Awake!, February 22, 1971

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Awake! — February 22, 1971

Source: jw.org

Contents

Argentine Church Shaken from the Inside

Overeating Can Lead to Trouble

The Gift of Language

Bringing Up Children in a Godly Way

Blueprints for Everlasting Life

The Date Palm

Policemen Under Fire

Earth’s Perpetual Show

Delinquents of Birdland

Violins of Distinction

I Was a Buddhist

Trickery or Spiritism at the Nicene Council?

Do You Give Priority to Prayer?

Watching the World

Jehovah’s Witnesses Call at Your Home.

What Is The Future of World Governments?

Argentine Church Shaken from the Inside

By “Awake!” correspondent in Argentina

THIS South American country suffers its share of agitation and violence so prevalent throughout the world in our time. Of course, that is not particularly surprising in these days.

But what is dumbfounding to many here in Argentina is that numerous clergymen at all levels of the Roman Catholic Church are being accused of inciting “plunder, robbery, assault, kidnapping, crime, bloody fighting, chaos. . . . And all that in the name of Christianity, the Gospels, and Jesus Christ.”

That is the accusation stated in a report entitled “Declaration of Argentine Priests.” The document was signed by 140 well-known clergymen of the Catholic church.

Is the situation really that ugly here in Argentina? Who are these priests “of diverse hierarchies and placed at all levels” of the Catholic church that are charged with inciting “kidnapping, crime, bloody fighting, chaos”? Why are they accused of such atrocities? What measures has the church taken? And the average Argentine church member—what is his reaction to all this?

Events Leading to Crisis

The events leading to such charges have been building up for some time. But recently they have come to the fore because of cruel terrorist murders.

An editorial in the Buenos Aires Herald reported: “In the past 14 months three prominent Argentines have been assassinated in cold blood. . . . in June last year [1969] Augusto Vandor, Argentina’s most influential trade union leader; the slaying of former President Pedro Aramburu on May 31 [1970] by his kidnappers; and the slaughter of José Alonso,” another union leader, more recently.

What does this have to do with clergymen of the Catholic church? The public press notes the connection. Siete Dias stated: “The presumed ties of priests . . . with the assassination of General Aramburu provoke secret meetings in the bosom of the Argentine Church . . . to analyze the influence of extremism among the clergy.”

Monsignor Juan Carlos Aramburu (not to be confused with the assassinated former president, Pedro Aramburu) regretfully admitted: “The recent events that are of public knowledge, unfortunately, have put to the test and affected the essential value of the priestly mission in being builders of ‘unity of mankind’ founded on love.” And former Interior Minister Guillermo Borda said: “The extreme wing of the Church has exercised a pressure which I am tempted to call decisive in the recent outbursts of intemperance and violence in the country.”

The “Third World Movement”

Who make up this priestly group accused of inciting violence and agitation? During the past few years they have been called “progressists,” “rebels,” and now they are well known as priests of the “Third World movement.” “The movement” takes its name from the Medellín (Colombia) declaration by eighteen ‘progressive’ bishops who called for a ‘third world’ owing allegiance to neither Capitalism nor Communism.

In answer to a question that the publication Periscopio (now Primera Plana) sent to them, priests Jorge Vernazza, Héctor Botán, Rodolfo Ricciardelli and Domingo Bresci, all of the Third World movement, made this remark: “Upon talking of violence it is imperative to distinguish between the oppressor’s violence and that of the oppressed: that one is unjust and condemned, the other can be the only way of being freed from the unjust aggression, and is then a legitimate defense.” Thus, violence is condoned.

The Buenos Aires Herald calls forty-year-old Argentine priest Carlos Mujica the “chief spokesman” for the Third World movement. This priest serves as professor of theology in Buenos Aires’ well-known Savior’s University. He claims that the changes in the last ten years in the Catholic church are “irreversible,” and that priests must work to bring political and social change. He noted that the Vietnam War had an enormous influence in the formation of public opinion, particularly in the case of youths who see it as a great injustice. He lists other events in Latin America, such as the Cuban revolution and the invasion of Dominican Republic by North American marines, as contributing to the changing of political views among many. The result, he says, is the producing of “a certain conversion to socialism.”

Hence, such priests identify themselves with a movement that works for political and social change even by violent revolution if necessary. And how many such priests are there in the Argentine church? According to Mujica, their number is multiplying with the passing of each day.

This is admitted by other priests. The group of some 140 well-known clergymen who published the “Declaration of Argentine Priests” observed: “Here you have a group of priests in the last few years, each time more numerous, of diverse hierarchies and placed at all levels, that are found determined to change the Church’s image, that of Christianity and even that Jesus Christ himself.” Thus, it is acknowledged by the church itself that the Third World movement among priests grows.

In the eyes of many church officials, and in political circles as well, the ideas of the Third World movement seem close to those of Marxism, if not directly Marxist.

Crisis at Peak

What brought the ‘movement’ into grave difficulty was former President Aramburu’s kidnapping and murder. Analisis commented: “Evidently the participation of militant Catholics in the assassination of Aramburu and the presumed connection of priests with terrorists’ activities have accelerated the internal fighting within the Church.”

Former President Aramburu was kidnapped May 29, 1970, and his body was found buried in a lime grave July 16. His disappearance and whereabouts had caused great intrigue and upheaval in the country during that time. The Third World movement was accused of being connected with Aramburu’s murderers.

Then what really ignited fuses at many official levels was when priests Hernán Benítez and Carlos Mujica officially attended the funeral of two dead men who were suspected of being Aramburu’s killers, and who were slain in a skirmish with the police. At the church service, the priests spoke well of the two dead men. Mujica called them “my brothers” and extolled them as examples for youths to follow in fighting to achieve “a just society.’’ Two other priests were at the service.

As a result, priests Benítez and Mujica were arrested and accused of propagating seditious doctrine and exalting political crime. Later they were released for lack of evidence. But a scathing editorial in La Prensa said: “To say, of those wanted for kidnapping and murder . . . ‘that this sacrifice serves as an example to the people’ is to instigate the people to violence and crime, wanting to represent the most abominable acts as plausible and meritorious. This dangerous provocation is called condoning or praising crime.” The newspaper added: “Surprise leads to amazement when such praises issue from those who have embraced the religious career for imparting peace to souls, inculcating justice and preaching love of neighbor.”

While some felt inclined to say that the whole Third World movement should not be judged by the acts of a few of its members, others felt that it would be hard to think otherwise. Why so? Because its chief spokesman and other priests insist upon associating themselves with a guerrilla organization that has proudly claimed responsibility for cold-blooded murders.

All of this has resulted in a crisis within the church here. A very serious division has come about within priestly ranks. Monsignor Aramburu acknowledged this, for in a letter to the country’s clergy he stated: “It is not reasonable nor opportune when the storm on the outside is lashing the house, that also movement be made inside . . . jolting its foundation.” In effect, he said that there were many forces tearing at the church from the outside, but now there were powerful forces within the church itself also tearing at it, shaking the church to its very foundation.

When government officials tried to get the hierarchy of the church to punish and suspend the Third World rebel priests, the high curia seems to have decided not to, on the ground that it would be ‘splitting the church in two.’ But that already appears to have happened anyhow.

Reaction of Argentine People

What is the reaction of the average Argentine Catholic to all this?

Even before the present crisis, many Catholics had disassociated themselves from the clergy. Now the alienation is even deeper for increasing numbers. Some say: “I am Catholic, but in my way.” Others declare: “I am Catholic, but I do not think I have to go to church.” Still others state: “I am Catholic, but I do not have anything to do with the priests.”

One lady being visited by Jehovah’s witnesses said to them: “I am very offended with the church. I am from a traditionally Catholic family. My mother died in a strange way; we could never clearly establish the cause of her death. Because of that, we could not get the priest to come and give the blessing at her funeral, in spite of her having been an irreproachable person. However, two prominent priests attended the funeral of the two terrorists and spoke of them as examples for youths. After that, I do not think I will ever step foot inside a Catholic church again.”

This same woman has an aunt who is a nun. This nun is elderly and commented to her niece that she felt “very depressed because of the attitude that people showed the clergy.” She also feels that this hostility has become sharper in the last few years, as shown even in small details. For example, now she notes that seldom does anyone offer her a seat when traveling in public transportation, neither for being a woman, nor for being aged, nor because she is a nun, while years ago a nun traveling standing up was a rarity. She also complained: “It is becoming somewhat insufferable being identified with the Catholic clergy.”

Of course, many Argentine people still go to church and give it their support. But more and more do not. And a growing number express a willingness to talk about the Bible with Jehovah’s witnesses when they call on the people in their Bible educational work. Many now listen attentively and enjoy the free Bible courses in their homes that Jehovah’s witnesses carry on as a public service.

Without a doubt, the Catholic church is in deep trouble here in Argentina. That difficulty reflects the worldwide problems the church is having. Everywhere her doctrines, methods of organization, and her attitudes toward governmental and social issues are being challenged. Not only does this come from the outside, from non-Catholics, but now it is tearing at the church from within, from her own clergy and people.

Overeating Can Lead to Trouble

● The Wise Encyclopedia of Cookery is a cookbook that makes the following observations about the effects of overeating: “Temporary overeating at one or two meals may not produce any serious ill effect, but if the excess in feeding be long continued a variety of ills result, attributable directly to overloading of the alimentary canal. There is a limit to the quantity of every food which can be digested in a given time. Beyond this the food, whether starches, fats, sugars, or protein, may decompose, or pass away unaltered. Or, if the excess be absorbed the blood is overwhelmed, and the excretory organs are overworked.

“The inability to sing with precision after a too hearty meal is often attributed to temporary congestion of the vocal cords. While this is observed in the thickened speech of alcoholism, the difficulty in singing caused by overeating is mainly due to inability to regulate the actions of the diaphragm and other respiratory muscles when the stomach is too greatly distended. Overeating . . . is the commonest dietetic error, and looking at the question in its broadest aspects, it is quite certain that the foundation for more disease is laid by this habit than by overdrinking.”

The Gift of Language

WITHOUT language, you would not be able to read these words. Without language, you could not talk to other people, or even write them a letter.

Language is the means by which feelings or thoughts are expressed, or communicated. The tongue plays a most active part in expressing one’s thoughts and the English word “language” indicates this, as it comes from the Latin lingua, meaning “tongue.” The Hebrew and Greek words for “tongue” also signify “language.” The Hebrew term for “lip” is used in a similar way.

Language is most intimately associated with the mind. It is the mind that employs the speech organs—throat, tongue, lips and teeth—as its instruments. Thus, the Encyclopædia Britannica states: “Thinking and words go together. For thinking, to be clear, has to rely upon names [or nouns] and their various associations with one another. . . . While some minor reservations are justifiable there is an overwhelming mass of evidence . . . that fortifies the contention stated above—no words, no thinking.”

Origin of Speech

But how did such a valuable thing as language begin? Encyclopedias generally say that no one knows how it began. A common theory is that it started long, long ago as grunts, groans and barks. But what are the facts?

For one thing, knowledge about language does not go back beyond six thousand years. In fact, Professor of Anthropology and Linguistics G. L. Trager says: “Historical knowledge about existing languages goes back only a few thousand years.”

Did language really start with simple grunts and barks? An article in Science Illustrated of July 1948 stated: “Older forms of the languages known today were far more difficult than their modern descendants . . . man appears not to have begun with a simple speech, and gradually made it more complex, but rather to have gotten hold of a tremendously knotty speech somewhere in the unrecorded past, and gradually simplified it to the modern form.”

Linguist Dr. Mason also points out that “the idea that ‘savages’ speak in a series of grunts, and are unable to express many ‘civilized’ concepts, is very wrong.” He adds that “many of the languages of non-literate peoples are far more complex than modern European ones.”—Science News Letter, September 3, 1955.

The evidence is thus against any ‘evolutionary’ origin of speech or of ancient languages.

On the origin of language, lexicographer Ludwig Koehler wrote: “There has been, especially in former times, much speculation as to how human speech ‘came into being.’ Writers strove to explore ‘animal language.’ For animals also are able to express audibly by sounds and groups of sounds their feelings and sensations, such as contentment, fear, emotion, anger, sexual desire and satisfaction in its fulfillment, and perhaps many other things. However manifold these [animal] expressions may be . . . they lack concept and thought, the essential domain of human language.”

After showing how men can explore the physiological aspect of human speech, Koehler adds: “But what actually happens in speech, how the spark of perception kindles the spirit of the child, or of mankind generally, to become the spoken word, eludes our grasp. Human speech is a secret; it is a divine gift, a miracle.”a

A Divine Gift

According to the Holy Bible, man was created about six thousand years ago. It reveals that the first human, Adam, was created with a vocabulary, his language being a divine gift. Thus, rather than Adam’s learning to speak by imitating the animals, beginning with grunts and growls, as is taught by evolution, the facts as set down in the book of Genesis are that Adam made almost immediate use of his power of speech by bestowing names upon the various animal creations. Without the divine gift of language the newly created man would have been no more able to understand verbal instructions from his Creator than the unreasoning animals.—Gen. 1:27-30; 2:16-20; 2 Pet. 2:12.

So, while only man of all earth’s creatures has the ability of true speech, language did not originate with him, but with his All-wise Creator, Jehovah God.

Even before man’s appearance on the universal scene, language had been employed for untold ages. For the Christian apostle Paul makes inspired reference to “tongues of men and of angels.” (1 Cor. 13:1) Here, then, is another divine gift—the ‘tongue of angels.’ Almighty God has long been speaking to his angelic creatures in their ‘tongue’ and they ‘carry out his word.’ (Ps. 103:20) He and his spirit sons do not rely upon an atmosphere, which makes possible sound waves and vibrations necessary for human speech. So angelic language is obviously beyond human conception or attainment. To talk with men as God’s messengers, angels therefore had to use human language.—Gen. 22:15-18.

How Human Languages Began to Multiply

Language scholars estimate that today there are about three thousand spoken languages used on the earth. Some are spoken by hundreds of millions of persons, others by a few hundred. How did all these come about? Bible history alone explains the origin of this diversity in human languages.

Up until some point after the global flood of Noah’s day, all mankind “continued to be of one language and of one set of words.” (Gen. 11:1) The Bible indicates that the language later called “Hebrew” was the original “one language.” It preceded all other languages. But this does not mean that all other languages stemmed from and are related to Hebrew. Then where did the other languages get their start?

The Genesis account describes the uniting of some part of the post-Flood human family in a project opposed to God’s will. Instead of spreading out and ‘filling the earth,’ they wanted to centralize human society. They concentrated on a site that became known as the plains of Shinar in Mesopotamia. Evidently this was also to become a religious center, with a religious tower. (Gen. 9:1; 11:2-4) However, Almighty God broke up their project. He did this by confusing their common language. This made impossible any coordinated work on their project. It led to their scattering to all parts of the earth.—Gen. 11:6-9.

Available non-Biblical evidence is in harmony with this account. Concerning the focal point from which the spreading of ancient languages began, Sir Henry Rawlinson, Oriental language scholar, observed: “If we were to be guided by the mere intersection of linguistic paths, and independently of all reference to the Scriptural record, we should still be led to fix on the plains of Shinar, as the focus from which the various lines had radiated.”

Changed Thought Patterns and New Grammars

It appears that when miraculously confusing human language, Jehovah God did not produce merely dialects of Hebrew. He produced a number of completely new languages, each capable of expressing the full range of human feeling and thought.

Thus the builders at the Tower of Babel did not continue to have “one set of words,” one common vocabulary. They also did not continue to have a common grammar or a common way of expressing the relationship between words. Professor S. R. Driver states: “Languages, however, differ not only in grammar and roots, but also . . . in the manner in which ideas are built up into a sentence. Different races do not think in the same way; and consequently the forms taken by the sentence in different languages are not the same.”

Hence, different languages require different thought patterns, making it difficult for a new learner to ‘think in the language.’ This is also why a literal translation of something said or written in an unfamiliar language may seem illogical, often causing persons to say, in effect, “But that doesn’t make sense!” So it appears that when Almighty God confused the speech of those at Babel, he first blotted out all memory of their previous common language. Then he introduced into their minds not only new vocabularies but also changed thought patterns, producing new grammars.

We find, for example, that certain languages are monosyllabic; that is, made up of words of only one syllable. Chinese is an example. By contrast, the vocabularies of a number of other languages are formed largely by agglutination; that is, by joining words placed side by side. For example, the German word Hausfriedensbruch literally means “house peace breakage.” More understandably to the English-speaking mind, it means “trespass.” In some languages syntax, the order of the words in the sentence, is very important; in others it matters little. So, too, some languages have many conjugations (or verbal forms). Others, such as Chinese, have none. Countless differences could be cited, each requiring an adjustment in mental patterns, often with great effort.

Families of Languages

The tenth chapter of Genesis contains what is commonly called the “Table of Nations.” It tells how seventy families, peoples or nations descended from Noah’s three sons, Japheth, Ham and Shem. In each case these are grouped “according to their families, according to their tongues, in their lands, by their nations.”—Gen. 10:5, 20, 31, 32.

Today we find that philology, the comparative study of languages, generally classifies languages into distinct “families.” Among the major “families” listed by modern philologists are: Indo-European, Semitic, Hamitic, African Negro, Sino-Tibetan, Japanese and Korean, Uralic and Altaic, Dravidian and Malayo-Polynesian. However, there are still many languages that defy classification today.

Interestingly, the “parent” language of each major family usually has not been identified. Certainly there is no evidence pointing to any one “parent” language as the source of all the thousands of tongues now spoken. The evidence, instead, points to the many “parent” languages begun at Babel.

Evidently the original languages resulting from the divine action at Babel in course of time produced related dialects. These dialects often developed into separate languages. Even Shem’s descendants, who apparently did not figure among the crowd at Babel, came to speak, not only Hebrew, but also Aramaean, Akkadian and Arabic.

Historically, various factors have contributed to the change in languages: separation due to distance or geographical barriers; wars and conquests; a breakdown in communications; and immigration by those of another language. Due to such factors ancient major languages have fragmented. Then, too, certain tongues have partially merged with others. Some languages have disappeared completely, replaced by those of invading conquerors.

The Indo-European Family

Within each of the major families there are many subdivisions or smaller families. Thus, the Indo-European family includes such branches as Germanic (or Teutonic), Romance (or Latin-Romance), Balto-Slavic, Indo-Iranian, Greek, Celtic, Albanian and Armenian.

Most of these smaller families, in turn, have several members. Romance languages, for example, embrace French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian and Romanian. The Germanic branch includes English, German, Dutch-Flemish, Danish, Icelandic, Norwegian and Swedish.

The most widely used of all language families, the Indo-European tongues are spoken by about 50 percent of earth’s population. This family of languages is called “Indo-European” because of their location, being found in India and Europe; and they are grouped together because they appear to have had a common ancestor, which may well have been Sanskrit. These languages have clearly defined parts of speech, such as nouns, pronouns, verbs, and so forth. And their words are inflected, that is, slightly changed, usually in the endings, to show changes in gender, number and case. Also, the fact that these languages have certain simple words, such as “mother” and “father,” in common, suggests a common ancestry. Thus “mother” is mat, in Russian; mater, in Latin; mata, in Sanskrit; madre, in Spanish; meter, in Greek; and mutter, in German.

Of all the Indo-European languages, Greek is, next to Sanskrit (no longer spoken), the oldest, and it is considered by many to be the language most highly developed as well as the most clearly defined.

Will the time ever come when the use of a multiplicity of languages will cease? Well, after the global flood all the earth was of one language before large numbers of humans at Babel went contrary to God’s will for post-Flood mankind. As a result, their language was confused at Babel. After the end of this system of things, all mankind will be in harmony with God. (2 Pet. 3:5-7, 13) In God’s new order it seems reasonable that there will be a return to one language for all mankind. Whether that language will be man’s original tongue, Hebrew, or a blend of Hebrew with the most delightful aspects of other languages or something different, the Bible does not discuss.

Truly the gift of language was one of God’s great gifts to man. It is a precious treasure. How blessed men are that they can communicate with one another through the power of speech!

[Footnotes]

Journal of Semitic Studies, Vol. I, No. 1, January 1956, p. 11.

Bringing Up Children in a Godly Way

TODAY ever so many parents are heartbroken because of the way their children turned out. They keep asking, “What did we do wrong?”

But there are also parents whose children give them joy. One such is the mother who recently wrote the Watch Tower Society telling how her children were witnessing to God’s name and kingdom. She concluded by saying, “Our children are a real pleasure to us.”

What makes the difference? No doubt the children who bring joy to their parents are those carefully reared “in the discipline and mental-regulating of Jehovah.” (Eph. 6:4) What might be said to be a noteworthy instance of a father who did this is one of Jehovah’s witnesses in Alabama who reared eighteen children, twelve by his first wife and six by his second. Today these children range from fourteen to forty-two years of age and each one is a zealous dedicated servant of Jehovah God. Among these are a number of overseers, missionaries and other full-time preachers. How did he go about rearing them “in the discipline and mental-regulating of Jehovah”?

For one thing, he fostered a warm, loving atmosphere in the home. Those separated from each other for the day would ask each other at the evening meal: “What did you do today?” If they had an interesting or an amusing experience they enjoyed telling it to the rest. If one came home later and no one asked him, “What did you do today?” he usually asked, “Well, isn’t anyone going to ask me what I did today?” Everyone was made to feel that the rest of the family was interested in him and cared for him.

This father also saw to it that the family enjoyed recreation together. Both he and his wife were on the family ball teams, although the girls would run bases for their mother. He and his wife were not too busy for such things. And they took all their children along with them when visiting such places as the Grand Canyon and Yosemite National Park on their vacations.

As loving and affectionate as the father was, he could also be firm when necessary. As the girls grew older he established a hard-and-fast rule for his daughters. Whenever any boy invited one of them out, another sister had to go along. This did not always suit the young men, but the daughters respected their father’s instructions and wishes in this as in everything else. They appreciated his wise and loving concern for them.

In particular did the father teach and exemplify putting first the interests of God’s kingdom. (Matt. 6:33) He saw to it that the family studied the Bible together and prayed together and he encouraged his children to do personal Bible study. Bible words were among the first expressions they learned. He made it an inflexible rule never to neglect the meetings of the Christian congregation. Even when relatives who were not Witnesses came for a visit, his entire family, as many as fourteen, all went to the meetings. Their guests would ask, “Are all of you going?” Yes, they all were, and so this left the guests the choice of remaining home alone or accompanying the family to their meetings. To their own surprise, these guests found they enjoyed and benefited from the experience of attending a meeting of the Witnesses!

Not only did the father and mother set a good example by regularity in the Christian field ministry, but the whole family would often spend from one to three months during the summer preaching in parts of the country that did not ordinarily get to hear the good news of God’s kingdom. In going from door to door the parents took their tots along with them, so that as these grew up they took to house-to-house preaching on their own as ‘ducks take to water.’

Helpful also in giving these children the benefit of “the discipline and mental-regulating of Jehovah” was the custom of the father to invite to his home those serving as traveling representatives of the Watch Tower Society. These were made to feel very much at home and so were always glad to come. They had a fine influence on the children and gave them something to aim for.

Eighteen children, and all of them holding firm to Jehovah’s pure worship in preaching and in conduct! Yes, it can be done when the apostolic advice is followed to rear children in “the discipline and mental-regulating of Jehovah.”

Blueprints for Everlasting Life

IN THE prime of life, your body contains more than a million million tiny living cells. Some scientists believe that these cells hold instructions that could be unlocked for everlasting life. The reason for such a belief is the amazing blueprint that cells have for reproduction and repair.

All the many kinds of cells in your body were grown from the single cell that represented you at the time of your conception. The nucleus of that cell contained the blueprint to direct your development. As each cell in your body was made, it was given an exact copy of the blueprint. This blueprint is named deoxyribonucleic acid, generally referred to as DNA.

The Amazing DNA

The gene is the carrier of heredity. There are tens of thousands of genes in each cell. The key part of each gene is the compound called DNA. A coiled, threadlike molecule, DNA may be likened to a twisted rope ladder.

The two sides of the ladder are made of phosphate and a type of sugar called deoxyribose. These two sides are joined together by the ladder’s “rungs” which are composed of millions of pairs of chemical bases.

The number of rungs, or bases, totals in the millions. Yet there are only two types, The two types are (1) adenine paired with thymine, and (2) cytosine paired with guanine. The sequence in which these pairs are arranged, linking the two sides of the spiral ladder, makes up the genetic code or blueprint for life.

Building from the Blueprint

From conception onward, the blueprint issues instructions for duplicating and constructing. Cells are added until a baby is formed. After the baby is born, cell duplication continues until growth to adulthood is complete. Then it continues at a slower rate, to replace cells that have died.

DNA duplicates itself in a remarkable manner. This starts when the two interlocked sides of the ladder begin to separate, or “unzip,” from each other. Each side has one half of every one of the millions of pairs of bases attached to it.

Like “spare parts,” additional adenine, thymine, guanine and cytosine, which are manufactured in the cell’s nucleus, are attracted to both separated sides of the ladder. The half pair of every chemical base left on each side picks up an appropriate mating base (and none other) until two new sets of interlocked sides have been built, making two twisted ladders. These two new sets are the exact duplicates of their parent. They become the key elements in each nucleus of the two cells that replace the original parent cell.

Man’s understanding of this process is far from complete. For example, it is known that each cell in your body contains the same blueprint. Yet not all cells are identical. Instead, there is an astounding variety of cells. There are bone, nerve, lung, muscle and blood cells, to mention some. How can one blueprint be read in so many different ways? Why are not all cells identical to the original cell? Such questions continue to baffle scientists.

Furthermore, the cells do not occur in shapeless groupings. They are organized into structures that have distinct functions. Some make up your skeleton, others the nervous system, still others the eyes, ears, heart, lungs, stomach and skin.

Clearly, DNA is an amazing blueprint for body building. It makes possible the birth of new cells, both for growth and to take the place of those that die. Its qualities are such that one reporter was moved to write: “The idea [of everlasting life] is by no means ridiculous.”

The Aging Process

Cell duplication should theoretically keep the body alive forever. Even brain cells, said to be unable to replace themselves after childhood, are now thought by some to renew themselves almost daily by a process described as “perpetual rapid growth.” An authority on brain cells, Paul A. Weiss, suggests that while they may not divide in the adult, they constantly manufacture “spare parts” and thus keep renewing themselves.

So the body can manufacture the cells and other substances needed for continued rejuvenation of itself. Yet, the firm flesh, soft skin, supple joints and healthy organs of youth inevitably give way to the flabby flesh, leathery skin, stiff joints and deteriorating organs of advanced age. Why?

Loss of weight and declining capacity as the body ages are attributed to the progressive death of cells. As time passes, the body is not able to replace all the cells that die, as it does in younger age. But why not? Cell biologists simply do not know.

Some have suggested that the DNA blueprint in the cell is like a computer having a “program” for living, but that eventually the program runs out. Other scientists speculate that repeated duplication of the cells clogs the DNA with “transcription error.” They liken this to continued rerecording of a beautiful melody, which eventually makes it an unrecognizable noise. Some think that the cell poisons itself with age. Another says that the body forgets what it should do and commits suicide by rejecting its own cells as it would a transplanted organ.

Experiments Provide No Answer

This bewildering array of theories often results from the many experiments conducted in regard to aging. Some of the most famous were those of Alexis Carrel. Carrel supposedly kept living cells from chick embryos alive in cultures for more than thirty years.

However, Leonard Hayflick, reporting in Scientific American of March 1968, shows that these experiments were improperly conducted. Carrel’s nutrient evidently contained live chick cells that replaced his original colony of cells instead of sustaining it. Such cultures invariably died out when care was taken to keep living cells out of the food given them. In any event, these experiments did not provide any answer to the question of why man ages and dies.

In some experiments it was found that substances in the cells of old animals inhibited the manufacture of protein. But cells of young animals do not contain those substances. Since the manufacture of protein is essential to life, it was felt that this discovery might hold a clue to the cause of aging. But does it? Why does it happen? What can be done about it? Such questions find no sure answers.

In other experiments mouse skin was kept alive twice as long as a mouse normally lives. How? By transplanting the skin from one live mouse to another. This seemed to show that the individual cells in mouse skin possessed the ability to live longer than the mouse from which they came. But does it solve the problem of aging? No; all it shows is that cells may have a potentially longer life. Yet, they eventually die. And these experiments were artificially contrived, not representing life as it really is.

It must be kept in mind that cells do not live in a glass dish. They live in YOU. Your body, with all its complex, interacting and self-regulating systems is a far cry from a sterile bowl. For this reason experiments in culture dishes that seem to show this or that possibility are not as significant as they may seem. Nor are experiments with animals. God created man distinct and separate from the animal realm. So results from experiments with animals may not necessarily apply to humans.

The fact remains that no such theories or experiments come to grips with the real answer to the problem. Whether there is “transcription error” in the DNA, cell poisoning or some other cause, we still get old and die. No matter what the theory or experiment, people are still living only the Biblical average of seventy or eighty years. (Ps. 90:10) Nothing that science or medicine has done has altered this basic truth.

Whatever the reason, the amazing DNA blueprint is not now programmed to sustain cells in perfect balance. In old age those wearing out and dying are not always replaced by new ones through cell division. So degeneration and death follow.

The One Who Knows

A computer can be changed, or reprogrammed. Man’s DNA blueprint needs to be reprogrammed for everlasting life. If it could be reprogrammed to keep the right balance in cell replacement and renewal, man could live forever.

But who could do such a thing? Obviously, no human, however intelligent he may be, knows that much about man’s blueprints. And it is a vain hope to think that dying, imperfect man will someday find a way to eliminate death. Only the One who created life, who gave mankind the DNA blueprint, knows enough about it to reprogram it for everlasting life.

The Creator of man, Jehovah God, knows every detail of your marvelous DNA blueprint. He should. He designed it and put it into operation. Writing under the inspiration of God’s powerful holy spirit, the psalmist said of the Creator: “I shall laud you because in a fear-inspiring way I am wonderfully made. . . . My bones were not hidden from you when I was made in secret, . . . Your eyes saw even the embryo of me, and in your book all its parts were down in writing, as regards the days when they were formed.”—Ps. 139:14-16.

The Creator does not take a negative attitude toward the possibility of living forever. Dozens of times in his own Word he states with certainty that everlasting life will be a reality, without fail. For example, Romans 6:23 says: “The gift God gives is everlasting life.” Psalm 37:29 foretells: “The righteous themselves will possess the earth, and they will reside forever upon it.”

So the Maker of the DNA has promised that man will live forever on earth someday. That was God’s purpose when he created man. He equipped man’s body for everlasting life. Had man remained faithful to his Creator, he would be able to live forever right now.

But that was not the case. The first human pair disobeyed God’s law and thus lost the opportunity to live forever. They became defective, imperfect. (Deut. 32:5) Their bodies lost the capacity of sustaining cell replacement in perfection. Precisely how that happened, just what the technical matters involved were, the Bible does not say. But from their rebellion on, their bodies were “programmed” for death, not eternal life.

All of Adam’s descendants inherited that same “program” in their bodies. We are all Adam’s offspring. That is why we all die. As Romans 5:12 states: “Through one man sin entered into the world and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men.” We inherited death just as we inherit certain physical characteristics.

Another Blueprint for Life

Jehovah has arranged a way for persons to regain the opportunity for everlasting life. You can, too, if that is what you really want.

What is involved? First, a study of God’s Word, the Bible. The Holy Scriptures can be regarded as another blueprint for life. In them we find God’s specific written instructions that lead to eternal life. If we carefully examine these instructions, and then follow them, we can be confident that Jehovah will grant us eternal life in his new order.

Such confidence is surely not misplaced. Jehovah has set the limits on how long we can hope to live now, and he can remove those limits. Scientists do not know how to make your body parts go on living forever. But Jehovah does. All your body parts are in writing in his “book.” Death is no mystery to the Creator of the amazing DNA. He knows exactly what causes aging and death and precisely how to stop that process. He knows how to bring cell replacement into perfect balance.

Jehovah has given us his guarantee that there will be a time when honest-hearted persons will live forever on earth. The prospect of eternal life is thus not a vain hope. It is not a lie, because God himself has promised it, and God cannot lie.—Titus 1:2; Heb. 6:18.

The Bible can now become your personal blueprint for everlasting life. Study it. Place your confidence in the promises and power of God it tells you about. (John 17:3; Prov. 2:1-5, 21, 22) Always keep in mind that humans can only be students of the living cell. But Jehovah is its maker. He alone can direct it so that we can have everlasting life in his new order.

The Date Palm

A single date palm can produce from 100 to 600 pounds of dates in a good year. And the tree may continue to bear fruit for 100 years.

Policemen Under Fire

THE job of a policeman is not an easy one. He is called on to care for a variety of difficulties, and to put his life in jeopardy as well. Many policemen are killed in the line of duty each year, even in “normal” times.

However, these are not normal times. The job of a policeman is now more dangerous than ever. This is especially true in the United States. There, in a comparable period, twice as many policemen were killed in unprovoked attacks in 1970 as in 1969, and four times as many as in 1968.

In New York city alone, figures for 1970 up to November show that 38 policemen were shot, 46 cut or stabbed and 390 punched or kicked. More than 1,030 lost time from duty because of violence committed against them. In Detroit, such assaults increased 68 percent in a year. In California, murders of policemen have doubled. Elsewhere the trend has been much the same.

Why such an increase? One reason is the fantastic rise in crime. More and more persons have turned to criminal activities. This places the lives of policemen in greater danger as they deal with such individuals.

There is another factor, however, in the rising number of assaults, one that is even more ominous than the huge increase in crime.

Ominous Trend

In the past few years the United States has witnessed a swift growth of what has been called “Terrorism.” In city after city, policemen are being killed in cold blood. The way these particular attacks are carried out shows that they differ from the type that results when police apprehend a criminal who then resorts to violence.

For example, a Sacramento policeman was killed while riding in his patrol car, shot to death by a sniper who used a military rifle. In San Francisco a police station was bombed, killing one officer and wounding eight others. Three were killed on different occasions when they were issuing traffic tickets; in each case an assassin approached the unsuspecting officer while he was writing out the ticket and killed him with a handgun. In West Philadelphia a gunman walked into a police guardhouse and pumped five bullets into the desk sergeant as he sat quietly.

Thus, a Detroit policeman declared: “It’s like being in a guerrilla war.” Philadelphia Police Commissioner Frank Rizzo said: “This is no longer crime. This is revolution.” California’s chief deputy attorney general Charles O’Brien stated: “Law officers have become a special target for the terrorists and anarchists in our society. . . . I find it very frightening.” He called the “fantastic increase” in assaults “a clear and present danger to the government of the United States.” And Senator James Eastland declared: “An organized ‘war upon the police’ threatens to undermine law and order in the United States.” He added: “These deliberate attacks are too widespread, the incidents too numerous, the tactics too similar to suggest isolated acts of violence.”

In Cairo, Illinois, Police Chief Roy Burke said in September that snipers had fired at his car on six different occasions during the year. “It had so many holes in it I had to get a new one,” he said. Then in October, fifteen to eighteen men dressed in army fatigue uniforms attacked the Cairo police station three times in about six hours. In the third attack, hundreds of rounds of gunfire were poured into the station. Cairo’s Mayor A. B. Thomas stated: “What we have had tonight in Cairo is open armed insurrection.”

Why Is It Happening?

Why this increase in terrorism? Bill Moyers, former assistant to the president, said in Harper’s magazine: “In a hundred communities in every part of the country in a season of violence, no one—Presidential commissions, state agencies, police, the participants themselves—could say with authority, ‘This is why it happened.’”

Yet, there are factors involved that can be understood. For example, regarding the attacks in Cairo, Newsweek magazine reported that they were “an apparent act of retaliation for alleged police assaults on Negro residents.” It noted that militant whites “infuriated black elements by conducting regular, vigilante-style patrols of Negro neighborhoods. This time it seemed to be the blacks’ turn for exacerbating the tension.”

Lieutenant William McCoy of the Detroit police department told of printed instructions distributed among militant blacks. The instructions said: “When a self-defense group moves against this oppressive system by executing a pig [policeman] by any means—sniping, stabbing, bombing, etc.—in defense against the 400 years of racist brutality and murder, this can only be defined as self-defense.” Thus one main reason black “revolutionaries” give for their activities is resentment at the treatment they have received during centuries of slavery, prejudice and abuse.

There are also numerous groups of white “revolutionaries.” What is their aim? When reporters have had opportunity to talk to some of them, they make clear that they work to overthrow the established order, including the governmental arrangement. But no clear picture is given as to what they propose as a replacement.

What does this have to do with attacks on policemen by such groups or persons? A police lieutenant said: “The policeman is the most visible symbol of the establishment and the justice that it represents. The people who shoot at policemen do it because they can’t reach the Mayor, the President or even their wife to satisfy their pathological needs to get even.”

Are these “revolutionary” groups, both black and white, under any central direction or control? United States Attorney General John Mitchell described them as a loose conspiracy of radical and anarchist groups dedicated to the destruction of American institutions. William C. Sullivan, an assistant to the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s director, said that the FBI has no evidence that any one group, including the Communist Party, is responsible for the growing disorder.

One “revolutionary” told a Newsweek reporter: “The people have to be told that we’re not really a bunch of Communist murderers in disguise. We want change now. And nothing is at our disposal but violence. We can’t even demonstrate without getting clubbed and tear-gassed. Well, if we can’t live in peace, then the rich can’t live in peace. There will be all-out war within a year.” He said that one third of his group were veterans of the Vietnam war who used their military training in weapons and explosives for revolutionary purposes.

How serious do authorities regard the situation? A veteran Justice Department official described it this way: “Face it, we’re in what amounts to a guerrilla war with the kids. And so far, the kids are winning.” Many of the “kids” are children of middle-class parents. They consider themselves “counterculture patriots” and not criminals. They liken their activities to the revolutionaries who overthrew British rule in the American colonies, leading to the Declaration of Independence in 1776.

Where Will It Lead?

There is no doubt that individual policemen have been guilty of corruption, unfair treatment or even criminal activities. Law-enforcement authorities admit that. But what would happen if all policemen were taken out of the way in today’s society?

An example of what would likely happen was seen in Montreal, Canada. On October 7, 1969, Montreal’s 3,700 law-enforcement officers staged a seventeen-hour-long wildcat strike in a dispute over wages. The result was anarchy. During that period there was a staggering wave of robberies, burglaries and other crime. About one thousand plate-glass windows were smashed in downtown Montreal. Hundreds of stores, large and small, were looted. The editor of the Montreal Star reported that the major lesson was that all the citizens of Montreal discovered just how vulnerable they were without police protection. No one was immune. Rich and poor alike suffered.

However, this does not excuse policemen from their responsibility not to abuse their authority. When a presidential commission investigated campus violence, it noted that it was ‘mandatory for police to keep their cool and for their superiors to help them.’

Yet, the vicious escalation goes on. Those with grievances, real or imagined, often take it out on the police. The police, being human, at times respond with increasing toughness, which often makes others become more hostile to them. The result is a growing trend toward anarchy.

An official in Washington, D.C., concluded: “Unless something is done to reverse the present trend, this country is going to be in a civil war within five to ten years.” He noted that “people are getting fed up with this violence in the streets” and that a growing number of the public could be provoked to the point where they would approve the use of crushing repressive force. If that happened, what then? The official said: “What they would have left would be a fascist state.”

Earth’s Perpetual Show

● During every hour the sun is causing a spectacular show somewhere on the earth. As the earth turns, half of it basks in the brilliant light of the sun while the other half is shrouded in nightly gloom. And in this process the light is always pushing back the darkness and the darkness is always creeping back.

The volume The Wilderness World of John Muir describes this continual phenomenon of the earth as follows: “This grand show is eternal. It is always sunrise somewhere; the dew is never all dried at once; a shower is forever falling; vapor is ever rising. Eternal sunrise, eternal sunset, eternal dawn and gloaming, on sea and continents and islands, each in its turn, as the round earth rolls.”

Delinquents of Birdland

By “Awake!” correspondent in the British Isles

THE European starling, with its iridescent glossy-black plumage, is an irrepressible bird. It is forever making noises, of many kinds. True, it will take to flight at the slightest alarm, but it soon bustles back again, strutting along jauntily to show its unconcern!

Many persons dislike these pugnacious birds, and not without reason. They have a habit of descending in flocks when poultry are being fed, and blithely stealing much of the food. Some persons claim that they are kept awake at night by their raucous cries. Starlings can also do a lot of damage to crops.

Some two million of them would fly in nightly to roost in a ten-acre larch plantation at Kinver, England. Before they were dispersed, they had killed 30,000 fifteen-year-old larch trees.

Berries, fruits, corn and other crops suffer from starling onslaughts. Lamented one farmer: “Keeping a million birds off a field is like trying to stop it from raining. I’ve spent $2,000 on guns and ammunition this year and all I’ve done is chase the birds to my neighbors’ fields.”

Starlings like city life, apparently enjoying the warmth from the big buildings. So in some places they commute every morning from huge community roosts in the heart of the city to nearby countryside areas. There they feed, but at night they return to sleep in their city dormitories.

In Washington, D.C., more than 10,000 birds have been known to roost in a single block, dirtying both buildings and people. As far back as 1929, officials at President Hoover’s inauguration were worrying about starlings along the parade route. For President Kennedy’s inauguration in 1961, the inaugural committee had the trees along the parade route sprayed with a substance supposedly highly unpleasant to starlings, spending $8,600 for this.

Interestingly, in 1890 there was not even one starling in the United States. That year a wealthy New Yorker decided to introduce Americans to every bird mentioned in Shakespeare’s plays, and so had sixty starlings from England released in Central Park. Now there are hundreds of millions, starlings having migrated from coast to coast. The first one in Vancouver was seen in 1946. By the late 1950’s they were invading Oregon holly groves by the thousands.

To protect crops and city buildings from these invasions, efforts of all sorts have been made to disperse starlings, nearly all unsuccessful. Authorities have tried fireworks, rubber snakes, gas-filled balloons, electrified wires, bags of smelly chemicals, rattles, wooden clappers, clashing cymbals, supersonic sounds, ultraviolet rays, searchlights, tranquilizers, and many others.

In Melbourne, Australia, the City Council installed a formidable dummy owl with flashing eyes on the ornamental facade of the Town Hall, a favorite roosting spot. With what effect? The starlings simply perched on it!

Though starlings are delinquents, authorities are hesitant to recommend trying to exterminate them. For starlings eat a great number of insects, such as Japanese beetles. It is figured that their value in controlling pests may far outweigh the nuisance that they can be.

Furthermore, millions of people like starlings. City people especially derive pleasure from watching their swift and spectacular flight, as they wheel and maneuver almost as one bird. Also, many persons listen with admiration to their numerous and varied noises and songs.

Starlings have truly an amazing talent for mimicry. It is said that they can imitate forty-four different birds! But besides that, they can imitate the bark of a dog and the meow of a cat. They have been taught to speak and to whistle tunes. Some persons catch starlings and keep them as pets, even as others keep parrots or parakeets. They can provide fascinating entertainment.

Although in some places starlings may be considered only delinquents, they do have their redeeming characteristics. Starlings are indeed remarkable birds.

Violins of Distinction

By “Awake!” correspondent in Canada

AMATI, Stradivari, Guarneri—these are names of master violinmakers of the past. Their works still speak to us in tones of such excellence that they have stood for many decades as the criteria of violins of distinction.

Attempts have been made to copy their instruments. Some have succeeded as far as appearance is concerned, but when played, alas, their “voices” give them away.

Notwithstanding, there are today a few violinmakers of exceptional talent who pursue their art with the fervor and pride of an Amati, a Stradivari, or a Guarneri. Come with me to visit one in British Columbia, Canada, and you will meet an artist who indeed makes violins of distinction.

Before we go, let us understand that this is a violinmaker who creates his own distinctive instrument, not one who simply copies other patterns or models.

One thing may strike you as you look around the modest cabin he uses as his workshop: There are just two violins at different stages of development. As he describes these to us you can sense that each one he makes is imbued with the personality of an artist to whom exactness, perfection and beauty are paramount.

What Type of Violin?

“I have recently completed one for a professor at a university” he tells us. “You see, I make violins on order for the special use of the customers, as a violin is made with its intended use in mind. I will make one especially for chamber music, or perhaps for solo or concert playing, or again, for orchestra—whatever the musician will use it for.”

Violins made for chamber music are built so they will have a mild and soft tone. Orchestra violins, on the other hand, are constructed to have a clear and strong tone, one harder than the soft voice of chamber music. Concert or solo violins need a full tone, which our violinmaker describes as being ‘darker’ than that of the orchestra violins, and not as hard.

And how is the desired tonal quality obtained? He draws our attention to the degree of arch on the top piece of a violin he is making. He explains that a higher arch allows for a larger amount of air in the violin box and this produces soft, romantic tones, whereas a shallower arch produces vibrations that give clearer and stronger sounds, such as would come from an orchestra violin.

The Materials

Do you notice the supply of wood used for making violins? It is stacked neatly over there in the corner. Observe that it is arranged so air can get around each piece, and that it is in a dry spot protected from dampness. It takes about six years for the wood to dry naturally. So some of it has been there for a long time.

As we examine the type of wood used, we learn that the sides, back, bridge, neck and scroll of the violin are made of maple. But the top, the sound post and the bass-bar are made of spruce.

His supply of maple came from Europe where it grew in mountain forests about 1,500 feet above sea level and in limestone soil. This means that the wood has finer grain because of slower growth. It was cut during winter when sap movement was at a minimum. The best maple he has seen came from the Balkans. The spruce comes from Canada’s west coast and is of excellent quality.

Even the varnish is important in creating a violin of distinction. Our host tells us that he still makes his own, designing the varnish to suit the particular type of violin. He uses mastic, juniper gum, shellac, putty made by bees, other resins, alcohol and color. He believes that the varnish should be applied in thin layers and should dry quickly. Can you smell it?

Naturally we cannot expect to see a violin made before our eyes on this one visit. In fact, our host tells us that he usually makes only three violins a year. Not much in quantity, but very high in quality.

Exactness of Construction

Look at the back piece of the violin that he is showing us. This back may look rough right now, but, then, he is just starting to shape it. Notice that it is divided into squares, all neatly marked out by pencil. If you were to count them, you would find about two hundred. This helps him accurately to graduate the thickness of the wood as he shapes the violin back.

First, using a gouge, and then a tiny plane, and finally a scraper (he does not use sandpaper), and starting from the edges, the back is shaped to the desired thicknesses. After doing the outside of the back, he will then do the inside of the piece. The finished product will be two millimeters (about a thirteenth of an inch) in thickness at the edges to six millimeters at a point in the middle that is 195 millimeters (about 7.7 inches) down from the top of the violin back. This point is known as the vibration center. A micrometer is used to measure the thickness of each square as the work gradually moves toward the vibration center. Does not such attention to detail and exactness fascinate you?

…

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Awake!, February 22, 1971