Awake!, October 8, 1965
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THE REASON FOR THIS MAGAZINE
News sources that are able to keep you awake to the vital issues of our times must be unfettered by censorship and selfish interests. "Awakel" has no fetters. It recognizes facts, faces facts, is free to publish facts. It is not bound by political ties; it is unhampered by traditional creeds. This magazine keeps itself free, that it may speak freely to you. But it does not abuse its freedom. It maintains integrity to truth.
The viewpoint of "Awake!" is not narrow, but is international. "Awake!" has its own correspondents in scores of nations. Its articles are read in many lands, in many languages, by millions of persons.
In every issue "Awake!" presents vital topics on which you should be informed. It features penetrating articles on social conditions and offers sound counsel for meeting the problems of everyday life. Current news from every continent passes in quick review. Attention is focused on activities in the fields of government and commerce about which you should know. Straightforward discussions of religious issues alert you to matters of vital concern. Customs and people in many lands, the marvels of creation, practical sciences and points of human interest are all embraced in its coverage. "Awake!" provides wholesome, instructive reading for every member of the family.
"Awakel!" pledges itself to righteous principles, to exposing hidden foes and subtle dangers, to championing freedom for all, to comforting mourners and strengthening those disheartened by the failures of a delinquent world, reflecting sure hope for the establishment of God's righteous new order in this generation.
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CONTENTS
How Much Is Your Money Worth? 4
Facing the Crisis in Family Life 8
Why the Rising Tensions World Wide? 12
Earthquakes—What Do They Mean? 16
How to Protect Yourself from Crime and Violence 17
Why the Growing Loss of Faith? 21
Watching the World 29
Volume XLVI
London, England, October 8, 1965
Number 19
AS NEVER before your life is affected by world conditions. Many persons wish it were not that way, preferring to shut themselves off from what is going on. But no matter where we live, we cannot escape the fact that each of us is vitally affected by
developments in the world as a whole. In virtually every avenue of life world conditions pose difficult questions and problems. For instance: How to cope with the reduced purchasing power of money, rising prices and a jittery world economy. World conditions affect savings put away in banks, old-age retirement plans, the price you pay for things, and even whether you will have a certain item of food or not.
More than that, world conditions affect the family, not only the feeding and clothing of family members, but also the relationship between marriage partners and the raising of their children. Widespread immorality has a deteriorating effect, offering many temptations to immoral conduct. And immorality prevalent in motion pictures, TV and in real life adversely affects children.
Then as youths grow up, governments often demand them for fighting wars. How common have become hot and cold wars, civil wars, revolutions, terrorism and violence! One news correspondent, who has long covered international affairs, spoke of
"the will to revolt" as being so widespread "as to be almost universal today!" You cannot help but be affected by the world tensions this spirit causes.
Moreover, because of the moral breakdown, the streets of many cities are unsafe after dark. There
has been an alarming disintegration of law and order. Violence, robbery and rape have become ever-present possibilities with which to reckon.
Finally, it must be admitted that man's very worship is affected as it has never been before. Churches are losing influence, people are turning cold and faithless, and in some countries atheistic and radical elements are trying to stamp out religion altogether.
What can be done about such conditions in the world? It does no good to pretend they do not exist. Far better to seek the meaning of world conditions, to find out why they are as they are and what can be done to cope with them. Only one Book in all the world does this satisfactorily. That Book is one you probably have in your own home, the Holy Bible. Consult it as you consider the following articles in this magazine. See how the Bible explains the reason for present world conditions, what you can do about them and what hope there is for the future.
WHEN you go to the market, you pay more for bread, eggs, vegetables and meat than you did ten years ago or perhaps just one year ago. You also pay more for rent, for operating an automobile and for medical care. Because of inflation your money is experiencing a steady loss in value. On the surface a dollar, a peso or a mark appears to be the same as always, but in actuality it is not, because it will not buy as much as it used to. Inflation is a common problem throughout the world, some countries suffering more from it than others.
In Brazil, for instance, the cost of living skyrocketed 81 percent in 1963, so that what could be bought for a cruzeiro at the beginning of the year took one cruzeiro and 81 centavos to purchase twelve months later. During the same period the cost of living in Uruguay jumped more than 40 percent, and in Chile and Colombia the rate, at times, has risen 50 percent. In some places inflation has been even more explosive.
Back in the spring of 1923 the German mark crashed in value to where 57,000 marks were worth only one United States dollar. But the mark's value continued to plummet. By the middle of October one American dollar was worth 6,500,000,000 marks. Three weeks later it was worth 630,000,000,000 marks. A serious crisis resulted. People began suffering from a food shortage because farmers refused to sell food for money that was rapidly becoming worthless.
Inflation caused a similar economic tragedy in China following the second world war. In 1946 one American dollar was worth about 2,000 Chinese dollars (yuan). By February 1948 the value of the Chinese dollar had
dropped to where it took 328,000 of them to equal an American dollar. A few months later the American dollar was valued on the black market at 11,500,000 Chinese dollars. The salary of the average-government worker was so great that it required him to carry his pay away in big bundles of bank notes. Paper money of small denominations was regarded as of so little value that the people used it to light their kitchen fires.
Inflation has also greatly devaluated the American dollar. For example, if we compare the dollar's buying power in 1939 with its buying power today, we find that it is now worth only 46.4 cents, assuming that it was worth 100 cents in 1939. This means that if you were making 2,000 a year in 1939 you would have to earn about4,300 today just to preserve your purchasing power. If you earn less than this, you are losing ground, being unable to purchase as much with your salary as in 1939.
Those who are hurt most by inflation, whether it is the creeping variety or the explosive variety, are people with fixed incomes. Those living on pensions, social security or an income from mortgages and bonds find it increasingly difficult to care for their daily living expenses. The person that anticipated retiring with life-long payments from an insurance policy may find, when retirement time comes, that inflation has made the income from life insurance inadequate for meeting the higher cost of living. So, instead of retiring, he must continue working.
With the passing of every year, inflation makes the money in such fixed incomes worth less and less.
Why Inflation?
Although the causes for inflation seem rather complex, with many theories attempting to explain it, a big underlying factor is a government's policy of increasing the supply of money excessively. When this is done, the more money it turns out on its printing presses the more each unit of money, such as a one-dollar bill, loses in purchasing power, because the money supply is being diluted; and this lowers the quality of the money. We might compare the process with diluting a quart of milk with water. The result is more milk of lower quality.
The increased quantity of money that circulates because of such government action deludes some people into thinking that they are better off because they have more money in their pockets. However, unless their wages are increased in proportion to the inflationary rise, they will be worse off because their money, despite their having more of it, will not purchase as much as before.
The expansion of credit is another underlying cause of inflation. It has the same effect as an increase in the money supply because it makes more money available to the people, which, in turn, increases the demand for goods. When supply is not keeping up with demand, prices rise. With rising prices unions press for wage increases that increase the operating costs of manufacturers. Faced with a profits squeeze, manufacturers raise still higher the prices of their goods, and workers, in turn, seek still higher wages to keep up with the rising prices of the goods they must buy, and so it goes. This is the wage-price spiral that results from the inflation
caused by increasing the supply of money and by making credit easy to get.
Effect on Morals
The effect of inflation upon many persons is to stimulate within them a love of money. Money's increasing availability accompanied with an increase of things that money can buy causes people to greedily grasp after money as if it were the only thing worth living for. Honesty and truth are thrown to the wind by many persons when confronted with an enticing opportunity to make a big profit. If it requires them to ride roughshod over other people, they will not hesitate to do it. Extreme selfishness governs their actions, crowding out any thought of neighbor love.
But this attitude does not bring real happiness. Rather, it results in a spirit of competition that brings much heartache and trouble. It is just as God's Word the Bible explains: "Those who are determined to be rich fall into temptation and a snare and many senseless and hurtful desires, which plunge men into destruction and ruin. For the love of money is a root of all sorts of injurious things, and by reaching out for this love some have been led astray from the faith and have stabbed themselves all over with many pains." —1 Tim. 6:9, 10.
All around can be seen the rotten fruitage that the love of money has produced. That it is indeed the root of injurious things is evident from the great number of crimes that are committed daily throughout the world in order to get money. It causes people to act toward one another like savage beasts. Notice that the Bible foretold that this love of money would be a contributing factor to the present critical times. Pointing forward to our day, it said: "In the last days critical times hard to deal with will be here. For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, .
. . "—2 Tim. 3:1, 2.
How obvious that this is the situation today! That the inflationary boom has been largely responsible for the increased number of money lovers Henry Hazlitt, in his book What You Should Know About Inflation, noted: "Inflation tends to demoralize those who gain by it even more than those who lose by it. . . . The spectacle of quick and easy returns increases the temptations to corruption and crime. It is not merely that inflation breeds the gambling spirit and corruption and dishonesty in a nation. Inflation is itself an immoral act on the part of government."
So the person that has developed a love for money develops distorted values. He loses sight of moral and spiritual values that make life more meaningful and that can be a source of real happiness and contentment. Instead, he seeks happiness in material things and centers his life around money and the things that money can buy. But if he should lose his money or other material possessions, he is completely shattered. His materialistic world comes crashing down around him. Some persons have even committed suicide when this has happened.
Money a Protection
This does not mean that money is bad in itself. On the contrary, it serves a very useful function and can do a lot of good when it is properly used by people and wisely managed by the government that issues it. Explaining the value of money, the Bible says: "Wisdom is for a protection the same as money is for a protection; but the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom itself preserves alive its owners."—Eccl. 7:12.
So money has its place. It can often help to protect a person from going hungry, from lacking adequate shelter and from
being without sufficient clothing. It may be used to provide protection in the form of medical care. It is a means to obtain the many material necessities of life as well as to enjoy some material pleasures. So money is a friend when it is kept in its proper place and viewed properly. It is attaching too much importance to it, allowing the pursuit of it to eclipse spiritual values and to interfere with enjoying one's family and friends, that leads to trouble. The love of money is what plunges men into destruction and ruin, not money itself.
Therefore, it is only the part of wisdom to use money in such a way that it will provide the greatest protection. Inflation, it is true, is constantly diminishing the buying power of money, but discreet buying can make it worth more than if care is not exercised in making purchases. Taking advantage of price reductions and out-of-season sales is a good method of getting the most for one's money. But the way to gain the greatest protection from money is to resist the temptation to buy unneeded items. Cautious use of credit is also wise, for overextending oneself can lead to financial tragedy.
Money's Protection Limited
There are now fears that in the United States credit expansion has reached dangerous proportions. Private debt has increased 530 percent in the last twenty years, and it and all other American debts total an astronomical $6,842 for every man, woman and child in the United States. A reversal in America's economic expansion could be disastrous with such a burden of debt. Many people who now are heavily in debt would lose all the material things for which they had been living.
That an economic reversal is not an impossibility, but under these conditions is even likely, economist Ludwig Von Mises, in the book The Theory of Money and Credit, observes: "Credit expansion initially can produce a boom.
But such a boom is bound to end in a slump, in a depression."
In the United States a deflationary economic collapse centered around the stock market wiped out many accumulated fortunes a few decades ago. With an inflation-
richly for our enjoyment; to work at good, to be rich in fine works, to be liberal, ready to share, safely treasuring up for themselves a fine foundation for the future, in order that they may get a firm hold on the real life."—1 Tim. 6:17-19.
ary economic collapse money could become practically worthless
Building up a righteous standing with God, who is the Source of life and all good
ARTICLES IN THE NEXT ISSUE
things, is the way to lay up safe treasures in heaven. It will as-
it happened in Germany and China. Money's worth is so uncertain. It is thus not the best protection, and for that reason Jesus Christ counseled: "Stop storing up for yourselves treasures upon the earth, where moth and rust consume, and where thieves break in and steal. Rather, store up for yourselves treasures in heaven . . . For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
Matt. 6:19-21
Obedience is Better than a Sacrifice.
* Are You Ready for Marriage?
What Medicare Means to You.
Beware of the Dog!
The Wonder of Living Lanterns.
in heaven. It will assure you of "real life," everlasting life in God's new system of things; something no amount of money
can buy. Illustrating the superior worth of wisdom, the Bible proverb says: "Happy is the man that has found wisdom, and the man that gets discernment, for having it as gain is better than having silver as gain and having it as produce than gold itself. It is a tree of life to those taking hold of it, and those keeping fast hold of it are to
To emphasize again the limited protection that money offers, Jesus told of a certain rich man who worked hard and stored up tremendous wealth and then said to himself: "Soul, you have many good things laid up for many years; take your ease, eat, drink, enjoy yourself.' But God said to him, 'Unreasonable one, this night they are demanding your soul from you. Who, then, is to have the things you stored up?' So it goes with the man that lays up treasure for himself but is not rich toward God." Luke 13:19-21
and those keeping Just how of it are to be called happy."—Prov. 3:13, 14, 18.
There are comparatively few people today who appreciate that wisdom and the knowledge of God are of greater worth than money. But remember, the Bible foretold this very condition, saying: "In the last days . . . men will be . . . lovers of money." What a tragedy for those who trusted in money when the time soon comes for God to exercise his destructive power against this wicked system of things! At that time money will offer no protection, just as when God executed judgment
Think of it! All the money of the world's richest men cannot preserve them alive to enjoy the blessings of life. It cannot even give them the health and peace of mind that are so important to happiness. The worth of money is really limited. The Bible's counsel is therefore wise: For people "to rest their hope, not on uncertain riches, but on God, who furnishes us all things OCTOBER 8, 1965
just as when God executed judgment against ancient Jerusalem. The Bible foretold this, saying: "Into the streets they will throw their very silver, and an abhorrent thing their own gold will become. Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to deliver them in the day of Jehovah's fury." Then, not money, but 'wisdom itself will preserve alive its owners.'
—2 Tim. 3:1, 2; Ezek. 7:19.
FROM all over the world come reports of the breakdown and disintegration of the family. Practically everywhere there are soaring divorce rates, desertions, infidelity, illegitimacy and, in particular, juvenile misbehavior. No longer do common interests unite family members, nor do moral standards restrain them. Each member often goes his own way with little regard for the feelings and welfare of others in the family.
The Family Service Association of America called family breakdown "America's number one social problem." The deterioration of family life in Canada caused educator Dr. R. W. B. Jackson to predict: "It is quite possible that by 2014 the family may disappear as a unit of society, and other units based upon age groups and interests may take its place."
Does this seem an exaggeration? Is the problem really that serious? Has the family reached a crisis that may eventually lead to a radical change in its structure? What does the evidence indicate?
Family Breakdown World Wide
A New York Times headline of July 30, 1965, read: "JOHNSON DISCERNS CRISIS IN FAMILIES." The article said: "President Johnson declared today that the family unit had collapsed among an alarming number of Americans, . . . this fundamental
unit is breaking down in all sections of society." A look around reveals that the family is indeed breaking down!
No longer are marriage bonds held sacred. Why, in just the United States last year there were nearly 450,000 divorces, or an average of close to one divorce every minute! There is no question that marriage ties are weakening. Even in countries where divorce a short time ago was practically nonexistent it is now common. Poland, for example, had virtually no divorce before the second world war, but in 1950 the country had 11,000 divorces, and by last year the number had nearly doubled, to about 21,000.
Infidelity and premarital sex relations, once considered shocking, are now almost taken for granted by many. Noted one New York sociologist, Perry J. Gangloff: "There has been a real change in moral behavior. . . . It is our opinion that infidelity is now taken as a matter of course." In Britain a committee working in connection with the British Medical Association reported "that promiscuity had become fashionable during the last seven years."
This change in moral behavior is reflected in the avalanche of illegitimate births. In the United States nearly 250,000 babies are born to unwed mothers each year, which is twice the number reported for 1950 and three times what it was in
In London, England, there were 8,835 illegitimate births in 1962, or about one illegitimacy for every seven births. But in Latin America illegitimacy rates are even higher. For example, a news dispatch from Venezuela reports that 49 percent of the children there are born to unwed mothers!
The breakdown of the family is also reflected in the number of pregnant girls getting married. In Australia premarital pregnancies increased by 135 percent in the past twenty years. According to another report, two out of three babies born to girls under twenty years of age in Britain are conceived out of wedlock. And in the United States one study showed that where both bride and groom were of high school age, more than four out of five brides were pregnant at the time of the wedding. A young girl from a small town in Pennsylvania explained: "I don't think people are shocked by much of anything around here any more. The kids who don't get pregnant, don't get married. It's accepted."
Throughout a major part of the world the situation is similar. The London Sunday Times carried the following headline last year when reporting on an international conference dealing with family affairs: "46 NATIONS SHARE THE PROBLEM OF JUVENILE SEX." The article noted: "There was general acceptance among most of the representatives of 46 countries attending, of premarital intercourse even among boys and girls in their early teens."
A German delegate explained: "Through my clinic I have ceased to be shocked about anything. I accept that girls go to bed with boys either because it is the fashion or because they do not want to lose a friend. The problem we have to tackle is that 70 percent of our marriages are now due to pregnancy." But gross misbehavior of youths is not limited to sexual immorality. This is evident by the fact that about 50
percent of all serious crimes in some countries are committed by youths under twenty-one years of age.
Why the Crisis?
What is responsible for this shocking misbehavior of youth and for the disintegration of the family? Why at this time, when man has realized some of his greatest achievements, should this basic unit of civilization be facing a crisis? The answers to these often-asked questions are not as difficult to obtain as one might think. They are found in the Holy Bible, the one you have in your own home.
In its opening chapters this inspired Book contains an accurate record concerning the origin of the human family. It explains in clear, easy-to-understand terms how God created the first man and woman, brought them together as husband and wife, and instructed them to bear children. The family is, therefore, a divine arrangement, being thought out and designed by God. Thus, for family life to be a blessing to its members, God's instructions relative to its operation must be observed.—Genesis chapters 1 and 2.
But can it honestly be said that families today observe God's instructions in directing their affairs? Do they seek the Bible's counsel when difficulties arise? The answers to such questions are only too obvious. The majority of persons ignore the Bible, considering its counsel out-of-date. And whether people are willing to admit it or not, it is this failure to heed the instruction of the One who originated the marriage arrangement that is responsible for the family crisis that millions now face.
Not to be overlooked, too, is the fact that Almighty God foretold the present family crisis. Pointing forward to "the last days," His Word said: "Men will be lovers of themselves, . . . haughty, blasphemers, obedient to parents, . . . having no natural affection."
(2 Tim. 3:1-3) These are the very conditions being experienced! The present-day fulfillment of Bible prophecies such as this one makes clear that we are living in "the last days" of this wicked system of things. It is a transition period; a wicked system is on its way out, soon to be replaced by God's righteous new order of things. But in the meantime, how can families cope with these critical times?
Coping with the Crisis
It is only by going to God for instruction. In his Word the Bible he has provided the guidance and example man needs. As a husband or wife, do you find that difficulties sometimes arise that cause friction in your marriage? Then open your copy of the Bible and consider its wise advice. Turn, for example, to Ephesians chapter five. Note what it says in the way of counsel to wives:
"Let wives be in subjection to their husbands as to the Lord, because a husband is head of his wife as the Christ also is head of the congregation . . . In fact, as the congregation is in subjection to the Christ, so let wives also be to their husbands in everything. . . The wife should have deep respect for her husband."—Eph. 5:22-24, 33.
God originally created woman to be man's helper, "as a complement of him." (Gen. 2:18) He realized that in the close marriage union one party had to be vested with the authority of making decisions and directing family affairs. And a wife who is honest with herself will admit that she was not designed for this role, but that her husband was. So by heeding God's wise counsel, subjecting herself to her husband even as the Christian congregation does to Christ, a wife will find real contentment and satisfaction.
But to assure happiness, husbands, too, must apply God's instructions. Notice in
this same chapter of Ephesians the fine counsel the Bible gives to them: "Husbands, continue loving your wives, just as the Christ also loved the congregation and delivered up himself for it . . . In this way husbands ought to be loving their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself, for no man ever hated his own flesh; but he feeds and cherishes it, as the Christ also does the congregation . . . let each one of you individually so love his wife as he does himself."—Eph. 5:25-29, 33.
Humans naturally seek their own bodily comfort, cherishing and feeding themselves. The Bible says that husbands should exhibit this same consideration for their wives, copying the perfect example that Jesus set in demonstrating love for his congregation of followers. A husband can do this by showing respect for his wife's feelings and wishes, even as he does his own. He can also demonstrate love by taking an interest in the things his wife does around the house, and by complimenting her and expressing appreciation. God's counsel to husbands and wives is indeed practical!
However, to avoid trouble in the family the children, too, must be raised properly. The One who designed the family also gave instruction on how this should be done. Turn in your Bible to Deuteronomy chapter six, verses six and seven, and observe carefully what God said on the matter: "These words that I am commanding you today must prove to be on your heart; and you must inculcate them in your son and speak of them when you sit in your house and when you walk on the road and when you lie down and when you get up."
Did you notice how parents are to guard their children from wrongdoing? It is by regularly teaching them God's Word. Yes, by inculcating in them the righteous principles found in the Bible. And who is to take the lead in giving this instruction?
God's Word says: "You, fathers, do not be irritating your children, but go on bringing them up in the discipline and authoritative advice of Jehovah." (Eph. 6:4) Failure to heed these clear, easy-to-understand instructions has led to a crisis in family life. It is just as the Bible warned: "The rod and reproof are what give wisdom; but a boy let on the loose will be causing his mother shame."—Prov. 29:15.
Bible Counsel in Operation
That God's counsel is just as practical today as when it was recorded is being demonstrated by hundreds of thousands of families the world over. They are following God's instructions, and this draws them together in love for one another and love for God. When the wife is in subjection to her husband, and the husband shows love for his wife, and when both of them work together to train their children, the family is not threatened by a crisis.
Consider, for example, such a family in Brooklyn, New York, where crime and delinquency are probably as bad as anywhere in the world. In this particular family the father takes the lead in seeing that his wife and five school-age children are provided not only with necessary physical food but also with instruction from God's Word the Bible. The evening meal, for instance, is a regular time of happy fellowship and instruction. How so?
Well, first of all, before eating, thanksgiving is expressed to God. It is not a mechanical prayer, but is a sincere expression that impresses upon the children that the family is dependent upon God for the good things of life. During the meal the children are encouraged to express themselves regarding what they learned at school or things they have done. Often the father will review the family, usually in connection with a Bible text that they have
previously discussed. The children enjoy this, and sometimes will come to the table prepared in advance for such a quiz from dad.
This family also sets aside time at least one evening a week when they read the Bible together. On these occasions opportunities are afforded to impress upon the children the value of living morally upright lives, and the importance of cultivating qualities such as honesty, integrity, loyalty and truthfulness. On other evenings games are played, or sometimes the parents teach their children practical arts. The mother has already taught each child, from the youngest, the ten-year-old girl, to the oldest, the seventeen-year-old boy, how to iron his clothes and sew them, as well as how to bake and cook. The result of taking such a genuine interest in their children has been a close and happy family.
When God long ago said that parents should teach their children when they 'sit in the house,' 'walk on the road,' 'lie down,' and 'get up,' He knew that this interest and concern would unite the family. He also knew that in time the fruitage of such instruction would be upright, integrity-keeping citizens, an honor both to their parents and to God. When Bible instructions are heeded the family is indeed a blessed arrangement that brings joy and satisfaction to everyone concerned!
True, family life now faces a crisis, and worldly experts are in a quandary as to what to do. But present world conditions will not always be this way. In fact, family breakdown is part of the sign that indicates that this wicked system of things will soon be destroyed by God, to be replaced by His righteous new order of things. Only families that apply God's instructions will then remain. O what a happy time that will be! Never again will divorce, immorality or juvenile delinquency cause a family crisis.
THE nations of the world are behaving . . . like mentally ill patients who see their problems and select means to solve them that merely aggravate them," declared a psychiatrist.
WORLD WIDE?
A newspaper editor similarly observed: "We live these days in a world where the prime motive of men seems to
be strife, hatred and suspicion. There seem to be few places in the world where men are content to live in peace. Democracy hates Communism and vice versa and both sides are willing to bankrupt the world and risk world catastrophe to come out on top—if there is a top. . . . the fury of racism rages on two continents with both sides doing everything possible to infuriate each other. . . . Even the top scientists of our day are busy creating new weapons to blow the world to pieces faster."
These pointed comments on world turmoil were made several years ago. At that time tensions were not as pronounced as they are now. Today, in 1965, the international situation has reached the explosive stage!
Areas of Strife Abound
A partial survey of danger spots in the world verifies the fact of widespread and increasing world trouble.
In the Middle East, for example, tensions steadily mount. Many experienced
statesmen see no way out except bloodshed. One writer who interviewed men in authority throughout this area stated: "Twice I have asked Nasser personally if he sees any hope for a peaceful settlement with Israel. Both times he answered with one word 'No.' I got the same answer from Jordan's King Hussein. Within the last month I have asked Arab and Israeli cabinet ministers, American diplomats and U.N. officials in the Middle East if there is any hope of real
peace. Invariably they answered, 'Of course not . . . absolutely not . . . certainly not.' "—Life, June 18, 1965.
In the same area, on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus, another critical situation continues to smolder. Greeks and Turks oppose each other, with no solution in sight acceptable to both. Of this highly dangerous situation and of the Israeli crisis, the Vancouver, Canada, Province of February 12, 1965, said: "When two races hate one another the way Turks hate Greeks and Arabs hate Jews, the breach cannot be repaired in a single generation. And meantime, someone else has to be employed to keep them apart. This is the sad tale, in synopsis, of the excessively-troubled Middle East today. No easy solution is in sight to end the bitterness."
Farther eastward India and Pakistan continue to shed blood over disputed Kashmir and over the area known as the Rann of Kutch. Each claims the other infringes on her territory. Of the Kashmir dispute an editorial entitled "Tension in Kashmir," printed in the New York Times of June 22, 1965, noted: "So long as the subcontinent is divided between India and Pakistan, Kashmir will be a source of contention.
Moreover, it involves that always dangerous communal problem—the relations between Moslem and Hindu. . . . The problem has thus far proved insoluble. Neither side will budge."
Added to India's troubles is the fact that in late 1962 her armies were pounded by large Chinese Communist forces, which swiftly sliced through disputed border areas. These Chinese armies, still poised in the Himalayan mountains, remain a constant threat, causing India to divert much needed resources from critical domestic projects in order to build her military machine.
In the Congo, rebellion continues to simmer. In Korea armed camps stare uneasily across the truce line. Berlin provides a continuing source of tension. The Dominican Republic crisis, where United States armed forces intervened to help quell what many viewed as a popular uprising against an unpopular government, has added tensions to the entire Western Hemisphere. Also in that part of the world the animosity between Cuba and the United States continues as a painful open sore.
Alliances and partnerships that seemed to provide security in the past have recently begun to break down. NATO, SEATO and CENTO have received stunning setbacks, severely limiting their effectiveness. The Common Market in Europe has been staggered by the opposition of France's Charles de Gaulle, who strongly disagrees with some of the group's policies. Even the Communist "bloc" of nations has been rent with tension-producing divisions.
Asian Tension Explodes
make thinking men shudder as the safety of mankind is jeopardized more each passing day.
The gravest tension spot, one threatening to engulf mankind in world war, exists in Asia. The implications of this crisis
Not just a "cold war," but a "hot war" rages in Vietnam. This bitter and ugly conflict grows in intensity daily. The United States escalates its commitment in men and material to back the South Vietnamese succession of governments. Tens of thousands of American troops have already poured into that war-ravaged land, and many more, perhaps hundreds of thousands, are to be sent.
The Communist-backed forces, called the Viet Cong by Westerners, receive assistance from North Vietnam and also from Communist China, which country looms ominously to the north with her vast resource of manpower, having a population of about 700,000,000, and which now possesses the atomic bomb.
As both sides continue to pour in additional men and equipment, the situation builds toward a disastrous showdown. Already thousands of lives have been sacrificed and, as United States President Johnson declared, the conflict "will get worse before it gets better."—New York Times, July 11, 1965.
United Nations Role
Is there not a means for settling world disputes such as the critical one in Vietnam? Has not the United Nations, with a membership of 114 countries, been designed to lessen such tensions? In theory, yes, but in actual practice the United Nations today finds itself rendered practically useless as an agency for settling world crises. More and more the tendency is for nations to ignore the United Nations and to use their own means of solving problems.
Due to this tendency U.N. Secretary- General U Thant warned: "The world organization will turn into a debating society if its slow progress toward stability and world peace is further reversed."
He said that events in 1965 have "tended to undermine the position of the U.N. as the primary agency for maintaining international peace."—New York Sunday News, May 23, 1965.
Bible Explains Rising Tensions
It is admitted that the efforts of men and nations to stem the rising tide of tension are failing. What, then, does the future hold? What are the prospects of such tensions easing, of peace and stability returning to the world? Indeed, why is such trouble upon us in the first place?
When we turn to the opinions of world leaders and other prominent men for answers to these vital questions, there is no agreement. This should make the God-fearing person realize that he has reached a human limitation: man cannot foretell the future, nor explain why the best of efforts fail. To determine accurately what the reasons are for world tension and what the future really holds, one must turn to the only source that provides such answers, a source most people have right in their own homes, the Holy Bible.
Again and again the Bible's remarkable foretelling of international events stamps it as above human origin, as the product of a mind far superior to man's. This is so because its author is man's Creator, Jehovah God. God inspired holy men to record in the Bible his will and purposes, as well as much history written in advance. This he did so that those fearing him could always be informed of the meaning behind world events. It is also true of our day. The Bible has recorded in advance details of current history, of current world tensions, so that godly persons would know why such difficult times were upon them and what the outcome would be.
Of our day the Bible, in amazing detail, tells us: "In the last days critical times hard to deal with will be here. For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, self-assuming, haughty, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, disloyal, having no natural affection, not open to any agreement, slanders, without self-control, fierce, without love of goodness, betrayers, headstrong, puffed up with pride, lovers of pleasures rather than lovers of God."—2 Tim, 3:1-4.
What an accurate description of present-day world woes! But will such trying times subside in the immediate future? No, for those who produce them "will advance from bad to worse," the Bible foretells. (2 Tim. 3:13) This means that shortly world tensions will reach a critical point never before experienced in human history. The Bible also explains why this is so. It is because God's great adversary is nearing his end and is doing all he can either to rule the earth or to ruin it. This adversary is the rebellious spirit creature Satan the Devil. For 6,000 years he has plagued mankind, but much more so in these "last days." With reference to these times we are told: "Down the great dragon was hurled, the original serpent, the one called Devil and Satan, who is misleading the entire inhabited earth; he was hurled down to the earth, and his angels were hurled down with him. . . . Woe for the earth and for the sea, because the Devil has come down to you, having great anger, knowing he has a short period of time."—Rev. 12:9, 12.
Yes, at the beginning of these "last days" Satan and his demon angels were cast out of their heavenly habitation down to the vicinity of the earth. He knows that action means his near end. That is the real reason behind mounting world tensions. Satan and his demon hordes are nearing the end of the time allotted to them by God, as is Satan's entire system of things, so he is intent on stirring up world chaos at an accelerated pace.
That is just what is taking place today.
We cannot escape it. We live in the "last days," not of humankind, but of this wicked system of things, as Jesus Christ foretold so clearly. (Matthew chapter 24, Mark chapter 13, Luke chapter 21) History verifies that our generation is indeed an unusual one in history. The New York Times Magazine of May 2, 1965, reported: "Most historians now agree that the 19th century came to its end a little later than the calendar prescribed. It was not the organized festivities of 1900 but rather the organized hostilities of 1914 that decisively concluded a chapter in human history. . . . Then came the deluge and bloodbath." Yes, it was the year 1914, with its World War I, that opened these blood-drenched, chaotic and tension-filled "last days" foretold by Jesus and the inspired Bible writers.
When Tensions Will End
The "last days" or "time of the end" means just that. It does not mean an indefinitely prolonged period of tension and pain. It means a very definitely limited period of time, with a clear beginning, 1914, and a clear end. You should be thrilled to know that the end of these "last days" is positively in sight! As Jesus foretold at Matthew 24:34, it will be in "this generation."
So while world tensions will mount, they will quickly reach their peak, at which time Jehovah God, the Creator of man and earth, will assert his almighty power and bring to an end all world tension and all those causing it, both men and devils. His firm promise is: "The wicked ones he will annihilate."—Ps. 145:20; Rev. 20:1-3.
This annihilation of wickedness and wicked ones by an act of God will not be turned aside or slowed down. It comes on apace. At that time God will bring this system of things to its end and will replace it with the one, universal government he has promised in his Word. That government is his kingdom, to be ruled over by a tried, proved, just and loving king, Jesus Christ, in heavenly glory, beyond influence or corruption by any earthling. It is this marvelous government that will bring such great benefits to all mankind under its rule that Jesus taught us to pray for when he said: "Let your kingdom come. Let your will take place, as in heaven, also upon earth."—Matt. 6:9, 10.
Never again will earth's rulership be given back into the hands of selfish men, for "the God of heaven will set up a kingdom [in heaven under Christ] that will never be brought to ruin. And the kingdom itself will not be passed on to any other people. It will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, and it itself will stand to times indefinite."—Dan. 2:44.
When that kingdom crushes all earthly opposition shortly, those who respect God and his Word will be preserved alive right through that time of desolation. The Bible promises: "The righteous themselves will possess the earth, and they will reside forever upon it." (Ps. 37:29) Under the rule of God's kingdom all tensions will forever disappear. Mankind will pass from one refreshing and upbuilding experience to another, throughout eternity.
Until the time that God brings an end to tension, it will continue to build to its climax. So will the accompanying crime and violence. Hence, it means that sensible persons will want to give consideration to what they can do to protect themselves in such dangerous times.
WHEN an earthquake ripped through Chile in April of this year, it demolished two earthen dams above the village of El Cobre, releasing a wall of water that quickly buried the village and its inhabitants under a thick layer of mud. The shock and angush of the survivors who dug frantically for their buried families is a common feature of great earthquakes. It can be seen wherever they strike in the world. In a matter of seconds they transform towns and cities into heaps of tangled ruins, burying hundreds of people and making thousands of stunned survivors homeless. Bringing terror and grief, they leave an impression that is not easily erased.
The power of great earthquakes is astonishing, making man feel utterly helpless and extremely insignificant. The great earthquake that staggered Alaska in 1644 unleashed 400 times more energy than all the nuclear bombs man has exploded. When such mighty forces repeatedly wreak havoc upon man, it is only natural to wonder if there is some significance to the disasters:
During the past fifty years the frequency of destructive earthquakes of great size has been most distressing for mankind. In 1920 the Kansu province of China was hit by a quake that snuffed out at least 180,000 lives in the first of three shocks; Chinese statistics claim casualties of one million. In 1923 Tokyo, Japan, This was shaken by a major quake that caused the deaths of 143,000 people and property damage amounting to four and a half billion dollars. In 1935 a great quake in Quetta, India, took the lives of 60,000 people. In 1939 Erzingan, Turkey, was hit, with 23,000 Simpersons dying. Mountains were ripped to pieces in Assam, India, in 1950 when it was jolted by the second-mostviolent quake to be recorded. It reached 8.6 on the Gutenberg Richter scale used by seismologists.
And so the record continues, with great earthquakes repeatedly striking in various
parts of the earth. Commenting on their frequency, the magazine Scientific American said in its issue of September 1950: "Major quakes used to occur in clusters, each period of activity being followed by a rest
period. Since 1948, the pattern has entered a new phase, with approximately one great quake a year."
Since 1960 major earthquakes have averaged more than one year. Chile was hit by four major shocks in 1960, killing 5,700 persons. Another great quake shattered Agadir, Morocco, the same year, bringing death to 12,000 persons. Two years later Iran was jolted by a major quake that killed at least 10,000 persons. Skopje, Yugoslavia, shuddered under the blow of a great quake in 1963 that destroyed four-fifths of the city. In the same year a devastating series of quakes leveled 80 percent of the Libyan town of El Marj, killing 300 persons and injuring 500.
The third-greatest quake recorded in the past sixty years is the one that rocked Alaska in 1964, registering 8.4 on the Richter scale. Another hit Taiwan the same year, the worst in twenty years for that country. In 1965, the quake that hit El Cobre and other towns in Chile caused damage estimated at $200 million. Later in May another major quake shook San Salvador in El Salvador, doing a great amount of damage.
Along with other troubles of great magnitude that have struck this generation since 1914, these frequent earthquakes of major size in one place after another are most significant. This can be seen from the Bible prophecy in which Jesus Christ mentioned them as part of the "sign" marking the "conclusion" of the present system of things. For these days Jesus foretold: "There will be earthquakes in one place after another." (Mark 13:8; Matt. 24:3) Since 1914 great earthquakes have been occurring in one place after another in a magnitude that far exceeds the thousands of usual tremors that are recorded every year. This indicates we are in the very significant time about which Jesus foretold. Such distressing events mean that we are on the threshold of a new system of things of God's making.—Luke 21:28.
HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF FROM Crime and Violence
WE LIVE in a world where theft, rape and assault at the hands of criminals, delinquents and perverts are daily occurrences. Far from being a problem limited to one nation, this has caused law-abiding citizens the world over to fear what the future will bring in the way of crime and violence. In one world capital the population has increased 5 percent in seven years, but the number of crimes committed annually has soared 137 percent. People wonder what they can do to protect themselves and their families from lawbreaking and assault.
Fear has motivated many persons to arm themselves with pistols, knives, smallear-gas guns and other weapons. They usually conceal these on their person,ready for use if needed. However,such weapons have serious drawbacks. In many places concealed weapons are illegal. Even where they are lawful, the use of these devices by an amateur is risky, often proving to be more dangerous to the user and innocent bystanders than to the attacker. And there is always the danger that persons possessing such weapons will use them in a moment of excitement or anger and cause injury or death needlessly. This is not to say, though, that there is nothing persons can do to protect themselves amidst these worsening world conditions. There are some basic and practical suggestions for self-protection that can prove
invaluable to people of all ages, living in all parts of the world, especially where the crime rate is high.
Sound Advice for Self-Protection
Of much greater value than weapons for self-protection are good sense, reasonableness and foresight. Many attacks and robberies could have been avoided if the victims had taken the precaution of using well-lighted and well-traveled streets. Usually crime does not flourish in the light. Before you walk down a street or corridor in a dangerous locality, check to see if it is sufficiently lighted. If not, is there another way you could go, even though it might take a few minutes longer? Those few extra minutes taken so as to travel in the light and out of the darkness and shadows could mean the difference between your being attacked and your arriving at your destination safely. Many crimes are committed at night, so if you can avoid it, you may find that it is best not to be out late by yourself.
If at all possible have a companion when you go out at night, or at any time of the day when you go through areas known to abound in crime and violence. Avoid groups loitering on sidewalks and suspicious individuals lurking in doorways or in the shadows close to buildings, even crossing the street if necessary to keep clear of the danger.
If you must go to a dangerous section of town alone, it may prove to be a protection if you identify yourself, as in the case of a Christian minister's carrying a Bible in his hand. In view of world conditions, to become careless about these matters is to invite disaster.
Forethought can be exercised in the matter of dress. What image will you create if you travel a crime-ridden area in your best clothing? If your clothing attracts attention, would it be surprising for a thief to conclude that you are a source of easy money? Similarly, the wise person does not vainly parade his wealth when he opens his wallet. Women, too, should bear in mind that modest attire lessens the likelihood of sexual assault. A woman can be sure that sensual clothing that is designed to reveal and excite will do just that to depraved criminals.
Good sense also suggests that one avoid irritating people. When walking down the street or when traveling on trains and buses, do not stare at people. Often fugitives, the mentally deranged and people under the influence of stimulants become nervous and dangerous when other individuals gaze at them. The sound Biblical advice is: "Make it your aim to live quietly and to mind your own business." (1 Thess. 4:11) Also, try not to antagonize people by what you say, be they drunkards, beggars or thrill-seeking youths. If you must speak, remember the Bible's counsel: "An answer, when mild, turns away rage, but a word causing pain makes anger to come up." It further advises, "be gentle toward all."—Prov. 15:1; 2 Tim. 2:24.
As crime does not thrive in the light, so too it is often thwarted by noise. Police officials advise that when assault victims make a commotion, assailants usually flee, since the last thing they want is to have attention called to their dastardly deeds.
Some people carry a police whistle for this purpose. Others take advantage of the protection that a dog may provide inside and outside the home. This has little to do with how ferocious the dog appears. The excited yaps of a little poodle may draw as much attention as the barks of a German shepherd.
Women, when threatened with rape, should remember to scream. In fact, a basic rule for women confronted with this situation could be simply stated: Scream, and keep on screaming! Even under the Mosaic law it was acknowledged that a woman who really wanted to resist an assault would scream. (Deut. 22:23-27) Remember, noise is an effective defensive weapon.
The Power of Speech and Prayer
The voice can also be used in another way. In some situations persons have been able to reason with their would-be assailants. Recently two young women were in an automatic laundry when a man came in and herded them at gunpoint into a room in the rear of the building. He ordered them to undress. They refused, praying aloud to Jehovah God for help. Finally they told the now-confused gunman that they were Jehovah's witnesses and that it was against their religious belief to do what he was demanding; they would not do it even if he shot them. Result? The frustrated gunman fled from the two courageous women.
When material possessions are threatened by a bandit or gunman, people react in different ways. Some resist and are successful; others, when resisting, are killed. The Christian whose life is dedicated to Jehovah realizes that his valuables cannot compare with the importance of his health and life. Material possessions, he may well reason Biblically, are not worth one's having to be taken to the hospital or to the cemetery.
One Christian minister was confronted with a man who drew a knife on him. "Give me your money," the bandit demanded. "I'll be glad to," said the minister, handing over his wallet, "but I have something far more valuable than money for you." "What's that?" "I have words of everlasting life." The minister then slowly began to talk to the robber about God's promise for a better system of things. Amazed, the criminal apologized and returned the stolen wallet. Unafraid, the minister made arrangements to visit the man, and in time a Bible study was started with him in his home.
Many times the sight of a Bible or even a Bible-study aid will dissuade a robber. Christians should not be afraid to talk about Jehovah and his Word to those who seek to do wrong.—Prov. 18:10.
Protection for Children
As important as self-protection is to most parents so is the urgent need to provide proper direction and protection for their children. When violence comes to youngsters, it is often from depraved sex deviates. Many parents appreciate that the prevention of sex crimes against their children begins with proper forewarning of them at home. Dr. Fredric Wertham, psychiatrist and expert on the psychology of violence, said: "Many of our most brutal crimes could have been so simply prevented—if only their child victims had been taught to beware of elementary dangers. The dangers of lonely places, of men and boys who showed signs of molesting them. Many parents are reluctant to give this kind of instruction to children, but today it is negligent to omit it."
The Bible commands parents to 'train up a child according to the way for him.' (Prov. 22:6) Current world conditions necessitate that child training include warnings as to the physical dangers that exist.
Wise parents caution their children against going off with strangers without receiving the consent of their parents, especially when offered bribes of money or candy. Some parents have instituted the "underno-circumstance" rule. Following it, their children would under no circumstance accept rides from strangers or enter a stranger's house without first asking permission from their father or mother. When explaining these matters to your children, even if it is when they are just four or five years of age, it is wise not to frighten them, but let them know that allowing older men or boys to fondle and pet them can lead to wrong familiarity and even to physical hurt.
Show your children that this is a serious matter, possibly asking them questions as to what they would do under certain circumstances and allowing them opportunity to question you as to the reason such caution is necessary. Then you can follow up your instructions by exercising care as to the whereabouts of your children, making sure that, even when they are playing, they are with others. In the matter of protecting them from crime and violence, much will depend on the instruction and oversight you provide.
The Home and Automobile
Protection for the family also involves making sure that they are safe when they are at home. It has been said that the key to your safety may well be the one that works the lock on your door, or the chain that keeps the door from swinging open. Where crime is prevalent, many find it wise to secure their house or apartment with reliable locks on all doors and windows, including those leading to their basement, locks that cannot be opened with a simple playing card or screwdriver. When moving into a different home, many persons have the old locks replaced; and when getting new keys made, they see that no duplicates are made that can be used by unauthorized persons to gain entrance to their home.
Before allowing someone admittance into your home, have the person identify himself. Jesus advised Christians to be "cautious as serpents and yet innocent as doves," and by extension this principle could apply to safeguarding one's home and family.—Matt. 10:16.
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