Awake!, May 8, 1982

Awake! — May 8, 1982

Source: jw.org

Contents

Page Two

Men and Women—The Difference

Women—Second-Class People?

Women in Wealthier Lands

Problems and Prospects of 20th-Century Women

Does God ‘Care About Women’?

What’s Happening in the Schools?

Breathing—The Bird and the Insect Ways

Crossword Puzzle

Honesty—Is It Really the Best Policy?

From Our Readers

Watching the World

Easy-to-Read Bible in Large Print

A Tower of Help for Over 100 Years

Page Two

Men and Women—The Difference 3

Women—Second-Class People? 5

Women in Wealthier Lands 7

Problems and Prospects of 20th-Century Women 10

Does God ‘Care About Women’? 13

Men and Women—The Difference

FOR about six thousand years, men and women have shared the planet Earth. They have raised families, worked, enjoyed good times and endured hardships together. Yet, in most places and at most times in history, women have been treated differently from men. Sometimes they have been cared for and protected. More often, they have been viewed as mere possessions or despised as inferiors. Why is this?

Charles Darwin theorized that women were intellectually inferior to men. His contemporary, Gustave Le Bon, viewed them as “the most inferior forms of human evolution.” Few today would admit to such opinions. Nevertheless, women and men are different. In what ways? And does this mean that one is inferior to the other?

Physical Differences

Some of the physical differences between men and women are evident. Women are designed to be mothers, men to be fathers, and the structures of their bodies reflect this fact. But there are other differences.

● In almost every country, women live to an older age than men. At the very beginning of life, 130 boys are conceived for every 100 girls. Nine months later, more male embryos than female have failed to survive, so that 106 boys are born for every 100 girls. By the time they grow to be teenagers, girls come to outnumber boys.

● Men athletes have larger and more muscular shoulders and arms. They also have bigger and stronger legs, and bigger hearts and lungs. Thus, in most events men outperform women. Yet women athletes have abdominal muscles that can be as strong as those of men. Although women perspire less copiously, their sweat glands are better distributed and their perspiration is more efficient—a help for endurance. Stored body fat gives them a greater buoyancy in water and greater endurance, so that women dominate the sport of long-distance swimming.

Hence, it seems that, physically, men have the edge in strength, while women have the edge in endurance. What about other differences?

Other Differences

Do men and women think differently? This is a sensitive subject, since many feel that wrong ideas in this area have led to women’s being oppressed. Nevertheless, many researchers feel that there are differences.

● Girls usually become more skillful with their hands than do boys. They speak earlier and more fluently and come to be better at languages. They are often better at memorizing and intuitive thinking. Women often handle detailed and routine work more efficiently than do men.

● Boys grow up to be better at mathematics, mechanics and analytical thinking. They are also better at spatial organization and perception.

● Many women feel they cannot control their emotions as well as men—although some deny this.

Of course, these differences are not rigid. There are men who are good at languages, and there are women who excel at mathematics. Anyone who has watched a nurse during a medical emergency knows that women are not entirely controlled by their emotions. Many work coolly and efficiently under pressure. And how many men are always cool, logical and self-controlled?

What causes the differences? Many feel we are made differently inside as well as outside. They say that male or female hormones make a person’s brain—not only the body—function in a manly or a womanly way. Others insist that differences between men and women are caused by the way boys and girls are brought up. Still others see an interplay between the two: the different ways in which boys and girls are treated reinforce the effect that hormones have on the brain. Whatever the reason, differences do exist.

Consequently, women have not always been treated well. They have often been exploited, and their freedom has been greatly limited. Let us consider some examples.

Women—Second-Class People?

NOT long ago a man appeared in court in an Asian country that has legal equality between men and women. He was accused of killing his adulterous wife and found guilty. The punishment? A suspended sentence. Almost immediately afterward, a housewife appeared in the same court before the same judge. She was accused of killing her husband because he had been chasing after other women. She was found guilty and sentenced—to 15 years in prison!

Many women complain that often they are viewed as second-class citizens, without the same rights, protections or considerations that men receive. The sad truth is that in many lands women are not valued or appreciated as much as men are. The above was one example of this. There are many others.

Among some Bedouins, when a new baby is born someone has the job of telling the father. If the baby is a boy, the father will be hailed with a word meaning “good tidings.” He will usually give a small gift to the news bearer and sacrifice a sheep or give a feast if he can afford it. But if it is a girl, there will be no “good tidings,” no reward and no feast. At mealtimes, in this tribe, the older men eat first, then the younger men and boys, and last of all the women and the girls.

There are countries where women may not drive automobiles. They may not travel without the consent of their husbands or guardians and then only in the company of relatives. Neither can they appear in mixed company on social occasions or hold a job that brings them in contact with men. And although they have the task of caring for young children, they have no opportunities to get an education.

Consider, too, this sad report. In India, the second-most populous country in the world, “it is not uncommon today to hear of abandoned babies in city drains, in a jungle or outside a temple or foundling home. For every baby boy abandoned, there are five baby girls. Experienced nurses in public hospitals report that the desire to get rid of girl babies is so strong that some mothers have to be forced to feed them. Sometimes it even drives parents to commit infanticide on female babies.”—India Today, August 1-15, 1980.

Reportedly, in that country girls are viewed as an economic liability, hence the dismay when they are born. Marrying them off costs a lot of money, and once married, they are at the mercy of their in-laws. That this can lead to great unhappiness was shown by a recent newspaper headline: “Women suicide assumes alarming rate in India.”

Of course, women are not oppressed everywhere. There are countries where they have a lot of influence and seem close to equality with men. And even where not equal, their rights are often protected. However, millions of women live under great disadvantages. Sometimes they are weighed down by sheer hard work.

Who Does More Work?

For one thing, in many of the world’s poorer countries, most of the work involved in food production is performed by women. A United Nations study of one African region found that the men there worked an average of 1,800 hours a year in agriculture, and then their work was more or less finished. The women, on the other hand, worked an average of 2,600 hours a year in the fields, and then their work had only begun. In addition they had to do their regular chores at home.

Thus, the women there work an average of eight hours a day, almost every day, 52 weeks a year, before they can start their cooking, washing, cleaning and other household chores—for which, of course, they usually have no modern conveniences. In Africa women do 60 to 80 percent of all agricultural work, plus 50 percent of animal husbandry, and 100 percent of the needed food processing.

A study of an Asian village revealed an average working day of 16 hours for women. In the case of younger women, this work load was combined with frequent pregnancy, childbirth and breast feeding—jobs that are tiring enough by themselves.

Seemingly, much of the outside help directed to poor countries only adds to this problem, since it is often directed to the jobs traditionally done by men. A certain African country, for example, imported 100 tractors but only one mechanical weeder. The result? The plowing time—a man’s job—was drastically reduced, while the sowing and weeding time—the woman’s job—was correspondingly increased. It seems that many women need all that built-in endurance just to survive!

Of course, in poorer countries everyone’s life is hard. There is much abject poverty, malnutrition, horrible sickness and deep ignorance. Often, both men and women are trapped by oppressive traditions that keep them from acting in a more humane and reasonable way toward one another. But it must be admitted that in many cases women have the greater burdens to bear. Just to keep going under such hardships is an achievement in itself.

What, though, about lands where the situation of women is easier?

[Box on page 6]

Does the Bible teach that women are of inferior nature, as compared with men?

No. Adam called Eve “bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh.” (Genesis 2:23) Eve was Adam’s “complement.”—Genesis 2:18.

Women referred to in the Bible did many things requiring intellectual capacity. Huldah served as a prophetess to King Josiah. (2 Chronicles 34:22) Deborah both prophesied and judged for the Israelites. (Judges 4:4, 5) Abigail counseled David, when he was king-designate, and saved him from bloodguilt. (1 Samuel 25:23-35) A “capable wife” is described as being skilled in purchasing. She organizes and controls a large household, budgets and plans for the future, engages in trade, buys property and organizes successful farming ventures. She possesses the quality of wisdom.—Proverbs 31:10-31.

Also, women were to receive holy spirit and prophesy in the last days. (Joel 2:28) They were among the first members of the Christian congregation, and were to play a prominent part in the telling of the “good news.”—Acts 1:14; 2:4; Psalm 68:11.

Women in Wealthier Lands

IN EUROPE and America, during the last century, most men seemed to agree with Charles Darwin that women were inferior, and their freedoms were thus limited. Women received only a limited education and were not allowed to vote. Once they were married, their husbands controlled any wealth they possessed, and most trades and professions were barred to them (although poor women worked long hours in factories, for a smaller wage than men). Morally, they were expected to be innocent and pure—although this was not always expected of their menfolk.

Then women rebelled. After years of struggle, they were finally allowed to vote. Following that, other barriers crumbled. They were given additional educational opportunities and were accepted into professions and trades that formerly were for men only. Today, women are politicians, judges, doctors, lawyers, mechanics, athletes, scientists, company presidents, soldiers and policewomen. The permissive society also allows them to be as “impure” as men, if they wish.

However, some professions are still hard for women to penetrate, while the wages of women remain, on an average, only two thirds those of men. Some women, too, still suffer from the cruelty of men. They are abandoned by their husbands to bring up the children alone. Or they have to work hard to hold the home together, while the husband spends his time drinking, gambling or in other vices. Countless women, too, are raped, and countless wives are severely beaten. Hence, proponents of women’s liberation and others continue to struggle for further changes.

Despite the ongoing struggle, it is undeniable that women now have a lot of opportunities in what used to be a “man’s world.” This is partly because, for the first time in history, married women can control to some extent the size of their families. Hence, they can even choose not to have children, but to devote their lives to a career.

Many appreciate these greater freedoms. But these freedoms have also brought new problems for the 20th-century woman.

How Can You Know . . . ?

A girl who is a freshman at Princeton University said: “Motherhood is important to me. A career is important too. It’s not a pleasant choice.” Another girl put it this way: “It’s almost harder now because you do have a choice. You want to do the right thing. You want to be happy. But how do you know what makes you happy?”—New York Times.

How do women solve this problem? Many sacrifice their careers, stay at home and rear families. One said: “My children are still my first priority. I have put off advancing a career because they are, in my view, the most important contributions I can make to society.” However, some who have made this choice report feeling unhappy at being viewed as “only a housewife.”

Others go the other way. They feel that the career they have in mind is worthwhile, and they sacrifice having a family. Others, again, try both—a family and a career. How is that possible? A woman president of a public relations firm answers: “You can have it all, but be prepared to be always tired.”

The choice is not easy. But even if a woman opts for an interesting career, her problems do not stop there.

They Pay a Price

Dr. Ruth Moulton, a psychoanalyst, said: “Several of my patients have peptic ulcers, something which was formerly mostly confined to males. More of them complain about migraines. And I’ve seen a big increase in allergies, particularly the asthmatic and bronchial kind where the coughing and wheezing are aggravated by anxiety.”

Dr. Hans Selye, an endocrinologist, said that the more women assume jobs formerly delegated to men, “the more women are subject to so-called male diseases, such as cardiac infarctions, gastric ulcers and hypertension. They get the same satisfactions, but at a price.”—Sunday News Magazine (New York).

Thus, as women share men’s prospects, they share his diseases too.

Is This Really Freedom?

The new freedoms also victimize women in hidden ways. The permissive society encourages them to abandon “old-fashioned” morality and be more lax. Modern methods of contraception have removed (to an extent) the threat of unwanted pregnancies, while modern medicine can handle venereal disease (to a degree). Yet young women have found other problems with immorality. There is an emotional toll too.

A woman columnist commented perceptively: “I don’t think it is suited to women to sleep around when they are young because I think that young women are nice, idealistic, warm-hearted creatures who should be developed as people, and not exploited.” She goes on: “Women need to feel valued for themselves and not just for their sexuality . . . Promiscuity, in the end, makes women feel nothing.”—Sunday Telegraph (London).

Sexual harassment is another hazard faced by women as they move into the work force. In the United States, “50 percent or slightly more of the women [in one government department] . . . reported incidents of sexual harassment,” ranging from a leer to rape.—New York Times.

And here are two more problems. The first: when a successful woman comes to earn more money than her husband, the husband is likely to feel challenged and insecure—which can cause severe strains on the marriage. One woman agreed to give up a successful career in real estate because of this.

The second? “Women continue to bear the brunt of domestic and child care responsibilities, even when they are in full time employment and, despite rhetoric to the contrary, there is little difference among social classes. It can in fact be suggested that women have less freedom now than 40 years ago.”—The Guardian (London).

Many women would probably prefer to stay at home. But if they have to help with paying household expenses and then do all the housework, too, they have a heavy burden.

Who Is to Blame?

Hence, while from some points of view the situation of women is better than it used to be, problems remain. Why is that?

Men, of course, share much of the blame. It is men manifesting the “works of the flesh” who harass girls at work or violently rape them. (Galatians 5:19) It is husbands who are “lovers of themselves . . . having no natural affection” who selfishly take advantage of their wives or beat them. (2 Timothy 3:2, 3) Other men are thoughtless, perhaps not realizing that housework is hard, physical labor and that a wife would often welcome some help.

However, tradition and culture are often to blame too. There is a traditional idea that some jobs are “men’s work” and others “women’s work.” Hence, many men are too embarrassed to help out in the home or to do some of the “women’s work” in the fields, for fear of being laughed at.

Additionally, the modern world has to take its share of the blame. It is the modern world that produces the pressures that cause businesswomen (and men) to get ulcers. The modern world produced the “sexual freedom” that victimizes those young girls who are afraid to say No, and winks its eye at harassment on the job. And the modern world produces the situation where a woman has to choose between two very strong desires.

Is there any help with these problems? Yes, there is. Let us introduce you to some women who are able to handle them successfully.

Problems and Prospects of 20th-Century Women

CONSUELO is from Puerto Rico and has been married for nine years. Regarding the problems faced by a modern woman, she believes that the world has yet to come up with better advice than what is found in the Bible.

For example, on the subject of equal wages, she says: “Probably wages should be equal when a man’s and a woman’s qualifications are similar and they both work hard at their jobs. I can understand why some women feel bitter. But I look at things differently.

“To me, the wages I earn are not the most important thing in life. I can see working for one of two reasons: either I need the money, or I am doing something I feel is worthwhile. In the first case, if I was earning enough for my needs, then I would be satisfied. The Bible warns: ‘Those who are determined to be rich fall into temptation and a snare.’—1 Timothy 6:9.

“If you compare yourself with others, you will always find someone better off than you are. In many cases, men do earn more than women. But then, American women earn more than both men and women in most other lands. It makes for a peaceful mind if you compare yourself with those worse off than you, rather than with those better off.

“On the other hand, if I were to do a job I thought was worthwhile in itself, then money would not be so very important.”

Don’t Be a Victim

Regarding the so-called sexual revolution, Christian women realize that, in truth, this victimizes women. Popular entertainment and other propaganda lead men to think that women want to be immoral, and these cause women to feel that they have to be immoral in order to appear normal.

But a Christian knows the boundaries. The Bible tells us: “This is what God wills . . . that you abstain from fornication.” (1 Thessalonians 4:3) A woman following this advice may have to learn to say No. But she will avoid the heartbreaking problems caused by promiscuity. And she will be pleasing God.

What about the problem of sexual harassment at work? Often, Christian conduct can make a difference here, as Connie found out.

Connie is a young woman, married for five years, who used to work in a large office. But she avoided the problem of sexual harassment, and she explains how: “A lot has to do with the way you carry yourself. If you keep your relationship with the men on a business level—having a sense of humor, perhaps, but not for that kind of joke—most of them will respect you.

“I found that some of the girls in the office would be overfamiliar with the men, would share off-color jokes and look at magazines of questionable taste. While the men appeared to enjoy the familiarity, they would lose their respect for these girls. Myself, whenever I heard unclean jokes or bad language, I would walk away. After a while, they seemed to respect me for the stand I made, and did not bother me.”

What Connie was doing, in effect, was applying the Bible’s counsel: “Let fornication and uncleanness . . . not even be mentioned among you, just as it befits holy people.” (Ephesians 5:3) And it was a protection to her. Of course, this will not deter the most determined of the harassers. Consuelo knew one girl who had to leave a firm because of the way one of the men was acting toward her. This was a wise move, following the Bible counsel: “Flee from fornication.”—1 Corinthians 6:18.

Husbands and Housework

On the matter of the husband’s helping in the home, Gladys, who has raised a family, feels this is often a matter of training. Before the war, when many women did not go out to work, in many homes it seemed only natural for women to do all the housework. Their sons grew up to expect this, and that is probably why a lot of men today feel strange doing housework. But the situation has changed. “It certainly would be nice,” says Gladys, “when both husband and wife work, for men to do their share in the home. I suppose that it is up to mothers now to train their sons to work in the home just as they train their daughters.

“I think a young couple should be able to talk about this problem and work things out properly. Surely, a mature man who ‘loves his wife as he does himself’ could not conscientiously relax in an armchair while his already tired wife was working around the house—unless she preferred it that way.”—Ephesians 5:33.

The Problem of Happiness

Regarding the question of career or family, Gladys feels that Christian principles can help here too. She has pursued a career and raised a daughter, and she says: “It is a matter of balance. I made sure my daughter did not suffer because of my career, but, equally, I felt that what I was doing was important. So I had the motivation to keep on with my career.”

“One thing I will say,” she goes on, “each person has to make her own decision about this. She has to answer the question: ‘What do I really want to do with my life?’ The desire for motherhood is strong in most women, and it is a beautiful and essential part of our humanity. If a girl sacrifices her opportunity for this, it should be for a good reason.”

The Bible shows that a woman, or a man, must be accomplishing something constructive in order to be truly happy. (Acts 20:35; Ecclesiastes 2:8, 10, 11) Parenthood can satisfy that need. And so can some careers.

Consuelo says: “My career is in the Christian ministry and I feel I am truly accomplishing something. Girls who choose such a ‘giving’ career instead of motherhood find many rewards that more than compensate. But each one should choose for herself. And if she has chosen for the right reasons, she will not be disturbed by what others say.”

To Improve the Situation

Hence, by applying Bible principles, many of the problems women have to face today can be handled. But is it enough just to “handle” the problems? Isn’t there something more that women should do about them?

Connie commented: “I don’t believe that what is happening on earth today is God’s will for mankind. I feel it is God’s will that women should be treated better than they often are. But God has shown that his way to deal with the problem is by means of his kingdom. That is why we pray: ‘Let your kingdom come. Let your will take place, as in heaven, also upon earth.’ (Matthew 6:9) I feel that the best way a Christian woman can help is by using her energy in working toward the fulfillment of that prayer.

“One way to do this is by educating people about God’s will. I know that Jehovah’s Witnesses are preaching about God’s kingdom all around the world, and they are teaching men that their wives are not inferior creatures. Because of this, traditional ideas that lead to women’s being oppressed are being corrected in many families.”

Gladys agrees: “Yes, men are being trained to treat their wives in a Christian way. Truly Christian men do not abandon their families. Nor do they gamble and drink their money away or refuse to help in ‘woman’s work’ when necessary. Men learn this when they respond to the educational work of Jehovah’s Witnesses.”

While individuals may change, however, we cannot force radical change on the world—much as we may wish we could. The problems are too deeply rooted. Nevertheless, the Bible says: “The world is passing away and so is its desire.” (1 John 2:17) And with it will pass away all its prejudices and injustices.

Also, the Bible offers a more lasting solution: “There are new heavens and a new earth that we are awaiting according to his promise, and in these righteousness is to dwell.” (2 Peter 3:13) This new system is very close. And hundreds of thousands of women realize that it is the true solution to women’s problems in this 20th century.

In the following article, we would like to tell you the experiences of just one of those hundreds of thousands of women.

[Box on page 12]

Does the Bible work against the interests of women?

Some people think so because the Bible teaches the headship of man over the woman, particularly in the family and congregation arrangement. However, consider what else it says:

• “Husbands continue loving your wives, just as the Christ also loved the congregation.” (Ephesians 5:25)

• “Husbands ought to be loving their wives as their own bodies.” (Ephesians 5:28)

• “You husbands, continue dwelling in like manner with [your wives] according to knowledge, assigning them honor.” (1 Peter 3:7)

• “The form of worship that is clean and undefiled from the standpoint of our God and Father is this: to look after orphans and widows in their tribulation.” (James 1:27)

Does God ‘Care About Women’?

‘Yes!’ answers the writer of this real-life experience

“A FEW years ago I had come to a point in my life where I felt I really needed God’s help. But could I go to him with confidence that he would care enough about me to help? I must admit that I had my doubts. Why? Because I am a woman, and I had bitterly decided that God didn’t really care that much about women. What gave me such a negative view of God? My experiences as I grew up led me to feel that way.

“You may know that, at one time Mormonism, the prominent religion in Utah, U.S.A., encouraged the practice of polygamy. Then, in 1890, the policy was changed, and polygamy was no longer permitted for mainstream Mormons. However, not everyone went along with the change in policy. Some fundamentalists began to organize their own sects, secretly continuing the practice of taking many wives.

“Thus, when I was a very young girl, my father decided to investigate some of these fundamentalist sects to see if they had the truth. Following his investigation, he decided that polygamy was indeed God’s will for mankind.

“That was quite a decision! My mother had already borne him four children and was expecting a fifth. She was confused and bitter. She argued and wept, and when she went into a hospital to have her fifth child she wanted to die. In fact, she almost did die, but finally rallied. Eventually, she came to believe that perhaps polygamy was God’s will, but she never felt that my father was the right man to live this ‘high law of God.’

“As my father became more and more involved in polygamy, he was constantly reminding us that he was doing ‘God’s will.’ Those words ‘God’s will’ stuck in my mind whenever I watched him prepare for a courting date, ‘righteously’ doing his duty by going out with women other than my mother. Whenever I would wake up at night and see my mother in bed alone because my father was with another woman, I could not forget the words ‘God’s will.’ I began to feel that God was very unfair to women.

“Yes, I blamed God for our unhappy family situation. Of course, I know now that it is not God’s will for a man to take several wives. God’s will is that men should be ‘husbands of one wife,’ and that ‘husbands ought to be loving their wives as their own bodies,’ not causing them grief and insecurity. (1 Timothy 3:12; Ephesians 5:28) However, at that time I did not know these truths. My father’s misrepresentation of God sowed seeds of bitterness in my heart.

“My mother knew the whole thing bothered me, so she tried to console me. She reasoned: ‘After all, polygamy is much better than adultery, and men are natural-born polygamists who cannot stay with just one woman. That seems to be the way God made them.’ However, these words merely gave me a sense of hopelessness. ‘Why did God make men this way?’ I wondered. ‘Why must a woman share her husband with other women? Are women merely possessions of men so that they can bear children for them?’ I believed in God. But I accepted my father’s teachings and began to feel very disadvantaged because I was a girl.

An Effort to Break Away

“In my father’s sect it was the custom for girls to be married off at an early age. However, when I became a teenager I could not face giving myself to any man to become just one of his wives. I felt it would be better to marry someone with no beliefs at all. My father was busy with his other wives, or with trying to obtain other wives, so I was free to go my own way. I kept as separate as I could from the members of my father’s religion, and my life became more and more ungodly. I got involved in the hippie life-style, and eventually married a young man involved in the same way of life. But my problems were not solved.

“I discovered that men can mistreat women even without doing ‘God’s will.’ It seemed to me that women were disadvantaged without religion as well as with it. My new husband did not give up his free-living ways after our marriage. I figured men were not only natural-born polygamists, but were natural-born adulterers. Almost every man I knew was cheating on his wife, so I felt it was something every woman had to put up with sooner or later. Additionally, I discovered more about the physical problems of being a woman. A painful miscarriage, among other things, made me feel that men had all the enjoyment out of living together while women had all the problems.

“I went for a while to meetings of a group interested in the Women’s Liberation movement. I learned from this group more reasons to be resentful at the plight of women, but soon stopped attending when the group did not seem to accomplish anything of real value to me. I continued to blame God for being unfair to women. Yet soon I found out that I was the one who was being unfair. I was judging on insufficient evidence. Before long I learned of another side of the picture.

A New View of Matters

“I badly needed help. But where could I go? I started to read the Bible on my own and to pray to God. Would God answer my prayer, even though I was ‘only a woman’?

“Soon two young Christian women visited me. They offered me the latest issues of the Watchtower and Awake! magazines, two publications that discuss the meaning of the Bible and the reasons for the problems we face in this world. I had no money, but they gave me the magazines anyway. I did not read them, or the succeeding issues that the young women returned with. But eventually I agreed to study the Bible with one of the young women.

“At first I was not very interested. Soon, however, my interest grew. I started to view in another light the stories from the Bible that my father had told me in order to justify his actions. I saw the reason why people—both men and women—suffer. I learned God’s viewpoint, that he does not consent to the oppression of women by men. It is not ‘God’s will’ for men to multiply wives, or to do other things that cause them pain and suffering. I found that, in truth, ‘God is love,’ and I began to warm to his love.—1 John 4:8.

“However, fragments of doubt remained about how, really, God views women. I prayed for more help.

A Deeper Understanding

“One day I read the history of Jacob in the book of Genesis. Previously, I had always avoided this account because it involved polygamy. However, I now got down to reading it.

“Jacob was in love with Rachel, and he had worked for seven years in order to be able to marry her. However, he was tricked into marrying her older sister, Leah. The father of the two girls, Laban, claimed that he had deceived Jacob because it was the custom that the eldest girl in the family should be married first. Seven days later Jacob married the girl he really loved, Rachel—although he had to work another seven years to pay the bride price for her. Now Leah began to feel the pain of being a wife who was not loved.—Genesis 29:16-30.

“As I read this story to myself, it began to take on a new meaning. It was not God who caused Jacob to take two wives. A man, Laban, tricked him into it. And it certainly was not God who made Leah to be an unwanted wife. In fact, Jehovah was the only one who comforted her in her sorrow. Time and again Leah acknowledged Jehovah’s help. Not only that, but when Rachel became unhappy, Jehovah helped her too.—Genesis 29:31-35; 30:22-24.

“My heart was moved as I read of Jehovah’s kindness and concern for both of these women. He did not treat their problems as insignificant or ‘just feminine emotion,’ and therefore not really important. He truly cared.

“After that I found many other accounts in the Bible that showed beyond doubt that Jehovah God cares for women. I became confident that, just as God listened to the prayers of Leah and Rachel as they endured a situation that was far from ideal, God would listen to my earnest prayers too.

“Moreover, the account of the creation of Eve showed me the value of and the need for womankind on the earthly scene. (Genesis 2:18) Woman was a complement of man. Hence, her different qualities enriched the human race. I devoured the advice and encouragement that the Bible contains especially for women.—Proverbs 31:10-31; 1 Peter 3:1-6; Matthew 26:6-13.

“I noted that, while showing that ‘the head of a woman is the man,’ the Bible counsels men to deal with women respectfully and with consideration. (1 Corinthians 11:3; 1 Peter 3:7; Proverbs 5:18-21; Ephesians 5:28-33) And I was particularly touched by the way Jehovah remembered widows, who in earlier days—and often today, too—were poor and helpless.—James 1:27.

“Once I had felt that men have all the fun and women all the suffering in matters of sex. But through having three children, I came to see childbearing as a great blessing given to women by God. Even through the pain, many women will agree that it is one of the most exciting things that can ever happen, a joy that men can only wonder at but never really know.

“That is not to say that one sex is better or more important than the other. The apostle Paul sums up the matter very nicely: ‘Besides, in connection with the Lord neither is woman without man nor man without woman. For just as the woman is out of the man, so also the man is through the woman; but all things are out of God.’—1 Corinthians 11:11, 12.

“Thus I came to realize that God does care about women. And the best refuge for women who feel oppressed in this system of things is with him. I would like to invite everyone to investigate the Bible and its unprejudiced God, Jehovah. As far as salvation is concerned, he is an ‘equal opportunity’ God. We can all love—and be loved by—Jehovah.”—Contributed.

[Blurb on page 14]

“Are women merely possessions of men so that they can bear children for them?”

[Blurb on page 14]

“God does not consent to the oppression of women by men”

[Blurb on page 15]

“My heart was moved as I read of Jehovah’s kindness”

[Blurb on page 16]

The best refuge for women who feel oppressed in this system of things is with God.

“As far as salvation is concerned, Jehovah is an ‘equal opportunity’ God”

“[Box on page 15]

“My father told me that one example he was following was that of Abraham. Abraham had children by two women, his wife Sarah, and a slave girl named Hagar. However, the reason for this was that God had promised the childless Abraham that his offspring would become a great nation. When Abraham’s wife, Sarah, became too old to have children, she gave him the slave girl Hagar, thinking that perhaps the promised child would be born through this one. Notice that it was Sarah who gave the girl to Abraham. Abraham was not multiplying wives for himself. And, as it turned out, this was not God’s way to fulfill his promise. Later Jehovah miraculously restored Sarah’s childbearing ability, and the promised son was born through her.—Genesis 12:1-3; 16:1-4; 21:1-5.”

[Box on page 16]

The publishers of this magazine would be delighted to help you to respond to this person’s invitation.

What’s Happening in the Schools?

By “Awake!” correspondent in Canada

IF YOU live in North America or Europe you likely pay a substantial tax to provide education for your children. In some areas there are new school buildings, an impressive array of modern equipment in classrooms and plenty of courses on contemporary subjects. But does all of this mean that children going to school now are better educated than those in the past? Not necessarily.

The fact is that in North America there are many students in their last year of high school (grade 12) who can read no better than those in fifth grade. It is equally true that some students cannot comprehend much of what they read. A surprising number do not have a readable handwriting. As a result, the likelihood of their becoming productive members of society is greatly limited.

Why the poor results? What is happening to child education?

What Is Happening

One reason why taxpaying parents and others find it hard to grasp what is going on is that they assume that schools are just as they were when the parents attended years ago. But conditions have changed drastically. The average parent would be shocked at what is daily behavior nowadays.

No, we are not referring to somewhat harmless schoolboy pranks. We are talking about drug dealing and drug abuse, the drinking of alcoholic beverages, promiscuous behavior—even fornication—on school grounds. We are talking about fights, knifings—including attacks on teachers and principals—right in school buildings. We are talking about shameless, senseless destruction of costly school property.

Nor is that all. In some classrooms the days are filled with battles between teachers and disrespectful youths. Conscientious teachers try to keep classes going for the benefit of those who want to learn, but rebellious students interrupt, challenge authority and create upheaval. There is a tendency for others to be led along to imitate the lawless ones, so that an entire class can in time turn on the teacher. (In one instance all the students lined up facing the wall and refused to communicate with the teacher.) By the end of the day teachers are frustrated, ill, striving to maintain sanity and self-respect. Thus, opportunity, talent and money—your money—are wasted.

If you add to the above a flabby credit system and a grading of exams at such a level that just about anyone can pass, what you get is an atmosphere where there is little incentive to learn or apply oneself. Worse yet, students trying to do well are bullied, threatened, beaten and ridiculed. The pressures are tremendous to conform to unruliness and promiscuity.

Think of the plight of one young person in his first year of high school whose student identification card was stolen by other students who wrote the word “GAY” in heavy ink across the front of his picture. Why? Because he refused to engage in fornication. Students also telephoned the parents of this particular youth, and, pretending they thought they were talking to the boy, explained they had his order of marijuana ready—this to undermine parental trust and create problems for the boy at home. At times they also destroyed his schoolwork, his books and electronics projects and even physically attacked him in school hallways. How many will stand up under that for long?

‘You’re describing some extreme situations at ghetto schools,’ you may say, ‘but that’s not the case where my children attend.’ Are you sure? ‘Well, they’ve never said anything like that,’ you may reply. Have you asked? Of course, we hope your children’s situation is not that bad, but they may be too embarrassed to mention what is going on, or they may have been intimidated by others. ‘But where are the teachers when these things happen?’ you may ask.

What About the Teachers?

That is an understandable question for parents and other concerned adults to ask. Happily, most teachers are still dedicated, responsible people. Why don’t you talk with the ones at your children’s school? If they have these problems, let these teachers know that you do not approve of rebelliousness and interference with their sincere efforts to serve well. In any case, let them know what your standards are for your own family and what you expect of your children in their care. They may thus be encouraged to continue to resist the emotional strain and physical attacks.

Teachers need your encouragement. Consider their frustration when they see that troublemakers are let go with verbal reprimands or a few days’ suspension from classes. One teacher who was interviewed said: “On one occasion I went into the boys’ washroom at school and caught three boys dividing up marijuana into plastic bags. I took them to the office and gave the evidence to the vice-principal. . . . Next day I went to the vice-principal and asked what was done to these students. He said they were sent home for three days.”

Does this affect the attitude of students as to what they think they can get away with? It definitely does! As one juvenile offender said to a psychologist about a felony charge: “Big deal. All they’re going to do is take me to court and lecture me for a few minutes.” Thus some youths hold the whole system of authority and justice in contempt. Their attitudes, in turn, increase the peer pressure. Expelled students use their time off from classes to hang around the school grounds and entice others to wrongdoing. They become heroes!

Other Adverse Conditions

What has been mentioned so far is enough to indicate why children can go to school and still not learn well, whether they are directly involved in the misbehavior or not. For so many, school is just a meeting place for drink, drugs and sex. But there are other situations that can stand in the way of your children’s getting a better education.

Sad to say, some teachers are known by their students to be drug users and persons who lead a promiscuous life. That does little to inspire young students in the right direction. Consider the influence on a 16-year-old pupil when a teacher in her 20’s sits on his desk and asks: “How come you haven’t been by to see me like the other boys in this class?” More frequent, perhaps, is the “hassle” some female students report they suffer from male teachers who make advances as they assure passing grades to the girls.

Then there are those few teachers who seem to feel that they are on some sort of “special mission” to acquaint the young with “other life-styles.” They may invite prostitutes and homosexuals to school to talk to students about their way of life. Or they may insist on students’ reading or viewing pornography as necessary to a person’s education. In some Canadian schools it is termed “required reading.” If those promoting such reading are asked about it, they will assure the inquirer that no one is forced to read such books. But is that so?

One girl in Ontario a few years ago refused to read a novel that highlights the experiences of a youth introduced to various forms of sexual perversion by a prostitute. The student’s father backed her decision. But her teacher insisted the girl had to read the book—and the principal agreed with the teacher! Finally there was a compromise: The girl was now required to read two other books of her own choice. Actually she was penalized for having an opinion and a conscience!

What Can Parents Do?

Now that you know to some extent what things are like at school for your children and their teachers, what will you do? What can you do? Remember, children are born to parents and within families. They are not products of the state or of any institutions of government. Whatever governments may supply in the way of education should always be viewed as supplementary and never as an excuse for parents to abandon their own responsibilities. The children are yours. Hence, you have a voice (and should have an interest) in what they are taught and how they are taught. This being so, how do you proceed?

First, sit down with your children and have an open discussion about what is going on in their school(s). What are their needs and problems? Parents who are concerned with Christian principles will want to find out what their offspring are being taught or what they are expected to read that may be at variance with such principles. Other parents will be concerned, understandably, with the preservation of certain cultural and ethnic concepts that are dear to them.

If you have had good communication with your children all along, the above recommendation will not be a serious problem. If, however, this has been somewhat neglected in the past, it will take time and patience to bridge the gap and improve communication. Remember, you have strong family ties that give you the advantage. Your children love you and will be warmed by your genuine interest. Eventually they will be more communicative. So you may have some fence-mending to do, but it is well worth the time and effort.

However, one such session will not suffice. It must be a steady, continuing interest that you show in them. Regularly, perhaps at the family’s evening meal or at some other appropriate occasion, inquire as to how things went at school that day. What did they learn? When they reply, listen carefully. Do not interrupt needlessly. Should you detect anything objectionable in what they were taught, don’t panic. Don’t overreact or bawl them out. That will silence them. Ask them what they think about what they were told. Find out why they accepted it or rejected it. You may be pleasantly surprised at how well they handled the matter. If so, commend!

On the other hand, if you see that what you wish for your children has been in any way adversely affected, it is your right and duty to discuss this with them. It is easier to root out any wrong ideas at this early stage before resulting misconduct brings grief to the family. Reason with your children as to the long-range effects of what was taught. Do the ideas harmonize with established truth? Point out the dangers in quickly accepting what is temporarily popular as opposed to sticking to time-tested wisdom that has survived those cultures that rejected it.

Next, to see for yourself what things are like at school, make a visit there. Spend a few hours or a day, if you can. Teachers won’t mind. In fact, most will welcome it. If there is a meeting soon where parents and teachers can talk, attend it. In both instances really talk with the teachers to see what things are like with your children. Listen when the teacher talks to you. Don’t form opinions too soon. Communicate intelligently as to what you want for your children. If you have religious, cultural or ethnic concerns, make them known. Most teachers are quite tolerant these days, but they can’t guess about these matters. For example, they might conclude that your child’s reluctance to engage in some school program or exercise is merely a childish whim.

Each year a visit to the new teachers of your children affords the opportunity to assure these teachers as to your expectations about your children’s education. This also gives time for examining textbooks and discussing what your preferences are there. This will help the teacher and your young ones.

So, while you are not going to visit with the idea of getting involved in a confrontation, or with ideas of altering the entire system of education, there is much you can do to assure that your children are benefited by going to school. Just paying your taxes is not enough. Neither can any teacher substitute for caring parents. Most of what your children need for a better education is available. But what is needed most in the program is YOU.

[Picture on page 19]

Have a discussion with your child about what’s going on at school

Breathing—The Bird and the Insect Ways

YOU do it about 23,040 times each day and yet you are hardly aware of it. What is it? Breathing. Your respiratory system is so well designed and operates so efficiently that you hardly notice that you are taking a breath at this very moment.

Of course, if you were on top of a mountain, where the air is very thin, it wouldn’t be so easy to breathe, would it? Or if you were swimming under water for any length of time you would soon become very much aware of the need to take a breath. Yet birds can fly at high altitudes and have no difficulty in breathing. And there are some insects that, although dependent upon the atmosphere for oxygen, can breathe under water. How do they do it? A close look at how birds and insects breathe reveals truly remarkable intelligence and design.

Bird Breathing

Anyone who has ever flown in an airplane is aware of two important factors necessary for flight—a light frame and plenty of fuel. The design of the bird’s respiratory system takes care of both needs.

High-energy activity burns up oxygen very quickly. A human makes up his oxygen deficiency by breathing deeper and faster. At high altitudes man has to slow down and rest frequently to give his system time to make up his blood oxygen level. Just imagine if a bird suffered the same effects while flying! But the respiratory system of the bird saves him this embarrassment so that even if you encounter him at 20,000 feet (6,100 m), he shows no sign of difficulty. His eyes do not bulge, his face is not pale and he is not even puffing. How does he do it?

Well, his breathing apparatus is designed to absorb oxygen so much more efficiently. Human lungs are bags or bellows that fill and empty. Not so with birds’ lungs. They are unique. Air goes into the lung, as normal, through the front end. But then the air passes right on through the lung and out into various thin-walled air sacs, which are located in the chest and abdominal cavity. (See illustration.) Back in 1758 a man named John Hunter discovered something truly surprising. He found that a bird with a blocked windpipe and a broken wing bone could still breathe. How was this possible?

The bones of birds do not contain marrow; they are hollow, containing air. The hollow air spaces in the bones are connected to the air sacs, which, in turn, are connected to the lungs. So when the bird’s windpipe was closed, the air passed to and from the lungs by means of the broken, hollow wing bone. What a cunning way to take care of weight and fuel problems at the same time—fuel tanks distributed through the framing! But what about fuel storage?

Actual storage of fuel is minimal. The bird picks up fuel, or oxygen, en route—in midair! The air passing through all those sacs and passages comes in contact with a large area of tissue, allowing for greater absorption of oxygen before exhalation. However, flying at high altitudes is an energy-intensive business. Fuel ought to be used as efficiently as possible. So, built into the bird’s respiration equipment is a system known as countercurrent flow. It enables the bird to extract oxygen from the air quickly and efficiently by means of a very simple principle.

In the bird’s lung, air and blood approach each other from opposite directions. As the air flows through the lung, it gives up more and more oxygen to the blood, and the blood can continuously take up more and more oxygen. In other words, the “thirsty” venous blood first reaches air that is already deficient in oxygen and that has, as it were, only a few “droplets” of oxygen left in it. The “thirsty” blood soaks it up and passes on to the “wetter” air, in which there is more oxygen. By now the blood is not so “thirsty,” so it soaks up less and less oxygen. The end result of this remarkable process is the extremely efficient extraction of oxygen from the air. And that is precisely what the bird needs in order to fly at high altitudes!

Insect Breathing

Have you ever considered the possibility of an ant the size of an elephant? Imagine the power it would have! An ant can carry twice its own weight. And small though insects are (the biggest, the Atlas moth, is only 10 to 12 inches [25 to 30 cm] from wingtip to wingtip) they have enormous appetites. Why, in North Dakota grasshoppers caused $1,714,000 (U.S.) worth of crop and rangeland damage in just one year! What would the damage have been if grasshoppers were the size of horses?

Well, there is no cause for alarm. The insect’s respiratory system keeps him in his place—sizewise. According to Scientific American, the insect’s respiratory system, which the magazine called “a refinement of biological engineering almost past belief,” has a built-in size-limiting factor! Furthermore, just as the bird’s respiratory system is ideal for flying, the insect’s is ideal for his way of life. How so?

Insects are energy factories. For their size, they carry out truly Herculean tasks. So their demand for oxygen is very high. However, insects do not have lungs. Nevertheless, it is indeed doubtful that you will ever come across a breathless insect! Why? Because they have a respiratory system that is designed to cope with an unlimited demand.

During the embryonic stage, the skin of an insect pushes inward at many points to form hollow tubes, which open out to the atmosphere. As these tubes grow deeper and deeper into the insect’s body, they branch many times, each branch becoming narrower and narrower. Finally, one or more of these tubes come in contact with each cell. Thus, each cell has a direct pipeline to the atmosphere, which means that oxygen is immediately available for use without its having to travel through a blood circulation system. And that is just what the insect needs to carry on his high-energy activity!

But the problem with a system of tubes to breathe through is that you need a two-way flow—oxygen going in and carbon dioxide going out. The tubes in the insect can bring oxygen in, but what happens to the carbon dioxide? Well, unlike oxygen, carbon dioxide diffuses more easily through tissue. So it doesn’t try to get out back through the tubes. Rather, it passes out of the insect through its skin.

Although they are dependent upon the atmosphere for their supply of oxygen, some insect larvae live under water. How do they breathe there? Some send up a “snorkel” tube—at times equipped with a valve in case the water gets rough and threatens to get into the tube. Others live in a “diving bell,” that is, a bubble of air. Of course, as they use up oxygen in the bubble, it must be replaced. Researchers were long puzzled by the fact that the insect could stay under water long after it should have used up the supply of oxygen in the bubble. How was this possible?

The process of diffusion comes into play. As the oxygen pressure in the bubble drops below the oxygen pressure in the surrounding water, the oxygen in the water rushes into the bubble. (Remember, water is made up of two atoms of hydrogen and one of oxygen.) ‘But why doesn’t the bubble collapse?’ you may be wondering. Well, there is nitrogen in the air of the bubble, and it does not diffuse into water; it prefers to stay in the bubble. So while the insect larva may not need nitrogen for his metabolism, his “life-support system” certainly is dependent upon it!

Surely, after taking a look at how birds and insects breathe, you agree that the respiratory systems of these creatures reflect truly remarkable intelligence and design. But do you find it easy to believe that blind chance or the birds and the insects themselves developed these systems of respiration, which are so dependent on scientific principles? Or do you draw the same conclusion as did the famous inventor Thomas Edison, who said: “After years of watching the processes of nature, I cannot doubt the existence of a Supreme Intelligence”?

[Picture on page 22]

A Bird’s Respiratory System

Trachea

2 Lungs

Sacs

[Picture on page 23]

An Insect’s Respiratory System—How It Works

No Lungs

Tube

Cells

Crossword Puzzle

Clues Across

1. Work of the flesh involving communication with the dead (Galatians 5:20)

7. Paul was one (Galatians 1:1)

8. A translation, as the King James ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐

10. Faithful son of Aaron (Leviticus 10:1-7)

14. People who returned to Jerusalem from here could not prove their genealogy (Ezra 2:1, 59)

16. The gods of this city could not save it from the Assyrians (2 Kings 18:34)

17. Bone from which first woman was formed (Genesis 2:22)

19. Jehovah gave it to Solomon (2 Chronicles 1:10-12)

22. An expression or comment (Habakkuk 2:6)

23. “Though you never ‐‐‐ him, you love him.” (1 Peter 1:8)

25. First garden (Genesis 2:8)

26. Loved David “as his own soul” (1 Samuel 18:1)

28. Descendant of Libni (Numbers 3:18-21)

33. Despoiler mentioned by Hosea (Hosea 10:14)

34. Language spoken by the Chaldeans (Daniel 2:4)

35. For two years in Rome Paul preached without any (Acts 28:31)

Clues Down

1. Time period of Messianic prophecy (Daniel 9:24-27) [2 words]

2. Jacob (Genesis 32:28)

3. Also called Iye-abarim (Numbers 33:44, 45)

4. Horses have one (Job 39:19)

5. Name of a man and of a copper pillar (Ruth 2:1; 1 Kings 7:15-21)

6. It means “My God” (Matthew 27:46)

9. His son Jeroboam became a king (1 Kings 11:26; 12:20)

11. Son of Korah (Exodus 6:24)

12. Ancestor of Jesus (Luke 3:23, 27)

13. Astrologers brought it to the child Jesus (Matthew 2:7-12)

15. Son of Seth (Genesis 4:26, Authorized Version)

18. Second letter of the Greek alphabet

20. There is no knowledge or wisdom here (Ecclesiastes 9:10)

21. A Canaanite city, anagram of nomad (Joshua 11:1-12)

24. “By far the meekest of all the men who were upon the surface of the ground” (Numbers 12:3)

27. Mountain famous for its dew (Psalm 133:3)

29. It will peacefully feed with the cow (Isaiah 11:6-9)

30. About 18 of them equals a cubit (Genesis 6:16, New International Version; compare New World Translation)

31. Den of a wild animal (Nahum 2:11)

32. This Levitical gatekeeper was among those who had married foreign wives (Ezra 10:10, 24)

CROSSWORD SOLUTIONS PAGE 27

Answers Across

1. SPIRITISM

7. APOSTLE

8. VERSION

10. ELEAZAR

14. TELMELAH

16. HENA

17. RIB

19. WISDOM

22. REMARK

23. SAW

25. EDEN

26. JONATHAN

28. LIBNITE

33. SHALMAN

34. ARAMAIC

35. HINDRANCE

Answers Down

1. SEVENTY WEEKS

2. ISRAEL

3. IYIM

4. MANE

5. BOAZ

6. ELI

9. NEBAT

11. ASSIR

12. RHESA

13. FRANKINCENSE

15. ENOS

18. BETA

20. SHEOL

21. MADON

24. MOSES

27. HERMON

29. BEAR

30. INCH

31. LAIR

32. URI

Honesty—Is It Really the Best Policy?

Young People Ask . . .

Honesty—Is It Really the Best Policy?

NOT long ago a poll was taken at an American university. In it, more than a third of the school’s undergraduates said they had cheated on an examination at least once during college. Nor is cheating confined to students. A different study reported that professors may give students undeservedly high grades to protect their own popularity or budget.

In Japan someone sold copies of the entrance exam of a university—not to students, but to their parents, who were desperate to get their children into the school. The price of those exam papers? Ten million yen per child ($40,000, U.S.)! Rather than face the police, a school administrator implicated in the case hurled himself under a Tokyo train.

…

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Awake!, May 8, 1982