Awake!, November 8, 1970

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Awake! — November 8, 1970

Source: jw.org

Contents

Fallacies Can Be Dangerous

“Watchtower and Awake! Smite Trend”

It’s Cheaper to Pay Cash

Getting Your Letter to Its Destination

Flowers Keep Man Alive

Attractions of the Undersea World

Saltiest Bodies of Water

Living Assurance of Peace on Earth

The Abortion Business—As a Doctor Sees It

Why They Fly in V-Formation

Meeting the Requirements to Become Missionaries

“You Must Not Commit Adultery”

Watching the World

Security That Even Money Cannot Buy

The Mysterious Book of Revelation Explained!

Fallacies Can Be Dangerous

THERE are many mistaken ideas in circulation, like bogus money passed off as the real thing. Few people are badly hurt by a phony penny; but a counterfeit twenty-dollar bill is another matter. In the same way some fallacies are comparatively harmless, while others can be definitely dangerous. For the sake of clear, straight thinking, though, it is to our benefit to dismiss all such mistaken ideas from mind.

You have heard it said, no doubt, that the color red will provoke a bull to rage; that it is proper to lift a rabbit by its ears; that a seashell, held to the ear, echoes the ocean’s roar. Can these popular notions stand up under investigation?

Unless you expect to cross a meadow where there is a bull on the loose, you may not be too concerned about that animal’s reaction to color. But experiments have shown that he is color-blind. If you do not believe it, you could try waving a cloth of another color. It can produce the same results, since it is the movement that attracts the bull’s attention and results in his charge.

If you believe it is cruel to lift pussycat by the tail, perhaps you should think twice before picking up bunny rabbit by his ears. Naturalists report that rabbits’ ears are quite sensitive and claim that it is cruel to use them as handles.

And that roar you hear in the seashell—does it not sound like the sea breaking upon the shore? Well, it is the peculiar form of the shell that picks up and blends the echoes of many nearby sounds into a muffled complex that can fool the uninformed. It might be worth while to experiment with the shell in some completely quiet place where there are no echoes to be picked up.

Fallacies of the Past

Many a popular belief of past generations has now been entirely rejected. Progress of knowledge exposes the fallacies and casts them aside as old wives’ tales. Who, for instance, would now subscribe to the idea that the earth is flat or that the sun moves around a motionless earth?

For centuries there were efforts to discover the recipe for a potion that would give everlasting life to the one drinking it. In Europe and America credence was given to the existence somewhere of a “Fountain of Youth,” supposedly having healing powers and the ability to make old persons young. Explorer Ponce de Leon even sought this fountain in Florida.

Others soberly searched for a supposed philosophers’ stone that was said to have the power to turn all metals into gold. Also, there were many expeditions sent out to locate an imagined El Dorado in the northern part of South America—a place where, it was said, gold was so common as to be used in walls and roofs.

It was also commonly believed in times past that life generates spontaneously from decaying matter. Did persons not have the proof—maggots that eventually appeared on rotting flesh or other foodstuffs? It did not occur to them that flies had laid their eggs there. Interesting, too, that this discredited idea is not so different from the evolutionary teaching that life generated spontaneously in the slime and ooze of a bygone age!

Common Fallacies Today

Even today there are fallacies commonly held. Some of these have little effect on people one way or the other. For example, there is the belief that the stomach is the chief organ of digestion. But the fact is that food begins to digest when mixed with saliva in the mouth. And it is now generally known that the small intestine does most of the digesting, after the food has left the stomach.

Another common belief is that hair can turn gray suddenly by emotional shock. But this is not true. Hair becomes gray gradually. It cannot turn gray suddenly, since pigment is deposited in hair before it grows out of the skin. Dermatologists say on the subject of ‘turning gray suddenly’: “Only people with a certain rare disease go partially bald suddenly, losing their dark pigmented hair overnight, retaining just their grey hair.”

It is true that fallacious notions such as this have not resulted in peril to anyone. And were this true of every fallacy, the subject would hardly be worth considering.

Dangerous Misconceptions

But some erroneous ideas can be dangerous, even fatal. For example, there is the widely held notion that frostbite should be rubbed with snow. The fact is that this course might well complicate the problem. Stefansson, the famed Arctic explorer, declared that “few things could be more absurd” than the snow cure for frostbite. What you should do, he said, “is to take your warm hand out of your mitten and press it on the frozen spot for a moment until the whiteness and stiffness is gone.”

Do you believe, as do some, that lightning never strikes twice at the same spot? Do not count on this. This, too, is a dangerous misconception. It could prove fatal to you. Photographic evidence reveals that lightning frequently strikes in the same place, even during the same storm.

There is also the common belief that quicksand itself will suck one under. This is not true. As Scientific American of June 1953 observes: “Contrary to popular notion, quicksand does not suck objects down.” Entertaining this popular notion could cost a person his life.

Actually quicksand supports the body much better than does water. It stands to reason, then, that if one can float in water, he can float in quicksand. It is the frantic struggles of the one caught in quicksand that tend to bury him deeper and deeper.

What, then, should a person caught in quicksand do? He should remain as calm as possible. He should act with purpose. In water he would float and swim. In quicksand he should immediately lie on his back with his arms outstretched. In this position he will not sink. If help does not arrive, he may, with great effort, slowly extricate his feet, one at a time. Then he can roll to firm ground, “floating” on his back frequently to rest.

Some Religious Fallacies

Many fallacies concerning what the Bible teaches have been handed down over the centuries. For instance, the Bible plainly states: “The soul that is sinning—it itself will die.” (Ezek. 18:4, 20) That the soul is mortal could not be more plainly stated. Yet most persons today prefer to believe the very opposite—that the soul is immortal, an idea spawned by speculative religion. And, really, if man does not actually die, what need would there be of a resurrection, as is so plainly taught in the Bible?—John 5:28, 29; Acts 24:15.

The date of Jesus’ birth brings to the fore another fallacy believed by many. Have you not been taught in church that that date was December 25? Sir James Frazer, in The Golden Bough, writes: “Our Christmas festival is nothing but a continuation under a Christian name of the old Solar festivity; for the ecclesiastical authorities saw fit, about the end of the third or the beginning of the fourth century, arbitrarily to transfer the nativity of Christ to the 25th of December for the purpose of diverting to their Lord the worship which the heathen had hitherto paid on that day to the sun.”

True, some feel inclined to say, “It does not matter about the date, as long as we celebrate his birth.” But such persons must still square such a celebration and its many pagan features with the fact that Jesus commanded his followers to commemorate his sacrificial death, not his birth.—Luke 22:29, 20.

Other fallacies have been built up around the festivities of December 25. Many have assumed that the Magi or astrologers who came bearing gifts were three in number. Do you believe that? The Scriptures leave them unnumbered. It also has been commonly assumed that the astrologers were directed straight to Jesus in Bethlehem. by a star. But the fact is that the star directed them to Jerusalem to King Herod, who wanted to kill the babe, and when they finally arrived in Bethlehem, Jesus was no longer in a manger, as is commonly believed, but he then lived in a house. Read the account yourself in your own copy of the Bible at Matthew chapter 2, verses 1-12.

Does It Matter?

So does it really matter if we put faith in error? In the case of the “frostbite” and “quicksand” fallacies, it must be admitted that a great deal of harm could result, perhaps even death.

But much more harm can result from clinging to careless and inaccurate religious ideas that run contrary to what the Bible says. Why so? Because it is not merely the present life that is endangered. Rather, everlasting life is involved. Truth and everlasting life are intimately connected.—John 17:3; 4:23, 24.

The Bible plainly says that God’s “will is that all sorts of men should be saved and come to an accurate knowledge of truth.” (1 Tim. 2:4) On the other hand, Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, said of those who, though sincere, were misguided, “They have a zeal for God; but not according to accurate knowledge.” (Rom. 10:2) Surely it is following the safe course to clear our minds of all fallacies!

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The “snow cure” for frostbite can make matters worse

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Quicksand itself does not suck one under; struggling tends to bury one deeper

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Do you know the fallacies built up around the festivities of December 25?

“Watchtower and Awake! Smite Trend”

● The above heading was part of a feature article in Magazine Industry Newsletter. The newsletter contrasted the downward trend in circulation of other religious magazines with that of The Watchtower and Awake! It stated: “Old-time religion is no longer the saleable commodity of yore—at least, in the publishing field. The religious press is hurting. Subscriptions have sagged. . . . And two major magazines may fold.” But of The Watchtower and Awake! it said: “Today, the two magazines are gaining readers at the rate of 100,000 readers every three months.” The actual increase is much larger, for in the first ten months of 1970 The Watchtower increased by 650,000 (from 6,000,000 to 6,650,000) and the Awake! by 600,000 (from 5,950,000 to 6,550,000).

Commenting on the fact that both magazines are available for five cents each when others are much higher priced, the newsletter added: “Now to the astonishingly low prices of Watchtower publications. The Society can prepare, translate, print and distribute its materials on a worldwide basis for as little as 5c per item as the result of an arrangement with employees that should be emulated by publishers who are currently purging employees in the face of rising costs. The wage formula: instill in the employee, be he printer or editor, such fierce devotion that he will work full-time in exchange for a dormitory room, three square meals a day and $14 a month for personal expenses. . . . Try negotiating those terms with your unions!”

It’s Cheaper to Pay Cash

“BUY NOW—PAY LATER!” That idea constantly bombards people in many countries today. They are being persuaded that the thing to do is to buy an advertised product, then pay for it later over a period of time. This is called ‘buying on time,’ or credit buying.

However, buying now and paying later really means going into debt. And more and more people are doing just that. As economist John Kenneth Galbraith stated: “People have changed their view of debt. Thus there has been an inexplicable but very real retreat from the Puritan canon that required an individual to save first and enjoy later.”

Commenting on this trend, an economist of the Institute of Motivational Research said: “In general, we have been shifting more and more from a puritanical culture to a hedonistic one . . . A credit card is a symbol of this hedonistic age. We are getting our pleasures, our purchases, our entertainment, before we‘ve actually earned them.”

In the United States so many people are now in debt that Hillel Black, in his book Buy Now, Pay Later, stated: “The result has been a consumer credit explosion that makes the population explosion seem small by comparison. . . . The total private debt is certainly greater than the combined private debt of man throughout history. Never have so many owed so much.”

How Paid For

How is all this debt paid for? It comes out of the future earnings of the individual, money he does not now have but expects to earn.

This is where the problem arises. Growing numbers of people are now finding that they are unable to pay for all their credit purchases. As a spokesman for the American Collectors Association stated: “People are going out and using credit without really knowing what it’s all about. The average person doesn’t know the responsibility he assumes when he opens an account. It’s a shock to him at the end of the month to find he has been spending more money than he’s making.”

For some time, financial experts wondered what would happen with all that debt if the nation suffered any prolonged economic setback. What if workers did not earn as much, or lost their jobs altogether? they asked. The experts do not have to wonder any longer. Now they know, for the United States is experiencing an economic recession even as prices continue to rise.

As a result many workers have lost their jobs, or have had their wages reduced. This has caused more persons to come into economic trouble than at any time since the depression years. They are in debt, but now unable to pay. Hence, increasing numbers are going into bankruptcy, with the things they have purchased repossessed by creditors.

Even many who do have jobs are experiencing difficulty because of too much debt. An Atlanta banker said: “Most everybody is living beyond his means in the middle and lower-income levels. A typical family had been able to keep up until recently by being able to borrow more, but tight money stopped that and now many people can’t ‘borrow themselves out of debt.’”

The situation is just as Newsweek observed: “Indeed, the slump has already hit vast numbers of Americans one way or another.”

It Pays to Pay Cash

Not only has ‘easy credit’ induced many to buy things they cannot really afford, but by doing so they lose money. They have to pay more for the product because of interest charges.

It should be remembered that money lending is such a huge business because it is profitable for the lender. In fact, many companies do not want customers to pay cash, because of the huge profit they make on the interest on debt payments. Some make more profit on the interest than they would on the item itself if it were paid for in cash!

Nearly 25 cents out of each dollar in payment of debt now goes for interest charges. This means that people who depend upon credit are not getting their money’s worth. They are actually wasting much hard-earned money. If they had purchased items with cash they would have had more to spend.

An example of what can be saved when one is buying with cash is noted in Buy Now, Pay Later: “A store sells a refrigerator for $329.95. On a twenty-four-month contract with a $10 down payment, Mr. Consumer pays the store $66 extra for credit.” Think of how many quarts of milk that $66 could have purchased! How much meat could it have bought, how much clothing for the family? Buying that item on credit was like tearing up and throwing away $66.

No, credit is not cheap by any means. True-interest payments can vary from 12 percent to double or more the original cost.

The Wise Course

Economic difficulties will not go away in the future. They are far more likely to grow as this system of things moves toward its end. (2 Tim. 3:1) The wise course is to keep balanced in one’s view of material things.

Buy only what you can afford. Whenever possible, pay cash to avoid paying interest charges. If you want an item that you do not need now, begin saving for it. Put the money in the bank and collect interest. Then when you have the money you need, buy it with cash.

Whatever bills you incur, pay them promptly. At times companies give discounts for prompt payments, saving you money. If you must use credit, make sure it is only for something you cannot do without. Use credit very sparingly, and read the fine print in contracts to know exactly how much you are paying above the cash price.

Another practical suggestion: Since it has been proved that persons with credit cards usually buy more than when they pay cash, a good idea when shopping is to leave your credit cards at home!

Never let a seller overload you with debt by telling you about ‘easy credit.’ There is no such thing. All credit is hard. Ask anyone who is now unable to meet payments or who is having to declare bankruptcy. Yes, it is cheaper to pay cash. It is easier not only on the pocketbook, but on the nervous system too, for it can save much anguish.

Getting Your Letter to Its Destination

By “Awake!” correspondent in Switzerland

YOUR letter is sealed in its envelope, you affix a postage stamp, and you drop it in the nearest box for outgoing mail. Hardly another thought is given the matter. You are confident that your message will reach the person named on the envelope.

But why such assurance? Have you ever given any consideration to the organization required to bear your letter and millions of others from one point on earth to another, sometimes over thousands of miles? How is it that a tiny postage stamp, costing but a few coins, perhaps only one, can perform such a remarkable feat—taking your message to the very ends of the earth perhaps? And who gets the money represented by the stamp, since the letter may well traverse a number of different lands to reach its destination?

These questions you might enjoy having cleared up, as well as others such as, How did the present international postal system come into existence? What steps are being taken to improve and widen its usefulness to humankind?

The Early Stages

Early history tells of courier systems among the Persians, the Romans, and the Incas of South America, organized for the sole purpose of governmental communication. There was then no provision for the ordinary citizen. And besides, very few citizens could even read and write, so as to take advantage of such means of communication.

Some factors that worked together to produce a sudden upsurge in the demand for communication were: the discovery of the western hemisphere, with its consequent spread of population; the advent of printing; and the great widening of opportunities for education. To meet this demand, Franz von Taxis introduced an international postal service in the sixteenth century. It operated between and among a limited number of European states. This exchange of mail was governed by international agreements—not one overall convention, but rather a number of bilateral treaties.

The era of steamships and railroads brought low-cost transportation of private mail, and greatly spurred the growth of communication by letter. Postal administrations became aware of the need to standardize their methods and charges and to simplify the formalities involved. Introduction of “penny postage” in Great Britain in 1840 and the creation of the postage stamp by Rowland Hill were steps in the right direction.

It is strange, is it not, to think that up to the middle of the nineteenth century United States mail was operating without benefit of postage stamps or envelopes as we know them? The letter sheet was simply folded into itself securely and the address written on the outside. Usually the last fold was fastened with sealing wax. The mailing charge was paid at the post office, and the amount stamped on the outside of the letter.

Another forward step came in 1863, when, at the initiative of Montgomery Blair, postmaster general of the United States, fifteen European and American countries had their representatives convene at Paris with a view to widening the scope of international postal arrangements.

Founding of the Postal Union

The great need, now, was for an overall international convention or agreement. The outline for such a postal union with plenipotentiary powers was drawn up by a high-ranking official in the postal administration of the North German Confederation. On the invitation of Switzerland, a conference was called in Berne in 1874. Delegates from twenty-two states quickly reached an agreement that has since been known as the Berne Treaty.

Thus the General Postal Union was born, coming into force on July 1, 1875. The accession of many new member states suggested a more appropriate name, which was adopted three years later, namely, the Universal Postal Union.

The twenty-fifth anniversary of the Union’s founding was duly commemorated in Switzerland by the erection of an imposing monument—a globe raised high on rough-hewn granite, with dainty figures, representing international communication, circling the globe and passing letters from hand to hand. Thousands of persons visit the site every year.

For some seventy years admission of new members to the Union was by unilateral declaration, but at the Paris Congress of 1947 this provision was amended, Thereafter applications were to be processed by the Swiss government, and then presented to the members. At least a two-thirds approval was required before an applicant could be admitted. The 1964 Congress in Vienna provided that any member of the United Nations could accede to the Union simply by formal declaration to the Swiss government, and without need of the two-thirds vote of approval.

General Principles

The simplicity of the Union’s rules has vastly contributed to the smooth running of the organization. As a fast-growing public service organization, it pursues altruistic aims, and despite political upheavals and international conflict, it manages to keep functioning with considerable success.

The basic Act of the Union is the Constitution that sets forth the aims and lays down precise rules entitled “General Regulations.” In connection with these rules, some elasticity in practice is allowed in each member country.

Member countries are considered as forming “a single postal territory for the reciprocal exchange of letter-post items” and they have “guaranteed freedom of transit within the territory of the Union.”

Charges to be collected by member countries have been standardized, and the sharing of charge between the country where the mail originates and the country of its destination has been abolished. Thus, since 1875, the land of origin retained the entire charge levied by them, and the land of destination was no longer remunerated for the distribution of postal items.

This principle is based on the assumption that a letter invites a reply, thus balancing the accounts of total mail. It is a generous and practical policy, leading to simplification and economy for all member countries.

But conditions have altered considerably since 1874, when one could properly speak of “reciprocal exchange.” The increasing volume of “AO mail,” that is, mail items other than letters, postcards, air letters and letter packages, led some countries to suggest a revision at the time of the Tokyo Congress of 1969. A new provision resulted, namely, that any member country whose weight of incoming AO mail exceeded its outgoing AO mail would receive a compensation “of 50 gold centimes per kilogram” for the difference. This goes into effect July 1, 1971.

The Union’s Constitution provided for an Executive Council, for an assembly or congress of its members every five years, and for an international bureau.

How the Union Functions

The Congress is the supreme authority in the Union, having duties that are largely legislative. It is in principle convened every five years. It cooperates closely with the Executive Council and attends to such matters as revising the Acts of the Union as and when developments warrant such changes. Sixteen ordinary Congresses have been held to date, and have introduced many conveniences for the public, including the sale of money orders, free postage on literature to the blind, and so on.

The agreement concerning postal subscriptions to newspapers and periodicals, concluded in Vienna back in 1891, is of special interest to readers of this magazine. Like the Union itself, the international organization publishing Awake! is also about a century old. Over six million copies in twenty-six languages are mailed out every two weeks into almost 200 lands and islands of the sea. Multiply that by the thousands of magazines and newspapers that are daily handled by the postal union, and you begin to visualize the vital job it discharges.

The International Bureau, maintained in Berne, Switzerland, collects information and dispenses information and counsel to any administration desiring it. It is also responsible for development of postal technical assistance, and may even be called on to serve as arbitrator. The costs of its maintenance are shared by the members of the Union. just recently it has moved into a new and larger building in a suburb of Berne.

The Executive Council, a permanent body, is composed of thirty-one member countries. Its responsibility is to ensure the continuity of the Union’s activities from one Congress to another. It works closely in conjunction with the International Bureau.

The Swiss Confederation functions in the role of Supervisory Authority, having powers relating to financial activities, organization and administration of the International Bureau. It is also the official depository of the Acts of the Union, and has certain legal powers with respect to membership.

Work of the Congress

To keep up with the swiftly changing world scene, each Congress of the Postal Union has a very heavy program. The XVth Congress, held in Vienna in 1964, for instance, had 140 sessions. Its 500 delegates examined and voted on 1,160 proposals.

The XVIth Congress, convened in Tokyo in 1969, was the first to be held in Asia. There were 523 delegates, representing 132 of the 142 member nations. It heard and voted on hundreds of proposals. Its decisions will have important effects on the 550,000 post offices around the world, and for the 4,500,000 persons employed in handling the more than 250,000 million postal items per year for inland and foreign transit.

Step into a modern post office and observe the great number of services available to the ordinary citizen. Money orders can be purchased for either a domestic or foreign destination. Then, there are parcel post and C.O.D. provisions. Also, one can register and insure letters and parcels so as to guarantee delivery—a most important feature when the mail item is either valuable or urgent.

Most large urban centers around the world, and many smaller towns, enjoy at least two mail deliveries per day—deliveries right to the home or place of business. Only within comparatively recent times air transport of mail has helped to speed up the delivery of letters and small packages to a fantastic degree. Now one can receive a letter mailed at a point two or three thousand miles away within forty-eight hours of the time of mailing!

For many years now the railroads have contributed to the speed and efficiency of the mails. Special railroad cars allow for sorting of mail even as the train speeds on its way, day and night, to some distant point. At some small wayside stations letter-post mail is dropped off without a stop. More than that, with the help of an ingenious crane, mailbags can also be picked up by the moving train.

So there is much more to the delivery of your letter than what you may see in your local post office. Mail pickup, mail sorting and bagging, and routing of the mailbags for speed, are only routine matters involved in the worldwide network of postal facilities. Is it not remarkable that you can sit down and write a letter to someone on the other side of the planet, with reasonable expectation that your letter will reach the addressee, even if he or she is a prisoner of war or a civilian internee? And, generally speaking, your letter will be inviolate. Very few countries have the staff or the inclination to censor the vast volumes of mail that pour in from day to day.

By reason of the Union’s operations the postal rates are within the ability of most persons to pay. And though political and economic limitations prevent your visit to some relative or friend in a far-off land, warm personal correspondence can help to maintain the bonds of family or friendship.

The speed and efficiency of the well-mounted courier of Persia called forth the admiration of Herodotus, the Greek historian. His expression included these words, now inscribed above the entrance of the General Post Office in New York city: “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.” Even while you sleep, your mail is speeding on its way.

Flowers Keep Man Alive

Man depends completely on flowers and flowering plants for his food. Flowering plants include almost all grains, fruits and vegetables. Even the animals that man uses for food, such as cattle, hogs and sheep, live on flowering plants.

Attractions of the Undersea World

By “Awake!” correspondent in the Leeward Islands

ARMED with scuba outfit or simply with mask and flippers, men are now exploring the wonders of the submarine world. Let others go to the moon and plan additional exploits in space; undersea enthusiasts are happy to explore some of these little-known regions of our planet. Life and activities under the sea offer their own peculiar fascinations. The silent world affords a relieving contrast to the din and bustle of surface life.

Submarine adventure need not involve the wanton slaughter of the sea’s inhabitants. There are good and practical purposes too. Oceanographers who are aware of the great potential of underwater farming are suggesting that as a partial solution to the world’s food problem. Students of botany and biology are keenly interested in the flora and fauna of the sea. Many others are attracted by the beauty and color and myriad art forms with which the seas abound.

The preferable location for such adventure under the waves is in tropical seas, where the water temperature is not too cool for lengthy submarine visits. The clear, clean waters of coral seas beckon adventurers to the best places.

The Coral Reef

Why should coral seas be a special attraction? Because coral thrives in waters that are sufficiently agitated so as to ensure replacement of water and of the consequent fresh supply of microscopic plankton, and around coral growth is to be found the greatest variety of undersea life. Smaller creatures seek the protective coral, reef with its multitudes of caves and crevices, while larger ones cruise constantly in the neighborhood in the hope that they will intercept some careless little creature that has wandered too far.

What is this coral reef? It may look just like perforated rock. However, its formation is not at all like that of rock. Coral formation is, in fact, the result of the architectural labors of many generations of tiny sea creatures—creatures that are related to the familiar jellyfish and the sea anemone. These creatures, called polyps, are jellylike, pliable, cylinder shaped. One end is anchored to the coral colony, the deserted homes of a previous generation. The other end is the creature’s mouth that opens at night into a fringe of small tentacles that reach out and feed on the plankton that rise to the surface waters. Each polyp builds a protective covering around itself, a sort of individual apartment formed of calcium carbonate secreted by its own outer skin. During the day these polyps retire within their refuges.

With infinite numbers of these tiny architects at work side by side, building upward toward the sun, year after year, century after century, the reef assumed its present aspect. Marine plants took root, seaweed became lodged, sponges and algae—all shared in some degree in cementing the framework together. The result—the coral reef, which has often been termed “the submarine apartment block.”

Generally the reef occurs in shallow coastal waters where the sun’s light and warmth penetrate quite deeply. One reason appears to be that within the body of each polyp there are microscopic plants that make a vital contribution to its digestive process and, like most plants, they are dependent on photosynthesis. Without sunlight these plants die, and therefore so does the polyp.

Strong and lasting though the reef architecture is, there are forces of disintegration, too, not the least of which are mighty storms that often break off coral chunks weighing several tons and toss them like matchwood on top of the reef.

Coral Varieties

There are other corals, too, that do not build onto the reef proper, though their presence does add to its mass. There is the staghorn coral, the growth of which resembles that of massive tree branches, some of them fifteen to twenty feet long and two feet thick at the base. The brain coral takes the form of various-size boulders with markings that are very much like the convolutions of the brain. These grow in tide pools close to the reef.

There is the stinging coral, which is the bane of divers, for it can inflict a painful wound on creatures venturing too near. Another type of coral looks very much like lettuce in form. Soft corals, as distinguished from the rock corals, include the vividly colored star coral, others that are just a flabby mass with soft, spongy, branching fingers, and still others that look like large plates, some six to eight feet in diameter, having the polyps arranged in concentric circles.

Lords of the Reef

Architects and master builders though the coral polyps are, it must be admitted that the fish are truly lords of the reef. Here they feed and sport and find refuge from the larger predators of the sea. The reef population comes in a fantastic variety of shapes, sizes, colors and odd markings. Seen against the background of the many coral hues, they remind one of the colorful tropical birds and butterflies that flit around a flower garden. There are reds, greens, yellows, blues and every subtle shade in between. Activity is made up of quick starts and short stops amid the jagged coral. Alertness and mobility are vital. For this reason most of the reef dwellers are of modest dimensions.

Close by the reef, on the sandy floor, the little yellowhead jawfish may be seen digging its burrow with its jaws. Just a few inches deep, the burrow provides a refuge into which it backs tail first whenever danger threatens. Such burrows are usually lined with carefully selected pebbles. Schools of angelfish and triggerfish, some of them beautifully marked, will glide by. On the reef surface itself the blue parrot fish, with birdlike beak, will be breaking off chunks of coral and feeding on the tasty polyps within.

Deep down in the nooks and crannies of the reef or hiding among heaps of ancient ballast stones from wrecked vessels live the most formidable perhaps of all the reef dwellers—the six-foot green moray eel and its cousin, the three-foot spotted moray. These are sharp-toothed, powerful creatures that could snap off a man’s fingers or toes if he were not careful where he put them. Beyond the reef, in deeper waters, lurk the larger marauders, forever vigilant, awaiting the opportunity for a good meal—the hammerhead shark, the white-tipped shark, the yellow shark and the six-foot great barracuda.

The barracuda, built for speed and striking power, is a highly selective feeder. Some of the rare attacks on humans by these creatures are believed to have been mistakes on their part. In general they will kill only what they are going to eat, and there appears to be neither waste nor deliberate cruelty in their killing.

While these larger fish just beyond the reef do pose some problems for human visitors to the submarine world, there is other more immediate danger to be guarded against. Take, for instance, the common sea urchin. It is a burrowing, thistlelike creature with sharp brittle spines. When one brushes against it, the spines penetrate the flesh and break off. They are extremely difficult to remove and may quickly produce infection.

Another peril is the stinging jellyfish. As though to disarm the visitor, these are patterned in dark blue, brown and yellow. But many of them can deal out a shocking sting. One of the most dangerous of these is the so-called Portuguese man-of-war. It floats on the surface, dangling its long poisonous filaments. To get involved with one can mean a very bad sting, in some rare cases even causing death.

It is not out of place here to take note of a peril to the polyps, these tiny architects of the reef. The prickly starfish ordinarily seeks out and digests as many polyps as can be found. However, in the Pacific area it seems that the starfish is experiencing a population explosion, so much so that the polyps are being cleaned off of reef after reef, turning them into algae-shrouded cemeteries or lifeless, condemned apartment blocks.

The undersea world surely has its variety, its perils, and its attractions, just as has the world on the surface. The reef visitor who reflects on all the marvels he sees in the silent world cannot but stand in wonder and awe at these multitudinous creations of the One who in the beginning commanded: “Let the waters swarm forth a swarm of living souls.”—Gen. 1:20.

Saltiest Bodies of Water

● The Dead Sea, lying at the end of the Jordan River between Israel and Jordan, is one of the two saltiest bodies of water on earth. It is about six times as salty as ocean water and contains about 24 percent solid matter, mostly salt. The Great Salt Lake in Utah is the other body of water comparable in salt content.

Living Assurance of Peace on Earth

—As exemplified by “Men of Goodwill” Assemblies in Canada

THE ten “Men of Goodwill” District Assemblies of Jehovah’s witnesses held in Canada this past summer were a refreshing relief. To whom? To those tired of hearing about hate, riots, vicious crimes, war, drug abuse and soaring rates of illegitimacy and venereal disease.

These assemblies were living assurance to righteously disposed, thinking observers that there are on earth persons who, by their lives now, demonstrate that there can be a world of mankind without hatred, fear or war.

With a combined total attendance of 91,876, there were enough people on hand at the ten locations to preclude anyone’s claiming that what took place was coincidental or simply a happy accident.

Those attending the assemblies were interested in being God’s “men of goodwill.” This phrase comes from the Bible, which shows that man must have God’s goodwill or favor in order to gain lasting life and peace.—Luke 2:13, 14.

Willingly Working Together in Peace

To have attended all the conventions would have required quite a trip. The locations covered more than a 4,000-mile sweep of Canada from coast to coast. Of course, much work was required to prepare the program and to get the facilities ready at the ten assembly cities.

At Amherst, Nova Scotia, for example, because crowds were larger than expected, it took hard work to get enough chairs for seating. Through an arrangement with local officials every chair in every school within eighty-eight miles of Amherst was used. When these were not enough, Witnesses trucked in more from Halifax, 136 miles away.

How do the Witnesses get work like this organized? Many times simply by using methods found practical in their public ministry. An example is the cleaning up of the convention site in Edmonton, Alberta. Each of the seventeen local congregations had a “territory” assigned. The building was divided into that many sections. As volunteers reported for work they were asked which congregation they were from and were then assigned accordingly.

At these assemblies one saw a willingness to work in behalf of one’s fellowman that was truly remarkable. For example, at Prince George, British Columbia, in order to fill out the cafeteria menu, a Witness went out with his fishing boat and caught 2,800 pounds of salmon and halibut. He contributed this for the enjoyment of his Christian brothers.

But sometimes efforts did not at first seem to yield the desired results. In Sault Sainte Marie, Ontario, great effort was made to persuade local officials to let the Witnesses use a blacktopped area near the assembly site for the cafeteria. No approach was successful. Another site had to be used. But how grateful the Witnesses were that it turned out that way. Why? During the assembly it was necessary for the city to dig up that blacktop in four places to try to locate the source of a sewer-backup problem. If they had been using that lot they would have had to move the cafeteria on the first day of the assembly.

Accommodating the Delegates

Locating accommodations for delegates is always one of the preconvention essentials. Thousands of Witness volunteers participated in the room search, glad to manifest Christian hospitality.

At Toronto, Ontario, York University offered its dormitories. This provided many rooms close together, and several hundred delegates were accommodated there. In Sherbrooke (Quebec), Edmonton and Amherst the dormitories of colleges and universities were also offered, the latter town’s Mount Allison University offering places for about 1,000 persons.

When it became obvious that the anticipated attendance of 2,500 persons at Amherst would be surpassed, the search had to be extended to Moncton, thirty-six miles distant. There, a woman, after turning down a caller, phoned in to say that she had a change of mind, that upon examining her motives she realized it was prejudice that caused her to refuse. Now she wanted to list rooms. Also, she explained that she was going to work on her neighbors who had been negative for the same reason. She did. For the next several days she called in repeatedly, saying, ‘Come on down and sign up Mrs. So and So. She’s ready to list.’ In this way accommodations for twenty-five were obtained.

Baptized as God’s “Men of Goodwill”

Many tears of joy were seen at the baptismal sites at the ten assemblies as sons, daughters and friends were hugged, congratulated and welcomed into Jehovah’s happy family of “men of goodwill.” At Sault Sainte Marie, as the 207 baptismal candidates stood to answer questions, it was interesting to note that among them youths predominated.

But there were many older ones baptized too. At Edmonton, where two local TV stations telecast the immersion, 208 persons were baptized. Among them were an elderly couple from Rocky Mountain House, Alberta. They had long been searching for God’s truth, and had been affiliated with many different religions. About a year ago they started studying the Bible with the Witnesses. “We are no longer groping in the dark,” said the seventy-two-year-old wife. “We are so happy to have found the truth at last.” Her eighty-year-old husband added: “I never knew I had so many relatives.”

Among the 151 immersed at the Sherbrooke, Quebec, assembly was a woman from Levis. After she started studying the Bible her husband opposed her, threatening to force her to move out of the house and destroying her Bible literature. But, while looking after matters at home, she continued to study. Now she was baptized. What about her husband? Oh, he was immersed some six months ago. What had happened? A year ago the six-year-old daughter had asked him to read to her before she went to sleep. He agreed. She handed him the book From Paradise Lost to Paradise Regained. He liked what he read. Eventually this led to his accepting the book The Truth That Leads to Eternal Life. He read it, asked for a Bible study and was immersed in 1969.

The largest number immersed at any of the ten assemblies was at Toronto. Here 662 persons took the step, showing that they wanted to be God’s men of goodwill. At all ten assemblies in Canada there were 2,012 baptized in symbol of their dedication to Jehovah, the God who gives peace.

More Delegates than Expected

Tractors ground to a halt, men came in from the fields, and families from across the prairies left their farms in midsummer for the Regina assembly. For many it took weeks of good planning to make attendance possible, but how happy they were for coming! It had been anticipated that 3,500 would come, but it was good that some brought lawn chairs, because on the final day, during the feature talk “Saving the Human Race—in the Kingdom Way,” 5,533 were on hand!

As at all ten assemblies, when a person walked through the crowds at the Sault Sainte Marie assembly he could feel the spirit of peace and contentment. There was excitement too over the fact that there were on hand many more than the 2,500 anticipated. How many came to hear the public talk? A total of 11,054!

At Edmonton it was a good thing that a building the size of the Edmonton Gardens was engaged. Although 4,500 were expected, it was clear on the first day that the 7,000-seat capacity would be needed. Can you imagine the excitement as the attendance rose day by day to almost double what had been estimated—8,255?

In Sherbrooke at the French-language assembly a total of 4,564 persons flocked into the 4,200-seat Palais des Sports for the public talk. The attendance had taken almost a 40-percent jump since opening day. And at Amherst, where 2,500 were expected, 6,221 persons packed into the assembly location. What an impact on a town of only some 10,500 population! This was the largest convention of any kind ever held in the Maritimes.

It had been estimated that about 16,000 persons would attend the Toronto assembly. But for the public talk there was almost double that number, or 31,272 persons—the largest of this series of assemblies in Canada. Indeed, interest in the Bible’s message of hope is growing at a tremendous rate, and as a result, attendance at all ten assemblies surpassed expectations.

Publicity

The news media gave excellent coverage at a number of the assemblies. For example, at Sault Sainte Marie, FM Station CKCY, quite concerned that not all would get to hear the program due to the large crowds attending, offered to record parts of the program and play them. They played the entire drama based on the Bible book of Esther live on Friday night and then repeated their tape of it the next night on their AM station.

The Canadian Broadcasting Company’s French network spent two days at Sherbrooke filming the highlights of the assembly. La Tribune, a French-language paper, devoted about 30 percent of its front page to the assembly on the second day. On succeeding days there was at times over half a page of pictures.

Observations as to Peaceful Conduct

Many were the comments heard at the assembly cities to the effect that the Witnesses exemplify peace and good order. The reaction of the people of Sault Sainte Marie to the assembly was well summed up by a policeman who said: “You people brought a spirit of peacefulness to our town.”

At Amherst a householder said of her Witness guests: “Don’t you people make any noise? I had eight people here for four days and I would hardly know they were here.” A motel owner observed: “The finest people ever to be here, they’re welcome any time. . . . Obviously Jehovah’s Witnesses have something we don’t have.” And the chief of police commented: “They can come back any year—twice a year as far as I’m concerned.”

The good order and cleanliness at the Prince George assembly were observed by a health inspector who said: “You probably know more about this than I do.”

A management official at Toronto’s Woodbine Racetrack said that the gardener was amazed when he came in Monday morning “because not one flower had been broken.” During the assembly a security guard employee of the racetrack who talked to a reporter pointed to a sign reading “Keep Woodbine Clean” and said about the Witnesses: “It’s the first time I saw somebody really trying.”

Toronto’s Telegram also made observations about the Witnesses, such as: “Honesty and integrity of Witnesses is a constant. Whatever one may think about the Witnesses—and a lot of people think a lot of negative things—they live exemplary lives. And they all believe exactly the same thing about everything.” The Telegram further described them: “They also appear to be the kindest people one could hope to meet.” “Although there were thousands, there was no pushing, no shoving—not even a frayed temper from the heat.” “They are not anti-country; they are just pro-Jehovah,” the Telegram observed. “They don’t burn draft cards, rise up in rebellion . . . or engage in any form of sedition.”a

As the present system in all parts of the world continues to deteriorate at a rapid pace it is becoming more evident to those who think clearly that there is a body of earth’s inhabitants who stand out as a different society, exemplifying peace on earth.

That this peace-pursuing conduct is really based on love was evident when disaster struck a delegate and his family at Amherst. Their camper trailer caught on fire. Everything was lost. Within a half hour the family had been given the use of another trailer. Witnesses outfitted the husband, wife and children with clothes and contributed enough money to keep the family for the rest of the assembly and to get them back home.

What Does It Prove?

Primarily these were assemblies for the instruction and benefit of Jehovah’s witnesses. So what should all this mean to you?

Do you remember some of the things said about the Witnesses by observers?—‘Honest people.’ ‘People of integrity.’ ‘The finest people ever to be here.’ A news photographer in Toronto would not dispute that. He had left his keys in the lock of his car’s trunk. The car was located in a parking lot at the assembly grounds. In that trunk were hundreds of dollars’ worth of photographic equipment. When he remembered and rushed back to the car, the trunk was locked. It had been locked by a Witness who spotted what had happened and who turned the keys in to the Lost and Found Department. What a relief when the photographer got them back! Might not life be more pleasant if you lived among people of that sort?

Clean and orderly? Yes. The Sherbrooke city manager remarked: “One of the council visited the assembly. . . . He said that never before in his life had he been in a building with four thousand other people and not been able to find a piece of paper or a cigarette butt on the floor. You people are the cleanest and most orderly I have ever seen.” Is that the kind of people with whom you would like to associate?

That the Witnesses enjoy unity to the extent that they bridge the “generation gap” is seen in the observation of a reporter in Sherbrooke: “For the ‘profane’ that ventured into the Palais des Sports, Jehovah’s Witnesses appeared as peaceful individuals who were trying hard to live according to what the Bible says. Furthermore it is strange to see conventions where whole families participate. At this convention young and old were rubbing shoulders, even babies who could not yet understand.”

True Christianity transcends national and racial barriers erected by selfish men. There were no outcries here against discrimination at these assemblies. Indeed, special sessions were arranged for many immigrant peoples who have become Jehovah’s witnesses. In Vancouver, British Columbia, there were 65 at Greek sessions; 106 at Italian ones. Regina had 146 and Winnipeg had 209 at Ukrainian meetings. Sixty-seven Finnish-speaking persons were at Sault Sainte Marie. Edmonton had 35 at an Italian session. Toronto’s cosmopolitan population was mirrored in the arrangement for complete program coverage in Italian with 1,565 attending. And key portions were reproduced in Spanish for 111 persons, in Portuguese for 84 and in Greek for 334.

The depth of devotion of some of these delegates can better be understood when one remembers that not all were in good health or able to get about easily. When a man who is in his seventies and who has cancer comes and follows through with his determination to be baptized, one must pause to consider what it must have meant to him to come into this intimate relationship with his God.

With people like these to populate the earth after Jehovah God has cleansed it in the coming “great tribulation,” do you doubt that there can be unending peace on earth? A dispassionate review of what is recorded here clearly shows that there is a people who even now pursue peace. (1 Pet. 3:8-11) Not just at conventions, but each week at their Kingdom Halls you can experience this peace and wholesome association.

Why not investigate these things further for yourself? Enjoy happiness, moral companions, unity and peace even now. Find out why they flourish and grow among Jehovah’s witnesses in an era when they are notably lacking in society in general. It can mean eternal happiness for you and your loved ones.

[Footnotes]

The Telegram, issues of July 11, 25, 28, 1970.

[Picture on page 17]

Esther’s banquet for the Persian king and Haman, as presented in the drama in Sherbrooke, Quebec

[Picture on page 18]

Some of the 31,272 at Toronto in the largest of the “Men of Goodwill” Assemblies in Canada

The Abortion Business—As a Doctor Sees It

IN MY more than thirty years of medical experience as a general surgeon I have seen a lot. But I was not quite prepared for the sight that met my eyes this morning, August 11, 1970. It was my first day at work at a Brooklyn hospital after it became legal for doctors of New York state to perform abortions at will.

As I approached the operating suite to do the surgical procedure I had scheduled for this day, I first noted the lineup of hospital gurneys [four-wheeled cots] in the hall outside the suite itself. On each there was a young woman patient dozing from the preoperative medication, waiting her turn for an abortion. Inside the operating suite, which consists of three operating rooms, it was immediately apparent that everyone—doctors, nurses, anesthesiologists, orderlies and various aides—was working under more than the usual tension in caring for the abortion cases. These operations were being performed at the rate of one about every fifteen minutes.

Revulsion Among Hospital Personnel

In checking the operating schedule for the day, I noticed that my case was the only “legitimate” one for the day—the other twenty-four scheduled all being abortions. It was obvious that the operating crew was unhappy about this situation. When I commented that I felt somewhat out of place, in that I was doing the only real surgical procedure for the day, one of the anesthesiologists, a doctor entirely unknown to me, walked across the operating room, grabbed my hand and shook it and went off without a word. I took this as an indication that he was in agreement with my disgust over the situation.

During the course of the operating procedure, there was considerable conversation about the abortion issue. Several of the nurses and nurse’s aides indicated that they felt such revulsion working under these conditions that they were contemplating other kinds of work outside the operating room. Some even talked of leaving nursing itself.

Since the New York State law permits abortions to include pregnancies of as much as twenty-four weeks’ gestation, several of the two dozen cases scheduled for this day were being done on women who were in a condition of obviously well-advanced pregnancy. In such instances abortion is not the simple procedure that it ordinarily is in the case of a pregnancy of four to six weeks’ duration. To interrupt a pregnancy at twenty-four weeks, it is almost always necessary to do a hysterotomy. This means opening the uterus through an abdominal incision and removing the fetus much as in a cesarean section. One of the nurses who had been in attendance on a number of these cases confided in me that “the baby is removed and put in a pan to die.”

A fetus of twenty-four weeks’ gestation is, of course, developed to the point of being easily recognizable as a human creature with distinct parts. It is able to move and to make sounds and to make attempts, at least, at respiration. It is therefore considered a potentially viable individual.

One operating orderly told me that he had refused to mop the operating rooms where abortions were being done, since that activity violated his conscience relative to the sacredness of life. He said that on mopping one such operating room he had found the leg of a fetus on the floor, and others in the operating suite confirmed that this was so. Since that time he had decided against working in the operating rooms that were being used for this purpose. In fact, his intention was to quit working at the hospital altogether and look for a job in a factory. Even the assistant supervisor of the operating suite informed me that she too was quitting her position there to seek other employment.

A young Filipino doctor in surgical training, who assisted me with my operation, expressed his disappointment in the fact that he was not receiving training in all fields of medicine. This was because so much of his time was being taken up in caring for abortion cases. He too expressed his discouragement that American doctors were endeavoring to justify their actions on the basis that it would help the so-called population explosion. To him it was an instance of letting the end justify the means.

“Healthy” Patients

On the completion of my surgical case, I visited my patient in the recovery room. She was surrounded by half a dozen or so sleeping ex-mothers, who, upon arousing, would be taken from the operating suite to the wards for a few hours of hospitalization before being discharged. As I was about to leave the hospital I could not help but notice that the admitting office looked very unreal, with a line of healthy-appearing young women awaiting admission. A similar line was at the cashier’s window, where the previous day’s abortion cases were being discharged.

Outside the hospital were many girls and young women, some coming, some going. In some instances they were accompanied by older women who appeared to be their mothers. I recalled that reports in medical literature (Medical World News, August 21, 1970) described a backlog of 5,000 applications for abortions in New York City’s municipal hospitals, with six to eight weeks’ waiting times in some hospitals.

Who Is at Fault?

As I drove away from the hospital I was somewhat shaken, to say the least. Questions began crowding into my mind, demanding an answer. Who is at fault? What will be the next step man will take as he endeavors to correct certain social problems, or the continually increasing population?

I thought of the doctors who, in general, justify their part by saying that they feel they are helping unfortunate women. But is this their real or only motive? Are they not also interested in helping themselves, financially? Many, of course, have refused to participate. But others give every evidence of becoming “specialists” in a procedure that, until only a few weeks ago, was considered criminal and immoral.

I thought of the politicians who make such things as abortions legal. The fault, however, is only partly theirs, for they are really only reflecting the will and wishes of their constituents—the people they represent.

I thought also of the churches of Christendom and their clergymen. While others were no doubt responsible in large measure, it seemed obvious to me that the clergy are most responsible. It is not the doctors’ prerogative nor the duty of the schoolteachers nor the province of the lawmakers to teach people moral principles, nor to inculcate in them a high regard for life. These are matters of a religious nature, and have for years been presumed to be the responsibility of the clergy.

…

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Awake!, November 8, 1970