Awake!, April 8, 1970

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Awake! — April 8, 1970

Source: jw.org

Contents

It’s a Big Job to Be A Good Parent

Taking Time to Be a Good Parent

Four Aids for Good Health

Are You Accident-Prone?

A Search for the Truth of God

‘No Time to Read the Bible’

Our Marvelous Roof—the Sky

Population and Land Area

Fez—Where Past Meets Present

Most Common Metal

Trapped in a Torrent Valley

The Versatile Palm

Is Yours the Right Religion?

Watching the World

How Valuable, Really, Is Truth?

Now . . . You Can Read with Greater Understanding!

It’s a Big Job to Be A Good Parent

BEING a good parent is a big job, especially in these days. In fact, it is likely more challenging now than in any other period of human history.

The father is usually gone all day, out of sight of his children. Some hold down two jobs. When they come home, often traveling long distances, they are tired. But the children need their father to take an interest in them, to talk with them and to do things with them.

The mother, too, is busy trying to care for the house and make ends meet in these days of inflation and high prices. Some mothers even take secular jobs to make more money for family needs. Besides this, a big share of the task of rearing the children—cooking their meals, washing and ironing their clothes, looking out for their health and providing them guidance—falls to her.

In addition to pressures on fathers and mothers, youngsters also have unusual pressures on them in this difficult era. They are confronted with immorality among those their own age, as there is growing permissiveness toward loose sexual conduct. They are surrounded by youngsters who take drugs, who have disrespect for parents, and who have contempt for authority. Pressures to conform to unusual, suggestive styles of clothing are also heavy. They are bombarded by magazine, newspaper, motion-picture and television suggestions toward sex, violence and a materialistic outlook. They desperately need the loving help of their parents in order to cope with these pressures.

How, in this ‘pressure-cooker’ atmosphere, can fathers and mothers who want to be good parents cope with the job?

Going to the Best Source

Jehovah God is the Creator of man and woman. He made the human body and mind. He also originated marriage. (Gen. 2:18-24) And he initiated the producing of children by giving men and women the ability to have offspring.—Gen. 1:27, 28.

Who, then, knows more about how to handle the job of being a good parent? Does it not make sense to go directly to the Originator of the family for the best advice? That advice is contained in his inspired Word, the Bible.—2 Tim. 3:16.

Taking Time to Be a Good Parent

IT IS fine for conscientious parents to be concerned about providing their children with the material needs of life—food, shelter and clothing. That is proper and necessary.

But even more important is the need for parents to take time to fill the emotional, mental and spiritual needs of their children.—Matt. 4:4.

Children need the love and affection that parents can give. This includes affectionate hugs and kisses, showing in a physical way that they are loved. In fact, without this, infants may become emotionally disturbed, even mentally unbalanced. That is why it has been found advantageous even in orphanages to have nurses, or other women, come in periodically to hold the children and display affection toward them. Yes, Jehovah created children with that need, and provided adults with the ability to give it.

As the children grow older, the need to spend time with them does not diminish. Particularly in their early teens, as pressures mount, youngsters are often beset by problems, doubts, questions. The public school is not equipped to handle all of these. And God’s Word shows that it is not the school’s primary responsibility. It is the responsibility of parents to guide children. This can be done only by communicating with them.

Talking Over Their Problems

Much of the ‘communication gap’ between parents and children today is the fault of parents. Many of them have to a large extent abandoned their responsibility of spending time with their children. They do not take the time to listen to their problems and questions and to provide firm but kindly counsel. Some wait until the child is ten or fifteen years old before beginning this vital communication. That is too late. It must begin in infancy.

This communication should involve a two-way discussion. Parents cannot really get to know their children’s needs unless they listen to them. This is not accomplished by just dictating to them all the time as to what they must do and not do. Such dictation might make them go elsewhere for frank discussions.

In this regard, God’s Word notes: “You, fathers, do not be irritating your children, but go on bringing them up in the discipline and authoritative advice of Jehovah.” (Eph. 6:4) By constantly telling children what to do without encouraging them to express themselves, without reasoning with them, they may become less and less willing to communicate—hence the ‘gap.’

Even when a youngster has done something wrong and needs correction or punishment, it is often beneficial for the parent to reason with the child, to show him what he has done wrong, why it is wrong, what the consequences of the action are, and why another course is superior—all from God’s viewpoint. That takes time, but it is a good investment in the future of the child.

Parental Unity Vital

In regard to giving counsel, discipline or even punishment, a united stand on the part of both parents is vital.

It is shattering to children for them to see their parents arguing or airing differences openly, especially when the difficulties involve the children. It is calamitous for the father to say one thing to his children, and then have the mother say another. This divides the children’s emotions, and often their loyalties.

Airing differences in front of the children should be avoided like the plague. It is a poison that can kill your family’s unity and happiness. True, there will be differences of opinion between husband and wife on various things. But these should be settled IN PRIVATE, away from the children.

The fact that the husband is to be “head of his wife” does not mean that his views on how matters are to be handled are the only ones that are of any consequence. (Eph. 5:23) It is a wise and loving husband who listens when his wife makes suggestions and gives serious consideration to what she says.

As for the wife, she “should have deep respect for her husband.” (Eph. 5:22, 33) God has appointed the man as the head of the family and equipped him for it. Hence, the wife should not attempt to usurp or undercut her husband’s position as head by disputing with him in front of the children. No, she should honor his position. She is not to be a competitor, but a helper, for in creating woman for man God said: “I am going to make a helper for him, as a complement of him.”—Gen. 2:18.

Reaching Final Decisions

However, after private discussion on a particular matter, what if there is still a difference of opinion between husband and wife on how to deal with their children? What then?

Then the course of action that is most successful, the one that really works for the best, the one that God’s Word gives, is this: “As the congregation is in subjection to the Christ, so let wives also be to their husbands in everything.”—Eph. 5:24.

This means that it is the husband’s right and responsibility to make the final decision. Even though the wife may not agree, she should abide by it and support it once he makes his decision. Of course, this is provided that the husband is not asking her to do something that breaks God’s laws. If he did that, then she would have to “obey God as ruler rather than men.”—Acts 5:29.

There is a captain on every ship. Jehovah has appointed man in that capacity for the family. Oh, yes, he will make mistakes; but so will she. But the greatest mistake for both would be not to follow this God-ordained procedure and thus remain divided.

Parental unity will have a very wholesome effect on the children. It will increase their love and respect for their parents, for parental authority and for Jehovah’s arrangements. And even if it does not, even if the children allow themselves to be more influenced by outside pressures and turn away from the counsel of their parents after they are old enough to leave home, then parents can be comforted in the knowledge that they did the best they could. Remember, as the Bible shows, Esau did not turn out as well as Jacob, even though both Esau and Jacob were twins and had the same upbringing, being sons of the God-fearing Isaac and Rebecca.

Work Habits

Time is also required to provide practical training for the children. They should all make some contribution to the family’s welfare, by taking care of things such as cleaning, mowing the lawn, setting the table, cooking, washing the dishes, and so forth. Of course, in the case of small children, their capacity is limited, and they will make mistakes. But do not let these mistakes deter you from beginning this training early.

It is tragic to see how many young men and women are unprepared for their respective roles in life. Some brides have never cooked a meal before marriage!

Good parents will begin assigning children tasks while they are very young, planning together the progressive training of their offspring. The mother can give the young girl little things to do in preparing meals or helping to set the table. Gradually, over the years, this can be expanded until the girl has learned how to prepare the entire meal. How grateful both she and her future husband will be for that training!

The loving father will spend time training his son to shoulder the responsibilities of a man. Teach him to do things around the house at an early age. Let him handle a paintbrush, hammer or other tools. Help him to learn things he will be concerned with later, such as driving a car, money matters, even such things as insurance and tax returns. Guide him into a practical trade for use in later life. Help him to understand the woman’s different makeup and needs, matters that he needs to appreciate if someday he is to enjoy marital happiness.—1 Pet. 3:7.

Also, teach young ones proper respect for others, as God’s Word counsels: “Do not severely criticize an older man. To the contrary, entreat him as a father, younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, younger women as sisters with all chasteness.”—1 Tim. 5:1, 2.

The Knowledge of God

Without a doubt, the greatest gift you can bestow upon your children as a good parent is the right knowledge of God. That, too, requires time. How important is it? The Bible answers: “This means everlasting life, their taking in knowledge of you, the only true God, and of the one whom you sent forth, Jesus Christ.” (John 17:3) No gift you could give could ever equal that—everlasting life. But you put your children on the road to eternal life by teaching them God’s purposes and requirements.

How soon should you start teaching your children about God? The apostle Paul noted of Timothy: “From infancy you have known the holy writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation.”—2 Tim. 3:15.

When we say to teach children about God, we do not mean shifting this responsibility onto someone else. We mean sitting down in your own home with Bible-study aids, such as Jehovah’s witnesses use in their homes, and teaching the child yourself, as his parent. This should be done long before they ever go to school.

But are not preschool children too young to be taught such serious things? Not at all! Indeed, recent research proves what has always been true, that children who do best usually are those the parents took the time to teach before the school years.

Children learn a complicated language by the time they are three or four years old. So they can surely learn about God! That is why Jehovah’s witnesses instruct their infant children in God’s ways. And as they grow older it is a big help to teach them how to read and write. By the time the children begin school, they will have progressed nicely both in the knowledge of God and in reading and writing, which will be helpful to them throughout life.

Gets Results

That such early training gets results is borne out by many experiences of parents. For instance, one of Jehovah’s witnesses writes of his experience when visiting another family of Witnesses who had a girl three years of age and a boy only eighteen months of age. He says:

“One evening after returning home from the congregation meetings [of Jehovah’s witnesses] I was talking to the boy and asked him if he would like to play with a lion. He immediately knew what I was talking about and said in a tone that I could hardly understand: ‘I get my book.’ He brought out the book From Paradise Lost to Paradise Regained and turned to the picture of lions on page 17.

“I asked him about other animals and he turned to pages 40, 41, showing the animals entering the ark. I asked him if he knew who Adam was, and he turned to the picture on page 21 and pointed to him. He was also able to identify Eve and the serpent on pages 28, 29.

“I also talked to the girl, and she was able to tell the story of many of the pictures in the Paradise book. These children are not any smarter than other children, but it certainly shows that a child does not have to reach school age to understand God’s Word.”

Only by spending time teaching children God’s Word can you really determine if they are beginning to understand and appreciate God’s purposes. If you have taken the time to build such appreciation in their hearts from infancy, then you may reap the rich reward of seeing them develop into mature, God-fearing young men and women. As Proverbs 22:6 shows: “Train up a boy [or girl] according to the way for him; even when he grows old he will not turn aside from it.” How satisfying it is to raise children who are a credit to their parents and to Jehovah!—Prov. 23:24, 25.

Yes, it is a big job to be a good parent. But it is well worth the time and effort. Not only is homelife made more genuinely happy, but the children are put on the road to eternal life in God’s new order. And the parents can stand before God with a clear conscience, knowing they have conscientiously carried out their parental responsibilities.

[Picture on page 5]

Do you take time to be with your child?

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Taking time to be a good parent includes teaching your children God’s Word

Four Aids for Good Health

“A STITCH in time saves nine.” “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Sayings such as these may well be applied to the matter of our keeping in good health.

Why wait until you are sick before giving thought to your health? Absence of distressing symptoms does not necessarily mean good health. Well did an ancient Chinese sage observe: “To administer medicines to diseases which have developed . . . is comparable to the behavior of those persons who begin to dig a well after they are thirsty.”

The popularity of European health spas is no doubt largely due to the fact that many Europeans appreciate this principle. Regarding these a leading United States professor of physical medicine said: “Too few people who are medically well take advantage of a regimen of rest, relaxation and exercise tailored to their individual needs. The spa provides the much-needed ‘maintenance therapy.’”

Why do so few people give thought to ‘maintenance therapy’? Many may feel that they are too busy. But it may well be that it takes more than concern about health for the average person to take ‘maintenance therapy’ seriously. As one noted nutritionist observed: “Over the years I have found that a patient must have some sort of mission in life—something very important that he hopes to accomplish to the best of his ability—before he is really motivated . . . The average person does not have any real mission in life.”

How little people in general are interested in health maintenance can be seen by their ignoring the warnings about the harm to lungs and heart from cigarette smoking. In fact, in regard to health maintenance or preventive medicine even the medical profession comes short, as one of its own critics noted: “The senseless spending of thousands of millions for care [of illness] and nothing for prevention is increasingly apparent.”

Yet, regardless of what others do, there are things that you can do for yourself. Said Dr. J. F. Montague, one of America’s leading physicians: “Everybody should get acquainted with . . . himself in this way: He should know what his reaction is to certain foods . . . to the matter of drinking, exercise and fun. He should know these things.” In fact, there are four basic aids for good health to which you do well to give attention: (1) sensible eating habits; (2) regular exercise; (3) sufficient rest, relaxation and sleep and (4) good mental and emotional habits.

As reasonable as doing these things may seem to be, doing them will not always come easy. Why not? Because of inherited inclinations. In applying these things to our lives we are faced with the same problem that faced the apostle Paul: “The good that I wish I do not do, but the bad that I do not wish is what I practice.” (Rom. 7:19) But we can change if we really want to.

Sensible Eating Habits

‘Better than any drugs for pregnant women is the right kind of food.’ So recently said one of America’s leading gynecologists. That applies not only to pregnant women but also to all who would stay well. Hippocrates, called the “father of medicine,” is reported to have said: “Thy food shall be thy remedy.” Better than food as a remedy is food for health maintenance!

One thing on which practically all nutritionists seem to agree is that the most common failing as to diet is eating too much. There is wisdom in being abstemious at the table. Especially would all who engage in sedentary occupations, who are overweight or who are continually plagued with one or more minor ills, do well to heed the counsel of the inspired proverb: “Put a knife to your throat if you are a man given to appetite.”—Prov. 23:2, RS.

Self-control at the table—how can you accomplish it? First of all, convince yourself that it pays to do so. Try it out for a month and note the difference in how you feel. Some persons find it helpful to make it a rule not to take more than one helping of any one food, especially if they eat more than one variety at a meal. Others find it helpful to cut down on the number of different foods they eat at one meal. Advantageous also is eliminating rich desserts, contenting yourself with fruit as a dessert. If you are invited to a banquet you can eat slowly and so be more likely to avoid overeating. If you find that you may have eaten too much, you can skip the next meal.

The problem, however, is one not only of eating large quantities, but of over-nutrition. One may eat too much rich food. Some have therefore found it helpful to limit themselves to fruit or fruit juices one meal a day. And the “day of meals of fruit only” that has been used for certain chronic diseases can also serve for health maintenance.

Sensible eating habits also include getting sufficient vitamins and trace minerals. Many persons need additional supplies of either or both of these elements. According to Dr. Jean Mayer, Harvard nutritionist, “the U.S. diet is often much lower in iron than are the diets of poorer populations.” And so, especially for many women in the prime of life, iron supplements on a periodic or regular basis are “indispensable if progressive iron depletion is to be avoided.” No doubt this is due to over-refining or highly processing foods.

Very important in this regard is eating sufficient leafy vegetables. Thus we are told: “Leaf vegetables have a high value from the point of view of nutritional physiology and the maintenance of man’s health (as a form of preventive medicine),” being rich in vitamins and minerals. In addition to being rich in iron, which makes them effective against anemia, “they neutralize the acids in the blood and by their effect on the kidneys stimulate the elimination of waste.”

Tomatoes, apples, sauerkraut and onions have an alkalizing effect, and just recently it has been found that mushrooms and onions are particularly valuable in combating cholesterol in the blood. Giving thought to such factors of nutrition also aids in maintaining mental health, and especially in the aged.

Regular Exercise

Regular exercise is good for all, but especially should those who are overweight or do sedentary work make it a point to get some exercise—a fact being appreciated more and more. Thus a South Carolina physical education professor gathered a group of men with ages from 40 to 87 and put them through hour-long exercises three times a week. After just six weeks he compared these men with a like group that had not exercised. The difference in reduction of blood pressure and body fat, and rise in oxygen consumption (one of the best indexes of vigor) were pronounced “profound.” As physicians Bierman and Light have observed: “Exercise . . . helps maintain a state of well-being in a person who is healthy and . . . has remedial value for persons suffering from diverse conditions.”

For exercise to be beneficial there must be a certain degree of regularity about it. Some remind themselves of it in various ways so as to have a routine; others make it a point to get up a few minutes earlier each day for the sake of exercising. Some have found it helpful to walk instead of ride whenever that is convenient and to climb stairs instead of take the elevator. There are many forms of exercise that benefit both the muscles and the nerves, such as push-ups, swinging dumbbells, and so forth.

Especially for those in sedentary occupations and who tend to put on weight has jogging or stationary running been recommended by some physicians. These are the kind of exercises that tend to strengthen the lungs and heart, for which reason insurance companies recommend jogging. According to one health publication (Prevention, July 1968), such relaxed and unhurried running is “one of the easiest and most inexpensive of all exercises and also the very best for overall health.” Of course, one does not want to go to extremes. Those who do much walking and climbing of stairs may well get all the exercise they need. And we may not forget the apostle Paul’s inspired counsel: “Bodily training is beneficial for a little.”—1 Tim. 4:8.

Sufficient Rest, Relaxation and Sleep

Ever so many persons just naturally know how to relax, have the good judgment to take sufficient rest and get their needed sleep. But others, again, need to work at these things. This may be due to their being the slim, nervous type, the ectomorph, or because of being naturally intense, or due to a mistaken sense of duty. It may also be because of materialism, trying to get rich or amass mundane treasures or because of pursuing pleasures too eagerly.

One can learn to relax if one will but work at it. Learn to work at a steady pace; do not think you must be going full speed all the time. Musicians must learn to relax if they would perform at their best without undue fatigue, and the same applies also to many other forms of activity that involve mind, heart and muscle. When driving an auto, be mentally alert but physically relaxed. Smiling will help you to be relaxed. And that goes for many other activities that, like driving, involve responsibility and require alertness. Relaxation makes for physical ease and is conducive to mental and emotional balance. The key is self-control!

Then again, there is the matter of rest, that is, rest apart from sleep. Do not feel you must be active every waking moment, from the time you get up until you go to bed. Allow time for rest and the right kind of recreation. Do not thoughtlessly or ambitiously try to cram in too much when taking a vacation, as when traveling.

Nor may sleep be neglected if you would enjoy good health. Here again, some persons obviously need more sleep than do others, even as women usually need more sleep than do men, and children more than do adults.

Sleeplessness may be the payoff for many sins of omission and commission, such as not eating right or neglecting exercise. Or it may be due to anxiety, frustrations, feelings of guilt or like detrimental emotions. Clear house of these if you would enjoy sound sleep. If new sounds disturb you, relax. You can get accustomed to them if you make it a point to do so, enabling you to sleep in spite of them. As the saying goes, ‘What cannot be cured must be endured.’ Learn to slow down in the evening before bedtime. Some have found warm milk, others hot grape juice or orange juice, helpful. And G. G. Luce and Dr. Segal, two United States authorities on sleep and insomnia, offer the following suggestion:

“A person who sincerely wants to improve his sleep must be willing to make an effort for good health. He should be prepared to eat an athletic diet, eliminating starches, sweets and inessential foods. He should also undertake a gradual program of physical exercise, to be followed every day. A person who lives on coffee, cigarettes, nerves and inertia should not expect perfect sleep.”

Good Mental and Emotional Habits

Yes, there is the psychosomatic factor, the effect of the mind and the emotions on the body, which must also be taken into consideration if one would continue to enjoy good health. For this there is no better guide than God’s Word. As the Bible shows, those things that are bad for your body include loose conduct, hatred, jealousy, fits of anger, revelries and heavy drinking.—Gal. 5:19-21.

On the other hand, there are the beneficial emotions, such as “the fruitage of the spirit [which includes] love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faith, mildness, self-control.” Yes, not without good reason does the Bible say that “a cheerful heart is a good medicine” and that “godly devotion is beneficial for all things,” including this present life.—Gal. 5:22, 23; Prov. 17:22, RS; 1 Tim. 4:8.

Giving thought to maintaining good health is not following the line of least resistance. However, those with a real mission in life will want to make the best possible use of their time and their mental and physical powers. All such therefore do well to give attention in a balanced way to the four aids for good health: sensible eating habits; regular exercise; sufficient rest, relaxation and sleep, and good mental and emotional habits. Doing so will not only enable them better to carry out their mission in life but also help to give them the fine feeling of true physical well-being.

Are You Accident-Prone?

SUDDENLY deciding to ride with a neighbor, a man in Brooklyn, New York, rushed out his front door as the neighbor’s car was beginning to pull away. Failing to see a pipe that workmen had laid on the sidewalk, he tripped and broke a kneecap. A few years later he injured his back when a heavy roll of paper that he was stacking in a factory fell on him. Shortly thereafter he developed a hernia from lifting heavy boxes, and not long after it was repaired he got another hernia in exactly the same manner. From appearances it would seem that this man is accident-prone.

To be accident-prone means to have a greater number of accidents than other people have under the same circumstances. Has this been your experience? Do you have repeated accidents, tripping over things lying on the floor of your home, tumbling down stairs, falling off ladders, cutting yourself when working with sharp tools, and so forth? Why is it that some persons seem to have more than their share of accidents? What can they do to overcome the problem?

It can be something of real concern to them because it can affect their employment, besides being a cause of great discomfort from the injuries. Employers may be inclined to dismiss them in an effort to reduce work injuries.

Why Do Some Have More Accidents?

It is difficult to say precisely why some persons seem to have more accidents than others. That they do appears to be confirmed by the findings of Professor Hans Hahn, who estimates that 25 percent of the population have this problem. Other researchers think the number in a working force runs from 10 to 30 percent, with this group suffering from 40 to 60 percent of the injuries from accidents.

A number of factors are undoubtedly involved. One, for example, could be lack of proper training in work procedures for doing a particular job. The man who was injured by the paper roll falling on him lacked proper training in handling such things. He was helping out at work that was unfamiliar to him.

A similar situation can exist in a factory where a man is put on a machine without sufficient training and supervision. He is more likely to have an accident than the person that has been given training in proper work procedures.

Another factor might be a person’s mental capacity for a certain type of work. He might not be suited for the work because of being rather slow mentally, whereas alertness and quick decisions may be necessary for the job. He would, therefore, be more subject to accidents. If he were given something else to do that would better suit his mental capacity he probably would have fewer accidents.

The same can be true of a person that lacks the physical capacity for a job that requires the moving of heavy objects. He may be best suited physically for a job as an office worker and may not be in condition to work at something that requires considerable physical strength. Failure to recognize this may lead to accidents.

The nervous temperament of a person is still another factor. He may be emotional or easily upset when under nervous tension. If something does not go just right, he could lose his customary caution and react in a way that could cause him to have an accident.

How to Overcome the Problem

It is not possible to lay out a simple solution, because many different factors are involved. However, there are things that can be done that may help to overcome the problem.

An employer, for example, can recognize the limitations of a person who seems to be accident-prone. If better training and safety instruction are necessary, that would be worth while. It could improve the safety record of his establishment as well as production. Or it may be best to shift the person to another job, one that would be within his capabilities.

As for the person himself, he too needs to recognize his limitations. If he is not in physical condition to do work that requires heavy lifting, he would be wise to seek other employment, and thus avoid possible accidents. If a type of work puts him under a nervous strain and he knows that he is of a nervous temperament or very emotional, he could seek a different job. Thus by recognizing his limitations he can try to avoid situations that he knows will be dangerous for him.

Oftentimes accidents occur when a person loses self-control during moments of emotional stress. It is not unusual for an automobile accident to occur when the driver is under such stress, perhaps being angry about something. So the person who tends to have repeated accidents because he gets angry easily or is stirred emotionally would do well to work on developing self-control. He needs to learn how to overlook things that can cause his anger to rise up. The good counsel in the Bible can help him to do that.—Prov. 19:11.

See Dangerous Situations

To avoid accidents, a person needs to train himself to follow the warning given to automobile drivers at some railroad crossings—“Stop! Look! Listen!” In this case he might Stop! Look! and Think!

By training himself to look over a situation before acting, he is more likely to avoid an accident. If the man mentioned earlier had first looked about him when leaving his house, he would undoubtedly have noticed the pipe lying on the sidewalk and would not have stumbled over it.

For a person who has established a habit of rushing nervously about, it will not be easy to train himself to look and think first. But if he makes a determined effort to do it, he stands a better chance of not getting hurt. In the pain and expense of past accidents he has ample incentive to change his ways.

He can often anticipate what could happen in a situation. For example, suppose you have highly polished floors in your home. To enjoy their beauty you may decide to put throw rugs on them. Now, do not stop there, but look ahead to what could happen when you step on one of those rugs when rushing to answer the phone or the doorbell. The rug could slip out from under your foot and cause a bad fall. Seeing that possibility, you can try to avoid a possible accident by fastening material to the underside of the rugs to prevent them from slipping.

In another situation a person may be about to light a burner in a gas oven. If he does not think ahead to what might happen if the oven is filled with gas, he could have a serious accident. It could explode in his face. Instead of turning the gas on before he lights the match, he ought to turn it on afterward so the gas will not have time to accumulate. That would show good thinking.

When sitting in a bathtub of water a person may decide to turn on a radio or flip a light switch. Here again he needs to stop and ask himself, Is there danger here? What could happen if I touched an electrical appliance while sitting in water? Since water is a good conductor of electricity, he could receive a fatal shock.

Suppose he gets up in the night to get some medicine from the medicine cabinet. Knowing where the bottle usually is, he may reach for it without turning on a light. Here is another dangerous situation. He needs to stop for a moment and think. He should ask himself: “Suppose someone has moved the bottle and I get the wrong one; what then?” There could be a serious accident. The same danger exists in taking medicine from an unlabeled bottle. A mistake can too easily be made. These are accident traps that a person needs to train himself to recognize.

Still another dangerous situation is to sit in a parked car with the motor running and the windows rolled up. Some persons have done this in the wintertime so as to keep warm with the car heater while waiting for someone. With no air coming into the car, what can happen? Carbon monoxide can leak in and kill the passengers. This has happened many times.

Situations such as these cause accidents among people who have not trained themselves to see accident traps. As the habit of looking both ways before crossing a street is established in a person from the time he is a child so that it becomes automatic, so the accident-prone person needs to remind himself constantly to stop, look and think. He needs to be continually conscious of his proneness to accidents so that caution becomes a habit.

When he is given safety instructions at work he ought to pay more than the usual attention to them, remembering that he needs them more than anyone else. When he comes across published articles on safety he does well to read them carefully so he can be helped to recognize dangerous situations, accident traps. When he reads about people having accidents he can take particular note of what they did that was wrong so he can avoid it.

By establishing the habit of stopping, looking and thinking before acting he will automatically become cautious under all kinds of circumstances. It can save him from many unnecessary accidents and help him to get rid of the unpleasant reputation of being accident-prone.

A Search for the Truth of God

I WAS raised a Roman Catholic. At the age of fifteen, due to family difficulties, I had to move into a Protestant foster home and soon saw that the Catholic church was not right in many of its teachings. So in 1961 I became a member of the United Church of Canada and became fairly active in it, attending it regularly for about a year.

The minister of the Trinity United Church in Port Coquitlam, British Columbia, would often preach about how much more money they needed, as his wife needed a washer and dryer, and so forth. Although I knew very little about being a Christian myself, in time I saw the hypocrisy of the church. All they were concerned about were their rummage sales and efforts to raise funds to build a $100,000 church.

I did not believe in the Holy Bible whatsoever, because my previous training taught me that it was not inspired of God. However, I did believe in God and Jesus Christ.

We had some friends who are Jehovah’s witnesses. When they called on me, I would talk to them and, being curious about their teachings, I would ask questions, although I was not too interested. I would take the weekend paper and look up and down the church page praying to be shown the true religion—anyone but Jehovah’s witnesses. I was determined that they were wrong, and I set out to prove it.

I decided to see the United Church minister at Queens Avenue in New Westminster, thinking that he would give me some ammunition to fire back at the Witnesses. Instead he was very vague about everything, and to top it off, he said that he admired the Witnesses and wished that his people were as zealous.

I felt confused as to what was the right religion and where I would find it. I would pray to God night after night to help me find the truth about life.

The Witnesses would still call on me. Each time I spoke with them, by quoting the Bible they would refute any ideas that I was starting to accept. Though I had no faith in the Bible, I decided to study it with them, as I had nothing to lose. My husband did not like the idea, but I explained to him that I was not through searching, that I did not want to take the Witnesses’ word for anything and that I was going to prove my faith from other sources.

I liked what the Bible said about creation and other subjects. It made more sense than anything I had come across. I felt I would like to find out if the Bible was true. Refusing to accept the Watch Tower Society’s literature on this subject, I went to the library and read books on Bible archaeology, and I was amazed to find that the Bible is historically accurate! Now I had so many questions about different things that I phoned the Witnesses and talked with them for a few hours. I decided from then on to attend their meetings and learn all I could.

I was so happy that I was beside myself. However, I still wanted one last chance to prove that this is God’s truth. Naturally, I was shocked to learn how Christendom is saturated with paganism, right down to the cross and church steeples. I wondered if perhaps there was a good reason for this paganism. Surely, they are intelligent people. So I decided to find out their side as to why they allowed their religion to become infected with paganism.

I went to see my stepmother, who was a Roman Catholic all her life, and I asked her about church doctrines of pagan origin. She could not answer me at all! She just said that they believe the Bible but they do not base their church on it but on the sacrifice of the mass. She suggested that I visit the priest at St. Peter’s church in Westminster. The priest with whom I spoke is the director of all the priests in British Columbia. When I confronted him with the things that I had learned, he replied: “Sure they are pagan but the Church says it is O.K., so it is O.K.” He did not believe the Bible at all. He does not accept the virgin birth, the resurrection or, in fact, creation, but believes in evolution. By this time, I asked him pointedly, How can you call yourself a priest and teach others?

He went on to explain that he also admired Jehovah’s witnesses and that he wished his people were as enthusiastic as they are. I asked him why they were not. If they really felt that their faith was right, they would have the same enthusiasm. He answered: “In the first few centuries when Christianity was new, the Christians were all zealous, but human nature set in. Give the Witnesses a few more years and they will be just like us.”

I shot back, “Never!”

Shortly after this discussion, I phoned a professor of religion at the University of British Columbia. I stated that I had been looking into different religions and at this time I was studying with Jehovah’s witnesses. I asked him if he could give me some information that I could use to stumble them. He said: “We just study religion. We are not interested in which one is the truth.” Now I was completely satisfied that the Witnesses were right when they referred to their belief as “the truth.”

I had prayed and searched for so long that when I came to realize that God’s truth is found in the organization of Jehovah’s witnesses, there was no need to wait before I dedicated myself to God. After six months of study I made this dedication and was baptized in symbol of it. My husband has decided to study the Bible too. How I rejoice that I made sure of all things and am now holding fast to what is fine and true!—1 Thess. 5:21.—Contributed.

‘No Time to Read the Bible’

◆ A mother in Arizona began studying the Bible with Jehovah’s witnesses. After a while she was confronted by her Baptist minister. She tried to use the Bible to support her newly acquired knowledge, but the clergyman kept saying, “That is just a figure of speech.” Finally she asked him if he even believed the Bible. He replied, “A person does not have time to read the Bible anymore!” Then he left.

Our Marvelous Roof—the Sky

ONE of the most beautiful, ever-changing sights on earth is the sky. Its scope and grandeur simply stagger the imagination. The whole earth is enveloped with the sky’s endless majestic and colorful panorama. In the east a golden glow announces the dawn, while a crimson western sky bids the day adieu. There are moments when the sky may be adorned in a royal canopy of blue, or dismal gray or in resplendent white. White billowy, cotton-like clouds called “cumulus” proclaim a fine spring day; gay featherlike clouds called “cirrus” tell that summer is here, and a sporty fall mantle of clouds that appear like lamb’s wool betokens the nearness of winter.

At night the sky’s beauty is even more magnificent when bedecked in starry splendor. The breathless glory of the night is enhanced when the aurora weaves a delicate tapestry of color high overhead. Each garment assumes an infinite variety of shapes, all dazzling masterpieces of beauty, all creations of perfect art. Little wonder that worshipers of Jehovah referred to the beauties of our marvelous “roof” as “the wonderful works of the One perfect in knowledge,” “the wonderful works of God.”—Job 37:14, 16.

Almost daily across the sky’s broad highway parade clouds of every size and description. Fluffy clouds, billowy clouds, fleecy clouds—these are like glorious floats that silently glide by. There are white pillar clouds surrounded by straggling cloudlets, like children about their parents. There are wavy clouds and rolling clouds, the shapes and forms of which are worthy of the finest sculptor. There are huge clouds that look something like a mammoth cauliflower or an enormous white anvil.

The cumulonimbus, also called thunderheads, are massive. They are composed of billions of ice crystals. These formations can rise to 50,000 feet or more in height. A single formation can contain as much as 300,000 tons of water! An estimated 44,000 thunderstorms lash the earth’s surface every day, some 1,800 of them in action at any given moment! They are majestic in their awesomeness and from them can burst forth creation’s regal spectacle—the rainbow. God speaks of it as “my rainbow,” obviously one of His wonderful works.—Gen. 9:11-16.

Often the sky foretells the weather. In the western hemisphere when scattered cumulus clouds dot the sky, when the barometer remains steady or rises, and when the wind blows gently, fair weather will probably continue. The long curling clouds known as “mares’ tails” are generally a sign that foul weather, in the form of snow or heavy rain, will probably arrive within twenty-four hours. Also when dull-gray altostratus clouds darken the whole sky and the barometer drops, rain or snow will probably continue to fall. The Bible, at Matthew 16:2, 3, gives meaning to the fiery sky often seen at sunset: “When evening falls you are accustomed to say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is fire-red’; and at morning, ‘It will be wintry, rainy weather today, for the sky is fire-red, but gloomy-looking.’” A red sunrise presages the opposite of a red sunset.

Why the Sky Is Blue

What is this wonderful work of God we call “the blue sky”? Blue is not the color of air, as was believed by some in the nineteenth century. Nor is the blue due to light emitted by the atmosphere itself, for then it would appear blue at night. Were the air completely transparent or nonexistent, the sky would necessarily be as black as space, a fact confirmed by astronauts who journeyed above the atmosphere. “Up there, it’s a black-and-white world. There is no color,” said American astronaut Jim Lovell. But more recently spacemen returning from the surface of the moon have described the lunar surface as a nondescript gray.

Since the sky is not black to us on earth, the cause, then, must lie in the behavior of sunlight when it comes in contact with the substance of the atmosphere.

The color of the sky results from the air within less than one hundred miles of the earth. This belt of atmosphere is made up primarily of five gases, namely, nitrogen, oxygen, argon, water vapor (a compound of hydrogen and oxygen) and carbon dioxide. Besides these gases there are others that are rare, but in smaller amounts, such as helium, xenon, neon; and a few poisonous gases, such as methane, ammonia, carbon monoxide, nitrous oxide. Up to the realm of the highest familiar clouds the sky also holds quantities of foreign matter, such as pollen, dust, bacteria, soot, spores, volcanic ash, salt particles from the seas and dust from outer space.

When the sun’s radiation, which consists of electromagnetic waves of many different wavelengths, passes through the atmosphere, the longer wavelengths plow through the atmosphere quite easily and reach our earth. We may feel them as heat. But the shorter ones are scattered in all directions by the air molecules and other particles in the atmosphere. The blue light is bounced about again and again as it comes earthward from the sun. In other words, the blue sky is a gauzy glowing fabric spun of blue light and air. It is, moreover, only about twelve miles high; beyond this the sky darkens to violet. Above twenty miles the sky becomes black and the stars emerge.

Why the Other Colors?

Though generally blue, the sky may be red, orange, green, in fact, almost any color. It all depends on how light waves enter the atmosphere and what they encounter on their way down.

In the lower atmosphere are concentrated clouds, dust and all kinds of particle material. These being larger than air molecules, they scatter the longer wavelengths of light. When the sun is near the horizon its rays enter the atmosphere at a slant, passing through much more of the particle-laden air. All wavelengths are scattered, and only the longest red rays penetrate at all. So we have the ruddy hues at dawn and sunset. The more dust or cloud particles in the air, the deeper is the color. The less dust, the bluer the sky, because the long light waves come right through to the earth without being deflected, while the short blue light waves we see are the ones being bounced about by air molecules in the sky. Therefore, on a clear, relatively dust-free day, our marvelous “roof” is blue.

Other Sights in the Sky

When, after a few days of bright winter weather, high clouds, feathery and fragile, give to the sky a milky-white opalescence, bright rings, called halos, appear encircling the sun or moon. Halos of the moon are necessarily much fainter, and their colors are nearly imperceptible. In many parts of the world halos are visible, on the average, as often as once each four days. Even some of the brighter stars show coronas as thin, fleecy clouds glide slowly past. These halos may show several distinct concentric circles of color, each bluish on the inside, then passing through a yellowish white to a reddish brown on the outside. Sometimes they resemble circle rainbows in the sky. This phenomenon is caused by light waves being reflected off regularly shaped ice crystals floating high in the air.

The regular rainbow we see in the sky, which arouses awe and excitement, is formed by light playing on waterdrops as they fall. Each raindrop acts as a tiny prism, breaking down the sun’s white rays of mixed light into their component spectral colors. Occasionally droplets of mist can cause a rainbow, but generally it is the larger raindrops.

No two persons see the same rainbow. Each individual sees the rainbow from his particular point of view, because a rainbow is only light coming from a certain direction. Since the drops reflecting the light are falling, this means that we see a new rainbow formed by every new set of raindrops. What a magnificent gift from God—the rainbow!

Sometimes a second rainbow may appear in the sky, lying outside the first and shining rather more faintly. Have you noticed, the colors in this rainbow are in the reverse order, with blue on the outside and red on the inside? This is because the light rays have undergone one more reflection on the internal surfaces of the raindrops and are reversed in much the same way as left becomes right and right becomes left in a mirror. But this extra reflection causes a reduction in intensity of the light, which is why the second rainbow is always dimmer.

The Aurora

Neither a rainbow nor a cloud formation, except perhaps a glorious sunset or sunrise, can compare with the aurora in the sky, that is, the northern or southern lights. No written description or photographs can convey the true magnificence of these ever-changing, luminous displays, often in vivid colors. Sometimes they are so bright that one can read by their light.

Generally the aurora flickers, suggesting a blazing fire just over the hill. Often the glow kindles into brilliance, assuming the shape of a huge arc, or it may take the form of bundles of rays like those of sunlight shining through holes in a cloud. These shafts of light may be pale white, emerald green, violet or rose red. At times the aurora may appear to hang in folds like a huge curtain or drapery of a stage. It may shimmer like the folds of a great screen hanging from the sky that is stirred by a silent wind. Or it may burst into feverish activity. Yellow becomes tinged with red and green as rays leap upward, subside, then dart ahead again.

There is nothing with which one can compare the delicate beauty and coloring of the aurora caused by clouds of electrically charged particles coming from the sun and entering the earth’s magnetic field. These particles collide with molecules of air, causing them to vibrate and give off the red, white, blue and green lights of their awesome displays. The aurora—another of God’s marvelous gifts to man.

The Lightning Miracle

An estimated 9,000,000 lightning bolts strike the ground daily. About half the time, what people see in the sky as a single lightning flash is actually composed of up to ten successive strokes streaking along the same path as the first. There may be as many as forty pulses in a second, which is about how long the lightning’s path stays open. The heat in the path rises so abruptly that the surrounding air breaks the sound barrier in moving away. The result is thunder. The sky at such a time is alive with fire and sound.

There are various kinds of lightning. Heat lightning occurs on the horizon and is considered to be the reflection of strokes too far away to be directly seen or heard. Sheet lightning takes place inside clouds, blanketing them with a widespread flickering light. Ribbon lightning occurs when a strong wind blows the conductive channel of a multiple stroke to one side. The successive strokes rage upward a few feet apart, appearing like ribbons of light.

But what good is accomplished by all this fire filling the sky? It is now known that lightning helps greatly to fertilize the soil. Eighty percent of the atmosphere or sky is nitrogen, an essential food for plants. About 22,000,000 tons of this nutriment float over each square mile of the earth. But as it exists in the atmosphere nitrogen is unusable by plants. Before plants can take life from it, it must undergo a series of chemical changes, very much as food in our digestive system must undergo changes. Lightning in the sky touches off the series of changes. Air particles are made white-hot by lightning, for it can heat a two- to ten-inch channel of air hotter than the sun’s surface. Under this intense heat, the nitrogen combines with the oxygen in the air to form nitrogen oxides that are soluble in water. The rain dissolves the oxides and carries them down to earth as dilute nitric acid. Reaching the earth, the nitric acid reacts with the minerals of the earth, there to become nitrates on which plants can feed. Since plants can feed and live, man and animals can feed on plants and live!

What a marvelous gift lightning is from God to man! It does more than light the sky. Meteorologists estimate that lightning bombards the earth at a rate of more than one hundred times a second, transforming the upper air into fertilizer for plants!

God has given us, not only a practical sky, but a marvelous “roof” filled with awe-inspiring, ever-changing beauties and wonder, a sky that moves faithful men to praise Jehovah the Doer of all these wonderful things.—Ps. 136:4.

Population and Land Area

In the Brooklyn Public Library News Bulletin of April 1969 a question was asked about the percentage of land that is utilized by the urban population in the United States. The answer was given as follows:

“According to the text in the 1960 Census of Population, ‘Urban population which constituted nearly 70 percent of the total population was concentrated in slightly more than 1 percent of the land area of the country.’”

Fez—Where Past Meets Present

By “Awake!” correspondent in Morocco

THROUGHOUT Morocco contrasts can be seen in the way of life of its peoples. But this contrast is particularly noticeable in the city of Fez, an ancient center of Islamic culture. Situated in North Africa nearly one hundred miles from the Atlantic Ocean and some eighty-five miles south of the Mediterranean, Fez has for centuries been the crossroads for numerous civilizations. It now has a population of over 200,000.

Arriving at Fez by road, we enter first what is called the ‘new city.’ This was built mainly by the French during the time that Morocco was a protectorate of France between 1912 and 1956. It resembles a European city with its sidewalk cafés, shops and people dressed in the latest styles from Paris. The Arabs who live here also are very much Westernized. It would be easy to forget that just a mile or more away exists the ancient Fez, which is a striking contrast to what we see here.

The Ancient City

The old city of Fez was founded shortly after 800 C.E. by Moulay Idris I, who was a descendant of Ali, the son-in-law of Mohammed. Fez continued as the capital of an independent kingdom for many centuries, and long has been considered by many to be the center of the intellectual and religious life of North Africa.

This ancient site lies across a valley from the ‘new city,’ and its appearance is quite attractive. One sees a mass of white and gray flat-roofed houses, with every now and then the minaret that tops the numerous mosques. These protrude like pins from a pincushion.

As a backdrop to all this there is a large mountain, the foothills of which are covered with olive trees. These trees are reputedly as old as the city. From where we are it is evident that the old city is built on a series of hills. This means that we must be prepared to climb, for the only way to visit the old city is on foot. Roads are often no more than enlarged footpaths, and there are far too many people and animals to allow for vehicles to pass.

Journey into the Past

Here in the old city a guide is a great help. Not only will he ensure that we see the most interesting places, but he will prevent us from getting lost. Fez boasts the largest medina in the world; this is the name given the old part of the city. (Medina is the city in Arabia that was important in the life of Mohammed, the founder of the Islamic religion.) On catching sight of the maze of dark alleyways and streets we are glad we have someone with us who knows his way around.

We are impressed by the absence of cars or motorized vehicles of any sort and the narrowness of the streets. Although Fez enjoys practically constant sunshine, the streets are so narrow that the upper floors of the houses cut out most of the light.

We notice that the majority of the people here keep to their traditional way of dress—quite a contrast to the way it is in the ‘new city.’ The men wear ‘dejellabahs,’ a long garment down to their feet, often with a hood attached. Some of the men also wear the traditional fez, a tall, red, brimless cap that was first made here in Fez, Morocco, but is well known practically world wide.

The women too wear long garments. Also, their faces are veiled, with only their eyes showing, in accordance with their Moslem religion. Almost everyone wears ‘babouches’ on his feet. These are leather slippers with no backs to them.

Fez is reported to have over a hundred mosques, including certain ones that are over a thousand years old. Our guide takes us to the Karouian (Karueein) mosque, the largest one in Africa. It can accommodate 22,000 worshipers at one time. As non-Moslems we are not permitted to enter, but we can get a view of the inside through one of the large doors.

The floor of this famous mosque is covered with bamboo matting for the worshipers to kneel upon when they pray to Allah facing the direction of the city of Mecca. There are beautiful mosaics on the walls, and from the delicately carved ceiling iron lanterns hang. All shoes and slippers are left outside on the steps of the mosque. It is amazing that the worshipers can identify their own on coming out.

Shopping Area

Next we come to one of the several ‘suqs’ or shopping areas. Here are really colorful small shops and stalls. Some of them are no more than a niche in the wall. It seems that all the stalls that sell a certain commodity are grouped together, thus the smells go with the sights. And what a sight it is to see stall after stall banked high with dates, figs, olives, raisins and varied spices!

Turning the corner, we see an endless array of fabrics and clothes of every color. In yet another row of shops we see silks, and in still another, jewelry of every sort. In one row of stalls there are candles of every length and color imaginable. These are used on the anniversaries of the deaths of famous personages in the history of Fez. On such occasions religious persons light candles for what they believe to be the souls of departed ones.

Here and there a heated discussion in Arabic ensues as someone bargains with a merchant in an effort to get his prices down. We also hear a bell ringing from time to time. It belongs to the waterman, who is colorfully dressed in red, with numerous highly polished copper cups hanging from his chest. He serves fresh water for a few francs (worth less than a penny) from a goatskin slung over his shoulder.

Due to the narrow streets there is much pushing, and we must watch our step. We must be careful, too, of the heavily loaded donkeys with sacks of grain and flour. Often the narrow street becomes blocked as two of these meet. It is the man that always rides the donkey, while his wife, often with huge bundles on her head, walks behind.

…

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Awake!, April 8, 1970