Awake!, February 8, 1970

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Awake! — February 8, 1970

Source: jw.org

Contents

What Happened to the “Flying Saucers”?

What the “Saucers” Proved to Be

Living on Pills

Onions and Blood Clots

I Was a Communist

That Colorful Coating—Paint

Inhospitable Antarctica

The Language Called “Pidgin”

Churches in Business

Big Change in Ten Years

Grateful for the Work of Jehovah’s Witnesses

Hidden Water for a Thirsty Land

Why the Sky Is Blue

Who Are the “Three Witness Bearers”?

Watching the World

The Frightening Future

One of the Most Thrilling Mysteries of All Times

What Happened to the “Flying Saucers”?

IT ALL began in the summer of 1947 when the pilot of a private plane flying near Mt. Rainier in Washington saw several disk-shaped things moving through the air one after another in an undulating path, “like pie plates skipping over the water.”

This report was printed in many newspapers, and was followed quickly by a flurry of similar reports from other parts of the country. Lights in the sky were said to hover, then to dart away at high speed, making zigzag turns impossible for any known aircraft. A flotilla of oval lights was seen and photographed at Lubbock, Texas. Radar operators in airports and on planes aloft began to notice blips on their screens that did not fit any planes known to be present. They traced out weird courses, and sometimes abruptly disappeared.

Numerous photographs were publicized, mostly of fuzzy lights in the dark, but a few showed sharply defined outlines of saucerlike objects in a daytime sky. A cross-country motorist took a moving picture of a mysterious group of white spots milling about over the desert near Tremonton, Utah.

The first news reports used the term “flying saucers,” and this name has come to be popularly applied to all strange objects seen in the sky. But many of the things seen do not have the form of a saucer; hence, they are more accurately called “unidentified flying objects,” or UFO’s for short.

At times the UFO’s became so numerous that thousands of people were seeing them, almost in a mass hysteria. Newspapers filled their columns with interviews, official reports, rumors and opinions. In July 1952, an avalanche of reports of radar sightings and strange lights around the airport at Washington, D.C., touched off such a scare. In Mexico City in September 1965, rush-hour traffic was jammed for several evenings in a row, and people passed the nights on rooftops to watch moving lights in the sky.

Many of the descriptions of UFO’s implied that they were under intelligent control and moving in response to observers who tried to approach to get a closer look. Sometimes police in patrol cars undertook to track down low-hovering UFO’s. They found their cars unable to keep pace, and returned terrified with tales of having been chased by their intended quarry. Military pursuit planes went up to attempt contact with visible or radar targets. One 1948 afternoon in Kentucky, an unfortunate pilot tried to catch a UFO. It rose ahead of him, and he reported that he was climbing to 20,000 feet. That was the last word from him. He was found dead in the wreckage of his plane.

Speculation

Speculation abounded as to the origin of the mysterious “flying saucers.” Was the United States secretly testing a new type of vehicle, powered by atomic or magnetic or even gravitational energy? Or perhaps some foreign power had mastered such a motive force and was flaunting its newfound prowess in United States skies. Most widely propagated, though, was the theory that visitors from outer space had arrived to survey the earth and study its inhabitants. There is no doubt that this idea is what endowed the “flying saucers” with their chief fascination. The fact that man was just preparing to venture off his earthly home to explore other worlds gave him cause to wonder if intelligent creatures elsewhere had done it before him. On the other hand, the idea was disturbing to those who believed that man is unique in the universe as an intelligent, fleshly creation of God.

Some persons claimed that the flying saucers had indeed landed in out-of-the-way places, and pointed to flattened vegetation or scorched earth at the site of the landing as proof. It was claimed that close encounters with the interplanetary vehicles had put out lights and stopped clocks and even motors of automobiles, leaving the metal magnetic and the surroundings radioactive. A few people testified that they had been taken aboard the “saucers,” one in a California desert, another on a Brazilian farm, and met the Venusian voyagers. Although their testimony was uncorroborated, there were the gullible, ready to believe. A religious aspect was introduced with the springing up of a new cult centered on the godlike supermen from Venus.

Most scientists tended to pooh-pooh the excitement. Astronomers were particularly unimpressed. They pointed out that it was their business to watch the skies, but they had not seen any “flying saucers.” Besides, they asked, where would they come from? Mars? Venus? From what we already knew of these planets it would be quite impossible for any humanlike creature to live there, since there was no air or water. And interplanetary probes, testing the atmosphere of Venus and taking closeup pictures of Mars, reinforced this opinion. Venus was found hot enough to melt zinc, Mars cold and dead as the moon. Few scientists considered the subject of UFO’s interesting enough to devote any research time to it, or even to talk about it in public. It was rarely mentioned in their journals. One astronomer took the trouble to write a book showing how mirages could produce effects like the bobbing “saucers” seen at Mt. Rainier, or the lights at Lubbock.

It seemed likely that most of the “flying saucers” being seen were merely misconceptions of ordinary things like stars, meteors, airplanes, balloons, and mirages, not to exclude hoaxes and hallucinations. But the nagging question remained: Could all the strange sights reported be attributed to such prosaic causes? Or might there be a few genuine “flying saucers,” really beyond the ability of scientists to explain?

What the “Saucers” Proved to Be

WITH so much speculation over the “flying saucers,” the United States government was pressed into starting an official inquiry. Since the government’s concern was to keep unfriendly aircraft out of the country, the task was assigned to the Air Force. A project first called “Sign,” then “Grudge,” and finally “Blue Book,” was headed by an officer whose duty it was to receive the reports and to ask for such investigations as seemed justified.

More than 10,000 cases were filed during eighteen years. Of these, they decided that 94 percent could be explained through natural causes. And in respect to their direct responsibility, they said that the other 6 percent represented no threat to national security.

So the Air Force considered its duty fulfilled. But the 6 percent of cases not explained were understood by some to be unexplainable, and were presented by those who fostered the idea of visitors from other planets as proof of their theories. And it had to be admitted that, logically, 600 people—or even six, for that matter—who might have seen a real “flying saucer” could not be proved wrong because 9,400 other people had seen something else that they mistook for a “flying saucer.”

A More Thorough Investigation

This situation continued until 1966, when a research contract was given to the University of Colorado to make a scientific study of the UFO’s. This project was headed by Dr. Edward U. Condon, a highly respected physicist who was formerly chief of the Bureau of Standards and has served as president of the American Physical Society and of the American Association for Advancement of Science. Enough scientists were persuaded to join a staff of experts to handle the various phases of the study, and half a million dollars was allocated to the project during a two-year period.

The report of the Colorado project was released early in 1969 in a 965-page volume. It is replete with scientific information bearing on every angle of the observations and theories of “flying saucers.”

Fifty-nine cases were investigated by staff members, including some of the more sensational cases studied previously under the Blue Book project. This study yielded convincing evidence that the overwhelming majority, if not all, of the “flying saucer” stories were based on mistaken identification of known objects.

Stars and Planets

Many persons, especially among those who have always lived in cities, are unfamiliar with the stars. Some do not realize that the stars rise and set, like the sun and moon. Venus, our nearest planetary neighbor, is alternately an evening star, setting after the sun, and a morning star, rising before dawn. It is so bright that most of the time it can be seen in broad daylight. During a spate of “flying saucer” reports, it has not been uncommon to see groups of people gathered on street corners to stare at a tiny white spot in the sky. Most of them did not realize that it was the planet Venus they were watching, and that it had been there all their lives.

When Venus is rising or setting during a quiet night, still layers of warm and cool air can cause a mirage, magnifying the image of the bright planet and even diffracting the light into various colors. And with what results?

A Colorado farmer in 1967 reported seeing a “flying saucer” land repeatedly in the early evening a few miles west of his house. Through binoculars he could see the dome-shaped structure, large as a two-story house, with rows of lighted windows.

In a southern town later that year, reports of a UFO taking off early in the morning from beyond the river east of town spurred a cruising police car to investigate. They spotted the mysterious intruder and gave chase, but it reportedly fled and easily outdistanced them. When they gave up and were returning to town, they said, the UFO turned and followed them, finally approaching within 500 feet of the car and lighting it up so bright that they could read their watches. On succeeding mornings, police cars in neighboring towns joined the hunt, and even an airplane pilot tried to catch the elusive visitor, all without success.

And what did the investigation reveal? That all these reports, embellished, to be sure, with exciting details supplied by imagination, were based on seeing the planet Venus, keeping steadfastly in its orbit more than 30 million miles away. Jupiter, Saturn, and some of the brighter fixed stars have also been involved in UFO stories.

Balloons, Airplanes, Birds

The United States Weather Bureau releases about 100,000 neoprene balloons a year to measure wind velocities aloft. Visible to an altitude of 20,000 feet, these are often reported as UFO’s. Also, larger polyethylene balloons, called “skyhooks,” are used to carry telescopes and cosmic-ray counters to above 100,000 feet. They are 100 to 400 feet in diameter, easily visible from the ground, and they become very prominent in the early twilight, when they reflect the bright sunlight against a darkening sky.

In 1948 the existence and use of these balloons were not widely known, and it is believed that the pilot in Kentucky was following a “skyhook,” little realizing the impossibility of reaching the extreme altitude of his target. In the excitement of the chase he evidently went too high, lost consciousness in the rarefied atmosphere, and his plane crashed out of control.

Another kind of UFO sighting is of airplanes following flight patterns that are not familiar to the observer. Especially at night, with their landing lights on, and far enough downwind that the motors are not heard, they may not be identified. If a plane is descending toward the viewer, the light may appear stationary, then suddenly it moves off rapidly as the plane turns toward the airport. Practice operations of refueling at night near an air base in California started persistent rumors of UFO’s among nearby residents.

Even birds, if not recognized, can be classed as UFO’s, as happened in the movies taken at Tremonton.

Meteors and Satellites

Fireballs are produced when large meteorites in space enter the earth’s atmosphere, break apart and burn up. A cluster of such objects passed over Ontario and the eastern United States on February 9, 1913, causing a spectacular display. People within fifty miles of its path saw groups of bright lights pass slowly overhead. Many thought that the lights were attached to a giant airship. The variance in accounts, the gross underestimates of altitude and speed, and the imaginary structures enclosing the lights were very like many of today’s “flying saucer” descriptions.

Man-made fireballs have been produced in recent years when satellites or the rockets used to put them in orbit fall into the atmosphere and burn up. A notable case was the reentry, on March 3, 1968, of a Russian satellite that failed to lift out of its parking orbit. This was witnessed by hundreds of people from Kentucky to Pennsylvania. They saw the pieces of the satellite, following along in the same path, burning as they met the atmosphere eighty miles high. But what they said they saw proves how easy it is to imagine a structure connecting or enclosing a string of lights, and how far wrong estimates of distance and speed can be. Of the scores of people who reported it as a UFO, many identified the series of lights as windows in a wingless airplane fuselage or in a saucer-shaped body. Some thought the object was only 3,000 to 5,000 feet high; others said it was just above the treetops. Airplane pilots estimated the altitude as 30,000 to 60,000 feet.

Such reports show the limitations of human perception. When we see in the sky a moving object that we cannot identify, we just cannot tell how large it is, how far away it is, or how fast it is traveling. A six-inch pie plate seen 500 feet away looks the same size as a 100-foot balloon at 100,000 feet. A satellite traveling 18,000 miles per hour at a height of 100 miles across the sky may seem to be going as fast as a 180-mile-per-hour airplane at 5,000 feet. If we have no idea how big the object is, any estimate we make of its distance or speed is worthless.

Radar Reports and Photographs

Many sightings of UFO’s have been made by radar operators. But a study of these unexpected echoes shows that blips may be produced on the screen by a great variety of real objects. Besides airplanes, there are balloons, birds and insects, rain and hail, meteor trails and others. Spurious echoes may also be caused by reflections and mirages, for radio waves are bent through layers of heated air just as light waves are. Malfunctions of the equipment can also enter in. Even with all these possible causes of UFO reports, the fact that there are still cases on record that have not been explained suggests that radar sometimes behaves in ways that are not completely understood. But this is not any reason to imagine that a spaceship is behind every false echo.

Some of the most widely publicized stories of “flying saucers” have included photographs as the key evidence. At first thought we might consider a photograph the best possible kind of proof. But in the case of UFO’s this has not turned out to be true.

In almost every instance where the photographer has been willing to provide the negatives for study it has turned out that they do not back up the story. In some of the not-too-impressive pictures, blobs of light on the film were caused by reflections in the lens; others resulted from defects in the film or in the developing.

On the other hand, most of the likely looking pictures turned out to be hoaxes. It is simple to hang some kind of disk in front of a camera with a fine thread that does not show in the picture. Or a disk may be thrown in front of the camera just as the shutter is snapped. One clue to such falsification is the sharpness of focus of the disk compared with things at various distances in the picture. Another is the contrast, which is greater for objects close to the camera than for distant objects. Lighting and shade may not be consistent. For example, in a famous photo from Brazil a “saucer” is seen lighted from the left side, but the trees below are lighted from the right. Often a series of photos is offered to document the rapid passage of a UFO. But when the serial numbers of the frames on the edge of the film are not in the order in which it was said the pictures were taken, or when shifting shadows show that hours elapsed between one picture and another, the authenticity of the pictures must be rejected.

Conclusions

After two years of scientific study of the UFO’s by a staff of experts, what conclusions can be drawn? First, the great majority of all the reports have their origin in the same kinds of things that Project Blue Book named: Planets, airplanes, balloons, meteorites, mirages.

The more thorough investigation has clarified the part played by physical and psychological distortions. It has explained how ordinary objects, seen in the sky by persons who do not recognize them under the perhaps unusual circumstances, can be misconstrued in perception, magnified in the telling, further exaggerated in the newspapers, and end up as spaceships landing little green men from Mars. Further, the technical analysis of photographs that were previously considered not explainable has brought some of the most notorious UFO’s to earth. Finally, the residue of unexplained reports was shown to consist largely of unconfirmed rumors and vague accounts that were not worth running down.

In summary, probable or certain explanations in natural causes were found for all but a handful of the cases examined. Even those that continue to defy analysis do not offer any basis for the theory that we are being watched by people from other planets. A useful by-product of the study has been to systematize our knowledge of many atmospheric phenomena, common and uncommon, while furnishing a sidelight on the frailties of human perception and reporting.

As for the future, it was not advocated, as scientists often do at the end of a report, that the study be continued. The fact is that the “flying saucer” episode was mainly a psychological affair, which took root and flourished in the soil of man’s deep-felt insecurity in these critical days. It offered a temporary diversion and escape from the real problems that overwhelm mankind. But now it is clear that the “flying saucers” present neither a threat of annihilation nor a messianic hope for salvation.

Many persons followed with keen interest the numerous reports about the “flying saucers.” Really, though, how much more important it is individually to look into and realize the significance of the events now taking place throughout the earth—the increasing lawlessness, the moral breakdown, the frequency of earthquakes, the general rebelliousness and earth-wide unrest. Why? Because those who have done thorough research into the prophecies of the Holy Bible are convinced of this: That the incredible events that have unfolded in great detail since the outbreak of World War I are a fulfillment of Bible prophecy, indicating we are in the “last days” of this system of things, and that there are tremendous worldwide changes at hand.—Matt. 24:3-21; 2 Tim. 3:1-5.

This is no figment of human imagination. All creation testifies to the existence of a purposeful Creator. And his Word, the Bible, testifies to his purpose to end wickedness forever, and to bring in a righteous new order. (2 Pet. 3:13; Jude 14, 15) Bible prophecy is not something to be lightly cast aside as rumor or imagination; it has never failed. Would it not be the course of wisdom to look with interest into this matter that so directly affects your life and hope for eternal happiness? Jehovah’s witnesses will be glad to assist you to make this personal investigation.

Living on Pills

By “Awake!” correspondent in the British Isles

“SLIM PILLS KILL BABIES.”

“BIRTH PILL KILLS MOTHER OF FOUR.”

Here in Britain such bold headlines confront us from time to time in our daily newspapers. In a country where we enjoy the benefits of a “free” National Health Service and where many people are living on pills, such tragedies are stark reminders of the dangers of drugs.

A recent survey by the popular motorists’ magazine Drive revealed that one British motorist in seven drives under the influence of drugs. Data published by the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry show that in 1967 family doctors in England and Wales issued a total of 271 million drug prescriptions. And apart from doctors’ prescriptions, commonly used medical preparations such as aspirin are readily obtainable by almost everyone.

Reports indicate that not only in Britain but on the European continent, in the United States and in other parts of the world more and more people are resorting to the use of drugs. They are doing so to the extent that drugs have become an accepted part of their daily routine. Commenting on the situation in America, Dr. M. M. Wintrobe, Professor of Medicine, University of Utah College of Medicine, had this to say: “Some members of our modern society behave as if life were a process of existence which can barely be maintained or endured without taking a continuous series of wonder drugs.”

Why Increased Pill Consumption?

It is freely admitted that in the United States and in Britain some doctors are prone to over-prescribe. In a lecture on the “Use and Abuse of Drugs” Sir Derrick Dunlop commented on three of the causes for over-prescribing: “There are the insistent demands of the public . . . Secondly, there are insufficient doctors for the growing population: it is time-consuming to take a careful clinical history, to carry out a thorough examination, and to give wise advice, but it takes only a moment to write a prescription for a symptomatic remedy, and this often satisfies the patient . . . Thirdly, there is the formidable and skilled promotion of drugs by the pharmaceutical houses, some of which is subject to justifiable criticism in violating truth and good taste.” (Italics added.)

Similar factors apply in regard to self-medication. Some individuals have an insatiable desire for pills. They find it easier, quicker and cheaper to go to the drugstore than to determine the cause of their problem and deal with it. Others are undoubtedly influenced by radio, television and magazine advertisements that recommend remedies for every complaint.

Perhaps one of the most important factors contributing toward increased pill consumption today is the tremendous increase in the number of drugs now available for the treatment of disease. Some of these have been beneficial indeed. However, at the same time, the great increase in the number of drugs—what has been described as the “therapeutic explosion”—has brought its own hazards.

Dangers of Modern Drugs

Never before has the medical profession been so aware of the dangers that accompany the use of modern drugs as it is today. Largely responsible for this was the disaster of the early 1960’s that brought death or gross deformity to thousands of infants born to mothers who had taken what had appeared to be a safe sleeping tablet containing thalidomide.

Apart from teratogenic (or deformity-causing) effects, modern drugs prescribed by physicians can produce, directly or indirectly, a wide spectrum of adverse reactions and diseases, including skin rashes, bleeding into the skin, bleeding from the stomach or intestines, hemorrhages in the brain, infections of various kinds, endocrine disturbances such as diabetes, hyper- and hypo-thyroidism, gastric and duodenal ulcers, liver disease, kidney disease, diseases of bones and bone marrow, drug addiction, mental illness and even insanity. A truly formidable list!

During a symposium on the subject of drug-induced diseases, Dr. Louis Lasagna of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, stated: “It is apparent not only that a problem exists but also that, despite the fairly high frequency of reported trouble from drugs, the publicized cases constitute merely the floating tip of an iceberg, with much of the difficulty remaining hidden beneath the surface of our awareness.”

In discussing the toxic effects of drugs, Sir Derrick Dunlop gave some idea of the magnitude of the problem in Britain when he said: “It has been estimated that from 10 to 15% of patients in our general hospitals are suffering to a greater or less extent from our efforts to treat them—from iatrogenic diseases as they are called [that is, caused by the physician], or, more optimistically, from diseases due to medical progress.”

In view of the hazards of modern drug therapy it is understandable why many countries have now set up government organizations that supervise the introduction and use of drugs, as well as publish warnings and recommend withdrawal of a drug where necessary.

But what about those pills that people are taking every day without apparent harm, pills that some doctors are prone to over-prescribe or that can readily be bought without prescription from the local chemist or druggist? Are they to be classified along with those drugs that can induce disease? What would be the proper outlook toward the use of such pills? Let us consider a few.

Pep Pills and Slimming Pills

The drugs most commonly used in “pep” pills and slimming tablets are ones that belong to the amphetamine group of drugs, and which are available under a wide number of trade names. They act on the brain in such a way that feelings of tiredness disappear. The individual becomes mentally and physically more active, more cheerful and more confident, even though work efficiency may deteriorate. They also suppress appetite for a time. Their effect on the heart is similar to that of adrenaline released during bouts of anger, that is, there is an increase in the rate and force of the heartbeat and a narrowing of the blood vessels.

Is it safe to “whip” the heart and brain in this way? Is it wise to deprive the body of the proper care and rest that it really needs? Hardly so, and certainly not at the risk of developing serious disturbances of behavior, insomnia and even addiction. Some who take amphetamines for long periods of time become tense and strained; some have developed high blood pressure and heart failure, and others, an insanity closely akin to schizophrenia. With such risks involved, some medical authorities believe that these drugs have no place in the treatment of obesity.

Hypnotics; Sedatives; Tranquilizers

Drugs to induce sleep (hypnotics), drugs to quiet a patient in acute distress (sedatives), or drugs to reduce anxiety or tension (tranquilizers) are frequently prescribed by doctors and hence open to abuse. They merely provide transient relief of symptoms and can never cure the root cause.

While there are undoubtedly circumstances where the short-term use of such drugs is effective and beneficial, their long-term administration is usually undesirable.

Drugs in this category depress the central nervous system. An otherwise healthy individual can easily become physically and emotionally dependent upon such drugs, resulting in addiction to them. Also, driving an automobile can be very dangerous when the driver is under their influence. In combination with alcohol, some hypnotics and tranquilizers can have lethal effects.

Analgesics

Drugs for the relief of pain are readily obtainable in most countries without prescription, and are probably among the highest on the list of pills that people are ‘living on’ today. The name “analgesia” literally means “absence of the feeling of pain” and is a reminder that pain is a sensation, not a disease. Analgesics include aspirin (or acetylsalicylic acid), as well as other pain-killing drugs such as phenacetin (or acetophenetidin) and paracetamol, sometimes in combination with other drugs.

These drugs raise the threshold to pain probably by acting on a part of the brain called the thalamus. Being antipyretic, they also effectively reduce a raised temperature, hence are widely advertised and used as remedies for sore throats, common colds and influenzal illnesses. Aspirin particularly is regarded by some as a panacea for all sorts of complaints—indigestion, settling nerves, promoting sleep, and so on. But are these drugs entirely safe?

In recent years it has been discovered that aspirin frequently causes bleeding from the stomach. How frequently? It is reported that oozing of about a teaspoonful of blood per day occurs in 50 to 70 percent of the people taking aspirin. In certain individuals, the blood loss is greater and can lead to iron-deficiency anemia; in a few individuals it can endanger life as a result of massive bleeding. It is believed that aspirin interferes in some way with the mucus that protects the stomach lining. The gastric juices, or the aspirin itself, then damages the lining epithelium and causes small erosions or ulcers that bleed.

That the long-term use of phenacetin, which is commonly found in many pain-killing remedies, can be dangerous due to a damaging effect on the kidney is well recognized. In Sweden, phenacetin is obtainable only on a doctor’s prescription, and in Britain all diabetics and patients with kidney disease are warned to avoid phenacetin.

Paracetamol, a breakdown product of phenacetin, causes neither indigestion nor bleeding from the stomach and in this respect has advantages over aspirin. Even so, it is not yet known whether it has a damaging effect on the kidney.

Analgesics therefore are not entirely safe. Thus, where possible, the wise course is to treat the cause of the pain rather than simply mask the symptom by means of pain-killing drugs that act on the brain.

Balanced, Healthier Outlook

Although modern drugs can be dangerous, their wise use under medical supervision can be beneficial to health. Thus, for some individuals the regular use of drugs helps to maintain a reasonable standard of health. For example, for those suffering from epilepsy, rheumatoid arthritis, heart disease, diabetes or kidney disease, drugs can be a valuable aid. They may even help to prevent disease, as in the case of those on antimalarial drugs in countries where malaria is still rife. For other patients ‘living on pills’ is even more vital and may have to be continued indefinitely because disease has led to some defect in the absorption or metabolism of substances essential to life, such as vitamin B12, thyroid hormone, cortisone or insulin.

However, for many today ‘living on pills’ has become a harmful habit rather than a healthful necessity. Most of these drugs act on the brain and are not without bad side effects. Is it wise to tamper with such vital parts of our body? Is it wise to take risks when it is unnecessary?

We need the same balanced outlook as does the medical practitioner who is truly conscientious and who therefore weighs the dangers of modern drugs against their benefits before he prescribes. By maintaining such an outlook we will restrict the use of drug-containing pills to those occasions when we really need them.

How much wiser it is to give proper attention to our health by providing our bodies with good nourishing food, adequate rest and sleep, rather than make a habit of filling them with unnecessary drugs! Important, too, is regularly feeding our minds with the health-promoting spiritual food contained in God’s Word. This can lead to spiritual health and blessings from God.

Onions and Blood Clots

✔ Time magazine of March 28, 1969, reported an unusual benefit derived from eating onions. A Burmese doctor who conducted tests with twenty-two patients found that the lowly onion contains something that works against blood clots. He found that when fourteen patients had eaten a breakfast containing over three ounces of fat, their blood-borne protection against clotting dropped quickly. On another day when they were given the same breakfast with two ounces of fried onions added, their levels of anti-clotting factors rose instead of falling. This happened despite the extra fat that was used in frying. The tests with the other eight patients were with boiled onions, and the results were much the same.

I Was a Communist

ALREADY as a young boy in the early 1940’s I learned much about communism, since my father was an enthusiastic communist. I was raised in a middle-class home in Sweden, and as is true with most young boys, my father was my ideal. I would help him distribute communistic propaganda leaflets in our neighborhood. And although communism is legal and is represented in the government, it was not popular and I suffered ridicule from my playmates.

As a teen-ager I think I differed in some respects from other boys and girls my age. I took an interest in world problems and had a more serious view of the future. And the more I learned about the communistic ideology, the more convinced I became that communism was the only solution for distressed mankind.

Peace by Means of Communism

Then the time came for me to do military service. The daily contact with munitions and instruments of killing increased my dislike of war and violence. The communist party program in Sweden demanded a substantial reduction of Swedish armaments and in time a total disarmament. This appealed to me. I could see a future communistic world without weapons and war. I became convinced that, mostly by peaceful means, communism would conquer the world.

When I was through with military service I had a fervent desire to improve the world, and I decided that the best way to do it was to support communism’s efforts. I read all I could find about the party program. I learned how the power of capitalism and imperialism was to be broken, how the nations would be united under one form of government, and how the world would become one great collective society without class distinctions or salary gaps.

The communist party promised to work for disarmament, dissolution of military pacts, removing of troops and bases from foreign territories, test-ban agreements, ban on nuclear weapons and destruction of existing nuclear stockpiles. To me this seemed to be the best program in the world. I felt that I had to become an active propagandist for this policy. My first ‘convert’ was my young wife, whose folks were social democrats. We joined a communist youth organization in Sweden called DU, which in Swedish stands for Democratic Youth.

Joined the Party

In the fall of 1959 I applied for membership in the communist party. As the communists are interested in having an elite party and not a mass party, there are certain requirements that one must meet to become a member. However, in Sweden the requirements are rather lenient compared to communist countries or where communism is illegal. I met the requirements and received my membership book after paying my fee, which was forty Swedish kronor ($8) for the first year. My wife was still too young for membership.

As a member of the DU and communist party, I had many opportunities to get acquainted with communists, young and old. Some of them were nice people. However, we were disappointed when we noticed that most of the young people in the DU organization only showed up at the meetings when there was a dance and entertainment on the program. Only a few came on study nights. Few seemed to care about shouldering responsibility.

Another Viewpoint

At our meetings we never discussed religious matters, but party statutes said that each member should always be treated with respect and tolerance, no matter what his religious and ethic values. Thus, when my wife and I were visited one day by a minister of Jehovah’s witnesses we could see no reason why we should not treat him in the same respectful way. Soon we were having fine discussions of topics that interested us, especially about how peaceful conditions on earth will be established.

At first we thought that the prospects of the new order of peace about which he talked so much was very much like the new order the communists promised to establish. But little by little he was able to show us that the means to establish and maintain such a new order must rest with a source higher than man. He noted from history how one man-made political system after another had failed to establish peace.

A Time of Decision

It was at a communist party meeting in the early part of 1961 that I decided to get more familiar with the local congregation of Jehovah’s witnesses. I remember sitting there at that party meeting observing my fellow communists in action, and thinking: How can a righteous human society ever be established and maintained by such imperfect men? On what basis can they guarantee lasting peace, justice and equality? How can they guarantee the honesty required of subjects in a society where all resources of the earth are to be evenly distributed? How can they guarantee the true love that is needed to keep such a society together, when they do not even use the word love in their program? How can they solve the really great problems of mankind, such as sickness, aging and death?

Suddenly I heard my name being mentioned from the platform. I pricked up my ears and heard that they had chosen me for a certain commission in the party executive. What should I do? After the meeting that night I told the chairman that I could not accept the commission.

Soon thereafter I resigned from membership in the party, and both my wife and I resigned from membership in the DU. The chairman tried to persuade us, saying: “You don’t need to leave the party for religious reasons; there are even priests who are members.” We explained that we did not follow the example of priests.

Making Comparisons

Although I had resigned from the party, we still had roots in communism. We were not altogether certain what to do. In July 1961 the so-called Östersjöveckan (Baltic Sea Week) was to be held in Rostock, East Germany. It is an annual international communist meeting with delegates mainly from the countries around the Baltic Sea. My wife and I had been planning to attend. But a mental conflict arose because Jehovah’s witnesses were having an international assembly in Copenhagen that same week. We decided to go to Rostock.

All the time we were there in Rostock we were trying to compare ‘our convention’ with the convention that the Witnesses were attending in Copenhagen. We noticed the conduct of ‘our delegates’ and thought of the conduct of the Witnesses. I must say we were disappointed with many of ‘our delegates.’ They were smoking and drinking heavily and the moral standard was not very high. Sometimes quarrels and trouble occurred. We would say to each other: ‘This surely is not happening among the Witnesses in Copenhagen.’ We had in mind the good conduct of the Witnesses we knew in Sweden. We had noticed that they did not smoke, get drunk or engage in immorality. We also thought of their firm neutral stand as to politics.

The consistent refusal of Jehovah’s witnesses to take part in warfare had made a deep impression upon us. The communists often talked about the horrors of war and especially of nuclear war. But we often asked ourselves: Why do not the communists themselves disclaim any connection with wars of the nations as the Witnesses do? Why all this talk about not killing people with nuclear bombs when the communists themselves learn to kill with guns? What difference does it make to the victims? During the Baltic Sea Week the communists talked much about the Baltic Sea as the “Sea of Peace,” and they claimed that the countries around the Baltic Sea should make up a nuclear-free zone. But why did the Russians at that time accompany this claim with detonations of superpowerful hydrogen bombs up at Novaya Zemlya, just 1,000 miles northeast of the Baltic Sea?

The questions piled up. Of course, we knew the communists had their explanations, but by this time we wanted more than explanations—we desired evidence that the communist way could help people live together in peace. Such evidence was lacking. On the other hand, we knew of the desirable circumstances that obtained among Jehovah’s witnesses. So on our way home from Rostock we agreed that we had been at the wrong place. We should have been in Copenhagen among Jehovah’s witnesses.

In the fall of 1961 we cleaned from our life and home all political and atheistic literature. The year 1961 was one of great changes for us, and we finished it by symbolizing our dedication to Jehovah God by water baptism on December 31. Since then we have been active in teaching others—including our little son—about God’s peaceful new order of things.

For the last five years we have had the privilege of serving as full-time ministers, using most of our time in preaching and teaching the Bible. And in August 1969, when Jehovah’s witnesses had their “Peace on Earth” International Assembly in Copenhagen, Denmark, we were there and learned more, not only about the hope for a better system in which to live, but also about the true means to realize it—God’s kingdom under his reigning King, Jesus Christ.—Contributed.

That Colorful Coating—Paint

By “Awake!” correspondent in Canada

IT ADDS color to rooms in our homes, schools, offices and factories. Automobiles and toys are made attractive by it. It protects buildings, farm machinery and tools from the wind, rain, and heat from the sun. Truly, that colorful coating, paint, is enjoying wider popularity than at any time in history.

Thousands of millions of dollars annually are spent for it; Canadians alone lay out almost 200 million dollars a year for paint. In Canada more than 150 paint plants produce this colorful coating. And in the United States over 635,000,000 gallons of paint are sold by manufacturers each year. That is enough paint to cover some 11,400 square miles, or an area almost the size of the Netherlands!

Thousands of Years of Use

The use of paint is not of recent origin. Ancient peoples, particularly the Egyptians, realized that certain pigments found in the soil could be mixed with a liquid and applied to their buildings. For example, colorful reds and yellows were obtained by mixing ochers (natural-colored earths) with water.

Also, pigments were imported from other countries to supplement those found in the Egyptian soil. From the madder roots, which were imported from India, various shades of red, violet and brown were prepared. And from the indigo plant a deep blue color was produced.

Other civilizations were quick to copy the techniques of paint making developed by the Egyptians. Roman artists made use of the same colors and, with few exceptions, the same methods of producing them. However, after the fall of the Roman Empire of the West in 476 C.E. the art of making paints virtually disappeared.

It was near the end of the Middle Ages that the use of paint for decorative and protective purposes began its reemergence in England. At first paints were used chiefly on churches. Then they were used on public buildings and the houses of the wealthy. Since paint was expensive to produce, it was a mark of social distinction to have one’s dwelling painted.

It was not until the 1700’s that paint was made commercially by a few persons who went into the business in the United States and Europe. These early manufacturers produced only the materials for paint; the painter was required to do his own mixing and formulating. It was not until 1867 that prepared paints were first marketed. The development in the late 1800’s of new machines for grinding and mixing enabled paint manufacturers to turn out large volumes of paint, and soon paint making entered an era of rapid development.

The Ingredients

It is estimated now that most paint manufacturers carry an inventory of almost 1,000 different items. Perhaps as many as 500 of these are in daily use. Great strides have been made in the development of new paints. Indeed, not long ago a popular magazine observed: “Eighty-five percent of the paints on sale today didn’t even exist five years ago.” Yet, paint raw materials might be classified into four main groups: (1) Pigments, (2) vehicles, (3) solvents or thinners and (4) additives.

Pigments are the substances that give color and opacity to paint coatings. The ancients frequently used vegetable and animal matter to color their paints, but these are of little importance in paint making today. Still used, however, are earth pigments, called natural or mineral pigments. These are obtained from certain earths that are mined, finely ground and refined. But the most commonly used pigments today are chemical ones.

The vehicle is that part of the paint that carries the pigment. It may consist of oils or varnishes. Drying oils that are used in paint vehicles have the property of converting from a liquid to a solid state when exposed to the oxygen of the air. The paint vehicle thus dries and hardens when it contacts the air. The resulting hard film holds the pigment on the painted surface.

Perhaps the most common thinners for paint are either water or turpentine. These are added to thin the paint to the proper viscosity or thickness for easy spreading on a surface. Although thinners, too, might be considered part of the vehicle, they function somewhat differently in a paint. They begin to evaporate after application of the paint on a surface, leaving the film-forming material exposed for permanent drying.

Paint additives often include compounds of lead, manganese or cobalt. These accelerate the drying of the paint.

How Paint Is Made

Paint is basically a dispersion of colored pigments in a vehicle or liquid medium. The paint maker prepares a rather heavy paste by mixing together dry pigments and a portion of the vehicle. This process might be compared with what a housewife does when she mixes ingredients with her mechanical mixer, perhaps in preparing cake batter. In paint making the mixing cycle is continued until a fluid but somewhat lumpy paste is formed.

The next step requires what is known as grinding. A roller mill of steel cylinders that rotate against each other is frequently used for this. The purpose of the grinding is to pull the pigment particles apart so that each particle will be coated by the resinous vehicle. Another type of mill consists of a revolving drum partly filled with steel balls. By constantly revolving for many hours, the steel balls are able to disperse the pigment particles throughout the vehicle.

After the grinding process, the balance of the vehicle as well as the solvent thinners are added. Also, driers often are added at this time. But when the enclosed steel-ball mill is used, all ingredients generally are included from the beginning. Of course, with the development of water-base paints new types of equipment are used for dispersing pigments and liquids. Tinting of the batch comes next, adding just the proper amount of color to give the batch the exact shade desired. Finally, the paint is moved to automatic machines that fill, cover and code the containers.

The Colors to Use

Since all of us enjoy pleasant surroundings, it will be of interest to consider how you might add pleasantness to your home by employing that colorful coating—paint. Home decorators usually choose colors that will complement other articles in a room, such as those in furniture, rugs or draperies.

Light colors in a small room will create an impression of size, a point to remember when decorating apartments. A continuous flow of neutral tints through several rooms adds an air of spaciousness, inviting one to accent these tints with colorful rugs, cushions or pictures. Keep in mind, though, that an excessive number of colors in any one room can give a cluttered look.

Here are additional helpful hints: Tints of yellow, peach and rose are warm colors. They create a comfortable and mellow charm in rooms facing north and east. Greens and blues in their pastel tones are pages from the marvelous creation around us. One can just feel the cool, relaxing atmosphere imparted by these colors in rooms facing south and west. Rich, bright colors, such as reds and oranges, are exciting colors. But a word of caution. One might tire of them easily. They have a stimulating effect, often reflecting youthful personality or that of one who likes change. Therefore, they often can be suited to the bedrooms of children.

When choosing colors, remember that when a paint is spread over a large area it will appear darker than it does on a small color sample. Therefore, select a lighter shade and it will probably be the color you desire when it is applied to a wall. Also, since colors change under artificial light, it is wise to observe color samples both in daylight and in night light.

Selecting the Proper Coating

Paint is made in a number of finishes, ranging from a high gloss to a flat finish. Generally a low gloss or flat finish will give the most pleasing appearance on a large surface. Flat paints have a greater proportion of pigment to binder, hence they have a rougher finish that scatters the light in all directions. Thus, fewer surface irregularities will show when using a flat paint. However, flat finishes have the shortcoming of being more subject to soiling, and are more difficult to clean.

Thus, if frequent cleaning is necessary, as in a kitchen, bathroom, hallway, or in cupboards and on wood trim, it would be practical to apply a semigloss or highgloss paint. Semigloss would seem to be a compromise that will afford ease of cleaning and will not reflect too many surface imperfections.

In living rooms and bedrooms, a pleasing appearance often overshadows serviceability. Hence a home decorator might choose a flat finish. In the closets, though, where there might be a tendency to mark up the walls, a semigloss paint will make for easier cleaning and a brighter appearance. But since a flat paint has more hiding power and thus often requires but one coat, this is something to consider if time and cost are factors.

Important, too, is the exercise of care in preparing the surface to be painted. Walls and wood trim should be clean before painting. And if the old finish is semigloss or gloss enamel, provide “tooth” for the new application by sanding.

Decorating homes with paint has been common for millenniums; the practice even being alluded to in the Bible. (Jer. 22:14) When proper materials are used and appropriate shades selected, paint is indeed a colorful coating that can add protection, beauty and pleasantness to your surroundings.

Inhospitable Antarctica

● This continent at the South Pole is the coldest and most desolate region on earth, with temperatures dropping in the winter at places to minus 100 degrees Fahrenheit and more.

The Language Called “Pidgin”

Awake! correspondent in New Guinea

JUST north of Australia is the island of New Guinea, second only to Greenland as the largest island in the world. Here the common means of spoken communication is by that language called “Pidgin,” or, more correctly, “Melanesian-Pidgin.”

This is a relatively new language, being only about one hundred years old. And it has less than 2,000 words. Thus, one may be inclined to think that it just does not have a word to express the thoughts desired. Yet, by skillful employment of the available words Melanesian-Pidgin can be most definite and expressive.

How did this language develop? What useful purpose does it serve? How are thoughts expressed in this language when there is no specific word for the subject being discussed? What attitude do different ones have toward Melanesian-Pidgin?

Its Origin

Pidgin is a language that developed mainly due to trade, the word “Pidgin” being thought to be a corruption of the English word “business.” Originally a language called “Pidgin” was developed by English traders and natives along the China coast in the seventeenth century in order to transact business. Then, in time, many Pidgin dialects developed in various places, generally for the same purpose.

In 1788 English immigrants reached Australia, and soon afterward an Australian Pidgin developed to facilitate communication with the natives. Regarding its spread from there, The Encyclopædia Britannica notes:

“Since Pidgin developed on the east coast of Australia at the end of the 18th century, considerably before the Pacific islands opened up for trade, Australia must be regarded as the primary source of Pacific Pidgin. . . . The link between Australian and New Guinea Pidgin is naturally close; the New Guinea native’s vocabulary includes many words which were first introduced in Australia.”

The island of New Guinea was virtually unknown to the outside world as recently as about a hundred years ago. But then traders, missionaries and colonizers began to arrive in ever-increasing numbers. It was at this time that the Melanesian-Pidgin language had its birth. This language now includes words of English derivation and borrowings from German, Melanesian, Polynesian and Malay.

Its Value

Due to its unruly, “weed-grown” nature, attempts have long been made to suppress Pidgin. But by the latter quarter of the nineteenth century German traders found it so firmly entrenched in New Guinea that natives refused to speak German. This irked Baron von Hesse-Wartegg, who urged that this “Pidgin nonsense” be replaced “by a sensible German language.” Yet, any attempts in this direction resulted only in a number of German words being introduced into Pidgin.

Even today the use of Pidgin is forbidden in the schools of New Guinea. Powerful forces continue their efforts to suppress the language. But, despite this opposition, it cannot be denied that Melanesian-Pidgin serves in a practical way. How so? Well, consider the circumstances in this remote place.

New Guinea is an island of high mountains, plateaus and hidden valleys, parts of which have never been explored by white men. It is the home of many tribal peoples, who speak over 500 different languages! In some instances there may be no more than 5,000 persons in a single language group.

In earlier times there was very little exchange between the tribal groups on matters of trade. True, there were frequent tribal wars, but few cultural contacts between the tribes. But now times are changing. There is the need of a means of communication that can be quickly and easily learned. Melanesian-Pidgin is fulfilling that need. And as this language penetrates into the most distant and difficult reaches of New Guinea, more and more tribal people can communicate with one another. In a short time they can master this language, whereas a more complex language would be much more difficult to learn.

Skillful Use of Limited Words

The number of words in Melanesian-Pidgin are increasing, but there still are fewer than 2,000 of them. Older languages commonly have many times that number. But even with a limited number of words it is possible to be definite and expressive. One simply needs to learn how to arrange properly the limited vocabulary.

Consider, for example, what is done in connection with the word for bread, which is “bret” in Melanesian-Pidgin. Since there is no word for bakery, one says “haus bret,” literally “bread house.” The baker is “man bilong wokim bret,” that is, “a man who makes bread.” A loaf of bread is simply “hap bret,” which does not mean half a loaf of bread, but “a piece of” bread. A sliced loaf? Well, that is “bret ol i-katim pastaim,” or “bread previously cut up.”

So even though there are things for which there is not an exact word in Melanesian-Pidgin, one can usually express adequately the thought one has in mind. Thus, without a word for “Creator,” one is not at a loss to express what that title implies, namely, “Man bilong wokim olgeta samting,” which literally means, “the One who makes all things.”

Putting the Language in Writing

There are problems that arise in the translating of literature into Melanesian-Pidgin. However, parts of the Bible, which is the best of literature, have been translated into it. These parts include the four Gospels, the Acts of the Apostles and some of the apostle Paul’s letters. And it is to the credit of the New Guineans that these books are eagerly sought and studied.

More and more reading material is being produced in Melanesian-Pidgin. Public notices and pamphlets now appear in Melanesian-Pidgin, as well as newspapers and a range of books. Also, the internationally distributed journal The Watchtower is published in Melanesian-Pidgin. Some 3,800 copies are printed each issue.

In this day when one of the greatest needs of mankind is to communicate with persons of all races and nationalities without misunderstanding, that language called “Pidgin” is a means to that end.

Churches in Business

IN RECENT years there has been growing evidence that churches are deeply involved in big business, much to the consternation of a great many people. They have invested huge sums of money in a wide variety of business enterprises. Because the profits they receive from these businesses are very often tax exempt fewer taxes come in to all levels of government. This creates a greater burden for the average taxpayer.

An article appearing in Reader’s Digest of March 1969 discussed this tax loss and said: “For federal and state governments, church-owned and church-operated businesses represent a large loss of revenue—the taxes that would be collected if the enterprises were run by competitive private industry. It is impossible to calculate the loss exactly, but responsible estimates put it at $6.5 billion a year.”

Think how much individual taxes could be reduced if these taxes were paid. This loss is just in the United States. Other countries are also losing from tax-exempt church income from businesses.

The situation in Canada was frankly exposed in editorial comments made over radio station CFRA in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, on November 15, 1968. Among other things that broadcast said:

“The churches have been shouting from the pulpits and corridors of the legislative buildings about how they would have to cut back their good works if taxed. . . . But what they don’t tell you from the pulpits, or anywhere else is the fact that the organized church today has become one of the country’s biggest business organizations, and not one red cent of profits from any of those organizations is taxed. Now when I say business organizations I mean just that. Churches in Canada own used car lots, they own bowling alleys, pool halls, apartment buildings. . . . Parliamentary reporter Paul Akehurst claims that the church in Ottawa is one of the city’s biggest slum landlords, raking in profits from the misery of others, and not a cent of those profits taxable.

“The United and Anglican Churches in Canada have more than 100 million dollars invested, 100 million dollars in every kind of imaginable enterprise, yes, even in some of these industries manufacturing arms and napalm to be used against human beings.”

The Vatican is the head of the Roman Catholic Church, and it too is deeply involved in big business. From its position on the Tiber River in Rome it governs a vast business empire that stretches around the world.

Recently a book was published that sheds some light on the size of its business operations. The book is entitled “The Vatican Empire”; it was written by Nino Lo Bello, a Roman Catholic journalist. By careful research the author was able to gather enough evidence to show that the Vatican has business holdings of truly astonishing dimensions. He says: “As one of the world’s largest shareholders, the Vatican holds securities frequently quoted as being worth $5.6 billion. The sum is probably an understatement, for the Vatican has invested in exchanges throughout the world, and even a conservative estimate of its portfolio tends to show that the figure is in excess of $5.6 billion.”

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Awake!, February 8, 1970