Awake!, August 22, 1969
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Take the Wise View of Pleasures
True Worship—the Same Everywhere
From over a Hundred Lands They Came!
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Alternatives to Blood Transfusion
AUGUST 22.1969
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. "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.
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CONTENTS
Take the Wise View of Pleasures 3
True Worship—the Same Everywhere 6
From over a Hundred Lands They Carried! 9
Mammals in Motion 14
Alternatives to Blood Transfusion 17
Pumping the Oceans 23
Zimbabwe—Riddle of Rhodesia 24
Blinking 26
"Your Word Is Truth"
The Wicked a Ransom for
Watching the World 29
Take the WISE VIEW of pleasures
THE Creator purposed that man find pleasure in living. That is why he made us with the capacity of entertaining ourselves and others with such skills as music. And the Creator also arranged for us to get pleasure out of satisfying our basic needs, even as his Word tells us: "Go, eat your food with rejoicing and drink your wine with a good heart . . . See life with the wife whom you love." Yes, God's Word does not condemn pleasures in themselves. —Eccl. 9:7, 9.
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, set the example for us in enjoyment of life as in other things. He was no ascetic. He enjoyed the pleasures of friendship, such as visiting at the home of his friend Lazarus. We also read of his being present at a wedding feast in Cana; and on that occasion, far from being averse to the festivities, he miraculously changed water into wine, that good cheer might continue.
Luke 10:38-42; John 2:1-11; 11:1-44.
Nevertheless, the Word of God counsels
us against attaching too much importance to the enjoyment of pleasures; we are not to pursue them avidly or greedily. Man should eat to live, not live for the pleasure of eating. At the same time God's Word forbids certain "pleasures" entirely.—Phil. 3:19.
To make the pursuit of
pleasure one's chief or sole goal in life is what is called "hedonism"; this is the pagan philosophy that says, "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we are to die." Such a selfish and materialistic philosophy is to be condemned, even as are gluttony and drunkenness: "Do not come to be among heavy drinkers of wine, among those who are gluttonous eaters of flesh. For [they] will come to poverty"—not only financially but also in health.—1 Cor. 15:32; Prov. 23:20, 21.
The same principle applies to the pleasures of participating in sports. In moderation sports can be of some benefit. Under the right circumstances they can provide wholesome association, entertainment and physical exercise, which is good for both body and mind. Sports, whether active or the spectator kind, as well as other forms of recreation and relaxation, have their place. But it is not wise to rob oneself of necessary sleep or rest for the sake of indulgence in such pleasures; yet how many do that very thing!
Neither should indulgence in these pastimes loom up so prominently in one's life as to cause one to slight one's obligations to one's Maker and to one's family or fellowman.—1 Tim. 4:8.
Jesus, in his parable of the sower, warned against letting the "pleasures of this life" choke out the seed of God's truth, resulting in unfruitfulness. The Bible counsels: "Let your reasonableness become known to all men"; that is, be moderate, reasonable in all your activities and relations with others. Becoming unbalanced in the pursuit of such pleasures is not being reasonable.—Luke 8:14; Phil. 4:5.
Forbidden "Pleasures"
Then again, there are certain "pleasures" that should be avoided altogether, both because of the principles they violate as well as the harm in which they result. Among such is the smoking of tobacco. The tobacco habit is costly, not only in dollars and cents, but also in health. In fact, ever more and more evidence comes to light underscoring the fact that smoking is a forbidden "pleasure" to those who would be wise. Typical are the findings published in Today's Health, September 1968, under the title, "Researchers Strengthen Case Against Smoking."
There is also the questionable pleasure of gambling. It encourages selfishness, for it is, in effect, a form of extortion. Besides, how often those who indulge in it become compulsive gamblers! Thus in the United States alone today there are some six million compulsive gamblers, living in a fantasy world. Their addiction causes many to turn to thievery and even to suicide.—Science Digest, April 1968.
and other unhappiness caused by these, the wisdom of God's Word in forbidding the "pleasures" of promiscuous sex is obvious.—Heb. 13:4.
Also to be avoided are promiscuous sex relations. When we consider the venereal disease, the illegitimacy, the broken homes
Wisdom dictates avoiding not only the "pleasures" of promiscuous sex relations but also those things that tend to lead to them, such as petting. Such pleasures God's Word limits to those in the wedded state. (Prov. 5:15-20) The wise course is to make straight paths for your feet. This is also the loving course, as it prevents one from stumbling another.—Heb. 12:13.
Seeking Pleasures Through Drugs
Presently the pursuit of pleasures on the part of many youths has taken the form of indulging in marijuana and, to a lesser extent, LSD and other drugs. While there are comparatively few defenders of LSD among professional people, there are many of these that argue that there is no difference between drinking wine and smoking marijuana. They see no harm in the fact that in some United States cities from 50 to 75 percent of the high-school students smoke "pot," as it is called, and that of these an estimated one-third are habitual users. At present there is a widespread movement afoot to legalize the use of marijuana.
But the committee of the American Medical Association dealing with such problems has gone on record in declaring that marijuana "is a dangerous drug and as such is a public health concern." (Newsweek, July 1, 1968) And six months previously, Massachusetts Superior Court Chief Justice G. Joseph Tauro upheld the ban on marijuana, saying among other things:
"It is my opinion, based on the evidence presented at this hearing, that marijuana is a harmful and dangerous drug. As far as I can ascertain, its only purpose is the induction of a state of intoxication or euphoria.
The drug has a great attraction for young men and women of college age or less during their formative years, when they should be gaining the education and experience upon which to build their future lives. The use of the drug allows them to avoid the resolution of their underlying problems rather than to confront them realistically. . . . The coincidence between addiction to 'hard' narcotics, crime and promiscuity is too great to be passed off as merely accidental."—Time, December 29, 1967.
This forthright opinion by a learned judge underscores the folly of pursuing pleasure for its own sake without taking into consideration the consequences.
Spiritual Pleasures
Pleasures might be placed in three basic categories. There are those that are good in themselves if enjoyed in moderation. And there are those "pleasures," 'sensual pleasures' and suchlike, that are to be strictly avoided as both unlawful and harmful. And there are also pleasures that should be assiduously cultivated. Cultivate pleasures? Yes, just as some people have learned to acquire a taste for olives, celery and other foods, there are pleasures, spiritual pleasures, for which a "taste" can be developed or acquired on the part of imperfect humans whose tendencies are toward earthly, selfish things.
The Bible tells that Jesus Christ, both before coming to earth and while on earth, received joy, pleasure, delight from doing his Father's will. (Prov. 8:30; Ps. 40:8) Just think of the pleasure that Jesus must have derived from watching many thousands satisfy their hunger with bread and fish that he had provided miraculously! How great must have been his pleasure in restoring sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf, strength of limb to
the cripple and the paralytic! And what a pleasure it must have been to him to preach the Kingdom good news offering freedom from bondage and release from heavy burdens!—Matt. 11:28-30; John 8: 31, 32.
While Christ's followers today cannot perform miracles, they can enjoy spiritual pleasures of both receiving and giving, and they are urged to cultivate these. Among such is the taking in of knowledge of Jehovah God, his dealings and purposes. Thus the psalmist wrote: "I am exulting over your saying just as one does when finding much spoil." How enjoyable it can be to take in Bible truths the Christian witnesses of Jehovah especially get to appreciate at their larger assemblies.—Ps. 119:162.
Even greater are the pleasures of generosity, of unselfishly serving or giving to others. This is not a farfetched idea at all, but in one way or other is generally recognized. For example, who does not like to entertain or play the host to a group of friends? And so as Christian ministers attend to the spiritual need of others and they find someone appreciative of their efforts and conscious of his spiritual need, they derive genuine pleasure from their activities. As one young full-time pioneer preacher put it at a recent assembly: Pioneering gives the most of the greatest pleasure there is, helping others to take their stand for Jehovah. It is even as Jesus said: "There is more happiness in giving than there is in receiving."—Acts 20:35.
So take the wise view of pleasures. Avoid those that are forbidden. Be moderate in the enjoyment of mundane pleasures. And keep cultivating the spiritual pleasures, which benefit others as well as yourself and bring honor to your Maker, Jehovah God.
IS IT reasonable to think that because people live on different continents their worship of God should be different? Is difference in skin color reason for a difference in the way one worships God? Should the language one speaks affect true worship, or should a contrast in customs or dress do so?
Do the practices of your religion vary from place to place?
Is there a religion that truly is the same everywhere?
Consider such
questions in the light of what the Bible says about God: "He himself gives to all persons life and breath and all things. And he made out of one man every nation of men, to dwell upon the entire surface of the earth, and he decreed the appointed seasons and the set limits of the dwelling of men, for them to seek God."—Acts 17: 25-27.
How clear it is that Jehovah God provides for all humans, regardless of race or nationality! All of mankind descended from the "one man" created by God. Thus, no matter where one might live, under whatever conditions, the true worship of Jehovah does not change due to any of man's natural conditions.
Fixed Laws of God
In the same way physical laws established by God to govern the universe do not change from country to country. These laws are fixed. All humans, regardless of race or nationality, are affected similarly by them.
Gravity, for example, is universal. Long ago the Bible acknowledged the law of gravity when it said about God: "He is stretching out the north over the empty place, hanging the earth upon nothing." (Job 26:7) The gravitational pull of the sun upon the earth is a chief factor responsible for the earth's hanging
upon nothing.' In more recent times Sir Isaac Newton expressed the law of gravity in greater detail. It is an unchangeable law established by God. Territorial boundaries, or the language or customs of people do not affect it.
From another viewpoint, any particular individual at any given spot on earth can break one of God's natural laws and feel the adverse effects. If he eats too much, he gets sick. If he drinks intoxicating liquors to excess, certain natural laws will tell him about this regardless of his nationality or the language he speaks. There is a reaction that he cannot escape, because God's laws govern.
This is much the same with God's laws concerning our spiritual life. They too apply earth wide. They come from God, and so they do not change. And just as when man breaks one of God's fixed natural laws he gets into trouble, so likewise with Jehovah's laws on right worship. Break one of them, and eventually you will begin to feel the adverse effects.
Prohibition of Spiritism
Take as an example God's law prohibiting all forms of spiritism. His Word says: "There should not be found in you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, anyone who employs divination, a practicer of magic or anyone who looks for omens or a sorcerer, or one who binds others with a spell or anyone who consults a spirit medium or a professional foreteller of events or anyone who inquires of the dead." (Deut. 18:10-12) This law applies to all of God's servants everywhere on earth. And violation of it by meddling in spiritism can only lead to adverse effects.
Why is this? Because spiritism is not of God, but Satan the Devil and his demons are behind it. The aim of these wicked spirit forces is to mislead and deceive mankind, and it is through spiritistic practices that the demons are often successful in doing this. The demons actually operate through sorcerers, spirit mediums and persons of that kind, and they have been able to bring much mental and even physical sickness upon those who dabble in spiritism.
How valuable, therefore, is the counsel of God's Word, which condemns spiritistic practices! Such practices are included among the schemes or machinations of the Devil, and the Bible urges: "Stand firm against the machinations of the Devil; because we have a fight . . . against the wicked spirit forces in the heavenly places." (Eph. 6:11, 12) Thus, true worshipers everywhere will take a firm stand against spiritism. In every country on earth true religion will have nothing to do with spiritistic practices.
Yet what do we find to be the case with religions of Christendom? Is the worship of their adherents the same everywhere?
Not the Same Everywhere
Time magazine of February 14, 1969, quoted one psychologist as saying of Brazil: "Brazil is ostensibly a Catholic country, but it is not really Catholic. African rites were brought over by slaves, and the lower-class people who practice spiritism have adopted Catholic saints and some Catholic rituals. They use the Catholic icons [images] to represent their African gods."
Yes, in Brazil one can be both a Roman Catholic and a spiritist. One writer speaks of the majority of Brazilians as adhering to what he called a "synthesis of Catholicism, Africanism, and spiritism." The Catholic Church accepts thousands and thousands of spiritists into her fold, thus mixing demonic worship and other Catholic practices.—Ps. 106;34-38; Gal. 5;19-21; Rev. 21:8.
However, on learning of this, many Catholics in other Latin American countries and elsewhere are aghast. They express themselves as not understanding how the Catholic Church permits such spiritistic practices within her ranks. Certainly the worship practiced by Catholics is not the same everywhere. How, then, could it be true worship?
Attitude Toward Bullfighting
Consider another example. Bullfighting in Lima, Peru, is one of the principal attractions each October during the religious celebrations of the "Lord of miracles." A Lima newspaper observed: "Since 1946, for twenty-one years the celebration of the Lord of miracles is carried on where the winner [of the bullfight] is awarded the 'escapulario' medallion which is esteemed as one of the most important in the world of bullfighting."
The world of bullfighting is closely linked with Catholic worship. Every bullring has its private chapel or altar with its Catholic saint.
The tooreador prays either to the patron saint of bullfighters, the virgin of Soledad, or to his own private saint, evoking protection from the bull. Then, too, there can be little question about the religion of the majority of spectators who wildly acclaim the spectacle—they are Roman Catholics.
Nevertheless, there are many Catholics who consider bullfighting to be just as cruel and barbaric as it really is. They can see how opposed it is to God's instructions to man to exercise proper dominion over the lower animals. (Gen. 1:28) In fact, Catholic countries in South America are split over the legality of bullfighting. Some permit it; others outlaw it.
Thus, from country to country the practices and religious attitudes of Roman Catholics change. They are divided on what they consider or accept as truth in their worship. They are not united in the same mind on matters. This can also be said of Protestant religious organizations that teach and practice certain things in one area and something else in another place.
Unity That Identifies True Worship
True worship, on the other hand, is the same everywhere. This does not mean that all true worshipers of God dress and eat alike, or are identical in other customs. Customs may change due to locality or environment. Individual tastes, likes and dislikes, induce periodic changes. But these changes or differences among true worshipers do not in any way affect their common adherence to the laws and teachings of God as found in the Bible.
True worshipers everywhere comply with this counsel of the Christian apostle Paul: "Now I exhort you, brothers, through the name of our Lord Jesus Christ
that you should all speak in agreement, and that there should not be divisions among you, but that you may be fitly united in the same mind and in the same line of thought." (1 Cor. 1:10) In what religious organization is this sameness of mind and thought everywhere evident today?
It is evidenced among Jehovah's witnesses. Only one kind of religion is permitted among them. That is the religion of the Bible. (John 4:23, 24) One cannot be a witness of Jehovah and at the same time practice spiritism. Nor would a witness of Jehovah ever participate in the celebration of the "Lord of miracles" by entering a bullfighting ring.
This unity among Jehovah's witnesses is also evident by their application of God's high moral standards everywhere. Regardless of where you might go in the earth, nowhere would you find persons permitted to remain a part of the Christian organization of Jehovah's witnesses who practice fornication, adultery or homosexuality. Even in countries where polygamy and other abuses are common, such unbiblical practices must be eliminated from the lives of individuals before they are permitted to become a part of the Christian organization.
Yes, Jehovah's witnesses everywhere practice the religion of the Bible. They speak to others about it, even as Jesus Christ did and commanded his followers to do. (Matt. 28:19, 20) As a result many persons today are being helped to put away their unscriptural practices. And they are being helped to become a part of a clean organization that everywhere is united in the true worship of Jehovah God. Are you interested in serving God with such a united people? One of Jehovah's witnesses would be happy to call on you free of charge and assist you to this end.
WE ARE so glad they are here." With those words, the Watch Tower Society's president, N. H. Knorr, expressed to a crowd of over 100,000 delegates to the "Peace on Earth" International Assembly of Jehovah's Witnesses at New York's Yankee Stadium, the joy of having delegates present from so many countries. Yes, for New York's assembly alone, they had come from over a hundred lands to receive instruction from God's Word the Bible!
Over 6,000 delegates had come from Europe, with thousands more from Central and South America and the Caribbean area. When this was stated from the platform, loud applause from the audience showed the keen joy the Witnesses felt due to the united and peaceful gathering of so many conventioners from all parts of the world.
The assembly in New York city, the Society's president also explained, was especially privileged to have branch servants of the Watch Tower Society personally relate experiences from all around the world, telling the conventioners just what is happening in connection with the preaching of God's kingdom in their lands. How thrilling it was to hear these reports!
Arrival of Delegates
At least forty-five charter flights brought delegates from abroad to the New
York assembly, and many scheduled airliners brought smaller groups. What a busy time it was for the local Witnesses who, out of loving concern for their Christian brothers from other lands, welcomed the delegates at Kennedy International Airport! Two twelve-hour shifts were maintained at the airport to care for the delegates.
Talking with the delegates at the airport, those on the welcoming staff learned that for most of them it was their first time to visit New York. Aboard one flight was seventy-two-year-old Henri Pougeol, who had never before traveled outside Guadeloupe. But he was soon made to feel right at home.
Those welcoming the delegates found it to be very exciting. Sometimes delegates arrived in their native costumes, as did more than twenty Liberian delegates. Their arrival caused many persons at the airport to take an interest and to inquire about their visit. About ten of these Liberians had proved their faithfulness under a severe test of integrity in 1963, and now the American Witnesses were on hand to meet these faithful brothers.
Day after day brought charter planes filled with Witnesses—from Stuttgart, Helsinki, Amsterdam, Glasgow, London, Kingston, Frankfurt, Brussels, Hamburg, San Juan, Vienna, Copenhagen, Zurich, Düsseldorf, St. Thomas, Cologne, Munich,
Delegates arriving in New York from Brazil and the Caribbean
Stockholm, Buenos Aires and Paris. Some of these cities sent a number of planes. When two charter flights arrived at about the same time, it was an especially busy time for the welcomers. Charter buses took many of the delegates to the Watchtower Society's factory at 77 Sands Street, which was used as a reception center.
As bus after bus unloaded delegates at the Sands Street factory, the area would be abuzz with excitement.
To facilitate the delegates' getting to their accommodations, they were each assigned to one of four groups upon arrival. Group One was those who had no accommodations and who needed to have such. Group Two was those who were staying in New Jersey and who would be taken there in the automobiles of Witnesses from that area, about 150 volunteering. Group Three was those delegates who would be taken by auto to their accommodations in New York city and suburbs by a force of about 200 drivers, Witnesses who kindly volunteered their autos and time free of charge. Group Four was those who would be taken to their accommodations by subway, being guided by some forty young Witnesses, many of them teen-agers who volunteered their time to take foreign delegates right to their rooms.
night? Provisions were made for them to sleep on air mattresses at the reception center. On a few nights, all 500 of the mattresses were occupied, as planes would bring in from 150 to 200 delegates each.
But what about those delegates who arrived from abroad in the middle of the
Since each plane would bring in many Witnesses, sometimes two planes arriving at the same time, the place would swarm
with convention delegates! Hence there were times when there were delays, but the delegates were patient. Many of the Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish and other foreign delegates remarked appreciatively about the spirit of helpfulness shown by the local Witnesses.
Great efforts were made to assign foreign delegates, many of whom came from lands with currency restrictions, to rooms that had been offered free of charge or at low cost by hospitable persons.
Foreign-Language Meetings a Blessing
The "Peace on Earth" International Assembly in New York was unique in that meetings were held for nine days. Two days before the seven-day assembly at Yankee Stadium opened, foreign delegates assembled in various Kingdom Halls to hear upbuilding Bible counsel that English-speaking delegates would enjoy later. Also, the foreign-speaking delegates were given descriptions of the dramas that would be enacted at Yankee Stadium to portray Bible events and the application of God's Word to the problems of modern-day life. This proved to be most beneficial, as it enabled them to benefit richly from watching the dramas even though they did not know much English.
Also, during the week of the assembly at Yankee Stadium, on four mornings meetings in fourteen languages were in session simultaneously in various parts of the stadium.
For the Witnesses from Surinam, Belgium, the Netherlands, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Greece, Brazil, Portugal and Arabic-speaking lands, it was a wonderful blessing to hear the program in their native tongues. Observed one Dutch Witness; "How grateful we really are for the provision of the foreign-language meetings!"
The need for such an arrangement can be seen in the fact that in some groups only about 10 percent could speak English. And they also put forth an earnest effort to attend. An elderly couple from Amsterdam (he being eighty-four and she seventy years of age) were among those on hand.
Peak attendance at foreign-language meetings
Arabic
Armenian
Chinese
Danish
Dutch
Finnish
German
4,148
Greek
Italian
Japanese
Norwegian
Polish
Portuguese
Swedish
Those attending the large German-language meetings were able to meet a number of Witnesses who had been in Hitler's concentration camps because they would not compromise Christian principles. One of these, Charlotte Müller, has
known God's truth since 1919. She was jailed by Hitler and spent nine years in the Ravensbruck concentration camp. Then in East Germany, under Communist rule, she was imprisoned again for six years. She had spent almost fifteen years in prisons and camps because of her faith in God and his kingdom, and here she was among the happy integrity keepers at the German-language meetings.
The entire program that was heard in English at Yankee Stadium was also put on in
French and Spanish in large tents near the stadium. There was much enthusiasm at these French and Spanish gatherings. Observers at the French assembly, for example, noted that the Bible dramas were put on with great feeling and liveliness, fine gestures and a naturalness that was exemplary. Even the preparation of the dramas was international, four of them being prepared by Witnesses in Quebec, Canada, and two by Witnesses in France. Peak attendance for the French and Spanish assemblies came on Sunday, during the
Upward of 2,500 came from Germany; many attended special programs in New York before assembly opened at Yankee Stadium
Sessions were held in seventeen languages at Yankee Stadium; Danish group shown here
public talk "The Approaching Peace of a Thousand Years." At the French assembly were 2,684, and for the Spanish assembly, 14,444. This plus the huge crowd of 104,883 persons at Yankee Stadium made a total of 122,011 that heard this inspiring talk in New York!
A high point at many of the foreign-language meetings was the release of the songbook "Singing and Accompanying Yourselves with Music in Your Hearts" in Danish, Dutch, Spanish, Swedish, German and French. French-speaking delegates were so enthusiastic that they took up many sets of music records to bring back home so as to learn the songs better. Spanish-speaking delegates were especially happy about the new songbook, for most of them had come with no songbooks, the supply of old ones having run out long ago. Some Spanish-speaking delegates said they had wanted a songbook in their language "more than anything else."
Another language used at the "Peace on Earth" International Assembly was sign language—a provision for the deaf to benefit spiritually from the fine program. At the part of the stadium set aside for the deaf were also foreign delegates—three deaf-mute couples from Zurich who could lip-read German.
Tour of
Society's Headquarters
Why had so many thousands of foreign delegates chosen New York as their assembly city? Not only to attend the assembly, but also to see the world headquarters of Jehovah's witnesses, the Bethel Home including the recently completed new building, and the Watchtower Society's Brooklyn printing factories.
On the Saturday and Sunday before the assembly thousands made a tour of the Society's headquarters. About 50 percent were from foreign lands. And how delighted they were with what they saw! Expressions of appreciation were numerous. The following are a few of the comments.
England: "It was worth coming three thousand miles." Puerto Rico: "We appreciated so much the Bethel brothers staying at their work so we could all see the factory in operation." Argentina: "What impressed me is seeing publications in so many languages; this helps us see that we are doing a work that is educating the people of the whole world." Japan: "I felt like the Queen of Sheba when she saw Solomon's glory; the half had not been told me." Japanese delegates often remarked about the factory's machine shop and ink room being as clean as other parts of the factory! Other foreign delegates said: "I never expected it to be so big." "What we noticed most of all were the happy faces." "It is the best thing I ever saw in my life!"
Also illustrating the great interest the foreign delegates had in the Society's headquarters is the fact that great numbers of them took a bus trip to visit the 1,500-acre Watchtower Farm, which provides much of the food for the headquarters family.
During the assembly week, as well as a few days before and after, more than 14,000 of Jehovah's witnesses made a tour of the Society's Bethel Home and over 20,000 toured the printing factories.
Many Full-Time Preachers Present
In his closing remarks at Yankee Stadium, the Society's president stated that 1,420 missionaries were assisted financially to attend the "Peace on Earth" International Assembly somewhere in the world. Where did the help come from? From Jehovah's people throughout the world. And at the various convention cities special missionary meetings were held.
At the New York assembly, 478 missionaries met at the Society's headquarters on Saturday morning, July 12. Brother Knorr spoke to them on the need for endurance, and about fifteen of them from early classes of the missionary school of Gilead spoke to the group, to encourage the younger missionaries to stay on in their assignments. One Witness who had served as a missionary in Italy reported that she has been privileged to help 115 persons to learn God's truth. Following such encouraging remarks the missionaries went into the Bethel dining room for a fine meal.
At the New York assembly were many other full-time proclaimers of the good
news. From Guadeloupe was a Witness who for twelve years has been a special pioneer, devoting 150 hours a month to preaching the "good news." From the British Isles came an eighty-five-year-old pioneer who has been a Witness for forty years and a pioneer for seven. He expressed hope to return to London in time for the assembly there at Wembley Stadium. A missionary AUGUST 32, 1969
from Argentina related that 180 delegates had come to the assembly from that land; and about half of them were full-time preachers!
Among the 700 Swedish delegates present was seventy-six-year-old Johan Eneroth, the Watch Tower Society's branch servant in Sweden and fifty-one years a Witness, forty-nine of them as a full-time worker. A Swedish first lieutenant before learning God's truth, he has since served in both Denmark and Sweden as a soldier for Jesus Christ.
Present at the Japanese meeting were many special pioneers. Talking to these enthusiastic Christian sisters attired in their native dress was a pleasure. For instance, a special pioneer, Sister Nishigari, related that she went to a town where there were no Witnesses and formed a congregation there, and now she is here for the next class of Gilead School. Also present from Japan were the Arai family: Chie Arai, who is working in the Society's Tokyo branch office; and her sister Hisako, ten years a pioneer and now a special pioneer who has helped form two congregations. Their mother is also a pioneer.
During the New York assembly telegrams and messages came in from all parts of the world. Why? Because of the keen interest of Jehovah's witnesses every-
Witnesses in Creole dress at the French-language assembly where in this assembly and their love for their Christian brothers.
Here are a few examples:
"44,653 of your brothers in Zambia rejoice to send you their warm Christian love." "Greetings and love to you all at the 'Peace on Earth' spiritual feast in New York from 9,811 Korean brothers." "All Japanese Bethel workers supported by over 7,000 publishers send love and Christian greetings to all assembled peace-loving Witnesses from many lands." "From the Equator alongside the slow-moving River Nile we send you our warm loving greetings—Uganda, Africa." "United with all of you we wish Jehovah's rich
blessings. Your brothers of the congregations in: Thessalonica, Berea, Philippi, Athens, Corinth and scores of other congregations in Macedonia and Achaia, Greece."
New York's "Peace on Earth" International Assembly came to a close with thrilling remarks by N. H. Knorr concerning plans for further expansion of the urgent work of taking the Word of life to people in all lands, and then prayer to Jehovah, the God who gives peace. How privileged were those who attended this grand spiritual feast, an international assembly to which delegates had come from over a hundred lands!
Mammals in Motion
MAMMALS, from the aardvark to the zebra, are marvels in motion. They may leap with their legs, cling and climb with claws, negotiate rough terrain with hoof or nonskid heel, or simply pad along on their paws. Each moves about in a style suited to its peculiar environment. Most of the mammalian species, creatures that nourish their young with milk, are land creatures.
But have you ever given particular attention to how each one moves about? Something common to them all is that they simply push backwards against the surface; the forward force available for movement is exactly equal to that force exerted by the animal in pushing backwards. By use of this power, located in the extremities, mammals in motion display a great deal of beauty and grace. The more we study these creatures, the
more we are impressed by the practicalness of their individual gifts. Let us take a closer look at some of them, and concentrate especially on the organs of locomotion—the feet and the legs.
A visit to a zoo has doubtless already impressed you with the astonishing physical variety encountered in the mammal world. But aside from color and size, shape of head and so on, have you noted their feet? Probably the most representative foot is the hoof. The horse has a full hoof, the pig has a cloven hoof, and the camel's hoof is partial. Suppose we choose one of these and consider the value of its foot in relation to its ordinary environment and activities.
"Ship of the Desert"
The camel is a hardy creature that can bear up under extreme privation. Heat and cold, thirst and hunger that would kill most animals, the camel takes in its stride. Its extra built in
earance. Elephants travel in herds, shuffling along at about seven miles per hour. In an emergency they can double this speed, yes, even triple it for attack. An enraged elephant will charge up to fifty yards, raising his mighty ears menacingly, and throwing
food and water supply permits it to travel nonstop at a uniform pace, never hurrying nor lagging behind, from daybreak till dark. It can actually be pushed to travel to the point of death with a burden of 500 pounds on its back. For any animal to hold up under such punishment for lengthy periods, it must have remarkable feet and legs.
Rather than saying that the camel walks, we might say that he paces. The
the feet forward and outward in a most distinctive manner.
The enormous weight of this animal is supported by massive, columnlike legs that appear to be shapeless and clumsy. But surely it takes this type of leg to support the vast seven-ton body. Because of his massive weight the elephant is incapable of the slightest spring, and could not cross a seven-foot ditch even if it attained the maximum stride of six and a half feet. The sole of the foot is covered with a soft,
long front and rear legs on the same side of the body move forward in unison. This produces the rolling effect that may have given rise to the name "ship of the desert." The feet of this "swaying ship" are made up of two toes protected by large, heavy cushioned soles and naillike hooves. The thick, tough cushion provides traction on sand or rock. Large calluses on the leg joints and chest protect these parts from abrasion while the camel is kneeling or lying down.
elastic horny layer as if of crepe rubber, with the additional advantage of a non-skid tread. All that appears of the skeletal toes are the broad nails.
Since the African elephant attains a height of thirteen feet, we might expect him to be rather awkward. Despite the ponderous build, though, he can move through the bush almost as silently as any other wild creature. He moves with astonishingly little noise and is master of the art of concealment. His surefootedness,
With all these aids to desert survival, is there any wonder that the camel has been a valuable burden bearer throughout the centuries?
The Mighty Pachyderm
The largest living land mammal is the elephant. This thick-skinned creature for that is what "pachyderm" signifies is a plant eater, despite his terrifying ap AUGUST 82, 1969
even on rough terrain, must be credited to his feet and legs.
Paws and Claws
Cats, all the way from the tabby to the tiger, in daily life present an amazing contrast of moods. At rest, as they purr contentedly, they are the picture of peace and relaxation. But when attacked or hunting for food they can explode into
action.
In the world of flesh eaters the cat has the sharpest claws. These cutting tools are retractable to prevent blunting through contact with the hard ground. With these safely out of the way even a big cat, a tiger or a lion, can move along quietly on padded paws, often placing his hind feet in the tracks of his forefeet with proverbial softness.
Look at the lion. His padded paws allow for stealth, not to speak of their use as instruments for freshening up his coat
where the tongue cannot reach. The loose build of the rear legs makes possible a variety of movements: pushing himself along even when he slinks with belly to the
smalllike progress among the treetops. So slow his movements, he reminds one of a study in slow-motion photography.
Zoologists relate him to the anteater and the armadillo, but the sloth looks more like a cross between a monkey and a bear. He has three long, hooked, needle-sharp claws on each of his four paws. Although his legs and arms are incredibly muscular, the sloth is all but helpless on the ground and cannot even support his own weight. The solution to this paradox is that this
ground; also springing through the air in a series of bounds at a speed up to thirty miles an hour. There are the powerful forepaws—with claws retracted, strong enough to stum with a blow; with claws unsheathed, capable of tearing even tough food to shreds.
The Sluggish Sloth
One of the strangest means of mammalian locomotion is that adopted by a small hairy denizen of tropical America—the sloth. Early Spanish explorers called him "the little armored thing," but the modern name derives from the Latin expression tarpides, meaning "slow foot." How well this describes the three-toed sloth!
No other warm-blooded creature shows such a disinclination for movement. He is so languid that green algae, which look like moss, attach to his coarse hair, adding to his camouflage as he makes
slow-moving creature was built for life among the treetops—an upside-down life at that. The sharp claws are for climbing, and
all his locomotion has to be in a hanging position, head down. Can you now see why his arms and legs have to be muscular?
He can even turn his head round and round until an observer is sure his neck will snap. But no, because his neck is extremely flexible. Double-jointedness makes him a veritable acrobat. Hanging by one hind leg, the sloth can turn his body through almost 360 degrees. This is, in fact, his emergency defense. In this position he can strike out at enemies with both arms, delivering blows with amazing accuracy. But sleep is mightier than the claw, and in no time he can drift off into one of his typical fifteen- to eighteen-hour naps.
Hopper Extraordinary
Take a look, now, at the marsupial family of mammals, which ranges in size from hopping mice all the way up to the largest relative, perhaps weighing two hum dred pounds.
The generic name "Macropus" means "great foot." Yes, that huge pouched mammal, the kangaroo, comes next to our attention.
Eighteenth-century explorer Captain Cook asked an Australian aborigine the name of this great hopping creature. The reply, "I do not know," sounded to Cook like "kangaroo" and the name stuck. Cook found these creatures hopping around the open plains without any fixed home. The largest grew to a height of seven feet. It looked quite ludicrous to the captain, these creatures bouncing about, but imagine his astonishment when some of these hops lengthened to thirty feet!
the kangaroo's powerful, long hind limbs are the secret of his tremendous springboard action, while the tapered tail acts as a balancing pendulum and rudder for varying leaps and turns while traveling along at full speed. The folded legs suddenly straighten out, sending the heavy body through the air forward and upward.
So, there you have them—the camel, the elephant, the cat, the sloth, and the kangaroo, each equipped for its role in life. Surely, the Great Designer, the God of creation, is to be admired for the intricacies, for the thoughtful consideration, reflected in all his works!
Alternatives to blood transfusion
SHOULD blood transfusions be given children at the request of a physician in spite of the objection of parents? This is a knotty issue that frequently confronts American judges. Because of this the American "Council of Judges" met and formulated "Guides to the Judge in Medical Orders Affecting Children," which was published in Crime and Delinquency, April 1968.
This Council consists of some fifty United States judges who work with the "National Council on Crime and Delinquency." It prepares or sponsors counsel in the form of "guides" for the benefit of American judges. Among its members are some of America's foremost judges. As far as it went, the above "Guide" gave fine-counsel on this difficult and controversial subject.
For example, the Council took a dim view of the undue haste with which some judges have been influenced to act in giving legal sanction for blood transfusions. In one case an emergency was declared and a blood transfusion was ordered without first having a hearing.
The doctor argued that "the child might be cold in his grave" if his receiving a blood transfusion had to wait until a hearing was held. However, a whole week passed before the child was actually given a blood transfusion. Rightly the Council stated;
"By granting the order upon a doctor's certificate without a hearing, the statute, as interpreted by the Ohio court, denies the parents their right to oppose the treatment on religious and medical grounds and thus encourages arbitrary action by medical authorities. As indicated in this very case, it was possible to hold a full hearing without harming the child; the hearing should have been held."
Pinpointing the underlying principle involved, the Council went on to say: "It seems clear that 'blue bables' and accident victims may recover without blood transfusions and that large numbers of persons die or are infected with serum hepatitis from blood transfusions. Any medical decision that a particular procedure is necessary . . . must be justified to the court as proposing the only proper procedure in the situation. If there is a choice of procedures—if, for example, the doctor recommends a procedure which has an 80 percent chance of success but which the parents disapprove, and the parents have no objection to a procedure which has only a 40 percent chance of success—the doctor must take the medically riskier but parentally unobjectionable course."
Among those who especially appreciated this position are those who may object to blood transfusions because of the risks involved. Without a doubt there are many cases wherein a plasma volume expander would be quite effective, and without the risks accompanying blood transfusions! According to this Council, so long as such 'substitutes' have some chance of success
they should be resorted to if the parents object to the use of blood transfusions.
More than that, this Council further advises: "Local representatives of religious sects likely to be involved in litigation over medical treatment should be consulted by the court, as such sects frequently know of physicians or nonmedical practitioners willing to treat children in emergencies in ways not offensive to parental beliefs." How reasonable! How just! It allows for differences of opinion and alternatives and acknowledges that some of these may even be found among "nonmedical practitioners."
Alternatives to Blood Transfusions
Anyone following the course of modern medicine cannot help noting that there is a definite trend toward using alternatives to blood transfusions. Thus Dr. B. F. Rush, Jr., a professor of surgery, wrote: "While a number of institutions and organizations use saline solutions enthusiastically, a larger number continue to depend almost wholly on blood transfusions."—Medical Science, May 1967, p. 62.
That this "larger number" are far behind the times is apparent from what the 1969 World Book of Science Service reported under the heading, "The Need of Blood," as published in the Los Angeles Herald-Examiner, February 16, 1969:
"A few deaths have been attributed to a lack of sufficient matching blood. But why panic? . . . We are not entirely without alternatives. . . alternatives which may prove preferable to donated blood. Except in unusual circumstances. . . most individuals can remain manufacture their own red blood cells within three days of loss. . .
"Intravenous glucose solution has been the most universally used fluid. Surgeons researching for the U.S. Army have also successfully used normal saline solutions on hundreds of surgical cases, including open heart procedures. They have found the sterile solution avoids all the risks of transfusion reactions, contaminated blood, allergic reactions and serum or viral hepatitis.
"Dr. Stanley Dudrick of the U. of Pennsylvania, in order to hasten body rebuilding processes, enriches normal glucose with many nutrients and introduces it by means of a catheter through the jugular vein. And soon Robert Geyer of Harvard University may have the best answer. He has come closest to developing a true blood substitute by emulsifying the same fluorocarbons out of which teflon is made."
Bearing similar testimony is Dr. Rush, Jr., in his article, "Should Buffered Saline Solutions Be Used to Treat Hemorrhage and Hemorrhagic Shock?" He relates that some physicians are so enthusiastic about these solutions that they refer to them as "white blood," and he says that some medical units in Vietnam have made saline solutions standard routine. He also tells of a hundred operations in which part or all of the stomach was removed and in which only two received blood during the operation and that thirty-four cases of major blood loss were treated with only saline solutions.
A key finding, he states, is that saline solutions be given in quantities three to four times that of the amount of blood lost. It appears that this is so because "shock" requires the replacement of fluid not only in the blood vessels but also in the "extravascular space," for which such solutions are especially effective.
Another writer shows that in "shock" due to burns alternatives to blood transfusions are superior: "Ringer's lactate solution appears the most efficacious single agent available for the correction of shock attending burns without regard to age of patient or extent of injury." One reason for this seems to be that diluting the bloodstream with such solutions aids the flow of blood in the capillaries.—Annals of Surgery, October 1966.
Because of the risks associated with blood transfusions authorities have urged checking on hospitals as to the number of single-unit transfusions they give because these can do so little good but may do much harm and even kill. One doctor has asked if this should not be done in regard to multiple-unit transfusions because of the greatly increased risks these entail. After describing these risks, he stated: "No transfusion should ever be given if other therapy will suffice."—New York State Journal of Medicine, January 15, 1965.
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