Awake!, June 22, 1970

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Awake! — June 22, 1970

Source: jw.org

Contents

What Has Happened to Friendship?

Learning About Friendship

“Black Gold” in Alaska’s Backyard

My Life as a Polygamist

The Minerals in Your Food

“Beloved Lady of Luxembourg”

Why I Left My Church

Doll-up Time Among the Animals

The Bird That Grows Snowshoes

How Do We Show We Fear God?

Watching the World

Why Rely on Hearsay?

“Saving the Human Race—in the Kingdom Way”

What Has Happened to Friendship?

IN THIS world where, as foretold in the Bible, ‘lawlessness has increased and the love of the greater number of mankind has cooled off,’ old-fashioned friendships are indeed hard to find. (Matt. 24:12) While there still are people who are affable and neighborly, nevertheless, even many of these are prone to draw the line where genuine friendship is concerned.

Still, if you were to ask the average person if he had many friends, no doubt he would be inclined to say “yes,” or he might be hesitant to answer. Why? Because the word “friend” has various meanings.

For example, acquaintances are often considered as being friends. A person may say, “I have many friends in almost every walk of life! There is the shoeshine boy—what’s his name? And the butcher at the corner store, where we buy our meat; and the banker where I do my business. So you see, I have many friends.” He may not even remember some of their names, but these casual acquaintances are what some people call friends.

In fact, friendly mannerisms are frequently mistaken for evidence of friendship. For example, some people are quick to introduce themselves and often within minutes they insist that you call them by their first name. They may ask, “Where do you live? What is your line of work? Where did you go to school? Are you married? Do you have children?” almost all in one breath. They tend to become personal very quickly. But are these “friendly” mannerisms always evidence of real friendship? How many of these people will come to your rescue when you are in need of assistance, financial aid or comfort?

To many a Westerner the word “friend” has come to be applied to a wide range of relationships. It can mean someone who is a business associate, a childhood playmate or a trusted confidant. The word has been applied to various businesses, such as the “friendly neighborhood food markets,” “friendly travel agents,” “friendly bankers,” the “friendly skies” of an airline. Even rings and chains have become symbols of friendship. So in the United States, Canada or some other Western nations the word “friend” does not necessarily have to involve a close relationship. Friendship may be superficial, casual, situational or deep and enduring. As Americans say, “It all depends on what you have in mind.”

In many European countries, where wars and violence have reaped their toll, friendship, too, has undergone a change. The older generation is quick to admit that friendship is not what it used to be. Among some persons, a friend is viewed as someone who is keenly aware of the other person’s intellect, temperament and particular interests and who draws out the best qualities in him. Among others, friendship is more a matter of feeling. A friend is a special individual who enjoys the things you like. He enjoys hiking, mountain climbing, sailing, usually adventurous undertakings. Such friendship does not necessarily have to do with trust, confidence or loyalty as much as sharing experiences.

The concept of bygone years, when friendship was regarded as a strong bond, linking people together almost as closely as blood ties, when friends were a protection against lawless and immoral persons, has largely disappeared from the world.

The change has come primarily because, true to Bible prophecies, ‘men have become lovers of themselves, having no natural affection.’ (2 Tim. 3:1-3) Without natural affection, there can be no genuine friendship.

There are also at work in the modern world many divisive forces that prevent the development of close ties. True friendships take time to build, but today’s people are on the move. Few stay in one place long enough to build a lasting friendship. One out of every five persons in the United States changes his address each year. In other parts of the world a similar shift of population takes place.

Permanent friendships also demand one’s trust and loyalty, but these qualities are not nurtured in a climate of unrest, crime, distrust and violence such as has swept the world in this generation.

Friendship also implies bearing responsibilities, the willingness to help shoulder the burdens of others. But many today refuse to let themselves become involved with people, to avoid experiencing their burdens and sufferings. A young man on the move said: “My wife and I make new friends each time in a matter of weeks. But we never let it get so deep that it bothers us to leave.” But how far all of this is from those words of Jesus Christ, who said: “No one has love greater than this, that someone should surrender his soul in behalf of his friends.”—John 15:13.

Meaningful friendships call for sacrifice, and many no longer wish to make sacrifices. Therefore old-fashioned friendships, one of the warm blessings of the past, are becoming hard to find.

Nevertheless, true friendships still do exist, friendships such as those enjoyed by David and Jonathan, Ruth and Naomi, as noted in the Bible. (2 Sam. 1:26; Ruth 1:16, 17) But these friendships are primarily among true Bible Christians who have placed their faith in God and his Word the Bible. Jehovah’s witnesses, for example, find their family of friends actually growing by leaps and bounds. (Mark 10:29, 30) But outside of real Bible Christians, true friendships are rare. This is humanity’s loss.

But why be friendly? How can one be friendly in this wicked world? What kind of friends should one cultivate and how? These and other timely questions are answered in the following article.

Learning About Friendship

WHY BE FRIENDLY, AND WITH WHOM? HOW CAN YOU AVOID DANGEROUS FRIENDSHIPS?

DESPITE the scientific changes that have come over the world in recent years, people still need people. For most persons this need is not satisfied by mere acquaintances, but goes much deeper than that. It reaches out for a friend who can be trusted with one’s most precious thoughts. Its want is for a confidant who is responsible, trustworthy and who will respond when one is in need.

The ideal situation is when most of one’s emotional needs are satisfied within a Christian family relationship. Children who have devoted parents and loving brothers and sisters have good reason to be quite content. Sustained by this warmth and association, a child can grow up happy and well balanced without always having to look elsewhere to satisfy his emotional needs.

However, even when friendship in the home is not lacking, children may feel the urge to embark on new friendships. The stimulation provided by other children near their age can be beneficial. On the other hand, lack of friendship inside and outside the family relationship causes many youngsters to become lonely. This is a common problem among teen-agers.

Parents who are aware of this try to satisfy their children’s growing need for friendship. One way they can do this is by developing a closer and more confidential relationship with them. Teen-agers especially find that life takes on a happier tone when parents give them a chance to express their views, and help them to work out their doubts and uncertainties. In frank discussions the children can be fortified with encouragement and counsel.

There are also times when the friendship of another youth can provide the needed encouragement. Wrote a middle-aged man of his more youthful days: “As a teen-ager I was often moody, for reasons I no longer recall. During one particularly bad week when I was at my lowest ebb, thinking myself ugly, misunderstood and unlikable, the phone rang. A high-school lad . . . was on the line. ‘What’s wrong?’ he asked gently when he heard my voice. ‘You sound as if you didn’t have a friend in the world—I’m not dead yet!’ A glib, graceful phrase, perhaps—but in twenty-five years I have not forgotten it, how I sat up straighter, smiled and felt alive again that night.”

How to Become a Friend

Some people seem to have a talent for making friends. Others need to learn the art of friendship, and they do. Still others are neither gifted in friendship nor quick to learn its ways. They need help. Whatever the case may be, to be a friend one has to care about people, what they think, how they feel and why they suffer. One must be sympathetically interested in things people do. One must accept their faults as well as their virtues. One must be willing to make sacrifices and help others to achieve their goals.

The American poet and essayist Ralph W. Emerson once said: “The only way to have a friend is to be one.” Help someone, if you want a friend. That should be easy, because there are so many people today who need help. Where there is work to be done, volunteer to do it. Working brings people together.

Invite people to your home for a meal or simply to share conversation with you over a cup of tea or coffee. Simply say, “How about coming to our place Saturday night?” Even if it is not convenient for them to come this time, at least they will know that you would like to know them better.

Perhaps the very beginning of a friendship is the willingness to say “hello” first. You must show that you like people. If you greet them with a smile and with a cheerful salutation, it may surprise you what response you will get.

What Is Needed to Keep Up Friendship

Friendship can be likened to a plant that has to be cultivated. It must be watered and tended if it is to produce sweet and wholesome fruit.

Maintaining a friendship is not automatic. It takes planning. On our weekly list of things to be done, we might well assign deeds of friendship. We could write down the names of those we would like to visit or telephone or drop a note to, or send a gift. How easy it is to neglect friends just because they are friends. Many who know the art of friendship plan to have dinner once a week or once a month with certain friends.

An aid to preserving friendships is doing things together. One friend taught another how to cook. After that, the delights of cooking enriched their conversations and their lives. Others have encouraged their friends to go places with them and to do things together, such as visiting museums, taking walks through parks or having picnics together.

Distance may prevent friends from getting together, but a warm letter can bridge the gap. A telephone call will remind them that you care. It may be possible to spend a vacation with an old friend and renew the friendship. Often reunions are most heartwarming.

Solving Problems

The problem of jealousy sometimes arises among friends. Some people may want you all to themselves. But friendship also means the sharing of a friend with other persons. This demands humility. It calls for the ability to check resentment rather than let it persist and poison the spirit. Good friends are neither tyrants nor doormats; they strike a happy balance.

Friendship also implies discipline. There is the danger of becoming what the apostle Peter calls “a busybody in other people’s matters,” and that can soon spoil a friendship. So it is profitable to examine one’s conversation.—1 Pet. 4:15.

Also, these are busy times, and we cannot expect others to be constantly visiting or entertaining. The inspired Proverb (Pr 25:17) says: “Make your foot rare at the house of your fellow man, that he may not have his sufficiency of you and certainly hate you.”

And when you are invited out for an evening, it is wise not to keep your host up too late. There usually is much to be done after guests leave, and if it is late, it may work a hardship on the host. Some persons leave so late that they are not invited as often as they might be. And a number of people, who cannot keep late hours, for age or health reasons or for having to get up at an early hour, are not as hospitable as they would like to be because guests often just do not know when to go home.

What Kind of Friends to Cultivate

Perhaps the most vital factor to an enduring friendship is the choice we make in the first place. Many people make the mistake of picking friends for their usefulness. They choose friends for what they have or can contribute and not really for what they are. Generally such friendships do not flourish.

Other people are purely social climbers and status seekers. Their friendship is tainted with a selfish purpose. “You have to be careful to associate with those who count or else you won’t get anywhere,” they say. This is far from Christian practice. (Jas. 2:1) Friendships based on selfishness are hollow, empty, unrewarding.—Luke 14:12-14.

When choosing friends, be selective in a godly way. Even God himself is selective in his choice of friends. God called Abraham his friend, because of Abraham’s faithfulness. (Jas. 2:23) And the fifteenth Psalm shows that God lays down high standards for those ‘who would be guests in his tent’—not everyone is welcome. Jesus Christ also set standards for those who would be his friends. To his followers, he said: “You are my friends if you do what I am commanding you.”—John 15:14.

How about you? Are you selective in the matter of friends? Do you have reliable guidelines? Since we will be influenced to some extent by the friends we keep, it would be good to be selective.

Quality-wise, we certainly would be making no mistake if we chose those whom God and Christ call friends. We could expect them to excel in love, long-suffering, kindness, goodness and self-control. (Gal. 5:22, 23) Those possessing these fine, godly qualities make excellent friends indeed! And nothing draws friends closer together than their mutual love of God. As Ruth, who is spoken of in the Bible, said to Naomi: “Your people will be my people, and your God my God.”—Ruth 1:16, 17.

A dedicated Christian must view this subject of friendship with a number of safeguarding Biblical principles in mind. For example, there is the one that says: “Bad associations spoil useful habits.” And another that says: “Whoever, therefore, wants to be a friend of the world is constituting himself an enemy of God.” (1 Cor. 15:33; Jas. 4:4) Thus we see that proper choice of friendships will not only influence our daily habits but also have a direct effect on our relationship with God.

With a view to safeguarding one’s relationship with God, it is wise to heed the counsel of his Word by ‘turning away’ from association with certain types of people. Who are they? The apostle Paul mentions “lovers of money”—those whose thoughts are always on material possessions. He also lists those who are “disobedient to parents,” those who are ‘proud’ and ‘lack self-control,’ and persons who are “lovers of pleasures rather than lovers of God.” (2 Tim. 3:2-5) No friendships are to be established with such persons at all. This Biblical advice, if followed, can be a real protection.

Since a true friend is a trusted confidant, we should also be sure that our friend is not the sort who would gossip about us, to our harm. Concerning such friends the Bible says: “The one covering over transgression is seeking love, and he that keeps talking about a matter is separating those familiar with one another. A true companion is loving all the time.” “There exist companions disposed to break one another to pieces, but there exists a friend sticking closer than a brother.”—Prov. 17:9, 17; 18:24.

It is important, too, that friends share the same interests and goals. If you choose for a friend someone whose interests lead you in another direction you may forfeit your goal in life. This is especially true of one who wants to prove faithful as a servant of God.

Thus from God’s Word the Bible we learn what true friendship is, that it leads to Christian love, that it promotes open communication, that it brings comfort in times of difficulty and affords opportunities to do things for others. Friendship enriches one’s life and spices it with greater happiness. So be friendly—be a friend.

[Picture on page 6]

Inviting others to share food with you is a good way to build up friendships

“Black Gold” in Alaska’s Backyard

By “Awake!” correspondent in Alaska

GOLD FOUND IN THE KLONDIKE!” was the dramatic announcement in 1896 that sparked a rush of Canadians and Americans to Alaska and the Yukon. Multitudes were infected with the hope that they would “strike it rich” in the goldfields. In recent years a similar announcement has again started a trek to Alaska. This time the objective is “black gold”—oil, discovered on Alaska’s frigid North Slope.

The presence of oil here was noticed by the Russians, for mention of it appears in their records as early as the 1860’s. Americans learned of the black liquid here around 1880, after the purchase of the land from Russia. The first oil claims were staked in 1897. Perhaps the Eskimos deserve credit for the earliest “discoveries” of oil in the Arctic, since they “mined” chunks of oil seeps and burned them to thaw their driftwood.

Some serious interest in this oil was entertained at the turn of the century, but what started to be a boom ended abruptly in 1904 when oil seekers were intrigued by the new wells in Texas and California. Oil exploration has proceeded on a small scale ever since those days. In the 1950’s the United States Navy did some drilling in this part of the world. However, the program was given up because of climate and inaccessibility. Now, the finds of oil on the remote North Slope lead to speculation that our “backyard” may well hold over forty thousand million barrels of the “black treasure.”

The Place

Prudhoe Bay on the north coast of Alaska may well be termed our “backyard” because it is more than four hundred miles north of Fairbanks, the jumping-off place for the interior. Once the plane departs from Fairbanks it leaves behind the main populated part of the state. Flying over the Brooks Mountain Range, one can see the North Slope dipping down from the mountains for some 150 miles northward to the Arctic Ocean. This belt of flat, almost featureless tundra spreads from east to west about a thousand miles.

Approaching Prudhoe Bay by air, one first spies a dot on the vast, uninhabited plain. A few minutes more and this speck takes form and turns out to be the oil rig or derrick, towering over the cluster of prefabricated structures, and constituting the only “tree” within hundreds of miles of this spot in the far north.

The earth here bears a year-round armor of permafrost or permanently frozen ground. October, the start of the winter, brings severe cold, temperatures dropping to as low as 70° F below zero. Imagine some of the problems the riggers face in setting up their equipment! When the temperature is 40° F below zero, winds up to fifty miles per hour produce a “chill factor” much lower than the thermometer indicates. Workers must keep in mind that “exposed flesh may freeze within thirty seconds” under such conditions. Metal becomes brittle. Common rubber can shatter like glass.

Severe storms can rage here for several days, preventing the hardiest from work, even though swaddled from head to foot in protective, down-filled parkas, coveralls, thermal underwear and insulated boots. There are no trees to break the winds. Whiteouts, with sky and ground taking on the same indistinguishable snowy glare, can reduce visibility to only five or six feet. Trucks have to be left running 24 hours a day; otherwise it may be impossible to get them running for days or weeks. In midwinter the sun almost disappears for two months and there is barely a twilight glow at midday. During the spells of extreme weather men have to take refuge behind the heavy freezer doors of their bunkhouse.

In summer, thaws transform the tundra surface into a spongy, mosquito-infested quagmire of shallow lakes and streams. Then it is practically impossible to move heavy equipment and machinery. This is why much preparatory work and drilling must be done in winter when the permafrost is solid on the surface.

A Closer Look at the Installation

But now for a closer look at this oil outpost. It appears that before the rig or any other structure can be set up, special foundations must be laid. This is because the upper layers of the 1,000-foot-deep permafrost soften in summer’s warmth, and heavy structures built on the ground surface may sink as much as five to ten feet in one season. So timber pilings are driven twenty feet into the permafrost, deep enough so the bottom ends are embedded in undisturbed frozen soil. Then an island is constructed atop the piling, including a five-foot-thick insulating pad of gravel. The airstrip, the bunkhouses as well as other installations thus have a good solid foundation.

Since the crude oil coming from the depths of the earth is as warm as 160° F, this creates more thawing problems to depths of two hundred feet. Engineers are devising telescoping drill casing and ways of raising the rig periodically to compensate for the thawing, sinking ground below.

Seventy-five men work and live here. Their home appears to be a boxlike structure some two hundred feet long. On closer inspection it turns out to be two long rows of house-trailer units, each 38 feet long, set end to end with a large corridor between. This serves as a hallway. A well-lighted dining hall, a recreation room and baths provide as cheerful and homelike an atmosphere as possible.

Food is delicious and abundant, for men need energy to work twelve-hour shifts seven days a week. There are some men playing card games in the recreation room while others play pool. Still others can watch movies or simply read. No radio or television broadcasts can be picked up at this remote place. The men follow this routine for six weeks, and then they have two weeks off. Most spend their time off with their families in Fairbanks or Anchorage. Why do they choose to work and live in such a remote spot? Generally they will tell you it is because of the high yearly salary.

But all this heavy equipment—how did it get here? Several means of transport were used. The fastest and costliest was by air. Great “Hercules” flying boxcars brought in tractors weighing more than 46,000 pounds each. Other loads they brought in were 40-foot railroad-highway transport vans or the bunkhouse units. Small planes and helicopters transported men and smaller items of equipment. A “Skycrane” helicopter, looking like a giant dragonfly, 88 feet long and weighing some 16,000 pounds, brought in tractors that matched its own weight.

Rugged expediters braved the rigors of the Arctic to deliver equipment and supplies to the Slope via barge, “cat train,” and trucks on the “ice road.” Since no roads originally existed to the interior of the North Slope, Caterpillar tractors and bulldozers dragged trains of sleds loaded with equipment. Over four hundred miles of frozen rivers and mountain slopes they crept, like huge snails, with their loads.

Eighty miles north of Fairbanks is the southern terminus of the 500-mile Walter J. Hickel Highway, first opened in spring of 1968, a two-lane road built literally of snow and ice, and usable only when frozen in winter. Its builders had to battle 70-degree-below-zero temperatures and winds. At one point a quarter-mile-long ice bridge had to be constructed over the Yukon River. On top of the natural buildup of ice there was laid a latticework of 4- to 10-inch-diameter logs. Water was pumped on this structure until it became a reinforced ice bridge. More logs were then added on top, and more water pumped over them until the surface of the ice bridge matched the level of the road approaches on the river banks. Tools, bedding, clothing and food for at least 48 hours are the required emergency gear for truckers using this ice highway.

Tugs and barges fought their way north from two directions to deliver their payloads. Some came around Alaska’s west coast, braving the unpredictable weather and the polar ice cap. Others came north on Canada’s Mackenzie River. These had to watch for shallows in the river caused by the very dry season.

Getting the Oil Out

So much for getting the equipment in and setting up the installations. But now, what about getting the oil out once it is pumped up from deep below?

Some would like to see the Alaska Railroad extended 400 miles or so at a cost of $500 million. The crude oil could then be shipped by rail to Alaskan seaports such as Anchorage, Seward, or Whittier, thence by ocean tanker to market. Direct routes to Prudhoe Bay for tankships and barges are also being considered. Both the western route through the Bering Strait and the Northwest Passage across Canada are being given serious thought, though both are choked most of the year with heavy ice. Specially equipped with heavily armored hull, the SS Manhattan recently managed to get through the hazards of the latter route. (See Awake! of January 22, 1970.) Oil companies have not yet decided upon the practicality of this means of shipping.

It looks as though the Trans-Alaska Pipeline will be the first means of getting the crude oil to market. Spanning the 800 miles from Prudhoe Bay to Valdez on the Gulf of Alaska, a huge 48-inch-diameter artery is planned, one that will disgorge 500,000 to 1,000,000 barrels of oil daily at the terminal. The cost is expected to run as high as $900 million.

Preliminary work is already under way on this “plumbing” job that will involve twelve pump stations to bear the “black gold” over three mountain ranges with elevations as high as 4,800 feet. Much of the pipeline will be laid in a ditch on the frozen ground with at least four feet of frozen soil on top to secure it. Digging, blasting and thawing the ground for this slash, six feet wide, eight feet deep and 800 miles long is proving to be quite a challenge. But they hope for completion by 1972.

Value to the Economy

Alaska is keenly interested in the project. It creates employment for many. Oil companies poured more than $900 million into the state treasury when they bid for the privilege of leasing 412,453 acres of North Slope land for development. The world’s increasing demand for petroleum, coupled with the hazards associated with delivery of oil from the politically turbulent Middle East, makes this project all the more attractive. Western nations hope Alaska’s oil supply will relieve the situation.

However, it is all a very costly undertaking. Oil leases have cost over a thousand million dollars. Early wildcat wells cost between $2 and $4 million apiece. Costs of early exploration and now also of the pipeline have truly pushed this whole undertaking into one costing hundreds of millions of dollars.

Then there are other costs, not immediately measurable in dollars and cents. Conservationists have spoken out loudly about the cost to the land and its natural beauties. Ecology studies, participated in by the oil companies, are seeking means to limit the damage to tundra vegetation. The thin layer of moss and lichens on the surface serves to insulate the permafrost. Remove this protective layer and the resulting thawing of the permafrost can produce erosion, slumping and surface subsidences. Where the tundra vegetation must be disturbed, effort must be made to find plants and grasses that will replace it and manage to grow in this harsh climate.

And how about the cost as it affects animal life? Will the thousands of caribou be free to migrate back and forth across the tundra each year as they have done for centuries? Can the waterfowl continue to enjoy unpolluted lakes and ponds? Will the Arctic fox, grizzly bear, wolf and squirrel continue to romp unmolested across the slopes?

Conservationists plead for orderly disposal of wastes and trash. Scrap oil drums, machinery and other refuse items from early exploration dot the Slope. Steel and other solid materials hardly deteriorate in this frigid climate. Petroleum companies are increasingly aware of their responsibilities in this regard, and are taking some steps to preserve the terrain, protect the wildlife and keep down the costs in terms of sacrificing natural beauties. Cleanup projects have already been started and precautions are being taken for the future.

The vast work entailed in developing the oil industry in this far-northern location is truly impressive. And Alaskans congratulate themselves on the fact that soon people all over the world will be using some of this “black gold” from their backyard.

[Picture on page 9]

On the North Slope, a flat tundra, the oil rig or derrick constitutes the only “tree” within hundreds of miles

My Life as a Polygamist

As told to “Awake!” correspondent in Dahomey

AS A boy I grew up in my father’s compound in Dahomey. It was a well-populated compound, for father had twelve wives and, of course, many children in addition to me. It was a happy, carefree life for us children, for we had lots of playmates within the immediate family. My father was chief of the compound, and demanded the respect of everyone.

But does not the practice of polygamy make for many problems in the household? you may wonder. In answer I would say, Yes, it really does. And I would like to tell you about some of them. You see, I too became a polygamist.

It will help you to understand our life if you know just what a compound is. It is really a plot of land surrounded by a high wall made of red mud that has been baked hard in the sun. Inside are the many little dwellings built of cement blocks or the same red mud. There is one kitchen, usually a shelter with two or three walls. When the weather is good, which is most of the time, cooking is done outdoors.

As the owner of a compound increases the number of his wives he will build a separate dwelling, opening directly onto the compound, for each new wife. Compound life is just like living in a small village. Having one kitchen does not present too much difficulty, since meals are not prepared at any set time. We just ate when we got hungry, and we did not all get hungry at the same time.

Good Intentions

By the time I had reached a marriageable age I had already determined to marry only one wife. Why? Because within our own compound I had had plenty of opportunity to weigh the advantages and disadvantages. There did seem to be some advantages to polygamy. Many wives and a large family were a sign of wealth and influence. The family head received honor from a large subject family and was also highly respected in the community. The common view was that the fetish gods had made such a man fruitful.

Yet the compound was at times far from peaceful. I recall many occasions when bitter disputes arose among my father’s wives. Sometimes it would seem that father favored one wife above the others. That could mean serious trouble for the one receiving special favor. Jealousy on the part of the other wives could be dangerous. In fact, I had heard of instances where wives poisoned either their competitor or their husband because of great jealousy.

So it was with the best intentions that I set out to have only one wife. We were very happy together, but, sad to say, she gave me no children. My desire for children was very strong. Thus it came about after two childless years that I felt I must seek a second wife who could produce children for me.

Adding More Wives

On special occasions dances were arranged at which all the villagers would come together for feasting and drinking. An event might last for several nights, during which time offerings would be made to the fetish gods in order to procure their blessing for a fruitful year. At one of these festivals I had the opportunity to arrange the taking of two more wives, rather than one.

First I decided whom to choose. Then, according to our custom, I sent a friend to make the arrangements with the parents of my prospective wives. This included determining the dowry to be paid by the parents of the girls. Also he must convince them of the good qualities of the husband-to-be. My new fathers-in-law, as chiefs in their own families, would include the son-in-law as subject to them. Besides receiving the dowry from them, the bridegroom can be required to do work for them and later even support them if requested.

The arrangements all being completed, a day is set for the final ceremony and then the parents may tell their daughters all about it. The daughters may not know anything about the matter until a few days prior to the marriage. They do not object, however, for they want a husband and a family, and so are content to have their parents handle everything for them. In the larger cities this custom is changing, but in the villages it still prevails. Courting and engagements are not the custom.

Soon my home and my compound got to be much like my father’s. As I gained influence and respect in the community I was no longer satisfied even with three wives. I purchased two more. And I began to see a repetition of circumstances. Now I could discover for myself how difficult it is to treat all wives impartially. Jealousies arose, and there was much fighting over small matters in my compound.

For example, when a relative of one of my wives died, I had to purchase a goat to offer as a sacrifice, in accordance with custom. But it must not be a better goat than had been purchased for the relative of another of my wives. If I showed just a little favor to one wife, the others would make life unbearable for her. The bickering and quarreling often exasperated me. Because of the lack of peace at home, I began looking for association with other women who did not become my wives. Later, this course was to become a real problem to me.

No one in our village ever thought of polygamy as being immoral. Even having relations with other, unmarried girls was not viewed as being bad. Many girls had one or two babies prior to marriage. Rather than hindering them from gaining a husband, it was often a help, for men could see that they were capable of producing children.

Do you wonder what became of all those children? Well, when one understands that a large family is the desirable thing, it is easy to see why a single girl’s parents would welcome such additions to their own family. However, after a girl is married the situation is changed. The husband will not tolerate his wives’ going with other men.

Religion and Polygamy

There were a number of religions in our community. In addition to our ancient fetish religion there were a large Catholic church and a number of Protestant sects, though these latter were quite small. These churches never made any mention of polygamy. Most of those attending them still practiced fetishism and polygamy, and yet were in good standing in the church.

At first I never attended the churches, though I always had reverence for the Bible. But then one day the priest told me I would never go to heaven since I was not baptized. This worried me, so I got baptized as a Catholic. For many years I continued as a good member of the church, though still a polygamist and a practicer of the fetish religion.

Then, in 1947, I first saw one of the publications of the Watch Tower Society. One of my friends had obtained the book “The Truth Shall Make You Free.” Since he no longer wanted it, I made a trade with him for it, for I had wanted to learn more about the Bible. Well, after reading that book I was convinced that it was in harmony with the Bible’s teaching. I could see that all the churches in our community were no different from the fetish religion, as far as doing what the Bible commanded was concerned.

I stopped attending the church and took less and less interest in the fetish religion. But I went no farther, for I could see that the things I was learning from the Bible would require me to make some big changes in my life. I did not want to break away from all the girl friends I had. Thus a number of years passed.

True Freedom Comes

Then one day some Christian witnesses of Jehovah were working from house to house in our town, and were arrested and jailed. This really impressed me. Here were surely the true Christians, willing to endure persecution in order to preach the Bible’s message! I decided that it was time for me to do something, even if it meant making big changes in my life.

A Bible study was started with all of my family and soon after, in 1960, I put away all but one of my wives and determined to dedicate my life to Jehovah. When I had previously joined the Catholic church, no questions were raised as to the old fetish religion. But I soon found that becoming one of Jehovah’s witnesses was an entirely different matter. I had to conform my life to the Bible’s requirements. Yet the joy of knowing I was really serving the true God was strengthening.

What became of my other four wives? And what about all my children? I am happy to say that two of my former wives became Witnesses also, dedicating their lives to Jehovah God. The children all remained with me, and now two of them are full-time ministers, while six are also dedicated and serving the interests of God’s kingdom with the local congregation of Jehovah’s witnesses. It also made me very happy to arrange for the youngest of my former wives to marry a full-time minister. Today they are serving as traveling representatives of the Watch Tower Society.

Truly, I have been made free. No longer am I subject to religious superstitions or teachings that water down the Bible’s requirements. My conscience is clear because I am following Jesus’ counsel to have only one wife. (Mark 10:6-9) I know that I am conforming to the Lord’s arrangement for responsible Christians.—1 Tim. 3:2.

More than that, I find in my case that the Lord Jesus’ promise at Mark 10:29, 30 is really fulfilled. My family is much larger than I could ever have hoped. Everywhere I have brothers and sisters, fathers and mothers, and also many children. How? Because Jehovah God has shown mercy to me and made me part of his grand earthly family that is dwelling together in true peace.

Today I live in my home with just one wife. Now it is a real joy to return to my home, where there is peace—peace that comes from following God’s Word. True, I am no longer a “big” man with great influence in the community. Yet what influence I do have I am happy to use to help others come to know and serve the true God and gain spiritual freedom.

I find great joy and peace of mind in sharing my happiness with others in the community. Some have already begun to share this happiness of being part of Jehovah’s grand family in which there are no jealousy and no loose moral attitudes. It is my earnest hope that I can still help many more to genuine freedom in God’s congregation before Jehovah brings to an end all who cling to customs not in harmony with his perfect will.

[Picture on page 13]

A polygamist soon discovers how difficult it is to treat all wives impartially; jealousies arise

The Minerals in Your Food

THERE was a time when the role that minerals play in nutrition was not appreciated. The emphasis in nutrition was on proteins (such as meat, fish, dairy products and eggs), fats (such as butter, lard, oils) and carbohydrates (all the sugars and starches). Then men began to discern that good health depended also upon other factors, such as vitamins, and that even certain minerals, found in the body in very small amounts, were indispensable.

Concerning these minerals we are told that they carry a clear message: “Man cannot exist elsewhere.” Also that “had man [come into existence] on another planet, he would have had a different mineral composition.”a This is just what we should expect in view of the Bible’s account of creation as found at Genesis 2:7: “Jehovah God proceeded to form the man out of dust from the ground and to blow into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man came to be a living soul.”

Interestingly, the fact that Jehovah God originally gave man “all vegetation bearing seed . . . and every tree on which there is the fruit of a tree bearing seed” as food is also borne out by a study of these minerals. While the body carefully guards many of these minerals, not so with potassium, obtained mostly from fruits and vegetables. Daily the body expels a certain amount of potassium regardless of how much is taken in, requiring daily consumption of potassium-rich foods. This has caused a team of leading nutritionists to ask, “Could it be because man originally lived on fruits and vegetables?” Yes, undoubtedly that is the reason.—Gen. 1:29.

Scientists today list over a hundred elements as being found on this earth. However, some of these are man-made. As many as sixty of the natural elements have been found in living things and some forty have been found in man.

Not included here for special consideration are the four major elements described as “having a molecular weight of 16 or less.” These account for 96 percent of the body’s composition. They include oxygen, 65 percent; carbon, 18 percent; hydrogen, 10 percent; nitrogen, 3 percent. The fact that 75 percent of the body’s composition is oxygen and hydrogen would seem to show the need of daily drinking sufficient liquids.

“Macro” and “Micro” Minerals

What is being considered here are the “macro” minerals and “micro” or “trace” elements or minerals. The macro elements comprise a total of about 3.5 percent of the body’s composition. They exist in quantities of less than 3 percent and more than 1/100th of 1 percent. (See chart.) These are calcium, phosphorus, potassium, sulfur, sodium, chlorine and magnesium.

The micro elements account for the remaining about 1/2 of 1 percent. Among the more important micro or trace elements are iron, manganese, copper, iodine, zinc, molybdenum, cobalt, fluorine, chromium and bromine.

These various minerals have an importance in nutrition far beyond the extremely small amounts that are found in the body. Calcium, the major one of these, represents only about 1/70th of the body’s composition. And there is from 400 to 500 times as much calcium in the body as there is iron. Then again, there is twenty times as much iron as there is copper, and five times as much copper as there is iodine in the body. Yet iodine is essential to good health even though it is found in the body only to the extent of one part in 2.5 million or more.

Man has still much to learn about the presence and value of these minerals in the body. As one medical journal expressed it: “New knowledge concerning minerals both macro and micro opens up bright vistas in the prevention and treatment of disease, as well as in the maintenance of optimal nutrition. . . . They offer a treasure-house of exciting opportunities for investigators.”

Basically, the minerals in the body serve two functions. One is that of building blocks; the other is that of regulators of the body’s processes by combining with vitamins, with other minerals and with enzymes. In fact, a number of these minerals serve quite a variety of valuable purposes in the body.

In considering information on minerals it is well to keep in mind that nutrition is by no means a science on which there is general agreement as there is with, say, mathematics and physics. There is some disagreement as to the exact proportions of these elements in the body, as to just where to draw the line between macro and micro elements and as to which trace elements are essential. But what is known can be very helpful.

The Variable Factor of Soil Content

With this article there appears a chart of these minerals, giving their amounts, their location in the body, their value and sources. In addition it appears wise to offer a few guiding principles as to obtaining sufficient amounts of these in one’s food. There seems to be no question about the fact that these elements need to be found in the soil before they can be found in the food grown on it.

In this regard there is something to be said in favor of organic gardening, which puts emphasis on the use of manure, compost and the growing of such crops as winterpeas and vetch to improve the mineral content of the soil. Some thirty-five years ago, Dr. Alexis Carrel, the late famed biologist and Nobel Prize winner, stated:

“Man is literally made from the dust of the earth. . . . The staple foods may not contain the same nutritive substances as in former times. Mass production has modified the composition of wheat, eggs, milk, fruit, and butter, although these articles have retained their familiar appearance. Chemical fertilizers, by increasing the abundance of the crops without replacing all the exhausted elements in the soil, have indirectly contributed to changing the nutritive value of cereal grains and vegetables. Hens have been compelled, by artificial diet and mode of living, to enter the ranks of mass producers. Has not the quality of their eggs been modified?”—Man the Unknown.

Practical Considerations

However, while ever so many persons may be able to do very little about procuring organically grown food, there still is much that they can do about getting sufficient minerals in their food. For example, they can choose unrefined foods. Whole wheat flour, dark rye flour, steel-cut oats or old-fashioned rolled oats, unpolished rice, all contain many times more vital minerals than their refined counterparts. Blackstrap molasses, honey, maple syrup, raw sugar and dried fruits (such as raisins and apricots, dates and figs) abound in such vital minerals as copper and iron, which are wholly lacking in white sugar.

It is also a known fact that food taken from the oceans is richer in certain minerals than food taken from the soil; and especially is this true if the soil has been cultivated for generations and replenished only with chemical fertilizers. This applies not only to fish and shellfish but also to sea vegetation such as kelp, which is a staple part of the diet of many peoples, such as the Japanese, and which in Western lands is available mostly in tablet form.

The ideal situation is for the housewife to be concerned with these things, as that is part of her obligation to the family. Knowing which foods are rich in needed minerals, she can include them in her family’s menu. She can also make it a point to learn to prepare cooked and raw vegetables appetizingly, so that her family will readily eat more of these foods that are rich in minerals. Judicious use of spices, onions and garlic can do much to help her realize this objective. Wise is it also to make use of all “pot liquor,” that is, the water from boiled vegetables, for it abounds in minerals.

The “sweet tooth” of the family can be catered to without resorting to white sugar, which, according to one of England’s leading nutritionists, “is the only dietary difference that can consistently be found between persons who develop coronary heart disease and those who do not.” As already noted, there are many sweet foods that not only are appealing to the palate and furnish much energy but are very rich in valuable minerals. In particular should the womenfolk apply to themselves these suggestions, as many of them have the poorest dietary habits. At least that is what the United States Department of Agriculture concluded after receiving replies to questionnaires from 14,500 American women.

There is also the matter of cost to be considered. True, fruits, nuts, fresh or frozen vegetables, mushrooms and certain seafoods may seem to be rather costly. But are they really costly when one considers their nutritional value and that they might save on medicine and doctor bills? On the other hand, use of peanuts, whole-grain cereals, baked potatoes, wheat germ, and especially such legumes as lentils and soybeans can materially cut down on one’s bill for meat, generally the most costly food item.

No question about it, good nutrition requires sufficient of these valuable minerals. But at the same time a word of caution seems fitting. It would not be wise to go “overboard” in regard to these things, as if one’s physical food were the most important thing in life. It is not. Why not? Because “man must live, not on bread alone, but on every utterance coming forth from Jehovah’s mouth.”—Matt. 4:4.

[Footnotes]

Annals of Allergy, April 1968.

[Chart on page 18]

(For fully formatted text, see publication)

MINERALS IN THE BODY

Macro Minerals

Mineral % of Body Where Located, Value Some Good Sources

Calcium 1.5-9 99% in bones, teeth. Milk, other dairy

Aids in blood clotting, products, cabbage,

muscle activity, kale, etc.,

nerve function, unrefined cereals,

heart action; legumes, bone

activates certain meal.

enzymes. (Most persons

do not get enough

calcium.)

Phosphorus 1.0 75% in bones, teeth. All protein foods:

Aids in cell life, re- meats, fish, nuts,

production utilization legumes, dairy

of carbohydrates, fats products,

in maintaining acid-base unrefined cereals.

balance; nourishes brain

etc.

Potassium .35 Found in cells. Plays All fruits, vege-

leading role in utiliza- tables. Potato

tion of proteins, carbo- peelings richest

hydrates; helps maintain source. (Must be

normal heartbeat. taken daily.)

Sulfur .25 Found in (and important Protein foods,

to) skin, fingernails, onion, cabbage

hair; the “beauty families.

mineral.”

Sodium .15 Found throughout body. Table and sea

Maintains water balance, salt, cheese,

osmotic pressure in body butter, cereals.

fluids; aids in maintain- “A diet truly

ing acid-base balance; low in sodium

indispensable for kidney would be hard to

function. achieve.”

Chlorine .15 Mostly in extracellular Salt, meat, leafy

fluids, part of hydro- vegetables, milk,

chloric acid in stomach. tomatoes, etc.

Aids liver function,

maintaining acid-base

balance.

Magnesium .05 Bones, soft tissues. Nuts, legumes,

Important to heart, fish, whole

nerve tissue; vital grains, blackstrap

to a host of enzyme molasses, raw

functions. leafy vegetables.

Micro or Trace Minerals

Iron .004-7 In hemoglobin. Aids in Liver, lean meats,

bringing oxygen to cells; legumes, egg

aids certain cellular yolks, molasses,

enzymes. (Women need dark leafy greens,

more iron than do men.) raisins, apricots,

berries, onions.

oysters, whole

grains.

Manganese .0003 Essential for bone Whole grains,

formation, body growth, legumes, beet

normal metabolism; tops, pineapple,

activates many essential bananas, blue-

enzymes. berries, saltwater

fish.

Copper .0002 Aids in utilization of Liver, kidney,

iron; activates many shellfish,

essential enzymes. “Key legumes, nuts,

element to life itself.” raisins, unre-

fined cereals.

Micro or Trace Minerals—Continued

Mineral % of Body Where Located, Value Some Good Sources

Iodine .00004 Mostly in thyroid gland. Seafood (animal

Controls metabolism and vegetable),

rate, aids in forming mushrooms, crops

thyroid hormone, grown near oceans,

prevents goiter, etc. iodized salt.

Zinc Trace Mostly in sex organs Animal proteins,

and thyroid. Plays fish, whole grains,

vital role in enzymes maple sugar.

needed for growth and

body functioning.

Molybdenum Trace Essential for bone Legumes, whole

formation, normal grains, dark

metabolism, body growth. leafy greens,

organ meats.

Cobalt Trace In pancreas, liver, Liver, legumes,

spleen. Aids in blood whole grains.

formation, vital part

of vitamin B-12.

Fluorine Trace Found in bones and Seafood, tea.

teeth. Prevents tooth

decay.

Chromium Trace Contributes to growth, Raw sugar.

longevity, resistance

to disease, especially

diabetes.

Bromine Trace Persons suffering from Watermelons,

depressive psychoses tomatoes.

found to have less than

average in blood.

(It is to be expected that authorities differ; listings are representative rather than comprehensive.)

“Beloved Lady of Luxembourg”

By “Awake!” correspondent in Luxembourg

HER face is oval, and rich tresses of hair fall to her shoulders. She has strings of pearls and other costly necklaces. Her robes surpass in splendor those kings and queens. Garments embroidered with gold and silver thread, and set with diamonds and precious stones, fill her wardrobe. Not one, but two scepters are at her disposal, and a choice of four pairs golden crowns are available for the adornment of herself and the child she carries.

Who is she? She is a costly figurine little more than thirty-seven inches in height. She is well known in Luxembourg, bearing the title “Beloved Lady of Luxembourg.”

She is formed out of wood of the lime tree, and has a heart of literal gold. Her right foot rests upon a moon with the face of a Turk, to commemorate, it is said, the victory of the papal, Spanish and Venetian fleets over the Turkish fleet at the battle of Lepanto in 1571 C.E. She carries, too, a golden key.

Even in this latter part of the twentieth century, homage and worship are offered to this patron saint of the City and State of Luxembourg. Pilgrimages and processions in her honor are numerous. People bow before her and pray to her. Multitudes believe that she has brought them comfort and miraculous healing of their ailments. To many, she is more than a mere graven thing—she is “queen of heaven.”

How It All Started

Superstitious stories about the power and efficacy of this figurine have passed from mouth to mouth, in the process gaining much from the vivid imaginations of the transmitters. The Jesuits procured for the figurine recognition by the official church authorities. in 1677 it was declared the patron saint and guardian of the whole country, and the following year the Holy See confirmed this choice.

The chapel built in honor of the image became a center of pilgrimage. One female official of Luxembourg is said to have been cured here of a paralyzing arthritic complaint that had laid her in bed for twelve years and robbed her of the power of speech. Devotees of Luxembourg’s “Beloved Lady” reportedly received visions. They called her “Mother of God” and “comforter of the afflicted.”

Viewed from the vantage point of our time, it appears that the promotion of Luxembourg’s “Beloved Lady” was, in fact, another facet of the counterreformation. As such it proved successful. Caught up in the worship of an image for which miraculous powers were claimed, most of the populace was held closely to the Roman Catholic Church throughout the period of the so-called Protestant Reformation, when priests such as Luther denounced the teachings of the Church and rebelled.

Facing the Facts Today

What about today? Can Luxembourg’s citizens properly continue their processions and professions of worship to this expensive figurine? Are there reasons for reexamining their position in relation to this image? There are certainly a number of indisputable facts that should be faced—facts that bear directly on this matter, and that involve the question of true worship.

Consider, for example, these words which form part of the 1943 Bible Encyclical of Pope Pius XII: “Under inspiration of divine spirit the holy writers composed the books that God in his fatherly goodness wanted to give to the human race ‘for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction which is in righteousness: that the man of God may be complete, furnished completely unto every good work.’ In this heaven-given treasure, the church sees the most precious source and divine norm for its religious and moral code.”

If you are a member of the Roman Catholic Church, do you take seriously the words of this Encyclical? If the Holy Scriptures are the norm for religious and moral teachings, then no honest Catholic may safely shy away from examining them to see whether the festival of Luxembourg’s patron saint with its processions is in agreement with the divine will.

Turning to Exodus chapter 20, verses 4 and 5, in his own Bible (Catholic Douay Version) each Catholic will find these explicit words of God: “Thou shalt not make to thyself a graven thing, nor the likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or in the earth beneath, nor of those things that are in the waters under the earth. Thou shalt not adore them, nor serve them: I am the Lord thy God, mighty, jealous, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children.”

Certainly Luxembourg’s “Holy Lady” is a graven thing, and it is adored and served with pomp and fervor as though it were a divine being. How does anyone, be he priest or bishop, ruler or subject, have the right to set aside and violate the plain command of God? Can he expect to go unpunished?

But there is more to consider. At Jeremiah chapter 10, verses 3 to 5, in the Douay Version Bible, these words can be found: “For the laws of the people are vain: for the works of the hand of the workman hath cut a tree out of the forest with an axe. He hath decked it with silver and gold: he hath put it together with nails and hammers, that it may not fall asunder. They are framed after the likeness of a palm tree [here the Catholic Aschaffenburger-Bibel says, “they are like a scarecrow in a cucumber field”], and shall not speak: they must be carried to be removed, because they cannot go. Therefore fear them not, for they can neither do evil nor good.”

In the case of this figurine, the workman cut down a lime tree and carved out of it the “Lady of Luxembourg,” which cannot speak, nor can it do either good or evil. True, superstitious forefathers were led to believe that this lifeless image could perform miracles. But what of enlightened, educated people today? Is it proper to perpetuate such a belief that is entirely contrary to the inspired Word of God?

The teachings of God’s Son, Jesus Christ, are very clear in this respect. For example, note these words spoken by his apostle Paul: “Being therefore the offspring of God, we must not suppose the divinity to be like unto gold, or silver, or stone, the graving of art, and device of man.” (Acts of the Apostles, chapter 17, verse 29, Douay Version) And Jesus’ apostle John gave this clear warning: “Little children, keep yourselves from idols.”—1 John 5:21, Douay.

No “Queen of Heaven”

What about the titles “Queen of Heaven” and “Mother of God” that have been applied to this figurine?

It is interesting to note the mention of ‘queen of heaven’ in the Holy Scriptures at Jeremiah 7:18. There the Bible shows that the “queen of heaven” was a false goddess, and Almighty God was angered when his people turned to such false worship. The Bible account says: “The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead the dough, to make cakes to the queen of heaven, and to offer libations to strange gods, and to provoke me to anger.” Should not people who claim to be “Christians” fear to provoke God to anger today with like pagan idolatry?

The title “Mother of God,” too, has long been connected with pagan worship. Not once is it mentioned in the Bible. Contrary to what many have been taught to believe, Jesus Christ gave no command to his followers that they should either adore or address their prayers to Mary, his earthly mother. Instead, Jesus plainly declared: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No man cometh to the Father, but by me. . . . Whatsoever you shall ask the Father in my name [not his mother’s name], that will I do: that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” (John 14:6, 13, Douay) And the apostle Paul speaks of no ‘mediatrix,’ but declares: “For there is one God, and one mediator of God and men, the man Christ Jesus.”—1 Tim. 2:5, Douay.

What Will You Do?

It is true that others may continue paying homage to a lifeless image. But when one considers what Almighty God says in his Word the Bible, is it not obvious that to do this is displeasing to God? What will you do?

It would be wise to act in harmony with these very pointed expressions of God’s Word: “The idols of the Gentiles [non-Jewish peoples] are silver and gold, the works of the hands of men. They have mouths and speak not: they have eyes and see not. They have ears and hear not: they have noses and smell not. They have hands and feel not: they have feet and walk not: neither shall they cry out through their throat. Let them that make them become like unto them: and all such as trust in them.”—Ps. 113:4-8, Catholic Douay Version.

…

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Awake!, June 22, 1970