Table of Contents

September 2008

Is There Life Beyond the Grave?

Consider evidence for belief that there is life beyond the grave. Note, too, the means by which such life is possible and the Bible’s description of what life will be like.

3 Death​—Is It Really the End?

4 Life Beyond the Grave​—It Is Possible!

7 Life in a Restored Paradise

11 Unexpected Help From Awake!

12 God Helped Me to Overcome Trials

22 Meeting the Challenge of Asperger’s Syndrome

29 Watching the World

30 From Our Readers

31 How Would You Answer?

32 “I Never Knew That God Had a Name”

Robots​—How Far Have They Come? 16

Robots, so-called intelligent machines, play a prominent role in many industries. What impact will they have on your future?

How Can I Cope With Stress at School? 26

Learn about major stress factors that youths face at school and the steps they can take to relieve them.

[Picture Credit Line on page 2]

NASA/​JPL/​Cornell University

Unexpected Help From Awake!

BY AWAKE! WRITER IN BENIN

◼ When 23-year-old Noël decided to terminate his secular schooling and become a full-time minister of Jehovah’s Witnesses, his relatives doubted if he would survive financially. Indeed, he had difficulty finding suitable part-time work. So when the Awake! magazine featured the timely article “Five Keys to Finding a Job,” Noël read it carefully several times.a Did it help him? Yes, but not in the way he expected.

The director of a private school saw Noël preaching from house to house and asked if he was one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. The director needed another teacher, and having observed that Jehovah’s Witnesses teach effectively, he asked Noël if he knew anyone who would be interested. When Noël said no, the director countered, “How about you?”

Noël had never taught school, and he sometimes stuttered. In Benin this posed a problem because the board of education requires teachers to take an exam confirming that they do not stutter. “Get the certificate,” promised the director, “and you can have the job.”

Noël had progressed well in the Theocratic Ministry School, which is a school designed to improve public speaking ability and is held weekly in the congregations of Jehovah’s Witnesses. He even gave public talks in his home congregation. Nevertheless, he was apprehensive when he appeared for the exam.

The examiner handed him a magazine and requested that he read aloud a paragraph outlined in red. Noël’s eyes widened when he saw the article “Five Keys to Finding a Job.” He read the paragraph fluently and received the certificate.

The examiner later stated that he regularly reads the magazines of Jehovah’s Witnesses. “These magazines are informative and so well written that I often use them for examinations,” he explained.

Noël began teaching, and the director wanted to sign him up for the following year, but Noël had other plans. He had been invited to work at the branch office of Jehovah’s Witnesses, where he is now serving.

[Footnote]

God Helped Me to Overcome Trials

As told by Vazir Asanov

Springing from bed, I tied a Bible around my waist and dressed quickly. Before I jumped out the window, I wadded up some clothes, placed them in the bed, and pulled the blanket over them to make it look as though I was still sleeping. Then I ran to the Kingdom Hall, praying to God for support. That occurred in 1991 when I was 14.

I WAS born into a Kurdish family in a city in the southern part of what is now Kazakhstan, which at the time formed one of the 15 republics of the Soviet Union. My parents and relatives brought me up to believe that I could become a future leader and liberator of my people. I nurtured such a hatred of enemies of the Kurdish people that I was ready to kill to free our people from oppression.

In the late 1980’s, my mother, younger brother, and I began to study the Bible with Jehovah’s Witnesses. Father, however, forbade us to associate with Christians. Still, I continued to study. In a Kurdish family, disobedience to the family head is virtually unknown. I loved my father, yet I also loved the Bible truths I was learning.

Opposition at Home and at School

One time, a teacher saw a copy of the Watchtower magazine in my schoolbag and told my parents about it. In a rage, Father struck me so hard that blood spurted from my nose. “Are you still with that religion?” he shouted.

After that, Father announced that he no longer considered me his son. How it hurt me to hear that! At the same time, many of my classmates began to avoid me, and some openly reviled me. My teachers lowered my grades and often mocked my faith during class, trying to convert me to their atheistic views.

Despite such opposition, I still tried to attend Christian meetings and to share my newfound faith with others. A while later, Father learned that I was continuing to associate with the Witnesses and to read the Bible. One Sunday, I began looking for an excuse to leave the house to attend the meeting. Immediately, Father made me go to bed. He said firmly, “Now, every Sunday at this time you must be in bed.” He threatened me with dire consequences if I disobeyed, and I was convinced that he meant it.

With tears, I supplicated Jehovah, the true God, to soften Father’s heart, but he remained unmoved. I recalled the oppression of the Israelites in Egypt. My father’s actions reminded me of Pharaoh, who refused to let the Israelites go to worship Jehovah.​—Exodus 5:1, 2.

Making Decisions

One Sunday, I decided to go to the meeting. My heart pounded with anxiety as I lay in bed praying silently to Jehovah. When my parents came into my room, I pretended to be asleep. Father proudly said, “See what an obedient son I have.” He kissed me, and they quietly left. I continued to pray earnestly.

Shortly after my parents left the room, as related in the introduction, I leaped up, got my shoes from under the bed, and jumped out of the window. Two hours at the meeting sped by quickly, and I wondered what would happen when I returned home. Happily, although Mother had seen that it was my clothes in the bed and not I, she said nothing to Father. However, she warned me that she would no longer conceal such actions from him.

In 1992, I told my parents that a friend had a special celebration to attend and that I had been invited to go along. Actually, the special event that I planned to attend was an assembly of Jehovah’s Witnesses in the city of Taraz, which was about 65 miles [100 km] from our home in Karatau. There, I was to be baptized in symbol of my dedication to Jehovah. I asked Mother if I could have a bucket of sunflower seeds from the barn. I fried those seeds and sold them at the market, and that was how I was able to earn enough money to attend the assembly.

When I returned, Father asked if I had a good time with my friend. I assured him that I did. I felt that Jehovah supported me, because Father did not inquire any further about the matter. I really liked the words of Proverbs 3:5, 6: “Trust in Jehovah with all your heart and do not lean upon your own understanding. In all your ways take notice of him, and he himself will make your paths straight.”

I Weaken Spiritually

Opposition from Father did not stop with my baptism. As I continued to associate with the Witnesses, Father would beat me severely, both when others were present and when we were alone. Almost every day I was subject to humiliation and pressure, and I often wept. Kazakhstan was then gaining independence from the Soviet Union, and my parents and relatives tried to persuade me to achieve positive goals as a politician. They thought that I was missing out on my chance.

My older brother had realized achievements in sports, and Father often held him up to me as an example. Well, toward the end of 1994, I too became involved in sports. Blessed with natural ability, I was soon winning awards and praise for my skills in soccer and gymnastics. I also began to study law so that I would be in a position to help protect the interests of the Kurds. I even became interested in politics and thought about founding a Kurdish youth party. Now Father began to praise me.

“You Won, Papa”

I had become spiritually weak and had discontinued reading the Bible and attending the meetings of Jehovah’s Witnesses. I comforted myself with the thought that I would serve Jehovah again when I became of age. Once, Father asked whether I was associating with Jehovah’s Witnesses. “No. You won, Papa,” I replied. “Are you happy now?” Upon hearing this, Father was very happy. “Now, finally, you are my son!” he said proudly.

For two years I did not attend meetings, although at times I wanted to go. But feelings of shame kept me from following through on my intentions. I thought that those in the congregation would not understand my situation.

At the same time, I was convinced that there was nothing better than serving Jehovah. ‘After all, I love Jehovah!’ I would often tell myself. Then Father began pressuring me to pursue a university education. I gave in and even promised to finish school with honors. In my heart, though, I hoped that once I got to the university in Almaty, a large, modern city in southern Kazakhstan, I would find the Witnesses.

Happy Changes of Circumstances

Not long after I began studying at the university, I met two Witnesses as they were sharing in the ministry on a street in Almaty. They approached me with the question, “Who do you think rules the world?”

“Satan the Devil,” I replied, “the enemy of Jehovah and of all mankind.” (2 Corinthians 4:3, 4) I explained that I was a baptized Witness but had become inactive.

Toward the end of 1996, I again began to study the Bible with the Witnesses. After I had several studies, my desire to serve Jehovah returned in full force, and I started to take part in all the activities of the Witnesses in Almaty. In September 1997, I began serving as a pioneer, or full-time minister.

A year later, Father came to visit me. I ran to him, and we hugged. He asked for my forgiveness for his actions all those years. He said that he had misunderstood both me and my faith. “Papa,” I said, “I love you very much.”

How happy I felt when Father accepted Bible literature and requested a Bible, saying that he wanted to read it from cover to cover! A year later, he came to visit me again, this time with Mother. At the Kingdom Hall, people of various nationalities warmly greeted them by coming up and introducing themselves. This made a profound impression on Father, and he began to read the literature of the Witnesses with great interest.

Rich Blessings

In September 2001, I married a wonderful Russian girl named Yelena. She has been a baptized Witness since 1997 and began to pioneer in May 2003. To our great joy, we learned that my parents had started to study the Bible with the Witnesses and were making spiritual progress. Actually, I could not believe the news until I heard it from Father’s own lips. Over the phone, he told me that Jehovah is the one true God!

I am so happy that here in Almaty I have had the opportunity to conduct Bible studies with people from many places, including China, Iran, Pakistan, Syria, and Turkey. Not long ago, an Iranian priest asked me to study the Bible with him in his native language, Persian. A former general from Afghanistan was greatly impressed with what he learned about Jehovah. It was also a joy to study with a person from Syria in my native Kurdish tongue as well as to study with people in Kazakh and Russian, other languages of my childhood.

Now, along with Yelena, I serve in a Kazakh-speaking congregation​—one of the more than 35 congregations of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Almaty. Last year, Yelena and I were privileged to serve temporarily at the recently completed branch office of Jehovah’s Witnesses located near Almaty.

At one time I was taught to hate, but Jehovah taught me to love. I am convinced that we should never be influenced to do otherwise, even when pressured by well-meaning relatives and friends. (Galatians 6:9) Now I am so glad that my wife and I have “plenty to do in the work of the Lord.”​—1 Corinthians 15:58.

[Blurb on page 13]

Mother warned me that she would no longer conceal such actions from Father

[Picture on page 15]

The Kingdom Hall in Karatau, where I attended as a youth

[Picture on page 15]

My parents, who are now favorable toward our work

[Picture on page 15]

Yelena and me on our wedding day

[Picture on page 15]

With Yelena, at the new branch facilities near Almaty

Robots​—How Far Have They Come?

BY AWAKE! WRITER IN JAPAN

ROBOTS. What images does that word conjure up in your mind? Some people view robots as friendly​—as benevolent partners or helpmates. Others view them as a threat​—machines with superior intelligence, perhaps one day replacing humans. Still, to many others, robots are more the fare of science fiction than of real life.

What about today? According to estimates from a study released in 2006 by the International Federation of Robotics, there are almost one million industrial robots in service worldwide, and of these almost half exist in Asia. Why is there such a demand?

What Robots Are Doing

Imagine a worker who is always on the job, who never complains, and who can work tirelessly 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Well, industrial robots are doing just that as they churn out a host of automotive, electrical, and household items. Robots live up to their name, which comes from the Czech word robota, meaning “forced labor.” It is estimated that in the car-manufacturing industry in 2005, there was 1 robot for every 10 workers!

Robots, though, are no longer confined to the factory. They now come equipped with such things as voice-recognition software, gyroscopes, wireless data communication, Global Positioning Systems, and a range of sensors including those for heat, force, ultrasound, chemicals, and radiation. More powerful and versatile than ever, robots are performing tasks that were viewed as impossible just a few years ago. Consider some examples.

◼ Service. In a hospital in Great Britain, a pharmacy robot with mechanical arms retrieves and dispenses medication within seconds. The U.S. Postal Service has a host of robots that are used to sort, lift, and stack trays of parcels. Snake-arm robots can reach into confined spaces​—such as inside airplane wings—​to perform inspections or repairs.

◼ Companion. In a nursing home in Japan, elderly patients take turns stroking a cute, furry robotic baby seal. The robot seal is sensitive to touch, light, sound, and temperature, as well as even to the way it is held. It can mimic animal behavior and respond by cooing, blinking its eyes, and wiggling its fins. The robot seal is said to fill a basic human need for companionship and is used as a form of therapy.

◼ Medical. A robot with three arms stands over a patient. Several feet away, a surgeon buries his head in the viewfinder of a giant console to peer at a 3-D image of his patient’s heart. The surgeon controls the robot’s arms as it snips and sews to repair a faulty heart valve. This system allows for minimally invasive surgery because of the robot’s extreme precision of movement, resulting in reduced trauma to the body, reduced blood loss, and quicker recovery.

◼ Household. Just press a button, and a disk-shaped robot goes to work vacuuming your floors. The robot covers open areas in a widening spiral motion and navigates along walls, eventually “learning” the room layout. It detects stairs and avoids them. The robot automatically stops when finished and heads to its recharging station. Over two million of these vacuum robots are now in use.

◼ Space. A six-wheel mobile robot named Spirit explores the surface of Mars. With scientific instruments and tools attached to its robotic arm, the rover robot examines the composition of soil and rocks. Using its onboard cameras, Spirit has taken more than 88,500 images of Mars, including those of the planet’s terrain, craters, clouds, dust storms, and sunsets. It is one of the robotic vehicles currently in operation on Mars.

◼ Search and Rescue. Beneath the smoking debris of a superheated pile of twisted steel beams and shattered concrete of the collapsed World Trade Towers, 17 basketball-size search-and-rescue robots went to work, looking for survivors. Since then, more-advanced models have been developed, such as the one shown below.

◼ Underwater. Autonomous underwater vehicles are being used by scientists to explore earth’s final frontier​—the ocean. These robotic vehicles are unmanned and self-powered. Other applications underwater include search-and-recovery operations, inspection of telecommunication cables, tracking whales, and minesweeping the ocean.

How Much Like Humans?

For centuries, man has dreamed of building a humanoid​—a robot resembling a human. But how technically elusive that dream has been! “The complexity of building supercomputers, erecting skyscrapers, or even designing whole cities pales beside the task of imbuing machines with humanlike motor skills, synthetic sight, smell, hearing, and touch, plus something that approximates human intelligence,” observed the journal Business Week.

Take, for example, the seemingly simple task of making a humanoid robot that can walk. Following 11 long years of painstaking research and development​—and after spending untold millions of dollars—​Japanese engineers achieved that amazing technical feat in September 1997. Since then, humanoids have been developed to the point that they can climb stairs, run, dance, carry items on a tray, push a cart, and even pick themselves up off the floor when they fall!

What About the Future?

What is the future of robots? The U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration is currently developing a “robonaut,” a humanoid capable of doing dangerous tasks in space. Bill Gates, a well-known leader of the personal computer revolution, says that likely “robots will play an important role in providing physical assistance and even companionship for the elderly.”

Similarly, a report released by the Japanese government envisions a society in 2025 where robots coexist with humans and serve as caregivers, assist in childrearing, and perform household chores. By 2050, researchers hope to see an all-robot soccer team defeat a team of humans. And it is also hoped that within a few decades, machines capable of exceeding human brain power will be developed.

As bold as such predictions may be, not everyone shares the same optimism regarding their fulfillment. Concerning the technical challenges faced, artificial-intelligence researcher Jordan B. Pollack observed: “We’ve fundamentally underestimated how good a programmer Mother Nature is.”

How far robots progress remains to be seen. However, one thing is certain: The ability to love and to exercise wisdom, justice, and power will always remain unique to humans. Why? The Bible clearly states that unlike other living creatures, only man was created in God’s image. (Genesis 1:27) Humans are not cold, calculating automatons. They are free moral agents, who have consciousness and the ability to worship God. May this fact move us to draw closer to our Creator, Jehovah God!​—James 4:8.

[Picture Credit Lines on page 16]

Courtesy Aaron Edsinger

Courtesy OC Robotics

[Picture Credit Lines on page 17]

Courtesy AIST

© 2008 Intuitive Surgical, Inc.

Courtesy iRobot Corp.

[Picture Credit Lines on page 18]

Top: NASA/​JPL-Solar System Visualization Team; left: NASA/​JPL/​Cornell University

© The RoboCup Federation

Greg McFall/​NOAA/​Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary

[Picture Credit Line on page 19]

© 2007 American Honda Motor Co., Inc.

The Bible’s Viewpoint

What About Honorary Titles?

AS FIRST-CENTURY Christians went about their daily activities and preached the good news of God’s Kingdom, they came into contact with a number of government officials​—some minor and some high-ranking. Among themselves, Jesus’ followers used no titles to distinguish position, or station, in life. It was common back then, however, for individuals in power over their fellow men to be addressed with titles. The Roman emperor was referred to as “the August One.”​—Acts 25:21.

So when appearing before government officials, how did Jesus’ disciples consider the use of honorary titles? How should we?

Honor, Not Approval

The apostle Paul counseled fellow believers to “render to all their dues, . . . to him who calls for honor, such honor.” (Romans 13:7) This included addressing officials by their titles. Today such titles as Your Excellency and Your Honor are also customarily used to address those holding public office. But some may ask, ‘How can I address a person in such a way when I suspect that his conduct is neither honorable nor excellent?’

Many public officials discharge their duties conscientiously, yet not all of them inspire confidence. Even so, the Bible urges us to subject ourselves to kings and governors “for the Lord’s sake.” (1 Peter 2:13, 14) Hence, acknowledging the position of authority that an official occupies with God’s permission would move us to show respect and render the required honor.​—Romans 13:1.

An official’s personal conduct is not at issue in this context. That is not the reason for rendering honor. Addressing an official by his honorary title does not indicate tacit approval of his conduct. This is shown by an episode in the life of the apostle Paul.

Paul’s Use of Titles

The apostle Paul was arrested in Jerusalem on trumped-up charges and was led before Felix, governor of Judea. Felix was hardly an exemplary public official. The Roman historian Tacitus wrote that Felix “thought that he could do any evil act with impunity.” He was more interested in receiving a bribe than in rendering justice. Even so, during his two years in custody, Paul showed respect for the governor, and the two men conversed often​—Felix hoping for money, which never came, and Paul using the opportunity to preach.​—Acts 24:26.

When Festus succeeded Felix, the new governor heard Paul’s case in Caesarea. To win favor with the Jewish leaders, Festus suggested that Paul be tried in Jerusalem. But Paul knew that he could not get a fair trial there, so he took advantage of his Roman citizenship, declaring: “I appeal to Caesar!”​—Acts 25:11.

Festus was unsure of how to explain the accusations against Paul to Caesar, but help came when King Agrippa II paid Festus a courtesy visit and expressed interest in the case. The next day, with great pageantry, military commanders and local dignitaries accompanied the king into the audience chamber.​—Acts 25:13-23.

When invited to speak, Paul used the title “King” in his opening comments and acknowledged Agrippa’s expertise in customs and controversies among the Jews. (Acts 26:2, 3) At the time, Agrippa was widely reputed to be involved in a scandalous, incestuous relationship with his sister. Surely Paul was aware of Agrippa’s tarnished reputation for being morally bankrupt. Still, Paul accorded him the honor due a king.

During Paul’s defense, Festus exclaimed: “You are going mad, Paul!” Instead of being provoked, Paul responded calmly, addressing the governor as “Your Excellency.” (Acts 26:24, 25) Paul showed him the respect that was due his position. These examples, however, raise the question, Is there a limit to the honor that should be shown?

Relative Honor

Governmental authority is relative, as indicated at Romans 13:1, which says: “The existing authorities stand placed in their relative positions by God.” Thus, the honor due governmental representatives is also relative. Jesus established the limit to the honor that ought to be rendered to others when he told his disciples: “Do not you be called Rabbi, for one is your teacher, whereas all you are brothers. Moreover, do not call anyone your father on earth, for one is your Father, the heavenly One. Neither be called ‘leaders,’ for your Leader is one, the Christ.”​—Matthew 23:8-10.

The contrast between the religious and the secular thus sets the limit when it comes to according appropriate honor. In the event that secular officials adopt titles of a religious nature, Paul’s counsel to render them honor would not extend to the use of such titles. A person who follows Scriptural counsel would treat such officials respectfully. However, his Bible-trained conscience would motivate him to refrain from using any religious titles, since he is obliged to “pay back . . . God’s things to God.”​—Matthew 22:21.

HAVE YOU WONDERED?

◼ How did Jesus’ followers view the secular authorities?​—Romans 13:7.

◼ Did the apostle Paul use honorary titles for government officials?​—Acts 25:11; 26:2, 25.

◼ What kind of titles did Jesus disapprove of?​—Matthew 23:8-10.

[Picture on page 20, 21]

How did Paul address Agrippa?

Meeting the Challenge of Asperger’s Syndrome

BY AWAKE! WRITER IN BRITAIN

YOU want to have friends, but making conversation is not easy. Yet, you can talk for hours on your favorite subject. Your life is governed by routine; change disturbs you. You often feel anxious and frustrated and sometimes depressed.

People misunderstand you. They call you strange, difficult, or even rude. You find it hard to understand others’ thoughts and feelings, especially as you cannot read their facial expressions or body language. Many with Asperger’s syndrome, also called Asperger’s disorder, regularly face such situations.

Those with Asperger’s syndrome look the same as anyone else, and they are often very intelligent. However, they have a neurologically based developmental disorder that affects the way they communicate with and relate to other people. The syndrome comprises a variety of characteristics, and each person is affected in a different way. Yet, it is possible to meet the challenge of living with Asperger’s syndrome. Consider Claire’s story.

At Last, a Diagnosis!

As a child, Claire was very quiet and withdrawn. She avoided eye contact with people and was fearful of crowds. She mastered speech at an early age, but she used as few words as possible and spoke in a monotone. She liked a rigid routine, and she became anxious if it was altered.

At school, teachers were impatient with Claire because they thought she was being willfully difficult, and she was bullied by other children. Her mother suffered too, as others unfairly blamed her for Claire’s behavior. In the end, she taught Claire at home for the last years of her education.

Afterward, Claire had several jobs but lost them all because she could not cope with the changes in routine and with what was expected of her. At her last job, which was in a nursing home, the matron realized that something was seriously wrong. Finally, when Claire was 16, her condition was diagnosed as Asperger’s syndrome.

At last, Claire’s mother knew why her daughter’s behavior was so different from others’. A friend found some information on the syndrome, and when Claire read it, she asked in amazement: “Do I really do that? Is that what I’m like?” The local social services department advised Claire to have occupational therapy. Chris, one of Jehovah’s Witnesses who had experience in helping children with special needs, arranged for Claire, also a Witness, to volunteer and help with the maintenance and upkeep of a building used by the Witnesses for Christian worship.

Learning to “Live in the Real World”

Initially, Claire hardly spoke to her fellow volunteers. When she encountered a problem, she wrote Chris a note, since that was easier than translating her thoughts into speech. Gradually, Chris encouraged her to sit down with him and talk things through. He patiently taught her, as he put it, to “live in the real world.” It was not “the real world,” he explained, to avoid contact with others and to do only what she wanted. With help, Claire began to learn to cooperate with others in accomplishing a task.

Claire’s unhappy past experiences had resulted in a lack of self-confidence, so her immediate response to any task she was given was, “I can’t do that.” How did Chris tackle this problem? He would give her a small task and explain, “This is how it’s done,” adding, “You can do it.” Once she had achieved it, she felt happy. Chris warmly commended her and gave her another job. Remembering a series of spoken instructions was difficult for Claire, but a written list presented no problem. Little by little, she gained confidence.

Because Claire disliked crowds, talking to others at meetings for Christian worship was a big challenge. She used to remain seated by herself at the front of the Kingdom Hall. However, she gave herself the goal of getting up immediately after the meeting, walking toward the back of the hall, and making herself talk to one person.

In time, Claire found herself talking to more people. “But it’s not easy,” she observes. Even though her condition makes conversation very difficult, she regularly gives talks in the Theocratic Ministry School, a program that is designed to help all of Jehovah’s Witnesses express themselves more effectively.

Meeting a Bigger Challenge

As Claire’s confidence increased, Chris suggested that she try to serve as an auxiliary pioneer, a term Jehovah’s Witnesses use for baptized Witnesses who spend 50 hours or more each month sharing their Bible-based beliefs with others. “I can’t do that,” Claire responded.

However, Chris encouraged her by saying that even if she didn’t achieve her goal of 50 hours that month, at least she could be happy that she had tried. So Claire tried, and she really loved the experience. She did it again and again, enjoying it all the more. This built up her confidence, especially when she found many people who wanted to learn more about the Bible.

Claire took to heart the encouragement she heard at Christian meetings to consider whether there was anything stopping her from becoming a regular pioneer, or full-time evangelizer. She decided to become one. The result? In Claire’s words, “It’s the best thing to do!” She has become much closer to those in her congregation and has developed many friendships. Children love being in her company, and she gladly helps them as they preach together.

Providing Support

True, not everyone with Asperger’s syndrome will be able to serve as a full-time minister. Yet, Claire’s experience provides evidence that such ones can accomplish much more than they may realize. Claire’s regular schedule complements her need for a routine, and her conscientiousness and dependability help her to do well in her chosen career.

Claire feels that it is important for people to know she has Asperger’s syndrome so that they will realize why she is different in the way she sees the world and copes with it. She explains, “Because you don’t always express yourself well, people consider you incapable of thinking.” Having someone with whom you can talk things through is helpful.

For people with a condition like this, both Chris and Claire suggest setting little goals, taking one step at a time. It can be important to have help from someone who understands the syndrome. As a result, self-worth can be enhanced and challenges overcome.

Claire’s story shows that with patience and encouragement, much can be done to help those with Asperger’s syndrome. Claire confirms this, saying: “A few years ago, I would never have dreamed that I’d be doing all these things today.”

[Blurb on page 24]

Claire feels that it is important for people to know she has Asperger’s syndrome

[Box on page 22]

ASPERGER’S SYNDROME

The condition is named after Dr. Hans Asperger, who first described it in 1944. However, only in recent years has considerable research been done to understand and help the increasing numbers who are being diagnosed with the syndrome. Medical researchers are undecided as to whether it is a less severe form of autism or a separate disorder. As yet, no one knows what causes Asperger’s syndrome. However, it is not due to emotional deprivation nor to the way a child has been brought up.

[Box on page 24]

HELPING THOSE WITH ASPERGER’S SYNDROME

Take an interest in those with Asperger’s syndrome, and try to get to know them. Although they may find it difficult to initiate a conversation, recognize that such ones do want and need friends. They are not being difficult or awkward on purpose.

Be patient, and try to understand their problems. Also, be aware of your need to explain things precisely and unambiguously, since they may take what you say very literally. If a set routine needs to be changed, explain the details clearly, possibly even demonstrating the new course of action expected of them.

If you find that they are worrying obsessively about something they have seen or heard that has distressed them, encourage them to focus instead on a beautiful picture or listen to soothing music.

[Picture on page 23]

Claire learned to take the initiative to befriend others

[Picture on page 23]

Chris explains to Claire how to cooperate with others to accomplish a task

Was It Designed?

The Seagull’s Leg

◼A seagull does not freeze even while standing on ice with bare feet. How does this creature conserve its body heat? Part of the secret is in what are called countercurrent heat exchangers.

Consider: A countercurrent heat exchanger consists of a tube carrying a warm fluid that runs in close proximity to a tube carrying a cool fluid. If the fluids run in the same direction, only half of the heat is transmitted, at best. But if the fluids run in opposite directions, nearly 100 percent of the heat is transmitted.

The heat exchangers in a seagull’s legs cool the blood on its way to the feet to near freezing and then rewarm the blood as it returns. Concerning birds in cold environments, ornithologist Gary Ritchison writes: “The principle of countercurrent heat exchange is so effective and ingenious that it has also been adapted in human engineering projects to avoid energy waste.”

What do you think? Did the countercurrent heat exchange system in the seagull’s legs get there by chance? Or was it designed?a

[Footnote]

[Diagram/​Pictures on page 25]

(For fully formatted text, see publication)

The heat exchangers in a seagull’s legs warm returning blood

[Diagram]

32°C

0-5°C

[Picture Credit Line on page 25]

Seagull: © Michael S. Nolan/​age fotostock

Watching the World

◼ In the last 20 years, the number of natural disasters worldwide has quadrupled. Over 250 million people are affected every year.​—EL UNIVERSAL, MEXICO.

◼ “Trade winds, the dominant winds in the Pacific, have over the years gathered a huge mass of drifting garbage.” The area covered by this garbage has now reached the size of Australia.​—LA DÉPÊCHE DE TAHITI, TAHITI.

◼ To produce 50 liters [53 quarts] of biofuel for a passenger car requires 200 kilograms [440 pounds] of corn​—“enough to feed one person for a whole year!”​—GAZETA WYBORCZA, POLAND.

Bibles Published in China

“China has become one of the countries publishing the largest number of Bibles in the world,” says Ye Xiaowen, head of the State Administration for Religious Affairs. A Chinese printing company based in Nanjing, capital of Jiangsu Province, reached the milestone of publishing the country’s 50 millionth complete Bible. According to People’s Daily Online, “about 3 million copies of [the] Bible have been rolling off the [company’s] press annually in recent years.” The number of those professing to be Christians in China is reported to be growing.

Icons Targeted

“Over the last five years in Russia, more than 1,000 churches have been robbed,” reports Russky Newsweek. Thefts of some 40,000 icons have been reported to Russia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs. Now, by agreement between the Ministry and the Russian Orthodox Church, all church icons will receive a special identification mark, visible only when subjected to ultraviolet light. This will help investigators to identify the legitimate owners of recovered icons. The Moscow Patriarchate welcomes this measure, says Russky Newsweek, “since the ‘earthly’ identification mark will not affect the miraculous properties of the icon.”

Wars Drain Africa’s Resources

“Between 1990 and 2005, 23 African nations were involved in conflicts, and the total cost was about US$300 billion,” says the International Herald Tribune. “The price that Africa is paying could cover the cost of solving the HIV and AIDS crisis in Africa, or provide education, water and prevention and treatment for tuberculosis and malaria,” says Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf. “Literally thousands of hospitals, schools, and roads could have been built.” The newspaper concludes that, without war, Africa “might have been a continent of growth instead of the world’s poorest.”

A Nap Might Do You Good

A study of over 23,000 Greek men and women concluded that taking at least three daytime naps a week may reduce the risk of death from heart attack by 37 percent. “There is considerable evidence that both acute and chronic stress are related to heart disease,” explains Dimitrios Trichopoulos, a researcher and an epidemiologist at the Harvard School of Public Health, U.S.A. “An afternoon siesta,” he says, “may act as a stress-releasing process [and] reduce coronary mortality.”

From Our Readers

Seven Steps to Better Parenting (August 2007) This magazine was an answer to my prayers. I have a four-year-old daughter who loves Jehovah, yet I cannot help but feel afraid of making a mistake as a parent. So I ask Jehovah every day to help me to train her. Thank you very much for being concerned about us parents.

Y.M.A., Mexico

This series was like getting a guidebook personalized for our family, discussing many of the very issues that have been weighing heavily on my mind! It just further reinforced to me how much Jehovah cares for his people. He has heard my prayers and seen my tears and knows just how much I needed this information.

J. M., United States

In only a few pages, you managed to include valuable guidance and instruction that really works. Now we just need to follow these guidelines!

E. L., Finland

Can Optimism Improve Your Health? (September 2007) This article helped me greatly, since on many occasions I have blamed myself for personal problems that arose. Thus, I came to think that I was not a good mother and I lived with a lot of stress. Although it’s not easy for me to be optimistic, this information helped alleviate my concerns. I’m very grateful for the interest shown in us through this kind of article.

A. S., Ecuador

Toothache​—A History of Agony (September 2007) I am a dentist and teacher of dentistry. I was favorably impressed by your excellent and well-written article. It was a wonderful summary of the history of dentistry. I’ve shared it with many of my friends and colleagues.

C. R., United States

Is God Responsible? (September 2007) Some friends and I have got together socially to discuss practical ways we can prepare for an emergency. We enjoy light refreshments, review the good points in the box “Are You Equipped to Flee?” in the above-mentioned article, and look over emergency kits that a few of us have prepared. We also discuss the importance of having a balanced view of emergency preparations. We appreciate that assembling disaster supplies is not our primary vocation as servants of God. Rather, it is to preach the good news of God’s Kingdom and share with others God’s wonderful promise of an earth in which there will be no threat from any disaster​—natural or man-made.

R. G., United States

Keep Your Children Safe! (October 2007) I was molested when I was very young. I am still unable to tell my parents what happened. So I was comforted greatly by these articles. I hope from the bottom of my heart that parents will read this magazine and protect their children. I am very thankful to Jehovah for giving us this necessary information. It was a real comfort to those of us who have experienced sexual abuse.

R. I., Japan

How Would You Answer?

What Is Missing From This Picture?

Read Revelation 12:3. Now look at the picture. What elements are missing? Write your answers on the lines below, and complete the picture by drawing the missing items.

1. ․․․․․

2. ․․․․․

3. ․․․․․

FOR DISCUSSION:

Whom does this dragon represent? What influence does this one have over the entire inhabited earth?

CLUE: Read Revelation 12:9.

From This Issue

Answer these questions, and provide the missing Bible verse(s).

PAGE 3 What has God put into man’s mind and heart? Ecclesiastes 3:․․․

PAGE 5 What is the gift that God gives? Romans 6:․․․

PAGE 21 What religious titles did Jesus say we should not use? Matthew 23:․․

PAGE 27 What does a shrewd person do? Proverbs 22:․․․

Children’s Picture Search

Can you find these pictures in this issue? In your own words, describe what is happening in each picture.

Who Is Part of Jesus’ Family Tree?

Consider the clues. Look up the scriptures. Then write the correct names in the spaces provided.

4. ․․․․․

CLUE: Zerah the Ethiopian came against me with a million men, but Jehovah defeated them before me.

Read 2 Chronicles 14:9-12.

5. ․․․․․

CLUE: I organized the teaching of Jehovah’s Law in the cities of Judah.

Read 2 Chronicles 17:1, 7-9.

6. ․․․․․

CLUE: I was buried in the City of David but not in the burial places of the kings.

Read 2 Chronicles 21:16-20.

◼ Answers on page 13

ANSWERS TO PAGE 31

1. One head and neck.

2. Ten horns.

3. Seven diadems.

4. Asa.​—Matthew 1:7.

5. Jehoshaphat.​—Matthew 1:8.

6. Jehoram.​—Matthew 1:8.

“I Never Knew That God Had a Name”

◼ A woman said these words after reading the book What Does the Bible Really Teach? “But it makes sense,” she added. “When I looked up God’s name in my Bible, it was right there!” She explained: “I have never read a book about the Bible that was so helpful and easy to understand!”

The Bible Teach book not only shows that it was God’s original purpose for earth to be a paradise but also makes clear how that purpose will be fulfilled. The book reveals the vital role that God’s Son, Jesus Christ, has in accomplishing this purpose. It provides the Bible’s explanation of why we grow old and die, why God has allowed suffering, and how God’s Kingdom will provide relief from all suffering.

Although the Bible Teach book has been available for just three years, over 79 million copies have already been printed in 220 languages. You may request a copy by filling in the accompanying coupon and mailing it to the address provided here or to an appropriate address on page 5 of this magazine.

□ Without obligation, I request a copy of the book shown here.

□ Please contact me concerning a free home Bible study.