Awake!, October 22, 1984

Awake! — October 22, 1984

Source: jw.org

Contents

Page Two

Is Time Running Out for This World?

The Countdown Nears Its End!

It’s Time for a “New Earth”

Do You Know What Your Children Read?

Go to College or Learn a Trade?

Conquest in the Name of the Church

Quenching the Thirst of a Giant

How Can I Win My Parents’ Respect?

Traditions for Burning?

Coping With High Prices

From Our Readers

Watching the World

Add the Books of Moses to Your Cassette Library

Whom Can You Trust?

Page Two

There are many people who strongly feel that time is running out for this world. But there is sound reason for hope. Over 1,900 years ago the critical conditions that exist in our day were foretold. The source that foretold them also tells what the outcome will be and what we need to do to be among the survivors. Details are provided in our opening series

Is Time Running Out for This World? 3

The Countdowm Nears Its End! 5

It’s Time for a “New Earth” 9

Is Time Running Out for This World?

PROMINENT people in all parts of the world are, indeed, coming to the conclusion that time is running out. The forces that constantly push the nations toward the brink of nuclear war register in their minds like screaming alarm sirens. The danger of global economic collapse and the many forms of deadly environmental pollution add to their uneasiness. They sense that time is running out not just for a few nations but for the entire world. Why? Because none of them can come up with solutions that really work.

Their greatest concern is the threat of nuclear war. Earlier this year, in harmony with the advice of 47 scientists, including 18 Nobel prize winners, the monthly Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists moved its “doomsday clock” forward one minute—to three minutes before midnight. The clock represents how close they believe the world is to a nuclear conflagration. “It is an expression of alarm,” they state. The “doomsday clock” is now the nearest it has been to midnight in 30 years!

Other menaces add to the intensity of the alarm:

● The “nuclear club,” once thought to be the exclusive domain of six nations, may actually have grown to nine nations. Professor Daniel Yergin of Harvard University reckons there will be 40 nuclear-bomb-making nations by 1985.

● The possibility that space will be a future battleground, with orbiting weapons spewing their laser-induced destruction across the face of the earth, has become real.

● Military strategists project the horrific idea of striking first, in the hope of winning a nuclear war.

These things give people nuclear jitters because they lower the nuclear-war threshold and increase the chances for a nuclear holocaust by accident.

Can nuclear war be triggered by accident? Harold Freeman, professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, wrote a book entitled This Is the Way the World Will End—This Is the Way You Will End Unless. Therein he states that 151 indications of immediate attack were recorded in the 18 months prior to October 1980. “Four resulted in a state of alert for B-52 bombers and intercontinental ballistic missiles, in preparation for retaliation,” he says. “All errors were corrected in time but some were close.” How close? On November 9, 1979, he continues, “bombers took to the air in six minutes, readying a nuclear counterattack.”

Where can we hide? Is any place safe? No! A nuclear war limited to the northern hemisphere could spread a blanket of lethal radioactive fallout over the southern hemisphere, too, or spawn a global “nuclear winter.” The seriousness of the situation has moved leaders of six nations—India, Mexico, Tanzania, Sweden, Greece and Argentina—to issue a declaration known as the Four Continent Peace Initiative. It states: “Today, the survival of humankind is in jeopardy.”

But not a few people try to block out their fears. They reason that there is little or nothing that they can do about the situation, so they try to go about life as if nothing were going to happen. However, such an attitude leaves out of account an important fact. What is that?

[Box/Pictures on page 4]

Youth—What Future?

Some young people believe that there really is a future for the human family. Many more believe that it is too late to avoid world disaster. “I have now accepted the fact that there quite possibly will be an ‘end of time,’” lamented one teenager.

For some, skepticism and confusion about the future has led to suicide. Long ago a wise man wrote: “Where there is no vision a people runs wild.” (Proverbs 29:18, The Bible in Living English) Without a reliable “vision” to give hope for the future, many youths adopt a way of life shaped by the philosophy of “let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we are to die.” (1 Corinthians 15:32) Some turn to drug abuse, sexual promiscuity, putting love of pleasure first, retreating into fantasy worlds, wanting to have it “all” now because there may not be a “later.” For them, “planning seems pointless, and ordinary values and ideals appear naive,” say Drs. Beardslee and Mack, two noted psychiatrists.a

This sense of hopelessness breeds the New Wave youth. Perhaps you have seen them with their bizarre clothes, multicolor hair that is cut in strange shapes, skin pierced with safety pins, and men with earrings. They are driven by an overwhelming feeling of exclusion and therefore want nothing to do with society. “Some things that we do may look outrageous,” said one New Wave youth, “but it is the only way left to us to say we are not part of your crazy world.”

Other youths who hear the nuclear-annihilation alarm worry. Unlike some adults who can block out their fears of nuclear destruction, youths, with their fertile imagination, cannot. Here is what they say:

● “I don’t feel like going up in smoke.”—Vanessa, 11.

● “When you really sit down and think about it, it puts fear in you. Your life-line is attached to a red button that when it is pushed you explode.”—Dexter, 13.

● “I have nightmares not about a nuclear war, but about nothing being here afterwards.”—Stacey, 14.

Yet other teenagers, though concerned, are not anxious. They are optimistic about their future.

● “Yes, I will have a future.”—Pam, 17.

● “It is impossible for a nuclear holocaust to come.”—Oliver, 17.

● “I don’t have that fear.”—Dashunta, 18.

● “I have the hope of living; I’m glad I have that knowledge.”—Elizabeth, 15.

Why are these youths so confident? What knowledge do they have? They have knowledge of the Bible and its prophecies, so they know why time is running out for this world.

[Footnotes]

“The Impact on Children and Adolescents of Nuclear Developments,” from the American Psychiatric Association’s publication Psychosocial Aspects of Nuclear Developments.

The Countdown Nears Its End!

IN THEIR calculations, humans all too often leave out of account the Creator of the earth and of mankind. They see the future only in terms of what human rulers and scientists predict. But long ago the Bible vividly described the events of our day as well as their outcome. Its prophecies have never been in error. So there is good reason to consider them carefully now.

In that Book, which is more widely circulated than any other on earth, is recorded what Jesus Christ described as “the signal for . . . the end of this world.” (Matthew 24:3, Phillips) This source tells us when the countdown was to begin and what its end will mean. His prophecy points, not to the destruction of planet Earth, but to the end of the present system of things. It is a prophecy of hope, not one of doom, for all mankind.

What is the “signal” that Jesus described? It is one that would stretch out over a period of years so that sincere people everywhere would have opportunity to identify it. It is made up of many events that were all to take place within the lifetime of a particular generation. Consider just a few aspects of it:

WARS

“Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom.”—Matthew 24:7; Mark 13:8; Luke 21:10.

Of course, there have been many wars since Jesus spoke those words. Even today, the Center for Defense Information in Washington, D.C., estimates that, as of May 1984, four million people are fighting in 42 separate conflicts. But 1914 marked the beginning of a war unlike any other in history down to that time. It resulted in the death of twice as many troops as did all major wars from 1790 to 1913 put together!

● Deaths: 9,000,000 soldiers slaughtered; 5,000,000 civilians died in areas of actual war.

● Countries: More than 25 were embroiled in war.

● Cost: More than $337,000,000,000 (U.S.) was spent.

What about World War II? According to United States Army Brigadier General James L. Collins, Jr., it was “the most devastating war known to mankind.”

● Deaths: 16,000,000 soldiers killed; 39,000,000 civilian deaths.

● Countries: More than 50 battled.

● Cost: A staggering $1,150,000,000,000, and property damages totaled upwards of $239,000,000,000 in addition.

What would a third world war bring? The danger is complete annihilation. If we have not already seen the fulfillment of this prophecy that ‘signals’ the time foretold by Jesus, how much more is required?

FOOD SHORTAGES

‘There will be food shortages in one place after another.’—Matthew 24:7; Mark 13:8; Luke 21:11.

The World Food Conference held in Rome in 1974 pledged eradication of world hunger by 1985. Today, the prospects seem more dismal than ever for reversing—or even checking—rapid growth in the number of the desperately hungry. “Chronic hunger remains a problem for tens of millions of people,” states The Unesco Courier, a United Nations publication. “Nearly 500 million human beings, stagnating in poverty, are under daily threat of famine.” Does it really require more than that to convince an honest-hearted person that he is witnessing the fulfillment of Jesus’ prophecy?

EARTHQUAKES

‘There will be earthquakes in one place after another.’—Matthew 24:7; Mark 13:8; Luke 21:11.

The earth shakes from more than a million quakes a year, 3,000 of them forceful enough to move the earth’s surface noticeably. Modern scientific instruments are finely tuned to note and record even the slightest quake. But Jesus foretold “great earthquakes.” (Luke 21:11) Has the frequency of these really changed? It has never required sensitive mechanisms to tell us when major quakes strike. Since 1914 the yearly average of reported severe earthquakes has soared to over 11 times what it was during the thousand years before then. Is more than that required to fulfill the prophecy?

PESTILENCE

“In one place after another pestilences.”—Luke 21:11.

“Diseases have killed or crippled more people than all the wars ever fought,” states The World Book Encyclopedia. Here are some of the most troublesome diseases and their worldwide toll each year:

● Cancer strikes 37 million.

● Chagas’ disease afflicts 10 million.

● Malaria sickens 150 million.

● Onchocerciasis (river blindness) infects 40 million.

● Snail fever pains 200 million.

● Acute respiratory infections kill at least 2 million.

● Diarrhea leads to nearly 5 million reported child deaths—an appalling rate of ten children dead every minute of every day of every year in developing lands! All of this despite the advance of medical science! Who can truthfully deny that Jesus’ reliable prophecy is undergoing fulfillment in our day?

Many other features of the ‘signal for the end of this world’ are evident. But the ones listed are sufficient to show how Bible prophecy is being fulfilled in our day.

But how much longer will the present system of things continue? The words of Jesus answer:

“Truly I say to you that this generation will by no means pass away until all these things occur.”—Matthew 24:34; Mark 13:30; Luke 21:32.

Which generation is this? Why, the one that saw the beginning of fulfillment of Jesus’ prophecy. That means people alive in the year 1914. How many remain? Based on the most recent statistics available, in 1980 only 259 million people 65 years or older were alive.a Many of these have died since 1980. Those born around the historic year 1914 are now 70 years old, and others alive in 1914 are in their 80’s, 90’s and even a few in their 100’s. But their number is dwindling fast.

Who Understands the Meaning of 1914?

Jehovah’s Witnesses are not a new voice pointing to the meaning of these events. Not only before 1914 but also since then they have repeatedly gone on record as to the significance of that year.b For example, more than three decades ago, at their Philadelphia convention of November 22, 1947, Jehovah’s Witnesses unanimously passed a resolution that said in part:

“World events from and after 1914, beginning with the first World War, fulfill the prophecies concerning the end of this world.”

We are already in the 70th year of the ‘signal for the end of this world.’ The evidence has not faded as the years have passed. On the contrary, it has intensified and become more widespread.

Just as cities, nations and even empires have in the past had their time run out, so we have now reached the point when all nations and kingdoms are, at the same moment, having their time run out.

What will happen to the earth and the people on it when time finally does run out for this world?

[Footnotes]

Demographic Yearbook 1981, Department of International Economic and Social Affairs, United Nations, published in New York, 1983.

For further information regarding the significance of 1914, please see the book “Let Your Kingdom Come,” published by the Watchtower Society.

[Box on page 6]

There have been two world wars since 1914. The last one ended with the use of two small atomic bombs. Present nuclear arsenals have about a million times as much destructive capacity as the bomb dropped on Hiroshima. To convince people that Jesus’ prophecy is really being fulfilled, must there be a nuclear holocaust that wipes out the human race?

[Box on page 6]

Since 1914 the yearly average of reported earthquakes has soared. There are 11 times the number that there were, on an average, annually during the 1,000 years before that date. And 20 times the annual average for the 2,000 years preceding 1914.c Is an even greater increase needed to fulfill the prophecy?

[Footnotes]

Earthquakes listed had to meet at least one of the following qualifications:

Magnitude 7.5 or more on the Richter scale

Deaths 100 or more

Damage $5 million (U.S.) or more in property destroyed

[Box/Graph on page 7]

The Vanishing Generation of 1914

In the United States, Great Britain and Japan, about one third of the people who were alive in 1914 died between the years 1970 and 1980.

Of all the people alive in 1914, only about 15 percent worldwide were still alive in 1980. How much time can possibly be left before ‘this generation passes away’?

[Graph]

(For fully formatted text, see publication.)

15%

NUMBER ALIVE

[Box/Picture on page 8]

‘Men Fainting Out of Fear’—Why?

When you look at the world today, do you find the following description significant?

“There will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth anguish of nations, not knowing the way out because of the roaring of the sea and its agitation, while men become faint out of fear and expectation of the things coming upon the inhabited earth; for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.”—Luke 21:25, 26.

There was a time when the rising of the sun brought joy—a new day, with events that were happily anticipated. Now many dread what their day may bring. When the moon and stars shone, this used to be a time to relax, a time when people could go for a pleasant walk. Today it is a time when many fear to walk the streets because of muggers and rapists. Other changes in the world scene have also made the heavens take on a fearsome aspect.

The SIPRI Yearbook 1983, published by researchers at the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, reports the following sobering facts:

NUCLEAR WARHEADS: The world stockpile of nuclear weapons has now reached about 50,000 warheads. According to Frank Blackaby, SIPRI director, this means that, on the average, the superpowers together have added one Hiroshima bomb to the world stockpile every 20 minutes, day and night, since the end of World War II in 1945! SIPRI predicts a world stockpile of well over 60,000 nuclear warheads early in the 1990’s. The implications of this cause many people to become “faint out of fear.”

SPACE-WAR POSSIBILITY: An increase in the militarization of outer space has taken place. The superpowers continue the development of antisatellite weapons and space-based lasers. An important military test in outer space took place in June 1982, when one superpower succeeded in having a hunter-killer satellite seek out and destroy another orbiting satellite. Since then, significant advances in military space technology have been made by both superpowers, including successful flights of space shuttles capable of carrying military payloads of 30 tons, also reusable satellite launchers, and the shooting down of a target drone by an airborne laser beam. Indeed, the heavens have taken on a fearsome aspect.

DEADLY SEAS: The number of warships has increased. Nuclear-missile-launching submarines stand at the ready in the seas with their rain of destruction just minutes away from coastlines. No city on earth is out of their range. Surely there is a “roaring” in the seas.

Despite all of this, Jesus said that his disciples would have sound reasons to ‘lift their heads up and rejoice.’ Why?—Luke 21:28-31.

It’s Time for a “New Earth”

WHEN time runs out for this world, will time run out for all people? No! There will be survivors. But will the earth they inherit be a radioactive, scorched cinder or a dark, frozen wasteland? Neither. It will become a place flourishing with plant, animal and human life! Sound strange? If so, look at Jesus’ prophetic words again.

Examine the same chapter of the Bible where Jesus listed the many-faceted sign signaling the nearness of the end of this world. You will find that he likened our period to another one. He said: “Just as the days of Noah were, so the presence of the Son of man will be. . . . They took no note until the flood came and swept them all away.” (Matthew 24:37-39) In Noah’s day, time ran out. For whom or what? Only for the ungodly.

Time did not run out for Noah and his family. They survived into a globe wiped clean of wickedness and to see the earth itself become sparkling new. Why? Because they loved righteousness and obeyed God.—Genesis 6:5-9, 22; 2 Peter 2:5.

“After being given divine warning” of the fact that a global flood was impending, Noah gave evidence that he had practical wisdom. Unlike others of mankind, he showed faith and took action with a view to the saving of his household. (Hebrews 11:7) He proved himself to be a man of godly devotion. Are you, too, such a person? If so, then you can draw comfort from the fact that “Jehovah knows how to deliver people of godly devotion out of trial, but to reserve unrighteous people for the day of judgment to be cut off.”—2 Peter 2:9.

What Conditions Will Prevail?

It is God’s will for this planet to become a perfect paradise of peace for “people of godly devotion,” not a lifeless, charred sphere. The earth is mankind’s everlasting home. Since the Creator holds the ultimate position of power, he can guarantee that the tragedy of complete ruin will never befall our earth. His inspired Word, at Isaiah 45:18, assures us that he ‘did not make it a desolate waste but a place to live in.’—Today’s English Version.

But not only will the planet become a beautiful paradise; human relationships will become just as beautiful. God is causing time to run out for this evil system so that honest-hearted people can enjoy life to the full in a righteous one. That is one reason why he is creating a “new earth”—a new human society—one in which “righteousness is to dwell.”—2 Peter 3:13.

How will the “new earth” be brought about? First, by means of action taken by the “new heavens”—a new heavenly government with Christ as Jehovah’s appointed King, who will rule the earth in righteousness. Second, by education of lovers of truth in God’s righteous ways. Therefore, the survivors into the “new earth” will be only those who show by the way they live their lives that they have really cultivated an intimate relationship with Jehovah and his kingly Son. Are you proving yourself to be such a person?—Isaiah 9:7; John 17:3; 2 Peter 3:13.

“New Earth”—For Whom?

‘But doesn’t everyone desire to live in a righteous earth?’ you may ask. No, not all people would like life in a righteous environment. If they covet their neighbor’s wife, or want the freedom to divorce their own when they think it is time for a change, or would not hesitate to steal something from their fellowman, then they would not enjoy that “new earth.” If their idea of pleasure is sucking smoke into their lungs, sniffing dope up their nostrils or pouring alcohol down their throats until their senses are dull, then they would not like that “new earth.” None of these abuses will exist therein.

But, on the other hand, if you would like to have a part in subduing the earth, transforming it into fields yielding food and parks reflecting beauty, or if you would enjoy exercising loving dominion over the animals, then you would like the “new earth.” If you long for a time when all married partners will be faithful to their own mates, when children can be reared free from the fear of abuse, or when proper moral conduct will be practiced by all, then you will rejoice in the “new earth.” If you wish for a time when bombs will not blow women and children to bits, when oppressive political rule will vanish and commercial greed will be missing, or when men will dwell in peace under their own vine and fig tree, then you will thrill to the prospects of the “new earth.”

In addition, Jehovah’s shower of rich blessings will mean life free from the frustration, irritation, disagreeableness and anxiety that characterize the lives of millions today. And his blessings will include sound health for all. This enjoyment will not be temporary. It will not be cut short by death after 70 or 80 years of life. For God’s Word guarantees the elimination of death, saying: “He will actually swallow up death forever, and the Sovereign Lord Jehovah will certainly wipe the tears from all faces.” Even the dead who are in God’s memory will be resurrected and given the opportunity to prove their love for righteousness.—Isaiah 25:8; John 5:28, 29.

If such a righteous “new earth” appeals to you, then now is the time to begin living for it.

Act Wisely

When time runs out for this ungodly world, it does not have to run out for you. Will you imitate Noah and be a lover of righteousness too? If so, you must act now! Why? Consider this: In an emergency, what results in life? Just hearing the alarm, or the lifesaving action that follows? Isn’t it the action that follows the alarm?

The time is now very near for the arrival of Jehovah’s “new earth.” The alarm is sounding, signaling the fast-approaching destruction of this wicked system of things by God’s hand. The opportunity to take in life-giving knowledge from God’s Word is still before you, like the open door of the ark built by Noah before the Flood. But it will soon swing shut. Therefore, now is the time to show that you really want life. (Zephaniah 2:2, 3) Use the remaining time wisely so that when time finally runs out for this system you will be one who has the happy prospect of survival.

[Pictures on page 11]

Only people who love righteousness will survive into God’s “new earth”

Do You Know What Your Children Read?

“MOMMY, I’m not going to read her books anymore,” declared 11-year-old Shana. She referred to a well-known author of children’s books. When asked why, she showed her mother several passages from the book containing obscenities. Says the mother: “I was shocked, because until then I thought I had checked the books our children were reading, usually reading the book covers to determine the subject matter. But I never dreamed that books written for 10- to 12-year-olds would contain such language. So after commending her for coming to me, I resolved to screen their reading material more carefully in the future.”

For years some TV stations throughout the United States have aired this ten-word message: “It’s ten o’clock. Do you know where your children are?” No loving parent wants his child to be out on the street at night with undesirables. But when was the last time you checked your child’s reading material? Could it be that by means of what they read, your children are associating with people who promote laziness, rebellion, stealing, prostitution, homosexuality and even murder? Do you really KNOW what your children are reading?

What They Read

One mother discovered her nine-year-old with his head buried in a book. But to her delight it turned out to be an encyclopedia! Needless to say, though, this is the exception—not the rule. Far more often a child that age is poring over a comic book or a picture magazine. Such magazines may have their place. But, to be honest, they generally have limited use in teaching good reading habits.a

And what of teenagers? Says Seventeen magazine: “A large chunk of today’s teenage market is focused on romance.” One 16-year-old girl is quoted as saying: “The books are so real. You feel as if you were the main character . . . I can lose myself in them.” A romantic story can have the effect of stimulating fantasies on love and romance long before a youth is in a position to act on those emotions. And in some cases youths have become addicted to such novels, even moving on to romance novels that are sexually graphic.

For example, one young woman started out by reading the older romance novels. But soon, she says, “I just couldn’t get through a day without reading at least one.” To satisfy her desire to read she found herself reading the newer romance novels. “They went into very detailed accounts of immoral sex before marriage,” she recalls.

And what about young boys? They may be turned off by romance, but equally hooked on science fiction, adventure and sports stories. Some are wholesome; some are not.

Not to be overlooked either is what children are assigned to read in school. School often means exposure to such things as the theory of evolution, false religious theories, even sexually explicit films and books. Parents are often unaware of what their children are being taught.

What Parents Can Do

So what can you as a parent do to help your children? Begin by setting a good example yourself. Now, admittedly, this may not be easy for everyone. A missionary of Jehovah’s Witnesses serving in Kenya observed: “In most cases the parents have not had much or any schooling themselves and they do not read very well. So they do not know what their children are being taught in school or what they read on their own.” It may therefore be necessary for parents in such countries to undertake reading instruction themselves. Congregations of Jehovah’s Witnesses often make such training available.

In the more affluent countries, however, parents are generally literate. If this is true of you, how can you capitalize on such an advantage? Simply stated, if you want your children to read, they must see you reading. If you want them to be readers of good books, they must see you reading good books.

Interestingly, the Bible points to the value of such early training. It tells of an outstanding young man named Timothy who ‘from infancy knew the holy writings.’ (2 Timothy 3:15) Apparently Timothy’s mother read the Scriptures to him even when he was an infant! The apostle Paul at least partially credits Timothy’s great love of God’s Word to this training.

Similarly today, reading to children from infancy is vital. One child prodigy (a premed student at age 11) and her three sisters reportedly developed into geniuses because of early parental training. Says their father: “Our children aren’t special. They just had a chance to learn at an early age.” True, it is not likely that you expect your child to be a genius. But the example does highlight the value of establishing good reading habits at an early age. In fact, Dr. Bettelheim observed: “It’s been found that who will do well in school and who will do poorly is largely determined by the end of the third grade. Thus, reading instruction during the first three grades is crucial.”

As your youngsters make efforts to improve their reading, they will need much encouragement and commendation from you. The book How to Motivate Adolescents states: “Praise is probably the most powerful yet the most ignored incentive adults can provide for adolescents!”

But how do parents supervise a child’s reading? Some have found their children, supposedly asleep, reading pornographic material under the covers by flashlight. This does not mean, of course, that parents should resort to snooping and police tactics. But it does emphasize the need for open communication between parents and child. Why not have a frank discussion, explaining to your child just what is objectionable and why you find it so? If you do so in a calm, open and frank way, there will likely be little, if any, resentment. Showing a child the proper “way” often has long-lasting results.—Proverbs 22:6.

Do not take an entirely negative approach to your child’s reading. Instead of wringing your hands over the kind of material filtering down to the young, do something about it! Provide decent literature for your children. The aforementioned youth who perused encyclopedias could only do so because they were in his home in the first place. Might an encyclopedia be a wise investment for your family? And what about the “classics”? Many tell stories of adventure, highlight dependability and loyalty, as well as enlarge a child’s imagination. Do you have such books in your home? If books are too expensive to buy, see if there are public library facilities your child can be encouraged to use.

What about magazines? Many feature photography, history, geography and animals. Publications such as The Watchtower and Awake! can stimulate your child’s interest in the Creator. And when subscriptions to these are sent in the child’s own name, he will be more prone to read them.

School Material

But what about material your child may be taught in school? Some parents have been concerned enough to speak to the school authorities and request that their children be excused from reading certain material the parents found objectionable. Nevertheless, there is a need for balance in this regard. For one thing, life will constantly expose your child to ideas and concepts that are not harmonious with the Bible. And your child will eventually be out on his own in the world. He or she will need the “shrewdness” and “thinking ability” that Solomon encouraged youths to develop so as to be able to sift the true from the false. (Proverbs 1:4) Will endeavoring to shield children from every erroneous idea help them to cultivate these abilities?

Some parents therefore allow their children to carry out their regular homework assignments, while at the same time closely monitoring what they are being taught. They examine the textbooks assigned to their children. On a daily basis they discuss what the children have been taught in school. Regular study of the Bible and frank and open communication help them keep their children’s thinking on the right track.—Deuteronomy 6:6-9.

Of course, there may at times be a real need to approach school authorities, especially when material that is blatantly objectionable is taught. Remember, however, that your child’s teachers are not your adversaries. Teachers generally are conscientious and just as concerned about your child’s scholastic abilities as you are. So periodically visit the classroom and get acquainted with the teachers as your time and circumstances permit.

The ability to read is basic to learning. Without it, learning is difficult. With it, there is hardly anything one cannot learn. Children who enjoy reading have a real advantage.

[Footnotes]

See the article “Comic Books—Should Your Child Read Them?” appearing in Awake! of June 22, 1983.

[Blurb on page 13]

If you want them to read good books, they must see you reading good books

Go to College or Learn a Trade?

IT IS ironic that many countries that have high unemployment among their young people are also suffering a shortage of certain types of skilled workers. William Davis, premier of Ottawa, Canada, claims that “our attitude towards the skilled trades” is partially responsible for the gap between available jobs and skilled laborers. This viewpoint is seen in the prevalent opinion that “parents are making an error” if they do not send their children to college. However, Davis declared that there is nothing wrong with parents’ encouraging their children to learn a trade rather than attend a university to prepare them for some profession. He continued, “Partly as a result of social pressure to attend post-secondary institutions, partly through a lack of appreciation for the talent and importance of skilled trades, fewer young people have considered this to be an attractive career option.” “All jobs are relevant,” he said further, and people becoming competent in technical fields make valuable contributions to the community. He also observed that young persons who are trained to “acquire relevant skills” are also helped to “achieve a satisfying life.”

Conquest in the Name of the Church

“If Jesus were alive today, he would be a freedom fighter.” These words by a prominent Protestant church official typify a trend in modern Christendom. An African bishop praises the “righteous violence” of successful revolutionaries. Protestant Churches give donations to nationalist guerrilla organizations. Priests take up arms to fight for a “theology of liberation.” Increasingly, religiously committed people appear ready to use violence to achieve their goals. Do you feel that this is right? The accompanying article discusses a historical example of such a “Christian” use of force. It contains some sobering lessons.

GOLD, glory and the Gospel. These three things are said to have sparked the colonization of the American continent. One of the colonizers confessed that he went to America “for the service of God . . . and also to get rich”!

The year 1992 will mark the 500th anniversary of the first crossing of the Atlantic by Christopher Columbus, which opened the way for that colonization. Columbus’ epic journey ushered in an exciting period of exploration of the American continent. The result? Untold riches poured back across the Atlantic to Europe, and European religion was planted in foreign soil. The cost? This was largely borne by the native Americans, who were subjugated and decimated by the vigor, the treachery, the cruelty and the unfamiliar diseases of the foreigners.

These foreigners came to be called conquistadores (conquerors). They were, as historian J. F. Bannon puts it, “a curious combination of saint and devil.” There is no denying their bravery, and some of their feats are familiar to every schoolboy.

Who has not heard of Vasco Núñez de Balboa, who tramped across the Isthmus of Panama, through miles of unknown forests, mountains and swamps, to become the first white man to see the Pacific Ocean? Or Hernán Cortés, who ranged far and wide with his men to conquer the Aztecs in what is now Mexico? Then there were Francisco Pizarro and his brothers, who after more than two years of hard fighting subjugated the vast Inca Empire in what is today called Peru. Another was Pedro de Valdivia, who headed south to conquer Chile and displace the Araucanian Indians.

How were they able to conquer established empires so quickly? There were many reasons. For example, Cortés’ success against the Aztecs was probably partly due to internal unrest in the Aztec Empire. Also, for the first time Aztecs encountered European crossbows, muskets, swords and horsemen. Besides, the Aztec ruler Montezuma believed that Cortés was a returning god.

Whatever the reason, the successful conquistadores were soon followed by the “farmer, miner and priest, all equipped to create permanent homes in a new world.” But what had religion to do with the conquest?

In the Service of Their Religion

Of a truth, conversion was a prime consideration in the great adventure. In Spain, the homeland of the majority of the conquistadores, two outstanding rulers, Ferdinand and Isabella, had “kindled a wave of nationalist and religious fervour” that found its greatest expression in the conquest of Latin America.—The Encyclopædia Britannica.

In 1493 Pope Alexander VI divided the world between the Portuguese and the Spanish explorers, granting Spain everything that lay to the west of an imaginary line stretching from the North Pole to the South Pole, 300 miles (480 km) west of the Cape Verde islands. This was “in return for converting the heathen.” Later, at the Treaty of Tordesillas, both powers ratified this division and amended it by moving the line farther west.

Interestingly, the effect of this papal involvement is still felt. The coast of modern-day Brazil, when it was discovered, was found to lie in the Portuguese section of the world. Hence, even today, Brazil speaks Portuguese, while the major part of the rest of South and Central America speaks Spanish.

Many of the conquistadores, it appears, kept in mind the religious side of their mission. For example, Professor P. J. Mahon and Jesuit priest J. M. Hayes write: “The conversion of the natives was an object of which Cortés never lost sight. In one of his reports to the emperor, dated 1524, he says that, ‘as many times as I have written to your Sacred Majesty, I have told your Highness of the readiness which there is in some of the natives to receive our Holy Catholic faith, and become Christians. And I have sent to supplicate your Imperial Majesty that you would have the goodness to provide for that end religious persons of good life and example.’”—Trials and Triumphs of the Catholic Church in America.

Historian William H. Prescott adds: “There was nothing which the Spanish government had more earnestly at heart than the conversion of the Indians. It forms the constant burden of their instructions, and gave to the military expeditions in this western hemisphere somewhat of the air of a crusade.” But note this: “No doubt was entertained of the efficacy of conversion, however sudden might be the change or however violent the means. The sword was a good argument, when the tongue failed.”

Nevertheless, these adventurers often went about their work of conversion with an odd mixture of sincerity and brutality. Take, for example, what happened to Atahualpa, king of the Incas.

The Conversion of Atahualpa

The conqueror of the Inca Empire was Pizarro. With only a few soldiers, Pizarro felt that the only way he could overcome the Inca Empire would be to capture Atahualpa and hold him hostage. He arranged to meet the Inca ruler in Cajamarca on November 16, 1532. But before Atahualpa arrived Pizarro secretly stationed his artillery and soldiers on three sides of the city square. Then the ruler himself arrived with more than 3,000 of his men—all unarmed except for small clubs and slings.

Historian Robert Barton gives an account of what followed: “A Dominican friar named Vicente de Valverde approached the throne with Bible in hand to explain the holy forces of Christianity. He began by describing the Creator, and spoke at greater length about Jesus Christ and His supreme sacrifice on the cross. He concluded by asking Atahualpa to renounce his own pagan religion and to acknowledge the suzerainty of Emperor Charles V who would protect him henceforth in this world just as Jesus Christ would in the next.”—A Short History of the Republic of Bolivia.

The Inca ruler must have been astonished at this discourse. According to Barton, he answered: “‘As for your God, He was put to death by the very men He created, whereas mine,’ pointing to the large red sun just then setting behind the sierras, ‘mine lives forever and protects his children. By what authority do you say these things?’” The friar pointed to the Bible and handed it to Atahualpa, who threw it to the ground. Friar Vicente, picking up his Bible, hurried to tell Pizarro what had happened. He is reported to have said: “Attack at once. I absolve you.” Pizarro gave the signal for the attack, and hundreds of the defenseless Indians were slaughtered and Atahualpa was taken prisoner.

Atahualpa negotiated with Pizarro for his release. He offered a huge ransom in gold and silver, which Pizarro agreed to accept. But when the treasure was duly delivered, Pizarro reneged on his promise. Atahualpa was brought to trial and, as an idolater, condemned to death by fire. Many of Pizarro’s advisers protested at such an act of treachery—but not the priest Valverde. Eventually, Atahualpa professed himself a Christian and was baptized. But he was killed anyway on August 29, 1533, by strangulation.

Pizarro then completed the conquest of the Inca Empire. In the course of this, “he erected churches, cast down idols, and set up crosses on the highways.” (The Trials and Triumphs of the Catholic Church in America) But do you think that the religion he was thus spreading was real Christianity?

Did It Work?

Militarily, the endeavor was a success. The small bands of conquistadores enlarged the empires of their homelands and, for the most part, reaped glory and gold for themselves. But did they achieve any Christian ends by their violence?

For a while it must have seemed so. “The priests accompanying the early expeditions righteously destroyed temples and idols, and denounced heathenism; wholesale conversions began when missionaries arrived from Spain . . . Indians accepted baptism with great zeal.” (Encyclopædia Britannica) How deep, though, were the conversions?

Historian Ruggiero Romano comments: “The natives of this country, although they have been taught the gospels for a long time, are not any more Christian now than they were at the time of the conquest, for, as far as faith is concerned, they have no more now than they had at that time . . . In present-day Bolivia and in the south of Peru, the old pagan deity Pacha-Mama (Earth-mother) still remains alive, although assimilated in the Virgin . . . In Mexico, the cult of the Virgin of Guadalupe has its roots in the cult of the goddess Tonantzin (Mother of the gods).”—Mecanismos da Conquista Colonial.

The same author said: “The evangelization many times resulted in failure . . . Why? Because violence also dominates the gospel preaching. How to offer a religion that pretends love, when it is considered that ‘no one can doubt that gunpowder used against the unfaithful is like incense to the Lord’?”

No, truly Christian ends can never be gained by such violent means. Conversions at the point of the sword can never result in the changed personalities and personal commitments that true Christianity demands. Rather, the “evangelists” themselves become corrupted. Note that in many of those lands first opened up by sword-bearing, evangelical conquistadores there is still bitter conflict and division. And today some priests and nuns there promote a struggle with modern weapons for a “theology of liberation.”

Jesus’ approach was different. Do you remember his reaction on the night he was arrested when the apostle Peter tried to protect him with a sword? Jesus said: “Return your sword to its place, for all those who take the sword will perish by the sword.” (Matthew 26:52) A little later that same day, Jesus said to Pontius Pilate: “My kingdom is no part of this world. If my kingdom were part of this world, my attendants would have fought that I should not be delivered up to the Jews. But, as it is, my kingdom is not from this source.”—John 18:36.

Those fearless and thought-provoking words show that if Jesus were a man on earth today he certainly would not be a freedom fighter resorting to arms. Hence, those who truly follow in Jesus’ footsteps cannot be involved in such violence. (1 Peter 2:21-23) Since this is so, we have to ask the question: Whose “kingdom” really was represented by warriors such as Cortés and Pizarro? And on behalf of whose “kingdom” today are those activist Protestant and Catholic ministers fighting? Clearly, it is not on behalf of the Kingdom ruled over by Jesus Christ.

[Blurb on page 18]

The conquistadores often went about their work of conversion with an odd mixture of sincerity and brutality

[Blurb on page 19]

Although they offered a religion that professed love, they viewed gunpowder used against the unfaithful as “incense to the Lord”

Quenching the Thirst of a Giant

By “Awake!” correspondent in Mexico

MEXICO CITY, with an estimated urban population of 17 million, may now be the largest city in the world. Supplying such a huge metropolitan area with ample water is a major task.

Each inhabitant uses, on an average, 360 litersa daily—1,520 cupfuls! To complicate the picture, it is estimated that by the year 2000, Mexico City will have a population of 28 million. This has triggered an intense search for a source of water that can fill both present and future needs.

Up to 1982, Mexico City was supplied with water from numerous wells and springs, also from some rivers that come down from the southern and western mountains. However, the main source of drinking water for the metropolitan area was, and still is, the spongy soil under Mexico City. This subsoil is 85 percent water. But the city uses more water from the subsoil than is replenished by rainfall. The result has been a gradual sinking of the city. Some parts sink as much as 30 centimetersb a year.

To relieve the situation, Mexico City looked to the Cutzamala River and its tributaries. However, two obstacles had to be hurdled. One was the distance. The river is about 200 kilometersc from Mexico City. Yet, a greater barrier is that the water would have to be lifted 2,000 meters!d Imagine lifting water to a height equal to almost five times that of the tallest building in the world!e

The water from the Cutzamala River was already being funneled 900 metersf up into the Colorines reservoir. Still it had to be sent 1,100 metersg higher and increased in volume by water from smaller reservoirs until it reached Mexico City. Never before in the annals of waterworks has there existed a project that pumps so much water to such a height.

To date, the first of three stages has been completed. Already stage one is supplying 4,000 litersh per second from the Villa Victoria reservoir. It was expected that by October 1984, Mexico City would be receiving 2,000 litersi per second more, and it is hoped that the goal of 19,000 litersj per second will be reached in 1987.

The inhabitants of Mexico City have reason to be grateful not only to the engineers and laborers working on the “Cutzamala System” but also to the One who causes “rains from heaven” to supply water for all mankind.—Acts 14:17.

[Footnotes]

One liter equals .26 gallon (U.S.).

One kilometer equals .6 mile; one meter equals 39 inches; one centimeter equals .39 inch.

The Sears Tower of Chicago, in the United States, is 443 meters tall.

One kilometer equals .6 mile; one meter equals 39 inches; one centimeter equals .39 inch.

One liter equals .26 gallon (U.S.).

[Map on page 20]

(For fully formatted text, see publication)

MAP OF MEXICO

Mexico City

Colorines Reservoir

Balsas River

Cutzamala River

Villa Victoria Reservoir

How Can I Win My Parents’ Respect?

Young People Ask . . .

How Can I Win My Parents’ Respect?

You expect Mom and Dad to be upset. After all, you promised to be home by ten, and ten has long come and gone. But how were you to know there would be an accident blocking traffic in both directions? And you would have called—if you could have got to a telephone.

Finally you are home, nervous but confident that your well-rehearsed explanation will be sympathetically heard by your folks. Instead, they pounce on you with questions so quickly that you can hardly catch your breath. Mom cries that she ‘almost called the police,’ while Dad decrees that you are ‘grounded’ for a month! ‘Why don’t they trust me?’ you ask yourself. ‘Why do they always treat me like a kid?’

MANY teenagers complain that they just do not get the respect they feel they’re entitled to from their parents. Rather than being trusted, they are judged guilty without a trial. Rather than being allowed freedom, they are hemmed in by rules. Said one teenage girl: ‘My father has set so many rules and restrictions, I feel as though I’m in prison. I’m growing older and I am tired of being treated in this way. There are certain things that I want and expect from my parents at this stage of life. I want to be understood, to be treated as an individual.’

Perhaps you, too, would like your relationship with your parents to be a little more based on mutual understanding, tolerance and respect. But how is this accomplished?

Changing Images, Changing Patterns

Writer Andrea Eagan observes: “By the time you’re a teenager, you and your parents have a long and complicated relationship behind you, and you’ve developed patterns in relating with one another that may be difficult to break.” So if your folks at times treat you like a small child, remember that not too long ago you really were a child. Your parents’ image of you as a lovable, helpless infant is thus quite fresh and not so easily set aside. Nor is it easy for them to change their long-established methods of dealing with you. The childish mistakes you used to make may be quite fresh in their minds.

If your folks are upset because you have stayed out too late, ask yourself: ‘Have I been out late before without a legitimate excuse? How often?’ ‘Are there times when I have been less than honest with my folks?’ Some youths find themselves ‘reaping what they have sown.’ (Galatians 6:7) When problems arise, their parents may almost by force of habit jump to conclusions.

Fortunately you can change your parents’ image of you. A young man named Timothy was once told: “Let no man ever look down on your youth. On the contrary, become an example to the faithful ones in speaking, in conduct, in love, in faith, in chasteness.” (1 Timothy 4:12) The message here is that young people can earn the respect of others. What are some ways you can do this?

“Gaping Holes”

In stating the famous golden rule, Jesus Christ said: “All things, therefore, that you want men to do to you, you also must likewise do to them.” (Matthew 7:12) So if you want your parents to treat you with respect, treat them with respect!

This may not always be easy to do. When you’re a small child, you tend to look upon your parents as all-wise and all-knowing. “Then, with dizzying swiftness,” says writer Mike Edelhart, “our emerging adulthood shifts the focus of our view, and our parents become merely people, a man and a woman with gaping holes in their personalities, with huge frustrations, failures, uncertainties.” At least, that is how he viewed the matter. But it is true that, when you become aware of your parents’ faults, there may be a tendency to magnify these in your mind.

Some youths view their parents as “villains” (‘They don’t care about anybody but themselves!’). Some conclude they have somehow “outgrown” them (‘My folks just don’t know what’s going on!’). Others even disrespectfully talk back to them. A youth who reacts in these ways, though, not only alienates his parents but also spotlights his own immaturity. Acting like a child, he will surely be treated like one.

The apostle Paul, however, once recalled: “Furthermore, we used to have fathers who were of our flesh to discipline us, and we used to give them respect.” (Hebrews 12:9) The parents of these early Christians were no more infallible or all-knowing than your folks. Paul continued (Heb 12 verse 10): “Our human fathers . . . could only do what they thought best.”—The Jerusalem Bible.

At times these men erred in their judgment. Yet they merited their children’s respect. So do your parents. Sure, they have flaws, but remember, you have a few “gaping holes” in your personality too. Try being objective about their faults and give them the same respect you want for yourself.

Misunderstandings

Another opportunity to win respect comes when misunderstandings occur. Suppose that you have two angry parents to contend with. Getting angry yourself just makes a bad situation worse. Recall, however, how young Jesus handled himself when his parents were upset. Having accidentally left Jerusalem without him, his anxious parents searched high and low for him for three days. Upon finding him in the temple, innocently discussing God’s Word with some teachers, his parents were nonetheless quite upset. But did Jesus launch into an emotional tirade, cry, or whine about how unfair it was of them to impugn his motives? Note his calm reply: “Why did you have to go looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in the house of my Father?” (Luke 2:41-49) No doubt Jesus’ parents were impressed by the maturity he here displayed. And there is no record that they ever again questioned his whereabouts.

“An answer, when mild,” not only “turns away rage” but can also help win your parents’ respect.—Proverbs 15:1.

Rules and Regulations

Until you fully win your parents’ confidence, they will likely place some restrictions upon you. How you respond to their demands, though, has a lot to do with whether these restrictions will eventually be loosened or tightened yet further. Some youths, for example, openly defy their parents or secretly disobey them. But the authors of the book Options warn: “Lying to them when you want them to trust you makes as much sense as stealing to prove how honest you are. When they catch you, they’re likely to crack down on you even more, just for being a sneak.”

Try a more adult approach. If you want permission to stay out late, don’t make childish “demands,” or whine that “all the other kids can stay out late.” Says writer Andrea Eagan: “Being reasonable with your parents includes a number of things. One is telling them as much as you can about what it is you want to do, so that they really understand the situation. . . . If you tell them all about where you’ll be and with whom and why it’s important to you to stay out later . . . they just might say yes.”

Or if your parents want to screen your friends—as well they should—don’t whimper like a child. Recommended Seventeen magazine: “Bring friends home with you from time to time, so that when you say you’re going to the movies with Bill, your father has no reason to roar from the other room, ‘Bill? Bill who?’” And even if you feel your folks’ demands are unreasonable, don’t rebel. Talk it over with them.

This may not be easy. So keep a tight rein on your emotions. Says Proverbs 29:11: “All his spirit is what a stupid one lets out, but he that is wise keeps it calm to the last.” Assure your folks that you love them and that you appreciate their concern. Explain that you want to grow up into a responsible adult, and discuss straightforwardly the things that you feel will contribute to this growth.

After hearing what you have to say, your parents may—or may not—make an adjustment in what they require of you. But in any event, they will have observed your mature handling of matters. And over a period of time, as they observe your responsible behavior, their image of you as a helpless child will begin to fade, and they will find themselves looking at you in an entirely new way—with a newfound respect.

[Blurb on page 22]

“Lying to [your parents] when you want them to trust you makes as much sense as stealing to prove how honest you are”

Traditions for Burning?

“REMEMBER, remember, the fifth of November!” What is the reason for England’s popular annual cry?

It all goes back to the year 1605 when Roman Catholic conspirators plotted to blow up Protestant King James I of England—the king of Bible-translation fame—along with all his ministers of state. The gunpowder was discovered under the Houses of Parliament and most of the conspirators were put to death, including Guy Fawkes, the first to be arrested. Ever since, the anniversary of the Gunpowder Plot on November 5, known as Guy Fawkes’ Night, has been remembered by means of bonfires and firework displays up and down the country.

The children love it! But then, so do the parents who spend around £20 million each year on 100 million fireworks, simply to perpetuate this national custom.

A common sight is the burning of an effigy of Guy Fawkes, a strawstuffed figure usually perched prominently on top of the bonfire pile. However, in Lewes, a small market town in southern England, effigies of prominent politicians and local dignitaries also go up in flames, along with those of pop stars and other well-known figures. Each of the town’s five main Bonfire Societies vies with the others to put on the most impressive show. But the fiercely Protestant Cliffe Bonfire Society stands apart. Carrying its “No Popery” banner, it still insists on burning an effigy of Pope Paul V, the contemporary of Guy Fawkes, believed by many to have been implicated in the Gunpowder Plot.

Despite the pleadings of the local town council, the organizers remain adamant that this tradition shall not be lost. They point to the Martyrs’ Monument illuminated on a nearby hilltop. It commemorates Lewes’ 17 Protestants who were burned to death for their faith outside the old Star Inn during the reign of the Roman Catholic queen Mary Tudor.

The chairman of the Lewes and District Council of Churches, a Church of England clergyman, has roundly denounced the practice as “out of date, and offensive to living Christians.” Local Roman Catholic priests are likewise pressing more volubly as the years go by for the demise of “these poisonous anti-Catholic feelings” as they are “a public insult to the Catholic religion,” but to no avail.

“Burn him! Burn him!” The shouting from the pressing crowd rises to a crescendo as the pope’s effigy is prepared for its fate. Stuffed with fireworks, it takes time to explode in a truly spectacular display, pyrotechnics at its best.

As midnight approaches, all effigies having been burned, along with 6,000 torches, and fireworks exhausted, the merrymaking draws to an end. The 12 bands of colourful carnival that threaded its way through the ancient town’s narrow streets during the earlier part of the evening disperse, together with 50,000 revellers from far and wide. The thousands of fancy-dress costumes are carefully stored away and the organizers retire, secretly to plan for an even more spectacular event next year.

For the casual visitor it is all so bewildering, so unexpected. That staid Englishmen should be capable of such religious fervour is an extraordinary fact in itself. But Rome’s intolerance, centuries ago, kindled what many passionate advocates of ecumenism today consider to be a backlash of bigotry, having no place in this 20th century. Traditions die hard—especially in England!—By “Awake!” correspondent in the British Isles.

Coping With High Prices

Housewives around the world are facing rising prices and, often, diminishing incomes. How do they cope?

This article from the Dominican Republic shows how some housewives in that Caribbean country are handling these problems

“WE HAVE changed our life-style since you were here,” confessed my friend, whom I had not seen in some time. “With prices ever higher and less money coming in, we just could not keep up with our old way of life.”

…

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Awake!, October 22, 1984