December 22

Page Two

Tuberculosis—The Return of a Killer 3-9

Why Does This Disease continue To Plague Mankind? How Can You Protect yourself? Will It Ever Be Conquered?

Are You Bored With Your Work? 10

Work is often monotonous. What can be done to make it more satisfying?

Moscow—Its 850th Anniversary 13

What adversities has it endured? What stunning changes have recently occurred?

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X ray: © SPL/Photo Researchers

A Death Toll That Rivals War

WHEN 23-year-old Marilyn lost weight and felt run-down, she guessed it might have something to do with her recent pregnancy. She had a persistent cough too, which she mentioned to her doctor. He said it was an infection of the upper respiratory tract and prescribed antibiotics. Later, when the night sweats began, Marilyn became really worried. She returned to her doctor, who arranged for her to have a chest X ray.

The telltale shadow on the X ray called for urgent action, but Marilyn could not be reached by phone. “The doctor had got through to my mum and told her I was really ill,” said Marilyn. “My mum came to find me and told me to go to the [doctor] immediately. He sent me to the hospital where I had another X-ray and they kept me in.”

Marilyn was shocked to learn that she had tuberculosis (TB). She thought that she would die, but after treatment with anti-TB drugs, she was soon back to normal.

Marilyn’s surprise at having TB is understandable. Until recently, even many health professionals believed that TB had been conquered in the developed world. “I thought it had died with the plague,” said a clinical assistant at a treatment center in London. “But when I came to work here, I found it was alive and well and raging in the inner city.”

In places where TB had vanished, it has returned; where it remained, it has grown worse. Far from being conquered, TB is a killer on a par with war and famine. Consider:

◼ Despite the marvels of modern medicine, over the past hundred years TB has sent about 200 million people to the grave.

◼ Up to two billion people—one third of the world’s population—are already infected with the TB bacillus, a type of bacterium. In addition, another person is infected with TB every second!

◼ In 1995 the number of people with full-blown TB was about 22 million. Nearly three million died, most of them in the developing world.

With potent drugs available to combat TB, why does this disease continue to plague humankind? Will it ever be conquered? Is there any way to protect yourself against it? The following articles will answer these questions.

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New Jersey Medical School—National Tuberculosis Center

Triumph and Tragedy

“The story of tuberculosis during the past 30 years has been one of triumph and tragedy—the triumph of the scientists who provided the means to control and ultimately eradicate the disease, and the tragedy of the widespread failure to exploit their discoveries.”—J. R. Bignall, 1982.

TUBERCULOSIS (TB) has been killing for a long time. It afflicted the Incas of Peru long before Europeans sailed to South America. It attacked Egyptians in the days when pharaohs ruled in splendor. Writings from of old show that TB stalked both great and small in ancient Babylon, Greece, and China.

From the 18th century until the early 20th century, TB was the leading cause of death in the Western world. Eventually, in 1882, German doctor Robert Koch officially announced his discovery of the bacillus responsible for the disease. Thirteen years later Wilhelm Röntgen discovered X rays, making it possible to scan the lungs of living persons for signs of tubercular lesions. Next, in 1921, French scientists created a vaccine against TB. Named after the scientists who discovered it, BCG (Bacillus Calmette-Guérin) remains the only available vaccine against the disease. Nevertheless, TB continued to exact a terrible toll.

At Last, a Cure!

Physicians sent TB patients to sanatoriums. These hospitals were frequently located in the mountains, where patients could rest and breathe fresh air. Then, in 1944, doctors in the United States discovered streptomycin, the first antibiotic found to be effective against TB. The development of other anti-TB drugs quickly followed. At last, TB patients could be cured, even in their own homes.

As infection rates plummeted, the future looked rosy. Sanatoriums closed down, and funding for TB research dried up. Prevention programs were scuttled, and scientists and doctors looked for new medical challenges.

Though TB was still taking a heavy toll in the developing world, surely things would improve. TB was history. That is what people thought, but they were wrong.

A Deadly Comeback

In the mid-1980’s, TB began to make a dreadful and deadly comeback. Then, in April 1993, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared TB “a global emergency,” adding that “the disease will claim over 30 million lives in the next decade unless immediate action is taken to curb its spread.” It was the first declaration of its kind in WHO history.

Since then, no “immediate action” has bridled the spread of the disease. The situation, in fact, has worsened. Recently, WHO reported that more people perished from TB during 1995 than in any other year in history. WHO also warned that up to half a billion people might become ill with TB during the next 50 years. Increasingly, people would become victims of often-incurable, multidrug-resistant TB.

Why the Deadly Comeback?

One reason is that during the past 20 years, TB-control programs have deteriorated or disappeared in many parts of the world. This has led to delays in diagnosing and treating those with the disease. That, in turn, has resulted in more deaths and the spread of the disease.

Another reason for the reemergence of TB is the growing number of poor, malnourished people who live in crowded cities, notably the megacities of the developing world. While TB is not limited to poor populations—anyone can catch TB—unsanitary and crowded living conditions make it easier for infection to pass from person to person. They also increase the chances that people’s immune systems will be too weak to resist the disease.

HIV and TB—Double Trouble

A major problem is that TB has formed a lethal partnership with HIV, the AIDS virus. Of the estimated one million people who died of AIDS-related causes during 1995, perhaps one third died of TB. This is because HIV weakens the body’s ability to resist TB.

In most people TB infection never progresses to the point of causing sickness. Why? Because the TB bacilli are imprisoned within cells called macrophages. There, they are locked up by the person’s immune system, particularly by the T lymphocytes, or T cells.

The TB bacilli are like cobras secured in baskets with tight-fitting lids. The baskets are the macrophages, and the lids are the T cells. When the AIDS virus arrives on the scene, however, it kicks the lids off the baskets. When that happens, the bacilli escape and are free to despoil any part of the body.

AIDS patients are, therefore, far more likely to develop active TB than are people who have healthy immune systems. “People who have HIV are fantastically susceptible,” said a TB specialist in Scotland. “Two HIV patients at a clinic in London contracted the disease after sitting in a passage when a TB patient was wheeled past them on a trolley.”

Thus, AIDS has helped fuel the TB epidemic. According to one estimate, by the year 2000, the AIDS epidemic will result in 1.4 million cases of TB that would not otherwise have occurred. An important factor in the increase of TB is not only that AIDS victims are highly susceptible to the disease but also that they can pass TB on to other people, including those who do not have AIDS.

Multidrug-Resistant TB

A final factor that is making the fight against TB more difficult is the emergence of drug-resistant strains of TB. These superstrains threaten to make the disease incurable again, as it was in the era before antibiotics.

Ironically, poorly managed administration of anti-TB drugs is the primary cause of multidrug-resistant TB. Effective treatment of TB extends over at least six months and requires that patients take four drugs with unerring regularity. The patient may need to swallow as many as a dozen pills a day. If patients do not take the drugs regularly or do not complete the treatment, strains of TB develop that are difficult or impossible to kill. Some strains are resistant to as many as seven of the standard TB drugs.

Treating patients with multidrug-resistant TB is not just difficult, it is also expensive. The cost can be nearly 100 times more than the cost of treating other TB patients. In the United States, for example, the medical bill for the treatment of a single case might exceed $250,000!

WHO estimates that about 100 million people worldwide may be infected with drug-resistant strains of TB, some of which cannot be cured by any known anti-TB drugs. These lethal strains are as contagious as the more common strains.

Prevention and Cure

What is being done to counter this global emergency? The best way to control the disease is to detect and cure infectious cases at an early stage. This not only helps those who are already sick but also stops the spread of the disease to others.

When TB is left untreated, it kills more than half its victims. When properly treated, however, TB is curable in almost every case if it is not caused by a strain that is resistant to a range of drugs.

As we have seen, effective treatment requires that the patients complete the entire course of medication. Frequently, they do not. Why not? Well, cough, fever, and other symptoms usually disappear a few weeks after treatment starts. So, many patients conclude that they have been cured and stop taking the medicines.

To counter this problem, WHO promotes a program called DOTS, which stands for “directly observed treatment, short-course.” As the name suggests, health workers watch to make sure their patients swallow each dose of the medicines, at least for the first two months of treatment. Yet, this is not always easy to do because many of those afflicted with TB live on the fringes of society. Since their lives are often filled with turmoil and problems—some are even homeless—the challenge of regularly seeing to it that they take their medicines can be overwhelming.

So are there any prospects for finally conquering this plague on humankind?

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TB Fact Sheet

Description: TB is a disease that usually attacks and lays waste to the lungs, but it can spread to other areas of the body, particularly the brain, the kidneys, and the bones.

Symptoms: TB of the lungs can cause coughing, loss of weight and appetite, severe sweating at night, weakness, shortness of breath, and chest pains.

How diagnosed: A tuberculin skin test can show if a person has been in contact with the bacillus. A chest X ray can reveal damage to the lungs, which may indicate an active TB infection. A laboratory examination of the patient’s sputum is the most reliable way to detect TB bacilli.

Who should be tested: Those who either have TB symptoms or have had close, repeated exposure to a TB patient—particularly in poorly ventilated rooms.

Vaccination: There is only one vaccine—known as BCG. It prevents severe TB in children but does little for adolescents and adults. At best, the vaccination gives protection for about 15 years. BCG only protects those who are uninfected; it does not benefit people who are already infected.

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TB and Fashion

Strange as it may seem, during the 19th century, TB was romanticized, since people believed that the symptoms of the disease enhanced sensitive, artistic dispositions.

French playwright and novelist Alexandre Dumas wrote about the early 1820’s in his Mémoires: “It was all the fashion to suffer from chest complaints; everyone was consumptive, poets especially; it was good form to die before reaching the age of thirty.”

English poet Lord Byron reportedly said: “I should like to die of consumption [TB] . . . because the ladies would all say, ‘Look at that poor Byron, how interesting he looks in dying!’”

American writer Henry David Thoreau, who apparently died of TB, wrote: “Decay and disease are often beautiful, like . . . the hectic glow of consumption.”

Commenting on this fascination with TB, an article in The Journal of the American Medical Association stated: “This paradoxical affection for the disease pervaded tastes in fashion; women strove for a pale, fragile look, used whitened makeup, and favored thin, muslin dresses—much like the effect sought by anorectic-looking models today.”

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Is It Easy to Catch TB?

“There is nowhere to hide from tuberculosis bacteria,” warns Dr. Arata Kochi, director of the WHO Global TB Programme. “Anyone can catch TB simply by inhaling a TB germ that has been coughed or sneezed into the air. These germs can remain suspended in the air for hours; even years. We are all at risk.”

Before a person becomes ill with TB, however, two things must happen. First, he or she must be infected with TB bacteria. Second, the infection must progress to disease.

Though it is possible to become infected by brief contact with a highly contagious person, TB is much more likely to be spread through repeated contact, such as that which occurs among family members living in crowded conditions.

The bacilli inhaled by a person who becomes infected multiply in the chest. In 9 out of 10 people, however, the immune system halts the spread of the infection, and the infected person does not become sick. Sometimes, however, the dormant bacilli can be activated if the immune system becomes severely weakened by HIV, diabetes, chemotherapy cancer treatments, or other causes.

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New Jersey Medical School—National Tuberculosis Center

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TB bacilli released by the AIDS virus are like cobras released from baskets

A Global Solution—Is It Possible?

EXPERTS agree that tuberculosis (TB) is a global problem that requires a global solution. No country can control TB in isolation, since millions of people cross international borders each week.

International cooperation, many believe, requires that wealthy nations help poor nations, which are hardest hit by TB. As Dr. Arata Kochi states, “it is in the interest of wealthy countries to help less-developed countries fight tuberculosis, before their own countries become the battleground.”

But rich nations, beset with what they see as more pressing priorities and problems, have not rushed to the rescue. Some poor countries themselves often neglect health care, pouring money into their armaments instead. By mid-1996, only 10 percent of the world’s TB patients were being treated with the DOTS strategy, too few to prevent the epidemic from worsening.

WHO observes: “The knowledge and inexpensive drugs to cure TB have existed for decades. What the world needs now is a breakthrough by people of power, influence and compassion who will see that these medicines are put to use effectively throughout the world.”

The Conquest to Come

Can we look with confidence to humans of power and influence to solve the problem? The inspired Bible psalmist wrote: “Do not put your trust in nobles, nor in the son of earthling man, to whom no salvation belongs.” In whom, then, can we trust? The scripture further states: “Happy is the one who has the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in Jehovah his God, the Maker of heaven and earth, of the sea, and of all that is in them.”—Psalm 146:3, 5, 6.

As the Designer and Creator of the earth, Jehovah God has both the power and the wisdom to bring an end to disease. Does he have compassion? Through his inspired prophet, Jehovah promises: “I will show compassion upon [my people], just as a man shows compassion upon his son who is serving him.”—Malachi 3:17.

The closing chapter of the Bible describes a vision that was given to the apostle John. He saw “trees of life producing twelve crops of fruit, yielding their fruits each month.” These symbolic trees and the fruit they yield picture divine provisions that will enable obedient humans to live forever on earth.—Revelation 22:2.

Continuing, John wrote: “The leaves of the trees were for the curing of the nations.” The symbolic leaves picture blessings from God that will result in the healing of humankind, both spiritually and physically. Thus, we can be certain that in the righteous new world under God’s rule, TB will be conquered completely and eternally.—Revelation 21:3, 4.

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God promises permanent healing for mankind

Are You Bored With Your Work?

YOU likely work about eight hours a day. That’s too much time and too much life to sacrifice to boredom! Yet, much work in the 20th century is monotonous and gives the worker little in which to take personal pride.

So you have much to gain by making your job interesting. You get greater joy out of working, and you learn the secret of enriching any future work you do. Let us, then, explore some ways of accomplishing this.

Act Enthusiastic

Some authorities recommend that you work as if you enjoyed it. If you do so, that attitude may very well follow.

‘But I could never be enthusiastic about my job!’ you might respond. Your job may involve a strict routine, such as assembly-line work. Or it may be that you have worked at your job for so many years that you feel it is impossible to renew interest in it. However, such simple tactics as smiling and standing straight may help you to feel more enthusiastic about your work.

It may also help if you focus totally on what you are doing. Do not switch to automatic pilot, as it were, and do not do your work thinking about the lunch hour, the weekend, or even another job to be done. It is usually wise to concentrate wholly on the task at hand. The result? You may come to enjoy the work, and then time will seem to move quickly.

This is what naturally happens when you find yourself absorbed in an activity that you really love. You may be able to achieve the same effect by forcing yourself to give full attention to work that you do not normally find enjoyable.

Do Your Best

Doing your best can help you realize job satisfaction. Of course, such advice runs counter to the popular idea that when you find the work uninteresting, you should try to get away with the least effort possible. But neglect, procrastination, and minimal effort will likely deplete you of energy and add anxiety and fatigue. In some cases the person who comes home from work stressed, anxious, and exhausted may very well be suffering because of failure to work diligently.

According to the Bible, working hard at a project even makes leisure hours more enjoyable. “With a man there is nothing better than that he should eat and indeed drink and cause his soul to see good because of his hard work.” (Ecclesiastes 2:24) To some, this might sound like an outdated motto, but others are applying this timeless principle. They agree that there is, indeed, “nothing better” than that they should enjoy the fruitage of their hard work. The book The Joy of Working acknowledges: “A job well-done leaves an inner glow of satisfaction.”

So, do the best job you can, and you will probably feel energized. Do more than just the bare minimum, and you may well feel happier. Do the important tasks first, and you will enjoy your lunch breaks and weekends more than the person who exhausts himself in procrastination.—Compare Esther 10:2; Romans 12:11; 2 Timothy 2:15.

Instead of competing with others, endeavor to surpass yourself. (Galatians 6:4) Set new standards, new goals. Strive to do better. One woman, whose job includes repetitious sewing that some would dismiss as hopelessly dull, made a game of timing herself. She kept track of her hour-by-hour productivity, and then she tried to increase it. She truly enjoys her job because she strives to work up to her potential.—Proverbs 31:31.

“Decorate” Your Job

Doctors Dennis T. Jaffe and Cynthia D. Scott recommend: “Think of your job as an empty house. You move in and look at its form and structure. Then your own creativity takes root. You design your space, decorate, and make the house into your home. You personalize it by putting your stamp on it.”

Most jobs are given to you with an outline of rules and guidelines. Just doing what is expected is like inhabiting a bare house. There is no personality. But if you add your own personal style, your job can become so much more interesting. No two persons will “decorate” a job the same way. One waiter will memorize the orders of regular customers. Another will be particularly kind and courteous. Both enjoy their work because they put a part of themselves into what they do.

Keep Learning

Another way to find joy on the job is to learn. The book Tension Turnaround explains that as we grow, our brain increases its capacity to process information. This explains why the things that excited us in the past may bore us now. The solution is to satisfy the brain’s appetite for new information by learning new things.

Learning more about your job may in time lead to your being given work that is more appealing. But even if that does not happen, the process of learning in itself will make your work more interesting and satisfying. Authors Charles Cameron and Suzanne Elusorr point out: “Learning not only increases your confidence by increasing your abilities, it also rubs off in the form of a general attitude to life: that problems can be solved, difficulties can be overcome, fears can be diminished, and that more things are possible than you imagined.”

‘But,’ you might object, ‘I learned all there is to know about my job long ago!’ In that case, could you learn things that are indirectly related to your work? For example, you might decide to learn more about human relations or about your equipment. Maybe you can learn how to write a better office memo or how to conduct a better meeting. You can learn the most effective ways to deal with supervisors.

How will you learn these things? It may be that your company offers courses that you are in a position to take advantage of. Or a library may have just the books that you need. But don’t overlook less obvious sources of information. Watching people at work and noting their strengths and weaknesses may be an education. You can learn from your mistakes, and you can learn from your successes too, by analyzing what you did right. What you learn from your own experiences and from observing others can teach you what you might never read in books or hear in a class.

Some Final Suggestions

There is another approach that you could take to your work. You could decide that you deserve better—that others get all the breaks and that you’ve never been given a chance to do the work that you really want to do. You could converse endlessly with others who agree with you, and you may become convinced that all of this is true.

But it may not be true. Many people who enjoy their work have learned to do so. A person who enjoys designing houses may also come to enjoy driving a bus. Why? Because his creative approach to the work gives him joy and satisfaction.

So free yourself from the negative thinking that makes the workweek dark in contrast with the weekend. Do not waste time reviewing your past failures, imagining what will go wrong next, and worrying about what others think of you. Look at the job in front of you. Give it your full attention. Try to become as absorbed in it as you would in your favorite hobby. Make it your best effort yet, and take joy in a job well done.

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Do Not Neglect Your Work

The Bible says, at Proverbs 27:23, 24: “You ought to know positively the appearance of your flock. Set your heart to your droves; for treasure will not be to time indefinite, nor a diadem for all generations.” What does that mean?

It means that wealth (treasure) and positions of prominence (a diadem), if acquired at all, often prove to be temporary. Therefore, a shepherd in Bible times showed wisdom if he gave diligent attention to caring for his sheep, that is, ‘set his heart on his droves.’ As the succeeding three verses show, the result would be material security for the worker and his family.—Proverbs 27:25-27.

What of today? People often set their hearts on acquiring a fortune or a prominent position, which, they hope, will enable them to quit their present job. Some have realistic plans; others are just dreaming. In either case it is unwise to despise or neglect one’s present means of employment. It is, and may continue to be, the most dependable source of income. Far wiser it is for a person to set his heart on his “droves,” giving full focus to his dependable field of employment. His doing so is likely to result in present and future material security.

Moscow—Its 850th Anniversary

A City That Has Prevailed

“COME to me, brother, to Moscow.” This invitation by Yury Dolgoruky to a fellow prince in 1147 appears to be the first mention of Moscow in historical annals. The date—850 years ago—has been accepted as the founding of Moscow, the capital city of Russia, even though archaeological evidence shows that a settlement had existed on the site long before.

In anticipation of Moscow’s 850th anniversary, hundreds of the city’s facilities were refurbished and restored—stadiums, theaters, churches, railway stations, parks, and public buildings. What a marvelous transformation! “Whole blocks of buildings,” noted one Muscovite, “have changed beyond recognition.”

During a visit to Moscow this past June, we saw crews working on restoration projects all around the city’s center, near Red Square. Work was ongoing, 24 hours a day. And everywhere, there were reminders of the 850th anniversary—in store windows, in the Metro, on lampposts, on merchandise for sale—even a performance of the Moscow circus that we attended included reference to it.

By September, when thousands of visitors from around the world were present for special 850th-year festivities, the improvement in Moscow’s appearance was spectacular. Yes, despite terrible periods of adversity throughout its history, Moscow has survived and flourished.

A Bible scholar evidently had in mind one such period in Moscow’s history when, during the early part of the last century, he commented on the “battle” that is associated with “Armageddon” in the Bible. (Revelation 16:14, 16, King James Version) He noted that some had alleged that the place of Armageddon was Moscow, although he himself did not subscribe to that view.a

Why did some claim that? Well, consider the fascinating and often tragic history of Moscow.

Prevailing in Early Years

Moscow is situated at a strategic intersection near major rivers (the Oka, the Volga, the Don, and the Dnieper) as well as important land routes. Prince Dolgoruky “laid the foundations of the town of Moscow,” reports a chronicle of 1156, evidently meaning that he built the first fortifications of earthen ramparts topped by a wooden wall. This Kremlin, or citadel, was located on a triangular piece of land between the Moskva River and the Neglinnaya, a small tributary.

Tragically, only 21 years later, the prince of nearby Ryazan “came upon Moscow and burned the entire town.” Moscow was rebuilt, but in December of 1237, the Mongols under Batu Khan, grandson of the famed Genghis Khan, captured and again burned Moscow to the ground. The Mongols also sacked the city in 1293.

Do you find it remarkable that Moscow prevailed after each crippling blow? The city also emerged as Russia’s religious center in 1326, when the prince of Moscow, Ivan Kalita, persuaded the head of the Russian Orthodox Church to live in Moscow.

Eventually, by the time of the rule of Ivan the Great (from 1462 to 1505), Moscow had gained independence from the Mongols. In 1453 the city of Constantinople (now Istanbul) fell to the Ottoman Turks, which left the rulers of Russia as the only remaining Orthodox monarchs in the world. As a result, Moscow came to be identified as the “Third Rome” and Russian rulers were called czars, or caesars.

Toward the end of Ivan the Great’s rule—when Christopher Columbus was making voyages to the Americas—the Kremlin was enlarged, and brick walls and towers were built that survive until today almost unchanged. The walls are well over a mile [well over two kilometers] in length, up to 20 feet [6 m] thick, and 60 feet [18 m] high, and they enclose the Kremlin area, nearly 70 acres [nearly 30 ha].

It may surprise you that by the mid-1500’s, Moscow was said to be larger than London. Then, disaster struck on June 21, 1547, when the city suffered a devastating fire, which left practically the whole population homeless. Again, the resourceful people of Moscow rebuilt. Also appearing at this time was St. Basil’s Cathedral, which was constructed to celebrate military victories over the Tatars, or Mongols, in Kazan. Even today, this architectural masterpiece on Red Square (completed by 1561) is a widely recognized symbol of Moscow.

Some ten years later, in 1571, the Crimean Mongols broke through and captured Moscow, wreaking unbelievable havoc. They burned practically everything but the Kremlin. Records reveal that of the city’s 200,000 inhabitants, only 30,000 survived. “The Moscow River was so choked with bodies that its course was diverted, and the water was crimson for miles downstream,” editors of Time-Life books report in Rise of Russia.

Once more, Moscow had to be restored. And it was! In time, the city again radiated outward from the Kremlin, with successive walls enclosing sections called Kitai Gorod, White City, and Wooden City. A similar circular layout of Moscow remains today, with ring roads rather than walls circling the Kremlin.

During this time the people of Moscow were greatly distressed by the tyrannical rule of Ivan the Terrible, grandson of Ivan the Great. Then, in 1598, Ivan the Terrible’s son and successor, Fyodor, died without an heir. That began the “Time of Troubles,” which Rise of Russia calls “the wildest and most confusing period in all Russian history.” It lasted about 15 years.

Enduring a Unique Crisis

Shortly after Boris Godunov, Fyodor’s brother-in-law, assumed the throne, Moscow suffered from a terrible drought and famine. During one seven-month period in 1602, 50,000 reportedly died. Altogether, over 120,000 perished in the city between 1601 and 1603.

On the heels of that calamity, a man claiming to be Prince Dmitry, a son of Ivan the Terrible, invaded Russia with the help of Polish soldiers. Actually, evidence indicates that the real Dmitry had been killed in 1591. When Godunov died unexpectedly in 1605, the so-called False Dmitry entered Moscow and was crowned czar. After only a 13-month rule, he was executed by opposers.

Other pretenders to the throne followed, including a second False Dmitry, who was also assisted by Poland. Intrigue, civil war, and murder became rife. King Sigismund III Vasa, of Poland, invaded Russia in 1609, and in time, a treaty was signed that recognized his son Władysław IV Vasa as the Russian czar. When the Poles gained entrance to Moscow in 1610, the city came under Polish control. But soon Russians rallied against the Poles and expelled them from Moscow by the end of 1612.

These terrible times of trouble turned Moscow into ‘a wasteland overgrown with thistle and weeds that stretched for miles in place of former streets.’ The wall of the Wooden City had been burned down, and Kremlin buildings were in disrepair. A visiting Swedish envoy concluded: “That was the terrible and disastrous end of the famous city of Moscow.” However, he was mistaken.

A Russian czar from the Romanov family was elected in 1613, and this new dynasty of Romanov czars lasted for over 300 years. Although the young new czar, Michael, reportedly “had nowhere to live” because of the devastation, Moscow was rebuilt and again became a major city of the world.

In 1712, the czar Peter the Great, grandson of Michael, moved Russia’s capital from Moscow to St. Petersburg, which he had built on the Baltic Sea. But Moscow remained the beloved “heart” of Russia. In fact, the French emperor Napoléon Bonaparte, seeking conquest, reportedly said: ‘If I capture Petersburg, I’ll take Russia by its head, and if I capture Moscow, I’ll destroy its heart.’

Napoléon did take Moscow, but as history indicates, it was his heart that was broken, not Moscow. What occurred in Moscow was so horrible that this is what evidently caused some to identify the city with Armageddon.

Moscow Rises From Ashes

In the spring of 1812, Napoléon invaded Russia with a military force that swelled to about 600,000. Adopting a “scorched earth” policy, the Russians retreated and left nothing for the enemy. Eventually, they decided to leave an abandoned Moscow to the French!

Many authorities say that Muscovites themselves set their city ablaze rather than let the French have it. “A gale-force wind turned the fire into veritable hell,” reports a Russian history. The French were left without food or fodder, as this history explains: “Not a single sack of flour nor a cartload of hay was delivered by Russian people to the French army.” With no alternative, the French left Moscow less than six weeks after entering and lost practically their whole army in their retreat.

The courage of the Muscovites had saved their illustrious city, and with determined resolve they raised it from the ashes. Aleksandr Pushkin, often considered Russia’s greatest poet, was 13 when Napoléon invaded Moscow, Pushkin’s beloved hometown. Of Moscow he wrote: “What thoughts in each true-hearted Russian come flooding at that word! How deep an echo there is heard!”

Survival and Prosperity

Many living today recall, either from memory or from films, the terribly hard times Moscow experienced during the Russian revolution that began in 1917. Yet, the city not only survived—it prospered. A metro was built, as was the Moscow-Volga Canal to supply the city with water. Illiteracy was essentially eliminated, and by the late 1930’s, Moscow had over a thousand libraries.

In 1937 a former mayor of Manchester, England, wrote in the book Moscow in the Making: “If there should be no great war, . . . I believe that at the end of the ten year plan Moscow will be well on the way to being, as regards health, convenience, and amenities of life for the whole body of citizens, the best planned great city the world has ever known.”

But in June 1941, Germany mounted an unprovoked attack on Russia, an ally with whom it had signed a nonaggression pact less than two years before. By October, German soldiers reached within 25 miles [40 km] of the Kremlin. The fall of Moscow seemed inevitable. Nearly half of Moscow’s 4.5 million inhabitants had been evacuated. Some 500 factories had packed their machinery and sent it to new sites in eastern Russia. Yet, Moscow refused to fall. The city literally dug in, barricaded itself, and repelled the Germans.

Moscow suffered terribly, as did many other Russian cities. “Moscow has gone through so much in one century,” wrote an American reporter who lived there in the 1930’s and 1940’s, “that I marvel it has survived.” Truly, it is remarkable that Moscow prevailed to become one of the largest and most important cities of the modern world.

Today, Moscow has a population of more than nine million people and an area of about 386 square miles [1,000 sq km], making it larger and more populous than New York City. A series of ring roads encircle the Kremlin, with the nearly 70-mile [the over 100 kilometer] Moscow Ring Road forming roughly the outer boundary of Moscow. Wide boulevards extend outward, like spokes of a wheel, from the city’s center.

Most Muscovites, however, travel by the city’s marvelous Metro, which has expanded to include nine lines and some 150 stations, serving all parts of the city. Moscow’s Metro stations are called “the fanciest in the world,” by World Book Encyclopedia. Some stations look like palaces, decorated with chandeliers, statues, stained glass, and marble in abundance. In fact, the first 14 stations built contained over 750,000 square feet [70,000 sq m] of marble, more than in all the palaces built by the Romanovs over a period of 300 years!

The City Is Given a New Look

During our visit last summer, we took the Metro to see one of the largest renewal projects—the huge 103,000-seat Lenin Stadium, built in the south of Moscow in the 1950’s. New seats were being installed when we arrived, and we envisioned the movable roof that would make it possible to hold events all year round.

The facade of the famous GUM department store, across Red Square from the Kremlin, had a fine new look. On another side of the Kremlin, where the Neglinnaya flowed before it was diverted underground during the last century, landscaping now includes a stream to simulate the former river. Right across from the stream, a gigantic several-story underground shopping mall, including restaurants and other facilities, was under construction. A Moscow writer called it “Europe’s largest shopping centre,” but added, “or so they believe at the Mayor’s Office.”

In another area not far from the Kremlin, building cranes seemed to be everywhere, and construction was intense. Archaeological treasures were discovered at excavated sites, including, at one place, a cache of more than 95,000 Russian and Western European coins dated from the 15th to 17th century.

Churches were being refurbished and some rebuilt. Our Lady of Kazan Cathedral, on Red Square, destroyed in 1936 and replaced by a public latrine, was already completed. The giant Cathedral of Christ the Savior, built to celebrate the victory over Napoléon, had been blown up in 1931 during the Communist antireligion campaign. During our visit it was nearing completion on its former site, which had for years been the location of a huge outdoor heated swimming pool.

Touring construction sites was fascinating, especially as we contemplated the fresh look Moscow would have by year’s end. Yet, what endeared Moscow to us were its people. “The visitor is overwhelmed with all the friendship of which Muscovites are intrinsically capable,” a correspondent to Moscow once noted. We found that to be true, especially as we crowded around a tiny kitchen table, enjoying the loving warmth and hospitality of a Russian family.

Happily, we also found that many Muscovites have learned the true meaning of Armageddon, a battle in which our Creator will cleanse the entire earth. This will usher in a time when all who truly love him can live together, not with prejudice and suspicion, but with understanding and trust, as children of God, who love one another and serve God unitedly. (John 13:34, 35; 1 John 2:17; Revelation 21:3, 4)—Contributed.

[Footnote]

[Picture on page 13]

St. Basil’s Cathedral and Kremlin walls, widely recognized symbols of Moscow

[Picture on page 15]

Everywhere, there are reminders of the 850th anniversary

[Picture on page 16]

The famous GUM department store, with its new look

[Picture on page 16, 17]

Many Metro stations look like palaces

[Credit Line]

Tass/Sovfoto

[Picture on page 16, 17]

Refurbishing Lenin Stadium

[Picture on page 17]

New landscaping outside the Kremlin

[Pictures on page 18]

Building cranes seemed to be everywhere, and construction was intense

“The Customer Is Always Right”

AS TOLD BY WEI TUNG CHIN

My husband used to tell me to have nothing to do with “those religious people who ring doorbells.” So when Jehovah’s Witnesses came to our door, I would say we weren’t interested. But he also told me that “the customer is always right,” so when a Witness came to our restaurant the Red Dragon and wanted to tell me about her religion, I felt that I had to listen.

MY HUSBAND, Tong Y., owned the Red Dragon, a Chinese restaurant on St. Clair Avenue, in Cleveland, Ohio. There, after we were married, he taught me the motto, “The customer is always right.”

T.Y. had come to America to attend New York University. After graduating in 1927, he went to work at a restaurant in the Times Square section of New York. He observed people eating at drugstore counters, where cooking facilities were limited. So he had the idea of selling them hot chow mein.

Soon, the small restaurant he opened in Greenwich Village was doing a booming business. In 1932 he moved his operation to Cleveland, Ohio, and opened the Red Dragon, which would seat 200. A Cleveland newspaper reported in September 1932: “Invading the Great Lakes region after concentrating on the appetites of millions throughout the east, Tong Y. Chin has brought to Cleveland his first midwestern outpost of the fresh chow mein industry which he has developed in five years to a million-dollar-a-year business.”

Before explaining how T.Y. and I met, let me tell about my growing up in China, which did much to shape my life.

A Background of Poverty

My early memories are of watching Mother leave our small village in mainland China to forage for food. My parents were so poor that they had to give up some of their children for adoption. One day, when I was only about two or three years old, Father returned home with a certain look in his eyes. I thought, ‘Something bad for me.’

Shortly afterward, Mother took me by the hand, and we walked along a narrow, muddy path between paddies, being careful not to fall into the water on either side. We stopped at a home where Mother talked to a smiling girl, then at another home where the young girl looked grim and unsmiling. I do not remember seeing these girls before. They were my older sisters. As they bade me farewell, I sensed that we would never see one another again.

As we walked, my mother talked steadily, telling me things about herself, my father, and my brothers and sisters. I can still see Mother’s kind, sad eyes. When we arrived at our destination, something seemed wrong. The house appeared dismal and sad. This was my new home. I did not want to take a nap, but my mother and my adoptive parents made me. Soon I fell asleep, and when I awoke, Mother was gone. I never saw her again.

A Sad Childhood

Although there was now enough food to eat, there was little love, and my heart was full of tears. I would wake up crying every morning. I missed Mother and my older brother, who had remained with her. I often contemplated suicide. When I was old enough, I longed to attend school, but my adoptive parents kept me at home to work.

When I was nine, we moved far away to Shanghai. “Now you are old enough to do shopping and cooking,” I was told. So these duties were added to my daily chores. Each day my adoptive parents would give me enough money to buy food for three meals. On the way to the marketplace, I would pass beggars and feel sorry for them because they were hungry. So I managed to give them a coin or two and still have enough to buy the food I needed.

How I wanted to go to school and learn! “In six months we will register you,” my adoptive parents promised. When the time passed, I was told: “Six months from now.” In time, I realized that I would never be sent to school. My heart was broken. I came to hate everyone in the house. Often, I would lock myself in the bathroom and pray. Even though we believed in many gods, somehow I knew that there was a main God, more powerful than all the others. So to him I prayed: “Why is there so much pain and sorrow?” This was my prayer for many years.

Marriage Changes My Life

Arranged marriages were common in China in those days. One of T.Y.’s university friends who had returned to China wrote him: “Thou art past the age of 30 and still unmarried.” Then he spoke of me and added: “She is 18 years old; in face she is lovely, in character no less. . . . I would take serious thought, Tong Y. Chin.” His friend included a photograph.

T.Y. wrote my adoptive parents: “I have seen the photograph of your honorable daughter. I would marry her, if, after we meet and are together, we find that love blossoms in our hearts.” T.Y. came to Shanghai, and we met. Although I thought he was too mature for me, I decided that marriage would at least enable me to move out of the house. So we were married in 1935 and immediately sailed for America. That is how I came to Cleveland.

Severe Problems Despite Wealth

To begin with, there were communication problems with my husband. He spoke one Chinese dialect, Cantonese, and I spoke another, Shanghaiese. It was like we were speaking two different languages. I also had to learn the English language and new customs. And my new job? I was to be a charming, gracious restaurant hostess, always seeking to please the patrons. Yes, I was to remember, “The customer is always right.”

I worked 16 or more long, hard hours a day with my husband, and much of the time I was pregnant. Our first daughter, Gloria, was born in 1936. Thereafter, I bore six children within nine years—three boys and three more girls, one of whom died when only a year old.

In the meantime, T.Y. had come to operate many restaurants and nightclubs. Some entertainers who started their careers performing in these, such as Keye Luke, Jack Soo, and Kaye Ballard, became well-known celebrities. Also, our Chinese food products were widely marketed and became famous.

By the mid-1930’s, T.Y. was known as the chow mein king. He was also president of the Chinese Merchants Association and a lecturer on China. I became involved in numerous charity, social, civic, and community affairs. Appearing in public and marching in parades became a part of my life. Our pictures and names were a common sight in Cleveland newspapers; everything we did or said seemed to be reported—from business ventures to vacations and even my shoe size!

In 1941, when the Japanese air force bombed Pearl Harbor, the United States went to war with Japan. Because we were Oriental, we experienced prejudice. Even before the war, we received written death threats when we were building our large house in a nice neighborhood. But it was completed, and we raised our children in it.

So, I had a lovely, spacious home, a respected husband and family, yes, even beautiful clothing and jewelry. Yet, happiness continued to elude me. Why? For one thing, we had little family life. Although I managed to rise each morning to see the children off to school, we were usually working when they went to bed. A housekeeper took care of their daily needs.

We were Buddhist, yet the gods of our religion offered me no solace. T.Y., accompanied by our oldest son, would go through the house lighting candles and placing food in front of idols, for the gods to eat. But they never ate the food, so the children would later enjoy eating it themselves.

Eventually, suffering from exhaustion and seeing no way out, I reasoned that my family would be better off without me. I had a complete breakdown and tried to take my life. Thankfully, I was rushed to a hospital, and I recovered.

An Answer to My Prayers

Some time later, in 1950, a lady with beautiful white hair entered the restaurant with her husband. As I welcomed them and saw to their comfort, she spoke to me about God. I wasn’t interested. Jehovah’s Witnesses had visited the house and had tried to talk to me, but I always abruptly dismissed them. At the restaurant, however, the situation was different—“The customer is always right!”

The lady, Helen Winters, asked if I believed the Bible. “Which Bible?” I replied. “There are so many!” Each time she returned, I would think to myself, ‘Here comes that nuisance again!’ But she was kind and persistent. And what she said about a paradise earth where there would be no more pain or suffering really sounded good.—2 Peter 3:13; Revelation 21:3, 4.

On one of her visits, she left an invitation to the meetings at the Kingdom Hall and pointed out the short message on the reverse side that described the blessings of God’s Kingdom. I remember looking at it later and thinking, ‘If only this could be true!’ She offered to study the Bible with me at home, and eventually, I agreed.

Each week we gathered around our table for the study—Helen and I along with my six children, then ages 5 to 14. I often felt sorry for her because the children sometimes appeared to lose interest. In 1951 we began attending meetings at the Kingdom Hall. Before long, I realized that what I was learning was the answer to my prayers. So I decided that I really needed to learn to read English well, which was a difficult challenge for me.

Realizing Genuine Happiness

Soon I began to progress rapidly in knowledge and dedicated my life to Jehovah God. Then, on October 13, 1951, at a large convention in Washington, D.C., I was baptized along with my two oldest children, Gloria and Tom. For the first time, my life had taken on meaning. It was the beginning of my happiest years.

All my life I had been serving other humans, but now I was determined first of all to serve our Creator! I began sharing the Kingdom message with all who would listen. I also tried to impress on my children the necessity of attending Christian meetings and the importance of talking to others about the wonderful things in God’s Word.

In 1953 we began having the Congregation Book Study in our home. Nearly 45 years later, the study is still being held here. Throughout the years it has been a tremendous spiritual help to our family.

Keeping spiritually active and still maintaining our restaurant business was a real challenge. However, I was able to study the Bible with many. Some of these people accepted Bible truth and later became pioneers, as full-time ministers are called. During the 1950’s, our four younger children dedicated their lives to Jehovah and were baptized. T.Y. was not interested in the Bible, yet he would drive us to and from the meetings. We decided not to preach to him but just to talk among ourselves as we drove home about a point or two that we enjoyed from the meeting.

At the time, T.Y. made frequent business trips to cities throughout the United States. I telephoned the Watch Tower Society’s headquarters in Brooklyn, New York, and explained our situation. Grant Suiter, then secretary-treasurer of the Society, invited us to tour the facilities when we were in New York. T.Y. was very impressed, especially with the cleanliness of the kitchen, which was then set up to feed about 500.

During our visit we met Russell Kurzen, who later mailed T.Y. a Bible, which he read every night until he finished it. Later, at the international convention of Jehovah’s Witnesses in New York in 1958, my husband was baptized! To our surprise, our oldest son, who was by then serving as a member of the headquarters family, had a short part on the program.

Faithful Until His Death

T.Y. and I often participated together in the door-to-door ministry. When his eyesight began to fail, we engaged regularly in street witnessing. The Cleveland Press carried the headline “Conversion at Red Dragon” along with a picture of us offering the Watchtower and Awake! magazines to a passerby. The story related how we became Witnesses. Incidentally, the Red Dragon was given a name change, becoming Chin’s Restaurant.

Over the years, my husband and I entertained at our restaurant many Christian brothers and sisters from all over the world. We remembered well the advice of Brother Fred Franz, who served as president of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society. When he visited, he urged us: “Be faithful, and stick close to Jehovah’s organization.”

T.Y. suffered several strokes in the early 1970’s and died on August 20, 1975. A local newspaper published a lengthy obituary along with a picture of him offering The Watchtower in the ministry. Our last years together were the best ones. After over 60 years of operation, Chin’s Restaurant closed for the last time in April 1995. To some, it seemed like the end of an era.

Maintaining Spiritual Goals

At one time it was our desire that our three sons take over the family business. However, that desire changed; we wanted them to follow Jesus’ footsteps and become full-time ministers. We asked each of the children if he or she would like to pioneer in Hong Kong and help other Chinese people learn what we had learned. We offered them financial backing toward that end. Although none of them had learned to speak Chinese fluently, Winifred, Victoria, and Richard chose to move to Hong Kong.

Our daughter Winifred has pioneered there for over 34 years! Victoria married Marcus Gum, and they eventually returned to the United States. They have reared three children—Stephanie and Seraiah, who are in the full-time ministry in Cleveland, and Symeon, who is serving at Watchtower Farms, Wallkill, New York, with his wife, Morfydd. Victoria and Marcus now live nearby, where they help watch over me. He is the presiding overseer of the Coventry Congregation in Cleveland.

Our oldest daughter, Gloria, has been confined to a wheelchair since she was struck with polio in 1955. She and her husband, Ben, live in Escondido, California, where she continues to serve regularly in the preaching work. Tom has been a full-time minister for over 22 years. He and his wife, Esther, presently work at the Watchtower Educational Center, Patterson, New York. Richard and his wife, Amy, returned from Hong Kong to help care for T.Y. before his death. Now they also serve at Patterson. Our youngest, Walden, has spent more than 30 years in the full-time ministry. For the last 22 years, he and his wife, Mary Lou, have served congregations in the United States in the circuit and district work.

It is not that our children never gave us any problems. As a teenager, one ran away from home and was not heard from for three months. For a time another was more interested in sports than in spiritual things, skipping our weekly family Bible study to compete. He even received offers of athletic scholarships. When he decided to enter the full-time ministry instead of accepting one of these university scholarships, I felt as if a thousand-pound weight had been lifted from my shoulders!

Grateful That I Listened

Even though my children are literally scattered around the world, it gives my heart a lift to know that they are faithfully serving Jehovah. I am 81 now, and arthritis and other ailments have slowed my pace, but my zeal for Jehovah has not slackened. I try to take care of myself so that none of my children might have to leave the full-time ministry to look after me.

I eagerly look to the future when God’s purposes will be fully realized and I will again see my dead loved ones, including my husband, my birth parents, and Helen Winters, who studied with us. (John 5:28, 29; Acts 24:15) How glad I am that I listened to that lovely white-haired lady over 46 years ago! Indeed, that customer was right!

[Picture on page 21]

When we were married

[Picture on page 23]

Our family in 1961. From left to right: Victoria, Wei, Richard, Walden, Tom, T.Y., Winifred, and Gloria in front

[Picture on page 24]

Wei Chin today

Young People Ask . . .

Are Raves Harmless Fun?

“When I’m dancing with my hands in the air and the music surging through my body, I feel energized by the others on the dance floor. It’s like a rapture.”—Gena.

GENA thus describes the thrill of attending a rave. These dance parties, usually lasting all night, first became popular in Britain during the 1980’s. Now they are popping up in all parts of the globe, including Belgium, Canada, Germany, India, New Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.

Raves are held in clubs, abandoned warehouses, vacant fields—anywhere people can gather for a night of frenzied, nonstop dancing. “Raves are gradually replacing nightclubbing as youth’s recreation of choice,” wrote Adam Levin, in the Sunday Times Magazine of Johannesburg, South Africa. “If your teenagers haven’t mentioned them yet,” he added, “then you have a communication problem.”

A Look at the Rave Scene

Raves are sometimes shrouded in secrecy, their location not being announced until the day of the event. Nevertheless, when the elaborate light show and pulsating techno music begin, anywhere from several dozen to thousands of youths in bizarre attire may be present. “It’s like one big unified mass of people dancing around and letting out their aggressions to the beat,” says Katy, a college sophomore.

A rave is more than just a dance, however. It is also a culture, or a “scene,” as ravers like to call it. The basic tenets of the rave scene are reputedly peace, love, unity, and respect—regardless of race, nationality, or sexual orientation. “We’ve been trying to mix cultures at these parties,” says the owner of a store that specializes in dance music. “The idea is togetherness,” he adds, “and dancing together is a great way to achieve that.”

In view of such seemingly noble ideals, you may ask, ‘What could be wrong with raves?’ But there is another side to the rave scene that you should consider.

The Seamy Side of Raves

Some claim that alcohol is rarely present at raves. Drugs, however, are a different matter. “One wonders whether the rave scene would have been more easily accepted by the public had the presence of drugs not been so high,” admits a raver named Brian. “Of course,” he adds, “many others wonder how raves could have ever come about without them.”

Although marijuana and LSD have made their way into some raves, the drug of choice among ravers seems to be MDMA, commonly known as Ecstasy. Users claim that Ecstasy is relatively safe. They insist that it simply energizes them to dance the night away and that it enhances their feelings of euphoria. Yet, under the headline “Popular Drug May Damage Brain,” The New York Times notes that Ecstasy “may have long-term, harmful effects on appetite, sleep, mood, impulsiveness and other mental functions.” And that is not all. “There have been some deaths from Ecstasy,” claims Dr. Howard McKinney, “and several other cases where people who took normal doses experienced heart failure, liver failure or coma.” With good reason Dr. Sylvain de Miranda says: “Rave-goers taking Ecstasy are dancing with death.”

Even organic drugs—such as Herbal Acid, Acceleration, herbal Ecstasy, or Rush—can be harmful. For example, it is claimed that under certain conditions, the organic drug Acceleration can cause a heart attack and even death.

For those who still insist that the drugs used at raves are harmless, there is another factor to consider. Canadian police detective Ian Briggs claims that 90 percent of the drugs sold as Ecstasy are not really Ecstasy at all. “A lot of it is PCP or other dangerous drugs,” he says. “People selling these drugs are unscrupulous. They’re not around when the drugs start taking effect.”a

Admittedly, some raves may be drug free. However, even ravers will admit that it is often impossible to predict whether any, many, or most of those who are present at a rave will be under the influence of an illegal substance.

Are Raves Really for You?

There is nothing inherently wrong with music and dancing, nor is it improper to want to have a good time. After all, the Bible says that there is a “time for joy” and a “time for dancing.” (Ecclesiastes 3:4, Today’s English Version) It also admonishes: “Rejoice . . . in your youth.” (Ecclesiastes 11:9) So the Creator wants you to be happy! Nevertheless, you must remember that “the whole world is lying in the power of the wicked one,” Satan the Devil. (1 John 5:19) Thus, it should hardly be a surprise that forms of recreation that are glorified by this world are often tainted with unwholesome elements.

For example, think about those who attend raves. Are they following the Bible’s admonition to ‘cleanse themselves of every defilement of flesh and spirit’? (2 Corinthians 7:1) True, ravers may espouse peace, love, and unity. But “the wisdom from above” is more than “peaceable”; it is also “chaste.” (James 3:15, 17) Ask yourself, ‘Do the morals of those who frequent raves harmonize with the standards found in God’s Word, the Bible? Do I want to spend all night with those who are “lovers of pleasures rather than lovers of God”?’—2 Timothy 3:4; 1 Corinthians 6:9, 10; compare Isaiah 5:11, 12.

These are important questions to consider, for Paul wrote that “bad associations spoil useful habits.” (1 Corinthians 15:33) To keep company with those who show disregard for God’s laws will ultimately spell disaster, for the Bible states: “He that is walking with wise persons will become wise, but he that is having dealings with the stupid ones will fare badly.”—Proverbs 13:20.

The fact is that many raves are little more than drug parties and those who attend can reap bitter consequences. Some raves, for example, are raided and shut down by police, either because they are being held illegally or because drugs are present. Would you want to be counted among those who are not law-abiding? (Romans 13:1, 2) Even if breaking the law did not come into the picture, could you attend such a party and remain “without spot from the world”? (James 1:27) Since revelries, or “wild parties” (Byington), are condemned in the Bible, would your presence at a rave enable you to maintain a clear conscience before God and men?—Galatians 5:21; 2 Corinthians 4:1, 2; 1 Timothy 1:18, 19.

Clearly, Christians should beware of the danger of raves. But do not despair. There is still much recreation that you can enjoy. For example, many families among Jehovah’s Witnesses have arranged for wholesome gatherings.b With careful planning and supervision, these leave all in attendance feeling spiritually and physically refreshed. More important, association that is upbuilding pleases Jehovah, “the happy God,” who wants his people to rejoice.—1 Timothy 1:11; Ecclesiastes 8:15.

[Footnotes]

[Box on page 26]

What Is Techno?

Put simply, techno refers to electronic dance music. It includes many styles. Most people would describe techno as rhythmic, for it usually ranges between 115 and 160 beats per minute.

“To the uninitiated,” says The European, “techno sounds like the noises you hear when you sit in the dentist’s chair, coupled with the noises you imagine there were the night Sodom and Gomorrah got hit.” Some listeners, however, are captivated by techno’s steady beat. “For me,” says 18-year-old Christine, “this music gives the feeling of unlimited freedom and independence.” Sonja feels similarly. “At first,” she admits, “I didn’t like techno music at all. But the more you listen to it, the more acceptable it becomes. If you turn it up real loud, you can hardly escape the pounding beat. You move automatically. If you are not careful, the beat controls your whole body.” Shirley, aged 19, sees something deeper in techno. “It’s more than just music,” she says. “It’s a whole way of life, expressed in clothing and language.”

Christians desire to “keep on making sure of what is acceptable to the Lord.” (Ephesians 5:10) Therefore, they should use caution with techno just as they would with any other style of music. If you find yourself drawn to techno, ask yourself: ‘How does this style of music affect me? Does it make me feel happy, calm, and peaceful? Or does it rile me up, perhaps even inciting angry or immoral thoughts? Will my attraction to this music style draw me closer to its life-style? Would I be tempted to attend a rave to hear this style of music or dance to it?’

Really, the bottom line is this: Whatever your taste in music, never allow it to come between you and your heavenly Father.

Watching the World

Pollution and Childhood Cancer

After analyzing a 27-year study of 22,400 British children, a team of epidemiologists found that youngsters that were born within three miles [5 km] of a source of pollution were 20 percent more at risk of dying of leukemia and other childhood cancers than others were. Exposure to airborne pollutants is “the most likely mechanism” by which increased cases of childhood cancer were caused, reports The Times of London. The pollutants responsible appear to be gasoline fumes or other volatile organic chemicals spewed forth by industrial plants such as oil refineries, automobile factories, nonnuclear power stations, steelworks, and cement works. The study also reports that among children born within two and a half miles [4 km] of motorways and railways, there were increased deaths due to cancer. Gasoline and diesel fuels are likely to blame, claim the authors of the report.

Religion in Brazil

A recent survey shows that “99 per cent of Brazilians believe in God,” reports the ENI Bulletin. According to the survey of nearly 2,000 people, 72 percent professed Catholicism, 11 percent said they were Protestants, and 9 percent did not profess any particular religion. The rest followed Brazilian and Afro-Brazilian religions. “When asked if they had been to a church or religious building during the previous weekend, 57 per cent said they had not,” says ENI. Only 44 percent believe in eternal punishment. While 69 percent of Brazilians believe in heaven, only 32 percent expect to go there.

Who Holds the Remote Control?

Researchers at EURISPES (Institute for Political, Economic and Social Studies), in Italy, recently published the results of a study on TV-watching habits. Almost 2,000 Italian families were interviewed. They were asked, among other questions, who in the family is more likely to hold and operate the TV remote control, dubbed by a newspaper article the modern-day rod of power in the family. In most cases the father was mentioned as the one in control. Children came in second as the decision makers when it comes to switching channels. The mother came in last in the power struggle to hold the remote control in the family.

Teen Sex

According to the Nigerian newspaper Weekend Concord, a recent study found that “Nigerian adolescents are among the most sexually active in the world.” Some 68 percent of boys and 43 percent of girls between the ages of 14 and 19 admitted to having had intercourse “shortly after the onset of puberty.” This has led to many unwanted pregnancies. A separate study shows that “71 per cent of all deaths of young women under 19 years [of age] in Nigeria were related to abortion complications,” says the Concord.

Hand-Washing Crisis

A recent article in the French medical newspaper Le Quotidien du Médecin highlighted a worrisome trend that seems to be increasing—not washing one’s hands before eating or after using the toilet. According to Dr. Frédéric Saldmann, this simple lack of personal hygiene is a major dietary risk and would seem to be a widespread problem. The article cites one study in which bowls of peanuts in English pubs were found to contain traces of urine from 12 different sources. Another study in an American school revealed that regular hand-washing supervised by a teacher reduced the number of children absent from school with digestive problems by 51 percent and those absent with respiratory problems by 23 percent. The article concludes by stressing the importance of teaching children such basic rules of hygiene from infancy.

Growing Economy and Poverty

Although the global economy grew by 40 percent from 1975 to 1985, “the number of poor people worldwide increased by 17%,” notes HCHR News, a bulletin of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. Today, in 89 countries people are worse off economically than they were ten or more years ago. In 70 developing countries, the levels of income are even lower than they were 20, and in some cases 30, years ago. Economic growth, concludes HCHR News, has only benefited “a minority of countries.”

Unsafe Structures in Italy

During the last century, earthquakes have claimed more than 120,000 victims in Italy. Yet, about 25 million Italians live in areas where “64 percent of the buildings are not earthquake safe,” reports Corriere della Sera. Among the unsafe structures are hospitals, fire stations, and other buildings that would become emergency centers should a calamity occur. An average of 7,000 billion lire ($4 billion, U.S.) is spent every year in Italy to repair damage caused by geologic and industrial calamities. One expert explains that “often those enormous amounts spent after catastrophes . . . have been used to reconstruct [buildings] in the same incorrect way and in the same high-risk locations.”

Blood and HIV Infection

Of the nearly 22 million people infected with HIV⁄AIDS worldwide, over 90 percent live in developing countries. “Up to 10 percent of new HIV infections in developing countries are caused by blood transfusions,” reports Panos, a London-based information organization. In many countries, blood supplies are not safe because laboratory tests for HIV are not fully reliable. In Pakistan, for instance, fewer than half of all blood banks have HIV-screening equipment. As a result, 12 percent of all new HIV infections there are caused by blood transfusions. Since the first cases of AIDS were reported over 15 years ago, nearly 30 million people worldwide have contracted HIV, the virus that causes the disease.

An Exaggerated Fear of God

In a recent study, interviews were conducted with Brazilian children suffering from stress. It was found, according to the ENI Bulletin, that a large percentage of children experience anguish related to an exaggerated fear of God. While 25 percent of the children were experiencing tension related to family problems or the death of a relative, 75 percent showed signs of anguish because they see God as a vengeful figure intent on punishing. The study “urged parents to teach their children that God would help them and could understand them,” reports ENI.

Elephant Communication

An elephant’s vocal cords are so huge that the basic frequency of the sounds they produce is 20 cycles per second or less—well below the range of human hearing. Such deep rumblings carry well, and elephants can recognize them from a mile [1.5 km] away. They can also identify as many as 150 different calls, responding positively to the signals of family members and those bonded to their group. Usually elephants ignore the calls of strangers or become agitated at hearing them. After research studies in the Amboseli National Park, in Kenya, animal behaviorist Dr. Karen McComb, of Britain’s University of Sussex, explained that “such extensive networks of vocal communication have not been demonstrated in any other mammal,” reports The Times of London.

From Our Readers

Adoptee’s Search I want to thank you for the experience “A Thrilling Surprise.” (February 22, 1997) It was truly moving to read of how this son found his real mother and learned that she was also his spiritual sister!

M. G. D., Italy

I read the story of the life of Dana Folz with tears. I have an adopted brother who got to meet his mother when he was grown up. It was not a happy reunion. Even today, he must deal with negative feelings toward our family. The article helped me to see the importance of showing him patience and love.

M. D. L., Argentina

I found your magazine in the bathroom of a local business. It contained one of the most stirring accounts I have ever read! I have often been asked: “What if a baby was conceived during a rape? Do you not favor abortion under these circumstances?” No more eloquent plea for the life of the unborn could possibly be given than Dana Folz’s thrilling, real-life drama.

M. P., United States

Organized Crime I am a security consultant and a member of the Police-Community Relations Committee. I found your suggestions on how to protect one’s family from crime very practical and beneficial. (“Organized Crime—How It Affects You,” in the issue of March 8, 1997) I have already circulated the magazine to other committee members. It is refreshing to know that one day a world without crime will be here.

C. E. J. A., Nigeria

The articles were particularly helpful because I have been studying the Bible with a man who has been affiliated with organized crime for the past 11 years. The difficulties of cutting off ties with organized crime were accurately explained. With Jehovah’s help, he too can break away if he makes up his mind to do so.

A. M., United States

Flowers I am ten years old, and I want to thank you for the article “Flowers Show That Somebody Cares.” (March 8, 1997) It taught me how to take care of flowers so that they will last longer.

L. C., Italy

For years I have wanted to know how to preserve flowers, as I am very fond of them. However, they would always wither too rapidly. The suggestions in Awake! have really helped me. I am very grateful for the work that you are doing.

J. P., Mexico

Birth of a Star The article “Star Birth in an Eagle’s ‘Nest’” (March 8, 1997) made me stop and think for a moment about Jehovah God’s beautiful, unspoiled creation. I was deeply moved.

J. A., Australia

Adoption I can truly relate to the article “A Cry From the Heart.” (March 8, 1997) I was an unwed mother at age 19. My mother was very angry and bitter, and she let me know that the baby was not welcome. I felt that it would be in my baby’s best interests to let others care for him. After becoming a Christian, I prayed for 15 years that I would meet him. My prayer was finally answered some time ago, and I got to meet him and share the good news with him. He was very understanding of the circumstances that compelled me to give him up. My advice to women in this situation is to keep praying to Jehovah. Perhaps it will work out that you can be reunited with your child. If not, God can grant you peace of mind and heart if you fully trust in him.

G. S., United States

Index to Volume 78 of Awake!

ANIMALS AND PLANTS

Albatross, 6/22

Animal Slumber, 10/8

Beekeeping, 5/22

Cheetah, 9/22

Children Safe With Your Dog? 7/8

Codfish, 11/22

Coral Reefs, 8/8

Crowned Cranes, 10/22

Everglades, 1/22

Expert Gardener (leaf-cutting ant), 3/22

Flowers Show That Somebody Cares, 3/8

Gardens, 4/8

Grow Your Own Sprouts, 2/8

High-Tide Rush Hour (birds in estuaries), 3/22

Insect Flight, 9/22

Jewels of Riverbank (dragonflies), 6/22

Raven, 1/8

Road Safety for Wildlife, 9/8

Saving Animals, 7/8

Tiny Light-Bearers (glowworms), 4/8

When Is a Bee Not a Bee? 12/8

Yawn of the Wild, 8/8

Zoos, 7/8

ECONOMICS AND EMPLOYMENT

Bored With Work? 12/22

HEALTH AND MEDICINE

Aching Feet, 10/8

Caregiving, 2/8

Diet, 6/22

Fitness to the Extreme, 9/8

Happy to Be Alive! 4/22

Kidneys, 8/8

Malaria, 7/22

Osteoporosis, 6/8

Pestilence, 11/22

RSD—Puzzling, Painful Disorder, 9/8

Safeguarding Children’s Health, 9/22

Snail Fever, 2/22

Stuttering, 11/22

Tuberculosis, 12/22

Unhealthy Life-Styles, 7/22

Ways to Protect Health, 11/22

Wisdom of Abstinence and Monogamy, 5/22

HUMAN RELATIONS

Caregiving, 2/8

Child Custody, 12/8

Children With Learning Disabilities, 2/22

Cry From the Heart (adoption), 3/8

Help Your Children to Thrive, 8/8

Inseparable Friends (guide dog for blind), 4/22

Road Rage (angry driving), 11/22

Stuttering, 11/22

Thrilling Surprise (adoptee), 2/22

Tolerance Gone Too Far? 1/22

Truth About Lying, 2/22

Violence Against Women, 1/8

Who Is the Parent? the Child? 10/8

JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES

“Beam of Light in a Dark Age” (premiere of Stand Firm video), 6/22

Deaf Praise Jehovah (conventions for deaf), 4/8

Emmy Zehden Way, 1/22

Inseparable Friends (A. Evaldsson), 4/22

Messengers of Peace in Eastern Europe, 3/8

Model to Imitate, 4/22

“Open Your Eyes and See” (schoolboy’s essay), 6/22

Romanian Conventions, 2/22

Russia, 8/22

Vindicated in Greece, 3/22

“What a Fowl Chases in the Rain” (Nigeria), 5/22

LANDS AND PEOPLES

African Drums, 7/22

Amazon Rain Forest, 3/22

Brunost—Norwegian Cheese Delicacy, 7/8

Cocos Island—Buried Treasures (Costa Rica), 9/22

Cuzco—Ancient Inca Capital, 9/8

Didgeridoo Rhythms (Australia), 4/22

Etruscans—Mystery Lives On, 11/8

Great Rift Valley, 7/22

Kaba—Elegant African Dress, 9/8

Kilimanjaro—Roof of Africa, 9/8

Life Down Under (Australia), 10/8

Matera—City of Cave Dwellings (Italy), 7/8

Moscow, 12/22

Opera in the Jungle (Brazil), 5/22

Popocatepetl—Mexico’s Volcano, 3/8

Power From Snow (Australia), 10/22

Pygmies, 12/8

Singapore—Asia’s Tarnished Jewel, 6/8

Spiritual Hunger in Romania, 4/22

Tasmania, 5/8

Tiny Light-Bearers of New Zealand (glowworms), 4/8

Wars of Religion in France, 4/22

Wood Carving—Ancient African Art, 9/22

LIFE STORIES

Better Than World Acclaim (C. Pertot), 8/22

“Customer Is Always Right” (W. Chin), 12/22

Ears of a Babe (L. Lawson), 6/8

Happy to Be Alive! (G. Klauss), 4/22

I Finally Found the Truth (E. Szanyi), 4/8

I Was a Yakuza (Y. Kataoka), 3/8

Jehovah Smoothed Our Way (J. Heggli), 12/8

Lesson From a Pot of Fat (K. Hahn), 10/22

Music, Drugs, Drink Were My Life (B. McKerchie), 1/8

Our Search for Justice (A. Villa), 6/22

Sowing With Tears, Reaping With Joy (R. Kirkup), 2/8

Thrilling Surprise (D. Folz), 2/22

Too Many Gods, Until I Found the True One (C. Bright), 5/22

“When I Am Weak, Then I Am Powerful” (L. Maass), 1/22

MISCELLANEOUS

Alpine National Parks, 11/22

Count the Cost of Moving! 5/8

Crossword Puzzles, 2/8, 4/8, 6/8, 8/8, 10/8, 12/8

Espresso—Essence of Coffee, 11/8

Fatigue—Trap for Truckers, 8/8

Global Garden, 4/8

Internet, 7/22

Kitchen Can Be Fun, 1/8

Man Who Unlocked the World (Magellan), 11/8

“Seven Blunders of the World,” 1/8

Subways, 3/22

Tapping Clouds, 10/8

Trouble-Free Paradise, 10/8

Via Egnatia (Roman highway), 8/22

What Makes People Happy? 10/22

Why Diamonds Cost So Much, 7/8

RELIGION

Catholic Church and Evolution, 10/22

Crusades, 10/8

French Bible’s Fight for Survival, 12/8

God—Gambler or Creator? 5/8

Religion in War, 4/22

Spiritual Hunger in Romania, 4/22

Trial and Execution of a “Heretic,” 5/8

SCIENCE

Comet Crash, 1/8

Evolution’s Foundation Missing? 5/8

Hearing—Gift to Be Treasured, 9/22

How Did We Get Here? 5/8

Insect Flight, 9/22

Kidneys, 8/8

“Most Notorious Scientific Fraud,” 7/8

Photosynthesis, 1/22

Star Birth in Eagle’s “Nest,” 3/8

“Symphony of Exquisite Timing” (speech), 9/8

THE BIBLE’S VIEWPOINT

Asceticism the Key to Wisdom? 10/8

Earth End in Fire? 1/8

Flood—Fact or Fable? 2/8

Marriage Saved After Infidelity? 4/8

“No Part of the World,” 9/8

Poverty Justify Stealing? 11/8

Science and Bible Agree? 7/8

Should Children Choose Religion? 3/8

Should Christians Be Pacifists? 5/8

Should Christians Hate Homosexuals? 12/8

Why Control Your Anger? 6/8

Wrong to Eat Meat? 8/8

WORLD AFFAIRS AND CONDITIONS

Chernobyl, 4/22

Desertification, 2/8

Entertainment, 5/22

Food for All—A Dream? 8/8

Greed—How It Affects Us, 1/8

Noise, 11/8

Organized Crime, 3/8

OSCE—What Is It? 8/22

Pestilence, 11/22

Sexual Exploitation of Children, 4/8

Sexuality—Changing Attitudes, 6/8

Swindlers, 9/22

Violence Against Women, 1/8

Water Crisis, 8/22

What War Does to Children, 10/22

Why So Much Hate? 9/8

Women, 4/8

YOUNG PEOPLE ASK

Becoming a Friend of God, 2/22

Being Sick, 4/22, 6/22

Bullying—What’s the Harm? 3/22

Confess My Sin? 1/22

Favoritism, 11/22

Getting Blamed, 7/22, 8/22

God Stay My Friend? 5/22

Making Money, 9/22

Raves Harmless Fun? 12/22

Why Does Brother Get the Attention? 10/22

It Moved Them to Preach

Khabarovsk, a city of some 700,000 in Russia’s Far East, has many congregations of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Two women living in a village not far away obtained a copy of the book You Can Live Forever in Paradise on Earth. The Witnesses in Khabarovsk, however, were unable to visit them in their village.

So the women, in the best way they knew how, began studying the book together, along with the Bible. After they finished, they decided that it was important to tell others about what they had learned, just as the early Christians did.—Matthew 10:7; Acts 20:20.

At the first door they called on, the women met a man with whom they began a Bible study. In time, both the man’s wife and his daughter joined in the regular Bible discussions. Later, after coming in contact with other Witnesses, all five of them were baptized. Now, the women who took the initiative to call on others are full-time evangelizers.

By reading the book You Can Live Forever in Paradise on Earth, you too may be moved to share Bible teachings with others. If you would like to receive a copy or would like to have someone call on you to conduct a free home Bible study, please write to Watchtower, 25 Columbia Heights, Brooklyn, NY 11201-2483, or to the appropriate address on page 5.