October 8

Page Two

A Life of Lasting Security—How? 3-10

Millions of people sense that their lives and life-styles are becoming vulnerable and uncertain. Can we ever hope to lead a life of lasting security? Yes, a secure future is just ahead!

Religion in Today’s Poland 15

What is happening to the attitude of many regarding the Catholic Church in Poland?

The Value of Solitude 18

What is the Bible’s view on the benefits and drawbacks of seeking solitude?

Insecurity—A Global Disease

DO YOU at times feel that your life and life-style are vulnerable and uncertain? You are not alone. Millions of people feel that way. Unchecked by national, religious, or social barriers, insecurity spreads like a disease, afflicting people from Moscow to Manhattan.

When our life is insecure, we are, according to one dictionary, “beset by fear and anxiety.” Anxiety is an emotional burden that produces stress, which can impair our health. But why do we feel anxious and insecure?

Anxieties in Europe

Within the European Union (EU), 1 person in 6 lives below the poverty line, 18 million are out of work, and countless others live in fear of losing their jobs. In several EU lands, parents are horrified at the threat to their children that is posed by pedophiles. In one EU country, 2 people out of 3 are anxious about the threat of crime. Other EU residents feel increasing alarm because of vandalism, terrorism, and pollution.

Life and livelihood are at risk not only because of such social aberrations but also because of natural disasters. For example, in 1997 and 1998, torrential rains, mud slides, and tornadoes devastated parts of the United States. In 1997, floods struck Central Europe when the Oder and Neisse rivers burst their banks. According to the Polish weekly Polityka, huge areas of agricultural land were inundated, as well as 86 cities and towns and some 900 villages. About 50,000 households lost their crops, and almost 50 people lost their lives. And mud slides in early 1998 killed scores in southern Italy.

A Matter of Personal Security

But are we not assured that life is more secure than it was ten years ago? Did not the end of the Cold War mean a scaling down of armed forces? Yes, national security may have improved. Personal security, however, is affected by what happens in the home and on the street. If we lose our job or if we suspect that a mugger or a pedophile is lurking outside, then no matter how many weapons are dismantled, we feel anxious and insecure.

How are some people coping with the uncertainty of life? Even more important, is there a way of making everyone’s life—yours included—permanently secure? These points will be considered in the following two articles.

[Picture Credit Line on page 3]

UN PHOTO 186705/J. Isaac

[Picture Credit Line on page 3]

FAO photo/B. Imevbore

In Search of a Secure Life

SECURITY means different things to different people. To one person, security is a job; to someone else, it is wealth; and to a third person, security is a crime-free environment. Does it mean something else to you?

Whatever your view, you doubtless take steps to try to make your life as secure as you want it to be. Consider what people in Europe are doing to achieve a measure of personal security.

Higher Education

According to Jacques Santer, president of the European Commission, 20 percent of young people in the European Union are unemployed. Hence, for that age group, much depends upon one question, How do I get a job that will make my life secure? Many believe that this goal can be best achieved through higher education, which, as The Sunday Times of London comments, gives students “a significant advantage in the jobs market.”

In Germany, for instance, “the desire for education and academic status is as great as ever,” reports the Nassauische Neue Presse. This despite the fact that living as a student for the duration of a university course in that country costs, on the average, about $55,000.

Young people who take education seriously and who desire job security are to be commended. And someone with skills and qualifications often has the edge when seeking employment. But does higher education always offer job security? One student said: “I knew from the very beginning that my course of study would not lead to a clearly defined professional activity and would not offer security.” Her case is not unusual. In one recent year, the number of unemployed university graduates in Germany reached an all-time high.

In France, according to one newspaper, young people attend universities because a high school diploma is of little value in the face of high youth unemployment. However, many university students accept that at the end of their studies, they “will be no better off with a degree in their pocket.” The Independent reports that in Britain “the stresses of academic life are taking a terrible toll on students.” It is reported that far from helping students to cope with the insecurity of life, university life at times leads to such problems as depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem.

Often, learning a trade or getting practical training in some field of production enables one to obtain secure employment more readily than does having a university degree.

Are 10,000 Possessions Enough?

Many believe that the secret of a secure life is wealth. This may appear to be a sound approach, since a good bank balance is a reserve to fall back on in difficult times. The Bible explains that “money is for a protection.” (Ecclesiastes 7:12) However, does increased wealth always improve personal security?

Not necessarily. Consider how wealth has increased in the last 50 years. At the end of World War II, a broad section of the German population had almost nothing. Today, according to a German newspaper, the average German possesses 10,000 items. If economic forecasts are correct, following generations will possess even more. But does this accumulation of wealth make life more secure? No. A survey in Germany revealed that 2 people out of 3 consider life to be less secure than it was 20 or 30 years ago. So a huge increase in wealth has not made people feel more secure.

This makes sense because, as was mentioned in the preceding article, feeling insecure is an emotional burden. And an emotional burden cannot be completely relieved by material wealth. True, wealth acts as a cushion against poverty and helps in times of hardship. But under certain circumstances, having much money is as great a burden as having little.

Hence, a balanced attitude toward material belongings will help us keep in mind that while wealth can be a blessing, it is not the key factor in having a secure life. When he was on earth, Jesus Christ encouraged his followers by saying: “Even when a person has an abundance his life does not result from the things he possesses.” (Luke 12:15) To feel perfectly secure in life, a person needs more than material wealth.

For the elderly, possessions are significant not so much because of their material worth but because of their sentimental value. What concerns the elderly more than wealth is the risk of falling victim to crime.

Watch Out!

“Crime . . . has been a growing problem all over the world in the last 30 years,” states the booklet Practical Ways to Crack Crime, published in Britain. Police forces are at full stretch. How are some people coping?

Personal safety starts at home. In Switzerland, for example, one architect specializes in designing burglarproof houses equipped with security locks, reinforced doors, and barred windows. The owners of these homes seem to take quite literally the well-known proverb: “My home is my castle.” According to the newsmagazine Focus, these houses are costly, but the demand is strong.

To increase personal safety both inside and outside the home, citizens of some communities have organized neighborhood watch schemes. Residents of certain suburbs go even further, paying a security firm to patrol their area at given hours. Many people feel it advisable not to be alone at night on deserted city streets. And parents, who are naturally concerned about the welfare of their children, may take extra precautions to protect them. Consider the suggestions found in the box on this page.

But not everyone can afford to buy a burglarproof home. What is more, neighborhood schemes and security patrols may not reduce overall crime; they may simply shift it into unprotected areas. Crime thus remains a major threat to personal security. For our lives to be secure, more is needed than an all-out effort to beat crime.

Treat the Disease—Not Just the Symptoms

Each of us has a natural desire for a secure life, and we do well to take reasonable, practical steps to achieve this goal. But crime, unemployment, and all the other things that make our lives insecure are only symptoms of a condition that is affecting all mankind. In order to cure this condition, it is necessary to attack, not just the symptoms, but the very cause.

What is the root cause of the insecurity in our lives? How can we eradicate it and thus take away the insecurity of life forever? This will be discussed in the next article.

[Box on page 6]

Ways to Protect Young Children

Because of the frequency of child assaults, kidnappings, and murders, many parents have found it useful to teach their children to do the following:

1. Say no—very firmly—to anyone who tries to make them do something that they feel is bad.

2. Refuse to allow anyone to touch intimate body parts unless—as with a doctor or a nurse—a parent is present.

3. Run away, yell, scream, or appeal to a nearby adult when in danger.

4. Tell the parents about any incident or conversation the child feels uncomfortable about.

5. Refuse to keep a secret from the parents.

As a final point, parents do well to be careful when selecting anyone to be left in charge of their child.

[Pictures on page 5]

For our lives to be secure, we need more than education, wealth, or an all-out effort to beat crime

A Life of Lasting Security

IF YOU are running a high temperature, you likely reach for a tablet to ease the headache and perhaps an ice bag to cool you down. But although the tablet and the ice bag make the symptoms endurable, they do not get to the cause of your fever. And if your health problem is serious, you need treatment from an experienced physician.

Mankind is suffering from a persistent fever of insecurity. We rightly take short-term measures to ease the unpleasant symptoms, but a cure can come only from someone who can make a comprehensive diagnosis of our situation. And no one knows mankind better than our Creator, Jehovah God. He knows that life is insecure because of problems that have been brought upon us.

Secure Start Swept Aside

God’s Word explains that Jehovah created the first human pair perfect and put them into a secure environment. They were free from anxiety. God’s purpose was for humans to live forever in a paradise, with complete security. Humankind’s first setting included “every tree desirable to one’s sight and good for food.” Notice that their physical needs were taken care of; and so were their emotional needs, since the environment was described as “desirable to one’s sight.” This no doubt meant that the first pair were placed in surroundings that assured them of a stable, trouble-free life.—Genesis 2:9.

Adam and Eve rejected God’s loving sovereign rulership, thus introducing into their lives feelings of doubt, fear, shame, guilt, and insecurity. After rejecting God, Adam admitted that he “was afraid.” The first humans covered themselves and hid from their loving Creator, with whom they had up to this time enjoyed a close and beneficial relationship.—Genesis 3:1-5, 8-10.

Jehovah’s original purpose has not changed. The Bible states that our Creator is a loving God, who will soon enable obedient mankind to restore the earth to a paradise condition and to live in security forever. Through the prophet Isaiah, the promise is given: “I am creating new heavens and a new earth; . . . exult, you people, and be joyful forever.” (Isaiah 65:17, 18) Of these new heavens and new earth, the apostle Peter says: “In these righteousness is to dwell.”—2 Peter 3:13.

How will this be achieved? Through a government put in place by Jehovah. This is the Kingdom that Jesus Christ told his followers to pray for: “Our Father in the heavens, let your name be sanctified. Let your kingdom come. Let your will take place, as in heaven, also upon earth.”—Matthew 6:9, 10.

The Kingdom of God will replace human governments and lovingly administer God’s purpose worldwide. (Daniel 2:44) The doubt, fear, shame, guilt, and insecurity that have plagued mankind since the days of Adam will disappear. According to the Bible, that Kingdom is near at hand. Even now, in our uncertain world, a measure of security is available to those who yearn for God’s Kingdom.

Give Spiritual Matters Priority

David was a servant of God who knew what it meant to be scared and in distress. And yet David wrote, as recorded at Psalm 4:8: “In peace I will both lie down and sleep, for you yourself alone, O Jehovah, make me dwell in security.” Jehovah gave David a feeling of security, though David was at times surrounded by problems. Can we learn something from this? How can we gain a measure of security even in an insecure world?

Consider the Genesis account about Adam and Eve. When did they lose their feeling of security? The moment they gave up their personal relationship with the Creator and refused to live in harmony with his purpose for mankind. Hence, if we reverse this process by coming into a close personal relationship with Jehovah and trying to live in harmony with his will, even now we can enjoy a far more secure life than is otherwise possible.

Getting to know Jehovah through a study of the Bible helps us to understand the meaning of life. Only then do we grasp who we are and why we are here. A secure life is possible when we love God, know his purpose for mankind, and understand where we fit in. A man named Paul discovered that several years ago.

Paul was born and raised on one of the islands just off the coast of Germany. Because of what his parents had experienced in World War II, his family had no interest in religion. Paul says of himself as a young man: “I believed in nothing and respected no one. I used to drown my sorrows in alcohol, drinking to excess two or three times a week. There was no security in my life.”

Then Paul had a discussion with one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Paul argued a lot, but one thing the Witness said made him think. “Nothing comes from nothing.” In other words, everything we see around us in nature must have a Creator.

“I thought about that over and over again, and I had to agree.” So Paul studied the Bible with Jehovah’s Witnesses and came to know Jehovah. He admits: “Apart from my parents, Jehovah was the first person in my life who had ever done anything for me.” Paul was baptized as a Witness in 1977 and says: “Now I know what the purpose of life really is. I enjoy living in harmony with Jehovah’s will. I feel secure, since there is nothing that can happen to me or my family that Jehovah cannot put right in the future.”

What can we learn from this experience? Paul overcame his insecurity—an emotional burden—by concentrating not on material wealth but on spiritual matters. He developed a strong relationship with the Creator. Millions of Jehovah’s Witnesses enjoy such a relationship. This gives them an inner strength that helps them to be self-sacrificing in their dealings with others. Calling on people at their homes, Jehovah’s Witnesses use their own time to help other people make their lives more secure by concentrating on spiritual matters. But the Witnesses do more than preach.

“Call on Your God, Jehovah”

In July 1997 when the Oder River flooded large areas of northern Europe, Jehovah’s Witnesses in Germany heard of the plight of people in neighboring Poland. What could they do? Individual Witnesses in and around Berlin showed wonderful generosity by voluntarily donating well over $116,000 within a few days.

Witnesses who were experienced in construction work traveled six hours by road—at their own expense—from Berlin to the region around Wrocław, Poland. In one small town, many houses had been severely damaged. The house belonging to a Witness family was standing in over 20 feet [6 m] of water. The daughter was planning to get married the following month and to live in the house with her husband. What could be done to repair the home and to help the family, who had lost almost everything?

Once the flood abated, a neighbor asked mockingly: “Why don’t you call on your God, Jehovah, and see whether he helps you?” How astonished the neighbor was when the next day several motor vehicles from Germany drove up to the Witness family’s home! A group of strangers climbed out of the vehicles and began making repairs on the house. “Who are they? Who is paying for the materials?” the neighbor inquired. The Witness family explained that these were their spiritual brothers and that these visitors were paying for the materials. Residents of the town looked on in amazement as the house was renovated. Incidentally, the wedding took place on the date planned.

This family discovered that belonging to the international brotherhood of Jehovah’s Witnesses brings not only spiritual benefits but also a measure of security in an insecure world. They were not alone in this experience. Throughout the stricken area, houses and Kingdom Halls of Jehovah’s Witnesses were repaired. And non-Witness neighbors were not forgotten. Much work was also done on their homes, which was greatly appreciated.

Righteousness, Quietness, and Security

When a high fever is at last gone and normal health returns, how grateful we are to the physician who helped us! When the fever of insecurity that envelops mankind is dispensed with forever—through the Kingdom of God—how grateful we will be to our Creator! Yes, he is the one promising us life in “true righteousness, quietness and security to time indefinite.” What a wonderful prospect!—Isaiah 32:17.

[Blurb on page 10]

We can relieve an emotional burden by concentrating not on material wealth but on spiritual matters

[Picture on page 8, 9]

God promises a new world where all will live in lasting security

Smuggling—Europe’s Blight of the ’90’s

BY AWAKE! CORRESPONDENT IN GERMANY

A speedboat races from the North African coast, toward Gibraltar; a motorized caravan sets out from Poland, driving westward; a Bulgarian truck heads for northern Europe; an aircraft flies from Moscow to Munich. What do these means of transport have in common? Each has been used for smuggling.

SMUGGLING is the secret transport of goods into or out of a country or region, either to avoid the authorities because the goods are prohibited or to avoid paying taxes on them. Smuggling—at times known as bootlegging or running contraband—has been practiced in Europe since at least the 14th century. This illicit activity has been so widespread that the folklore of many lands now includes romantic tales of smugglers, some of whom became popular heroes.

Smuggling is illegal and mostly harmful—though at times it has promoted good. For example, in the 16th century, copies of William Tyndale’s translation of parts of the Bible were smuggled into England, where they had been banned. Moreover, when German forces occupied France in 1940, smugglers—with their firsthand experience in using the lanes and byways of Normandy—“were the best logisticians in the [French] resistance,” reports GEO.

Now, 50 years later, smuggling is booming—but as a blight rather than a blessing. Europe has become what the German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung calls “a paradise for smugglers.” What has led to this development?

For one thing, the European Union has expanded, with the number of member states increasing from 6 to 15 within 40 years.a The relaxation of visa restrictions has made international travel much easier. One European resident noted: “Thirty years ago officials checked your papers at every frontier. These days, you can drive across the same borders without even stopping.”

Furthermore, Eastern Europe has opened up its borders. Some frontiers, such as the one that formerly existed between the two parts of Germany, no longer exist. All of this means that trade across borders is much easier. But so is smuggling. And organized crime has been quick to capitalize on the new situation. Gangs of criminals specialize in a variety of contraband items.

Art Treasures Smuggled to Order

For many years before Eastern Europe opened its borders, art treasures in Russia were out of the reach of Western collectors. Now, however, such treasures are “being pillaged by an unlikely alliance of west European art galleries and murderous gangs of Russian smugglers,” reports The European. Indeed, “the smuggling of stolen art treasures [in Europe] is believed by police to have become the third most profitable criminal activity after drug smuggling and the illegal arms trade.”

Smuggling art is big business in Russia and elsewhere. In Italy, within a two-year period, works of art worth over $500 million were stolen. Sixty percent of Europe’s stolen art ends up in London, where buyers are found. In fact, many items are even “stolen to order for an unscrupulous private collector.” Small wonder that the recovery rate is a paltry 15 percent.

Toxics—Smuggling With a Difference

With art, criminals are paid to smuggle items into a country, whereas with other goods, they are paid to take things out. One example is toxic waste. Why go to the trouble of smuggling poisonous waste out of a country? Because the cost of legally disposing of toxic matter has risen sharply in many lands. This together with the threat of stricter environmental controls makes it an attractive proposition to pay smugglers to dispose of toxic industrial waste abroad.

Where do these materials end up? Investigations by the German Federal Crime Bureau indicate that gangs smuggle toxic waste materials—such as old car batteries, solvents, paints, pesticides, and toxic metals—from the West and dump them in such lands as Poland, Romania, and the former Soviet Union. These items will threaten the health of the population of those countries for years to come.

Contraband Cigarettes

Other groups of criminals specialize in running contraband cigarettes. The cigarettes have been transported, for instance, from North Africa to the Iberian Peninsula in speedboats or from Poland to Germany in automobiles. The sums of money involved are huge. Illegal trade in untaxed cigarettes costs the German State about one thousand million marks ($674 million, U.S.) a year in lost tax receipts.

According to Die Welt, on the streets of Berlin, some 10,000 salesmen—sometimes called pushers—offer contraband, cut-rate cigarettes.

Trade in Human Beings

Another specialty of organized crime—one that is particularly villainous—is traffic in human beings. The price for a person to be smuggled into Western Europe—perhaps in a truck like the one mentioned at the start of the article—is exorbitant. Indeed, the International Centre for Migration Policy Development, in Vienna, estimates that this trade in humans earns more than $1.1 billion annually.

Since most illegal immigrants come from impoverished lands, few can pay the smugglers in advance. Hence, after arrival in Europe, they are forced to repay the debt by working for the smugglers and their criminal gangs. The pitiful immigrants thus find themselves shackled in endless modern-day slavery, constantly subjected to exploitation, coercion, robbery, and rape. Some end up working for what Die Welt describes as the cigarette mafia; others end up in prostitution.

The cost to the new host country is not measured in terms of lost taxes only. Rival gangs lock horns in warfare that the Süddeutsche Zeitung describes as being of “unimaginable brutality.” The figures speak for themselves: In what used to be East Germany, gangs committed 74 murders in four years.

Most Frightening of All

“Of all the unforeseen consequences of the Soviet Union’s collapse,” wrote a newsmagazine, “perhaps none is more frightening than the black-market trade in nuclear material.” Radioactive matter has supposedly been smuggled out of Russia into Germany, thus making this sinister leakage “the world’s problem, and Germany’s problem in particular.”

Take, for instance, the flight from Moscow mentioned at the beginning of the article. Upon arrival in Munich, one passenger was found to be carrying plutonium, a radioactive substance, in his briefcase. Since plutonium is extremely poisonous and can cause cancer, contamination could have been devastating for Munich and its residents.

Early in 1996, a Russian physicist was arrested and charged with smuggling abroad more than a kilogram of radioactive material that, according to the Süddeutsche Zeitung, was said to be “suitable for the construction of a nuclear bomb.” Western nations are rightly concerned. At a summit meeting in Moscow, politicians from leading industrial nations agreed on a plan to try to “prevent nuclear weapons material being smuggled out of the former Soviet Union to terrorists or ‘rogue states,’” wrote The Times of London.

With such risks in mind, many people are asking themselves: Can international agreements prevent smuggling? Are governments, though they be honest and well-intentioned, able to curb organized crime? Will smuggling progress from the blight of the ’90’s to the scourge of the new millennium? Or is there reason to hope that smugglers will soon go out of business?

Smuggling—Trade With a Short Future

There are sound reasons to believe that smuggling will soon be a thing of the past. This is because the conditions that make smuggling possible and, for some people, attractive will be eradicated. What sort of conditions?

First, today’s oppressive and unrighteous economic systems have resulted in an unfair distribution of wealth. Whereas people in certain lands enjoy prosperity, people just across the frontier may live in poverty or may suffer shortages. These are the conditions that make smuggling lucrative. But our Creator has promised in the Holy Scriptures that he will soon introduce a system of things in which “righteousness is to dwell.” Oppressive and unrighteous economic systems will disappear.—2 Peter 3:13.

Moreover, national frontiers will be eliminated, for under the government of the heavenly King, Jesus Christ, mankind will become one society. With such an international brotherhood inhabiting the whole earth, there will no longer be illegal immigrants. And since no one will go to war, the risk of radioactive contamination from nuclear war will not be present. In the new system of things, mankind will learn to respect the environment.—Psalm 46:8, 9.

The chief motivating factors in modern-day smuggling are greed, dishonesty, and lack of love for others. The fact that many people display such characteristics today is an indication that we are living in what the Bible describes as “the last days.” (2 Timothy 3:1-5) The righteous new system of Jehovah’s making is near at hand. We all have reason to look to the future with confidence, not in human governments or economic systems, but in Jehovah’s new system.

[Footnotes]

[Box on page 13]

Other Items of Contraband

Rare animals: A man was caught transporting rare tortoises from Serbia to Germany. He confessed to smuggling 3,000 such animals within a five-year period, earning half a million marks ($300,000, U.S.). Trade in rare animals is mainly in the hands of professional criminals and is increasing. “The black market is booming,” remarked one customs official. “Some collectors pay huge amounts of money.”

Fake brand-name products: Within half a year, customs officials at the Frankfurt airport, in Germany, confiscated over 50,000 articles carrying well-known brand names. The articles—such as watches, computer software, sports items, and sunglasses—were all imitations.

Automobiles: A leading car-rental company in Europe reported a 130-percent increase in vehicle theft during a five-year period. One newspaper describes the methods of “modern highway robbers.” They hire cars, report them as having been stolen, and then smuggle the vehicles out of the country.

Precious metals: Cobalt, nickel, copper, ruthenium, and germanium are all available—at favorable prices—in Estonia, which has become one of the smuggling capitals of the world.

Petrol and diesel fuel: Smugglers using boats to run contraband petrol and diesel fuel across the Danube River between Romania and Serbia were able to earn up to $2,500 for a night’s work. In this region the average monthly wage is about $80!

Religion in Today’s Poland

BY AWAKE! CORRESPONDENT IN POLAND

THE people of Poland are known worldwide for being very religious. In fact, about 95 percent of the population professes to be Roman Catholic.

Religious celebrations are taken very seriously in this land and are an integral part of the national tradition. Especially in the countryside, religious holidays can be very colorful and festive, with participants wearing folk costumes and people joining in games.

The press regularly features such events, as well as pilgrimages to famous places of worship and religious processions. Baptisms, church marriages, name days, and first Communions are likewise highly esteemed occasions.

In 1978, Karol Wojtyła, from Poland, became Pope John Paul II. This gave further impetus to the Catholic religion in Poland. Proud throngs welcome their fellow countryman whenever he visits his native land.

All these religious activities give the impression to people outside Poland that the Polish people share a deeply held and publicly manifested faith. In Poland, however, Catholic leaders and other observers express concern over the changing attitudes and habits of growing numbers of church members.

The Polish Perspective

Prominent representatives of the Polish Catholic hierarchy along with journalists and social researchers have a different view of the state of the Catholic religion in today’s Poland. With increasing frequency, strongly worded statements are issued by leading figures in response to worsening crime, decaying moral standards, and declining interest in church doctrine and practice. Much of the discussion revolves around the question, What impact does the popular Roman Catholic form of worship have on the everyday life of the people?

For example, Polish Primate Józef Glemp noted increased secularism among people and spoke of the need to oppose the wave of neopaganism in the country. In the Catholic magazine Ład, writer Wojciech Chudy gave a more detailed analysis of the situation. He said: ‘We have to consider the issue that has been bothering priests, sociologists, and psychologists of religion for years—the clear division between religious and daily life. You listen to a sermon, but the moment you get out of the church, you simply forget about God’s world. You fall into another world, a world of our daily struggle, where you lead your life as if there were no God at all.’

Archbishop Henryk Muszyński, vice president of the Episcopal Conference, goes further, saying: “The Gospel has not managed to transform us inside. Polish people are Christians only statistically. It’s hard to deny that most people view Christianity more as a habit than as a religion.”

Changed Values—Changed Conduct

Such expressions show that leading representatives of the church worry about the profound changes that have occurred in public values and conduct. For one thing, the formerly typical religious devotion appears to be losing ground to other concerns.

To illustrate, in one sociological study, Poles gave the first place of importance in life to family, followed by honesty, justice, kindness, and reliability. Things related to God and religion came in only 16th. A consequence of this is decreasing church attendance, even among the many who profess to be believers.

Polish bishops also worry about statistics indicating widespread disregard for church teachings. For instance, in a survey on religious matters by Irena Borowik of Jagielloński University, only 50 percent of respondents said that they believed in an afterlife, 47 percent thought that priests should be allowed to marry, and 64 percent approved of divorce.

Another study, published in the magazine Wprost, indicated that “69 percent of the Polish people condemn the church prohibition on using contraceptives, 56 percent object to the ban on abortion, and 54 percent approve of premarital sex.” These figures reflect the current divisions in thinking within the church.

The church gained much esteem over the past two decades because of its role in opposing Communism. Now, however, continued church involvement in political and social issues seems to be causing resentment, resulting in an even deeper division between church members and the church hierarchy.

What Is the Real Solution?

Prior to the historic political changes of 1989, specific rules of conduct had been imposed by the government. Much of that is now gone. A new political system has brought democracy and personal freedom but also the struggle to survive in a liberalized free market economy. Many here feel that Polish society was simply not prepared for such a radical change. What was lacking?

To survive morally and spiritually in today’s world requires faith that is based on something deeper than religious habit or ceremony. Each individual must acquire a faith that is firmly rooted in a personal knowledge and understanding of God’s Word, the Bible.

Pope John Paul II himself recently acknowledged the need for Christians to be regular readers of the Sacred Scriptures. He invited people “to cultivate a more intense and frequent contact with the Word of God.” He added: “Learning to read Sacred Scripture is fundamental for the believer: it is the first step of a ladder, which continues with meditation and, thus with real prayer.” The Pope encouraged “whoever is in search of the truth . . . to walk nourishing himself every day with the bread of the Word of Life.”

Nineteen centuries ago, long before life became as hectic and unstable as it is now, Jesus Christ asked God to protect his disciples from the spiritually weakening influences around them. He prayed: “Sanctify them by means of the truth; your word is truth.” (John 17:17) And the reason that the Bible “is truth” is that it is God’s Word, not man’s. The apostle Paul wrote to one congregation: “When you received God’s word, which you heard from us, you accepted it, not as the word of men, but, just as it truthfully is, as the word of God.”—1 Thessalonians 2:13.

Because the Bible is “God’s word” and “is truth,” it can provide what we need to fortify ourselves in this secular world. The Bible states: “All Scripture is inspired of God and beneficial for teaching, for reproving, for setting things straight, for disciplining in righteousness, that the man of God may be fully competent, completely equipped for every good work.”—2 Timothy 3:16, 17.

Many sincere and intelligent people in Poland and around the globe are finding that personal study of the Bible provides a solid basis for faith in God and his purpose. It is this kind of faith that gives them the strength to live a genuinely Christian life in today’s increasingly secular world.

[Blurb on page 16]

“Polish people are Christians only statistically.”—A Polish archbishop

[Blurb on page 17]

There is widespread disregard for the teachings of the church

[Map on page 15]

(For fully formatted text, see publication)

POLAND

The Bible’s Viewpoint

The Value of Solitude

ON ONE occasion Jesus “went up into the mountain by himself to pray. Though it became late, he was there alone.” (Matthew 14:23) On another occasion, “when it became day, he went out and proceeded to a lonely place.” (Luke 4:42) These scriptures testify that Jesus Christ sought out and appreciated occasional moments of solitude.

The Bible provides other examples of men who, like Jesus, valued solitude. It was during the solitude of the night watches that the psalmist meditated on the greatness of his Grand Creator. And in the case of Jesus Christ, right after hearing the news regarding the death of John the Baptizer, he went “into a lonely place for isolation.”—Matthew 14:13; Psalm 63:6.

Today, with the clamor and clutter of modern living, solitude, either by circumstance or choice, is not an option that gets high priority. Do you remember when you last spent time alone? One young married woman said: “I’ve never been alone in my life.”

But is solitude really needed? If so, how can quiet times be used beneficially and rewardingly? And what role does balance play in seeking solitude?

Solitude—Why of Value?

The Bible tells us that an ancient man of God, Isaac, sought solitude “in the field at about the falling of evening.” Why? “In order to meditate,” it says. (Genesis 24:63) According to one dictionary, to meditate is “to think in a contemplative or leisurely manner.” It “implies a serious and extended period of concentration.” For Isaac, who was about to assume weighty responsibilities, such undistracted meditation would have enabled him to clear his mind, organize his thoughts, and evaluate priorities.

A mental-health expert states that as long as ‘loneliness is kept within bounds, the absence of others makes it possible to order our thoughts, to concentrate better.’ Many would testify that this can be restorative, strengthening, and healthy.

Among the desirable fruits of meditation are depth and quiet reserve, qualities conducive to discreet speech and actions, which, in turn, make for harmonious human relationships. For example, a person who learns to meditate can also learn when to keep quiet. Rather than speaking rashly, he considers in advance the potential effect of his words. “Have you beheld a man hasty with his words?” asks the inspired Bible writer. He goes on to say: “There is more hope for someone stupid than for him.” (Proverbs 29:20) What is the antidote to such thoughtless use of the tongue? The Bible says: “The heart of the righteous one meditates so as to answer.”—Proverbs 15:28; compare Psalm 49:3.

For the Christian, the quiet meditation associated with solitude is a vital factor in growth to spiritual maturity. Pertinent are the apostle Paul’s words: “Ponder over these things; be absorbed in them, that your advancement may be manifest to all persons.”—1 Timothy 4:15.

Use Solitude to Draw Closer to God

Said one English author: “A solitude is the audience-chamber of God.” At times, Jesus felt the need to withdraw from his fellow humans and enter into the presence of God in solitude. One example of this is described in the Bible: “Early in the morning, while it was still dark, he rose up and went outside and left for a lonely place, and there he began praying.”—Mark 1:35.

In the Psalms, repeated reference is made to God-oriented meditation. Addressing Jehovah, King David said: “I meditate on you.” In a similar vein are the words of Asaph: “I shall certainly meditate on all your activity, and with your dealings I will concern myself.” (Psalm 63:6; 77:12) Thus, reflecting on divine attributes and dealings brings rich rewards. It enhances appreciation for God, enabling one to draw closer to him.—James 4:8.

Moderation Needed

Of course, solitude should be pursued in moderation. Solitude could be described as a rewarding place to visit but a dangerous place in which to remain. To isolate oneself too much runs counter to the basic human needs to associate, communicate, and express love. Furthermore, isolation can be the soil out of which the weeds of foolishness and selfishness grow. The Bible proverb warns: “One isolating himself will seek his own selfish longing; against all practical wisdom he will break forth.” (Proverbs 18:1) To be balanced in seeking solitude, we must recognize the dangers of isolation.

Like Jesus and other spiritual men in Bible times, Christians today treasure their moments of solitude. True, with so many responsibilities and concerns, finding time and opportunity to meditate in solitude can be a challenge. Yet, as is the case with all things of true value, we must buy “out the opportune time.” (Ephesians 5:15, 16) Then, like the psalmist, we can say: “Let the sayings of my mouth and the meditation of my heart become pleasurable before you, O Jehovah.”—Psalm 19:14.

Crossword Puzzle

Clues Across

1. The Sea of Galilee was also called this, after a city on its western shore [3 words] (John 6:1; 21:1)

7. A descendant of Saul, his sons were outstanding archers (1 Chronicles 8:39, 40)

8. It was in this torrent valley that 200 of David’s 600 fighting men had to stop because of exhaustion when pursuing the raiding Amalekites (1 Samuel 30:9, 10)

10. What Rahab used to conceal the two Israelite spies (Joshua 2:6)

11. This will help Christians so that they “may acceptably render God sacred service” (Hebrews 12:28)

12. According to the Mosaic Law, if a slave did not want to be set free, his master could pierce his ear with this (Exodus 21:6)

13. A tailed amphibian listed as unclean in the Law (Leviticus 11:29, 30)

14. An Edomite city that became noted as a center of wisdom (Jeremiah 49:7)

15. The Hushim were the sons of this descendant of Benjamin (1 Chronicles 7:12)

16. Flying mammal listed as unclean in the Law (Leviticus 11:13, 19)

20. One who attested by seal the “trustworthy arrangement” of Nehemiah’s day (Nehemiah 9:38; 10:19)

22. The doors of the Most Holy of Solomon’s temple were made of this wood [2 words] (1 Kings 6:31-33)

23. The type of tongue that Jehovah hates (Proverbs 6:16, 17)

25. Last letter of the Hebrew alphabet (Psalm 119:169, superscription)

29. If you sow sparingly or bountifully, you do this accordingly (2 Corinthians 9:6)

30. Satan contended that if Jehovah withdrew his blessing from Job, Job would do this to Jehovah (Job 1:11)

32. This Benjamite city was formerly a royal city of the Canaanites (Nehemiah 11:31)

33. What will happen to “the very name of the wicked ones” (Proverbs 10:7)

34. Where Edomite King Hadar evidently had his royal residence (Genesis 36:39)

35. When Jesus cleansed the ten lepers, this number of them proved unthankful (Luke 17:17)

36. When the Israelites did this, the walls of Jericho fell down (Joshua 6:5)

37. If the Israelites chanced upon one of these, the young could be taken but the mother had to be spared (Deuteronomy 22:6)

38. Because they were this, Jehovah gave the Israelites special favor [3 words] (Isaiah 41:8)

Clues Down

2. One of the seven princes who served as counselors to King Ahasuerus (Esther 1:14)

3. A son of Tola of the tribe of Issachar (1 Chronicles 7:2)

4. What “men of boastful talk” are said to do to a town (Proverbs 29:8)

5. No part of this sacrifice was retained by the worshiper [2 words] (Leviticus 1:4)

6. One of two things that Paul said a person must do in order to be saved [2 words] (Romans 10:9)

8. Second letter of the Greek alphabet

9. A relative standing or position (2 Kings 23:4)

16. The lunar month that Solomon completed the construction of the temple (1 Kings 6:38)

17. To incapacitate a captured enemy, this body member was at times cut off (Judges 1:6)

18. Not in good health (Mark 1:32)

19. Where Moses at first kept the stone tablets of the Law (Deuteronomy 10:1-5)

20. Though it held a miraculous catch of fish, it did not burst (John 21:11)

21. An expression of reverence or submission (Exodus 20:5)

24. Highest in authority (Matthew 5:22)

26. The Jebusite owner of the threshing floor that David purchased to build an altar, upon which sacrifices were then offered—bringing an end to the scourge God inflicted for David’s numbering the people (2 Samuel 24:24, 25)

27. The Bible book that primarily tells of the activity of Peter and Paul

28. What Peter did upon hearing the cock crow (Luke 22:61, 62)

31. The servant girl who, overjoyed at hearing his voice, ran to tell the others that Peter was at the door, without letting him in (Acts 12:13, 14)

Crossword Solutions Page 27

Solutions Across

1. SEA OF TIBERIAS

7. ULAM

8. BESOR

10. FLAX

11. AWE

12. AWL

13. NEWT

14. TEMAN

15. AHER

16. BAT

20. NEBAI

22. OIL TREE

23. FALSE

25. TAW

29. REAP

30. CURSE

32. AIJA

33. ROT

34. PAU

35. NINE

36. SHOUT

37. NEST

38. SEED OF ABRAHAM

Solutions Down

2. ADMATHA

3. IBSAM

4. INFLAME

5. BURNT OFFERING

6. EXERCISE FAITH

8. BETA

9. RANK

16. BUL

17. TOE

18. ILL

19. ARK

20. NET

21. BOW

24. SUPREME

26. ARAUNAH

27. ACTS

28. WEPT

31. RHODA

The Iron Way—Here to Stay?

By Awake! correspondent in Britain

HOW to transport goods and people overland cheaply and speedily is an ever-present challenge. Since the industrial revolution increased the demand for raw materials, the railway (sometimes called the iron way) has played a part in solving this problem. Amid today’s growing reliance on the combustion engine and the concern about pollution, many are taking a fresh look at the railroad.

How did the iron way develop?a What role does it play in modern society? What is its future?

19th-Century Development

In 1804 a steam locomotive, designed by Cornish engineer Richard Trevithick, dragged ten tons of iron bars along nine miles [14 km] of rails at a speed of five miles [8 km] an hour. But this early success of the iron way did not last, for the flimsy track soon collapsed under the engine’s weight. The challenge then was to design an engine that would be heavy enough to grip the iron rails and prevent slipping but that would not damage the track.

Eight years later, John Blenkinsop devised a rack rail for locomotives at a Yorkshire colliery. Then, William Hedley overcame the adhesion problem by applying steam power through gears to more than one pair of the engine’s wheels. Thereafter, trains generally ran on smooth track. By 1820, wrought-iron rails in 20-foot [6 m] lengths supported the bigger and heavier steam locomotives that were being developed.

England’s Stockton & Darlington Railway achieved fame in 1825 when the world’s first steam-powered public passenger train hauled 69 tons of freight and more than 600 people along 21 miles [34 km] of track at a peak speed of 15 miles [24 km] an hour. One of those passengers, American Evan Thomas from Baltimore, Maryland, returned home and persuaded fellow businessmen to opt for the iron way in their city instead of a canal. Thus, the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad was formed in 1827.

Steel rails, some 60 times more resilient than wrought-iron rails, became the norm. In Britain that occurred from 1857 onward. By 1870 the country’s rail network stretched more than 15,000 miles [more than 20,000 kilometers]. The impact was “enormous,” notes The Times of London. “Until the railways came, most people had barely travelled outside their own villages.”

Elsewhere, too, railroads were proliferating. For example, in 1847 the wealthy people of Zurich, Switzerland, began sending their servants to nearby Baden on the newly inaugurated railway to collect their coveted Spanish buns (brötli). Thus began a 150-year-long association between the Swiss and their railways.

Railways played a huge part in the development of the United States. In 1869 the first transcontinental line was completed in North America, from the East Coast to the West Coast. It opened up the western part of the United States to rapid settlement. In 1885 the first transcontinental line was completed in Canada, from Montreal, Quebec, to Vancouver, British Columbia. Indeed, all over the world, railways blossomed.

Traction Changes

As time passed, railway managers began to explore ways to run their systems more efficiently. They found that diesel and electric locomotives, some two and a half times as efficient as steam engines, were more economical to run. Though diesel locomotives cost more to build than steam, their greater flexibility meant that fewer were needed. Electric traction had the advantage of being faster and relatively pollution free. Even so, steam power continued to be used in many lands.

In France, even before World War I, electrically driven locomotives powered suburban trains, and following the war they were used over long-distance lines. Likewise, in Japan the transformation from steam to diesel to electric traction is virtually complete. “Rising costs of fuel and labor are the main reasons,” notes Steam Locomotives of Japan, adding: “Another major reason may be that the steam engine has become an anachronism, unpleasant to many up-to-date people. The ordinary passenger does not enjoy traveling with smoke in his face; he wants comfort and speed.” A spokesman for Indian railways agrees. “We cannot cling on to steam engines. Everyone wants to go fast. The steam engines are relics. Nor are they environmentally friendly.”

Because speed and capacity are crucial factors to success in running a modern railway, managers have studied other developments. In Britain many modern electric passenger trains are made up of a fixed formation of coaches with a locomotive at one end and a guard’s van with driving compartment at the other.

The electrification of the iron way has not been without problems. Both third-rail and overhead systems that use direct current require numerous electricity substations to maintain power. But the development of alternating current systems of relatively high voltage that use lighter overhead wires has combined with smaller and lighter weight electric motors to bring about a cheaper railway. Now long-distance trains that feed from variable power sources run along their routes without interruption.

Revitalized by Light-Rail Transit

One area where the iron way is now making a return is in the development of light-rail transit.b New tramway systems are opening up in the world’s ever-expanding urban areas. In Sydney, Australia, where transport chiefs reportedly believe that they were wrong to scrap the city’s trams, light-rail vehicles are back.

In contrast with what happened in many British towns earlier in this century, most European cities retained their 100-year-old tram networks. ‘In Zurich, the tram is king,’ reports The Independent newspaper. “When a tram approaches a traffic light, it triggers off a green signal ensuring it does not have to wait. . . . The trams always run on time.”

While metro or subway systems work well in cities with populations that number in the millions, tramways succeed best in cities that have populations of half a million or less, claims one Italian environmentalist.

Trams can run in much the same way as other road vehicles do. As light-rail vehicles have less load on their axles than conventional rail locomotives and carriages do, both track and bridges can be less substantial. What happens inside can be seen through the vehicles’ large windows, adding to passengers’ security. “Thanks to its unrivalled alignment flexibility the modern tram compounds the speed of the train with the accessibility of the bus,” observes a study of Sheffield, England, transport entitled Tram to Supertram. Trams add “cleanliness, ambience and high marks on the ecological front for good measure.” The Times comments: “Trams are quicker in the rush hour than motor vehicles, and more environmentally friendly.”

Faster and Safer?

Train à Grande Vitesse (TGV), InterCity Express, Eurostar, Pendolino, the bullet trains of Japan’s Shinkansen (New Trunk Line) system—the variety of modern high-speed trains appears limitless. In a desire to offer greater speed and safety, train designers have developed innovative ways to cope with high-speed rail traffic. The construction of rail lines that avoid sharp curves along their welded track allowed France’s TGVs to travel at speeds of well over 100 miles an hour [200 kph].

Eurostar trains now link London with Paris and Brussels via the Channel Tunnel. After leaving Britain’s old rail tracks that curb train speeds, Eurostars speed through France and Belgium at 186 miles [300 km] an hour. Travel times of three hours from London to Paris and of two hours and 40 minutes from London to Brussels have brought the iron way into serious competition with both ferries and aircraft. But how have such increased speeds been made possible?

In Japan, to ensure good adhesion to the rails, engineers developed a lightweight train with carriages that have a low center of gravity. In contrast with the conventional system of having sets of wheels on two bogies slung underneath each carriage, Eurostar trains (18 carriages between two driving units) run two carriages with a wheel bogie shared between them. This reduces vibration and weight and allows for a smoother and faster ride.

Signaling systems for high-speed trains are vastly different from the semaphores of yesteryear or even the trackside lights still common on many conventional lines. Onboard computers display all that the driver needs to know as his train speeds along. Sophisticated communication systems allow centralized signaling stations to control entire routes.

Railway planners have also examined how to increase the speed of trains running on conventional tracks. One innovation is the tilting train. The Pendolino trains, which run in Italy and Switzerland, feature this technology, as does Sweden’s X2000. The latter covers the winding line between Stockholm and Göteborg at a top speed of 125 miles [200 km] an hour. Because of a clever combination of suspension dampers and radial self-steering bogies, passengers feel few unpleasant sensations from centrifugal forces as the train swings through curves along its way.

Reports of ever higher speeds for trains and of horrendous derailments prompt the question, Is safety being sacrificed? In the wake of a fatal rail accident in Britain in 1997, The Sunday Times reported that in the future “track infrastructure will have digital controls to foresee emergencies more quickly.” A new Transmission Based Signalling system will convey radio messages directly to the driver’s cab from the rail network’s management center. Additionally, the Automatic Train Protection braking technology will become standard in Britain’s trains, as it already is in many European countries and elsewhere. If the driver fails to respond to trackside cautionary signals, the train automatically applies the brakes to secure a safe stop.

A Magnetic Future?

To the passenger used to the screeching and clanking of average rail travel along heavy-duty tracks or even on city metro lines, the welcome feeling of a smoother, quieter ride is a delight. The train cars that run on rubber tires on some lines of the Paris Metro offer city dwellers there some relief. But this pales into insignificance compared with the latest iron way development.

The steel rails on which conventional trains run limit their speed. To achieve higher speeds, engineers are now developing magnetic levitation trains (maglevs), which float over a metal guideway. Virtually frictionless, these trains use powerful electromagnets to lift them above the track and achieve speeds of over 300 miles an hour [500 kph]. Indeed, The Times of London reported, on December 13, 1997, that a Japanese maglev set a world speed record of 329.96 miles an hour [531 kph] on both manned and unmanned runs.

Judging by the tenacity of steam buffs—people who preserve and restore steam locomotives—and now others who champion diesel and electric traction trains, the future of railways is assured. How trains and their tracks will develop or whether they will change completely, time will reveal. At least for now, the iron way is here to stay.

[Footnotes]

[Box on page 22]

Palaces on Wheels

Britain’s Railway Museum located in the city of York is home to a remarkable collection of vintage carriages used by royalty. Between 1842 and 1977, 28 royal trains ran in Britain. During the reign of Queen Victoria (1837-1901), no less than 21 trains were built for her use. On completing her first railway journey, she pronounced herself ‘quite charmed’ by the experience.

Victoria’s son King Edward VII chose not to ride in the carriages built for his mother. Instead, he used three new trains. Later, King George V and Queen Mary modernized these and added the first bathroom ever on a train.

[Box on page 24]

Safety First

To cope with crime, railways are tightening security and using cameras and locks. But what can you do to travel more safely on a train? Here are some suggestions:

• Do not flaunt any valuables.

• If you are in a compartment, lock the door and secure the window.

• Pack your valuables in several places in your luggage and clothes.

• Do not fight back if threatened.

• Consider carrying a decoy purse containing a small amount of money.

• Carry photocopies of your identification documents.

[Credit Line]

The Daily Telegraph, March 22, 1997.

[Pictures on page 22, 23]

1. “Lake Shore Flyer,” 1886, U.S.A.

2. Schweizer Centralbahn, 1893

3. Class B1, 1942, Britain

4. Bödelibahn “Zephir,” 1874

[Credit line]

Early American Locomotives/Dover Publications, Inc.

[Pictures on page 24, 25]

1. Shinkansen, Model 500, Japan;

2. Eurostar, France;

3. Train à Grande Vitesse (TGV), France;

4. THALYS PBA train, France

[Credit Lines]

Copyright: Eurostar/SNCF-CAV/Michel URTADO

Copyright: Thalys/SNCF-CAV/Jean-Jacques D’ANGELO

Two Faces of a Disaster

By Awake! correspondent in Mexico

GODOFREDO and Gisela, a married couple who are Jehovah’s Witnesses, and their small children were inside their home made of asphalted pressboard when Hurricane Pauline struck the coast of Oaxaca, Mexico. One by one, the sheets were ripped off. Finally, when only part of the frame remained, the family was left completely without shelter.

With the eight-month-old baby in Gisela’s arms and the other three children holding on to her and Godofredo, they struggled against the strong winds for more than two hours. At times, the force of the hurricane would knock them down and roll them about on the floor. In the end, all of them survived.

In Acapulco, when one of Jehovah’s Witnesses named Nelly saw water coming into the house, she woke her family. The water level rose incredibly fast, and the force of the current dragged Nelly under, but her daughter pulled her out. They held on to the window grating and watched helplessly as the water rose up to their necks. Then they heard a man’s voice calling out to them. It was their neighbor; he helped them get out and took them to his home. From there, they watched in horror as a car completely smashed the house where they had been minutes before.

On the afternoon of Wednesday, October 8, 1997, Hurricane Pauline pounded the coast of the state of Oaxaca with winds of over 100 miles [200 km] an hour. Then, on Thursday, October 9, in the early hours of the morning, the hurricane ravaged the state of Guerrero, especially the city of Acapulco, churning up waves 30 feet [10 m] high and creating floodwaters that swept away houses, cars, animals, and people. By the time the storm moved on, there were gullies more than 30 feet [10 m] deep where streets had been. According to the newspaper The News, the Red Cross in Mexico gave a combined estimate of at least 400 dead and 20,000 to 25,000 homeless in the two states. Yet, in the midst of this disaster, there were touching demonstrations of Christian love.

Jehovah’s People Respond

As soon as the news about Hurricane Pauline became known, the branch office of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Mexico began receiving calls from Witnesses throughout the country who wanted to know what they could do to help. Aid was also offered from overseas. A relief committee was soon formed, and tons of food, clothing, and other items were distributed.

Also, construction materials were bought, and repair work began immediately on the 360 houses and several Kingdom Halls that had been damaged or destroyed. Thousands of Christian brothers and sisters were busy donating, classifying, packing, transporting, and delivering relief items or repairing damage.

Some storekeepers were so impressed with the Witnesses’ activity that they kindly donated food, construction materials, and other things. Others sold them items at a reduced price. The Witnesses affected were deeply moved by the love shown to them, especially when they read the encouraging letters included with the provisions.

Unfortunately, José Faustino—an 18-year-old Witness—and three people who were studying the Bible with the Witnesses were killed by the hurricane. Their relatives, especially José’s parents, have appreciated the prayers in their behalf and the encouragement given to them by the congregation.

Some Positive Results

After Hurricane Pauline many people asked for a Bible study, including unbelieving relatives of the Witnesses, and many neighbors were more willing to listen to the Witnesses’ message of hope. Also, Witnesses shared in the general distribution of relief food. In one case, when a Witness asked a man why he had chosen Jehovah’s Witnesses to distribute the food donated by his company, the man replied: “Because I know that you people are organized and honest. Besides, you really know who has the greatest need for this aid, for you know the people in your territory.”

As the end approaches and there are more and more disasters worldwide, it is always encouraging to see Bible principles in action, even in the face of adversity.

[Picture on page 26]

Youngsters help in reconstruction

[Picture on page 27]

Witnesses building a new Kingdom Hall in Oaxaca after Hurricane Pauline

Watching the World

Street Children Flee From Abuse

“Ninety percent of street children have a family. About 90 percent [of these street children] are assaulted by their parents and therefore flee, getting involved in crime, drug abuse, and sexual exploitation,” states Enza Mattar, coordinator of the Regional Center for Attention to Mistreated Children (Crami). Mattar, quoted in Brazil’s O Estado de S. Paulo newspaper, advises health professionals and teachers to be alert to signs of abuse, including “sudden changes in conduct, becoming withdrawn, and marks on the body.” Intervention can be vital, since only 5 percent of cases handled by Crami involve children who ask for protection themselves. Abusive parents often reject help. Why? Says João Roberto Scomparim, president of Crami: “Parents who violently assault their children are repeating the pattern they themselves experienced when they were young, and they believe that they are educating their children.”

Forgetful People

In an Italian study involving 1,600 adults, 77 percent indicated that they suffer from forgetfulness, states La Repubblica newspaper. More than a third had forgotten an important anniversary during the preceding year. In addition, 42 percent regularly forgot where they parked their car, over 30 percent forgot their house keys, over 25 percent forgot their wallet, and 1.2 percent even forgot their own name and surname. On the other hand, 28 percent of Italians say that they still remember at least one piece of poetry they memorized in school. How can you improve your memory? One authority recommends associating the thing to remember with something else, making notes in a diary and reviewing them, and doing exercises by memorizing phone numbers, tunes, and even license plate numbers.

Why Your Line Seems Slowest

If it seems that you always wind up in the slowest line when shopping, it may just be the laws of probability functioning. As the German newspaper Die Zeit points out, the probability that one of the two neighboring lines will be faster than yours is 2 out of 3. The more lines involved, the less favorable the odds. What irritates people, researchers found, is not so much the waiting but rather “the feeling of frittering away one’s time.” To make waiting for an elevator less annoying, some hotels have mounted mirrors in elevator lobbies. This gives people something to do—comb their hair or adjust their tie. Letting people know how much time they still have to wait also helps. Thus, some subway systems use electronic display panels to show how many minutes it will be until the next train leaves.

Abuse by Clergy in Africa

“Clergy sex abuse cases are beginning to surface in Africa,” reports the magazine Catholic International. To prevent such abuse, some Catholic bishops are recommending more rigorous screening and training of potential seminarians. Other areas of clerical misconduct that concern the African bishops include “misuse of alcohol, and involvement in activities that are unbecoming or alien to the priestly state and vocation, such as business or trade, politics.” Why have these cases only recently come to light? “A freer press and a lessening of previous Church control over the mass media,” answers Catholic International, adding that “initial attempts by some Church authorities in parts of Africa to prevent unflattering news . . . have failed.”

Preachers Carry Guns

In Kentucky, U.S.A., state law was recently amended to permit pastors to carry concealed guns in church if they hold a concealed weapons license, reports Reuters news service. Previously, pastors licensed to carry concealed deadly weapons could not do so in places of worship in the state. In 1997, some Kentucky churches were robbed of their collection money at gunpoint. Although no one was hurt, “ministers and priests of rural churches lobbied state lawmakers to allow them to carry concealed guns,” states the report. Not all clergy, however, are in favor of the change. Nancy Jo Kemper, Executive Director of the Kentucky Council of Churches, asked: “How can we expect our children to learn that guns will not solve problems if they see even ministers, who are supposed to be agents of peace and reconciliation, carrying weapons that can kill?”

Babies Need Touching

“Children raised without being regularly hugged, caressed or stroked . . . have abnormally high levels of stress hormones,” according to a study reported in the Toronto Star newspaper. The researchers believe that maternal separation or neglect in infancy “can have serious long-range effects on learning and memory.” Harvard Medical School scientist Mary Carlson further observed that youngsters whose families kept them in “poor-quality day-care centres on work days had abnormal levels of stress hormones on weekdays but not on the weekend when the children were home.” This research adds further evidence that gentle touching and lots of love are important for our children.

Dumping Trendy Dogs

Australian animal shelters are being flooded with dogs that have fallen out of fashion, says Melbourne’s Herald Sun newspaper. “Alaskan malamutes are the latest to be dumped in large numbers,” says the report. Owners abandon their dogs because they are no longer in style or have grown too big for the owner’s taste. The Royal Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) expects that Dalmatians will be the next to be dumped when this breed, made popular by a recent movie, becomes unfashionable. RSPCA chief executive Richard Hunter says that dumping trendy dogs is not new. In the 1970’s it happened with Afghan hounds; and in the 1980’s, with English sheepdogs. Sadly, many of the abandoned dogs have had to be destroyed. The RSPCA urges people to select dogs on the basis of temperament and the owner’s life-style rather than fashion trends.

Kids—Get Moving!

A report in the German consumer’s magazine Test states that the inactivity of children who watch too much TV causes their perception, reflexes, and muscular coordination to suffer, making them more accident-prone. Physical examinations of children entering school in Germany revealed that up to 30 percent were overweight, up to 40 percent had difficulty with coordination, and up to 60 percent had posture problems. To get children moving, German sport, safety, and traffic educators have developed a game box containing soft Frisbees, balls, and other toys to help children have fun while being physically active.

Victims of the Sex Trade

An ad in a Ukrainian newspaper reads: “Girls: Must be single and very pretty. Young and tall. We invite you for work as models, secretaries, dancers, choreographers, gymnasts.” This ad is typical of those placed by sex traffickers to trap naive young women into prostitution, reports The New York Times. Each year, thousands of Ukrainian and Russian women go abroad in the hope of improving their life financially. But when they arrive in their foreign destinations, some have their passports taken away by criminal “bosses” and are forced to work in brothels. Refusal can mean beatings, rape, and grisly murder. Ukrainian psychologist Lyudmilla Biryuk, who has counseled women who have escaped from such bondage, says: “You want to tell these kids that if something seems too good to be true it usually is.”

Knee Lights for Jet Lag?

Until now, it has always been assumed that the human biological clock is regulated by cells in the retina. A new study, however, indicates that humans have light-sensitive cells on parts of the body other than the eye, reports the French newspaper Le Quotidien du médecin. In an experiment by researchers in the United States, some volunteers were subjected to a bright light via a fiber-optic tube strapped behind the knee, while others, wearing the same apparatus, were not. None of the volunteers knew just who was getting the light treatment. Body clock measurements were made based on body temperature and levels of the hormone melatonin. Also reporting on the study, the International Herald Tribune relates that the circadian rhythms of those treated with the light were “shifted by up to three hours.” Just how this happens is as yet unknown. But the results could have interesting applications in the treatment of jet lag, seasonal depression, and sleep disorders.

From Our Readers

Children Leaving Home I was comforted by the series “When Children Leave Home.” (January 22, 1998) Three of our four children left home three years ago. Though I raised them with the expectation that the time would come for them to leave, I never imagined that three would leave at the same time! I really appreciate the concern the Watch Tower Society shows for the feelings of parents.

M. S., Japan

At the moment, my wife and I are serving as special pioneers, or full-time evangelizers, outside our home state. Your advice on how to show our parents that although we are far away, they are still loved and dear to us really works.

M. M. S., Brazil

I am 11 years old. I did not view household chores as training for being an adult. But these articles have helped me to think differently. Thanks for caring about us young people.

D. U., Yugoslavia

Gorillas The article “Visiting the Mountain Gorillas” (January 22, 1998) was enjoyable reading. I never thought a human could get so close to gorillas without a violent encounter. In the movies they are usually represented as ferocious beasts. Thanks for such an excellent article.

R. P., Venezuela

Stuttering My sincere thanks for the article “How I Cope With Stuttering.” (January 22, 1998) Sven Sievers’ experience was especially encouraging to me, since I face a similar struggle. Over the years, the Theocratic Ministry School has helped me to become a more fluent speaker.

E. Z. S., Brazil

The Theocratic Ministry School is conducted every week at local Kingdom Halls of Jehovah’s Witnesses.—ED.

Sven Sievers’ positive attitude in the face of setbacks impressed me. In our congregation there is one brother who is struggling with stuttering. I will now speak to him with more respect and concern.

K. K., Japan

I too have been a stutterer since childhood. You hit the nail on the head when you said that one should try to understand a stutterer rather than pity him. Thanks for this article.

E. C., Italy

Parental Opposition I just received the January 22, 1998, issue and read “Young People Ask . . . What if My Parents Oppose My Marriage?” I thought I was wrong in opposing my daughter’s getting married. But the article included everything that concerned me—her young age, the prospective mate’s personality, the prospect of her being unevenly yoked to an unbeliever, the possibility of AIDS, and the differences in culture. I pray that this article reaches my daughter’s heart.

N. B., United States

What a well-written article! You touched upon a sensitive subject and dealt with it very nicely. Many different issues were brought up, helping the reader to have an open mind on these matters.

S. C., United States

I have been a full-time evangelizer for eight years. My parents are also Christians, and I had a disagreement with them over my decision to get married. Thank you very much for providing this helpful information.

T. C. F., Tanzania

Endangered Orchids?

Orchids are adaptable. They can grow in soil, on trees, even on rocks. But the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) warns that many varieties of these majestic plants may not survive in the wild if their environment continues to be tampered with. “Modifications to habitats mean that insects essential to pollination become extinct or move elsewhere,” says Wendi Strahm of the IUCN. “When that happens,” she adds, “the orchid cannot reproduce.”

An estimated 20 percent of the five million orchids sold worldwide each year are taken from the wild. This, the IUCN notes, interferes with the conservation of this beautiful plant. Thus, the IUCN recommends that those who want to obtain orchids should buy those grown in greenhouses instead of uprooting them from their natural environment.

There are at least 20,000 species of orchids known to man. Some are plants that measure just a quarter of an inch [0.6 cm] in height; others are vines that grow to a length of 100 feet [30 m]. Most species of orchids thrive in warm, tropical areas that have plenty of rainfall. But they rely on the delicate balance of nature for survival.

Sadly, human ignorance and carelessness continue to damage the environment, threatening an increasing number of plants, including the orchid. But not for long. In the new world that God has promised, man will live in harmony with nature. At that time the words of the psalmist will be fulfilled: “Let the open field exult and all that is in it. At the same time let all the trees of the forest break out joyfully.”—Psalm 96:12.

[Picture Credit Line on page 31]

Jardinería Juan Bourguignon

[Picture Credit Line on page 31]

Jardinería Juan Bourguignon

“A World Living in Peace and Harmony”

Do you believe this could ever come about? A woman from Florida, U.S.A., wrote: “Your tract Will All People Ever Love One Another? is one of the most powerful messages of hope I have ever read. I read it again and again. I exult each time I read it—at the loving thought of a world living in peace and harmony.”

If you too would like to receive evidence that a world of people can and will live in peace and harmony, please write to Watchtower, 25 Columbia Heights, Brooklyn, NY 11201-2483, or to an appropriate address listed on page 5. A copy of the 32-page brochure Does God Really Care About Us? will be sent to you. We believe that part 10, “The Marvelous New World of God’s Making,” will warm your heart.