Awake!, January 22, 1963
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The Way to Delight God
PAGE 5 1
These Headed the Church
PAGE s
Tell It with Pictures
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Tension—What You Can Do About It
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JANUARY 22, 1963
THE MISSION OF THIS JOURNAL
News sources that are able to keep you awake to the vita! issues of our times must be unfettered by censorship and selfish interests. "Awoke!" has no fetters. It recognizes facts, faces facts, is free to publish facts. It is not bound by political ambitions or obligations; it is unhampered by advertisers whose toes must not be trodden on; it is unpreiudiced by traditional creeds. This journal keeps itself free that it may speok freely to you. But it does not abuse its freedom. It maintains integrity to truth.
“Awake!” uses the regular news channels, but is not dependent an them. Its own correspondents are on all continents, in scores of nations. From the four corners of the earth their uncensored, on-the-scenes reports come to you through these columns. This journal's viewpoint is not narrow, but is international. It is read in many nations, in many languages, by persons of all ages. Through its pages many fields of knowledge pass in review—government, commerce, religion, history, geography, science, social conditions, natural wonders—why, its coverage is as broad as the earth and as high as the heavens.
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When other translations are
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CONTENTS
Why Render Injury for Injury?
This Marvelous World of Light
The Way to Delight God
Reunion
2:
These Headed the Church
Earth’s Amazing Carpet
Tell It with Pictures
The Biggest Liar
2<
Africa Buys Lions
“Your Word Is Truth”
Tension—What You Can Do About It
How Important Is God’s Name?
2'
How. Strong Men Are Made
Watching the World
Volume XLIV London, England, January 22, 1963 Number 2
W’1'™ reliBi“s WHY RENDER
VV leaders picked up stones to throw at Jesus Christ, he F A
did not retaliate by IJ
throwing stones at H Ir them. When a village
refused to receive
him, he did not angrily curse it. When he
was physically persecuted, he did not threaten his persecutors with revenge. Setting a fine example for his followers, Jesus at no time rendered injury for injury.
One who was an eyewitness of Jesus’ conduct said: “When he was being reviled, he did not go reviling in return. When he was suffering, he did not go threatening, but kept on committing himself to the one who judges righteously.” (1 Pct. 2:23) By such actions Jesus established the pattern for Christian conduct in relations with other people. It is a pattern that is not easy for imperfect humans to follow'.
It seems to be a common tendency for people to wTant to retaliate in kind for anything bad done toward them. Answering an insult with another insult starts a vicious cycle that can often erupt into a savage fight, with the end result being perhaps physical injuries or even death. It would be better to remain silent than to add fuel to the other person’s anger by returning insult for insult. Silence or a soft answer is the way to preserve peace and avoid actions that you may later deeply regret. There is a proverb that says: “An answer, when mild, turns away rage, but a word causing pain makes anger to come up.”—Prov. 15:1.
When a wife retaliates for an emotional injury or for a cutting remark from her husband, a cycle can be started that leads to increasingly more serious injuries, until their original love is shattered and their marriage collapses. Would it not have been much wiser for her to follow the Christian procedure of not returning injury for injury? Rather than spitefully seeking to injure her marriage partner with hot words in order to get even, she should remain silent and be long-suffering. That would be showing love. The same should be done by the husband if the wife is the cause of hurt feelings. In either instance the exercising of love maintains peace and harmony in the home.
Two important features of love are being long-suffering with others and making a conscious effort not to keep account of any injury that might be done. The apostle Paul points this out by saying: “Love is long-suffering and kind. Love is not jealous, it does not brag, does not get puffed up, does not behave indecently, does not look for its own interests, does not become provoked. It does not keep account of the injury.” (1 Cor. 13:4, 5) Not keeping account of the injury means to dismiss it from mind and not repeatedly bring it up. Dwelling upon it is certain to cause a bad feeling to grow, until resentment bursts into retaliation. It is far better, and more in keeping with the example Jesus set for his followers, to be long-suffering and to dismiss the injury from your mind.
Vengeance is not what a Christian should seek, not even against enemies. This is a rule of conduct that Jesus established when he said: ‘‘Continue to love your enemies and to pray for those persecuting you.” (Matt. 5:44) It takes keen love and a deep appreciation for Christian principles to show love for your enemies by doing good to them despite the evil they may do to you. Jesus showed love for his enemies by bringing to them lifegiving knowledge about their Creator and His provision for human salvation. Christians today can do the same. We also find in David, who lived long before the coming of Jesus Christ, an example of not returning evil to an enemy.
David did not avail himself of the opportunities he had to do injury to Saul, who had become his enemy. For a long time Saul pursued David with the full intent of killing him, hut David successfully avoided a clash with him. Not once did he injure Saul, although he had opportunities to do so. On one occasion he told Saul from a distance: “I have not sinned against you, while you are lying in wait for my soul to take it away.” In reply Saul said: “You are more righteous than I am, for it is you who have rendered me good, and it is I who have rendered you evil.” (1 Sam. 24:11, 17) David properly let Jehovah he the one to take vengeance on Saul. This is the course that we should take today. Just as David did not seek vengeance on Saul, his enemy, Christians should not seek it on their enemies. The apostle Paul expressed this course of action as a Christian command.
In his letter to the Romans, Paul said: “Do not avenge yourselves, beloved, but yield place to the wrath; for it is written: ‘Vengeance is mine; I will repay, says Jehovah.’ ” (Rom. 12:19) Although many Christians in the first century were killed by the order of Roman officials, spiritual brothers of those Christians did not seek revenge by attempting to assassinate the officials or to do injury to them. So today, Christians should not seek vengeance against their persecutors. It is proper for them to appeal to law-enforcement agencies for protection and for restraint of the persecutors, but they will not seek to return injury for injury. They will leave vengeance for Jehovah to execute in his due time.
Because someone may do evil to you, do not think that your doing evil to him will make things right. Two wrongs never make a right. It will be far better for all concerned if you refuse to retaliate in kind. Why permit the actions of other persons to be the guide to your conduct? With Christian principles directing your actions you will not make the grave mistake of justifying an injurious action because someone acted injuriously toward you. You will recognize it as wrong regardless of what the other person doos.
Consider how Jesus reacted to evil done to him, and then copy his example. Heed the good advice given by one of his apostles: “Finally, all of you be like-minded, showing fellow feeling, exercising brotherly love, tenderly affectionate, humble in mind, not paying back injury for injury or reviling for reviling, hut, to the contrary, bestowing a blessing.”—1 Pet. 3: 8, 9.
joyt knowledge of yi'ord is common in Christendom,
Are religious works enough? What does God expect?
HOW can a father be pleased with a son who does not listen to his counsel? Such a son brings no real joy to him. Is it any different with God, our heavenly Father? How can he be pleased with men and women who will not listen to his instructions and who refuse to be obedient to him? How can he find any delight in persons who are so wrapped up in personal interests that they find no time and have no inclination to consider his interests?
Many people who profess to be Christian manifest very little interest in what God has to say to mankind through his Word. Although they may attend church regularly, they have an abysmal ignorance of what is in the Bible. This indifference to God’s Word is not the way to show respect for him. It is not the way to please him. Comment ing on how little many churchgoers know of the Bible, the executive director of the Department of Evangelism for the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. said in 1961: “Certainly the churchgoer’s ignorance of scriptural teachings must seem less than inspiring to the nonchurchgoer. In a survey of officers in churches, it was found that many of the leaders were not sure, for example, whether the Sermon on the Mount was in the Old or the New Testament.1’1
No matter how active a person may be in religious work, if he does not strive to learn what God has to say to man by studying the Bible, can he really say that he is intercs in Ihc heave Father? Is Inf' like thg son v does not liste his father’s coi scl? Church ac what is in God’kA among religious /iieo but this is not the way to please God.
There are many reasons for wanting to please the Almighty. For one thing, he is the Source of man’s life and the One who has purposed a magnificent future for the human race, providing a means whereby man can be made free from the curse of death. This in itself makes him worthy of man’s best efforts to please him. He cannot be expected to permit persons in whom he finds no delight to participate in that future. They arc not. worthy of his gift of life. The promised crown of eternal life will go only “to those who continue loving him.’’ (Jas. 1:12) Love for him is expressed by intense interest in the things he has done, in the things he has caused to be written for man’s instruction and in serving him. Our doing what is good in his eyes is an expression of our gratitude.
Another reason for wanting to delight him is the position he holds as the almighty Ruler of the universe. Out of respect and out of fear for his authority and power we should keenly desire to do what is pleasing to him. Because he is absolutely righteous, we can rest assured that his great power will always be used in a manner that is for the good of those loving righteousness.
It is proper to have a wholesome fear of displeasing him because of his indignation against unrighteousness. “Jehovah himself examines the righteous one as well as the wicked one, and anyone loving violence his soul certainly hates.” (Ps. 11:5) He has the power to execute his adverse judgment of unrighteous persons and has expressed his determination to do it in due time.
Knowledge of God
Through the prophet Hosea Jehovah mentions two of the many things he delights to see in a man. One is loving-kindness and the other is knowledge of God. “For in loving-kindness I have taken delight, and not in sacrifice; and in the knowledge of God rather than in whole burnt offerings.” (Hos. 6:6) In the days of Hosea when animal sacrifices were in order, there were Israelites who regularly made sacrifices to God in a show of outward devotion, but what God especially wanted was missing. They lacked loving-kindness and knowledge of God. They were not interested in learning what he required of them, and they were not moved by love to obey him. That is why Jehovah warned them: “My people will certainly be silenced, because there is no knowledge. Because the knowledge is what you yourself have rejected, I shall also reject you from serving as a priest to me; and because you keep forgetting the law of your God, I shall forget your sons, even I.” (Hos. 4:6) Since he rejected them for disregarding the knowledge he provided, can we not expect him to do the same with professing Christians who also ignore it?
Was not the attitude of the Israelites similar to what is evident among many churchgoers in Christendom ? Although burnt offerings are not being made by them, they engage in religious activities that they think please God but neglect the gaining of accurate knowledge about him. Like the Israelites, they fail to see that religious works are of no value in God’s eyes when those who perform them make no effort to permit God to instruct them through his written Word. When obedience to God’s laws does not seem to be expedient because of circumstances that arise, do they not act as the Israelites did by forgetting them?
The person who seeks out the knowledge of God by studying the Scriptures and then permits that knowledge to guide him, humbly putting God’s will first, is the one who delights God. He manifests a right heart attitude. The apostle Paul stressed the importance of seeking the knowledge of God when he said: “Keep on making sure of what is acceptable to the Lord.” (Eph. 5:10) Unacceptable religious works, like unacceptable sacrifices by the Israelites, are not the way to make sure of what is pleasing to God. That can be done only by continually testing with the Scriptures whatever a person contemplates doing.
Good advice on this matter is given at Proverbs 4:20-22. It can be applied to the instructions God gives in his written Word. “My son, to my words do pay attention. To my sayings incline your ear. May they not get away from your eyes. Keep them in the midst of your heart. For they are life to those finding them and health to all their flesh.” But how can a professed Christian keep God’s Word in the midst of his heart if he does not study it and follow its instructions?
Faith
The person who seeks the knowledge of God acquires the hasis for faith as he grows in that knowledge. This was what delighted God about the men of ancient times who received his approval. They respected the instructions he gave and they exercised faith in him. It was Abraham’s faith that led to his being regarded by God as a friend. It was David’s faith that moved God to speak of him as “a man agreeable to my heart.” It was the faith shown by the many persons listed in the eleventh chapter of Hebrews that won for them a good report in the Scriptures. Their good works accompanying their faith were a delight to God.—Jas. 2:23; Acts 13:22.
How can a professed Christian who is ignorant of God’s promises have faith in them? How can he stand firm for what God approves when he makes no effort to learn and to keep clearly in mind what God requires? Those approved men of ancient times built their faith upon their knowledge of God. People today need that knowledge for the same reason. They must have faith to please God. “Without faith it is impossible to please him well.”—Heb. 11:6.
Loving-Kindness
Religious works without the proper motive are what Jehovah condemned through the prophet Hosea. The mechanically performed sacrifices of the Israelites were empty, valueless. They were not done out of love for God and out of a desire to obey him. The Israelites were not interested in the knowledge of what God required of them. Many professed Christians are like them in this respect, thinking that there is merit in religious activities, although love for God and interest in his Word are missing. They would do well to profit from what God said to the Israelites. In Hosea 6:4 he addressed himself to the ten-tribe kingdom, whom he called Ephraim, and the two-tribe kingdom, whom he called Judah, and asked: “What shall I do to you, O Ephraim? What shall I do to you, O Judah, when the loving-kindness of you people is like the morning clouds and like the dew that early goes away?”
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God finds no delight in people who have not made loving-kindness a permanent part of their makeup. It must not be like dew that quickly disappears with changing circumstances. When Jesus said: “You must love your neighbor as yourself,” he meant for his followers to show loving-kindness all the time. With it missing, a person’s religious works are a mockery, just as were the sacrifices made by the people of Ephraim and Judah who lacked loving-kindness.—Matt. 22:39.
It is a delight to God w'hen a person strives to imitate him by being merciful, long-suffering and loving as he is. About God himself Exodus 34:6 says: “Jehovah, Jehovah, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abundant in loving-kindness and truth.” Imitating him in these things brings delight to God.
If you desire to delight your heavenly Father, show a genuine interest in him as he shows in you. Seek the knowledge he has provided for mankind in his written Word. Learn what his will is and strive to be obedient to it. Exercise love for him and for other people. “Become imitators of God, as beloved children,” by striving to manifest his good qualities. (Eph. 5:1) This is the way to receive God’s approval and the blessings he has promised for those who delight him. rriHE activities of Pope John I XXIII have created worldwide interest in the men who have headed the Roman Catholic Church. As a pope, each man is himself a potential power—a spiritual leader of some 500 million Roman Catholics. But the importance of a pope is ac-tually more immediate than that. The Roman Catholic people look to him for direction, depend on him for spiritual advice sions regarding
and for decispiritual and
world affairs. They believe him to be the vicegerent of Christ, the bishop of Rome, pater patrum, “father of fathers,” and as such the most outstanding example in the “Christian church.” Therefore, a report on the popes should prove not only timely and important but beneficial to seekers of truth and life in this era of crises.
According to Jesus, much can be learned from an examination of men’s works, for, said he, “every good tree bring-eth forth good fruit: and the evil tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit: neither can an evil tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit shall be cut down and shall be cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits you shall know them.” (Matt. 7:17-20, Dy) Thus Jesus authorized men to examine men and organizations to determine whether they were good or bad. “By their fruits you shall know them," he said.
As to what sort of men are to head the Christian congregation, the apostle Paul makes plain in his letter to Titus: "A bishop must be without crime, as the steward of God: not proud, not subject to anger, not given to ■wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre: hut given to hospitality, gentle, sober, just, holy, continent: embracing that faithful word.” (Titus 1:7-9, Dy) Now, how have the popes measured up to these God-inspired requirements set forth by Paul? The following from Catholic-approved publications will tell.
The Catholic Encyclopedia says: When Pope John II was enthroned (533-535) “simony in the election of popes and bishops was rife among clergy and laity." Glenn D. Kittler, author of The Papal Princes, bearing the imprimatur of the church, states: “There was some shady politics involved in the election" of Pope John II. Simony and shady politics—does that sound like Christianity to you?
Pope John VIII (872-882), rated as “one of the greatest of the great popes” that reigned during the ninth century, was regarded by some historians, according to The Catholic Encyclopedia, “as cruel, passionate, worldly-minded, and inconstant." John Farrow, author of the book Pageant of the Popes, which publication also bears the imprimatur of the church, says that this pope’s reign was “one of violence and bloodshed.” His Roman Catholic household poisoned him, then smashed his skull with a hammer. Does this sound Christian?
After Pope John X (914-928), who is called “a sad example,” was smothered to death with a pillow, Marozzia, daughter of Theodora, wife of Theophylactus, commander of the army, “successively put three of her puppets on the papal throne.” They were Pope Leo VI, Pope Stephen VII,. and her own son, Pope John XI. Can you imagine God, who sets “the members, every one of them, in the body as it hath pleased him,” allowing this ambitious, covetous woman to pick men who should head his congregation?—! Cor. 12:18, Dy.
Marozzia was murdered by her own Catholic son Alberic. Between 946 and 955 this wicked murderer put four popes into office, and then named his own sixteen-year-old son to the papacy before his predecessor had time to die. The son, Octavian, took the name of John XII. A synod of fifty Italian and German Roman Catholic bishops charged him with “sacrilege, simony, perjury, murder, adultery, and incest.” In “bloody vengeance” he wreaked havoc on his Catholic opposers. He had a cardinal-deacon’s right hand and the nose and ears of a high palatine official struck off. The Catholic Encyclopedia calls him "a coarse, immoral man, whose life was such that the Lateran was spoken of as a brothel, and the moral corruption in Rome became the subject of general odium.” Kit-tler says; “Some historians claim he died suddenly while in the act of adultery, which, whether true or false, was certainly ■ in character.” Is this the vicegerent of Christ, God’s representative?
A Further Evaluation
The Catholic Encyclopedia says Pope Benedict IX (1032-1045) “was a disgrace to the Chair of Peter.” This man whom Kittier calls “a wild youngster, openly immoral, flagrantly simonious, utterly indifferent to his responsibilities” was pope three different times. He turned the papal palace into a theater, where he watched “indecent” and “immoral” plays. Why was this corrupt man chosen to head the church, not once, but three times? Was this following the Christian apostle Paul’s advice, wherein he says: “Put away the evil one from among yourselves”? (1 Cor. 5:13, Dy) Obviously not.
In 1055 ambitious Cardinal Octavian, a rich nobleman, seized the papal throne immediately after Bandinelli was elected pope. He seized the papal mantle and rushed to the altar and shouted: “I am Pope—Pope Victor II!” His hand-picked soldiers carried him out to be greeted by the crowd. Bandinelli, along with many cardinals, was forced to flee for his life. Later Bandinelli was consecrated Pope Alexander III in the town of Nympha. The church had two popes. And for twenty years to follow there was nothing but strife. There were antipopes and anti-antipopes, wars and insurrections on both sides.
Now, can you imagine this happening in the true congregation of God? Is this the peace, the unity and the love that Christ promised his congregation? Was Christ’s congregation to be two-headed? Where was the fruitage of the spirit that the apostle speaks about, namely, “charity, joy, peace, patience, benignity, goodness, longanimity, mildness, faith, modesty, con-tinency, chastity”? Did not the apostle say; “They that are Christ’s have crucified their flesh, with the vices and concupiscences”? (Gal. 5:22-24, Dy) Then, are we to understand by observing their rotten fruitage that these men were not Christ’s? If not Christ’s, whose servants were they?
Examine further: The Catholic Encyclopedia says that “scarcely any possible crime was omitted” by Pope Boniface VIII (1294-1303)—“infidelity, heresy, simony, gross and unnatural immorality, idolatry, magic,” so forth and so on. “Even modern Catholic writers,” stated Cardinal Wiseman in 1844, “class him among the wicked popes, as an ambitious, haughty, and unrelenting man, deceitful also and treacherous, his whole pontificate one record of evil.” Still he reigned for nine years. Do you honestly think God picked this man to rule over his congregation?
Pope Urban VI (1378-1389) “turned out to be a wild man. There were some doubts that he was completely sane.” Catherine of Siena, a Dominican nun, one of the most remarkable figures of the Catholic Church, wrote: “Those devils in human form have made an election. They have not elected a vicar of Christ but an anti-Christ!” As a result of his appointment the Catholic Church was in a mess for forty years. “In that period,” writes Kittier, "Rome had four popes, all claiming bonn fide election.” Ask yourself, Is Christ divided? Was the Christian congregation at any time to be a freakish two-, or three-, or fourheaded body?
That Enea Silvio De' Piccolomini “freely indulged his passions” before he became Pope Pius II (1458-1464), The Catholic Encyclopedia reports, “is evidenced not only by the birth of two illegitimate children to him (the one in Scotland, the other at Strasburg), but by the frivolous manner in which he glories in his own disorders.” Kittier refers to him as a “first-class scoundrel” and says that his life was “so utterly immoral that he knew better than to take vows.” Even after he became a priest and a bishop he is spoken of as “a bit of a shyster.” When his name was mentioned as a possible candidate for the papacy, the powerful French Cardinal d’Estouteville remarked: “How can Piccolomini be thought fit for the papacy? . . . Look at his devotion to the heathen Muses. Shall we raise a poet to the Chair of Peter and let the Church be governed by pagan principles?” This “shyster” became Pope Pius II. He was not as pious as his name implies.
In 1491 Pope Innocent VUI, who was neither pious nor innocent, “the father of two illegitimate children,” began to fail in health. Ambitious cardinals moved in. Huge sums of money were being exchanged for cardinal votes. Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia, who had conspired for the papacy for forty years, had more than money to make him attractive. "He owned towns, abbeys, farms and businesses in Italy and Spain; in Spain he held sixteen bishoprics and several abbeys, each with a good income. All these he was ready to distribute among those who would vote for him,” reports Kittier in The Papal Princes.
How unlike the apostle Peter this cardinal! Peter said: “Silver and gold I have none.” The cardinal openly offered plenty of both. To Simon, who tried to buy the free gift of God with money, Peter said: “Keep thy money to thyself, to perish with thee: because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money.” The cardinal used his riches to buy the office of the papacy. When Cornelius fell at Peter’s feet, Peter lifted him up and said: “Arise: I myself also am a man.” Cardinal Borgia hungered for the adoration of men. (Acts 3:6; 8:20; 10:26, Dy) After becoming Pope Alexander VI, he did , not improve. He had six illegitimate children; two of them were born after he became pope. The Catholic Encyclopedia says: “Alexander continued as Pope the manner of life that had disgraced his car-dinalate.”
The influential Dominican monk Savonarola in a letter appealed to the rulers of Christendom to depose Alexander. He wrote: “This Alexander is no Pope at all and should not be accounted as such for besides having attained to the Chair of St. Peter by the shameful sin of simony, and still daily selling Church benefices to the highest bidder, besides his other vices which are known to the world I affirm he is not a Christian and docs not believe in the existence of God.” Yet no matter how base Alexander’s actions, he continued as pope.
Summary
This report does not by any means exhaust all the popes who did bad, neither does it consider those who did good. But the point made herein is this: Were these bad popes God’s appointees? If your answer is Yes, then are we to conclude that God chooses murderers, adulterers, cruel men to head his congregation? It must be remembered that many of these men led grossly immoral lives before they were elected popes and that they continued their notorious, dissolute lives thereafter. True, some Christians were persons of dubious reputations before embracing Christianity, but Paul says: “Such some of you were. But you are washed.” (1 Cor. 6:11, Dy) Yes, they were bad, but they did something about it. They cleansed themselves of their filthy past. Judas Iscariot did go bad, but he was not chosen when bad, neither was he left to run the congregation after he deflected. It is true that Peter sinned when he denied Jesus, but he repented of his sin before he received the holy spirit and the “keys.” Thereafter Peter lived a faithful life to the glory of God. But some popes never did clean themselves up and still were allowed to reign. Why? Did not the apostle demand excommunication of an incestuous adulterer and admonish Christians to purge out the old leaven? Did he not tell them not to keep company with fornicators and adulterers, “with such a one, not so much as to eat,” but to “put away the evil one from among yourselves”? (1 Cor. 5:11, 13, Dy) Why were these inspired instructions not followed?
In fact, why were these wicked men picked as bishops in the first place? Did not Paul counsel that bishops were to be “blameless” men, men “of good behaviour, chaste,” having “a good testimony of them who are without”? (1 Tim. 3:2-7, Dy) It was common knowledge that many did not morally qualify, and still they were chosen as popes. Why?
Dr. Ludwig Pastor, in his church-approved writings, The History of the Popes, tries to explain by saying that one must distinguish between the man and the office. “An imperfect setting,” says Dr. Pastor, “does not affect the intrinsic worth of the jewel, nor does the golden coin lose its value when it passes through impure hands.” That may be true with jewels and gold; a jewel cannot do anything about the setting, but the church can do something about its condition. Jesus himself showed this when he said: “Either make the tree good and its fruit good: or make the tree evil and its fruit evil. For by the fruit the tree is known.” (Matt. 12:33, Dy) When the church deliberately selects men to office who are known to be corrupt or allows them to continue in office when they become such, no longer is it merely the man who is corrupt but the system of which he is a part is also.—-1 Tim. 5:22.
What, then, is to be said of these popes and the organization that laid hands upon them? Catholic publications freely say that these popes carried on sin, and it is evident that the organization that empowered them and supported them shares responsibility for their deeds. But it is the inspired apostle John who tells us; “He who carries on sin originates with the Devil.” (1 John 3:8) It therefore behooves those who love righteousness to obey the divine command: “Get out of her, my people, if you do not want to share with her in her sins, and if you do not want to receive part of her plagues.”—Rev. 18:4.
that it can be reviewed in the future can add much to your enjoyment of living.
Equipment
Very little is needed to take pictures— just a camera and some film. With these simple tools you can be a historian who records the present that will tomorrow be the past; you can be a teller of travel stories and
ORDS alone can- O' not convey to friends the fascinating sights you see on a vacation trip, especially if you go to a foreign land.
The best way to tell them about the awesome beauty of the Swiss Alps, the ancient ruins of Italy, the historic sights of Palestine, the distino tive beauty of the Orient and the natural wonders of the United States is to show them pictures. They can then see the very things you saw and marvel at the things that caused you to marvel. By means of photography you can take your friends on your vacation trip as well as going yourself repeatedly for many years to come.
Even at home there are many uses for photography. How much wedding pictures mean to a married couple and their friends in later years! There are many precious moments as children are growing up that can be caught and preserved by photography. There are changes in your home as you make alterations that would be nice to have in your photo album. Times of pleasant fellowship with close friends can be put into pictures that will bring back warm memories in years to come. The use of photography to record the present so
WITH
PICTURES
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Obtaining a
” camera is not much of a problem even for person of little means.
Cameras are available in great variety and in a wide price range Many very inexpensive box cameras are on the market that make picture taking possible without any knowledge of photography. All such a camera requires is for you to point it at a subject, move a lever or depress a plunger and then advance the film. Its very simplicity, however, creates certain drawbacks.
A box camera is very limited in the conditions under which it can take pictures. In bright sunlight it does fine, but when light conditions are poor, it is of little use. It cannot be adjusted to cope with them.
As the pupil of your eye dilates when there are poor light conditions, letting more light into the eye, so a camera needs an iris diaphragm that can be opened and closed down when light conditions vary. On a cloudy day, for example, or in the shade of a tree the amount of light is much less than in direct sunlight. To take a picture under these conditions you need a camera with an adjustable diaphragm that permits you to open it wide)' so more light can get into the camera. On the other hand, when the light is very bright, as it is at the beach or when snow is on the ground, the diaphragm must be closed down to a very small opening so you will not overexpose the film. Because a box camera restricts your picture taking to good light conditions, you will And it to be a distinct disadvantage when traveling. It is restrictive even when flashbulbs are used as your light source.
An adjustable iris diaphragm is very important when taking pictures by flash, because the amount of light reflected from your subject diminishes greatly the farther it is from your flashbulb. For a suitable picture the diaphragm on your camera needs to be adjusted according to that distance. For a close-up picture with flash, a small opening is needed, but for every foot the subject withdraws from the camera the diaphragm must be opened a little. What this opening should be can be determined by dividing the distance the subject is from the flashbulb into one of the guide numbers that appears on the slip of paper coming with the film.
Even with a camera having an adjustable iris diaphragm, it is not possible to take a satisfactory picture of a large audience such as in an auditorium or a stadium with one flashbulb. To attempt such a picture with a box camera would be a total waste of film and bulbs. Do not expect. a box camera to take a flash picture of an object that is twenty feet or more away.
Like the iris diaphragm, the speed of the shutter should also be adjustable to make picture taking possible under different conditions. Because the box camera has only one shutter speed, which is usually slow, pictures of moving objects cannot be taken without blurring the picture. Even a little movement by the one holding the camera can cause a blurred picture. Being able to adjust the shutter to a fast speed eliminates this problem.
The quality of a picture depends to a great extent upon the quality of the lens in your camera. The very poor lens of a box camera produces a correspondingly poor picture. This becomes very evident when a picture taken by a box camera is compared with one taken by a camera of good quality. The better camera produces images of crisp sharpness to the very edges of the picture. Because several fine lenses are used in a high-grade camera, its cost is many times that of a box camera. It also has better workmanship, better materials and a great many features that contribute to making it a precision instrument.
Light Meter
Many cameras today have a light meter built into the camera body, making it very easy to use. The meter informs you what settings to use on your camera to suit the light conditions under which you are taking pictures. Some camera models make its use very simple by coupling the meter with the shutter and diaphragm. All you have to do is to line up a small indicator connected with the light meter and then focus the camera. The shutter and diaphragm are automatically adjusted to the right settings for a good picture. Some movie cameras have a light meter that automatically adjusts the diaphragm of the camera as the camera is moved about. This maintains a suitable exposure for the average light condition of the scene.
Accuracy of exposure is very important with color film, more so than with black and white films that have a wide margin for error. When using color film it is best to use a light meter to insure that you get consistently good pictures. With such film a small margin of error can either overexpose or underexpose a picture. Bad pictures because of poor exposures can spoil your story of a beautiful vacation trip.
When you take a reading with a light meter, tip it down a bit to avoid getting a false reading because of the brightness of the sky. If your subject is a person, move up close and take a reading of the light reflecting from his face. At a distance the meter gives you only an overall reading that might be affected by a large dark or light background. You would not then have the best exposure for a good picture of your subject.
Take good care of photographic equipment. Both a light meter and a camera are delicate instruments that can be easily ruined by harsh treatment. Avoid dropping them or severely jarring them. Never put a camera in a hot place such as the glove compartment of a car or in the back window where the sun can beat down on it. Heat damages not only the color film you may have in it but also the lens system by loosening the cement that holds the lenses together. Sand is also very injurious to a camera. It should never be taken to the beach and laid where sand can got into it.
Wherever you may travel hold on to your camera, especially if it is an expensive model. Do not carelessly leave it lying unattended in a parked car, on the seat of a plane or on a seat in an auditorium. It may very well not be there when you return.
How to Take Pictures
It requires very little more effort to take interesting pictures of good quality than it does to take bad ones. Let us say you have some friends you want to photograph. Would you line them up squarely in front of the camera with all of them looking at it? That is not the way to take an interesting picture of them. It would be much better to have them relax and talk with one another, looking at one another instead of the camera. Better yet, give them something to do, such as looking at some of your flowers, playing with the dog, petting the cat, picking fruit, and so forth. Action makes a picture interesting.
A picture of an individual does not always have to be a full-length view. Standing too far from a subject causes him to become lost in a great expanse of background. Move in close, filling the viewfinder with your subject. Try getting close enough to show the person from just the waist up. Have the person look a little to one side of the camera instead of directly at it. Shoot from an angle, as that is more pleasing than a view straight on. If you want a picture of the person standing, have the subject lean against a railing or some other waist-high object. Then take the picture to one side.
Look at the background before snapping the picture. Ee certain that no pole or plant appears to be sprouting from the subject’s head. A plain background such as a wall or the sky always gives satisfactory results. When a suitable background cannot, he had, you can prevent it from intruding on your picture by throwing it out of focus. This technique requires a camera with adjustable shutter speeds and diaphragm. It is making use of a peculiarity of camera lenses. They have greater depth of field when a small opening of the diaphragm is used than when you shoot with a large opening.
Depth of field is the distance that a camera “sees” in sharp focus. With a small opening this might be from a few feet in front of you to infinity. With a large opening it might mean that only a few feet eleven inches are in sharp focus, depending on the type of camera you are using and the distance you are from the subject. Everything outside this range of sharp focus is. blurred. Thus an undesirable background can be thrown so badly out of focus that nothing in it is distinguishable and yet your subject is in sharp focus.
A picture should have only one center of interest. A common failing in scenery pictures is to put too much in them. For a pleasing picture select something of interest in the scenery and concentrate on that. If it is a mountain, frame it with nearby trees or a branch. Having a stream leading toward the mountain is an effective way of leading the eye to that center of interest.
Sense of depth can be achieved by having someone stand in the foreground, but do not have the person face the camera. That will spoil the composition of your picture by creating two centers of interest. The conflict will ruin an otherwise beautiful picture. Have the person turn toward the scenery, presenting a somewhat side view to the camera. By looking at the scenery the person will then contribute to the picture by focusing attention on it. His presence will also give life to what otherwise might be a static picture.
Operating the Camera
Many good pictures can be spoiled by careless operation of your camera. Hold it steady and then gently squeeze the shutter release. Jabbing the shutter release jars the camera and may cause your picture to blur because of camera movement. A steady camera is most important with a box camera. Its slow shutter speed causes a picture to blur with the smallest amount of movement.
As you grasp the camera be conscious of where your fingers are. With the small cameras that are in general use today, it is very easy to put a finger in front of the lens. No camera can take a picture through your finger; yet this is a common error.
If you have a camera that has a protective cap for the lens, be certain to remove the cap before you trip the shutter. The blank film you will receive back from the processors will tell you too late if you forgot about the lens cap. When the lens becomes dusty, use a camel’s-hair brush or fine lens tissue to clean it. Never use a handkerchief or any other rough material. By using such material it is easy to damage the thin chemical coating that is put on good lenses to reduce light reflections within the lens assembly. There is also danger of scratching the lens itself.
With a little thought and care you can take interesting pictures of good quality that can bring enjoyment to you as well as to your friends when the happenings you photographed are but memories. By using a modern automatic camera you do not have to know the intricacies of photography to get pictures of consistently good quality. Just keep in mind the few basic points about using your camera and about composition of pictures. The next time you go on a vacation trip you may want to take a camera with you so that you can tell, with pictures, about the fascinating and wonderful things you saw.
AFRICA BUYS LIONS
<&■ According to estimates there are as many lions in the world’s zoos as there are in the jungle. A spokesman for the Chester Zoo in northwestern England said that buying lions in England was easier than catching them in Africa. The Chester Zoo just recently sold two seven-month-old lion cubs to a zoo in Kumasi, Ghana,
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This becomes evident when we realize that every human effort involves some tension. When we look up, our eyes become tense. When we move our head, muscles in our' neck tighten. When we eat, dress, walk and talk—-everything we do involves a certain amount of tension. The object, therefore, is not to do away with all tension, but to modify and control excess tension.
Too much tension can be harmful both to body and mind. Directly or indirectly, according to Dr. Edmund Jacobson, a pioneer in the study of nervous tension, excess tension is responsible for the most common of disorders, such as high blood pressure, ulcers, angina pectoris, heart attacks and colitis. It produces nervousness, irritability, excessive worry, insomnia, speech disorders and psychosis. It is the greatest single cause of fatigue. It is said to be more prevalent than the common cold and is regarded as the “chief killing disease” today.
Excess tension is born of one’s thoughts. It grows by the way one thinks about things or by the way one sees them or feels them. A tense person, therefore, is at the mercy of his own thoughts. Within
himself is where tension is being ! manufactured or held in check. Sfc What sort of person is likely F to succumb to the ravages of
tension? One New York heart specialist said that the evidence shows that the aggressive, highly emotional and energetic persons are most susceptible to tensions. These people seem to tackle their assignments restlessly, without adequate physical or mental relaxation. The doctor says: “They do good work and get far in their fields— as long as they last. But they also are likely to be irritable and to
have sharp emotional ups and downs. They are self-disciplined and pleasant in
company. They, bottle up their emotions and keep a calm face to the world, at least when they’re away from home and must keep a ‘Madison Avenue front.’ ” They are not neurotics or psycopaths. They are simply persons who are more exposed to tension-precipitating factors. Their condition does not spell disaster, but it does require attention.
Are you suffering from stress? How can you tell? Studies show that nearly 50 percent of all persons seeking medical attention today are suffering from ailments brought about or made worse by tension. These people talk about being “all pinned up inside”; they feel as if they are going to explode. Some use such phrases as: “He gives me a pain in the neck!” or, “He makes me sick to my stomach!” Very often it is the sufferer’s way of saying he feels tension building up.
Overly tense persons are fidgety with their arms and legs. They often complain about the weather, the food or their health. As a rule they speak fast, in a high pitch and slur their words or even stammer. Insomnia and annoyance are almost always indications of excess tenseness. So is nail-biting. Persistent headaches, usually in the back of the head, are a sign too. Dizziness and nosebleeds, hemorrhages in the retinal layers of the eyes and paralysis are all indications of excessive tenseness.
Causes
To cope with these distresses their cause must be known and dealt with promptly. Nearly all abnormal tensions are connected with or arise from one’s relations with other persons. They build up as a result of personality clashes, injustices, heavy job requirements or when a person is subject to unpleasant living and working conditions.
Not all people react the same to stresses. Some people thrive under pressure; others are made sick by it. One man can laugh off personality clashes and problems. When confronted with a pile of work, he will roll up his sleeves’ and wade into it with gusto. But, on the other hand, another man just as qualified is hurt by the behavior of others and is distressed by the very sight of heaped-up work. He becomes tense, nervous, sick.
In a survey of tensions, the Life Extension Foundation found frustration, lack of recognition and worry about decisions the leading stress-producing factors among workers. When some 6,000 American businessmen were asked to check which of eight possible causes they considered most responsible for tension, the one blamed more often than any other was “personalities of superiors.” In one company a medical director noticed that the men in key positions were under extreme emotional strain, but he did not know why. “Then one day,” he says, “the president of the company came in for his interview, and I was no longer puzzled. No one could have been anything but nervous in his presence. He was a tense, driving, demanding type.” The president was warned to slow down, take more holidays and relax. A few months later the men were examined and found to be considerably more relaxed. One of these men said: “Doctor, you certainly changed the whole picture for us. The boss is letting us take much more responsibility, and he’s not riding herd on us. Why, he's now the easiest person in the world to get along with.” Yes, the president of the company had taken the advice, and later he admitted that he became a much better executive as a result of it.
In the last decade or so some businesses have grown so fast that companies have trouble finding enough experienced men to fill top jobs. Consequently, young men are put into positions of great responsibility without proper training and before they are ready for them. To make good, these young men have to put everything they have into their work. As a result, they become tense, and in short order they develop spastic colons, ulcers and what have you. An example of what happens can be seen in the case of a thirty-seven-year-old man who was made vice-president over a group of men who had more experience than he. The young man was a very conscientious worker, a natural manager, the examining doctor said. “But no one took the trouble to build him up, to tell him why we thought he was fitted for the place, to give him that necessary pat on the back.” The young vice-president died of a heart attack not long after he took office. The doctor said: “I am sure a contributing cause was a promotion made too rapidly—without sufficient preparation.”
It may be hard for some to imagine grown men being inhibited in speech, but, for a fact, many are. Some 30 percent of 6,000 selected executives, men of superior mental and physical alertness, said they became tense and feared to some degree to express themselves to their associates, especially to their superiors. These men carefully prepare their presentations, but do not speak up unless prodded by their superiors to do so. The aggressive person takes the initiative and sets forth his ideas, while the tense man keeps his thoughts to himself. “The unfortunate part of it," says Dr. Harry J. Johnson, “is that the company may be the loser, for the quiet man has better ideas to communicate than his less-inhibited colleague.” What the quiet man needs is more reassurances from his superiors. These relax him and they, in turn, are rewarded with his fruitful ideas.
In many cases wives were found to be responsible for their husbands* tensions. They would pressurize their husbands to try for promotions and higher-paying jobs. The result was extreme tension on the part of the husband, affecting his work and his homelife.
Husbands, too, are often responsible for their wives’ tensions. They complain about meals and conditions at home until wives dread to see them. Children also become tense when father and mother do not get along or when the parents expect more of them than they are actually capable of delivering. If goals are set too high, the child becomes frustrated trying to meet them. Thus he learns to hate school and cringes at the sight of his parents.
Tension is often closely connected with irregular living habits. Those who complain about tension generally eat too fast and do not rest enough. It has also been found that they do not exercise as much as calmer persons. Living habits are not easily changed, but they can be with conscientious effort. A more relaxed life will be the reward.
How to Relieve Tension
Since tension is created by the individual by the way he thinks about things or by the way he sees them or feels about them, tension release must be brought about by individual thought control. This calls for a constant vigilance upon the part of the individual to examine and reexamine his thinking in relation to his own performance. When he learns to control pressure by his thinking, he will have achieved a poise and stability that will free him from abnormal pressure.
Success will not come from a halfhearted effort nor will it come overnight. It will take determination, persistence and time. Yet the results will be worth the effort, whether yours is an occasional mild case of tension or one that is more lasting and severe.
The first step is to be able to recognize what is wrong. This is often easier to determine than finding a solution. The best that can be done, at times, is to provide suggestions that may serve to arrest the harmful effects until something else can be done to put an end to them permanently. Just to tell tense people to relax and forget their troubles and everything will be all right does little if any good. The heavy mental expectancies that have been built up must be removed. The sufferer alone knows what these expectancies are and he must wrestle with them until he finds a way to dispel them.
Those tense during the daylight hours must see that they get at least eight hours of sleep. This is essential. Prayer also helps, because it aids one to unburden himself of loads that weigh heavily upon his mind and heart. Regular walks each day are very relaxing. A glass of warm milk before retiring helps some to sleep soundly. Do not fret over things that you have no control over. Practice tolerance. Be moderate. When you feel yourself becoming impatient, take a walk, hum a tune, sing a song. Does the schedule annoy you? Change it. Exercise. Go boating, swimming or read a book. Many people find reading the Psalms relaxing. Does your head feel as if it is in a vice? Rub the back of your neck, scratch the top of your head, stroke your chin. These are all tension dischargers.
Many things that create tension have no basis in reality. They do not occur at all. Therefore, train yourself to concentrate more on actualities and less on imaginative roadblocks. Rather than fear failure, give your attention to the job at hand. Think about it. Do it the best you can. Whatever the outcome, do not brood over it. Trust in God to see you through. Keep looking ahead.
Oftentimes tension mounts when in the presence of a particular person. Is there something about this person you cannot tolerate? If so, what is it and when does it occur? Try to right the matter before it gets too far out of hand. Often emotionally toned words set pressure soaring. Such words as “hate” and “fight” are pressurebuilders. A nagging wife or a domineering mother-in-law can cause men no end of trouble. Talk out your differences. Do not bottle them up. If necessary, confide your problem to a person you can trust. It relieves the strain. It helps you to see your troubles in a clearer light. It clears your mind for sensible action.
Tension wells up when you feel like lashing out at someone who has provoked you. Hold off that impulse if you can. Wait until tomorrow or the next day or the next week, then see how insignificant the occasion becomes. Meanwhile, do something to get rid of your pent-up energy. Mow the lawn, clean the car, chop some wood. Build, plant—do something. Work out the anger that is in you.
If you feel argumentative, change gears. Become more agreeable, less defiant and less obstinate. This will keep pressure down. It is good to yield occasionally. When you do, others will also. Tension will subside. Do not compete—cooperate. Go easy with criticism. Search out good points in people and help them to develop them.
Do not always tear yourself down. Do your best but try not to be best in everything or else you will open yourself to failure. Reach out to do work, but this does not mean to push yourself forward. Forwardness may be resented and really lead to rejection.
These are very simple suggestions. There is no guarantee that they will completely solve your problem. But, if applied, they are bound to do some good. Sometimes the forces within us are so great that outside help is needed. In that case, do not be ashamed to ask for it. Some seek counsel or guidance that is provided in family welfare agencies, schools, industrial plants and public health departments. In the Christian congregation the overseer is always ready to help. But know that, no matter how great the help, the problem is still yours and you yourself will have to learn to cope with your tensions
HOW STRONG MEN ARE MADE
"Through many years of active life, and the observation of many kinds of people, I have found that the strongest, wisest, most competent and reliable man is also the first to admit his inadequacy. Contradictory though it may sound, he is strong because he is humble - and remembers always that man is the creation of God. No rule of life is more basic.”.—J. Edgar Hoover, director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
to be.” (Gen. 1:3) How wise was that first act of the Creator in preparing the earth for the maintenance of life! Is not something so vital to our daily existence worthy of our close attention, in order to gain a better appreciation of’it? What is light? How is it that the sun lights up the earth? Is there any difference between sunlight and the light that man is able to produce?
Origin and Mature of Light
The sun is a fiery storehouse of inexhaustible en-
…