moisture from a patch of wet ground or occasionally the perspiration on the hand of a human admirer. The intrepid flambeau butterfly has even been spotted drying the tears of the caiman.

While busily looking for a mate, pollinating flowers, and keeping well fed, our winged friend must also keep an eye out for enemies. He may look defenseless, but he has several tactics to avoid capture.

Keeping Danger at Bay

A gaudy butterfly fluttering over a meadow would presumably be a tempting morsel for any insect-eating bird. But the butterfly’s haphazard, jerky flight makes catching him a very tricky job. Most birds give up after a few tries. Even when a bird does catch a butterfly, the insect may succeed in escaping by leaving behind a portion of his wing in the bird’s beak.

Eyesight is another protection. Although butterflies are nearsighted, their compound eyes are highly efficient at detecting movement. They will dart away at any hint of danger, as anyone who has tried to photograph a butterfly knows only too well.

Some slow-flying butterflies have another safety device​—their nasty taste. It is caused by their feeding on poisonous plants when they were caterpillars. Once he has bitten such a butterfly, a bird will usually shy away from a second encounter. Often these foul-tasting butterflies​—like the monarch—​are brightly colored, a visual warning that apparently reminds the bird to keep clear.

Journey’s End

The World Book Encyclopedia notes that most butterflies do not live longer than a few weeks, but that some species may live up to 18 months. Some are dormant during the cold winter months or during a prolonged dry season in the tropics.

But despite their short lives, butterflies can accomplish amazing feats. Last century the monarch butterfly crossed the Atlantic in sufficient numbers to establish itself in the Canary Islands, off the coast of Africa. Another great traveler, the painted lady, regularly journeys from North Africa to the north of Europe in the summer season.

During their brief life span, the tireless butterflies do a vital job pollinating flowers, shrubs, and fruit trees. And much more than that, their presence adds a touch of beauty and delight to the countryside. Summer would not be summer without them.

[Picture on page 16]

Sunning in early morning

[Picture on page 17]

Drawing nectar from a flower

[Picture on page 18]

Extracting moisture from the ground

[Credit Line]

Courtesy of Buckfast Butterfly Farm

Helping My Family Become Spiritually Rich

As told by Josephat Busane

I will never forget a train journey to Johannesburg, South Africa, in January 1941. My boyhood friend Elias Kunene and I were returning to our place of work after spending a vacation in Zululand.

ON THE train with us was a young man who had some muti, which is medicine believed to possess supernatural power, usually obtained from a witch doctor. The man smeared the muti on his eyebrow in the belief that it would act to ensure favor from his white employer. As we were getting off the train, Elias said: “That muti is his god.” Those words pierced my heart like a knife because in my bag I had my own muti that I had prepared according to a witch doctor’s prescription.

Elias and I had been studying the Bible with Jehovah’s Witnesses, and so I realized that he had made far greater spiritual advancement than I. Immediately I threw the muti into a rubbish bin and afterward joined Elias in regularly attending the meetings of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

Elias and I were both married men. So why did we work in a city some 250 miles [400 km] from home? How did city life compare with farm life in Zululand? And did our association with Jehovah’s Witnesses bring benefits to our families back home?

Life in Zululand

I was born in Zululand, South Africa, in 1908. Our family lived in the district of Msinga, a region of grassy plains, hills, and thorn trees. Here, in autumn, the pointed flowers of the aloe tree cover the landscape with a blaze of red. Cattle and goats graze on the hillsides between the trees. Kraals (collections of huts) and corn patches are scattered about the plains, maize being the staple food of the Zulu people.

Our kraal, like the others, consisted of a hut for my parents, one for my sister, and one for me and my brother. Another hut served as the family kitchen, and there was one for storage. Each hut was in the shape of a beehive, having a mud wall about a yard high and a dome of thatched grass on top. Between the huts chickens scratched the ground, pecking for food, and close by was an enclosure for the cattle. Our family was content with this simple farm life. We had food and shelter, and my father did not need outside employment.

Yet, the rural tranquillity of Zululand has often been shattered. These pleasant hills and rivers have been drenched with human blood. At the beginning of the 19th century, Zululand was occupied by several independent tribes. Then arose a Zulu warrior named Shaka. His army attacked all the surrounding tribes. Survivors fled or were absorbed into the Zulu nation.

Later, battles occurred between the Zulus and the Dutch settlers. One was fought at a river not far from our home. So much blood flowed that the water reddened, so it was given the name Blood River. Then came the British armies. At a hill called Isandlwana, not far from my home, thousands of people were slaughtered in one of many fierce battles between British and Zulu soldiers. Sadly, lasting peace has never come to our part of Zululand. From time to time, old tribal hatreds flare up.

A Search for Material Riches

My mother died when I was five. My father and my older sister, Bertina, cared for me and helped me get six years of school education. Then, at age 19, I started work as a shop assistant in the nearby town of Dundee.

I heard that many young men were earning more money in the city of Johannesburg, the center of South Africa’s gold-mining industry. So, the following year, I moved to Johannesburg and worked for many years posting advertisement bills.

In Johannesburg, I was overwhelmed by the attractions and opportunities, but I soon realized that city life undermined the traditional morals of my people. However, although many young men forsook their families who lived in the rurals, I never forgot mine and regularly sent money home to them.

My father died in 1938. As the eldest son, I was compelled by Zulu custom to “revive” our family kraal. So, the following year, I married a girl from Zululand, Claudina Madondo. Though married, I still continued to work 250 miles [400 km] away in Johannesburg. Most of my peers were doing the same. Although it was painful to be separated from my family for long periods, I felt an obligation to help them enjoy a higher standard of living.

Material or Spiritual Riches?

Mother had been the only churchgoer in our family, and her Bible was the only book in our home. Some time after her death, I became literate and immediately began reading it. But the doctrines and practices of the churches began to bother me. For instance, members continued in good standing even though they engaged in fornication. I asked preachers about such inconsistencies, but no one gave me a satisfactory explanation.

While in Johannesburg, Elias Kunene and I decided to search for the true religion. We visited churches in our neighborhood but were not satisfied with any of them. Then Elias met Jehovah’s Witnesses. When he tried to explain to me what he had learned from them, I told him that he had been misled. But after listening to his discussion with church leaders and seeing their inability to prove him wrong, I began reading publications of the Watch Tower Society that Elias gave me. It was at this time that I had the memorable train journey when Elias helped me discern the danger of trusting in muti.​—Deuteronomy 18:10-12; Proverbs 3:5, 6.

I then joined Elias in regular association with the first black congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Johannesburg. In 1942, after dedicating my life to Jehovah, I was baptized in Orlando, Soweto. On trips home to Zululand, I would try to share my beliefs with Claudina, but she was deeply involved in church activities.

However, she began to compare our literature with her Bible, and gradually the truth of God’s Word reached her heart. In 1945 she was baptized. She became a zealous Christian minister, sharing Bible truth with her neighbors and inculcating it into the hearts of our children.

Meanwhile, in Johannesburg, I had the privilege of helping some to come to a knowledge of Bible truth. By 1945 there were four black congregations in the vicinity of Johannesburg, and I served as the presiding overseer of the Small Market Congregation. In time Scriptural direction was given to married men who worked far from their homes to return to their families and give more attention to their responsibilities as family heads.​—Ephesians 5:28-31; 6:4.

Elias was the first to leave Johannesburg, never to part from his family again. As a result his wife and all five of his children became active Witnesses of Jehovah. Elias also reared four orphaned nieces and nephews, who became dedicated Witnesses. In 1983 he died, having set a fine example in faithfully carrying out the directions Jehovah gives through his Word and his earthly organization.

In 1949, I left my job in Johannesburg to care for my family in Jehovah’s way. Back home I obtained work with a livestock inspector as a dipping-tank assistant. It was difficult to support a family of six children on the meager salary I received. So to care for expenses, I also sold vegetables and corn that we grew at home.

Blessings of Greater Value

Although our family was not rich materially, we had spiritual treasures because of heeding Jesus’ directions: “Stop storing up for yourselves treasures upon the earth, where moth and rust consume, and where thieves break in and steal. Rather, store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes, and where thieves do not break in and steal.”​—Matthew 6:19, 20.

Attaining these spiritual treasures requires hard work, just as does digging for gold in the mines around Johannesburg. Every evening I would share a Bible text with my children and require each one to tell me what he had learned. On weekends I would take them, in turns, in the preaching work. As we walked from kraal to kraal, I would discuss Scriptural matters and try to impress the Bible’s high moral standards on their hearts.​—Deuteronomy 6:6, 7.

For example, in order to be certain that our children did not steal, I made sure that any object they brought home was not stolen. (Ephesians 4:28) Similarly, if one of them told a lie, I did not hold back from using the rod of discipline. (Proverbs 22:15) I also required that they show proper respect for older ones.​—Leviticus 19:32.

As family head, I set an example by not missing meetings, and I required the children to attend them as well. I saw to it that each child had a songbook, a Bible, and any other publication being used at the meetings. We also prepared for our meetings together, and if a child did not comment, I would try to help him to do so at the next meeting.

For many years ours was the only family in a position to provide hospitality to traveling overseers. These representatives of the Watch Tower Society had a fine influence on our children and built in them a desire to become pioneers, or full-time evangelizers. My wife and I were happy when our eldest son, Africa, began pioneering after completing ten years of schooling. Eventually he served as a traveling overseer, and later he was invited to the South Africa branch office of the Watch Tower Society, where he worked as a translator. He is now married and has children of his own. He serves as an elder in a congregation in Zululand, and he also has the privilege of helping the South Africa branch with legal problems that arise from time to time because of issues involving true worship.

Altogether, we had five boys and a girl. All six children are now grown and are strong spiritually. This has filled our hearts with much happiness​—a deep contentment that can never be bought with material things. Four of my sons serve as elders in the congregations of Jehovah’s Witnesses with which they associate. One of them, Theophilus, now enjoys the privilege of Bethel service at the South Africa branch.

Spreading the Truth in Zululand

When I finally returned to live with my family in Zululand in 1949, there were only three Kingdom proclaimers in our Collessie Congregation. In time the congregation grew, and a second congregation was established 20 miles [30 km] away in the village of Pomeroy.

Over the years our preaching work would sometimes be disrupted because of factional fighting in the communities. Churchgoers get involved in this tribal fighting. It is only Jehovah’s Witnesses who are known for their neutrality. Once, a fight broke out between the Mabaso and the maBomvu tribes in an area where I was dipping cattle. The people in the area were of the Mabaso tribe and might normally have killed me because they knew I came from the maBomvu tribe. However, they also knew that I was one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, and so they did not harm me.

During the 1970’s, incidents of tribal fighting worsened, and the district of Msinga became very unsafe. Along with some others, I decided to move the family to a more peaceful part of Zululand. In 1978 we settled in the town of Nongoma, where we began associating with the Lindizwe Congregation. The following year, my dear wife, Claudina, died. Her loss came as a severe shock to me, and my health deteriorated badly.

Yet, by Jehovah’s undeserved kindness, I revived sufficiently to be able to enter the pioneer service two years later. How grateful I am to Jehovah that my health has actually improved with this increase in preaching activity! I am now 85 and am still able to average over 90 hours in the preaching work each month. In January 1992, I moved with my son Nicholas to Muden, a part of Zululand where there is a need for more Kingdom proclaimers.

How thankful I am for the direction from Jehovah’s organization that encouraged ones like me to give better attention to the spiritual needs of our families! The blessings that have resulted are far greater than anything money can buy. (Proverbs 10:22) I praise Jehovah for all of this and pray for the time when his Kingdom will transform this earth into a paradise. Then life in these beautiful hills and valleys of Zululand will forever be tranquil as the inhabitants “sit, each one under his vine and under his fig tree,” with “no one making them tremble.”​—Micah 4:4.

Young People Ask . . .

Why Am I Developing So Quickly?

“When I was in sixth grade, I was taller than everybody. It was embarrassing for me. I had a really tiny friend and I used to envy her.”​—Annie.

“Since I look sixteen or seventeen, many people, including my parents, expect me to act more mature.”​—Tanya, age 12.

PUBERTY​—most of us who have been through it would probably prefer to forget the whole experience. It is both wonderful and frightening. During puberty, your body undergoes rapid, dramatic, and, at times, embarrassing changes. New feelings, impulses, and desires assault you. Most youths find solace in the fact that their peers are going through the same thing. For some youths, however, puberty seems to come too early. They find themselves becoming bigger, taller, more developed, more grown-up-looking than their friends and classmates.

If this has happened to you, it may comfort you to know that there is nothing abnormal about blooming early. Everyone’s biological clock ticks at its own rate, and yours apparently runs a little faster than those of your peers. Why, the changes of puberty in a boy can begin as early as ten years of age, and in a girl, as early as eight. It’s just a matter of time before your friends will start undergoing the same changes. In the meantime you may have some problems to cope with.

The Pleasures and Pains of Being Tall

One teenage girl told Awake!: “I prefer being the tallest kid in class. People look up to you.” Studies indicate that early-maturing boys in particular enjoy a number of distinct advantages over less-developed peers. Says the book Adolescent Development, by Barbara and Philip Newman: “Early-maturing boys are taller and stronger than their age-mates. . . . Tall, strong boys are more likely to be given responsibility, to be viewed as peer leaders, and to be treated as if they were more mature intellectually as well as physically.”

However, being too tall too soon also has its down side. For one thing, you may become the butt of endless cruel jokes from your classmates. One young girl told Awake!: “I was the tallest girl in class. They called me ‘Long Legs.’” Recalls a young man named Dwayne: “The kids would call me names, like ‘Stork.’ Sometimes they’d ask, ‘How’s the weather up there?’”a

Particularly tough are the times when your lengthy limbs fail to work together harmoniously. (Compare Ephesians 4:16.) “I was gangly, thin, and clumsy,” recalls Christine of her teenage years. “I was terrible at sports,” adds Dwayne. “It seemed as if my brain would send out a command, and my limbs would receive it a week later! I was as graceful as a giraffe on roller skates.” Be assured that this awkward period is natural. It will pass in time. You may also find that a moderate amount of “bodily training is beneficial.” (1 Timothy 4:8) The more you use your body, the better coordinated you will become.

What about the name-calling and insults? It may be tempting to lash back with a few stinging retorts of your own, but the Bible says: “Do not answer anyone stupid according to his foolishness, that you yourself also may not become equal to him.” (Proverbs 26:4) Besides, in the long run, ‘returning evil for evil’ only makes a bad situation worse. (Romans 12:17) The Bible says that there is “a time to laugh.” (Ecclesiastes 3:4) A sense of humor can get you through many an embarrassing moment.b

‘They Think I’m Older’

Sometimes the problem is, not peers, but adults who think you are older than you really are. Recalls Dwayne: “I would be singled out in the crowd as the authority, the leader. Once I was near a bunch of kids, and they started tossing things from a bridge. The police came over and started screaming at me because I was the tallest one. But I didn’t even know what was going on.”

At times, you may be flattered to be treated like a grown-up. The problem is, physical growth can outpace mental and emotional growth. In spite of how you look, you may still think and reason, not like an adult, but like someone your age. (Compare 1 Corinthians 13:11.) So when people make adult demands of you, you may have a hard time delivering.

You may need to give friends and family members gentle reminders from time to time that you are not as old as you look. “There is a frustrating of plans where there is no confidential talk,” says Proverbs 15:22. So if you feel your parents are being overly demanding, politely speak up. One magazine for teenagers suggested that you might say: “I know that because I look so mature, it’s easy to expect me to act older. But inside, I’m still my real age, and sometimes it’s hard for me to keep up with all you expect me to do and be.”

Don’t make the mistake of promoting the illusion of being older by putting on a more sophisticated air, or bearing, or by dressing and grooming yourself in a way that is not appropriate to your age. Why, some early-maturing youths even abandon their younger-looking childhood friends and try to fit in with an older crowd! But one who tries to hide what he really is in this regard could well end up being humiliated. (Compare Psalm 26:4.) In time others will see through your pretense. The Bible wisely says, therefore, that “wisdom is with the modest ones.” (Proverbs 11:2; Micah 6:8) A modest person knows his limitations.

Sexual Harassment

Behaving modestly can also protect you from a problem that often faces early-maturing girls in particular: sexual harassment. In a startlingly rapid period of time, a little girl’s body can take on the appearance of an attractive woman. (Compare Song of Solomon 8:8, 10.) For some young girls, though, having a woman’s breasts and hips can be​—well—​embarrassing.

Writer Ruth Bell observes: “Growing girls become especially vulnerable to male reactions.” Explains one 12-year-old girl named Denise: “Since I’ve gotten more physically mature I get a lot of stares when I go out.” (Changing Bodies, Changing Lives) Curious classmates of both sexes may even try to touch you inappropriately. Not surprisingly, the book Adolescent Development says: “Early-maturing females may slouch, wear baggy sweat shirts, or become shy and withdrawn in order to avoid peer recognition of their changing body image.”

While you are hardly obliged to hide yourself under layers of clothing, it only makes good sense to avoid clothes and styles of grooming that are provocative or that call undue attention to you. This harmonizes with the Bible’s counsel to dress “with modesty and soundness of mind.”​—1 Timothy 2:9.

There may be other practical steps you can take. Back in Bible times, Ruth faced the possibility of sexual harassment when she went to work in the field of Boaz. Kindly Boaz ‘commanded the young men not to touch her.’ Even so, he cautioned her: “Do not go away to glean in another field, . . . and in that way you should keep close by my young women.” (Ruth 2:8, 9) In a similar way, some young girls have been able to stay close to other Christian girls who attend the same school. They avoid walking unescorted in areas known to be trouble spots.

Whatever the case, no one has the right to harass you​—either physically or verbally. If you suffer some problems in this regard, talk things out with your parents or a trusted adult. They may have some suggestions or may offer to intervene in some way.

Even under the best of circumstances, puberty is a tough time of life. Being bigger​—or smaller—​than your peers can make it even tougher. Try as you may, there is not much you can do about your physical growth. But you can work hard on your spiritual growth. And if you do so, like young Samuel of Bible times, you will grow “bigger and more likable both from Jehovah’s standpoint and from that of men.”​—1 Samuel 2:26.

[Footnotes]

[Picture on page 25]

Tall youths are often the butt of cruel jokes

The Bible’s Viewpoint

Do We Really Need Priests?

“GIVE thanks for the gift of the Priesthood,” said John Paul II in his annual letter to priests on “Holy Thursday,” 1992. Not only Catholics but others too have become painfully aware of their errors. They have felt the need for someone acceptable to God to tell them God’s will, to offer Him a sacrifice, and to intercede before God for them. Such a person is called a priest. Do we really need a priest to help us gain forgiveness from God?

The idea of priests and sacrifices did not originate with men but originated with God. If there were no sins against God, there would be no need for priests. In Eden, the perfect man Adam needed no priest. He was created sinless.​—Genesis 2:7, 8; Ecclesiastes 7:29.

Who Were the First Priests?

All of us today have inherited sinfulness because Adam deliberately sinned and we are his offspring. (Romans 3:23) Abel, son of the first man, Adam, recognized this. The Bible says of him: “By faith Abel offered God a sacrifice.” (Hebrews 11:4) Although Abel and other ancient men of faith​—such as Noah, Abraham, and Job—​were not called priests, they did offer sacrifices to God on behalf of themselves or their families. For example, the Bible says of Job and his sons: “[Job] offered up burnt sacrifices according to the number of all of them; for, said Job, ‘maybe my sons have sinned.’” (Job 1:5) How, though, did priests and sacrifices become common to so many cultures?

Consider the events surrounding the ancient patriarch Noah. Noah and his family were the only humans to survive the global Deluge. As they stepped onto an earth washed clean, Noah constructed an altar and offered up sacrifices in appreciation for Jehovah’s mercy and protective hand. Since all nations are descendants of Noah, they no doubt followed his pattern and in due course developed a variety of traditions relating to intercessors and sacrifices for sins.​—Genesis 10:32.

More than a century later, a rebellion against God erupted in the city of Babel. God confused people’s language and they scattered. (Genesis 11:1-9) Some priests, now promoting twisted and debased beliefs, developed horrible rites in the lands to which they were dispersed. Nevertheless, God saw the need to teach his worshipers about their need for a true priesthood with a high priest, underpriests, and sacrifices acceptable to him.

Why God Appointed Priests

In time Jehovah gave the nation of Israel priests who performed two basic functions. First, they represented God before the people as judges and instructors of God’s Law. (Deuteronomy 17:8, 9; Malachi 2:7) Second, they represented the people before God by offering sacrifices to him on behalf of the people. Paul’s letter to the Hebrew Christians explains: “Every high priest taken from among men is appointed in behalf of men over the things pertaining to God, that he may offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. . . . A man takes this honor, not of his own accord, but only when he is called by God.”​—Hebrews 5:1, 4.

Paul goes on to explain that Israel’s priesthood was not God’s final way to reconcile people to Himself. The priests’ duties were symbols pointing to better things, “heavenly things.” (Hebrews 8:5) Once those heavenly things arrived, the symbols were no longer needed. To illustrate: You might hang on to an advertisement for a product you desperately need, but would you not discard it once you procured that product?

Long before the nation of Israel came into existence, God purposed a priesthood that would serve for the blessing of, not just Israel, but all mankind. At first, Israel was privileged with the opportunity to supply the members of that priesthood. When the nation was formed, Jehovah told Israel: “If you will strictly obey my voice . . . , you yourselves will become to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” (Exodus 19:5, 6; compare Genesis 22:18.) Sadly, the nation rarely obeyed God’s voice. Thus, Jesus told the priests and Pharisees: “The kingdom of God will be taken from you and be given to a nation producing its fruits.” Who are now to serve as priests for the blessing of mankind?​—Matthew 21:43.

What Priesthood Do Christians Need?

Because we have inherited sin from Adam, salvation to everlasting life is only possible by means of the perfect sacrifice provided by Jesus. (1 John 2:2) Jesus himself intercedes for us as High Priest, just as was prefigured in Israel’s priesthood. Hebrews 9:24 says: “Christ entered, not into a holy place made with hands, which is a copy of the reality, but into heaven itself, now to appear before the person of God for us.” Thus, the surpassing excellence of Christ’s high priesthood makes obsolete the need for human priests as intercessors. Yet, the services of underpriests are still necessary. In what way?

Priests must “offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 2:5) As to the type of offerings these are, Paul wrote: “Let us always offer to God a sacrifice of praise, that is, the fruit of lips.” (Hebrews 13:15) Therefore, those who will make up the royal priesthood, while yet on earth, represent God before men as his Witnesses, not as intercessors. Later, in heaven with Jesus Christ, they represent men before God, administering the benefits of Christ’s sacrifice and bringing about the healing of all infirmities.​—Compare Mark 2:9-12.

While all believers should bear witness, only a relative few will serve in the heavenly “kingdom of priests.” Jesus said: “Have no fear, little flock, because your Father has approved of giving you the kingdom.” (Luke 12:32; Revelation 14:1) These will be resurrected to heaven and “will be priests of God and of the Christ, and will rule as kings with him for the thousand years.”​—Revelation 20:6.

God has arranged for these heavenly priests to do things in both a spiritual and a physical sense that no priesthood has yet been able to do. Soon, as they apply the benefit of Jesus’ ransom sacrifice, they will be able to share in restoring all believing mankind to human perfection. Then, Isaiah 33:24 will have a wonderful fulfillment. It says: “No resident will say: ‘I am sick.’ The people that are dwelling in the land will be those pardoned for their error.”

[Picture Credit Line on page 26]

“Benediction of the Wheat at Artois” 1857, by Jules Breton: France / Giraudon/​Art Resource, N.Y.

Watching the World

Europe Warned on Ethnic Strife

“People can be transformed into hating and killing machines without too much difficulty,” warns José-María Mendiluce, special representative of the UN high commissioner for refugees. Mr. Mendiluce, who spent 19 months overseeing the UN’s refugee program in the former Yugoslavia, said that it is a “very dangerous mistake” to view Balkan people as “fundamentally different from other Europeans,” and he noted that similar ethnic conflicts could easily break out in other European countries. “All it takes is an economic crisis and a few cynical politicians who blame it on immigrants or poor people or people who are somehow different,” he said. According to The New York Times report, Mr. Mendiluce noted how easily leaders can stir up hatred “by spreading lies in the media and fomenting provocations,” asserting that those who signed peace agreements did not change their behavior, but kept on “hating and killing.”

Australia’s Alcohol Abuse

The good news in Australia is that the amount of alcohol consumed nationally is dropping. But the bad news is that alcohol abuse still costs the nation “$6 billion and 6,000 lives a year,” states The Sydney Morning Herald. A recent report called Dimensions and Effects of Alcohol Abuse revealed that 88 percent of Australian males and 75 percent of females drink alcohol, and it cited increasing drinking among women and “binge drinking” by teenagers as major causes for concern.

UN Peace Efforts Falter for Lack of Cash

UN peacekeeping costs are expected to reach $3.7 billion this year. However, “the failure of member countries to pay their share is raising doubts about the organization’s ability to finance future operations or adequately sustain peace efforts under way now,” states The New York Times. The UN is supposed to reimburse nations that help with peacekeeping operations about $1,000 a month for every soldier sent. But months have gone by without reimbursement to countries that sent troops for operations in the former Yugoslavia and in Cambodia. By the end of April, unpaid peacekeeping dues had reached $1.5 billion, with an additional $970 million unpaid for the regular budget. Lacking reimbursement, governments of some developing countries have already withdrawn forces or have refused to participate in new operations.

Year of Hate

“A year like 1992 gives new prominence to some old questions about human nature,” notes Newsweek magazine. “These divisions​—neighbor against neighbor, race against race, nationality against nationality—​are something we have always been prone to, and this year’s events raise doubts about whether we are getting any better at bridging these gaps.” It noted: “‘Hate thy neighbor’ seemed the motto of the year.” Why was “human nastiness” so particularly prominent in 1992? “Sheer anarchy accounts for much of the violence of the past year,” says Newsweek, as well as the “sudden economic insecurity” that followed the collapse of Soviet Communism. Added to this were communal hatreds stirred up by government authorities. Are military peacekeepers the solution? “U.N. troops have been in Cyprus, separating the Greek and Turkish communities, for nearly 20 years. Safe behind this screen of U.N. protection, neither side has had the slightest incentive to compromise with the other,” replies Newsweek.

Missing Women

Women outnumber men by a ratio of 105 to 100 in developed countries, such as Britain, France, Switzerland, and the United States. But UN statistics show that in Asia tens of millions of women are missing. For example, Afghanistan and Bangladesh have only 94 women for every 100 men, India has 93, and Pakistan has only 92. Official figures for China showed 114 boys between the ages of one and two for every 100 girls. Why the difference? “Experts point to the life-threatening discrimination that women must endure, making their chances of survival lower than men’s: sex-selective abortion and infanticide, poor nutrition and health care, multiple pregnancies and backbreaking physical labor,” says The Washington Post. Besides, in some cultures, male census takers either ignore women or are not allowed to talk to females. And some fathers, ashamed that they have more daughters than sons, lie about the sex of their children.

China’s Declining Birthrate

Statistics for 1992 show the lowest birthrate level ever recorded in China​—18.2 births per 1,000 persons, down from 23.33 in 1987, reports The New York Times. Though not expected to be reached until the year 2010, the target was achieved “because party and Government officials at all levels paid greater attention to family planning and adopted more effective measures,” says Peng Peiyun, minister of the State Family Planning Commission. Under the program local officials were held personally responsible for reducing the number of births in their jurisdictions and could be punished for failure to do so. In many cases this translated into compulsory sterilization of women who already had a child and very stiff fines for those who had an unauthorized birth. When villagers cannot pay the fines, their belongings are either confiscated or smashed, and their houses are often knocked down. China’s 1.17 billion inhabitants already make up about 22 percent of the world’s population.

‘Major Health Problem by the Year 2000’

French medical officials are predicting that “chronic type-C hepatitis will be a major health problem in France by the year 2000.” Excerpts from a medical report appearing in the Paris newspaper Le Monde said that the problem has two essential characteristics: the “significant part that blood transfusions play in spreading the virus” and the “especially aggressive development [of the virus] in its chronic form.” It is estimated that between 500,000 and 2,000,000 persons in France are now infected with the virus and that 62 percent of these will likely develop chronic hepatitis, with the risk of cirrhosis of the liver or cancer within 10 to 30 years. Doctors say that although most people infected with hepatitis C have no symptoms, their prognosis is just as grim.

Space Garbage Danger

“Space refuse is becoming more and more of a problem for space flights,” reports the Süddeutsche Zeitung. The first European Conference on Space Garbage, held in April in Darmstadt, Germany, addressed the “question of what should be done with the ever-increasing belt of rubble made up of inactive satellites, burned-out rocket stages, or lost equipment from earlier space missions.” It is estimated that over 7,000 objects the size of a tennis ball or larger are hurtling around the earth, as well as more than 100,000 smaller pieces. Russian and U.S. flights account for 95 percent of the garbage in space. “There have been several near misses in recent years between active space equipment and refuse that is flying around,” the newspaper added. “Strict prevention of garbage and international agreements on future space projects are the only solution if flights into space are not to be threatened with termination in the next millennium.”

Japan’s Controversy Over Flag and Anthem

Recently released records in Yamato, Japan, show that school principals have “enforced an Education Ministry directive on the hoisting of the national flag and the singing of the national anthem . . . , despite strong opposition from rank-and-file teachers,” states Mainichi Daily News. “The issue of including the Hinomaru [national flag] and Kimigayo [national anthem] in school ceremonies has caused controversy nationwide due to their association with Japan’s wartime ultranationalism and imperialism.” According to Asahi Evening News, opposers link the flag and anthem with emperor worship and say that forcing children to sing the anthem “would be imposing a specific religious creed on them.” Constitutional rights of freedom of religion and conscience are being violated, they say.

Nuclear Disasters Uncovered

New information about the site of one of the world’s worst nuclear accidents has been made public after years of secrecy, says the Paris daily International Herald Tribune. In its race to develop nuclear weapons, the former Soviet government built a plutonium plant in the Ural Mountains. From the start of construction in 1948 to 1951, the plant’s radioactive wastes were simply dumped into the local rivers, which were also used for farming and drinking water. Then, in 1957, some nuclear wastes there exploded, releasing huge amounts of radioactive material into the earth’s atmosphere. Another incident took place in 1967, when a nearby lake that had been used as a nuclear dump site dried up. Winds carried the radioactive wastes over a vast territory. Scientists believe that radioactive contamination from the three incidents affected some 450,000 people.

From Our Readers

Disabilities The article “Young People Ask . . . Why Do I Have to Suffer With a Disability?” (May 22, 1993) dealt with this problem realistically. I’m disabled in both legs and very sensitive when people look at me with an air of pity. What hurts my feelings the most is when someone gives me a donation​—as if I were a beggar! What consoles me is to know that Jehovah does not see the physical condition but “sees what the heart is.”​—1 Samuel 16:7.

A. A. A. S., Brazil

I must take exception to your reference to cerebral palsy as a disease. Cerebral palsy is a condition caused by damage to the brain, usually occurring before, during, or shortly following birth. It is neither progressive nor communicable. It is not a disease and should never be referred to as such.

L. Z., United States

We are sorry if our choice of words gave offense. We used the word “disease” in the very general sense given in “Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary,” namely, “a condition . . . that impairs the performance of a vital function.” ​—ED.

Female Mutilation Thank you for exposing what a demonic and vile practice female genital mutilation is! (“Millions Are Suffering​—Can They Be Helped?” April 8, 1993) If just one child can be spared the agony of this silent, hideous crime, then publishing the article will have proved worthwhile.

J. C., United States

My eyes filled with tears at the thought that parents cause defenseless children such suffering. News like this is not published in our press, so I thank you for keeping us up-to-date.

C. C. G. M., Brazil

Homework Thank you very much for the article “Young People Ask . . . What Can I Do About So Much Homework?” (April 8, 1993) I read the article at a time when I was really under stress with much homework. I didn’t have time to relax or prepare for Christian meetings. I am now applying your suggestions.

M. H., United States

Emigrating I’m pleased to express my gratefulness for the article “Young People Ask . . . Should I Move to a More Prosperous Country?” (April 22, 1993) I’m 16 years old and have thought of moving to a country where I might have a better chance in life. But after reading the article, I feel that it does not matter where we live. If we let Jehovah’s Kingdom come first in our lives, we will surely be prosperous [spiritually] since Jehovah will help us.

V. L. A., Brazil

Rape I had mixed emotions when I received the March 8, 1993, issue on “Rape​—A Woman’s Nightmare.” You see, my mother, a full-time evangelizer for many years, was the victim of a terrible assault and attempted rape in her own home. Reading the articles has helped the healing process.

P. G., United States

I am the assistant director of the local “Family Violence and Sexual Assault Services.” One of your young ministers got us started reading Awake! when he brought in the issue on child abuse. (October 8, 1991) We now subscribe. I want to let you know how impressed I was with your issues on domestic violence and rape. They were well written and researched very thoroughly.

D. G., United States

When Fire Goes Out Of Control

By Awake! correspondent in Ghana

FIRE. When it is under control, it is a useful servant. But when it rages uncontrolled, it can be a destructive giant that consumes everything in its path​—man, beast, trees, vegetation.

In 1983 a bushfire in Australia devastated the states of South Australia and Victoria. Over 70 persons were killed, along with the destruction of 36,000 cattle, 320,000 sheep, and over 2,000 homes.

In the same year, bushfires in Ghana resulted in the devastation of 72 percent of the country’s 92,100 square miles [238,000 sq km]. At least 29 persons died; 34 others were injured.

A small proportion of bushfires are the result of natural processes, such as lightning. Most are man-made. In Ghana the number one cause of bushfires is palm wine tapping. Workers light bundles of sticks to heat up palm trees, allowing the palm sap to flow. Often, though, the fire accidentally spreads, and a bushfire results.

In some African lands, it is common for a group of hunters to surround a thicket and set it afire to flush out game that may be in it. Those hunting for wild bee honey use fire to drive bees away from their hive. At times they make no effort to put out the fires they start.

In tropical Africa many farmers use the slash-and-burn method of farming. They cut down the bush in an area they intend to farm and burn the debris. If not controlled, the fire can quickly spread.

In some areas, herdsmen burn the dry grass in the belief that, with the coming of the rains, the land will be rejuvenated, and there will be better pasture for their animals. When these fires are left to burn themselves out​—as is often the case—​they can easily spread. Campers and field-workers are likewise guilty at times of starting conflagrations by failing to put out campfires.

Clearly, then, negligence is the cause of most bushfires. Is there any way, though, to prevent such fires from occurring in the first place? Reasonable precautions can make a big difference. For example, by clearing a firebreak from 15 to 30 feet [5-10 m] wide around any fire set in the field, you help check any spread to adjacent fields. Completely extinguishing all fires you have set is another important safeguard. Remember, preventing a bushfire is far easier than fighting one.

Some believe that tougher penalties for perpetrators would deter carelessness and acts of arson. Others argue that the best way to prevent bushfires is education and willing cooperation by all.

Treat fire with healthy respect. By exercising reasonable care, we can avoid provoking this useful servant into becoming a destructive giant.

[Picture Credit Line on page 31]

P. Riviere/​Gamma Liaison

‘It’s Comforting to Know That Someone Cares’

Some people appear to be all right, but they feel terrible. What can help? Concern and understanding are important. Last year such a person wrote the Watch Tower Society in Brooklyn, New York:

“I just read the tract Comfort for the Depressed. I suffer from periodic depression caused by a chemical imbalance. The tract is very comforting.

“It’s comforting to know that there is hope concerning depression and that there are ways of coping with it. It’s also comforting to know that someone cares for and understands people like me who suffer from depression.”

This tract says a lot in a little space. If you would like to have a copy of it or would like further information, please write to Watchtower, 25 Columbia Heights, Brooklyn, New York 11201, or to the appropriate address listed on page 5.

[Picture on page 32]

Comfort for the Depressed