Awake!, September 8, 1985

Awake! — September 8, 1985

Source: jw.org

Contents

Page Two

A Growing Problem With Reading

Why Some Do Not Read

Improve Your Reading—You Can Do It!

Your Medical Freedom—The Courts Speak!

‘Can Smoking Pot Ruin My Health?’

Acrostic Puzzle

Horoscopes—Helpful or Harmful?

“School and Jehovah’s Witnesses”—The Brochure Is Helping

Blind But Leading a Full Life

They Call Me Man’s Best Friend

From Our Readers

Watching the World

Can You Pass This Survival Test?

Are You Looking for a Marriage Mate?

Page Two

The ability to read is vital in most parts of the world if one is to cope with even everyday problems in life. More than that, the skill of reading can open doors to knowledge that can enrich one’s life more than practically any other activity. But how can one improve one’s reading? The following articles provide useful information on how you can improve your reading skill

A Growing Problem With Reading 3

Why Some Do Not Read 4

Improve Your Reading—You Can Do It! 6

A Growing Problem With Reading

IMAGINE the problem of finding your way if you could not read a street sign. How would you take medicine properly if you could not read the instructions on the container? And how could you apply for a job if you could not read the application?

These are just a few of the problems facing those who cannot read. Yet it is estimated that one out of five American adults, about 27,000,000, are functionally illiterate.a In 1980 there were altogether some 824 million illiterates worldwide, age 15 and over, and the number is rapidly growing. The consequences are sad. For example, in the United States the Labor Department reported that up to 75 percent of the unemployed lack the necessary skills in reading and communication.

Yet those who cannot read do not simply face problems in employment. They are deprived of so much that brings pleasure and happiness. Think of the improved quality of life that can result from increased knowledge of the world around us. How limited we would be if we were to learn only from what we observe or experience ourselves! Reading opens the door to the accumulated knowledge of centuries.

Reading is a remarkable human ability. As Science Digest puts it: “In an instant your eyes and mind are playing hunches, cutting corners, filling gaps and dealing with an information processing task that would challenge the most ingenious computer.”

Would you like to improve your reading skill? Or would you like to assist someone else to do so? In the following two articles some of the factors contributing to reading problems will be examined, and suggestions will be given to help improve one’s reading.

[Footnotes]

A person who is functionally illiterate is unable to use ordinary reading and writing skills, such as needed for reading applications, taking tests, etc.

[Picture on page 3]

How could you apply for a job if you could not read the application?

Why Some Do Not Read

MANY view reading as a chore. Why? For one thing, some never really learn to read while going to school. One 34-year-old woman said that whenever she looked at a printed page, all she saw was “jumbled-up stuff” that did not make any sense. At times, it would take her up to two minutes to read a sentence.

Not long ago, a high school graduate sued the San Francisco Unified School District for half a million dollars because it awarded him a high school diploma even though he was barely literate. According to the report, he was reading at a fifth- or sixth-grade level when he received his diploma. As a result, when applying for jobs, he found himself incapable of properly handling the application forms. How could this happen?

Diverse Methods of Instruction

Unfortunately, certain methods of reading education seem to have proved seriously defective. In recent years, much criticism has been launched against the “see and say” method. This method teaches students to recognize whole words without being able to pronounce the individual syllables and letters that make them up. The main objection to this method is that it produces readers who guess at words, who are poor at pronouncing new words, and who read inaccurately because they confuse similar-looking words.

To illustrate: In his book Why Johnny Still Can’t Read, author Rudolf Flesch reprinted a letter he received from a woman who described herself as a victim of the “see and say” method. She said: “We could look at the pictures, for example an apple. The teacher would tell us to remember the word apple because it had two P’s in it. This meant that every time I saw a word with two P’s in it, I thought it said apple.”

It is estimated that the “see and say” method enables a child to recognize only about 350 words at the end of the first grade. By the end of the second grade he can recognize about 1,100 more words, another 1,200 by the end of the third grade, and an additional 1,550 by the end of the fourth grade. That represents a total of 4,200 words in the child’s vocabulary.

By contrast, it has been estimated that children who are taught reading by the “phonics first” method can expect to learn up to 40,000 words by the end of their fourth year of elementary schooling. “Phonics” means “of vocal sounds,” and in the phonic method the student is taught not merely what the letters are called but also how they sound in a word. First the vowel sounds are learned and then the consonants. Thereafter, the two are combined into two-, three-, or four-letter combinations to form words, then phrases, and finally sentences. (See Awake! of July 8, 1967, pages 12-16.) Independent testing seems to support the “phonics first” method of reading instruction in primary grades.

To complicate matters further, however, some teachers may view negatively the learning capacity of their students. One expert stated: “Whether children are ‘advantaged’ or ‘disadvantaged,’ black or white, rich or poor, does not have anything to do with how successfully children learn to read. Based on my professional experiences, such statements are only excuses for not teaching children to read.”—Italics ours.

Other Factors Affect Reading

Television is cited as another reason why people do not read. It has been estimated that a person in the United States who lives to be 70 will have watched 70,000 hours of television in his lifetime, second only to the time spent working and sleeping! TV Guide reports: “An increasing body of scientific evidence attests to the incompatibility of heavy TV viewing and mastery of the basic skills of reading and writing for the beginning elementary-school child. Studies . . . suggest that even children who come from backgrounds where reading is valued but who are also allowed to watch a lot of TV are highly vulnerable to reading difficulties.”

Still other factors bear directly on a person’s ability to develop good reading skills. “A child whose eyes are not functioning properly may suffer from headaches, eyestrain, nervous tension, and other ailments which may make reading a very unpleasant activity.” In regular classes, however, often little attention is given to such pupils.—Diagnostic and Remedial Teaching, page 49.

Hearing defects are at times a factor. Partly deaf children would naturally be handicapped in classes where phonetic methods of teaching are employed.

Emotional factors play a significant role as well. For example, “a child who has met with initial failure in reading frequently develops an emotional attitude toward reading which hinders further progress,” says one authority, adding: “The sight of a book or the mention of the word reading has been known to cause certain individuals to become tense and uncomfortable.” Also, the environment of a broken home, insecurity in the home, or neurotic parents can often have an effect upon a child’s progress in reading.

Most significant of all factors affecting a poor reader is his failure to read. The point is that no one has ever learned to read without reading. Often, such failure to read has its roots in one or more of the physical or emotional factors already discussed.

Whatever the reason for an individual’s reading handicap, a genuine effort to overcome it will, in time, produce some results. Next, we will offer suggestions that may help.

[Picture on page 5]

Children who are allowed to watch too much TV are highly vulnerable to reading difficulties

Improve Your Reading—You Can Do It!

ADMITTEDLY, there is no magic formula for better reading. However, if you can read, then you can read better! We cannot hope to read better without reading regularly. At least half an hour a day should be set aside for this purpose—more if possible.

The Need to Be Selective

Be selective in what you read. Choose material that contains words familiar to you and subjects that are not technical. Then, progressively select material that will develop your vocabulary.

Be selective in another sense, too, for not all literature is upbuilding or refreshing to the mind. A wise man once said: “To the making of many books there is no end, and much devotion to them is wearisome to the flesh.” (Ecclesiastes 12:12) Publications abound today and many provide wholesome reading. Select those that will benefit you the most morally and spiritually. In the Bible book of Proverbs, chapter 13, verse 20, it states: “He that is walking with wise persons will become wise, but he that is having dealings with the stupid ones will fare badly.” This principle applies as much to selecting what one reads as to being selective with the company one keeps.

A Change in Reading Habits

Obviously, we cannot read at birth. Like many other things in life, reading is a skill that is developed. Can a person become a good pianist without practicing on a piano? Or can anyone become a good tennis player without playing a lot of tennis? If a person develops bad habits early in his career as a pianist or tennis player, he must correct them or remain handicapped by them.

This is true of reading. If, at an early age, a student develops bad reading habits, he handicaps himself. As a result, he must struggle through life, wrestling with the printed page with very limited reading skills. As he gets older, it becomes more difficult to break bad reading habits. But this can be done—if a person is willing to make the effort! Let’s consider some of these habits.

The primary physical aspect of reading involves eye movement. Each time you read a line of print, your eyes make a series of stops, or fixations. These fixations are important because it is only when they occur that the eye really sees what is there. During these intervals, the visual impression is transmitted to the brain for “decoding.” The brain, not the eye, does the reading. Your eyes are an extension of your brain.

A slow reader stops at almost every word. This disjoints the messages sent to the brain, and reading becomes a chore because the eyes are overworked and little of what is read is remembered. In contrast, efficient readers have smooth and rhythmic eye movements as they progress over a page of print. They learn to reduce the number of visual stops, or fixations, per line. By reading phrases or word groupings, they are able to move more rapidly over a page of print and increase their comprehension.

This brings up the matter of regression. To regress means to go back and reread material already read. Most regressions are habitual. Of course, there are times when a particular thought may be obscure. To go back and reread what was said may then be essential. However, most regressions are not really necessary and merely slow down the reader. Whenever possible, avoid regressing.

Another habit that many authorities believe hinders good reading development is vocalization. That is when the reader moves his lips, actually saying every word to himself. Similarly, some people say the words to themselves silently, “hearing” them in the mind. This is known as subvocalization. Vocalizing or subvocalizing limits the number of words we can read per minute because, in effect, we are reading only about as fast as we speak. The average person may speak about 125 words per minute, while records show that an average reading speed is 230-250 words per minute.

Since there are many things we will want to read over faster than we can do while vocalizing, it would be good not to make vocalizing a general practice. Make yourself read faster than you could possibly vocalize or subvocalize. Make an effort to read word groupings. And remember, vocalization or subvocalization is generally not an aid to comprehension.

However, as with regression, there are times when vocalization may be appropriate. If one wants to meditate deeply on certain material, or to commit it to memory, then it could be helpful not only to repeat words over and over again but also to vocalize to some extent. Generally this is done “in an undertone,” or aloud.

Interestingly, Joshua, a leader of the ancient nation of Israel, was commanded: “This book of the law [of God] should not depart from your mouth, and you must in an undertone read in it day and night.” Why? “In order that you may take care to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way successful and then you will act wisely.” (Joshua 1:8) Reading the “book of the law” in an undertone (vocalizing) would be helpful in committing it to memory as well as meditating carefully on all the thoughts expressed there. Thus, the Law would be before Joshua constantly to remind him how he should conduct himself as a servant of God. Similarly, faithful Christians today appreciate the wisdom of “remembering” God’s Word and meditating on it, and they therefore read it regularly.—Psalm 103:17, 18; compare Proverbs 4:5.

Developing Better Comprehension

In his book Diagnostic and Remedial Teaching, Glenn Myers Blair stated: “The primary goal of all reading improvement programs is to develop power of comprehension on the part of pupils. Other matters are of secondary importance.” Basically, comprehending what you read means getting the sense of it, understanding it. This is what makes reading valuable and worth while.

Robert Krych, educator and lecturer at City College of New York, recommended: “To aid comprehension, at all times endeavor to read with a purpose. Decide in advance what you want from the material you select to read. On one occasion you may wish to read in order to obtain specific facts. At other times, your reading may be simply for pleasure and recreation. Whatever is the case, adjust the rate of reading to the purpose and difficulty of the material to be read. Become critical when reading. Ask yourself: Why did the writer say this? What was his objective? Isolate the main point or thought of the paragraph. Ask, In what way does it affect me, the reader?” Yes, make it your habit to read with a purpose and you will find reading to be a pleasure.

Reading Well Brings Many Benefits

Good reading habits are essential, whether you are a student, a professional person, a housewife, or an office or factory worker. Many doors are open to those who read well.

A student who is a good reader becomes more proficient in his work and doubtless will learn more in school. He can minimize time spent in reading and rereading assignments.

Similarly, a businessman or professional person with good reading ability will be able to cope successfully with lengthy reports and the like. In turn, this will allow more time for personal contacts with patients, clients, or customers. Improved reading skills will enable him to engage in more extensive reading, and this will assist him to become better acquainted with the work, studies, and experiments carried on by others.

With the increased knowledge acquired through improved reading skill, family heads can often improve their job skills and ability to care for responsibility. The ability to read directions, regulations, and similar instructions will, in many parts of the world, assist in caring better for things in the home. Reading skill is also a help when it comes to managing the family’s finances.

Housewives who acquire greater knowledge through reading will be better able to care for the family with regard to proper nutrition, hygiene, prevention of sickness, or those who become ill. Mothers who are good readers may have success in teaching their children to read before they enter school.—See Awake! of May 22, 1968, pages 20-2.

More important, one who reads well can acquire knowledge that will lead to life beyond even this present system of things. Bible prophecies pertaining to the conclusion of the present system of things are now being fulfilled. It is vital for all who would entertain the hope of enjoying everlasting life on a paradise earth to acquire a knowledge of our Creator and his purposes. Jesus stated at John 17:3: “This means everlasting life, their taking in knowledge of you, the only true God, and of the one whom you sent forth, Jesus Christ.”

Without a doubt, then, a door leading to a world of knowledge and excitement is open to anyone who is willing to enter. The key is reading. Yes, read well and that door is always open to you!

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Be selective with your reading material

Your Medical Freedom—The Courts Speak!

THREE recent court cases may affect your life and medical care. Physicians, hospital personnel, judges, and Jehovah’s Witnesses have given the cases much attention. All who know the facts can be grateful for the bearing these cases have on human rights, legal protections, and respect for God’s laws.

The Randolph Case—Death After Transfusion

An accurate understanding of the first case might be hard for you to come by. Why? Because many newspapers and medical publications gave a distorted picture of it. In fact, this distortion evidently displeased Judge Bambrick, of the Supreme Court of the State of New York, who had presided over the case. He wrote a clarifying 53-page opinion.1

In it Judge Bambrick observed that “the fourth branch of government, the press,” had so misrepresented the case that he had “to set the record straight, and restate the law of the case as it was presented to the jury.” The press sadly has kept quiet about this valuable opinion that focused in on their failure. But we are happy to share with you vital information from what Judge Bambrick wrote. His accurate account can bear on your medical freedom, whether you are a doctor, a lawyer, or simply a citizen concerned about your own rights involving medical care.

Let us draw from the judge’s published opinion the basic facts, italicizing noteworthy points: In July 1975, Mrs. Bessie Randolph (age 45) was admitted to a New York City hospital to deliver her fourth child, by cesarean section. It was noted on hospital documents that, as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, she would not take blood.a Her physician accepted her deep-seated religious convictions, for she had made her decision as a conscious, competent adult. After the successful delivery, a uterine condition led to a total hysterectomy. But Judge Bambrick states: “Due to both Mrs. Randolph’s condition and [the doctor’s] surgical technique, there was massive hemorrhaging.”

During the next hour or so she lost much blood. At 12:45 p.m. the doctor began to transfuse one unit of blood, and at 1:30 p.m. a second unit. However, Mrs. Randolph’s heart stopped, and she was pronounced dead at 2:00 p.m. Later, her husband (not one of Jehovah’s Witnesses) sued the physicians and the hospital. One doctor settled out of court. Then in February 1984 a jury returned a verdict in favor of Mr. Randolph. News reports of this were rather critical. One legal publication stated: “A jury awarded $1.25 million to the husband of a Jehovah Witness patient who died after refusing a blood transfusion.” Such reports left the impression that doctors had honored the choice of a Witness, yet they were still sued. As a result of the press distortion, other physicians have wondered whether they should cooperate with Jehovah’s Witnesses. A few hospitals have even established a policy of refusing to admit patients who will not agree to accept blood. Such policies are unwise legally and financially because federal law protects against discrimination based on race, religion, or color.

So it is understandable that Judge Bambrick would want “to set the record straight.” In his opinion he stressed that the suit was not because a death resulted from honoring a patient’s informed refusal. Rather, the suit was for malpractice. He explained:

“It is undisputed that Bessie Randolph was a competent adult who unequivocally indicated to the defendants that she refused any proposed blood transfusion treatment under any circumstances. The legal right to refuse treatment, it has been noted, is part of the common law right to self-determination or the right to bodily integrity. . . .

“It is to be remembered that this is not a ‘right to die’ case. On the contrary, Bessie Randolph wanted very much to live. But since her religious beliefs prohibited her from receiving lifesaving blood transfusions, Bessie Randolph’s spiritual ‘right to everlasting life’ was more important to her. . . . One might even argue that from the perspective of a Jehovah’s Witness, for the believer to accept a blood transfusion and thus forsake everlasting life is tantamount to ‘spiritual suicide’.”

You can appreciate that the doctors were in a difficult position when they saw that their patient might die. Yet Judge Bambrick said: “The current law identifies the patient’s right to determine the course of his own treatment based on informed consent as paramount to what might otherwise be the doctor’s obligation to provide needed medical care. . . . The ethical integrity of the medical profession is not tarnished when a competent adult rejects proposed treatment, even lifesaving treatment, and a physician honors the informed choice of his patient.”

What about the State’s interest that children in the family not be abandoned? Judge Bambrick noted that Mr. Randolph was a policeman and in a position to support and care for the children. So the judge wrote: “Under the circumstances, Mr. Randolph had the capability to support his children, and there was never any real question of abandonment.”

If you had been on the jury, you would have known these facts about Mrs. Randolph and the legal right to refuse a transfusion while relieving doctors of liability. The jury had been told: “A competent adult has a common law right to decline or accept medical treatment despite the fact that the treatment may be beneficial or even necessary to preserve a patient’s life. The patient’s right to determine the course of his or her own medical treatment is paramount to what otherwise might be the doctor’s obligation to provide needed medical care.

“Therefore, the defendants . . . cannot be held to have violated any legal or professional responsibilities when they honored the right of Bessie Randolph to decline medical treatment, specifically not to be transfused.”

Why, then, did the jury rule as it did in giving the award?

Judge Bambrick wrote: “Had [the doctor] followed Mrs. Randolph’s instructions completely, by not administering any blood transfusions whatsoever, he would not have been held liable for omitting to transfuse her, even if such an omission was held to be a proximate cause of her death. . . . The facts in this case, however, were that at 12:45 P.M. on July 17, 1975 [he] did administer a blood transfusion to Bessie Randolph and the consequences of this intervention became a jury question.”

During the trial, the jury heard expert testimony as to the nature and quality of the treatment given, once the doctor began a transfusion against the patient’s wishes. So what was involved was the question of malpractice. The judge relates: “The jury unanimously found the defendants . . . to be . . . negligent in their treatment of Bessie Randolph; and that such negligence was a proximate cause of her death. . . . Accordingly, the Court concludes that the unanimous jury verdict in favor of the plaintiff [Mr. Randolph] on the question of liability was not against the weight of the evidence and was correct in law.”

The defendants have appealed that finding. We can await the appellate court’s decision. Yet, whatever the outcome of the appeal, Judge Bambrick’s opinion merits our attention. It clarifies what happened, and it shows that press distortion has unjustly affected medical opinion, thus interfering with the rights of innocent patients.

The Doreen Shorter Case—Lacerated, Perforated Uterus

Across the continent, another case was decided by the Washington State Supreme Court on January 11, 1985.2 It, too, involved malpractice. But this time news reports were accurate and positive. They focused on a helpful step that Jehovah’s Witnesses take to relieve medical personnel of concern about possible liability. Witnesses sign legal documents stating that they will not hold others liable for damages that seem to result from their not accepting blood. Even if you are not a Witness, the case of Doreen Shorter relates to your medical rights.

Doreen and Elmer Shorter signed such a release of liability when she was admitted to a hospital. This Christian couple had learned that the fetus in Doreen’s womb had died but had failed to be discharged. The State Supreme Court opinion reports that her physician, Dr. Drury, recommended cleansing the uterus by a “dilation and curettage” (D & C), which involves carefully scraping the uterine walls.

The Court explained: “The operation did not go smoothly. Approximately 1 hour after surgery, Mrs. Shorter began to bleed internally and go into shock. Emergency exploratory surgery conducted by other surgeons revealed Dr. Drury had severely lacerated Mrs. Shorter’s uterus.” She bled to death.

“Mr. Shorter thereafter brought this wrongful death action alleging Dr. Drury’s negligence proximately caused Mrs. Shorter’s death . . . The jury found Dr. Drury negligent and that his negligence was ‘a proximate cause of the death of Doreen Shorter’. Damages were found to be $412,000.” However, the jury held that the Shorters’ stand had contributed to the outcome, so the award was changed to $103,000.

One important issue was the validity of a document for release of liability for nonuse of blood, such as the Shorters had signed. Is it appropriate for Jehovah’s Witnesses to sign such documents?b Do these protect doctors and hospitals involved? Also, do such documents release medical personnel from all liability, including negligence (malpractice) during surgery?

The State Supreme Court said: “Given the particular problems faced when a patient on religious grounds refuses to permit necessary or advisable blood transfusions, we believe the use of a release such as signed here is appropriate. . . . The alternative of physicians or hospitals refusing to care for Jehovah’s Witnesses is repugnant in a society which attempts to make medical care available to all its members.

“We believe the procedure used here, the voluntary execution of a document protecting the physician and hospital and the patient is an appropriate alternative and not contrary to the public interest.”

You may well wonder, though, ‘What if a surgeon is guilty of negligence during surgery? Is he still responsible for that malpractice?’

Notice what the Court stated: “While Mrs. Shorter accepted the consequences resulting from a refusal to receive a blood transfusion, she did not accept the consequences of Dr. Drury’s negligence which was, as the jury found, a proximate cause of Mrs. Shorter’s death.”

You deserve to know that four of the nine members of the State Supreme Court believed that the award should not have been reduced under a reasoning of “shared risk.” They wrote: “The refusal form signed by the Shorters represents their assent to relieve Dr. Drury of his duty to administer blood if required by the non-negligent performance of the procedure. . . . If Dr. Drury had performed the operation without negligence, but Mrs. Shorter had bled to death anyway, the doctor could not be held liable in this case.” However . . .

“The dangers of performing the D and C were never fully explained to the Shorters; they were not informed that three methods of accomplishing the procedure were available, nor were they told that the method Dr. Drury planned to use was the method most likely to result in uterine perforation and excessive bleeding.” Hence these judges held: “Dr. Drury’s negligence greatly increased Mrs. Shorter’s chances of bleeding to death; thus, the ‘magnitude’ of the risk was increased.” These judges felt that the full $412,000 should be restored.

Physicians and hospital authorities can see from the Randolph and Shorter cases that the courts recognize that treating Jehovah’s Witnesses while using documents for release of liability is “appropriate.” Such documented refusal of blood by an adult can be honored even where minor children and non-Witness relatives are involved. But as the Shorter opinion stated: “Such a release does not, however, shield those released from liability for their own negligence in treating the patient.” That is fair both to doctor and to patient.

In the Randolph and Shorter cases, death followed claimed malpractice. Yet in a more recent case the outcome was far happier.

The Jackson Case—Mother and Daughter Are Fine

Ernestine Jackson was about 26 weeks pregnant when labor began in February 1984. The staff at Mercy Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, found that because of previous surgery and the position of the fetus she risked a ruptured uterus. They urged a cesarean delivery. Mr. and Mrs. Jackson gave permission, but they asked that no blood be given. They accepted the Christian beliefs of Jehovah’s Witnesses, with whom they were studying the Bible.

The staff of the Catholic hospital advised that there was up to a 50-percent chance that Mrs. Jackson would need a blood transfusion. When she “steadfastly refused to compromise,” the hospital asked Circuit Court Judge Greenfeld to appoint a guardian authorized to permit a transfusion. After a bedside hearing, Judge Greenfeld denied the hospital’s request.

‘So what happened?’ you may wonder. Well, lacking permission to use blood, the doctors performed the cesarean. No blood was needed or used. Both mother and daughter survived and later went home. They are still well.

That might seem to end the matter. But it did not. The hospital appealed, based on the question: “Did the . . . (circuit) court err in holding that a competent, pregnant adult has a paramount right to refuse consent to a blood transfusion on the basis of her religious beliefs in the circumstances presented?”

The Court of Special Appeals of Maryland3 admitted that the issue was no longer pressing because Mrs. Jackson and her child survived the operation without the use of blood. But the Court decided to consider the appeal, since other such cases might arise.

The Court observed that Mercy Hospital argued that it was run by a Catholic order and was “dedicated to the preservation of life.” Yet the Court said that Mercy Hospital could “not properly complain that Mrs. Jackson’s religious beliefs were upheld to the detriment of the hospital’s . . . Freedom of religion means the right to pursue one’s religious beliefs without interference from any other religion, non-religion or the government.”

What about the State’s interest? “The State of Maryland . . . participated in this appeal by submitting a written brief as amicus curiae, and despite Mercy’s assertions to the contrary, pointed out that any State interest in the preservation of life is not necessarily absolute.” Further, the Court observed that Maryland statutory law “embodies an emphatic legislative mandate that the patient’s decision regarding the type of treatment the patient shall endure is paramount. The statute goes so far as to declare that, in the final analysis, it is the patient who determines whether there shall be any treatment at all.”

Note the Court’s conclusion: “In his denial of Mercy’s petition for a guardian for Mrs. Jackson, Judge Greenfeld said: ‘This Court is of the opinion that a competent, pregnant adult does have the paramount right to refuse a blood transfusion in accordance with her religious beliefs, where such decision is made knowingly and voluntarily and will not endanger the delivery, survival or support of the fetus. This conclusion is consistent with a patient’s right of informed consent to medical treatment . . . and the corollary right to refuse that medical treatment.’ We agree. JUDGMENT AFFIRMED.”—April 4, 1985.c

These cases are truly important. They underscore that each of us has the right to decide on medical treatment and that our decision can reflect our deepest religious or ethical convictions. Doctors and hospitals can further see that they can safely provide the nondiscriminatory medical care that they desire for all. As they do so, they will find that Jehovah’s Witnesses are cooperative, appreciative patients whose strong will to live adds a vital element to their recovery.

[References]

1. Randolph v. City of New York, N.Y.L.J., Oct. 12, 1984, at 6, col. 4 (N.Y. Sup. Ct. Oct. 1, 1984)

2. Shorter v. Drury, 103 Wash. 2d 645, 695 P.2d 116 (1985)

3. Mercy Hospital, Inc. v. Jackson, 62 Md. App. 409, 489 A.2d 1130 (Md. Ct. Spec. App. 1985)

4. St. Mary’s Hospital v. Ramsey, 465 So. 2d 666 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. 1985)

[Footnotes]

For a discussion of the religious and ethical reasons, see Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Question of Blood, (1977), published by the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc.

The American Medical Association provides a release of liability form in Medicolegal Forms With Legal Analysis (1976), page 85. Jehovah’s Witnesses have widely used the form.

On March 27, 1985, a similar decision was reached by the Fourth District Court of Appeal of Florida.4 It affirmed that even in a life-threatening situation a transfusion could be refused by a 27-year-old man even though he contributed to the support of a minor child. It added: “Moreover blood transfusions are not without risk and we take judicial notice of the adverse consequences, perhaps abhorrent to the donee, which can arise from a transfusion of impure blood.”

‘Can Smoking Pot Ruin My Health?’

Young People Ask . . .

‘Can Smoking Pot Ruin My Health?’

The eye drops seem to help. At least they get enough of the red out of his eyes so that his parents do not notice it. And if they do, he can always tell them that they put too much chlorine in the school swimming pool. As for the odor, Mom’s room deodorizer gets rid of that just fine. True, he sometimes worries that his folks will one day find the joints he has stashed away in his closet. But he has the cure for worry: another puff on his marijuana cigarette.

THE young marijuana smoker tends to view his habit as a harmless pastime. He often frets more about keeping his habit a secret than about what he may be doing to his mind and body.

A survey sponsored by the National Institute of Drug Abuse in the United States, however, reveals that marijuana use is down among high school students. The reason? Apparently fears that marijuana can damage one’s health.

Teenagers, though, are not the only ones who are worried. The Surgeon General of the U.S. Public Health Service went on record as saying: “I urge other physicians and professionals to advise parents and patients about the harmful effects of using marijuana and to urge discontinuation of its use.” But is there real evidence that smoking marijuana is a “defilement of flesh”?—2 Corinthians 7:1.

Effects on Your Lungs and Throat

Just minutes after its being inhaled, the smoke from a marijuana cigarette begins affecting the user. His pulse rate soars, his mouth and throat get dry, his eyes redden—and the user is often thrown into a state of euphoria, albeit temporarily. But after studying thousands of research papers on the subject, the Institute of Medicine in the United States concluded that there is reason for “serious national concern” that marijuana users may pay a high price for pleasure.

Consider your lungs. Even marijuana’s staunchest supporters admit that inhaling smoke cannot possibly be good for you. Marijuana smoke, like the smoke from tobacco, consists of a number of toxic substances such as tars. However, some argue that since even heavy marijuana users smoke far less than tobacco users, the danger is minimal.

But David, a former marijuana user, says: “I’ve smoked cigarettes and marijuana, and I’d say that marijuana is harder on your lungs, if only because of how marijuana smoke is inhaled. Most cigarette smokers will suck the smoke into their mouths and then inhale it along with some air, which dilutes the smoke. They don’t suck the smoke right out of the cigarette down into their lungs, but marijuana smokers do. We used to suck on a joint for dear life, and then hold the smoke in our lungs as long as we could stand it. After all, a joint of marijuana costs a lot, and we wanted all the smoke we could get!”

Interestingly, Dr. Forest S. Tennant, Jr., surveyed 492 U.S. Army soldiers who had used marijuana. Nearly 25 percent of them “suffered sore throats from smoking cannabis, and some 6 percent reported that they had suffered from bronchitis.” In another study, Tennant and associates examined 30 marijuana users. Of these, 24 were found to have bronchial “lesions characteristic of the early stages of cancer.” True, no one can guarantee that such ones actually will develop cancer later on. But who wants to be a guinea pig for cancer research?

The Bible shows that God “gives to all persons life and breath.” (Acts 17:25) Would it show respect to the Giver of life to inhale something that damages the lungs and the throat?

Marijuana and Your Brain

At Ecclesiastes 12:6 the human brain is poetically called “the golden bowl.” Barely larger than your fist and weighing a scant three pounds (1.4 kg), the brain is not only the precious receptacle of your memories but also the command center for your entire nervous system. Yet, warns the Institute of Medicine: “We can say with confidence that marijuana produces acute effects on the brain, including chemical and electrophysiological changes.”—Italics ours.

Exactly how the drug performs its mind-altering tricks is unknown. Nor is there conclusive proof that marijuana permanently damages the brain. Dr. Robert Heath has done some experiments in which monkeys were exposed to heavy doses of marijuana. An examination of the monkeys’ brains revealed brain cell damage. Heath’s studies, though, have come under fire for being limited (reportedly only four monkeys were examined) and lacking scientific controls. Nevertheless, as the Institute of Medicine acknowledged, the possibility that marijuana might damage “the golden bowl” should not be dismissed lightly.

Birth Defects?

Parenthood may seem light-years away right now. But likely you have given some thought to the prospect of getting married and having children. Could smoking marijuana pose some sort of threat to your as-yet-unborn offspring? Researchers fear that it may.

The publication Marijuana Effects on the Endocrine and Reproductive Systems reports that marijuana appeared to induce spontaneous abortions in female mice. The drug also seemed to suppress the production of certain hormones in male animals. True, a man is not a mouse. However, say researchers: “Clinical [marijuana] studies on human subjects generally agree with the animal findings.” Exactly how significant or even dangerous the effect is upon the reproductive system is still unknown. Nevertheless, the researchers warn that marijuana seems to pose the greatest threat to adolescents since their reproductive systems are still developing.

The Institute of Medicine further reports that marijuana is known “to cause birth defects when administered in large doses to experimental animals.” True, “no adequate clinical studies have been carried out to determine if marijuana use can harm the human fetus.” However, “a slowly developing or low-level effect [of marijuana on human offspring] might be undetected by the studies done so far.” (Italics ours.) This is because birth defects do not always manifest themselves immediately.

For example, years ago doctors administered the hormone DES to prevent miscarriages. Children born to mothers using this drug seemed perfectly healthy. However, years later, as those children grew up, some of the females developed cancer. It could likewise take years to prove that marijuana induces birth defects. But the Institute of Medicine acknowledges that “nervous system abnormalities, and reductions in birth weight and height may indeed exist” because some parents used marijuana.

Dr. Gabriel Nahas thus says that smoking marijuana may be “genetic roulette.” Could anyone who views children as “an inheritance from Jehovah” take such risks?—Psalm 127:3.

“Nothing Like It”

There is therefore ample reason to avoid smoking marijuana. Says the Bible, “The beauty of young men is their power.” (Proverbs 20:29) Why even risk throwing away vibrant health for the pleasures of a mind-altering drug?

The book Self-Destructive Behavior in Children and Adolescents observes that using drugs “remains one of the few pleasurable options for many young people; it may be a predictable, reliable way to punctuate an otherwise unrewarding existence.” There are less dangerous ways, though, to add meaning to life. One former marijuana user says: “I no longer need to get high anymore. I know the truth and have a relationship with Jehovah God—and there’s just nothing like it.”

So rather than polluting your body, work at developing this relationship with God! It is not too difficult. In fact, God makes this promise to those who conscientiously ‘cleanse themselves of every defilement of flesh and spirit’: “‘I will take you in.’ ‘And I shall be a father to you.’” (2 Corinthians 6:17–7:1) You, too, will find that when you enjoy God’s friendship, there is nothing like it!

[Box on page 16]

Marijuana—A New Wonder Drug?

Much ado has been made over claims that marijuana may have therapeutic value in treating glaucoma, asthma, and in easing the nausea that cancer patients experience during chemotherapy. An Institute of Medicine report acknowledges that there is some truth to these claims. But does this mean that in the near future doctors will be prescribing joints (marijuana cigarettes)?

Not likely. For while some of marijuana’s over 400 chemical compounds may prove useful, smoking marijuana would hardly be the logical way to take such medicines. “Using marijuana,” says noted authority Dr. Carlton Turner, “would be like giving people molded bread to eat to get penicillin.” So if any marijuana compounds ever become bona fide medicines, it will be marijuana “derivatives or analogues,” chemical compounds similar thereto, that doctors will prescribe. No wonder, then, that the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services wrote: “It should be emphasized that possible therapeutic benefits in no way modify the significance of the negative health effects of marijuana.”

[Picture on page 15]

Is smoking marijuana worth the risk?

DAMAGED REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM

LUNG CANCER

Brain Damage

Acrostic Puzzle

Directions: Guess the words from the clues at the left and write them on the numbered dashes at the right. Then transfer each letter to the correspondingly numbered square in the pattern below. The initial letters of the column at the right, when read down, will indicate where the text appearing in the panel below is found. The solution is found on page 21.

A. Refuse or dross; the wicked are likened to this. (Psalm 119:119, NE)

B. Taking in knowledge of Jehovah and Jesus Christ can result in this kind of life. (John 17:3)

C. The Beroeans were “--------- examining the Scriptures daily.” (Acts 17:11)

D. A loyal disciple who ministered to Paul both in Ephesus and in Rome. (2 Timothy 1:16-18)

E. The 13th letter of the Greek alphabet.

F. Sudden collapse or disgrace. (Ezekiel 26:15 or Proverbs 29:16)

G. To bind, as with ropes. (Judges 16:11)

H. Calls upon (as a higher power). (1 Peter 1:17, RS)

I. God promised Abraham, “I shall surely -------- your seed.” (Genesis 22:17)

J. Sacrifices. (Exodus 24:5 or 2 Chronicles 1:6)

K. Paul desired only that he might “bear -------- witness to the good news.” (Acts 20:24)

L. King of Judah who built the Siloam tunnel, which exists to this day. (2 Kings 20:20)

M. Let this mean “yes.” [2 words] (Matthew 5:37)

ACROSTIC SOLUTION

CLUE WORDS: (A) scum (B) everlasting (C) carefully (D) Onesiphorus (E) ny (F) downfall (G) tie (H) invokes (I) multiply (J) offerings (K) thorough (L) Hezekiah (M) your yes

Horoscopes—Helpful or Harmful?

The Bible’s Viewpoint . . .

Horoscopes—Helpful or Harmful?

A HOUSEWIFE begins her daily routine by reading a newspaper’s “Your Stars” column. A stockbroker telephones his astrologer before trading. A gambler at the track clutches a wad of money in one hand, and in the other, the book How to Play the Horses Horoscopically. Sports stars, politicians, and many others dutifully consult their horoscopes before making a decision.

Do the positions of the stars, planets, moon, and sun at a person’s birth as charted by astrologers affect your life? Millions today believe they do. So you may wonder:

Are Horoscopes Really Helpful?

Yes, answer the ardent followers. Why do they feel this way? One person explained: “I read my horoscope every day . . . and I’d say about 80 percent of the time the things I’ve been told turned out right.” Yes, they feel that answers, or at least guides to answering their problems, are found in the horoscope.

However, are horoscope columns in newspapers and magazines really helpful? Observe what noted astrologer Alexandra Mark wrote in her book Astrology for the Aquarian Age: “These readings . . . have almost no chance of being applicable to an individual except on the basis of coincidence. But the power of suggestion cannot be overlooked.” Stop and think, would you want your life to be guided by mere coincidence or solely by the power of suggestion?

‘However,’ you may ask, ‘would casting a personal horoscope based on one’s exact time and place of birth be more accurate?’ Such a belief obviously is based on the notion that somehow the heavenly bodies exert a powerful influence on the lives of people. Yet how could this be true in view of the vast distances between the planets and the earth? Scientists have shown that the effect, if any, of the heavenly bodies on individuals is negligible. In fact, the very premise under which astrology was formulated, that the earth was the center of the universe and that the sun and the planets revolved around it, is false.

While the helpfulness of horoscopes is questionable, we would do well to ask the more important question:

Could Horoscopes Be Harmful?

Yes, they could. When you read the horoscope columns, there is a risk of losing your ability to make meaningful decisions, or as astronomer Roger Culver puts it: “The danger is you can pass the buck—the stars made me do it.” True, a person may read the columns only for their entertainment value, but suppose an event in his life coincided with what he read in the horoscope. Could he be subtly led to believe that there is some truth in the horoscopic forecasts? Would he be tempted to become more deeply involved in astrology?

If so, something more serious could happen. What began as harmless curiosity could turn into a practice that violates what the Almighty God has said. The ancient Israelites were told by Jehovah God that he hated any form of divination, including looking to the heavenly bodies.

To show exactly how grave the matter is, the Bible says: “In case there should be found in your midst in one of your cities that Jehovah your God is giving you a man or a woman who should practice what is bad in the eyes of Jehovah your God so as to overstep his covenant, and he should go and worship other gods and bow down to them or to the sun or the moon or all the army of the heavens, a thing that I have not commanded, and it has been told you and you have heard it and have searched thoroughly, and, look! the thing is established as the truth, this detestable thing has been done in Israel! you must also bring that man or that woman who has done this bad thing out to your gates, yes, the man or the woman, and you must stone such one with stones, and such one must die.”—Deuteronomy 17:2-5.

Why does God detest using the sun, moon, and stars as omens? First, it goes against his purpose in having created them. (Genesis 1:14-18) We are to look to the Creator, not the created, for guidance. (Romans 1:25) Second, God is to occupy a unique place in our life. The worship of him is to be shared with no other person or thing. (Deuteronomy 4:24) A person could rely so much on his horoscope that the thin line between dependence and worship may be crossed. Third, it could open the door to occultism. And dabbling in the occult could make an unsuspecting person an easy target for the supernatural force behind occultism—the demons. (Compare Deuteronomy 18:9-12; Isaiah 47:12-14; Acts 16:16-18.) To prevent our getting dangerously involved with horoscopes, God provides us with something better:

A Superior Guide

Jehovah God has provided his Word, the Bible, which is always trustworthy. He assures us: “So my word that goes forth from my mouth will prove to be. . . . It will have certain success in that for which I have sent it.”—Isaiah 55:11.

However, it takes effort on our part to probe into God’s Word and to draw out the specific counsel. That is what wise King Solomon did. He wrote: “For I took all this to my heart, even to search out all this, that the righteous ones and the wise ones and their works are in the hand of the true God.” (Ecclesiastes 9:1) So, rather than being guided by the shaky hand of the astrologer’s horoscope, place your confidence in the firm hand of Jehovah God.

[Box on page 18]

“People are confused. They want help in making decisions involving finance, personal relationships and employment. Religion isn’t meeting the need as it once did and psychiatry has its limitations. So . . . in an attempt to attach themselves to something that appears to have scientific possibility [they] have turned in growing numbers to astrology.”—Dr. Alan Rosenburg, psychiatrist, Nature/Science Annual.

[Box on page 19]

The Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal, on November 16, 1984, suggested the publishing of this disclaimer with all horoscope columns: “The following astrological forecasts should be read for entertainment value only. Such predictions have no reliable basis in scientific fact.”

“School and Jehovah’s Witnesses”—The Brochure Is Helping

Children returning to school this fall need all the help they can receive, particularly those trying to abide by godly principles. Two years ago the 32-page publication School and Jehovah’s Witnesses was provided to give this help.

AS A family, have you reviewed the contents of School and Jehovah’s Witnesses? Note the opening words of the publication: “This brochure is published to promote understanding and cooperation between Jehovah’s Witnesses and school authorities. It is our desire to cooperate with all who are working for the success of basic educational programs offered in school.”

So you will want to make sure that schoolteachers and principals receive a personal copy. “It is important that parents become acquainted with their children’s teachers—making arrangements to meet and talk with them,” the brochure says. Therefore, if the teacher has not already received the brochure, this meeting would be an appropriate time to present it and explain its features. It really is a help!

Help to Teachers

A mother from Peoria, Illinois, writes: “Our son’s teacher has thanked us many times for giving her the brochure. She has said that it has helped her ‘not just to go along with but really to understand the Witnesses’ stand on many issues.’

“Because of this, we have been able to keep open a channel of communication. Our son’s teacher has remarked to us that she keeps the brochure on hand, and if she is not sure if our son should participate in some school activity, she will check the brochure before class and dismiss him quietly to some other project if need be. . . .

“Many times she has written my husband and me for further explanations. We have been able to give additional information to her throughout the school year, and have even been able to clear up a lot of wrong information she had concerning the Witnesses.

“This brochure has truly achieved its purpose in our case, making for a better relationship between school, student, and parents.”

At times a teacher may not have properly understood the beliefs of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Then he or she gets the reputation of being uncooperative. A mother from Salem, Oregon, writes regarding her daughter’s third-grade teacher who had such a reputation:

“Shortly after school began we had our first parent-teacher meeting. I presented the teacher with the brochure School and Jehovah’s Witnesses. I pointed out its cooperative attitude, showing that Jehovah’s people want to be partners with the teachers. I suggested he might prefer to keep this brochure as a guide for understanding our child and other Witness students he may have in years to come.

“His response rather surprised me, as I expected to have my first experience with an uncooperative teacher. He eagerly took the brochure, looked through it quickly and sounded sincere as he replied that he would really appreciate having something to explain our beliefs and practices.

“I returned a few days later and asked the teacher if he had found time to look through the brochure. He said that he sat up in bed and read it completely—front to back. He agreed that the information was very well presented; he very much appreciated having it. I told him that if he ever had any questions regarding it or our child’s actions to please let me know. He assured me that he would.

“One month later, while the class was busy with Halloween preparations, our daughter showed us a workbook and explained that she was the only one in class who had it. Her teacher had given it to her and told her it was to work in whenever the class was doing something she did not feel she should be doing.

“This brochure, School and Jehovah’s Witnesses, is truly the finest piece of tact and cooperative spirit and practicality.”

Many other families who have put the School brochure to use have made similar expressions. They have been delighted with the positive response of teachers who appreciate the guidelines that are provided.

Help to Witness Students

In particular, Witness students are benefited, and many have expressed gratitude. A girl from Ontario, Canada, reports:

“Our history teacher was talking to the class about how he feels when people at hockey games and other sporting events do not stand up for the national anthem. He said that this was disrespectful not only to the country but to others too. I wanted to talk to him after class, but I didn’t have the opportunity to do so. Instead I wrote him a letter and enclosed with it the brochure. . . . To my surprise he wrote me back. This is what he wrote.

“‘Your religious beliefs are your own. They are highly personal, worthy of respect and due consideration, by you and those who do not hold with your faith. Please, never interpret my feelings and opinions as a criticism of you or your beliefs. I hope to express the attitudes of respect and tolerance and would actively support any person’s right to freedom of religion. . . . Thank you for the brochure, it was very enlightening.’”

Time and time again the School brochure has helped teachers to appreciate the beliefs of Jehovah’s Witnesses and to deal understandingly with students. Young ones who are trying to abide by godly principles are thus helped. As the girl from Ontario said: “It has made it a lot easier for us to talk to teachers and fellow students about our beliefs.” So be sure that teachers receive the brochure and are encouraged to read it.

Blind But Leading a Full Life

I WAS a boy of ten growing up in Ecuador when it happened. In an accidental explosion, I lost both my right hand and my right eye. My left eye was affected, too, but an operation saved about 50 percent of the vision in it.

Then I slowly began losing the sight in my good eye. When I had it examined, I was told that within a few months I would be completely blind. I was crushed. Words cannot describe how depressed I felt.

During this time my father died, leaving my mother alone with two boys: my brother Eddie, who is two years older than I, and me. The love of my mother and the understanding of my brother Eddie helped me to cope for a while. Yet I felt that I was a burden to them. So I decided that whenever my mother died, I would commit suicide.

The time from the age of 23 to 30 was most difficult. I spent day after day thinking about and searching for some kind of work. But the answer was always the same: To work, a person needs his hands and his sight. Many were the times my mother would say to me: “Just pray to God for comfort.”

“If God existed,” I would exclaim bitterly, “I would not have lost my hand or my eyes! What sin could I have committed at ten years of age, so that God punished me by making me an invalid?” As always, such conversations left my mother crying, which only added to my depression.

Meditating on my situation, I thought, ‘My life would be less sad if only I had faith.’ With that I decided to visit a religious order near my home. They gave me some books for my brother Eddie to read to me. These did nothing to comfort me. Finally, I asked them for a Bible, and they lent me one. As I listened to Eddie read, I felt great relief inside, even though I did not fully understand what was being said. Before long, however, the Bible had to be returned.

Light for the First Time

Shortly afterward I went to visit a friend who was studying the Bible with some Protestants, or so I thought. The lady, Beatriz, was very friendly and tried to include me in the discussion, but I was hostile. I considered Protestants to be agents of capitalist imperialism; I was a member of the Communist Party in Ecuador at the time.

Beatriz was one of Jehovah’s Witnesses and was not discouraged by my attitude. She continued to converse kindly with me. In fact, she gave me her address and invited me to get in touch with her if I had any questions. Not long after this I went to her house with some questions.

Beatriz was not at home, but her aunt, Castorina, also one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, received me very kindly. When she mentioned God to me, I recall replying, “I do not believe in anything, neither in God, nor in the virgin, nor in the saints; and for me to believe, you have to give me proof!” I left her house surprised and humbled by her answers, promising to return for a study of the Bible.

In January of 1965 I began studying the Bible, using the book “Let God Be True.” I remember asking, “Where do you get all the questions to ask me?” Beatriz and her aunt then explained that there were printed questions at the bottom of the page and that these were designed to draw out the main points of the paragraphs. That presented a problem for me. How could I prepare in advance for my study? I was eager, in fact, determined, to learn. So I again asked my brother Eddie to read aloud to me.

For the first time in 20 years “light” began to enter, no, not through my eyes, but through my ears. Peace slowly began to calm my troubled mind. I talked to everyone about the new things I was learning. When we finished studying the book “Let God Be True,” I was sure of one thing: God does exist!

…

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Awake!, September 8, 1985