Awake!, November 8, 1981

Awake! — November 8, 1981

Source: jw.org

Contents

Page Two

Islands of “Paradise” in the Pacific

Problems in “Paradise”

Will There Ever Be a Real Paradise?

Does Fate Govern Your Life?

The Latest on the Plague of Plaque

Bringing My Violent Temper Under Control

Is the Bible a White Man’s Book?

Crossword Puzzle

Glimpses of the Ifugao

The Earth’s Waterworks

From Our Readers

Watching the World

Why Does God Permit Wickedness?

Did All Races Come from One Human Pair?

Page Two

Because of the pressures of life, many persons would like to “get away from it all.” Would living in a place of physical beauty fill your need? Or would you choose associates who enjoy life and who have unselfish love for one another? Could you have both? The following articles point to remarkable possibilities that are within your reach.

3 ISLANDS OF “PARADISE” IN THE PACIFIC

6 PROBLEMS IN “PARADISE”

9 WILL THERE EVER BE A REAL PARADISE?

Islands of “Paradise” in the Pacific

SWAYING coconut palms, sandy beaches, blue-green waters, fruitful fields, calm moonlit evenings—does that sound like paradise? Here in Micronesia, in the western Pacific, we have all of this and more. In this troubled 20th century, many persons would like to “get away from it all” and live somewhere peaceful and beautiful. Might an island in the Pacific be the ideal refuge?

Micronesia is made up of 2,000 islands—97 of which are inhabited—scattered over three million square miles (7,770,000 km2) of ocean. From the air, they resemble broken pieces of an exquisite emerald necklace on the blue velvet of the Pacific Ocean. Each district has its own special beauty, from the magnificent sunsets of Guam and Belau to the coconut groves and sun-drenched white beaches of Kiribati; from the emerald mountains and lush waterfalls of Ponape to the bejeweled waters of the Truk lagoon.

Is it your dream to live in a paradise? Then come with us and visit some of these beautiful regions. Perhaps you can choose which version of “paradise” you prefer!

Belau and Yap

Let’s begin with what some consider the most beautiful: the district of Belau (formerly, Palau), the westernmost of the Caroline Islands.

As you approach by plane, your first view from the air is almost unbelievably beautiful. Gigantic jade-colored mushrooms seem to spring up from the aquamarine and sapphire waters—waters so clear that you can see right to the bottom, even in depths of 30 or 40 feet (9 or 12 m). When you land, you find that the island lives up to the promise of that first view. Foliage is lush. There are heavily wooded rolling hills. The soil is fertile, giving rich crops of breadfruit, oranges, sugarcane and other tropical produce. Mangrove trees grow in the shallow coastal waters, providing shelter for an abundance of marine life. And here, as in most of the Micronesian islands, you will notice the SILENCE.

But we aren’t going to linger here. Let’s move on to Yap—another unusual type of “paradise,” a land of coconut groves and quiet beauty. There are no paved roads here. The pace is slow and the soil is rich.

What makes Yap unique is its money—the famous large stone disks. In some places, the streets are literally lined with money! Today, stone money is not used for trade, but it is still considered to have cultural value. This value is determined less by the money’s size than by its age and history. There are a number of village-owned “money banks” having huge stone disks with holes in the center lined up along the road to the “bank,” and leaning up against the sides of the buildings.

The bright-eyed children in Yap are very appealing, as they are in all of Micronesia. And they have most interesting names: Radio, Love Me, Nothing, Careless, Twinkle, and even Adolf Hitler. Some are named after visiting celebrities, nicknames and all!

You want to stay here? Well, let’s complete our tour before you finally decide.

Truk, Ponape and Kiribati

To save time, we will spend only a few minutes over the magnificent Truk lagoon. More than 30 miles (48 km) in diameter, this lagoon is large enough to hold all the islands of Micronesia. Its azure waters provide a special kind of paradise for diving enthusiasts. Here is a historic underwater cemetery, where fantastic forms of marine life have made their homes among the sunken warships of World War II.

But now, on to Ponape, in the east Caroline Islands. Ponape abounds with cascading waterfalls of great beauty and boasts the highest peak in the Carolines—over 2,500 feet (760 m). It is a land of heavy rainfall and dense upland forests. But these are rarely visited, as Ponapeans prefer living beside the coastal coves and bays.

The people are rather shy and speak a soft language. Their “Casalelia” (“Welcome”) is one of the loveliest greetings of Micronesia. By the way, Ponapeans greatly admire a large-hipped woman; so if you feel you are rather “hefty,” this may be the island “paradise” for you!

Off the coast of Ponape is an intriguing archaeological treasure, the deserted city of Nan Matol. Called the “Venice of the Pacific,” this city was built of colossal blocks of basalt on more than 100 islets in a swampy lagoon. No one today knows how or when the city was built.

Far to the southeast of the Micronesian chain are the picturesque Gilbert Islands (Kiribati), with the main atoll of Tarawa. Here we can see what most people would consider to be true Pacific island homes: quaint thatched roofs on houses made from coconut trunks and fronds, bound together with twine from the coconut husks.

The people are unusually warm and hospitable. Abundant coconuts and breadfruit make up their staple crops, supplemented by a large quantity of seafood. A feeling of tranquillity descends on you as soon as you land on Tarawa. The unhurried pace of the people is contagious, and a visitor may really begin to feel that he has succeeded in ‘getting away from it all.’

Here there is public bus transportation, lacking on almost all the other islands of Micronesia. This is a boon, as distances are great on this long, narrow atoll. But don’t try to catch a bus on time. Buses do not run on a schedule—remember, we are in the tropics.

The palm-fringed lagoon mirrors the true Micronesian colors of azure blue and green by day, while at night the moon and the stars seem near enough to touch. The soft lapping of the sea on both sides of the atoll and the gentle trade winds can easily lull you to sleep. Even though Tarawa is on the equator, the trade winds keep the air pleasantly cool, at least for some months of the year.

Have you decided yet which of these exotic areas you want to escape to? Before you make a final decision, there is something else that you should know.

Problems in “Paradise”

WE FEEL you should know that, although the islands have a paradisaic appearance, there are problems. For example, do you like insects? We hope so, because there are plenty here—mosquitoes, flies and also ants, especially the little red stinging ants.

Another problem is that sometimes, instead of blue skies, we have typhoons. These are common throughout the western Pacific islands. In recent years, devastating typhoons have wrought tremendous destruction in the Marianas. Many of the homes here are made of wood with corrugated-metal roofs that collapse in typhoon winds—winds so strong that small splinters are driven through large trees. Happily, people are now turning to concrete structures for their homes.

By the way, there is at least one active volcano, Mount Pajaros. And don’t forget the earthquakes. Yes, we have those too. Fortunately, most are not too severe, but the occasional one shakes things up a lot. In 1902 an earthquake destroyed most of the concrete buildings in the main town of Agana, Guam, and raised the entire island two feet.

Well, you can sleep under a mosquito net, avoid the ants, take precautions against typhoons and act sensibly during a volcanic eruption or an earthquake. You may have greater difficulty with the tropical fungus, however. In the warm humidity, clothes and shoes can mildew overnight. But there are other problems harder to deal with.

Pollution in “Paradise”

While the air in Micronesia is still magnificently pure, often those blue-green waters are not. Sewage disposal is still undeveloped, and in many districts the wastes are left for the tides to wash out to sea. As a result, local inhabitants who eat the fish from the reef are plagued with parasites, dysentery, diarrhea and stomach problems. Sicknesses can also result when drinking the water that comes, not from crystal-clear waterfalls, but—as often happens—from rainwater collected as it runs off the roof. And most places do not have a corner drugstore to run to for medicine to cure these sicknesses.

The 20th century has also contributed noise pollution in some areas, shattering that beautiful silence. On one island, about 12 miles (19 km) in circumference, disco music blares day and night from pickup trucks. Young people pile into the backs of these trucks, especially on those beautiful tropical moonlit evenings, and sing along to a disco beat as they drive up and down the island until daybreak. On almost all the islands, disco music is now heard in small restaurants, and in the hotels, especially on weekends, into the wee hours of the morning.

In some cases, even the physical beauty is being marred by strip-mining. Nauru and its neighbor, Ocean Island (now called Banaba), as well as Anguar, Belau, have been exploited and despoiled by phosphate strip-mining. Banaba was so exploited that the people rose up in protest, and a scandal was revealed that reverberated all the way to the British House of Commons.

Mining is still going on full scale in Nauru, although it is felt that the phosphate rock will be largely gone by the end of the century. Meanwhile, if nothing is done about it, Nauru is in danger of becoming an ugly, barren waste.

Unhappiness in “Paradise”

However, phosphate-mining at least brings income to Nauru. What about districts with no phosphate to mine, and no other source of income? Sadly, poverty is all too well known. Often, the diet is limited. There is little industrial development, and the people depend on the sea for sustenance.

Spiritism is rampant on all the islands of Micronesia. Some tourists may be fascinated by the “spirit houses” where spirits are supposed to live, but such beliefs mar the enjoyment of life of those who hold to them. The spirits are feared, and are thought to cause illness and death if not appeased. Magic is practiced, and love and hate charms are still used.

Drunkenness is another problem, especially among the unemployed. This is often accompanied by family abuse and crime. And, surprisingly, there are many suicides. Recently, on one small island with a population of only 3,000, there were eight suicides among teenagers in just three months. Obviously, it takes more than living on a beautiful island to make a person truly happy.

Finally, man’s age-old enemies sickness and death are as devastating here as they are in other parts of the world. They add to the unhappiness and grief that detract from what, in many respects, is physically a paradise.

Fear in “Paradise”

Events in the outside world make many here feel insecure. Micronesians have been subjects of four great world powers, and the coming of each has led to oppression. Some of the bitterest fighting of the last World War took place here, and these lovely islands still have battle scars. Rusted hulks of partially sunken ships, partial skeletons of downed aircraft, moldering antiaircraft guns, vine-covered artillery barrels protruding from musty caves, huge potholes in the landscape and roads—all of these bear silent testimony to the horrors that the islands witnessed a few decades ago.

After the war, a politician of the Truk district, where one of the heaviest and bloodiest naval battles was fought, pleaded: “If the United States ever decides to fight another war, please do not have them fight it in Truk!” This man had seen the one road around his island stained red from those killed in bombing raids, and tides ran red with human blood. Two years after the battle, oil from the sunken ships still washed onto the shorelines.

Does anyone listen to such pleas? Seemingly not. On the Kwajalein atoll, in the Marshalls, stands a missile site, to counter the presence of Russian submarines rumored to be seen nearby and warships that would like to spy on American military installations. Because Guam is strategically located in the Pacific, it is surrounded and guarded by the United States military forces.

In 1946, the horrifying reality of the nuclear age burst into the consciousness of the gentle inhabitants of Micronesia when the United States conducted atomic bomb tests on the island of Bikini, which is part of the Marshall chain. Because of radiation hazards, the island is still off limits to the Bikinians, and may be for many years to come. In other parts of the Pacific, Britain and France have also used beautiful islands to test their nuclear weapons.

Alarm and concern developed recently over a new proposal. Japan suggested storing chemical and nuclear wastes in barrel containers in the Pacific Ocean, near Guam. So far, however, such plans have been postponed because of the opposition of the government of Guam.

Now, please do not misunderstand us. These islands are truly beautiful, and you would doubtless enjoy visiting them. The sun still rises over the blue ocean and sets behind palm trees swaying to the gentle rhythm of the trade winds. The wooded hills, the leaping waterfalls and the sandy beaches are still there. But it is not completely paradise. Problems, many of them man-made, prevent that.

Does this mean there is no hope of living in a real paradise—where nature is beautiful and man does nothing to spoil it, where people all show genuine concern for one another and where life is truly satisfying?

[Pictures on page 6]

STINGING ANTS

TYPHOONS

VOLCANOES

[Pictures on page 7]

NOISE AT NIGHT

RAVAGED LAND

SPIRITISM

[Pictures on page 8]

DRUNKENNESS

SCARS OF WAR

OLD AGE AND ILLNESS

Will There Ever Be a Real Paradise?

“TRULY I tell you today, You will be with me in Paradise.” These words, uttered nearly 2,000 years ago, show that man’s interest in Paradise is not new. People have been talking about it for a long time.

However, this promise was spoken on what might have seemed a most unpropitious occasion to someone who perhaps would appear to be an unlikely candidate for living in Paradise. The speaker was Jesus Christ. He was slowly and painfully dying as he spoke, impaled on a stake in the Roman manner. The one he spoke to was a convicted criminal, also dying on a stake.

Was this promise of Paradise mere wishful thinking? Or could it be that one day there will exist a real paradise that will cover the earth? Well, consider some facts.

A Potential Paradise

Our tour of Micronesia has revealed three outstanding things. First, the earth has the physical potential to be a paradise. In spite of the depredations and mistakes of men, these islands are still truly beautiful. And while the beauty of a tropical island is something special, beauty itself is earth wide. From the majesty of snowcapped mountains to the splendor of green rolling valleys, from the special serenity of the Arctic tundra to the lush tropical jungles, there is so much beauty in the earth that the heart swells in appreciation! Under the right conditions, it could all be a paradise.

We also see evidence that the earth has a built-in healing power, so that it can cure the scars left by men. In the Truk lagoon, for example, the grim hulks of sunken warships are being colonized and even made beautiful by strange and wonderful forms of sea life. Worldwide, when pollution of air, water and land cease, natural processes of restoration bring amazing transformations.

Finally, for the most part it is man who is ruining his surroundings. Whether by pollution, by crime and violence, by despoiling the land for material wealth, or because of military rivalry between world powers, it is man who is gradually destroying his environment. And this is true not only in the Pacific but all around the world.

A Question of Government

Hence, if a real paradise is to exist, it is man who has to change. His wrong tendencies must be controlled and his constructive abilities must be directed into the right channels. This sounds as though it should be a job for government, but the problem is that no government has been able to stop man’s gradual ruining of the earth.

In view of this, it is interesting that Jesus’ promise of paradise was in answer to a comment about government. The criminal impaled alongside him had noticed this sign above Jesus’ head: “This is the king of the Jews.” So he said: “Jesus, remember me when you get into your kingdom.” It was in answer to this that Jesus promised: “Truly I tell you today, You will be with me in Paradise.”—Luke 23:38-43.

Can Jesus as a king accomplish something no other ruler can? Can he make all the earth a real paradise? Yes, because Jesus’ kingship is heavenly, not earthly. And it is backed up by God’s own power.

If we consider Jesus’ own nature, we can better appreciate this. The Bible says that by means of him God created the earth and all life on it. (Prov. 8:22-31; Col. 1:15-17) Hence, Jesus fully understands its ecology. He knows how to use its resources properly. When on earth, he actually demonstrated control of natural forces by calming a windstorm and by telling his followers how to get a full catch of fish after they had labored all night without results. (Mark 4:35-41; John 21:4-8) Surely, under the rule of such a king, men will not be harmed by typhoons, earthquakes or volcanoes, and all living things will be in proper balance.

Humans themselves will also be taught to live together in peace. Regarding what God will accomplish by means of Jesus’ kingship, the Scriptures state: “He will certainly render judgment among many peoples, and set matters straight respecting mighty nations far away. And they will have to beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning shears. They will not lift up sword, nation against nation, neither will they learn war anymore.” (Mic. 4:3, 4) Under such a rule, earth’s beauty will no longer be scarred by wars.

Will It Really Happen?

‘But wait a minute,’ you might say. ‘Jesus died shortly after making his promise of Paradise.’ That is true, and this would seem to have ended any hope that these wonderful promises would be fulfilled.

However, something marvelous happened on the third day after Jesus’ death. Jehovah God raised him to life again. Amazing though it may sound, this is a well-attested fact of history. Some 500 people saw him alive again. (1 Cor. 15:3-22) Thus, the hope of a paradise under Christ’s rulership became realizable. His promise to the dying criminal could actually be fulfilled.—Acts 17:31.

Since that momentous event, things have moved inexorably toward the time when Jesus will have full authority over the day-to-day affairs of this earth. (Dan. 2:44) It can be proved that the present dangerous world conditions are evidence that we are living very close to that time.a Hence, in fulfillment of prophecy, the “good news of the kingdom” by Christ is being preached in all lands of the earth, including these Pacific islands. (Matt. 24:14) Many, although now living in what may appear to be paradise, look to a real paradise earth wide in the future. They rest their hopes for this in God’s kingdom through Christ.

Inhabitants of Paradise

Jesus’ teachings show us the kind of people who will live in Paradise under his government. First, he emphasized that persons who would gain such life must truly love God. “You must love Jehovah your God with your whole heart and with your whole soul and with your whole strength and with your whole mind.” (Luke 10:25-27) A community of people with such love of God would obey all his commands. They would not be drunkards or immoral; neither would they selfishly ruin God’s creation, the earth, for material gain.

Further, Jesus said to his followers: “This is my commandment, that you love one another just as I have loved you. No one has love greater than this, that someone should surrender his soul in behalf of his friends.” (John 15:12, 13) Jesus sacrificed his human life out of love for mankind—for people of all races, nations and tongues. He taught his followers to put the interests of others ahead of their own. Worldwide there are already millions of persons who are sincerely endeavoring to do this. In a community of people with this quality, crime, thoughtless noise pollution and similar problems would soon become things of the past. Even poverty would not last long if everyone showed unselfish interest in others.

‘But,’ you might feel, ‘there is always a serpent in paradise. However successful Christ’s kingdom is, someone will come along and spoil things.’ Well, that may be true of man’s reforming efforts. But we are talking about the accomplishments of God’s heavenly government with Christ as king. No one will spoil the Paradise that this will bring about.

First, remember that God can change people. Saul of Tarsus was a violent opposer of Christianity. But when he accepted the truth of the Christian message, his personality changed dramatically, and he became the Christian apostle Paul. Similar changes are taking place today.—Acts 22:1-11; Col. 3:9-14; 1 Thess. 2:5-12.

One elderly man in Nauru, for example, was greatly grieved at losing his three children due to malnutrition during the Japanese occupation of his island in World War II. Can you imagine how he felt toward the Japanese? However, he studied the Bible with Jehovah’s Witnesses, and when learning about God’s kingdom through Christ, his attitude changed. When a Japanese tourist recently was stranded, he offered him refuge in his home. He said he has had no thought of retaliation in his heart since studying the Bible.

God’s kingdom is changing the personalities of people all around the world. Violent men are becoming peaceful. Criminals are becoming law-abiding. Bitter or disillusioned folk are finding comfort and joy. Moreover, people of all sorts—some located in physically beautiful surroundings, and others in poor and squalid neighborhoods—are experiencing what even now has been described as a spiritual paradise.

How so? Because of their association with true Christians, persons who put Jehovah God first in their lives and enjoy his blessing, persons who look to Jesus Christ as earth’s new king and who are known because they speak freely to others about God’s kingdom and have love among themselves. Regardless of their physical surroundings, they know the “peace of God that excels all thought.” (Phil. 4:7; Eph. 4:20-32) Just think what life on earth will be like when it is transformed into a physical paradise and populated by such people!

‘But not everyone will change,’ you may object. That is true. However, life on earth under God’s kingdom is only for those who will change. God will “bring to ruin those [who insist on] ruining the earth.” The Bible emphatically says: “Just a little while longer, and the wicked one will be no more; and you will certainly give attention to his place, and he will not be. But the meek ones themselves will possess the earth, and they will indeed find their exquisite delight in the abundance of peace.” (Ps. 37:10, 11; Rev. 11:18) What happiness these meek ones will have!

A Real Hope

But they would not be completely happy if they and their loved ones still got sick and died, would they? It is therefore noteworthy that when Jesus was on earth, he healed all kinds of sickness, cast out demons, and even raised the dead. (Matt. 8:28-32; 11:2-5; John 11:43, 44) In casting out demons by means of God’s spirit, Jesus showed that he is more powerful than wicked spirit forces. Hence, in that paradise there will be no need to fear such things as witchcraft and demonism. And in healing the sick and raising the dead, Jesus demonstrated clearly that it is God’s purpose for him, as earth’s new king, to relieve mankind forever of sickness and death.—Isa. 25:8.

Thus the criminal who died with Jesus will see the fulfillment of Jesus’ promise to be ‘with him in Paradise.’ Of course, if he wishes to stay in Paradise, he will have to change his course of conduct to conform to Jehovah’s ways.

So, then, do you really want to enjoy life in Paradise? You can. And you do not have to come from the other side of the world to these tropical islands in order to do so. Soon, both physically and spiritually, Paradise will cover the earth. In the meantime, regardless of where you live, you can enjoy the spiritual paradise that exists even now.

Why not read the Bible and see these things for yourself? Jehovah’s Witnesses will be delighted to help you to do this. Prove to yourself that this hope is realistic. See what God wants you to do in order to inherit it. Then you will be a witness of the fulfillment of the remarkable promise: “God . . . will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away.” (Rev. 21:3, 4) At that time, all the earth will be a real paradise.

[Footnotes]

See the chapter “Is ‘the End of the World’ Near?” in the book Happiness—How to Find It, published by the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc.

Does Fate Govern Your Life?

SOMETIMES people are inclined to think that life and death are governed by fate. They hear about strange events in others’ lives, how they die or survive under mysterious circumstances. They may wonder: Did it just have to happen that way? Are the days of each of us numbered?

Take, for example, the catastrophe when, on the night of July 25, 1956, the big Swedish passenger liner Stockholm in open sea ran head-on into the side of the Italian liner Andrea Doria. The bow of the Stockholm pierced right into cabin No. 52 of the Andrea Doria, swept in underneath 14-year-old Linda Morgan’s bed and lifted her up. When backing out, it carried her unharmed and safely sheltered from flying debris behind a steel shield on board the Stockholm. The Andrea Doria went to the bottom, but the Stockholm stayed afloat.

The captain of the Stockholm said Linda Morgan was saved through a “miracle.” However, her eight-year-old sister, her mother and 46 other passengers died in that accident. Did they die because the “number of their days” was up? Was little Linda spared because fate had more days in store for her?

What Are the Consequences of Belief in Fate?

If fate really governs everybody’s life, it would mean that fate had to arrange that the two liners would cross each other’s course at exactly the same moment and collide exactly the way they did to take the lives of exactly those persons on board whose days were up.

Consequently, every fatal accident or disease or whatever cause of death there is in the world must be prearranged and unavoidable for those whose days are up. No remedies or precautions whatsoever would do any good. The 17th-century British poet James Shirley would then have been right when he wrote: “There is no armour against fate.”

Just think. Would that not make fate the most inexorable dictator of all? Would not such a fatalistic view serve to dishearten its believers and deprive them of their initiative in life?

It is clear that if this “Dictator Fate” really exists, he must be terribly grim and unjust. He blindly measures out everybody’s number of days without the slightest consideration for a person’s desire to live or his efforts to care for his life. He demands everyone’s complete capitulation.

If such a belief were true, why drive carefully? Why quit smoking, heavy drinking, drug abuse? Why ever see a doctor or have an operation? Why learn to swim? Why—if your days are already numbered and the cause of death prearranged?

Does God Predestine Your Life?

Some people believe in divine predestination. They think that God foreknows everything that is going to happen to them. Therefore, they reason, every event is predestined, for what God foreknows cannot fail to take place. However, is this not actually the same as replacing fate by God? Would not this belief lead to the same absurd consequences as does belief in fate?

God’s Word, the Bible, does not teach such a fatalistic view. Instead, it clearly upholds the basic reasonable rule of cause and effect, as it states: “Do not be misled: God is not one to be mocked. For whatever a man is sowing, this he will also reap.”—Gal. 6:7.

Moreover, the Bible explains in a very realistic way what is behind many of the mysterious things that now and then happen to people. It shows that two main factors are involved, namely, “time and unforeseen occurrence.” (Eccl. 9:11) Apply this to what happened to Linda Morgan that night aboard the Andrea Doria and you will understand why it took place.

Who, Then, Governs Your Life?

God extends to everybody a free choice. Through Moses, God admonished the people of Israel: “I have put life and death before you . . . and you must choose life in order that you may keep alive, you and your offspring, by loving Jehovah your God, by listening to his voice and by sticking to him.”—Deut. 30:19, 20.

On one occasion an individual asked God’s Son, Jesus Christ, how many persons would be saved. In contrast to the teaching of fate, which may lead to indifference, Jesus told his listeners: “Exert yourselves vigorously to get in through the narrow door.” In other words, the door to salvation is open; God precondemns no one, but a strenuous effort on one’s own part is required to discipline and adjust one’s life in order to get through.—Luke 13:24.

Through His holy spirit God inspired the apostle Peter to tell people what they themselves should do to get in line for salvation. Peter said: “Everyone who calls on the name of Jehovah will be saved.” One of the most important prerequisites of salvation is to turn to the true God, whose name is Jehovah, pray to him and worship him.—Acts 2:21.

Finally, at the end of the Bible you can read how God through his spirit extends the following great invitation to everybody: “Let anyone that wishes take life’s water free.”—Rev. 22:17.

How do these Bible quotations portray God? Not as an inexorable dictator who governs your life through predestination, but as a merciful, righteous and loving God who gives you a fair opportunity, a free choice, and encourages you to do what is right to gain salvation and everlasting life. He would never do that if he knew that you were already predestined to a certain way of living and dying.

No, fate does not govern your life. Neither does divinely decreed predestination. Your life is in your own hands. The final outcome of it depends on your wishes and your choice. What will they be?

The Latest on the Plague of Plaque

The sugar you eat does two things to your teeth—both bad. First, it feeds the bacteria in your mouth, and these produce acid that attacks your teeth. Second, it helps the bacteria to produce a sticky substance called plaque, which holds the bacteria and the acid safe and snug against your teeth for maximum damage. Recent studies, however, have unveiled some surprises that may at least help to control, if not eliminate, the plague of plaque. Here are some of the latest findings.

● It’s how often you eat, not how much. Your mouth is able gradually to neutralize the acid produced by the bacteria after you eat. In a few hours, the decaying action is stopped. But if you like to nibble on things throughout the day, the acid lingers on. So, better devour your sweets in one sitting, if you can’t do without them.

● More sugar, more decay? Not necessarily. Beyond a certain minimum, all sugarrich foods seem to be equally damaging to your teeth. Researchers found, for example, that a breakfast cereal with one percent sugar caused very few cavities, but one with 8 percent sugar caused as many as those containing up to 60 percent sugar. But, still, no sugar, no decay.

● Some foods are surprises. Cheddar cheese, for example, has a decay-slowing effect if it is eaten right along with or after sugar. The reason is yet unknown. Peanuts are harmless to your teeth. On the other hand, beware of potato chips—they are worse than chocolate bars and caramels.

● Preventive additive. Dicalcium phosphate is a common food additive. It is also found in dentifrices. It can cut the potency of sweets in half. “You may be able to modify many sweets or desserts,” says researcher Dr. William Bowen, “by adding this phosphate, and thus cut down on the damage they will do.”

As you may expect, dental research is a very active field today. Many new ideas are being tried and avenues explored. Here are some areas in which researchers hope to come up with something soon.

● Make the aches less painful. Dental nerves are unique—they feel only pain. And they are so densely packed that a little pain in one nerve can easily cause surrounding ones to flare up, thus amplifying the pain. A chemical is being developed that may “uncouple” the nerves—and reduce the pain. But how much better to avoid what causes the pain!

● A vaccine to stop decay. The idea has been around a long time. The body’s immune system can be stimulated to produce antibodies to fight off invading bacteria. Several vaccines have been tried on animals, with positive results thus far. Under investigation is another type of vaccine that prevents plaque from sticking to the teeth. No plaque, no decay.

● The “No Vacancy” principle. Scientists are studying varieties, or mutants, of the mouth bacteria that do not produce the decay-causing acid. If these harmless mutants are introduced into the mouth early enough, they may crowd out the others. Bacteria that prevent periodontal disease—decay of the gum—are also being investigated by dental researchers.

While these and other ideas are being studied, and much is being promised, there remains the old standby—simple toothbrushing after every meal.

[Box on page 15]

DECAY-CAUSING POTENTIAL OF SNACK FOODS

With the cavity-causing power of white sugar expressed as 100, common snack foods are rated as below.

Cream-filled chocolate cookies 140

Confectioner’s sugar 100

Breakfast cereal with 8% sugar 96

Sugar-coated cereal (60% sugar) 94

Potato chips 84

Caramels 73

Chocolate bars 72

White powdered starch 45

Confectioner’s sugar with 7%

dicalcium phosphate added 42

Bringing My Violent Temper Under Control

SMASH! With a sweep of the hand my father sent the man’s glass spinning to the floor. There was a yell of protest, some pushing and shoving, then—swish! The man’s fist landed squarely on my father’s face and his face began streaming with blood. I sprang to my father’s help. Others joined in the fight. Soon that French café was the scene of a free-for-all. Glasses were smashed, chairs flew and tables were broken. Informed of the brawl, the police were quickly on the spot. For me the mere sight of a uniform was like a bull seeing the red muleta. I charged, fists flying. Three of the police were laid out before I was overcome, and my father and I were led off handcuffed to the local police station.

On that Saturday back in March 1953, my father and I had left home to do some shopping. We met some friends from work and ended up making the rounds of the local cafés. Father got drunk and soon we both were involved in that fight. The next day our names appeared in the newspaper under the headline “Father and Son Pick Quarrel Among Customers—Three Policemen Seriously Injured.” We were sent to prison for a month, and it took us a full year to pay off the fine.

That was just one episode that could have led me to a life of violence. But I have since learned to control my violent temper. How? First, let me tell you something about my background and how I developed such a temper.

Like Father, Like Son

I was born in Le Mans (western France) in 1929, the year the Great Depression hit the United States and then western Europe. There was much unemployment in France during the early 1930’s. My father—a bricklayer—was a good worker; so he managed to find work on building sites. As the economic situation got worse, he became interested in politics, trade unions and workers’ claims. He became aggressive and began drinking heavily.

When my father came home, often very late at night, my mother would have to put up with his terrible fits of temper, which frequently led to her being beaten, and dishes and furniture being broken. Saturday evenings were particularly hard on us, because it was the weekly payday. Mother would put my sister and me to bed, and we would often tremble while waiting for him to come home—drunk! Sometimes he would go out hunting, and he and his friends would come home drunk, firing their shotguns into the air.

Not surprisingly, I grew up to be hot-tempered, brutal and selfish. One day, after I had been on an escapade with a friend, my father confiscated my bicycle and locked it up in a shed. Overhearing a conversation between my father and one of his friends who asked for the bicycle for his son, I managed to break into the shed, took a big ax and smashed the bike, burying the pieces in the garden. Needless to say, when my father found out, he gave me a good beating.

Among the young hoodlums in our area I became a “big shot,” always willing to give advice to those who were up to some mischief. One of our pranks was to disturb vespers (a service of evening worship) by unexpectedly ringing the church bells or by throwing stones on a nearby tin roof. In my own way, I was following my father’s example. He made a nuisance of himself and was feared, and I was doing the same.

Becoming a Boxer

In the meantime, I left school and became an apprentice to a cabinetmaker. In March 1945, just before the end of World War II, my mother died of cancer. She had had a hard life, deprived of the love and happiness most women seek. Her death was a great blow to me, and life became meaningless.

The things I had observed during the war did nothing to cure me of my taste for violence. So, by way of recreation, I chose to go in for boxing. At the gymnasium, I would give vent to my aggressiveness by hitting a punching bag or by sparring with a partner. I became a good boxer, eventually reaching the quarterfinals of the amateur championship of France.

My boxing abilities flattered my ego and helped me to overcome the inferiority complex I had developed as a result of my unhappy childhood. Apart from boxing, my main distraction was attending the village dances. With my chip-on-the-shoulder attitude, it seemed I would always find some “worthy cause” to defend, some “wrong” that needed righting. And I was always ready to pitch in and have a “good fight.”

A Violent Soldier and a Violent Husband

In 1950 I was drafted and found myself in Algeria with a uniform on my back. Here again, my violent temper only caused me trouble. For some petty reason I beat up a fellow soldier. I appeared before a group of officers, but only resorted to abuse and mockery. I was told that I was not the boss and that they would bring me to heel. I was thrown into a concrete cell for three weeks. Strangely enough, it was there that from another detainee I first heard the name “Jehovah.” This name stuck in my mind. After this I was sent to a disciplinary camp at Biskra, Algeria.

After I was released from the army, I came back to my former job at an automobile factory and took up boxing again, now with a professional permit. In 1952 I met the girl who later became my wife. But marriage did not alter my violent ways. On one occasion, I went out to buy some potatoes, but since I was gone a long time, my wife came to see what I was up to and caught sight of my bicycle outside a café. She came in crying and found me seated at a table with some rowdy friends. I followed her out, accompanied by jeers, but as soon as we got home I gave her a beating. People soon began advising my wife to leave me.

Our married life was also marred by loss of our first baby. Two years later my wife became pregnant again, but death struck once more. A Catholic nun tried to convince us that God needs many angels around him, but this was no comfort to us. In fact, it strengthened me in my conviction that there is no God. We were in the depths of despair and our marriage was heading for disaster.

Finding a Means for Controlling My Temper

One morning my father showed me a book he had obtained from one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. I thumbed through it, but it did not arouse any interest in me, except that I noticed the name “Jehovah” and remembered having heard that name when I was in the army in Algeria. When the Witness returned to visit my father, I asked him to bring me a Bible, and I subscribed for the magazine Awake! Still being an active boxer, I was out nearly every time the Witness came back to see me, so finally I told him not to bother visiting me anymore. However, when my Awake! subscription expired, I renewed it.

Shortly afterward, my wife and I were visited by Antoine Branca, the presiding minister in the Le Mans Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses. With his warm southern French accent, he explained God’s purposes and the resurrection hope. (Acts 24:15) My wife was particularly thrilled at the thought of seeing her two babies again, and also her 19-year-old brother whom she had lost. I was a little more reticent, but accepted a Bible study.

Of course, my newly acquired knowledge of the Bible did not miraculously affect my violent temper. After Antoine Branca left Le Mans to become a missionary in Madagascar, two other Witnesses came to study with us. My father noticed these visits and made fun of us. A quarrel broke out. I could see what was going to happen, and my father was a big man. So I hit him before he hit me. I floored him with one blow! But I felt very much ashamed. When he picked himself up, he turned us out of the house that we had built together. My wife was pregnant, and here we were without a place to live. All because of my violent temper!

My wife’s parents kindly took us in and even agreed for us to continue studying the Bible with the Witnesses, hoping it might help me to change my ways. Shortly after this our daughter Katrina was born. This made me very happy, but I still felt the need to box. I was torn between my violent personality and the Bible principles I was learning. A fight was going on within me, and to let off steam I would take it out on my boxing opponent. But to ease my conscience, I would let my opponent strike first. Yet something inside prevented me from hitting the way I had in the past. One day the Witness who was studying with me put it to me bluntly—boxing was not the type of sport that would help me to control my temper. I finally decided to give it up.

Some time before this, we had to move because our little Katrina was growing up. So one day I decided to visit my father to make peace. I wanted to ask if he could sell me the little wooden house that we had built together so I could transfer it to another piece of land. He was glad to see me and to meet his granddaughter, whom he had never seen. He was happy to note the changes I had made and even helped me to rebuild the house. I think that Jehovah’s Witnesses’ politeness and sincerity made a good impression on him. Later, he even agreed for some Witnesses to place their tents and trailers on his land during one of their assemblies.

Another Fight Was Just Beginning

I attended my first assembly of Jehovah’s Witnesses in 1957. It was in an old circus building in Paris, the Cirque d’Hiver. In view of my violent disposition, the peacefulness and quiet joy of those in attendance impressed me most. Many came up to me and said “Bonjour,” even calling me “Frère” (Brother). I explained all of this to my wife when I got back home. Later that same year, my wife and I dedicated our lives to Jehovah and we were baptized on November 23, 1957.

True, I had given up boxing, but now I had another fight on my hands—the fight against my “old personality.” (Eph. 4:22) As it became known that I was now one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, I lost many of my former friends. (1 Pet. 4:4) Some of the men with whom I worked made fun of my newfound faith. One day, as they jeered at me, I lost my temper and beat them all up. I won the fight against them, but I lost the fight against my violent temper.—Rom. 7:18-23.

However, in time and with the help of God’s spirit and of fellow Witnesses, I gradually made progress in my fight to bring my violent temper under control. Eventually I gained the confidence of my Christian brothers and was recommended to serve as presiding overseer of the Le Mans Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

Constant Vigilance Needed

My constant efforts to develop self-control at first affected my health. I had trouble with my nerves and became afflicted with psoriasis. For this and other reasons, in November 1965 we moved to Grenoble, a city in the French Alps. Since being here my health has improved greatly.

I still have the privilege of serving as a Christian elder. However, I do have to beware of the danger of slipping back into my violent ways. I remember that on one occasion, while I was making house-to-house calls to discuss the Bible, a man began shouting at me and insulting me, banging the door with his fists. My old violent reactions welled up inside of me. I stepped back and clenched my fists, ready to strike. Then a feeling of shame came over me. Fortunately the man calmed down and I was able to take leave of him quietly. I thanked Jehovah for his protection against the man—and myself!

On another occasion, a lawyer upon whom I called became violent and went to get a gun, threatening to shoot me if I did not leave right away. I surprised myself by calmly replying: “Au revoir, Monsieur, I will move on to speak to your neighbors.” What a difference from the way I would have reacted a few years ago!

After the birth of Katrina, my wife and I had two sons, and the five of us have been able to lead a happy, peaceful life as a Christian family.

Although I often used to “see red,” the study and the personal application of God’s Word have helped me. I believe that if I had appreciated that source of help sooner, I would have progressed faster. One particular point impressed me a great deal: Jehovah’s power. Perhaps this was because of my fighting spirit. I learned that no one can oppose God’s strength with impunity. Jehovah was now my real “manager,” the One I needed. He was able to provide me with an unfailing “guard” with which to protect myself, and accurate knowledge to give “punch” to the Kingdom message—but without doing any harm! I really do thank Jehovah, for he has allowed me, through his Word and with the help of his witnesses, to bring my violent temper under control.—Contributed.

[Blurb on page 18]

“I was always ready to pitch in and have a ‘good fight’”

[Blurb on page 19]

‘I still have to beware of slipping back into my violent ways’

[Picture on page 17]

To give vent to my violent temper, I became a boxer

Is the Bible a White Man’s Book?

“CHRISTIANITY was brought to us by adventurers and opportunists who gave us the Bible and took away everything.” This opinion by a radio announcer in Botswana expresses what many Africans believe. A similar viewpoint is held in other parts of the world. In Africa many blacks put it this way: ‘The Bible is a white man’s book. They brought it to Africa and used it and their religion to tame us and rob our land.’

Are these accusations true? Did white men ‘rob the land’? Was it “adventurers and opportunists” who brought Christianity to Africa? Is the Bible really “a white man’s book”?

Did White Men ‘Rob the Land’?

Taking a careful look into the pages of history, we see that in many places they did. In the 15th century the vigorous peoples of western Europe—with larger ships and improved methods of navigation—were venturing farther into the Atlantic Ocean. Why? In addition to the spirit of adventure and curiosity characteristic of Europeans, there was also, and mainly, that desire to “get rich quick” that motivated so many voyages of discovery and conquest.

For example, in 1492 Columbus sailed due west and found, not the East Indies or eastern Asia, as he thought, but the Caribbean islands, now known as the West Indies. In time Spanish adventurers like Cortez and Pizarro took possession of vast areas in North, Central and South America. Encountering, at first, primitive peoples, the Spaniards “slaughtered them, they robbed them, they enslaved them, and baptised them,” as reported by H. G. Wells in his Outline of History. Before long “a steady stream of gold and silver began to flow across the Atlantic to the Spanish Government.”

The main objective of Columbus was to find a sea route to India and the East with its lucrative spice trade and other sources of wealth. The Portuguese mariners of his day had the same objective but chose the route around Africa. In 1498 Vasco da Gama rounded the Cape and reached India. Before long the Portuguese had trading posts in East Africa (Mozambique) and were collecting gold from Zimbabwe, which they thought was Ophir—the main source of King Solomon’s fabulous gold supplies. They also had extensive trading stations in India and the Far East, including China. But, after much fighting and bloodshed, other ambitious European nations took over most of their commercial empire.

Eventually the whole of the Americas and huge areas of Asia were dominated by Europeans. “By 1900, all Africa was . . . divided between the European Powers . . . with much snarling and disputation . . . Little heed was given to the welfare of the natives in this scramble,” stated historian Wells.

Collaborating closely with the European powers were the churches of Christendom. Did they establish true Christianity in Africa and other parts of the world? They did not. How could they when they were not practicing it themselves? They brought the Bible, but they did not follow it. The “spirit” of the Bible is unity, peace and true interracial brotherhood. Its main message is that God’s kingdom under Christ is the only hope for mankind. But European nations, although claiming to be Christian, have quarreled and fought right through their turbulent history, this strife reaching a climax in this century in World Wars I and II, and now are making frantic preparations for World War III. And instead of proclaiming God’s kingdom, they look to a man-made political organization, the United Nations, as man’s only hope.

You may agree that these facts are true and still think that the Bible is a white man’s book. You may say: ‘But it was the whites who brought the Bible to Africa. Besides, the Bible was written by whites and it talks only about whites.’

However, is the fact that white men brought the Bible to Africa and other lands really a good reason to reject it? If a postman brings you a letter from a dear friend or relative, will you refuse it if the postman happens to be white? Hardly. Remember, too, that white people also brought bicycles, radios, cars and TV sets to Africa, yet almost all blacks are very pleased to obtain them.

Let us now consider . . .

Was the Bible Written by Whites About Whites?

To most blacks of southern Africa there are only three racial divisions—blacks, whites and Asiatics, and they classify Arabs, Jews and other peoples of the Middle East, not as Asiatics, but as whites. However, just as there are different nations and types of blacks so there are different types of whites. The entire Bible was written by Israelites, or Jews, who are Orientals, or people of the Middle East—but not of the white European races who conquered Africa. Interestingly, Moses, the man who wrote the first five books of the Bible, was born and lived in northern Africa until he was 40 years old.

However, the real Author of the Bible is the Almighty God himself, Jehovah, the One to whom all races and tribes of mankind owe their existence. The 66 books that make up the Bible, or Holy Scriptures, from Genesis to Revelation, were written under his guidance and inspiration. “All Scripture is inspired of God.” (2 Tim. 3:16) This is the vital and all-important factor. The Supreme Ruler of the universe is not a petty racialist. He is not the least concerned with the minor differences of skin and hair that mean so much to narrow-minded, small-hearted men. The Bible reports that when the apostle Peter arrived at the home of Cornelius, a Roman officer, he found a group of Gentiles, whom the Jews despised. But they were all keenly interested in the “good news.” So Peter said: “I now realize that it is true that God treats everyone on the same basis. Whoever fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him, no matter what race he belongs to.”—Acts 10:34, 35, Today’s English Version.

The Greatest Teacher the world has ever seen, Jesus Christ, accepted and taught the Bible account of the creation of Adam and Eve, the first human pair. (Matt. 19:3-6) Were our first human parents light-skinned or dark? We do not know. They may have been of some shade in between. But we do know that “Adam called his wife’s name Eve, because she had to become the mother of everyone living.” (Gen. 3:20) The apostle Paul confirmed this by saying: “From one man he [God] created all races of mankind.” (Acts 17:26, TEV) This indicates that the first pair were created with the innate power to produce the different races and skin hues that now exist. According to that, we are all related and should form one worldwide brotherhood. In his book The Races of Mankind, Professor R. Benedict wrote: “The races of mankind are what the Bible says they are—brothers.”

Some might raise the objection: ‘But does not the Bible pronounce a curse on the black race?’ This view is held by many people, both blacks and whites, and especially those in southern Africa. But it is entirely false.

On a certain occasion after the global flood, Noah’s son Ham was guilty of disrespectful conduct toward his father. Ham’s son Canaan was probably involved in some abuse against Noah. Fittingly, then, Noah made the pronouncement: “Cursed be Canaan. Let him become the lowest slave to his brothers.”

In later years the Canaanites became notorious for their immorality, their very religion involving shocking sexual excesses. The prophetic curse was fulfilled when Israel, descended from Shem, subjugated the Canaanites, who later came under the yoke of Medo-Persians, Greeks and Romans—descendants of Japheth.—Gen. 9:20-27.

Since the Canaanites were of a white race, the curse had nothing to do with blacks, who are the descendants of Cush, another son of Ham. This misinterpretation of God’s Word has been the cause of much hardship and suffering upon the black race. This was especially so when the nefarious slave trade was operating under the flags of “Christian” nations. Says historian H. Fisher: “It is a terrible commentary on Christian civilization that the longest period of slave-raiding known to history was initiated by the action of Spain and Portugal, France, Holland and Britain after the Christian faith had for more than a thousand years been the established religion of Western Europe.”

The slaveowners, good churchgoers for the most part, used to justify the system by referring to the mythical curse on blacks. Today, in some places, many whites still use the same argument to try to “whitewash” discrimination against blacks.

Concerning the criticism that the Bible speaks only about whites, it is true that most Biblical events relate to peoples of the Middle East considered “whites” by many Africans. (This explains why illustrations of Biblical scenes usually depict “whites” or Orientals.) However, this is not always the case. For example, Ebed-melech, who was favored by God because he saved the life of the prophet Jeremiah, was an African. (Jer. 38:7-13; 39:15-18) Many of those who were present at Pentecost when the holy spirit was poured out on the early disciples were people from Africa. (Acts 2:7-11) The man to whom Philip preached in his chariot, as related at Acts 8:26-38, was from Ethiopia.

The Bible Condemns Evil by All Races

Obviously there is good and there is bad done by all races. But the Bible condemns all forms of evil, irrespective of the color of those practicing them. For example, exploitation of the poor by the rich has been carried out by people of all races just as the Bible says: “Man has dominated man to his injury.” (Eccl. 8:9) But the Bible also warns: “Look here, you rich men, now is the time to cry and groan with anguished grief because of the terrible troubles ahead of you. . . . Hear the cries of the field workers whom you have cheated of their pay. Their cries have reached the ears of the Lord of Hosts.”—Jas. 5:1-4, The Living Bible.

God’s Word also denounces the ugly practices of both rich and poor of all races, such as fornication, idolatry, the practice of spiritism, enmities, strife and drunken bouts. It gives notice that “those who practice such things will not inherit God’s kingdom.” (Gal. 5:19-21) Shortly, however, this all-powerful kingdom of God will put an end to the present evil setup and bring in a 1,000-year reign of peace.—Dan. 2:44; Ps. 37:10, 11; Rev. 20:1, 2.

In addition to providing this glorious message of hope, the Bible gives excellent advice concerning married life, family life and the host of problems that make living so difficult today. It brings peace of mind and offers the prospect of life in a paradise earth. For whom? For white men only? No; as the Bible itself says, it is for “a great crowd, which no man was able to number, out of all nations and tribes and peoples and tongues.” (Rev. 7:9) Will you be among them? If so, you need to learn and apply now the counsel that Jehovah God gives to all mankind in his Word, the Bible.

[Blurb on page 22]

The Bible records a curse on Canaan, not on the black race

[Box on page 23]

Descendants of Noah’s Son Ham

CUSH

(Ethiopians in E. Africa and Arabia)

MIZRAIM

(Egyptians)

PUT

(Inhabitants of E. Africa)

CANAAN

(White people along the E. Mediterranean coast)

[Picture on page 21]

If a postman brings you a letter, will you refuse it because he is of a different color?

Crossword Puzzle

Clues Across

1. Formed on the third creative day (Genesis 1:9, 10)

3. We must not do this to God’s Word (Deuteronomy 4:2)

5. Falsely accused his younger brother David of presumptuousness (1 Samuel 17:26-30)

8. Lions do it (Jeremiah 2:15)

11. His mother gave him a weighty message (Proverbs 31:1)

12. Mature Christians should not have the traits of a ‐‐‐‐ (1 Corinthians 13:11)

13. The peace of God excels all ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ (Philippians 4:6, 7)

14. Saul spared him, but Samuel put him to death (1 Samuel 15:8-33)

17. Jesus refused to drink wine mixed with this (Matthew 27:34)

19. Roman bodyguards who knew of Paul (Philippians 1:12-14) [2 words]

21. 20 gerahs to the shekel was a ‐‐‐‐ established by Jehovah (Numbers 3:47)

23. Murdered the priests and people of Nob (1 Samuel 22:12-19)

26. When should Christians be prepared to defend their faith? (1 Peter 3:15)

28. When you die, it dies too (Ezekiel 18:4)

29. A fig tree cannot produce them (James 3:12)

30. His son was Solomon’s chief of those conscripted for forced labor (1 Kings 4:6)

31. Apronlike priestly garment (Exodus 28:4-14)

32. When his ‐‐‐ reached 50, a Levite would “retire” (Numbers 8:23-26)

33. Probably one of the “heads of the chieftains” of the tribe of Asher (1 Chronicles 7:30-40)

Clues Down

1. Glory-seeking steward who lost his position (Isaiah 22:15-19)

2. Huge peninsula south and east of Palestine (Galatians 4:25)

4. Stands in holy place and causes desolation (Matthew 24:15, 16) [2 words]

6. First-century region south of Judah (Mark 3:8)

…

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Awake!, November 8, 1981