August 22

Page Two

Advertising—How Are You Affected? 3-9

Learn how advertising works and how it might influence you.

Bloodless Surgery—Its Benefits Gain Recognition 10

Doctors nearly everywhere are promoting bloodless surgery. Learn the reasons why.

An Icy Disaster 16

North America’s devastating ice storm and how people coped. How vulnerable are we to the elements?

Adrift in a Sea of Advertising

“PAPA, what is the moon supposed to advertise?” This strange question, posed by a child, appeared in a poem written by Carl Sandburg some 50 years ago. In the future, such a question may not seem so strange. According to New Scientist magazine, two advertising executives in London are working on a plan to use reflected sunlight to project advertisements onto the surface of the moon.

Imagine using the moon as a billboard! Think of advertising a commercial message to a worldwide audience, a message that viewers cannot turn off, hang up on, toss in the garbage, or zap with a remote control. The idea may not enthrall you, but to others it would be a dream come true.

While advertising has not yet touched the moon, it has engulfed the earth. Most American magazines and newspapers reserve 60 percent of their pages for ads. The New York Times Sunday edition alone may contain 350 pages of advertisements. Some radio stations devote 40 minutes of every hour to commercials.

Then there is television. According to one estimate, American youngsters sit through three hours of television commercials each week. By the time they graduate from high school, they will have been exposed to 360,000 TV ads. Televisions advertise in airports, hospital waiting rooms, and schools.

Major sporting events are now major advertising events. Racing cars serve as high-speed billboards. Some athletes receive most of their money from advertisers. One top-ranking basketball player earned $3.9 million by playing ball. Advertisers paid him nine times that much to promote their products.

There is no escape. Commercial ads are displayed on walls, buses, and trucks. They adorn the inside of taxis and subways—even the doors of public toilets. Audio messages call to us in supermarkets, stores, elevators—and while we are on hold on the telephone. In some countries so much advertising comes through the mail that many recipients proceed directly from the mailbox to the nearest wastebasket to toss out the junk mail.

According to Insider’s Report, published by McCann-Erickson, a global advertising agency, the estimated amount of money spent on advertising worldwide in 1990 was $275.5 billion. Since then, the figures have soared to $411.6 billion for 1997 and a projected $434.4 billion for 1998. Big money!

The effect of all of this? One analyst put it this way: “Advertising is one of the most powerful socializing forces in the culture. . . . Ads sell more than products. They sell images, values, goals, concepts of who we are and who we should be . . . They shape our attitudes and our attitudes shape our behavior.”

Since you cannot escape advertising, why not find out how it works and how it might influence you?

The Art of Persuasion

WHAT is the aim of commercial advertising? Businesses say that their advertising provides a public service because it gives us information about their products. The International Advertising Association states: “To be properly informed the Consumer needs advertising. Informed choice is based on information. Advertising—in its broadest sense—is the vital conduit for that information between Producer and Consumer.”

Of course, we all know that such advertising does more than merely inform—its job is to sell. It is not objective or neutral. Successful ads skillfully engage the mind of the consumer and motivate him to buy the product advertised.

Moreover, advertising sells more than products; it sells brands. If you are a large manufacturer of soap, you will not spend millions of advertising dollars to encourage people to buy just any soap. You want them to buy your soap. You want ads that will somehow convince the public that your brand of soap is more desirable than any other.

The Target Audience

To be strategically sound, an ad is usually carefully directed to a certain audience, whether it be children, housewives, businesspeople, or some other group. The message is crafted to appeal to the most important concerns of that audience. Then the ad is run in the media that will most effectively reach them.

Before an ad is designed, a great deal of research goes into finding out about the group of people most likely to buy and use the product being advertised. Advertisers need to know who these people are, how they think and behave, what they desire and dream of. Wrote one professional advertiser: “We make it our business to know exactly whom we’re writing to. Who they are, where they live, what they buy. And why. Knowing all this gives us the ammunition to write persuasive sales messages. Our targets will respond to persuasion; they won’t respond to bluster, our self-interests, or rhetorical arrows shot randomly into the air.”

Elements of Persuasion

In the creation of an ad, careful wording is critical. Puffery, or exaggerated praise, is commonplace. A breakfast cereal is said to be “great,” and a greeting card company claims that people buy its cards when they “want to send the very best.” Though it is not always easy to distinguish between puffery and deliberate deceit, advertisers need to be careful not to make claims that can be disproved by verifiable facts. Some governments have laws that prohibit such dishonesty, and businesses are quick to sue if their interests are threatened by the deceptive ads of rivals.

When one product is almost identical to others, the claims the advertiser can make are limited, so the message often says little or nothing. Many identify their product with a catchy slogan. Some examples: “Just do it” (a brand of running shoes), “Breakfast of champions” (a breakfast cereal), “It’s your money, demand better” (a type of car), and “You’re in good hands” (an insurance company).

Visual messages, whether in a magazine or on television, contain powerful suggestions beyond what is actually said about the product. The way in which a product is presented may convey an idea such as, ‘If you buy this watch, people will respect you’ or ‘This brand of jeans will make you more attractive to the opposite sex’ or ‘This car will make your neighbors drool with envy.’ In one of the best-known and most successful advertising campaigns, a cigarette company links cowboys to its product. The cowboys are portrayed as strong, rugged, take-charge characters. The unspoken message: Smoke our cigarettes, and you will be like these admired men of action.

In addition to clever words and visual imagery, music is important to radio and television commercials. It engages the emotions, enhances the mood of an ad, helps make it memorable, and improves consumer attitudes toward the product.

World Watch magazine observes: “The most finely wrought ads are masterpieces—combining stunning imagery, bracing speed, and compelling language to touch our innermost fears and fancies. Prime-time television commercials in the industrial countries pack more suggestion into a minute than anything previously devised.”

Appeals to Logic and Emotion

Ads are carefully crafted to appeal to the specific desires and values of the target audience. Perhaps an ad will appeal to the need to have fun, the hunger for security, or a yearning to be accepted by others. Maybe the ad will direct itself to a desire to impress others, to be clean, or to stand out as different. Some ads promote their products by appealing to our fears. For example, one mouthwash company warned of the perils of bad breath: “Even your best friend won’t tell you” and, “Often a bridesmaid, never a bride.”

It is sometimes easy to look at an ad and analyze the nature of its appeal. Some ads are directed primarily to the conscious, reasoning, logical part of our minds. They present straightforward information about a product. An example is a sign that informs you that fish is now selling at half price. Another approach is to present a persuasive argument. This type of ad might reason that the half-price fish will not only save you money but delight your palate and provide superb nourishment for you and your family.

Other ads are designed to appeal to our emotional side. Mood commercials, for example, make their appeal by attaching pleasant imagery to the product. Producers of cosmetics, cigarettes, and liquor rely heavily on this approach. Other commercials use repetition. This hard-sell approach is based on the hope that if people hear a message enough times, they will believe it and buy the product, even if they hate the ad itself! This is why we often see ads recommending the same product over and over and over again. Nonprescription-drug companies commonly use this approach.

Command ads likewise appeal to our emotions. These ads directly tell us to do something: “Drink this!” “Buy now!” Command ads are thought to work best for products that the audience already knows and likes. A great many ads fall into yet another category. These are imitation, or testimonial, ads. These ads present famous or appealing people using or recommending the product the advertiser wants us to buy. This appeal is based on the idea that we want to be like people we admire. The cigarette-smoking cowboy is an example of this type of ad.

Stopping Power

Have you noticed that you can become so used to an ever-present smell or noise that you hardly notice it? The same happens with advertising.

According to Business Week magazine, the typical American is exposed to about 3,000 commercial messages each day. How do people react? They tune out, either literally or mentally. At best, most people give advertisements only partial attention.

To overcome viewer apathy, advertisements must grab our attention. Television commercials feature stunning visual effects. They strive to be entertaining, dramatic, funny, puzzling, or emotional. They feature celebrities and lovable cartoon characters. Many use sentiment to hold our attention, perhaps by focusing on cats, puppies, or babies.

Once the advertiser has captured our attention, he must hold our interest long enough to make us aware of the product being offered. Successful ads do not merely entertain; they try to persuade us to buy.

That, in brief, is how advertising works. Now we will look at its power.

[Blurb on page 6]

The typical American is exposed to about 3,000 commercial messages each day

[Box on page 5]

Zappers, Zippers, and Grazers

The television remote control is a weapon against advertisements. Many zap, or silence, an ad by pushing the mute button. Others record programs on videotapes and when playing them back zip through the ads by pressing the fast-forward button. Still others graze, which means they wander from channel to channel to avoid the ads. Skilled grazers know just about how long a commercial break will last, and they will return to the program they are watching when the ads are finished.

Advertisers attempt to zap-proof their ads by developing ads that have stopping power—those that immediately capture the interest of the viewer and hold it. The snare of creating flashy ads is that people may remember the ad but not the product being advertised.

[Box on page 6]

Subliminal Advertising

In the late 1950’s, James Vicary claimed to have conducted a study in a New Jersey, U.S.A., movie theater in which the words “Drink Coca-Cola” and “Eat Popcorn” were flashed on the screen during the movie. The messages appeared for only a fraction of a second, too briefly to make an impression on the conscious mind. Yet, according to Vicary, they resulted in an increase in the sale of Coca-Cola and popcorn. This claim led to widespread belief that advertisers could motivate people to buy things by projecting “unseen” messages. After reportedly signing contracts for $4.5 million with America’s largest advertisers, Mr. Vicary vanished without a trace. The advertisers had been the victims of a scam.

Subsequent study debunked Vicary’s claims. Said one longtime advertising executive: “Subliminal advertising doesn’t work. If it did, we would have used it.”

[Picture on page 7]

Commercials are designed to capture our attention

The Power of Advertising

A LONG time ago, a commercial television break would be introduced with the words, “And now, a few words from our sponsor.” Sponsors are companies that pay to have their products advertised. While the “few words from our sponsor” have become a deluge, sponsors still financially support the news and entertainment media—television, magazines, newspapers, and radio. Consequently, sponsors try to wield power over what appears in the media and what does not.

To illustrate: In 1993 a company that manufactures a German luxury car wrote to 30 magazines dictating that ads featuring their car should be presented “only in a proper editorial environment.” The letter explained that the magazine issues containing their ads should not feature any material critical of their car, German products, or Germany itself. Of course, it is not surprising that this company, which spends $15 million on magazine advertising, would expect “a proper editorial environment.”

It is also not surprising when magazines that advertise new bridal dresses do not accept ads for used bridal dresses or when newspapers that list real estate brokers do not tell you how to buy a house without one. Likewise, it should not surprise us when media that advertise cigarettes or lotteries do not criticize smoking or gambling.

Consumer Culture

The power of advertising, therefore, goes beyond the selling of goods. It promotes a consumer life-style, a global culture that centers on material things.

Is there anything wrong with that? It depends on whom you ask. Advertisers reason that people love to buy and possess things; advertising serves their interests. Moreover, they say, advertising creates jobs, sponsors sports and the arts, helps provide affordable media, encourages competition, improves products, keeps prices low, and enables people to make informed buying choices.

Others claim that advertising makes people restless and dissatisfied with what they have, nurturing and creating endless desires. Researcher Alan During writes: “Advertisements, like our age, are mercurial, hedonistic, image-laden, and fashion-driven; they glorify the individual, idealize consumption as the route to personal fulfillment, and affirm technological progress as the motive force of destiny.”

Its Power Over You

Does commercial advertising help shape what we are and what we want? Probably. However, whether that influence is great or small depends on other influences.

If we are guided by Bible principles and values, we will recognize that there is nothing wrong with possessing material things. After all, God blessed Abraham, Job, Solomon, and others with enormous wealth.

On the other hand, if we apply Scriptural principles, we will avoid the discontent of those who search for fulfillment and happiness in a never-ending quest for material things. The Bible’s message is not “Shop till you drop.” Rather, it tells us:

Trust in God. “Give orders to those who are rich in the present system of things not to be high-minded, and to rest their hope, not on uncertain riches, but on God, who furnishes us all things richly for our enjoyment.”—1 Timothy 6:17.

Be content. “We have brought nothing into the world, and neither can we carry anything out. So, having sustenance and covering, we shall be content with these things.”—1 Timothy 6:7, 8.

Be modest. “I desire the women to adorn themselves in well-arranged dress, with modesty and soundness of mind, not with styles of hair braiding and gold or pearls or very expensive garb, but in the way that befits women professing to reverence God, namely, through good works.”—1 Timothy 2:9, 10.

Know that godly wisdom is superior to wealth. “Happy is the man that has found wisdom, and the man that gets discernment, for having it as gain is better than having silver as gain and having it as produce than gold itself. It is more precious than corals, and all other delights of yours cannot be made equal to it. Length of days is in its right hand; in its left hand there are riches and glory. Its ways are ways of pleasantness, and all its roadways are peace. It is a tree of life to those taking hold of it, and those keeping fast hold of it are to be called happy.”—Proverbs 3:13-18.

Practice giving. “There is more happiness in giving than there is in receiving.”—Acts 20:35.

One could argue that this series of articles is in itself a kind of advertisement, one that “sells” the idea that spiritual values should not be pushed aside by material values. No doubt you would agree with that conclusion.

[Box on page 9]

Advertising God’s Kingdom

What is one of the best ways to reach people with a persuasive message? The book Advertising: Principles and Practice says: “In an ideal world every manufacturer would be able to talk one-on-one with every consumer about the product or service being offered for sale.” True Christians have voluntarily been publicizing God’s Kingdom in this way for nearly 2,000 years. (Matthew 24:14; Acts 20:20) Why do not more businesses use this method of reaching people? The book explains: “It is very expensive. Calls made by salespeople can cost well in excess of $150 per call.” Christians, of course, “advertise” God’s Kingdom on a voluntary basis. It is a part of their worship.

[Pictures on page 8]

The Bible’s message is not “Shop till you drop”

Bloodless Surgery—Its Benefits Gain Recognition

IN 1996 the Royal College of Surgeons of England published a booklet called the Code of Practice for the Surgical Management of Jehovah’s Witnesses. In that booklet the surgeons note: “The dangers of blood transfusion make it desirable to consider alternative measures whenever possible.”

AHA NEWS, published by the American Hospital Association, also reported on why the benefits of bloodless surgery have gained recognition. “What started as religious belief is evolving into medical preference and advanced technology,” the weekly periodical observed. “Bloodless medicine and surgery, motivated in part by the doctrines of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, is moving far beyond the needs of a spiritual society into operating rooms nationwide.”

Why many doctors are promoting bloodless surgery was a subject featured in the 1997 fall edition of a supplement of Time magazine. “Fear of AIDS is only one reason,” the article said. The article reported particularly on the work being done at Englewood Hospital’s New Jersey Institute for the Advancement of Bloodless Medicine and Surgery, in Englewood, New Jersey.

Time observed: “The institute is the leader among more than 50 in the U.S. that now practice bloodless surgery. Without using any donor blood at all, they offer a wide range of surgical procedures that would ordinarily include transfusions, along with techniques that dramatically reduce, or virtually eliminate, blood loss.”

Effective and Safe

The introduction of the Time article featured the experience of Henry Jackson, who suffered massive internal hemorrhaging that drained 90 percent of his blood and dropped his hemoglobin level to a life-threatening 1.7 grams per deciliter. Jackson was taken to the Englewood Hospital from another New Jersey hospital, which would not provide him treatment without using blood transfusions.

At the Englewood facility, under the care of Dr. Aryeh Shander, Jackson was given “high-potency formulations of iron supplements and vitamins, plus ‘industrial doses’ of a blood building drug, synthetic erythropoietin, that stimulates the bone marrow to produce red blood cells. Finally, intravenous fluids were administered to goad what little circulation he had left.”

Time reported that a few days later, “the first hospital called to ask whether Jackson was dead. With undisguised satisfaction, Shander told them, ‘He’s not only not dead, but he’s well and ready for discharge, and he’ll soon be about his usual business.’”

In a television interview on November 28, 1997, Dr. Edwin Deitch, medical director for the bloodless program at University Hospital, Newark, New Jersey, explained how research into bloodless surgery developed: “Jehovah’s Witnesses . . . went to a lot of effort to try to find people who would operate without blood. Some of the results of those studies found that they did better than was expected, [than] people who got blood.”

Dr. Deitch added: “Blood can turn down the immune system and cause problems with postoperative infection; it can increase the risk of someone having recurring cancer, so blood, although it was good in certain circumstances, turns out to have a bad side.” Of bloodless surgery, Dr. Deitch concluded: “It clearly improves patient outcome with less complications, and [it] costs less. And, therefore, it really is a winner in all circumstances.”

Thus, as Time said, “more and more patients are clamoring for safer and more effective options than transfusions.” The magazine also reported: “According to some estimates, 25% of U.S. transfusions are unnecessary. There are also indications that patients cannot tolerate levels of hemoglobin as high as previously thought and that young people especially have a built-in reserve of blood. . . . [Shander] is convinced that withholding blood is a viable and preferable choice for most patients.”

Though contracting disease through blood transfusions is a major danger, there are others. “Banked blood, after it’s cooled and stored, doesn’t have the capability of fresh blood to transport oxygen,” Dr. Shander explained. “We’re just beginning to understand what it is we do when we give a transfusion.”

“The Gold Standard”

“Finally,” Time concluded, “there is the cost: at around $500 for each transfusion, plus administrative add-ons, the total bill comes to between $1 billion and $2 billion annually, more than enough incentive to consider alternatives.” The staggering cost of blood transfusions now seems to be a major reason why bloodless surgery has become so popular.

Sharon Vernon, the director of the Center for Bloodless Medicine and Surgery at St. Vincent Charity Hospital, Cleveland, Ohio, said about the treatment of patients without using blood: “It’s growing because physicians are recognizing that bloodless medicine is the gold standard in a cost-cutting environment. Our experience has been that even insurance companies that don’t normally network with us, send people to us, because it saves them money.”

Clearly, bloodless surgery is rapidly gaining recognition in the medical community, and that for a number of reasons.

[Box on page 11]

Recent Court Decisions

Two court decisions handed down in the state of Illinois, U.S.A., in November and December of 1997 were significant. In the first, Mary Jones, one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, was awarded $150,000 in damages because she had been transfused in 1993 with two units of blood despite her clear objection to this form of treatment. This is the largest sum ever collected by a Witness for emotional harm suffered as the result of an unwanted blood transfusion.

The second case involved the then pregnant Witness Darlene Brown, who was forcibly transfused for the sake of her 34-week fetus. On December 31, 1997, the Illinois Appellate Court explained its decision by saying that “a blood transfusion is an invasive medical procedure that interrupts a competent adult’s bodily integrity.” The Appellate Court summarized its ruling by saying that “under the law of this State, . . . we cannot impose a legal obligation upon a pregnant woman to consent to an invasive medical procedure.”

On February 9, 1998, the Tokyo High Court reversed the ruling of a lower court, which had ruled that a doctor was justified in giving Misae Takeda a blood transfusion during a surgery in 1992. The High Court declared that “the patient’s right to choose treatment should be respected. It was illegal to administer a blood transfusion.” Misae Takeda was awarded damages of 550,000 yen ($4,200).

My Love for the Earth Will Be Satisfied Forever

As told by Dorothy Connelly

When I was a little girl, I was told that I would go to hell because I am an Aborigine. Years later, in 1936, I heard a recording of a Bible lecture that turned the hose on hell and lit a flame in my heart. That flame is now brighter than ever. Before I explain why, let me tell you something about myself.

I WAS born about the year 1911. I say “about” because in those days Aborigines never bothered with dates and birth certificates. My parents were hard-working, God-fearing people. We lived in the small town of Springsure, near the rugged, beautiful Carnarvon Range in central Queensland, Australia.

My father was reared in the Roman Catholic faith by a white family. Yet, my Aboriginal parents instilled in me their native customs and love of the earth. We hunted kangaroos, emus, turtles, and snakes and caught fish and witchetty grubs (large edible caterpillars). But I would never eat emu. In our family, to me alone it was forbidden because it was my personal totem. According to Aboriginal tradition, or “Dreamtime,” each member of the tribe has his or her own totem, and the ban on that item was enforced by family and tribe.

Although totemism is rooted in superstition, the enforcing of this taboo was a reminder of the sacredness of life. Aborigines did not kill for fun. I remember shriveling under the heat of Father’s anger when he caught me dismembering live grasshoppers when I was a little girl. “That’s terrible!” he exclaimed. “Don’t you know God hates cruelty? How would you like it if someone did that to you?”

We had many superstitions. For example, if a willie wagtail (a tiny bird) played by our camp, it meant bad news; or if an owl sat on a nearby stump in the daytime, we believed it meant that someone was going to die. Certain dreams were also seen as omens. For example, muddy water in a dream meant someone in the family was sick. But if the water was oozing with mud, then supposedly someone had died. True, we were Catholic, but this did not dispel all our tribal superstitions.

My family also retained our Aboriginal language. Now, though, it is one of the many that are teetering on extinction. Still, I am able to use it occasionally when talking to others about the Bible. Mostly, though, I use either English or the local pidgin.

Valuable Early Training

When I was about ten years old, our family lived on a cattle station, or ranch, about 20 miles [about 30 kilometers] from Springsure. Each day I would walk the mile or two to the station house to attend to my domestic duties. A billy (small can) of milk and a loaf of bread were my day’s pay. Our family lived in bark humpies, traditional Aboriginal dwellings. When it rained, we would sleep in nearby caves for the night. Did I view this simple way of life as a hardship? No. It had been the Aboriginal way of life for centuries, and we accepted it.

Actually, I’m glad that life was not dished up to me on a silver platter, as it were, and that I had loving parents who disciplined me, made me work hard, and taught me how to live off the land. In 1934, shortly after we moved to a reservation near Woorabinda, Queensland, I left home for the first time and went west to work on cattle and sheep stations as a housemaid and general hand. Work eventually took me east, just outside the coastal city of Rockhampton. There I met my late husband, Martin Connelly, the son of an Irishman. We were married in 1939.

Learning Bible Truth

I always felt a deep respect for the Bible. When I was a youth, the mistress of the cattle station would gather us children together—Aboriginal and white—and tell us stories about Jesus. Once, she explained the meaning of Jesus’ words: ‘Forbid not the little children to come unto me.’ (Matthew 19:14, King James Version) For the first time since I had been told I was damned to hell, I saw a ray of hope for me.

Later I heard the recorded discourse, mentioned at the outset, about hell not being hot. Although that started me thinking, I had no further contact with Jehovah’s Witnesses until 1949. We were then living in Emerald, about 150 miles [about 250 kilometers] west of Rockhampton. Our caller, R. Bennett Brickell,a spoke with us about the Bible. Afterward, our home became Ben’s home whenever he was in our area. We all, including Martin and our four children, felt a deep respect for him. Martin took no interest in the Bible’s message, although he was always kind and hospitable to the Witnesses and especially to Ben.

Ben gave me many Bible study aids, but there was a major problem—I could not read. Thus, Ben patiently read the Bible and Bible-based literature to the children and me, explaining what he read as he went along. What a refreshing contrast he was to the clergy who, once religious formalities were dispensed with, never spared so much as five minutes to teach us how to read! Ben showed us from the Bible that Satan and his demons are the authors of the many superstitions that have fettered humankind, including my own people. How I grew to appreciate Jesus’ words: “The truth will set you free”!—John 8:32.

I was thrilled to learn of God’s purpose to have an earthly paradise for those who obey him. Above all, I came to yearn for the resurrection of the dead; Mother had died in 1939, and Father in 1951. I often look forward to the day when I can embrace them and welcome them back to the earth they so cherished. And what a thrill it will be to teach them about Jehovah God and his Kingdom!

An Illiterate Preacher

As my Bible knowledge grew, I wanted to share it. I talked with relatives and friends, but then I wanted to branch out. So when Ben next came to Emerald, I bundled up the children, and we all went with him preaching. He demonstrated simple presentations to me and taught me to rely on Jehovah through prayer. My delivery, I must admit, was not very polished, but it was from my heart.

First, I told the householders that I could not read; and second, I invited them to read the Bible passages that I pointed out to them. I had memorized these passages. I’d get some surprised looks in this predominantly white township, but people were rarely rude. In time, I learned to read. How this boosted my confidence and my spirituality!

My First Convention

In March 1951, having dedicated my life to Jehovah, I came to the next two milestones in my life: water baptism and my first convention of Jehovah’s Witnesses. But that meant traveling to the big city of Sydney—a daunting prospect for a country girl. What is more, I didn’t have funds for the train fare. So, what could I do?

I decided to gamble to get money for my fare. ‘I’m doing this for Jehovah,’ I reasoned, ‘so surely he will help me win.’ By the end of a few rounds of cards, I felt that he had helped me, for I had enough to cover the entire round-trip fare.

Ben knew of my plans to go to Sydney, so the next time he visited, he asked me if I had sufficient funds. “Why, yes!” I replied. “I got the train fare by gambling for it.” Well, he turned the color of a tomato, and I knew straightaway that I had said something wrong. So in quick defense, I added: “What’s wrong with you? I never stole it!”

When Ben regained his composure, he kindly explained why Christians don’t gamble and added, reassuringly: “But it’s not your fault. I did not tell you.”

Made to Feel Welcome

That four-day convention, March 22-25, 1951, was my first contact with so many Witnesses. Having known only Ben and a handful of others, I was unsure of the reception I would receive. So you can imagine how thrilled I was to be warmly welcomed by my future spiritual brothers and sisters, who showed not a hint of prejudice. I felt truly at home and at ease.

That convention is still vivid in my memory, especially because I was among the 160 baptized in Botany Bay. Apparently, I was one of the first Australian Aborigines to become one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. My picture appeared in the Sunday newspaper and also in a newsreel shown at movie theaters.

The Only Witness in Town

A month after I returned from Sydney, our family moved to Mount Isa, a mining town in northwest Queensland. For six years we lived in a shed as caretakers of a large block of land just outside town. We built the walls of our shed out of the timber we cut from nearby bush. We made the roof from old bitumen drums that we slit down the side and flattened out. Martin got a job with the railways, but his drinking eventually ruined his health. Then, I became the sole support of our family. He died in 1971.

To begin with, I was the only Witness in Mount Isa. Ben would visit every six months or so, since Mount Isa was part of his vast witnessing territory. If he happened to be in town at the time of the Memorial of the death of Jesus Christ—a very special occasion for Ben, since he had the hope of heavenly life—he would celebrate it with my family, at times out under a tree.

Usually Ben did not stay long, so the children and I did most of our witnessing on our own. True, we were alone; but Jehovah’s spirit empowered us, and so did his loving organization. Faithful traveling overseers and their wives battled sweltering heat, flies, dust, and spine-jarring roads to come to Mount Isa to encourage us, even though for years our group was very small. Also, Witnesses from the newly formed neighboring congregation in Darwin, over 800 miles [over 1,200 kilometers] away, would occasionally visit.

A Congregation Formed

In December 1953 a congregation was formed in Mount Isa. Ben was appointed overseer, and my daughter Ann and I were the only others who then shared in the ministry. But soon other Witnesses moved into town. Our territory also began to produce a growing crop of disciples, including, in time, a number of Aboriginal people.

The congregation continued to grow, and soon it became evident that we needed a Kingdom Hall in which to hold our meetings. In May 1960, after a lot of hard work, we finished building our own new hall. During the next 15 years, it was enlarged twice. But by the mid-1970’s, we had some 120 sharing in the public ministry, and the hall was again too small. So a fine, 250-seat Kingdom Hall was built, and it was dedicated in 1981. Because of its overflow capacity, the building has also been used for larger gatherings called circuit assemblies.

Growth Among Aborigines

Thrilling to me was the formation in 1996 of an Aboriginal and Islander group that is associated with the Mount Isa Congregation. Islanders are Aborigines who come from islands near the Australian mainland. The prime objective of this group is to give a better witness to Aborigines, some of whom tend to feel less at ease with white people.

Scattered around Australia are about 20 other such groups of Aborigines. Additionally, congregations of Aboriginal people have been formed in Adelaide, Cairns, Ipswich, Perth, and Townsville. About 500 people—including some of my own family—attend these groups and congregations. Almost 10 percent of Aboriginal publishers are pioneers, or full-time ministers!

I became diabetic in 1975, and over the years this illness, which afflicts so many Aborigines, has taken its toll. Reading has become increasingly difficult. Yet, Jehovah continues to sustain me and give me joy.

I am grateful for the courageous ministers who have served my family and me. Their indomitable zeal, their love, and the spiritual treasures they bore on bicycles as they traversed the dusty, lonely roads and tracks of outback Queensland made possible our learning Bible truth. Now I await confidently the time when my love for the earth will be satisfied forever.

[Footnote]

[Map/Picture on page 15]

(For fully formatted text, see publication)

Perth

Darwin

Cairns

Townsville

Mount Isa

Rockhampton

Emerald

Springsure

Woorabinda

Ipswich

Sydney

Adelaide

Dorothy today

[Picture on page 13]

Practice session with Ben in the mid-1950’s

An Icy Disaster

“THE worst natural disaster in the nation’s history.” That is what The Toronto Star called this January’s ice storm that ravaged the Canadian provinces of Ontario, Quebec, and New Brunswick. In the United States, President Bill Clinton declared Maine and New Hampshire as well as sections of Vermont and upstate New York disaster areas.

Some 35 deaths were attributed to the storm, which involved up to five days of freezing rain. Such rain usually lasts for only a few hours, but on this occasion a warm upper layer of air remained stationary over a cold air mass. So when the rain hit a surface, it instantly froze. This built up layers of ice two and three inches thick. Under the weight of the ice, many trees, power lines, utility poles, and transmission towers collapsed, often with frightening consequences.

In Quebec, hundreds of huge steel transmission towers toppled as if they were made of tinfoil. One anxious commuter related: “I saw a [tower] in front of me twist like it was plastic. It twisted in two, then became a ball, and crumbled. The lines were all over the highway. After the first one fell, three others behind it collapsed.”

Ice accumulation brought down more than 74,000 miles [more than 120,000 kilometers] of power lines, enough to encircle the earth three times! In Canada, three to four million people were without power and heat, some for three weeks and longer.

In Maine, where Governor Angus King declared a state of emergency, over 200,000 were without power. “This is the biggest disaster of this kind that has ever hit this state,” the governor said. New York Governor George Pataki proclaimed: “You have entire cities with zero power.”

Along the south shore of the St. Lawrence River, some 30,000 wooden utility poles were destroyed during the storm. After 17 hours of freezing rain, Jim Kelly, who lives near that river in northern New York, wrote: “We can’t see out the windows anymore. It’s not just frost or vapor but solid ice. Noises are coming from every side of the house.”

Kelly explained: “In the distance you can hear what sounds like gunfire. Bang! Silence. Bang! Silence. Bang, bang!” Later, he learned that the sounds had come from trees breaking and from the snapping of telephone poles.

Ironically, the landscape took on a dazzling beauty, even as devastation was wreaked upon it. Fears were expressed that Ontario may have lost 20 million maple trees, impacting the maple syrup industry. One grower lamented: “The trees are just spikes heading towards the sky.”

“A Beautiful War Zone”

The above was a Toronto Star headline describing Montreal, Canada’s second-largest city. “The streets here look like bombs hit them!” one resident exclaimed. An early estimate of damage in the Montreal area alone was put at more than $500 million.

A resident of Belleville, Ontario, said: “It looks like a nuclear war has passed. There’s a white dust on everything, it’s eerie.” He called it “an eerie beauty.”

The week following the storm, when hundreds of thousands were still without power and the cold was severe, the police began evacuating people to shelters. “Do we ask them or do we order them?” an officer asked.

“They have to get out,” the one in charge replied. “But be diplomatic about it.” He added: “You’d think we were in wartime.”

Near Calamities

With loss of power in much of Montreal, traffic lights failed and the subway system was closed. By the last day of the storm, four of the five transmission stations serving the city had failed or collapsed. With what possible consequences?

“We found ourselves in the afternoon with the perspective of a total blackout in Montreal—without water,” explained Quebec Premier Lucien Bouchard. “There were two hours of water left because the two plants were stopped.” With people using candles and the prospect of no water at all, the possibility of a calamity was great.

Another calamity was averted about two weeks later when a crowd of 1,889 were assembled on January 24 for a circuit assembly at the Montreal Assembly Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Overnight, ten inches [more than 20 centimeters] of wet snow had blanketed Montreal, and during the morning assembly program, damage was detected in the walls and ceilings. The afternoon program was canceled, and an appeal was made for those in attendance to go home, change their clothes, and return to the site to work.

Within an hour 300 volunteers equipped with shovels, picks, and other equipment began to clear the huge 77,000-square-foot [7,100-square-meter] roof. After the surface snow was removed, it was discovered that in places the ice was more than two feet [more than 60 centimeters] thick! Chain saws were used to cut the ice into square pieces, and these were dragged to the edge of the roof and dropped off. Some 1,600 tons of snow and ice was removed! Inspection later revealed that as a result, the ceilings popped back into place and the cracks in the walls closed. The program resumed safely on Sunday morning.

They Helped One Another

True, some people in the area sought to profit from the misery of others during the time of rain and cold, but as in the first century, many showed “extraordinary human kindness.” (Acts 28:2) The Daily Sentinel of Rome, New York, told of Jehovah’s Witnesses who headed out to help people: “The men met at the Kingdom Hall in Watertown to get organized and from there were assigned to various members’ houses. But they wound up helping their neighbors up and down the street too.”

The article said that these relief efforts were coordinated for people “across the region in Adams, Potsdam, Malone, Ogdensburg, Plattsburgh, Massena, Gouverneur, and Ellenburg.” Some volunteers provided heat to homes for a few hours by wiring up generators to run furnaces. Unhappily, temperatures had dropped to below zero in many areas following the storm.

On one occasion the police saw Witnesses visiting homes and mistook them for thieves. When the Witnesses explained what they were doing, one of the policemen said that following the storm, his father, who lives in Montreal, had been helped by Jehovah’s Witnesses, even though his father is not a Witness himself. The son expressed his appreciation for the help given.

Especially hard hit by the storm were some 100 towns south of Montreal in an area called the “triangle of darkness.” Ten days after the storm, these towns were still without power. In fact, many people were without power for over a month! Arrangements were made by the branch office of Jehovah’s Witnesses near Toronto for special visits to provide help to ones in this area. Supplies including lamp oil, batteries, and flashlights were trucked to a designated distribution center, and from there they were dispensed to those in need.

Arrangements were also made for Christian elders to determine the needs of those living in these areas. One group of elders visited 11 congregations within a week, holding many encouraging meetings. After these gatherings, where spiritual encouragement was provided, no one wanted to return home. People just stayed and stayed, talking and comparing stories, basking in the fellowship. In fact, regular meeting attendance was at an all-time peak in the weeks following the storm.

Many who had a source of heat, such as a wood stove or a generator to provide electricity, welcomed those who had no heat into their homes. Some Witnesses had as many as 20 people staying with them. Also many outside the area that had lost electricity provided accommodations. For example, Witnesses in Sept-Îles, a city some 500 miles [some 800 kilometers] from the “triangle of darkness,” offered to accommodate 85 families.

Witnesses in distant rural areas, such as Rimouski, cut and shipped firewood. Some took the time to write scriptures on the logs they sent. One Witness shared his gift of wood with a non-Witness neighbor, who received a log with Psalm 55:16 written on it: “Jehovah himself will save me.” Log in hand, he looked up and said: “Thank you, Jehovah.”

What Lessons From It All?

Many were shocked by the fragility of electrical power and by their dependence upon it. “I’ll tell you, when we build a new home,” one man said, “there’s going to be a wood stove, there’s going to be a generator . . . , and there’s going to be a gas stove.”

Nearly six weeks after the storm, a commentator reflected: “It was a lot of ice, a lot of darkness, a lot of time to think, which is much easier to do with the television off.” Then, he noted: “We’ve been surprised by our vulnerability to the elements.”

Bible students reflect on the Creator’s promise to restore earth to a global paradise after removing this system of things, even as he removed such a world once before. (Matthew 24:37-39; 2 Peter 2:5) Pointing to his potential arsenal, God inquires: “Have you entered into the storehouses of the snow, or do you see even the storehouses of the hail [including freezing rain], which I have kept back for the time of distress, for the day of fight and war?”—Job 38:22, 23.

[Picture on page 17]

Transmission towers crumbled like tinfoil

[Picture on page 18]

Potential disaster was averted when volunteers removed snow and ice from the roof of the Assembly Hall

[Picture on page 18]

Firewood for storm victims

Young People Ask . . .

How Can I Earn Some Money?

“I want a job that makes good money.”—Tanya.

MANY youths share Tanya’s sentiments. “I want money to buy a car and to be able to go out and buy clothes,” says a youth named Sergio. “I don’t want to be dependent on my parents for everything.” Young Laurie-Ann has a similar reason for working. “I’m a girl, and I like to shop,” she says.

Little wonder, then, that according to the magazine U.S.News & World Report, “3 out of 4 [U.S.] high-school juniors and seniors now troop off to work after school and on weekends.” To some extent, this reflects the unbalanced “love of money” that is so prevalent in today’s materialistic world. (1 Timothy 6:10) However, not all income-seeking youths are succumbing to materialism.

“Money is for a protection,” says the Bible. (Ecclesiastes 7:12) And there may be a number of legitimate reasons why as a Christian youth you may want to earn some money.a Young Avian, for example, explains why he works two days a week: “It allows me to support myself as a regular pioneer [full-time evangelizer].”

There may be similar reasons why you may desire to obtain a part-time job. Perhaps you have the goal of attending a Christian convention. Or maybe you need some more clothing that would be appropriate to wear at congregation meetings. In any event, these things require money. True, Jesus promised that God would provide for those ‘seeking first God’s Kingdom.’ (Matthew 6:33) But this does not rule out your taking some initiative in this regard. (Compare Acts 18:1-3.) What, then, are some practical steps you might take if you need to earn some money?

Getting Started

Assuming that your parents agree to your taking on some work, your first task might be to approach neighbors, teachers, and relatives and let them know that you’re looking for work. If you’re shy about asking them directly, you might simply ask them what they did for work when they were teens. They may give you some useful ideas. The more people who know that you are looking for work, the more leads and referrals you are likely to get.

Next, try newspaper want ads and information boards in stores, your school, and other public areas. “That’s how I got my job,” says a youth named Dave. “I looked in the paper, faxed them a résumé, and called them up.” Did you realize, though, that many jobs are not advertised? According to Seventeen magazine, some estimate that “as many as three out of ten jobs don’t exist until the right person comes along.” Perhaps you can convince an employer that he needs to find a job for you!

But how? ‘I have no experience,’ you may think. Well, think again. Have you ever taken care of a younger sibling when your parents were away or baby-sat for others? This shows that you are responsible. Have you helped your dad fix the car? That shows that you may have mechanical aptitude. Do you know how to type or use a computer? Or did you get good marks for some innovative project? These are good selling points for prospective employers.

Don’t overlook your hobbies and interests either. For instance, if you play a musical instrument, see if there is a position open at a music store. You are obviously interested in the store’s products and would surely be in a good position to answer a customer’s questions.

Applying for a Job

Suppose you have made an appointment for a job interview. Give attention to your dress and grooming, as your appearance makes a statement. It can say “responsible, neat, organized”—or just the opposite. The Bible is practical when it encourages Christian women “to adorn themselves in well-arranged dress, with modesty and soundness of mind.” (1 Timothy 2:9) That also applies to men. Never wear faddish or sloppy clothes to a job interview, no matter what kind of work the job involves.

Your attitude and manners also say a lot about you. Practice the Golden Rule: Treat others as you want to be treated. (Matthew 7:12) Be on time for your appointment. Be enthusiastic and alert. Use good manners. Without boasting or exaggerating, explain why you feel you are qualified for the position. Be specific.

Some experts recommend that you bring (or send ahead of time) a neat, well-organized résumé. It should include your name, address, telephone number, employment objective, education (including any special classes you may have taken), previous job experience (including both paid work and volunteer work), special skills, personal interests and hobbies (these may shed light on your capabilities), and a note that references are available upon request. You might also prepare a separate sheet listing the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of some individuals who could recommend you for the job. Make sure, of course, that you ask their permission in advance. These could include former employers, a teacher, a school counselor, an older friend—anyone who can testify to your skills, abilities, or personality traits.

Working for Yourself

What if despite your best efforts you cannot find a job? This is common in many lands. But don’t despair. Starting your own business could very well be the answer. The advantages? You may be able to set your own schedule and work as much or as little as you wish. Of course, being self-employed requires that you be self-motivated, disciplined, and willing to take the initiative.

But what kind of business could you start? Think about your neighborhood. Is there a need for goods or services that no one else is providing? For example, suppose you love animals. You could offer to bathe or trim your neighbors’ pets for a fee. Or maybe you play a musical instrument. Could you perhaps teach others to play? Or maybe it is a matter of doing work that others often disdain, such as washing windows or cleaning. A Christian is not embarrassed to work with his hands. (Ephesians 4:28) You might even try learning a new skill. Check libraries for how-to books, or ask a friend to teach you. Young Joshua, for example, took a class in calligraphy. Then he started a small business designing invitations for weddings and parties.—See the box “Jobs You Can Create.”

A word of caution: Don’t rush into any enterprise before studying all the costs and factors involved. (Luke 14:28-30) First, talk it over with your parents. Also, talk to others who have run similar businesses. Will you be required to pay taxes? Will you need to obtain licenses or permits? Check with local authorities for details.—Romans 13:1-7.

Keep Your Balance!

Of course, there is the danger of taking on more than you can handle. Laurie-Ann said of some employed youths: “They don’t do a lot of homework, and they’re too tired to pay attention in class.” True, in some parts of the world, youths have no choice but to work long hours to help their families survive. But if you are not in that situation, why go overboard in this regard? According to most experts, working more than 20 hours a week while attending school is excessive and counterproductive. Some suggest devoting no more than eight to ten hours a week to work.

Use up too much of your time, energy, and alertness on after-school work, and your health, grades, and especially spirituality can begin to slip. Yes, it is not only adults who have been choked by “the deceptive power of riches and the desires for the rest of the things.” (Mark 4:19) So keep your balance. Solomon warned against excessive work, saying: “Better is a handful of rest than a double handful of hard work and striving after the wind.”—Ecclesiastes 4:6.

Yes, making money may be necessary. And if your motives for doing so are wholesome and godly, such as young Avian’s, mentioned earlier, you can be sure that Jehovah will bless your efforts. Make sure, though, that you never get so tied up with work that you forget “the more important things,” namely, spiritual interests. (Philippians 1:10) Although money may be “a protection,” it is your relationship with God that will make you truly successful.—Ecclesiastes 7:12; Psalm 91:14.

[Footnote]

[Box on page 22]

Jobs You Can Create

• Washing windows

• Selling or delivering newspapers

• Shoveling snow

• Gardening or doing lawn work

• Baby-sitting

• Feeding, walking, or bathing pets

• Shining shoes

• Mending or ironing clothes

• Growing produce and selling it

• Raising chickens or selling eggs

• Doing typing or word processing

• Running errands

• Making deliveries

• Teaching music or other subjects

[Picture on page 21]

Excessive work can cause your grades to drop

Taste—Gift of a Loving Creator

“IN THE realm of the [five] senses,” said Linda Bartoshuk, a leading taste researcher, “taste is queen.” Tasting is a delightful experience that protects us by helping us to distinguish what is acceptable from what is harmful.

The marvel of taste allows us to enjoy the sweetness of a fresh orange, the refreshing coolness of mint ice cream, the bracing bitter flavor of a morning cup of coffee, and the subtle seasoning of a chef’s secret sauce. Taste is so powerful that personality traits have been associated with it.

Perhaps you have identified some people as being sweet. On the other hand, you may have said someone else was a sourpuss. A person who harbors enmity toward another may be said to be bitter. The Bible, for example, speaks of “men bitter of soul,” and it also refers to “bitter speech.”—Judges 18:25; Psalm 64:3; 2 Samuel 17:8.

Taste and World History

Taste was a major factor in the voyages of discovery in the 15th and 16th centuries. About 500 years ago, Vasco da Gama sailed around the tip of Africa to India and back to Portugal, returning with a cargo of spices. For the next three centuries, European nations were plunged into conflict, as France, Great Britain, Holland, Portugal, and Spain competed for control of spice sources.

‘Why,’ you may wonder, ‘would nations fight and die over spices?’ To satisfy taste! Yes, the taste of Europeans for spices was that powerful. To this day modern industry, commerce, and science all cater to taste.

Just what is taste? And how does it work in concert with our other senses?

The Role of the Tongue

A key player in our sense of taste is the tongue. Most of our taste buds are located there, although some are found in other parts of the mouth and in the esophagus. Take a close look at your tongue in the mirror. Notice the numerous small projections that give your tongue a velvety feel. These are called papillae. Tiny taste buds cluster within the papillae on the tongue’s surface. “Each bud contains 100 or so taste cells,” says Science magazine, “which, when excited, trigger a nerve cell that carries the signal to the brain.”

The number of taste buds may vary greatly from person to person and thus affect taste. The human tongue may have as many as 10,000 taste buds or as few as 500. Inglis Miller, who studied the anatomy of taste buds, observed: “People who have more taste buds taste more; people with fewer taste buds taste less.”

How Taste Works

Taste is a highly complex sense. Strictly speaking, it is a matter of chemistry. Dissolved chemical components from food in our mouth stimulate taste receptors that project through the pores in our tongue. The receptor cells react and stimulate nerve cells (neurons) to send signals from the taste bud to the brain.

Amazingly, one taste bud can trigger many different neurons, and one neuron may receive messages from several taste buds. No one knows exactly how the taste receptors and their complicated system sort it all out. The Encyclopedia Americana says: “The sensations perceived in the brain evidently result from a complex coding of the electrical impulses transmitted by the receptor cells.”

Other senses are also involved in the sensation that we identify with taste. The New Book of Popular Science noted: “Sometimes one hardly knows whether one is tasting or smelling a substance.” For instance, we may pass a bakery shop and breathe in the aroma of freshly baked bread. Our mouth begins to water. And then if we enter the shop and see the bread and perhaps touch its crust, our senses are excited even more. We are anxious to take that first bite!

What, then, is this sense of taste? The magazine Omni explains: “What the layperson describes as taste is actually a tangled synthesis of a number of sensations: odor, taste, touch, texture, sight, chemical irritation (the burn of chili pepper, the cool of mint), and temperature.”

On the other hand, as the article continues, “taste . . . is quite simple. We differentiate four (and only four) taste qualities: sweet, salty, sour, and bitter.” Although it has been popular to map the tongue into taste-sensitive areas, it is now believed that a single taste bud anywhere on the tongue can detect several or all of these four taste qualities.

Yet, there is still much that is unknown about the chemistry of taste. For example, it is not understood why adding a few drops of sour lemon juice will enhance the salty taste of food. And it is of interest that the taste qualities sweet, sour, and salty set off electrical signals in the taste cells, but bitter apparently causes these cells to produce a chemical message.

Acquiring a Taste

Likely, you have acquired a taste for things that you did not enjoy at first. This may be true of such items as olives, blue cheese, turnips, hot spices, and bitters. From early times “bitter greens,” such as endive and chicory, have added special flavor to meals and salads. But your taste needs to be educated to enjoy bitterness.—Exodus 12:8.

Studies suggest that acquiring a taste for a food has much to do with the circumstances under which you encounter the food. For example, one woman had never tasted bologna. Even the sight and smell of it were obnoxious to her because her mother had such an aversion to bologna. But one day when she was in her 20’s, this woman was very hungry and found nothing to eat except bologna. So she ate some and was amazed that she really liked the taste!

Therefore, if you would like to acquire a taste for something new, try it when you are truly hungry. And if you are a parent, remember that how you react to certain foods, as well as the circumstances under which you introduce them, can affect your children. Create a pleasant environment when introducing new foods. Involve your child. One writer suggested:

“During meal preparation keep your baby or toddler in the kitchen in a playpen or seat. He will be seeing and smelling the family foods in a happy, comfortable context—and learning about them even before he is old enough to eat them. A few months later you can hand him tidbits of what you are preparing, raw or partially cooked.”

She added: “It may take advance planning and extra time, but for an occasional meal find simple ways your child can help you fix a new or disliked dish. Encourage tasting during the preparation. Your helper will be happy and hungry when he tastes—perfect conditions for a successful introduction to the food.”

When Taste Goes Wrong

Sadly, the sense of taste may diminish with age, as King David’s aged friend Barzillai indicated when he said: “I am eighty years old today. . . . Could your servant taste what I ate and what I drank?” (2 Samuel 19:35) Other factors too may be involved in a diminished sense of taste or even a loss of it.

The problem may be the result of a head injury, an allergy, an infection, medical drugs, exposure to toxic chemicals, or even a simple head cold. The depth of despair of those without smell and taste was touchingly noted by one who suffered such a loss. She wrote: “We so take for granted the rich aroma of coffee and the sweet flavor of oranges that when we lose these senses, it is almost as if we have forgotten how to breathe.”

So-called phantom taste is a troublesome disorder in which a person constantly tastes something that is not present. Cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy sometimes experience altered senses of taste and smell.

A God-Given Blessing

What a delight it is when our taste is keen! Many older ones recall with pleasure the tastes they enjoyed during youth—of ripe fruits picked from the tree or of specially prepared dishes. That our Creator desires us to enjoy such pleasures of taste can be seen from his promise of a banquet “of well-oiled dishes filled with marrow” in his righteous new world, when suffering, old age, and death will be no more.—Isaiah 25:6-9; Job 33:25; Revelation 21:3, 4.

Taste truly adds an enriching dimension to our lives. Without it, eating would be as dull as fueling an automobile. It is, indeed, a blessing from the all-wise and loving Creator!

[Picture on page 24]

Teach your child to enjoy nutritious foods

The English Reformation—A Time of Change

“This was a world living in the thick of change and re-appraisal.”

THAT is how J. J. Scarisbrick describes 16th-century England in his biography Henry VIII. Religious upheaval in Europe contributed to the belief of some that orthodox religion was in need of reform.

Martin Luther’s controversial teachings found supporters in England. And beginning in the late 14th century, the Lollards, ardent preachers and champions of the Bible, had endured and spread their teachings over England.

By 1526, copies of William Tyndale’s English translation of the Greek Scriptures had reached England, despite the efforts of powerful enemies to prevent its distribution. Such traditional Catholic teachings as purgatory, transubstantiation, and priestly celibacy were exposed as having no Biblical backing.

But it was a crisis in the king’s domestic affairs that served to fan the flames of the English Reformation. Henry VIII sought to divorce his Catholic wife Catherine of Aragon because he wanted a male heir to the throne. All six children that Catherine had borne to Henry were stillborn or had died in early infancy, except one, a daughter named Mary. Furthermore, Henry was attracted to the young, vivacious Anne Boleyn and intended to marry her.

Unwittingly, Henry’s capable and powerful ally, cardinal Thomas Wolsey, gave further impetus to the Reformation. Since the beginning of Henry’s reign in 1509, Wolsey had steadily gained power and wealth. Eventually his influence was second only to the king himself. But Wolsey was unpopular because he was domineering and had raised taxes. In addition, he seemed to feel that he was above the laws of his own church, as he had fathered two illegitimate children.

Nobles plotted Wolsey’s downfall, which was sealed when he failed to procure the divorce that Henry so desperately wanted. Stripped of his offices, Wolsey died in 1530, just before he was to appear before the king on charges of treason.

An anticlerical spirit became strong in England. Historian Scarisbrick wrote that it was “argued that the Church needed radical purging, that society could no longer carry this uneconomic burden, this vast institution which absorbed so much manpower, sterilized so much wealth, took so much and gave back so little . . . , and that the flow of English money to Rome . . . damaged [England’s] economy.”

The Cromwell Era

Eventually, Henry’s marital difficulties were “solved” with the help of his chief adviser Thomas Cromwell and the new Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Cranmer. The English church broke with the church of Rome, and the king became head of the English church. Cranmer had Henry’s marriage to Catherine annulled in 1533. By this time Henry had already married Anne Boleyn, who was pregnant. This release from papal authority had profound repercussions.

Cromwell was given unlimited authority over the church and was subject only to the king. Progressively, the monasteries were demolished and their properties handed over to the Crown, providing much-needed revenue. In addition, Cromwell played a vital role in the printing and distributing of the Bible in English, as A. G. Dickens observes in his book The English Reformation: “The political initiative, the planning of publication, the finance, the pressure to impose the Great Bible upon the English Church, these came from the vicegerent Thomas Cromwell.”

As the Bible became more accessible to the public, it had a profound effect on people’s view of orthodox religion. Dickens notes: “The unaffected simplicity which marked the lives of Jesus Christ and the Apostles stood in bizarre contrast with the immense legal and coercive apparatus, the great wealth and splendid architectural exploits of the later medieval and Renaissance Church.”

Henry expressed interest in certain religious reforms, but his policies were often dictated by political expediency rather than by strong religious conviction. He was well aware of the two opposing factions at court, those for reform and those who wanted to maintain traditional religion, the conservatives. To keep the upper hand, he would adroitly play one group against the other.

By 1540 the golden era of reform was temporarily interrupted by the downfall of Cromwell. His conservative enemies convinced Henry that he was both a traitor and a heretic, and he was executed without a trial.

For a time, the conservatives seemed to have the upper hand. But they were unable to halt the reform that had already taken root. Even so, the Reformation did not fulfill its promise. Protestant Reformers failed to root out many of the false teachings of men and traditions that contaminated the Roman Catholic faith.

When Henry married his sixth and last wife, Catherine Parr, in 1543, those for reform took heart. She showed great interest in the new religious teachings. But the conservatives were not prepared to give up without a fight. Their scheming and court intrigues would embroil the new queen in a desperate fight for her life. This will be considered in a future issue of Awake!

[Picture on page 26]

Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn

[Picture on page 26]

Catherine of Aragon

[Picture on page 26]

William Tyndale

[Picture on page 26]

Thomas Cromwell

[Picture on page 26]

Thomas Cranmer

[Picture on page 26]

Thomas Wolsey

[Picture Credit Line on page 27]

Thomas Wolsey: From the book The Story of Liberty, 1878; crest, background design, and King Henry VIII with Anne Boleyn: From the book The Library of Historic Characters and Famous Events, Vol. VII, 1895; Catherine of Aragon, Thomas Cranmer, and Thomas Cromwell: From the book Heroes of the Reformation, 1904

Watching the World

Pricing the Priceless

Thirteen scientists from several countries have compiled a report appraising nature’s bounty in dollars. The scientists worked from over 100 published studies to estimate the replacement cost per hectare of various services provided by the earth. (A hectare equals about 2.5 acres.) For example, one study indicated that for each hectare of wetlands used for development in the United States, “the lost ability to soak up floodwaters increased annual flood damages by $3300 to $11,000,” states Science magazine. Though many take earth’s natural goods and services for granted, the scientists estimate their annual monetary value to be $33,300,000,000,000—almost twice the combined gross national product of the entire world.

The Pope Visits Cuba

On his visit to Cuba last January, Pope John Paul II outlined the Catholic Church’s hopes for an expanded role in Cuban society. According to L’Osservatore Romano, he stated that parents “should be able to choose for their children . . . the ethical and civic content and the religious inspiration which will enable them to receive an integral education.” Although the pope desires to reopen Catholic schools in the country, Cuban officials say that they want to maintain the State monopoly on public education. As for the Cuban government’s view of the pope’s visit, French magazine Le Monde Diplomatique comments: “Fidel Castro regards the visit as a victory over the ostracism to which his regime has been subjected.” Although some of the pope’s statements while in Cuba clearly had political overtones, Jehovah’s Witnesses remain politically neutral in their religious activities.

World’s Longest Hair

Hoo Sateow, an 85-year-old Hmong tribesman in northern Thailand, has not cut his hair for nearly 70 years. “I cut it when I was 18, and I got really ill,” said Hoo. Measured recently at 17 feet 2 inches [520 cm] long by a judge for the Guinness Book of World Records, his hair is now believed to be the world’s longest, reports the Associated Press. Hoo washes his hair once a year and hangs it across a trellis to let it dry. His 87-year-old brother Yi, who last cut his hair in 1957, is Hoo’s closest rival. Yet Yi’s hair is longer than that of the previous record holder, an Indian woman with hair that measures 13 feet 8 inches. Hoo considers having such long locks an advantage, especially high up in Thailand’s cool mountains. “It helps keep me warm,” he says.

Three Views of History

Schoolchildren in Bosnia are being taught three different versions of the region’s history, art, and language. What they hear depends on which of the three major ethnic groups controls their curriculum, reports The New York Times. For instance, students in the Eastern Orthodox Serb-controlled area learn that the man who killed Archduke Ferdinand in 1914 and set off the first world war was “a hero and a poet.” Roman Catholic Croatian students are told that he was an “assassin trained and instructed by the Serbs to commit this act of terrorism.” The Muslim version of the event describes him as “a nationalist whose deed sparked anti-Serbian rioting that was only stopped by the police from all three ethnic groups.” Students are being asked to identify themselves as Serb, Muslim, or Croat for segregation into ethnically distinct classrooms, states the report.

Greener Stadium Grass

A 28,000-seat stadium built for the Dutch football club Vitesse Arnhem boasts a fine grass playing field and also a covered roof. These two features are difficult to reconcile, since grass grows best when it gets good natural light and rain. Without them, grass turns yellow and fades. The problem was solved in the design of the building, reports New Scientist magazine. The playing field sits atop a concrete plate that slides on plastic feet. When not in use, the entire 11,000-ton playing field can be moved out of the stadium and into the open air by four hydraulic rams. An added advantage of this arrangement is that the stadium’s hard floor can then be used for concerts and similar events.

Trampoline Injuries

Trampolines have enjoyed increased popularity in recent years, but that has brought an increase in children’s injuries, states The New York Times. “People have a misconception that trampolines are soft and cushiony,” says Dr. Gary A. Smith, of Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, U.S.A. Dr. Smith said that children are hurt by falling off the trampoline, landing on the mat in a wrong way, colliding with another child who is jumping at the same time, or hitting an unpadded surface. He added that trampolines equipped with ladders are especially dangerous because they make the trampoline accessible to small children, who are the most vulnerable to injury. Ann Brown, of the Consumer Products Safety Commission, suggests that children under six should not jump on trampolines and that only one child should jump at a time. She noted: “As with a swimming pool, a child on a trampoline requires constant supervision.”

Love Never Fails

“Teenagers who have strong emotional attachments to their parents and teachers are much less likely to use drugs and alcohol, attempt suicide, engage in violence or become sexually active at an early age,” reports The Washington Post. Researchers at the University of Minnesota and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill also found that this holds true regardless of whether a child lives in a one- or two-parent household. The important thing is that the child feels loved, appreciated, and understood. Another factor the study emphasized is “the importance of parents remaining intensely involved in their children’s lives through the teenage years, even when they may feel their role is diminishing,” says the Post.

Ideal Conservationists

Britain’s Royal Navy is using goats to help conserve the brickwork of a historic coastal fort, reports The Sunday Telegraph. Roots of brambles, trees, and weeds were damaging the bricks and mortar. The normal methods for removing them included expensive chain saws and herbicides, which can be dangerous. In addition, these methods destroy rare plants, lichens, and insects. However, not only are the agile goats cheap to employ but they also lessen damage to endangered plants and wildlife. Says the scheme’s consultant, Mike Beauchamp: “Within 10 years, most conservation bodies will be using goats for initial scrubland restoration.”

Violent Computer Games

One of the most violent computer games ever created, Quake II, has been updated to include more violence. The program has “attracted a cult following by spattering blood and body parts all over players’ computer screens,” reports The Wall Street Journal. “The feedback we got was that there wasn’t enough blood,” says lead programmer John Carmack, “so we added some more.” Quake II allows players to indulge in a “smorgasbord of slaughter” by battling dozens of other players over the Internet in duels called death matches. A feature allows players to make obscene gestures at their opponents. The programmers and artists who developed the game “work in a game player’s paradise that includes a weight room and a kitchen stocked with junk food. The suite number is 666, a reference . . . in the biblical Book of Revelation.”

A Bible Without God

A Danish physician has published a rewritten version of the Hebrew Scriptures—leaving out all reference to God. Dr. Svend Lings believes that God and faith “are things of the past that can only chain us,” reports the Danish newspaper Kristeligt Dagblad. Lings noted that many people are unhappy and lonesome. “We are living in a Jewish-Christian culture,” says Lings. “Thus the Jewish-Christian culture must be responsible for our lack of happiness.” With his new version of the Bible, Lings’ goal is, according to the newspaper, to “shake the foundations of our culture.” In Lings’ Bible Without God, Genesis 3:12 reads: “Adam thought to himself: ‘The woman by my side gave me fruit from the tree, and then I ate.’” Kristeligt Dagblad asks: “Is this not like trying to take the water out of snow to see what’s left?”

From Our Readers

Divorce I am writing to express my deep gratitude for the series “Child Custody—What Is the Balanced View?” (December 8, 1997) After my divorce, there were problems in determining how much access my ex-husband should have to our daughter. My new husband felt that access should be denied as much as possible. But Awake! cleared up this issue by putting the child’s welfare first and not the emotions of parents or stepparents.

L. C., Wales

I had my daughter, my only child, taken away from me when the court decided she should live with her dad. The article therefore seemed to be written for me. It is a blessing to know that Jehovah is giving us our “food at the proper time.”—Matthew 24:45.

D. B., Switzerland

I thanked Jehovah in tears when I saw the cover of Awake!, as I have been in a child-custody battle for two years. It has been a highly emotional experience. I truly appreciate the informative, well-thought-out manner in which this subject was presented.

A. F., United States

When I was only a child, my parents divorced. I felt torn between the two of them. You can thus imagine how much I welcomed the articles on this subject. I am deeply grateful that you dealt with this problem from the viewpoint of the children.

K. D., Yugoslavia

Alpine Parks I’d like to thank you very much for the article “The Beauty of Alpine National Parks.” (November 22, 1997) Frankly speaking, I had bypassed previous articles about nature. But I saw the magnificent photos that accompanied the article and decided I wanted to read it. When I finished, I realized that I had missed out on reading many other interesting nature articles.

T. M., Ukraine

Homosexuality I was thrilled when I received my December 8, 1997, Awake!, with the article “The Bible’s Viewpoint: Should Christians Hate Homosexuals?” It was a very well-written and balanced coverage of a very sensitive subject.

L. W., United States

Boredom I handed my supervisor a copy of the article “Are You Bored With Your Work?” (December 22, 1997) The next morning at work, she told me that the article was excellent. She passed it out to some of my coworkers and left a copy of the article in our lounge. Your timing was so right!

V. L., United States

Thank you for the interesting information. I am 17 years old and work full-time. The article gave excellent advice on how to make my job more pleasant. Thanks!

E. A., Italy

A big thank-you for the article. I am currently in the second year of an apprenticeship and was going through the doldrums, not enjoying my job anymore. The article helped me to find pleasure in my work again.

I. F., Germany

Raves I am 19 years old and have really enjoyed listening to techno music. But I was very pleased with the article “Young People Ask . . . Are Raves Harmless Fun?” (December 22, 1997) This is the first article I’ve seen that accurately describes this kind of music. I am especially grateful for the section “Are Raves Really for You?” By means of questions and scriptures, I was helped to arrive at a simple and logical conclusion.

A. P., Slovenia

They Protect Sheep From Coyotes

COYOTES are a major threat to the livelihood of sheep ranchers in the western United States. In 1996 alone, federal trappers killed more than 82,000 coyotes, and since 1990, more than 600,000 have been killed. But some sheep raisers have discovered another way of protecting their flocks. They have imported llamas from South America.

The llama is related to the camel. In fact, earlier this year a male camel was reportedly crossbred with a female llama, which gave birth to an animal that resembles its father. The llama may weigh about 250 pounds and averages four feet high [120 cm] at the shoulder. It has long hair that is usually white but can also be brown or black. But more important to sheep raisers, the llama takes an interest in sheep and runs off coyotes.

“He kicks at them and swings his head,” explains sheep raiser Becky Weed. “We haven’t lost a sheep to coyotes in four years.” But acknowledging that the llama is not the perfect solution, Weed noted: “We had a bear in our flock and lost four sheep.”

A group of environmental-minded sheep raisers have formed the Growers’ Wool Cooperative. This is a consortium that sells what is promoted as “predator friendly” wool, that is, wool from sheep raisers who employ nonlethal means of predator control. Besides llamas, guard dogs and burros are also used to safeguard the sheep.

The Growers’ Wool Cooperative has contracted with home-based knitters to manufacture wool apparel. A premium price is charged for this wool, and the sweaters, hats, blankets, and other items made from it also cost more. Will people pay the extra for these items? “People do when I tell them the kind of ranch it came from,” explained a Chatham, New York, store owner. “People like it because there’s a story behind the sweater.”

“Refreshing in This Turbulent World”

THAT is how 22-year-old Igor from Yugoslavia described the Watchtower magazine in a letter last year. He explained:

“I began reading the Watchtower magazine a couple of months ago. I am reading both new and older issues of The Watchtower (from 1991), and I like them very much. I think that a magazine like this is really refreshing in this turbulent world.

“The articles that you published about missionaries were especially interesting to me, and this is the reason I am writing to you. First, I am interested in knowing whether I could become one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. I must mention that I am a Catholic, but I think that your religion is much better than any other, particularly because no other religion is putting so much effort into spreading God’s Word.

“If the fact that I am a Catholic is not an obstacle, I am interested in finding out how I can become one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. I have just one desire. If it is at all possible, I would like to get baptized in Belgrade. If this is possible, please tell me when I can come and if there is any prerequisite for baptism. If my desire is not feasible, please give me information as to where I can be baptized and whom I can approach for that.

“Next, I would like to know how one can become a missionary. I would like to know if I can start with training for missionary service right after my baptism. Is it necessary to have a certain number of years in service? . . .

“Please take my letter seriously. I think that being a missionary is the best way of spreading the good news of God’s Kingdom.”

On page 2 of every issue of The Watchtower, the purpose of the magazine is explained: “It comforts all peoples with the good news that God’s Kingdom will soon destroy those who oppress their fellowmen and that it will turn the earth into a paradise.” If you would like a copy or would like to have someone call at your home to conduct a free Bible study with you, write to Watchtower, 25 Columbia Heights, Brooklyn, NY 11201-2483, or to an appropriate address listed on page 5.