Awake!, April 8, 1968
Download: PDF — Awake!, April 8, 1968
Why People Are Attracted to Jehovah's Witnesses
PAGE 5
The Miracle of Spring
PAGE 9
The Seas-a New Frontier
PAGE 13
Do You Eat Too Much?
PAGE 17
APRIL 8, 1968
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 interest. "Awake!" 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.
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"Awakel" pledges itself to righteous principles, to exposing hidden foes and subite 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.
Get acquainted with "Awake!" Keep awake by reading "Awake!"
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CONTENTS
A Date to Check on Your Calendar 3
Why People Are Attracted to
Jehovah's Witnesses 5
The Miracle of Spring 9
"According to Their Kinds" 12
The Seas—a New Frontier 13
Do You Eat Too Much? 17
A Trip Through the Wilderness 21
From Whom Did We Get the Alphabet? 24
Power Dives for Dinner 26
"Your Word Is Truth"
Who Will Go to Heaven? 27
Watching the World 29
A Date to Check on Your Calendar
Dear Reader:
Of all the anniversaries that men observe, did you know that there is one that is of far greater importance than all others? It is the memorial of the death of God's only-begotten Son, Christ Jesus. While worldly men give honor to the memory of imperfect fellow creatures, true Christians memorialize the death that constituted the "one sacrifice for sins perpetually."—Heb. 10:12.
What makes this commemoration even more outstanding is the fact that it happens to be the only day of the year that Jesus commanded his followers to observe. Nowhere in the Bible can you find any indication of Jesus' authorizing the many "holy" days that have been observed in Christendom for hundreds of years. No, not even the day of his birth was to be celebrated; just the day of his death. —1 Cor. 11:26.
Why not, then, check your calendar of coming events at April 12, and share with the Christian witnesses of Jehovah in marking this anniversary as a special occasion? All who believe that Jehovah God lovingly provided his Son, and that Christ Jesus obediently yielded himself to be a sacrifice for the sins of the whole world of mankind, are welcome to assemble at the nearest Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's witnesses. (1 John 2:2) As a welcome visitor, you will not be called upon to do or say anything. You will be there strictly as an observer. And no collection will be taken.
But why April 12, after sundown? Because Jesus instituted this yearly observance on the very same night that he shared with his disciples his last Passover meal. (Luke 22:7-20) In this year, 1968, April 12, after sundown, is the date that corresponds with the ancient observance of the Jewish Passover.
According to Hebrew usage, the day was measured from sunset to sunset. On that memorable day, of the year 33 C.E., a great deal of action was crammed into one twenty-four-hour period. After sunset Jesus partook of the Passover in accord with the requirements of the Mosaic law. Then he went out to pray in the Garden of Gethsemane. That night he was seized and led off for questioning. In the morning he testified before the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate, suffered indignities at the hands of the Roman soldiers and was yielded up to his bloodthirsty enemies.
They nailed him to a stake, and he finally expired at three o'clock in the afternoon, his death marked by a violent earthquake and unusual darkness. Three hours of that awesome day still remained.
Only one date each year is appropriate as an anniversary of the happenings of that day. Its commemoration is not to be confused with the so-called "holy communion" and "mass" of Christendom, in the celebration of which there is so much lack of agreement. Some churches celebrate the Lord's Supper every day, some every few weeks, others several times a year. In some cases only the bread is eaten by ordinary church members, while the clergy drink the wine. In others, all who profess membership partake of both the bread and the wine.
Among Jehovah's witnesses, however, there is recognition of the fact that there are two flocks of God's sheeplike people on earth today. One is the "little flock" of Jesus' followers who have hope of inheriting with him the heavenly kingdom. (Luke 12:32) The other flock Jesus referred to as "other sheep," an unnumbered flock of worshipers who look forward to everlasting life on this earth in God's righteous new order. (John 10:16; 2 Pet. 3:13) Only those of the "little flock" properly partake of the bread and wine passed around at the yearly celebration of the Lord's Supper. All others are present as onlookers, their very presence testifying to their appreciation of God's provision of his own Son as a sacrifice for sin.
On April 12, then, after sunset, Jehovah's witnesses, accompanied by others who love God and righteousness, will assemble for this special occasion in Kingdom Halls and other meeting places around the world. Wherever you are, it is quite likely that there is a Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's witnesses near you. Ascertain the location and make your plans to attend. You are cordially invited.
Those of the "little flock" of Jesus' followers are under command to be present, for the apostle Paul records these words of the Lord Jesus Christ: "Keep doing this in remembrance of me." (1 Cor. 11:24) Those of the larger flock of "other sheep" attend the celebration, not to partake of the emblems of bread and wine, but to take note of what those of the "little flock" do. They know that the Lord's Evening Meal focuses attention on a marvelous liberation from sin and death, a liberation that will come to them eventually through the thousand-year reign of Christ.—Rev. 20:4-6.
May we see you, then, on the evening of April 12? There will be an appropriate Bible talk on the theme of the Lord's Evening Meal by a qualified speaker. Prayer will be offered in connection with the emblems of bread and wine that will be passed around. Finally, there will be a closing song of praise to Jehovah, the Provider of life through Christ Jesus.—Mark 14:22-26.
If you do not have the address of the meeting place of Jehovah's witnesses in your area, consult a telephone directory or write the publishers of this magazine for information. Be assured of a warm welcome at this memorial occasion.
Yours, keeping the festival with sincerity and truth,
Jehovah's Witnesses
WHY PEOPLE ARE
Attracted to JEHOVAH'S WINDSLS
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What is it that causes their numbers to grow despite their often being spoken against?
IT IS baffling to many. Why should people by the tens of thousands each year be attracted to Jehovah's witnesses? Why do hundreds of thousands of persons often attend their assemblies, with more than a quarter of a million once attending a convention in New York city? Why are The Watchtower and Awake! among the most widely circulated of all journals, with over 250 million individual copies being printed this past year and The Watchtower enjoying a distribution in over seventy languages? How is it that an organization that is often spoken against attracts so many loyal supporters?
Interestingly, early Christianity also met a great deal of opposition and yet attracted many faithful adherents. When the Christian apostle Paul was being held in custody by the authorities in Rome in about 60 C.E., certain ones observed regarding his religion: "For truly as regards this sect it is known to us that everywhere it is spoken against." (Acts 28:22) Nevertheless, the early Christian organization grew and expanded marvelously despite its being spoken against, even as the Christian organization of Jehovah's witnesses does today. Why? What is the reason?
Attraction of Early Christianity
An important reason why people were attracted to the early Christian organization was that genuine love existed among its members. It was apparent that here
were warm, brotherly communities. Christians truly cared for one another. This especially was a factor that drew many individuals into association with the Christians. John 13:35.
Another attraction of early Christianity was its emphasis on God's Word the Bible. Jesus Christ continually directed persons to the Scriptures, prefacing his frequent quotations from them with the words, "It is written." (Luke 24:44-46) His disciples, too, followed this example of giving priority to the Bible, basing all their beliefs and actions upon it. This appeal to Scriptural authority attracted many truth seekers.—2 Tim. 3:16, 17; John 17:17.
A closely related reason why people were attracted to the early Christian organization was its clear, lively preaching. Not only did such preaching exist within the congregation, moving visitors at congregational meetings to say, "God is really among you," but it was carried on outside the congregation as well. (1 Cor. 14:24, 25) The Bible record explains: "Every day in the temple and from house to house they continued without letup teaching and declaring the good news about the Christ, Jesus." This energetic preaching by early Christians drew many to the faith.—Acts 5:42; 6:7.
Similar Attraction Today
Are there similar reasons why people today are attracted to Jehovah's witnesses?
A parish bulletin of the St. Roch Catholic Church in Paris, France, noted that there is. The bulletin gave the very reasons named above in answer to its question: "Why do people become Jehovah's Witnesses?" The bulletin said: "These factors contribute—the discovery of warm and brotherly communities; the discovery of the Bible; the discovery of lively preaching easily understood by all. If they had found these things here, they would not have looked elsewhere."
The American Catholic magazine Avo Maria, in its February 24, 1962, issue, also touched on these same reasons in discussing the attraction of Jehovah's witnesses. The Catholic writer observed: "They show an interest in serving their God, become articulate and confident in their presentations, display an amazing knowledge of the Bible, and are willing to spend any amount of time studying with an interested householder. . . .
"In my visits to Kingdom Halls I have been impressed by the genuine spirit of friendliness among the Witnesses. They all know each other and their families. They recognize a stranger and make him feel welcome. They know which Witnesses have been missing weekly meetings and gently encourage them to keep up their attendance. These close social bonds would be a strong reason for a Witness to continue in the cult and to undertake the assigned missionary work."
Similar observations were also made in the religious publication Journal of Bible and Religion, in its issue of April 1958. The writer G. Norman Eddy, after an intensive study of Jehovah's witnesses, noted:
"You will see them a group radiating optimism and enthusiasm, a body which reveals a passionate inner conviction and an organization which reflects an almost fanatical zeal. . . . You soon come to realize that there is a real enjoyment in being a member of the group. There is the joy of associating with those of a similar faith in meeting and conference. Even the outsider senses the pleasure the Witness experiences in learning of the world-wide expansion of his faith. . . .
"You would have to search diligently to find a group with better behaved children or more idealistic young people. Penetrating more deeply into their social values, I am struck with their genuine high regard for the people of all races. Unlike some who pay lip service to the doctrine of racial brotherhood, the Witnesses welcome all to their society—even to places of outstanding leadership—without reference to color or feature."
Attracted by Love and Consideration
The genuine love and consideration that the Bible said would be a distinguishing mark of true Christians has indeed been a factor in attracting many persons to Jehovah's witnesses. Not uncommon is the comment of a man who attended a meeting of Jehovah's witnesses for the first time last year. He said: "I have seen more fellowship here at your Kingdom Hall in one afternoon than I have seen in a whole year at the Presbyterian church." He went home and informed his family that he was going to become one of Jehovah's witnesses.
Even persons who have been extremely opposed have had their attitude changed by the genuine spirit of friendliness displayed by the Witnesses. For example, a woman in Uruguay was furious when her husband became interested in studying the Bible with Jehovah's witnesses. One day he left for a meeting while she was asleep. When she awoke, she determined to go to the Kingdom Hall and create a big scene to embarrass her husband and keep him from ever going there again.
However, when she got to the hall, a friendly attendant helped her to find a seat near her husband. On seeing so many happy people with a friendly spirit, she was unable to go through with her plans. After the meeting, the Witnesses all crowded around to welcome her and to express how happy they were that she had come. She was deeply impressed with the sincere expressions of love, something she had never seen before. She began regularly to attend the meetings with her husband and they both were baptized as Jehovah's witnesses.
Are you desirous of discovering "warm and brotherly communities" where a "genuine spirit of friendliness" exists? Do you want to associate with those who have a "genuine high regard for the people of all races"? If so, why not visit the local Kingdom Hall? See for yourself that true Christian love and consideration do exist among Jehovah's witnesses.
"Discovery of the Bible"
As noted earlier, Catholic sources admit that Jehovah's witnesses "display an amazing knowledge of the Bible," and that "discovery of the Bible" is a factor that causes many persons to be attracted to them. The Bible is a meaningful, open book to Jehovah's witnesses, and this appeals to truth seekers.
It appealed to an attendant in a Catholic hospital in France who started to study the Bible with one of Jehovah's witnesses. But it also disturbed him that what he was learning from the Bible was not in harmony with the teachings of the Catholic church. He spoke to the theologian of the hospital in an effort to clear up the discrepancies. But the theologian pointed to three Bibles, and said: "Can you make anything out of that? I have my degree in philosophy and in theology and I understand nothing of that jumble."
The Bible, admittedly, was a closed book to the theologian. He had little respect for it, nor did he look to it as a reliable authority, as do Jehovah's witnesses. On the other hand, as the young hospital attendant continued his Bible study he grew in understanding of it. The Bible opened up to him and came to have real meaning, and this is what motivated him to become one of Jehovah's witnesses.
Do you want to understand your Bible better? Do you desire to have your faith in it strengthened? If so, why not ask for a Bible study to be held with you by Jehovah's witnesses? Attend their meetings. See if you, too, are not helped in this way to "discover" your Bible. Having an accurate knowledge of its contents leads to everlasting life.—John 17:3.
'Understandable Preaching'
A closely related reason why people are attracted to Jehovah's witnesses was given by the St. Roch church bulletin as being "the discovery of lively preaching easily understood by all." Such easily understood preaching can be heard in the congregational meetings of Jehovah's witnesses. However, home instruction, where Bible questions can be given personal attention, is particularly valuable in imparting an understanding of the Scriptures to truth seekers.
This practical home Bible study arrangement, can prove embarrassing to religious leaders, who themselves fail to provide it. For example, when a Protestant minister on a Pacific island warned his parishioners not to study the Bible with the Witnesses, one member of the congregation arose right in church and asked: "How can we grow up to be mature if we don't study the Bible with Jehovah's witnesses? You don't come to our homes and teach, while the Witnesses come and prove all their teachings from the Bible.
You live just three houses away from me, yet you never came to my house to teach me and my family the Bible, while the Witnesses live over ten miles away from here and they visit me every week."
Despite the offer to be made a deacon in the church, this man eventually became one of Jehovah's witnesses. He was attracted by the zeal and concern of the Witnesses for his spiritual welfare. But what particularly appealed to him was the clear and understandable explanations of Bible teachings that he received. He soon realized that here was the organization patterned after the early Christian one. Now he is receiving training so that he, too, can share in imparting an understanding of the Scriptures to others.—Rom. 10:16.
Other Features That Attract
Because of their firm faith in the Bible, Jehovah's witnesses strongly insist upon following its high moral standards. This, too, is a factor that has attracted many honest-hearted persons to the organization. For instance, a man in Switzerland who accepted a subscription for The Watchtower was so impressed by the moral principles encouraged by the magazine that he wrote the Watch Tower Society in Brooklyn, New York:
"I have carefully examined the contents of this magazine and see that people can be morally built up thereby and made into better people. It is my wish to learn more of this truth so that I too may become a witness of Jehovah. . . . Please do not forget me; help me, please. I shall be very grateful to you."
Tens of thousands of such honest-hearted persons each year are attracted to Jehovah's witnesses because they can see that they adhere to the Bible and are like the early Christians. However, just as
early Christians met a great deal of opposition, so do Jehovah's witnesses. On this a prominent constitutional lawyer notes: "Their aggressive missionary tactics are reminiscent of those employed by the early Christians, and the reception accorded them by the nonbelievers is likewise reminiscent of that visited on the early Christians."—Church, State & Freedom by Leo Pfeffer, page 534.
Just last summer the religious magazine The Christian Century took note of the persecution of Jehovah's witnesses in Spain, and said: "They suffer from the general humiliations heaped on all non-Roman Catholics in that country and in addition are spurned by many Protestants . . . There is no outcry either by Roman Catholics or by Protestants against this perfidious mistreatment of human beings."—July 19, 1967.
But even this persecution in Spain and in other lands has attracted persons to Jehovah's witnesses, as, for example, in Portugal, where one man wrote a Witness presiding minister: "Those who foment such persecution against Jehovah's witnesses only cause me to inquire more of the reason. I compare your position with that of the persecution heaped upon Jesus and his apostles. If it would not be too much trouble, kindly answer this letter and send me any pamphlet you have for distribution. Also, if any of Jehovah's witnesses live near me I would appreciate being able to contact them. From what I have read, I believe this to be the true religion."
Will you, too, investigate? The parallels between Jehovah's witnesses and early Christianity are unquestionably striking. You owe it to yourself and to your family to examine and see if Jehovah's witnesses are not the true organization of God on earth today. Your life and that of your loved ones are involved.
IF YOU have seen one, ten or a hundred spring-times, still that makes no difference. Each one is new and as fascinating as if you had never seen one before. For spring in the temperate zones of the earth is a time of marvelous change, when sun and rain combine to bring about that ever-
returning gift of God—the reawakening of the earth from its deep winter sleep to vibrant life!
Springtime is many things to different people. For the child, spring is playtime. Voices of shrieking children playing in puddles of water fill the air. For the housewife, spring is when the windows are flung open and balmy breezes air the rooms; when mattresses straddle clotheslines and bed sheets flap in the fresh breezes. On the farm, spring is when baby lambs appear; when spaghetti-legged calves and little pigs find their way into children's arms. To city folk, spring is when store windows exhibit pink clothes, flowery hats and real daffodils; when boys and girls hurry to the parks to see the cherry blossoms; when the sky is bright and the air is warm again.
What delight us in spring are, not only the evidences of newborn life, but the new scents, sounds and sensations that we
To the weatherman, spring in the northern hemisphere begins when the sun is directly above the equator of the earth, on its journey north. The planet begins to tip its northern hemisphere toward the sun. At this moment, on the equator, the sun rises due east and the hours of the night are exactly equal to those of the day. This is the vernal equinox, which, in Latin, means the equal nights of spring.
experience. There is wonderment in the softness of the air, in the lengthening of the days, in the sounds of birds and the fragrances of blossomtime.
Season of Awakening
Spring is not one glorious explosion of life that comes on one particular day, but, rather, a season filled with many starts and stops. Sometimes it is an erratic affair, as snow flurries and cold, windy skies follow warm days filled with hints of change. A faint sprinkling of green on a field may appear, even though snow still lies across the ground in thin patches, like pieces of paper blown about. The edges of ponds that one day are melting may be frozen tightly again the next. And some mornings there are tiny caps of snow on the gray pussy-willow catkins, and unfolding waxen pink buds of magnolia trees may have white snowy bonnets on them.
The sleep of winter is interrupted when the warmth from the sun and water from melted snow and rains permeate the frozen ground. In God's marvelous way the storehouses of life are unlocked.
Trillions of earth's tiny creatures begin to stir. The earthworms, grubs, ants, mice and moles begin to tunnel, chew, push and turn, thus aerating and loosening up the topsoil for the plunging. roots of plants.
Sleeping seeds awaken and start again the intricate process of sprouting and growing. A special pattern of light and darkness, warmth and dampness, goes to work, opening those tiny vaults protecting the precious life in seeds. Hungry little roots send their tips downward in search for food. Botanists estimate that root hairs on a single mature grass plant, placed end to end, could extend for more than 6,000 miles!
The Voices of Spring
In the thawing ponds the warm waters reach into the dark depths. Frogs push up from their winter mud homes; silvery fish slip silently through the rushes at the water's edge and red-winged blackbirds fly past nearby pussy willows. All the woods becomes alive with the sound of spring.
In the low places of the forests narrow rivulets create happy sounds. Choirs of frogs convene and shake the air with nightly oratories. Aquatic insects come to life and pirouette upon the silvery surface. Overhead are clamorous ducks and geese returning to the northland.
In the bird kingdom warm air brings about changes in feathers, voices and behavior. Like young boys whose voices crack and change, cardinals, thrushes and other songbirds suddenly have a change of voice from the dry, cold cry of winter to a sudden burst of rich melody. Many male birds have soft sweet chirps to attract the female species. Some will even present gifts of berries or twigs or pebbles to the object of their affection.
Down on the farm the tractor's snarl
becomes soothing music to the farmer's ear. His companions are flocks of chirping blackbirds, crows and other flying creatures that blissfully trail the plow in search for worms and other delicacies. The rich aromas of a warm upturned furrow fill the plowman with renewed hope and freedom from winter's bondage to meet the challenge of what may have made him a farmer in the first place—the love of seeing things grow.
The Colors of Spring
Many early spring flowers are a delicate white, yellow or fragile pink and blue. The sturdy green skunk cabbage thrusts itself upward through streamside mud and sometimes through ice and snow. The leaves of the plant encase life-giving warmth that sometimes is 27 degrees higher than the temperature of the air and is enough to melt snow as the plant pushes toward the sun. In March, their streaked, purplish hoods unfold to reveal tiny flowers that lure insects for pollination. After the flowers come the large, foul-smelling leaves, which have given the plant its name.
But later, as spring further unfolds, the colors deepen and the land is bright with scarlet tulips, deep purple hyacinths and bright-yellow daffodils and dandelions. Higher aboveground, the bushes burst into flame, redbuds of the eastern woods, paper-thin petals of the thorny Japanese quince and yellow drops of jasmine and forsythia.
Many trees bloom in early spring before their leaves appear. At first on the tips of tree limbs buds grow fat. Soon whole forests are engulfed with fragile flowers and red and yellow leaves. The red maple is festooned with ruby blooms. From the hazel and oaks, poplars and willows hang tassels, those slender streamers of tiny male flowers filled with pollen. On breezy days, clouds of this golden "dust" drift through the air to fertilize the more compact female flowers.
Elm tree seeds are equipped with tiny wings and cover the ground with what looks like oatmeal flakes. The winged maple seeds gyrate to earth like miniature helicopters. Some seeds germinate immediately; others wait until another year.
The breath of spring awakens our senses and brings back old memories. A multitude of elusive fragrances flood the air. Spring mixes the fir fragrances of mountain timber with the emerging scent of tender grass. It gathers in its soft breath the bouquet of the earliest blossoms hidden deep in the forests and blends it with the tang of last year's sodden leaves. In spring are the clean smells of fresh fields and mown grass and the exciting scents of blooming orchards.
Mating Time
For the many shy animals that inhabit the woods, spring is a time of domestic enterprise. Awakening in their underground dormitories, the hibernators come forth lean, irritable, as if to complain about their empty bellies. The furry animals discard their winter coats for light summer wear. Then the forest rings with excitement, for this is mating time. Small squirrels race after each other through a maze of tree branches, jerking their bushy tails, chattering and beating their paws on the ground. Cats let out hair-raising cries. A male hedgehog circles around his chosen female for hours, puffing and extending his snout toward her before the two of them shuffle off together. Skunks have a courtship dance at dusk, bowing and bobbing, hopping toward each other on stiff legs until their noses touch. The male elks crash antlers together in resounding fights to win the females. Even elephants court for weeks, beating each
other gently with sensitive trunks, sometimes twining them together as if "holding hands."
In the realm of birds the male parades fine feathers and swaggers about trying to make a favorable impression. Pheasants strut in colorful spring feathers and puff out their necks when the hen is nearby. Cranes prance an awkward but effective minuet of courtship. Pigeons pursue females over busy city sidewalks, puffing their breasts and spreading their tails. Male and female albatrosses point their bills to the sky and bray like donkeys. Water birds touch beaks, wag their heads from side to side, dive and present billsful of waterweeds to each other. The male marsh hawk soars high in the sky and then dives to earth turning somersaults. A male hummingbird flies in aerial acrobatics higher and higher, then dives to earth, braking to a sudden halt a few inches from the female, who pretends that she has not noticed him at all.
By June the woods is alive with tiny new creatures. Fawns struggle along on rubbery legs. Baby skunks curiously investigate fallen logs. Mother raccoons bring their babies out of their hollow tree homes to play in the sunshine and to go on hunting trips with her. In nests are hungry cries and wide-opened mouths.
And, too, there are boys and girls slowly meandering home from school in the warm air. There are eloquent young men, like the young shepherd of Bible fame who said: "Rise up, you girl companion of mine, my beautiful one, and come away. For, look! . . . Blossoms themselves have appeared in the land, the very time of vine trimming has arrived, and the voice of the turtledove itself has been heard." (Song of Sol. 2:10-14) The whole earth at this time testifies to the truthfulness of the Genesis account that what God made was "very good."—Gen. 1:31.
Scientists better understand today what it is about heredity that permits living things to reproduce only "according to their kinds." (Gen. 1:24) The World Book Encyclopedia of 1966, Vol. 9, pp. 192-194, states: "Genes are the basic units of inheritance. . . The basic chemical of a gene is DNA. The letters DNA stand for deoxyribonucleic acid, one of the nucleic acids in the nucleus of every cell.
"The molecule of DNA is a thin thread with a diameter of only about one ten-millionth of an inch. The thread is actually double, and it resembles a tiny twisted rope ladder. The twisted side pieces of the ladder are made of phosphate and a kind of sugar called deoxyribose. The steps are made of compounds called bases. There are four kinds of bases in DNA—adenine, thymine, cytosine, and guanine. . . .
"The DNA ladder divides into halves every time the chromosome divides. Each step of the ladder splits into its two bases. As a result, there are two side pieces, each with many half-steps. Inside the cell are a number of spare parts. Each of these spare parts consists of a half-step and a section of a side piece—that is, a base attached to phosphate and deoxyribose. The spare parts come from the food we eat, or they are manufactured in the body. They become attached to the two half-ladders. . . . In this way, the ladder builds a new opposite half, just like the one that split off from it. There are now two DNA ladders just like the one before it split. Thus, DNA duplicates itself every time the chromosome divides. . . .
"DNA can be thought of as the set of instructions' that a parent passes on to a child. The instructions are in the form of a code determined by the order of the bases along the DNA molecule."
Thus, during the cell division that makes growth and replacement of body tissues possible, each gene of the original cell nucleus duplicates. The possibilities for many variations are there, but they are always within the basic "kinds" that God created in the beginning. This process of duplication makes evolution impossible, for DNA does not allow for change outside its "kind." As Science Year of 1965, page 146, said: "Where one DNA molecule existed before, two DNA molecules exist afterward. Each of the two, moreover, is exactly like the original."
IS GOD DEAD?
In a school in Idaho all the students of a literature class were asked to write a poem. A fifteen-year-old witness of Jehovah decided to form his poem around the subject "Is God Dead?" The poem was graded "100" by the teacher, who suggested that he submit it to the school paper, which, in turn, printed it as follows:
God is dead some have said, and
But when I hear this senseless jeer
I wonder if they have eyes.
Have they not seen on a night serene
The stars as they go by?
And seen them shine as they keep time
In their paths across the sky?
Do they think the One who created the sun And placed the stars in the sky,
And made them bright with blinding light. Do they think He could die?
Look around and see the life abound,
And his creations on land and sea,
And can you still say this mere clay
Could, by any means, outlast He?
Oh, no, my friend, it would be the end
For us who are but mortals,
Should pass through death's portals.
IN THIS age when rockets are probing outer space and photographing the moon, people are inclined to overlook the seas as a new frontier. Man actually has more information now about the moon, which is about 239,000 miles away, than he does about the ocean depths only one mile below the surface. Yet the approximately 140 million square miles of seas that cover 71 percent of the earth's surface contain rich resources in minerals and food that could greatly benefit mankind if properly developed.
Besides those minerals that are in solution, there are great mineral deposits such as the nodules or rounded masses of manganese, cobalt, nickel, zirconium and copper lying loose on the ocean bottom. Eighty to ninety percent of the ocean floor off the west coast of Central America is covered with them. In fact, the floor of the Pacific Ocean alone is estimated to have 10,000,000,000,000 tons of these nodules. All man needs to do is to devise a method for gathering them economically.
When it is remembered that the seas cover nearly three-quarters of the earth's surface, it is reasonable to assume that they have many great ore deposits in their submerged plains and mountains. These could be mined under pressure-resistant domes and serviced by submersible vehicles. But such operations are not economically feasible when the same ores can be obtained more cheaply elsewhere.
Some mining of undersea mineral deposits already is going on in a small way in various parts of the world. Off the Malay Peninsula there are dredges that are bringing up tin from undersea deposits, and off the coast of Alaska gold nuggets are being found by deep-digging dredges. Elsewhere iron, coal and sulfur are being mined under coastal waters. A 3,800-ton device, floating in the Atlantic Ocean off the west coast of South Africa, is sucking up high-grade diamonds from the ocean bottom through 16-inch pipes that can reach down as much as 400 feet. By means of shafts sunk through artificially built islands, the Japanese are mining veins of ore under their coastal waters.
In search of oil and gas, companies have been venturing out into the offshore waters and drilling wells that, in the United States alone, produce yearly about $700 million worth of gas and oil. But these companies are only nibbling at the vast undersea deposits that are waiting to be tapped.
Conquering the Continental Shelves
Man's first significant step toward exploiting the riches of the seas is to develop the means to work on the continental shelves. These shelves are that part of the continents that is covered with water and that extends out into the oceans on an average world wide of about forty miles. Of course, in some places there is practically no shelf, and in others it extends out hundreds of miles. By international agreement in 1964, the resources on these shelves, out to a depth of about 600 feet, were recognized as belonging to the nation occupying the adjacent land area.
In order to mine minerals, maintain oil wells and even farm for food on the continental shelves, it would be necessary for men to be able to work there for long periods. This is not possible when divers must work from ships on the surface. Some divers have concluded that the best way to operate sea-floor industries is for the workers to stay on the sea floor for weeks at a time. With underwater houses that are pressurized to equal outside water pressure, the workers would have a dry place to eat, rest and warm up without having to undergo decompression.
Decompression becomes necessary when a diver ascends to the surface. The deeper a diver goes the greater becomes the weight of water over him and therefore the greater becomes the pressure upon his body. To equalize this pressure inside his body so as not to be damaged by it, he must breathe compressed gases under the same or a little greater pressure. Some of the gases are absorbed into his tissues. They come out of his tissues and blood when the pressure is released, but this must be done slowly or they will form bubbles, causing the painful "bends." Death can easily follow when the flow of oxygen to the brain is obstructed by the bubbles. To avoid the "bends" a diver will
stop periodically as he ascends to allow for decompression.
Tables have been worked out showing what length the decompression time should be for certain depths and for the length of time there. If a diver, for example, is at 100 feet for one hour, he must stop three times on the way up for decompression, spending a little more than thirty-eight minutes at it. When decompression time runs into several hours the diver can be brought up in a pressurized cylinder that can be attached to a decompression chamber on board ship, where he can undergo the process comfortably and safely.
Time-consuming decompression is a major reason why it is impractical for divers to operate an underwater industry from the surface. But when they can descend to a spot on the continental shelf and live there in a pressurized shelter for several weeks without undergoing decompression it becomes practical.
Underwater Colony
Having in mind the benefit of living for long periods under water, the noted diving expert Jacques-Yves Cousteau lowered a cylindrical cabin into the Mediterranean to a depth of thirty-five feet in 1962 in an attempt to make this possible. The cylinder provided a retreat for two divers where they could eat and rest in dry surroundings while staying underwater for a week. Using aqualungs, tanks of compressed gases on their backs attached to a breathing device, the divers were able to work for five hours at a time in open water at a depth of eighty-five feet. In the same year Edwin Link sent a diver down to 200 feet in a cylinder for a stay of 24 hours. This diver also was able to swim freely in and out of his cabin with an aqualung.
One year later Cousteau succeeded in setting up a colony on a submerged coral reef in the Red Sea. It consisted of a house that was shaped like a four-armed starfish. There were, besides sleeping quarters, a kitchen, dining space, biological laboratory and photo laboratory. During the experiment it rested on the floor of the Red Sea in forty feet of water. There was also a steel cylinder that served as a two-man cabin that was put down in ninety feet of water. Both of these underwater shelters had open entrances through which the men could come and go. The inside air pressure prevented water from coming into the dwellings. A third house served as an underwater hangar for a diving saucer, a small submersible capable of carrying two men well below a depth of 1,000 feet. It entered and left the hangar's bubble of air through an opening in the bottom.
Five men stayed in the house placed at forty feet, remaining under pressure for one month. Their days were spent in performing various tasks in the water outside. The two that used the deeper shelter remained there for one week. Instead of breathing compressed air these two used a mixture of helium and oxygen. This was necessary because they swam down to 360 feet.
The deepest an aqualung diver dares to descend on compressed air is 300 feet because of the danger from nitrogen narcosis. Below 100 feet nitrogen can begin to have a narcotic effect on the mind of a diver, causing his attention to wander and also causing him to forget to take normal precautions. He may even have hallucinations. The helium mixture does not have this dangerous effect, although it does cause a rapid loss of body heat. These successful experiments by Cousteau in the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea paved the way for lengthy stays in much deeper water.
In the summer of 1964, four Americans spent nine days at a depth of 192 feet in the waters off Bermuda. Their abode was called Sealab I. In the following year Sealab II was established on the continental shelf off the coast of California at a depth of 205 feet. It consisted of a steel cylinder that had a well-equipped laboratory, a compact galley and a dining room with bunks. An open hatch gave the men easy access to the water outside. Three teams of divers of ten men each stayed down for fifteen days at a time, and one stayed over twenty-nine days.
About the same time, Cousteau was busy with six divers in the Mediterranean Sea. He put them to work at a depth of 370 feet for three weeks. Proving that oil-well maintenance can be done at this depth, these divers replaced a 400-pound valve while a dummy oil well was under compressed air pressure of 2,500 pounds so as to simulate a genuine oil well.
About three months before these spectacular demonstrations of man's ability to live and work under the sea, two Americans under Edwin Link's direction descended to 432 feet off the Bahamas. Using a rubberized shelter, they spent two days on the ocean floor. While swimming at that depth, they were under a pressure that was fourteen times as great as at the surface of the water.
These experiments proved that it is possible to establish undersea stations on the continental shelves for industrial and scientific work. They demonstrated that man can stay for long periods under great water pressure, performing useful work without injury.
Underwater Farms
It has been estimated that the seas are capable of producing enough protein to feed more than 30,000 million people, but this would require much more knowledge about the seas and the creatures in them than man has now.
Greater food production is possible by having systematic farms on the continental shelves, where fish and shellfish could be raised for food as is done on land with cattle and chickens.
Great areas of the continental shelves
could be fenced off by perforated air hoses laid on the sea bottom. These would send up streams of bubbles to prevent the cultivated fish from wandering away. The Japanese are already engaging
not capable of descending to the great depths needed for ocean exploration or productive research. Useful submersibles need to have viewing ports, outside lights, cameras and mechanical arms, and they need the capability of diving thousands of feet. The famous submersible Trieste made history when it descended on January 23, 1960; to a depth of 35,800 feet. But
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Deep-diving Submersibles
in fish farming on a small scale. A farm was established in Okachi Bay in 1965, at a depth of about sixty-five feet. Salmon and trout are raised in nylon net cages with remarkable success. They are fed regularly through a net chimney that reaches to the surface. By cultivating oysters in the Netherlands the annual catch was quadrupled in about ten years.
Shellfish farming could be done on a much larger scale by divers stationed on the sea bottom. With underwater scooters and other vehicles they could operate a large shellfish farm. The farming of eatable seaweeds could also be conducted on a large scale in this manner.
To explore deep undersea plains, canyons and mountain ranges special submersibles are needed that can withstand the immense pressures found there. Limited numbers are now beginning to appear. Some are being made by private industry and others by governments.
Although there are many submarines, which are armed submersibles, they are
its effectiveness was limited because it had very little ability to move about.
In 1964 a craft became operational that has a range of eighty miles and a capability of exploring for minerals at a
depth of 15,000 feet. It is called the Aluminaut. The Alvin, which became operational in 1965, can reach a depth of 6,000 feet and has a range of fifteen to twenty miles. These and the other submersibles that have recently been launched or are under construction will help to increase man's knowledge of the oceans, but fleets of them are needed for the seas to be seriously explored.
From the efforts made thus far to establish man on the sea bottom, it is the hope of men like Cousteau that underwater stations can be established at still greater depths. If this can be done successfully at 1,200 feet, then most of the continental shelves will be accessible to man, opening up for him an area that is equivalent to the continent of Africa.
There is much that is yet to be learned about the seas and the seemingly limitless variety of sea creatures that our Creator has put in them for our enjoyment and use. The seas are indeed a new frontier that present mankind with a rewarding challenge.
Do You Eat Too Much?
EATING is one of our most basic activities. Only breathing and drinking water are more important to keeping ourselves alive. Wisely and lovingly the Creator provided us with a great variety of foods and has made partaking of them very pleasurable. (Eccl. 8:15) But herein lies a danger—that of overeating because of the pleasure derived therefrom.
Do you eat too much? "Of course not!" you may reply. But do not be too dogmatic about that. Chances are that, if you are forty years or older and live in a modern Western country, you do eat too much. According to Medical World News, May 5, 1967, what the late noted physician Sir William Osler once said is true of today: "Overeating is a vice which is more prevalent and only a little behind overdrinking in its disastrous effects. A majority of persons over forty years habitually eat too much."
Thus also Dr. James J. Goddard, United States Food and Drug Commissioner, stated, as reported in the New York Daily News, May 7, 1967, that "Americans are overweight, overfed and overmedicated." And Dr. Krause, in his book Food, Nutrition and Diet Therapy (1966), says: "Overnutrition is becoming a problem in the United States. It is estimated that 15 percent of children 6 to 15 years of age are overweight." Likewise a survey made by the United States Public Health Service found that "a high proportion of the population is too fat to be really healthy."
bone structure. Still another way is to take a fold of your skin on your arm or abdomen between your fingers. How thick is it? It tells you how much fat you have under your skin. Then, again, it is recognized that generally anyone who weighs more in later years than he did when he was between twenty and thirty years old is overweight, most likely due to eating too much.
Are you overweight? One way you can tell is by looking in the mirror. Another way is by checking a chart giving ideal weights, in view of age, height, sex and
However, your being overweight is not the only way you can tell whether you eat too much. Quite likely one is eating too much if his tongue is continually coated. And there are a host of minor ills, including the common cold, bad breath and body odor, that may be traced to overeating or eating too much of certain foods. On the other hand, it does not necessarily follow that overweight is due solely to overeating; faulty metabolism due to a genetic defect could be the cause.
Why Be Concerned?
But you may ask, "What difference does it make?" It can and very often will make a great deal of difference. Thus C. M. McCay, Cornell University nutritionist, writes: "Health is the reward of temperance. . . . To be lean with a settled temper means long life." And says Dr. G. Bourne of Emory University, an authority on aging: "The greatest percentage of centenarians comes from a population which lives frugally." Then, again, Medical World News, January 12, 1968, told that right after World War II Germany had little heart disease because of the food shortage. And recent research shows that "by adhering to [strict] diets despite inconveniences and deprivations involved, most lost weight and reduced their cholesterol levels .
. . Only half as many suffered heart attacks as among nondieting men of the same age."—Time, June 30, 1967.
Note also what Boris Sokoloff, M.D., Ph.D., a research scientist, states in his book Cancer, New Approaches, New Hope (1952): "Overeating is at the bottom of many of our chronic afflictions. In spite of all that has been said and written concerning the necessity of a well-balanced diet, particularly when we are no longer young, the great majority of the middle-aged population are still abusing their systems through a faulty diet. Cancer is no exception to this rule. Diet . . . is an important preventive factor. . . A restricted diet may have considerable value in cases where a malignant growth has been removed and apparent recovery has taken place. It is precisely for those who have been operated upon that a very restricted diet should be recommended. . . . The opinion has been expressed by many leading men in the field that cancer incidence in the human race could be reduced considerably by so simple a preventive measure as adoption of a restricted diet by all approaching the age of forty." He also makes quotations of others, such as that "overnutrition is unusually common in histories of cancerous patients."
No question about it, good health and long life are good reasons for guarding against overeating. But there are also other reasons. Just think of all the money you can save in the course of a year if you cut down your food intake even 10 percent! The Bible says: "He that is loving wine and oil will not gain riches."—Prov. 21:17.
overweight housewife must work harder to keep her home neat and clean. There is also the matter of control of one's emotions. It is easier to control these when we are abstemious. Besides, practicing self-control at the table helps us in exercising self-control in other areas.
Then, again, ever so many things in work or play come easier or are more pleasurable when one keeps trim. The
Women have a reason of their own to guard against eating too much, namely, their figures, their attractiveness. One middle-aged woman took off thirty pounds in eleven weeks and for the first time dared to wear a bathing suit. A housewife so delighted her husband by taking off
fifty pounds that he bought her a full-length mirror to which he attached a note: "You are the fairest of them all." Time, April 7, 1967.
But most of all have dedicated Christian
ministers strong reason to guard against overeating. Why so? Because their salvation may depend upon their doing so, even as Jesus warned: "Pay attention to yourselves that your hearts never become weighed down with overeating and heavy drinking and anxieties . . . and suddenly that day be instantly upon you as a snare."—Luke 21:34, 35.
Why the Tendency?
Why the tendency to overeat? One reason without a doubt is inherited selfishness. (Gen. 8:21) Our fathers ate unripe grapes and our teeth have been set on edge. (Jer. 31:29) One's eating too much may be due to an inherited emotional nature, or it may be due to a genetic defect, a glandular problem such as faulty metabolism.
Often the cause for overeating, however, is simply a case of mistaken kindness. As one nutritionist once put it, Have you married a good cook?
Then likely you will be in mortal danger, for many good cooks labor under the misapprehension that plumpness is a sign of good health! And closely related to this is entertaining and being entertained. Traveling representatives of the Watch Tower Society are often beset with this problem. Their hosts almost invariably want to give expression of their Christian love for them by overfeeding them! It takes tact and willpower for these to keep in the best of physical shape in spite of such mistaken kindness.
Then, again, the cause may simply be the advancing years. We are told by Dr. Anderson in Health Principles and Practice (1967) that "after 30 years of age, the basal metabolic needs for the same body weight decline about 7 percent every ten years. The individual who continues the same dietary practices and mode of living as he grows older can expect to gain weight." This is in part due to the fact that as people grow older they usually become less active. In fact, the problem of just how much to eat is, getting down to rock bottom, simply one of balancing one's intake of food with one's physical activity. In prosperous Western lands physical activity continues to diminish, for people want to exert themselves ever less and less. They ride elevators for just a floor or two and use the family car to drive to the corner grocery store just a block or two away. It calls to mind what the Hebrew prophet Ezekiel said about Sodom—"surfeit of food, and prosperous ease."—Ezek. 16:49, RS.
Nor to be overlooked is overeating due to emotional factors. Ever so many unfavorable emotional states, such as anxiety, loneliness, frustration or discontent cause some people to overeat, even as they cause others to eat less. As has well been observed, "hunger is primarily physiological," but "appetite is primarily psychological, something acquired." Thus a craving for sweets is primarily due to psychological factors rather than hunger, which can be satisfied with one food as well as with another.
What Can You Do About It?
What can be done about overeating? Plenty! There are many approaches to the problem from which you can choose. For one thing, it will help you if you keep in mind such Scriptural principles as that "not by bread alone does man live," and that "the kingdom of God does not mean eating and drinking." Yes, eat to live; do not live to eat!—Deut. 8:3; Rom. 14:17.
In this regard you might take a page from some of United States' leading nutritionists, such as Mayer of Harvard and Keyes of the University of Minnesota, as reported on in a popular woman's magazine.* Some ninety of these were sent questionnaires, and a number of them were personally interviewed. It was found that, by and large, these men are extremely abstemious. They are weight watchers. "It is wise to be somewhat underweight," is the way one put it. Generally their breakfasts are very light and their luncheons are on the light side also, usually consisting of soups or salads, sandwiches and fruit. Many of them in their main meal have neither bread nor butter. All of which makes good sense since such men are largely of sedentary habit. A laborer may need a big breakfast.
In particular do they make it a point to cut down on fats. Eating slowly helps them cut down on how much they eat, and at banquets they nibble while others gorge. Moreover, these men do not think it wasteful to throw away a bit of rich food rather than to overload their bodies. Desserts, for the most part, are fruit, small portions of ice cream or are eliminated entirely.
Said one of them regarding rich desserts: "I avoid them like the plague!"
The report further stated that these
men recognize that it takes willpower; they appreciate the importance of exercise; they walk several flights of stairs instead of taking elevators or walk part of the way to work, and so forth. And what
Then, again, many have solved the problem of overeating by the low carbohydrate diet. In this diet one cuts out all sugar as well as sweet wines, beer and liqueurs and limits carbohydrates to 55 grams a
gives them the incentive to discipline themselves in these ways? The very fact that they are professional nutritionists. They must be healthy as well as look the part for their advice to be taken seriously!
From the examples of these men it is apparent that, while there are many approaches, both direct and indirect, to the problem of guarding against overeating, they all involve a measure of self-control. For example, simply making it a hard and fast rule never to take a second helping of any food will go far to keep one from overeating. And so will the rule never to eat between meals, or to limit it to fresh fruits or such vegetables as raw tomatoes and raw carrots.
Then there is the theory of never mixing high starches and high proteins, such as bread with meat, at the same meal. Regardless of the merits of this theory, the fact remains that it will help you not to overeat, for if you take any such proteins as meat, eggs, fish or cheese, you will do without such starches as bread, potatoes or spaghetti. This also eliminates most desserts.
day.* This also results in cutting out most rich desserts, for one piece of pumpkin pie would take up the daily allotment of carbohydrates. Yes, much overnutrition can be blamed on such desserts. If you
must have desserts, why not have fruit?
Another aid to avoiding overeating is to keep meals simple. Eat unrefined rather than refined foods; eat foods prepared simply, baked fish or potatoes, instead of fried. Have meals simple as to number of items. Also, use seasonings sparingly, as they tempt one to overeat.
Of course, if you are prone to overeat because of emotional problems, the thing to do is to seek help in solving them. The Bible gives much practical advice, and ministers who preach and practice its principles are always glad to help others to apply them in their lives. "A heart that is joyful does good as a curer, but a spirit that is stricken makes the bones dry."—Prov. 17:22.
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