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Life WithoutSufferingWhen?

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Life WithoutSufferingWhen?

3 We Need an End toSuffering!

4 Why Is There So MuchSuffering?

6 Does God Care?

8 Life Without Suffering—A Trustworthy Promise

10 How to Prevent Car Accidents

12 A Year in the Life of Welsh Shepherds

15 Hospice Care—What Is the Goal?

18 From Bark to Bottle—The Story of Cork

21 “Thank You for This Series!”

22 Watching the World

23 From Our Readers

24 Young People AskWhat Should I Know About SocialNetworking?—Part 1

28 The Bible’s ViewpointDoes the Bible Condone Slavery?

30 For Family Review

32 The Wisdom of King Solomon

Awake! July 2011 3

YOU may have noted that suffering doesnot discriminate. Natural disasters, ill-

ness and disability, violent crime, and oth-er tragedies can afflict anyone, anywhere,anytime. Humanitarian organizations haveworked tirelessly to prevent or at least to re-lieve human suffering. But what have their ef-forts achieved?

Consider one example—the battle againsthunger. According to the Toronto Star news-paper, natural disasters have left many home-

less and without food. However, the paper re-ports that “the efforts of agencies that workto alleviate hunger are hampered by mount-ing violence.”

Political, social, and medical leaders haveall tried their best to alleviate suffering, butthe results have been disappointing. Pro-grams to stimulate economic growth havenot eliminated poverty. Vaccines, drugs, andadvanced surgical techniques cannot end allsickness. Police officers and peacekeepingforces watch helplessly as violent crime per-sists or even escalates.

Why is there so much suffering? Does Godcare about what humans are enduring? Mil-lions have found comforting answers to thosequestions in the Bible, as we will see.

We Needan End toSuffering!

Khieu’s suffering began when

his father was killed for

allowing cows to wander into

a nearby cornfield. Later, his

mother and two sisters were

executed—victims of Cambodia’s

Khmer Rouge. Then Khieu

was injured by a land mine.

He waited 16 days in the jungle

for help to arrive. His leg had

to be amputated. “I didn’t want

to live,” Khieu says.

4 Awake! July 2011

THIS JOURNAL IS PUBLISHED for the enlightenment of theentire family. It shows how to cope with today’s problems. It reportsthe news, tells about people in many lands, examines religionand science. But it does more. It probes beneath the surface andpoints to the real meaning behind current events, yet it alwaysstays politically neutral and does not exalt one race above another.Most important, this magazine builds confidence in the Creator’spromise of a peaceful and secure new world that is about toreplace the present wicked, lawless system of things.

!"#$ This publication is not for sale. It is provided as part of a worldwideBible educational work supported by voluntary donations. Unless oth-erwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the modern-languageNew World Translation of the Holy Scriptures—With References.

Awake! (ISSN 0005-237X) is published monthly by WatchtowerBible and Tract Society of New York, Inc.; M. H. Larson, President;G. F. Simonis, Secretary-Treasurer; 25 Columbia Heights, Brooklyn, NY11201-2483, and by Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society ofCanada, PO Box 4100, Georgetown, ON L7G 4Y4. PeriodicalsPostage Paid at Brooklyn, N.Y., and at additional mailing offices.POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Awake!, 1000 Red MillsRoad, Wallkill, NY 12589-3299. � 2011 Watch Tower Bibleand Tract Society of Pennsylvania. All rights reserved. Printed inCanada.

Vol. 92, No. 7 Monthly ENGLISH

MEMBERS of the clergy who claim to know the an-swer to the question posed at the left often teach

that suffering is punishment from God. Days after Hai-ti’s earthquake, for example, a priest in the capital toldhis congregation that the disaster was a message fromGod. Others are less dogmatic. An American associateprofessor of religion says that many people seem to viewit this way: “Why God ordains such disasters is a mys-tery that is not ours to question. It is only our job to havefaith.”

Does God really “ordain” human suffering? The Bibleemphatically answers no! Suffering was not part of Jeho-vah God’s purpose for mankind. However, the first hu-man couple rebelled against God’s rule, choosing to settheir own standards of good and bad. They turned awayfrom God and suffered the consequences. Today we areexperiencing the effects of their bad choice. But in noway did God originate human suffering. The Bible says:“When under trial, let no one say: ‘I am being tried byGod.’ For with evil things God cannot be tried nor doeshe himself try anyone.” (James 1:13) Suffering can afflictanyone—even those who are favored by God. Considerthe following examples:

˘ The prophet Elisha had a terminal illness.—2 Kings13:14.

˘ The apostle Paul wrote that he continued “to hun-ger and also to thirst and to be scantily clothed and to beknocked about and to be homeless.”—1 Corinthians 4:11.

˘ The Christian Epaphroditus was sick and “de-pressed.”—Philippians 2:25, 26.

Nowhere do we read that these three men were beingpunished by God for their sins. Yet, the Bible does morethan simply reveal who is not responsible for suffering.It also identifies three basic factors that often cause suf-fering.

WhyIs ThereSo MuchSuffering?

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Would you welcome more information or a free homeBible study? Please send your request to Jehovah’s Witnesses,using one of the addresses below. For a complete list of addresses,see www.watchtower.org/address. America, United States of: 25 Colum-

bia Heights, Brooklyn, NY 11201-2483. Australia: PO Box 280, Ingleburn, NSW 1890.

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ine. Japan: 4-7-1 Nakashinden, Ebina City, Kanagawa-Pref, 243-0496. Puerto Rico:PO Box 3980, Guaynabo, PR 00970. South Africa: Private Bag X2067, Krugersdorp,

1740. Trinidad and Tobago: Lower Rapsey Street & Laxmi Lane, Curepe.

Awake! July 2011 5

Personal Choice������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������

“Whatever a man is sowing, this hewill also reap.” (Galatians 6:7) Cer-tainly, a person who chooses to smoke,drive recklessly, or squander his in-come must bear some responsibilityfor any suffering his decisions maycause.

We may also suffer because of theselfish choices of someone else. Indeed,humans have perpetrated the most dis-turbing evils, from Nazi atrocities to theabuse of children. By misusing free will,some make decisions that bring suffer-ing to others.

Random Events������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������

In the first century C.E., a large tow-er in Jerusalem fell, killing 18 peo-ple. Referring to the victims of this in-cident, Jesus said: “Do you think theywere more guilty than anyone else wholived in Jerusalem? Certainly not!”(Luke 13:4, 5, The New American Bi-ble) Jesus knew that the victims werenot punished by God. He knew whatGod’s Word had earlier stated: “Timeand unforeseen occurrence befall them

all.” (Ecclesiastes 9:11) Many trag-edies occur because a victim is in thewrong place at the wrong time or be-cause of human error. For example,reports show that there is much moresuffering when people ignore warningsand where buildings are not construct-ed to withstand severe weather or earth-quakes. In such cases, random events af-fect more people and thus cause moresuffering.

“The Ruler of This World”������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������

The Bible states: “The whole world islying in the power of the wicked one.”(John 12:31; 1 John 5:19) That “wickedone” is Satan the Devil, a powerful spir-it creature who is described as “the rul-er of the authority of the air.” Satan pro-motes “the spirit that now operates inthe sons of disobedience.” (Ephesians

2:2) Some crimes, such as genocide andchild abuse, have been so horrific thatmany find it hard to attribute them tomere human origin.

However, does this mean that Godis indifferent to our suffering? Can he—will he—do anything to end it?

6 Awake! July 2011

ON THE morning of November 1, 1755, thecity of Lisbon, Portugal, was rocked by

an earthquake. A tsunami and fires followed,destroying much of the city and killing thou-sands.

Following the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, aneditorial in Canada’s National Post newspa-per stated: “All great tragedies test humani-ty’s faith in a higher power. But some, likethis modern day reprise of [that great trag-edy in] Lisbon, more than others.” The ar-ticle concluded: “God may have abandonedHaiti.”

As “the Almighty One,” Jehovah God hasunlimited power, including the ability to endsuffering. (Psalm 91:1) Furthermore, we canbe sure that he cares. Why?

What Do We Know About God?

God feels compassion for humans who suf-

fer. When the Israelites were enslaved inEgypt and mistreated by their captors, Godtold Moses: “Unquestionably I have seen theaffliction of my people who are in Egypt, andI have heard their outcry as a result of thosewho drive them to work; because I well knowthe pains they suffer.” (Exodus 3:7) Whatdoes this indicate? That God does not lookupon human suffering with indifference. Onthe contrary, centuries later the prophet Isa-iah wrote regarding the Israelites: “During alltheir distress it was distressing to him.”—Isa-iah 63:9.

“All his ways are justice.” (Deuteronomy32:4) God is fair and impartial in everythinghe does. “He will guard the very way of hisloyal ones,” but he will also “repay tribulationto those who make tribulation” for the righ-teous. (Proverbs 2:8; 2 Thessalonians 1:6, 7)Impartially, “he does not take the side of rul-ers nor favor the rich over the poor, for hecreated everyone.” (Job 34:19, Today’s En-glish Version) God also knows the best wayto heal mankind’s suffering. By contrast, hu-man solutions can be compared to putting abandage on a gunshot wound. While the ban-dage might mask the problem, it does little toaddress the underlying issue and even less toend the suffering of the victim.

God is “merciful and gracious . . . and abun-

dant in loving-kindness.” (Exodus 34:6) Theword “mercy,” as used in the Bible, con-veys the warm sympathy and pity that moveone person to help another. The root ofthe Hebrew word translated “gracious” is de-fined as “a heartfelt response by someonewho has something to give to one who hasa need.” According to the Theological Dictio-nary of the Old Testament, the word translat-ed “loving-kindness” includes “interventionon behalf of someone suffering misfortune

Does God Care?

Would a doctor use a simplebandage to treat a bleeding

gunshot wound?

Awake! July 2011 7

or distress.” Jehovah God not only feels hurtwhen a human suffers but is moved by hismercy, graciousness, and loving-kindness tooffer help. Thus, we can be confident that hewill end suffering.

The previous article identified three fac-tors that contribute to much of human suf-fering today, none of which can be attributedto God. Let us now consider what is behindthose factors.

Personal Choice�������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������

Adam was originally ruled by God.However, when offered the choice, hedecided to reject divine rulership andtest the consequences of indepen-dence from God. He disregarded Je-hovah’s warning recorded at Genesis2:17: “You will positively die.” Failureto submit to God’s perfect rule result-

ed in sin and imperfection. “Throughone man sin entered into the worldand death through sin,” explains theBible, “and thus death spread to allmen because they had all sinned.”(Romans 5:12) But God will removethe effects of sin.

Random Events�������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������

As noted above, the first man,Adam, rejected divine guidance—thevery guidance needed to keep hu-mans safe—even from natural disas-ters. His decision might be comparedto a patient who rejects the care ofa skilled and experienced physician.If the patient is unaware of dangersand potential health complications

that are known to the doctor, he maysuffer for his willful ignorance. Simi-larly, it is man’s mismanagement ofthe earth—including unsafe buildingpractices and ignorance concerningthe earth’s natural forces—that is of-ten at the root of natural disasters.However, God will not allow this sit-uation to continue indefinitely.

“The Ruler of This World”�������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������

Why did God allow Satan to rulethe world after his rebellion? Accord-ing to one source, “new regimes ofany kind have a brief initial periodwhen they can blame problems onthe previous government.” If Jehovahhad prematurely overthrown “the rul-er of this world,” Satan could have

blamed his inadequacies on the pre-vious Ruler, God. (John 12:31) How-ever, allowing time to pass for Satanto fully express his authority over theworld has proved his failure as a ruler.Nevertheless, the question remains,How can we be sure that suffering willend?

8 Awake! July 2011

CAN this heartwarming promise be trust-ed? Reflect on one of the earliest warn-

ings given to man. God said to Adam thatif he disobeyed, he would “positively die.”(Genesis 2:17) And he did, exactly as Godsaid he would. This and the death and suffer-ing inherited by the human race are evidencethat God can be trusted. Is there any reasonto doubt that God’s promise to restore perfectconditions to the earth will not likewise cometrue?

Recall, too, God’s qualities, which werediscussed in the previous article. Our de-sire to end suffering is merely a reflectionof God’s own compassion, love, and justice.Furthermore, world events and attitudes prev-alent today prove that the time for God to actis fast approaching.—See the box “When WillThese Things Be?”

Why is Jehovah God supremely qualifiedto end human suffering? Contemplate how he—using his Son Jesus—is able to and has ar-ranged to correct the root causes of suffering.

Personal choice. Our forefather Adammade a choice that brought severe conse-quences to all of his offspring. The apostlePaul wrote: “All creation keeps on groaning

together and being in pain together.” (Ro-mans 8:22) God’s remedy is profoundly just,supremely merciful, and elegantly simple. Ro-mans 6:23 explains: “The wages sin pays isdeath, but the gift God gives is everlasting lifeby Christ Jesus our Lord.”

The perfect man Jesus lived a sinless life.His death on a torture stake provided thegrounds for the release of obedient mankindfrom the curse of sin and death. We now havethe prospect of everlasting life in a worldwhere our sinful tendency to make unwisechoices will be gone. People who deliberate-ly make others suffer will also be gone, for“evildoers themselves will be cut off.”—Psalm37:9.

Random events and imperfection. God’s ap-pointed King, Jesus Christ, has the power tocontrol earth’s natural forces. In the first cen-tury C.E., Jesus and his apostles found them-selves aboard a fishing boat when “a great vio-lent windstorm broke out, and the waves keptdashing into the boat, so that the boat wasclose to being swamped.” When called on toassist, Jesus “roused himself and rebuked thewind and said to the sea: ‘Hush! Be quiet!’And the wind abated, and a great calm set in.”His apostles were astonished. “Even the wind

Life WithoutSufferingA TrustworthyPromise

“[God] will wipe out every tear from their eyes,

and death will be no more, neither will mourning

nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things

have passed away.”—Revelation 21:4.

Awake! July 2011 9

and the sea obey him,” they said.—Mark 4:37-41.

Under Jesus’ rulership, obedient humans“will reside in security and be undisturbedfrom dread of calamity.” (Proverbs 1:33) Thatincludes the calamity of natural disasters.Furthermore, mismanagement of the earth,unsafe building practices, and ignorance re-garding the earth’s natural forces, as well asother human error, will be gone. No one willagain suffer from being in the wrong place atthe wrong time.

While on earth, Jesus identified anotherfeature of his rule that can undo any presentsuffering resulting from random, unforeseenevents. “I am the resurrection and the life,” hesaid. (John 11:25) Yes, Jesus has the powerand the desire to bring back to life millionswho died tragically as a result of natural disas-ters. An empty promise? Jesus bolstered ourbasis for confidence in him by performingresurrections while he lived on earth. Threeof these are recorded in the Bible.—Mark 5:38-43; Luke 7:11-15; John 11:38-44.

“The ruler of this world.” Christ Jesus hasbeen appointed by God to “bring to noth-ing the one having the means to cause death,that is, the Devil.” (Hebrews 2:14) Jesus pro-

claimed: “There is a judging of this world;now the ruler of this world will be cast out.”(John 12:31) He will “break up the works ofthe Devil” by removing the Devil’s influencefrom world affairs. (1 John 3:8) Imagine howdifferent human society will be when the Dev-il’s spirit of greed, corruption, and selfishnessis eliminated!

Jesus’ followers asked him: “When willthese things be, and what will be the signof your presence and of the conclusionof the system of things?” (Matthew 24:3)Jesus’ reply, along with other inspired writ-ings after his death, tells us what wouldoccur when God’s time to end sufferingwas near.� Compare the prophecies belowwith conditions and attitudes prevalenttoday.

˘ Global war—Matthew 24:7; Revelation6:4.

˘ Famine and disease—Luke 21:11;Revelation 6:5-8.

˘ Ruining of the earth—Revelation11:18.

˘ “Lovers of money”—2 Timothy 3:2.

˘ “Disobedient to parents”—2 Timothy3:2.

˘ “Lovers of pleasures rather thanlovers of God”—2 Timothy 3:4.

Jehovah’s Witnesses will gladly helpyou to see that life without suffering isjust ahead. Contact the Witnesses in yourneighborhood. They will be happy to studythe Bible with you in your own home or ata location convenient for you.

� For more information, see chapter 9, “Are We Livingin ‘the Last Days’?,” in the book What Does the Bible ReallyTeach? published by Jehovah’s Witnesses.

“When Will TheseThings Be?”

T IRES squealing, metalcrunching, glass shatter-

ing, people screaming . . .These sounds are perhaps fa-

miliar to anyone who has beeninvolved in a car accident. ThePopulation Reference Bureau re-ports that worldwide “an estimat-ed 1.2 million people are killedin road crashes each year, and asmany as 50 million are injured.”

Yet, attention to safety and plain commonsense can help you avoid many accidents. Letus see how.

Speed Limits, Seat Belts,and Texting

On some roads the speed limit may seemtoo low. But exceeding the limit usuallymakes little difference in the time it will takeyou to arrive at your destination. For exam-ple, over a distance of 50 miles (80 km), in-creasing from 65 miles (104 km) per hour to80 miles (129 km) per hour will gain you lessthan nine minutes. Is it worth risking an acci-dent to gain that little time?

Seat belts are designed for safety. A gov-ernment agency in the United States conclud-ed that seat belts saved over 72,000 lives be-tween 2005 and 2009 in just that country.Does an air bag take the place of a seat belt?No. An air bag works with the seat belt to pro-vide increased protection. If you do not wear

your seat belt, the air bag loses its effective-ness and can even be dangerous. So make it ahabit to buckle up, and have your passengersdo the same. Another caution: Never attemptto read or compose text messages while driv-ing.

Road Conditions andMaintenance

Tire traction is reduced on roads that arewet or covered with dust, sand, or gravel.By slowing down, you are less likely to slidewhen braking. If you drive regularly on snow-covered or icy roads, consider investing insnow tires for the winter. These have deepertreads and provide better traction.

Intersections are dangerous for all drivers.One expert recommends the following: Whena traffic light turns green, wait before enteringthe intersection. By pausing just briefly, youmay avoid being struck by a car running thered light.

Keeping your car in good condition is ba-sic to avoiding accidents. Imagine what couldhappen if the brakes failed while you weredriving. To prevent mechanical problems,some car owners arrange for periodic mainte-nance by a competent mechanic. On the oth-er hand, some car owners choose to do cer-tain maintenance jobs themselves. Howeveryou carry out the work, make sure that yourcar receives the inspections and repairs thatit needs.

How to PreventCAR ACCIDENTS

10 Awake! July 2011

“People must remember that drowsy drivingis an impairment that compares to drunk driv-ing.” That statement by an official of the U.S.National Sleep Foundation shows the dangerof driving when you are sleepy. The followingsymptoms indicate that it is not safe for youto drive:�

� List provided by the National Sleep Foundation.

˘ Difficulty focusing, frequent blinking orheavy eyelids

˘ Trouble keeping your head up

˘ Yawning repeatedly

˘ Trouble remembering the last few milesdriven

˘ Missing exits or traffic signs

˘ Drifting from your lane, tailgating,or hitting shoulder rumble strips

If you experience these symptoms, switchdrivers or pull off to a safe area to take anap. Your safety, and that of others, is worththe delay!

DON’T DRIVE WHENDROWSY

Drinking and Driving

Drivers who are otherwise responsible andsafe may take great risks by driving after theydrink an alcoholic beverage. During 2008,in the United States, more than 37,000 peo-ple lost their lives in automobile accidents.About a third of these died in crashes involv-ing drivers who had been drinking. Even thesmallest amount of alcohol can impair your

driving skills. Some resolve not to drink anyalcohol at all if they are going to drive.

Obeying traffic laws, wearing your seatbelt, keeping your car in good repair, and re-fraining from driving after drinking alcoholicbeverages can protect your life and the livesof others. These suggestions can help you toavoid accidents while driving, but only if youput them into practice.

A YEAR INTHE LIFE OF

WelshShepherds

SCOTL AN

D

IREL A

ND

ENGL AND

WALES

NORTHERNIREL AND

Awake! July 2011 13

SHEPHERDS around the world care forover a billion sheep. Each season brings

its unique challenges. Gerwyn, Ioan, andRhian describe a shepherd’s work on themountains of Wales, where sheep outnumberpeople by a ratio of nearly 3 to 1.

Spring Lambs

When spring arrives, shepherds work dayand night to assist ewes giving birth.

Gerwyn: “While lambing is the most tiringpart of the year, it is without doubt the mostrewarding, and a well-trained dog is invalu-able. If a ewe has difficulty giving birth, mydog gently catches the animal and holds itdown so I can assist her.”

Ioan: “No matter how many times I helpewes give birth, it is always special to see new-born lambs!”

Summer Shearing

The shepherd’s summer task is to clipthe sheep’s wool, which can weigh up to22 pounds (10 kg), depending on the breed.A shepherd may shear as many as 250 sheepper day.

Rhian: “First, I remove any dirty wool fromaround the sheep’s tail to prepare the sheepfor shearing. In two minutes, skilled shear-ers using powered blades can remove a com-plete fleece. I help clean the fleeces too, afterwhich I carefully roll them up and put themin sacks to be sold.”

On the lower ground, shepherds hope fortwo dry weeks to cut the meadows and makegood-quality hay. This food will help feed theflock through the winter. Family and friendshelp cart the loads.

Ioan: “One of my happiest times is walk-ing through a field the morning after harvestwhen the entire crop is in.”

Autumn Gathering

In order for shepherds to separate the ewesfrom their weaned lambs, the flocks are gath-ered from the high ground.

Ioan: “Even with no hedges or stone wallson some of the mountains, sheep rarely getlost or roam onto a neighbor’s land. On ourfarm the mother ewe knows the boundaries.Having learned them from her mother or theshepherd, the mother ewe passes these onto the female lambs. Sometimes, though, wesearch for hours—even days—to find the fewthat stray.”

Shepherds also inspect, buy, and preparerams for the ewes. One ram is needed forevery 25 to 50 ewes. These are viewed as aninvestment in the future of the flock.

Between 10 and 12 weeks after rams havesired the ewes, the shepherd uses an ultra-sound scanner to determine which ewes arepregnant and how many lambs each one willhave in the spring. Barren ewes are sold.Those expecting one lamb are grouped to-gether, whereas those with twins or tripletsare given special attention and extra food.

Winter Feeding

Feeding the pregnant ewes takes much ofa shepherd’s time during the brief daylighthours of winter. Whatever the weather, theshepherd is always close to the sheep, ensur-ing that there is plenty of food when the frostsare hard.

Gerwyn: “At such times, the sheep needtheir shepherd and look to him for food andprotection.”

Rhian: “It is so stimulating to be out in allseasons to witness the many changes in wild-life and vegetation—a rewarding bonus as Icontinue in the work I love so much, caringfor my flock.”

Ioan inspects a ram

Gerwyn witha well-trainedsheepdog

Awake! July 2011 15

TERMINAL ILLNESS presents a chal-lenge, not only for the patient but also for

the family. Relatives face a difficult decision.Should the ailing one’s life be prolonged at allcosts, even if that includes needless sustainedsuffering? Or should they strive to maintainthe best quality of life for their loved one inthe time that remains?

For many, hospice care is a viable option.It is defined as care and attention to the emo-tional, spiritual, social, and financial needs ofterminally ill patients. The goal is to alleviatethe suffering of those who are terminally ill.Hospice is now available, even if to a limit-ed degree, in about half the countries of theworld. For example, because of the growingnumber of HIV/AIDS and cancer patients inAfrica, most countries there either have suchprograms or are now taking steps to imple-ment them.

The Goal of Hospice

Some patients may feel that enrolling in ahospice program is equivalent to giving up

on life. Family members may feel that plac-ing a loved one in hospice is tantamount towaiting callously for him or her to die. How-ever, hospice is not simply a passive resigna-tion to the inevitable. Rather, it can help thepatient to enjoy a dignified, meaningful life inthe company of loved ones for as long as pos-sible, while controlling pain. It can also givethe patient’s family a chance to comfort andsupport their loved one for as long as that isneeded.

Although hospice cannot cure terminal ill-ness, it can address curable complications,such as pneumonia or bladder infections. Ifcircumstances change—for example, if a cureis developed or if the disease goes into remis-sion—the patient can return to regular treat-ment.

Advantages of Home Care

In some countries, hospice care is givenonly at a health-care facility. In other places,though, family members are able to providecare at home. With home care, the patient

Hospice CareWhat Is the Goal?

“My 94-year-old mother, who hadAlzheimer’s disease and heart failure,had become bedridden. She refusedto eat and resisted our attempts toawaken her. At the hospital I wastold about the ‘altered state of con-sciousness’ that she was experienc-ing. I wanted to care for her at home,but I needed help.”—Jeanne.

16 Awake! July 2011

can participate in family life. Home-basedcare also fits the cultural needs of many coun-tries, such as Uganda, where the custom is forfamily members to care for the sick and el-derly.

Under the home-based hospice program,caregivers often have at their disposal a sup-port team, perhaps including a doctor, nurs-es, aides, and a social worker. Such profes-sionals can educate caregivers on how to keepthe patient comfortable and explain whatthey can expect during the dying process.They also work along with the wishes of thepatient and the family. For example, if thefamily wishes, the hospice workers will avoidunnecessary diagnostic tests or tube feedingwhen the patient can no longer process food.

Dolores and Jean are caregivers at homefor their 96-year-old father. Because of his de-teriorating condition, they appreciate the as-sistance that they receive. “An aide comes infive days a week to help us bathe Dad,” saysDolores. “The aide will also change Dad’sbed and help him with his grooming if wewant her to. A nurse comes once a weekto take Dad’s vital signs and refill prescrip-tions. And the doctor visits about every threeweeks. If we need them more often, they areavailable 24 hours a day.”

Having professionals on call is a vital partof hospice, as these skilled men and wom-en can supervise medications and ensure thatthe patient is pain free and at the same timeas alert as possible. They can also administeroxygen therapy. The assistance of these pro-fessionals gives the caregiver and the patientconfidence, eliminating the fear of sufferingfrom severe pain or other distressing symp-toms during the end-of-life phase.

Compassionate Care

Hospice personnel recognize the need topreserve patients’ dignity and treat them withrespect during all phases of care. Martha,who worked in hospice care for more than20 years, says: “I came to know the patients,

“We Were Able to BeWith Her”

Isabel, a woman in Mexico whosemother fought breast cancer for 16 yearsuntil it metastasized and became untreat-able, relates: “My family and I were veryconcerned that Mother would suffer. Weprayed that she would not have to en-dure the severe pain that many terminalcancer patients have suffered before dying.A doctor here in Mexico who specializesin palliative care was the answer to ourprayers. She visited once a week, providedappropriate pain medication, and gave usprecise, easy-to-follow instructions aboutits use and how to care for Mother. It wascomforting to know that we could call thedoctor at any time, day or night, and thatshe would come. What a blessing it wasto see our mother pain free and peacefulduring her last days, even enjoying the littlefood she could eat. We were able to bewith her, right here at home, until shepassed away in her sleep.”

Awake! July 2011 17

as well as their likes and dislikes, and I triedto help them enjoy to the extent possible theirremaining time. I would often feel a great at-tachment to them, and some I couldn’t helpbut love. True, some patients with Alzhei-mer’s or another form of dementia would be-come combative while I was assisting them.They would try to strike, bite, or even kickme. But I always tried to remember that thissort of conduct was not the person. It was thedisease.”

As to the satisfaction she derived fromsupporting the caregivers, Martha says: “Myassistance helped them not to be so over-whelmed with caring for their loved ones. Justknowing that the hospice team was sharingthe load brought them comfort.”

If hospice care is available where you live,it can be a realistic, compassionate alterna-tive to a hospital or a nursing home. Jeanne,quoted at the outset, is glad that she chosehospice care for her mother. She says: “Moth-er was able to continue at home surroundedby family, who gave her physical, emotional,and spiritual support, while at the same time,she was provided with nursing care and themedications necessary for her comfort. With-out exception, the hospice personnel wereprofessional and compassionate. Their ad-vice and expertise were invaluable. I believeMother would not have wanted any other typeof care.”

When the End Is Imminent

Keep bedsheets clean, dry, and free of wrinkles. To prevent bedsores,change the patient’s position regularly, and change undergarments or adult dia-pers as needed if the patient is incontinent. Bowel function can be maintainedby suppositories or saline enemas if needed. Food and water are not necessaryto prevent suffering if the end is close. Keep the mouth moist with chips of iceor wet swabs and lip salve. Just holding the patient’s hand is comforting, and re-member that he or she may be able to hear to the last.

Having professionalson call is a vital partof hospice care

18 Awake! July 2011

CORK is the outer layer of the bark pro-duced by the cork oak tree. But this is no

ordinary bark. It is light, fire resistant, andelastic.

The cork oak generously produces its re-silient bark year after year. Unharvested, thebark can grow to be ten inches (25 cm) thick—a useful overcoat for protecting the treeagainst heat, cold, and forest fires. If har-vesters strip the bark, the cork oak gradu-ally grows another coating within about tenyears.

Portugal provides about 55 percent of theworldwide cork production, Spain about30 percent, and other countries (including Al-geria, France, Italy, Morocco, and Tunisia)the remaining 15 percent.�

Multiple Uses

Romans and Greeks discovered that corkmade ideal floats for fishing nets and could� The cork oak grows in other parts of the world, but com-

mercial production comes mainly from the Mediterranean re-gion, where the cork oak grows naturally.

make a comfortable sole for sandals. Appar-ently, they also used cork stoppers for jars.Since it keeps its elastic property even at hightemperatures, cork is ideal for engine gaskets.It is also an integral part of heat panels usedon certain spaceships.

Because many homeowners appreciateboth its appearance and its insulation proper-ties, cork tiles have become popular for dec-orating walls and floors. Makers of sportinggoods also find cork invaluable for the innercore of a baseball or the handle of a fishingrod. Of course, cork is perhaps best-known forits use as a stopper for bottles of wine andchampagne.—See the box “The Ideal Stopper.”

Environmentally Friendly

A well-maintained cork forest offers proofthat man can work in harmony with nature—harvesting its bounty without despoiling itsriches. The old cork oaks beautify the coun-tryside, provide shade and food for the cattlethat graze beneath their boughs, and temperthe harsh summer climate.

FromBark to BottleThe Story ofCork

Can you imagine a tree bark that plays a crucial role in the making

of engines, cricket balls, baseballs, and champagne—a bark that

was used thousands of years ago by fishermen and elegant ladies

alike and that has even been used in outer space? More amazing

is the fact that this unique bark can fill all these needs without the

tree being felled!

& After each stripping,the bark grows back

Skilled workerscarefully remove

the bark

)

/ Planks are stacked,ready for the nextstep

/ Top-quality corks arestill punched by hand

Remnants and particles are collectedand formed into agglomerated corksand other products

Several birds in danger of extinction—in-cluding the imperial eagle, the black vulture,and the black stork—depend on large corkoaks for suitable nesting sites. The endan-gered Iberian lynx also finds its laststrongholds in forests of these oaks. Recent-ly, the World Wildlife Fund stated that thesurvival of this species of lynx depends on the

prosperity of the cork industry in Spain andPortugal.

So the next time you remove a cork froma bottle of wine, take a moment to appre-ciate it. You hold in your hand a natural,biodegradable, renewable object. And its useeven serves to protect the environment. Whatmore could you ask from a tree?

“The IdealStopper”

Miguel Elena, director of the Institute for Cork, Wood and Char-coal, based in Extremadura, Spain, explains more about the useof cork as a stopper.

How effective is cork as a stopper?

I have seen corks removed from bottles that were over a hun-dred years old, and the wine had been effectively preserved! Corkis the ideal stopper.

How old should a cork oak be for its bark to be harvested forstoppers?

To produce a high-quality stopper, cork oak must be at least 50years old, although the first harvest can be obtained 25 years afterplanting the acorn. Of course, few people are prepared to invest ina crop that will not make money for 50 years. In fact, I can’t thinkof any industry that has to wait so long before becoming profitable.

What is the life span of a cork oak?

A cork oak tree has a life span of about 200 years, and somespecimens live much longer. The cork is harvested every nineyears.

What is being done to maintain production of cork?

The European Union and our local regional government providesubsidies to encourage the planting of cork oaks. So in recentyears we have planted acres of new cork forests and improved ex-isting ones.

What recent developments have been made with regard tocork production?

During the past two decades, we have done a lot of researchto identify the best acorns. And we work closely with other

cork-producing countries to improve the product. We intro-duced a type of small handsaw that will enable cork strippersto remove the bark more efficiently, a task that has beendone with axes for centuries.

21

“I conduct a Bible study with my two 12-year-old grandsonsby mail. Using ‘For Family Review,’ I have them fill out theiranswers and return the pages to me. My grandsons really seemto enjoy our study, and our correspondence allows me to expandon the points covered. Thank you for this series!”

V. C., United States

“Recently, my five-year-old son asked me to go over a ‘WhatIs Wrong With This Picture?’ segment at bedtime. I found one,and we started talking about the picture. My son then listenedattentively as I read the account directly from the Bible. Now al-most every night he wants to study. My family and I thank youfrom the bottom of our hearts for helping our children find plea-sure in the Bible.”

M. F., France

“I met David, aged 12, and Jennifer, aged 6, at a bus terminal.Their father saw that I was offering Awake! to travelers, so he letthem approach me to investigate. While the father and son be-gan reading the magazines, little Jennifer and I enjoyed study-ing the lovely illustrations and photos of birds and animals. Wetalked of all the beautiful things that Jehovah God has made forus to enjoy. When we came to page 31, we tried the ‘Chil-dren’s Picture Search.’As I was trying to find thefirst one, Jennifer rapidly turned the pages andfound it within seconds. We tried to find thesecond and the third pictures, and again shewas the first to discover them. In fact, Jen-nifer wanted to keep going until we had com-pleted the picture searches in ten different is-sues! Finally, Jennifer requested two morecopies to take back to her dad and brother.As I left, all three expressed appreciationfor the excellent material.”

M. C., Ecuador

“Thank You for This Series!”˘ People from around the world have expressed their appreciation forthe Awake! series “For Family Review” on pages 30 and 31 of each issue.The interactive artwork and questions, the clip-and-save Bible cards, thepicture search for children, and the family activity sections are educationaland fun for the whole family. Consider the following comments:

Spying WebcamsGerman police recently arrested a man

who is accused of accessing the rooms of doz-ens of young girls by using their Webcams.The hacker is said to have cracked a poor-ly chosen password of one Internet account,making it possible for him to access con-tact information for several people. It is al-leged that he used the hijacked account tosend malware (malicious software) disguisedas a screen saver to female friends of his vic-tim—which would enable him to control re-motely the friends’ computers and use theirWebcams at any time. It is said that wheninvestigators raided the hacker’s apartment,he had three million images and “was simul-taneously connected to the computers of 80girls without their knowledge,” according tothe Aachener Zeitung.

Languages New to ScienceLinguists analyzing the little-known lan-

guages of Aka and Miji—spoken in India’snortheastern state Arunachal Pradesh, bor-dering Bhutan and China—detected a third lo-cal tongue, which is known as Koro. “This

is a language that had been undocumented,completely unrecognized, and unrecorded,”said researcher Gregory Anderson, directorof the Living Tongues Institute for Endan-gered Languages. Koro had eluded detectionbecause it is spoken by only about 800 peoplein an area to which travel is restricted. Dur-ing 2009, 24 languages were identified in anarea of China where just one had previouslybeen reported.

Radioactive Boars“Government payments compensating hunters for lost incomedue to radioactive boar have quadrupled [in Germany] since

2007,” reports Spiegel Online. Many hunters sell boar meatfor human consumption, but government regulations for-bid the sale of meat with high levels of cesium-137, a radio-

active element released by the Chernobyl accident 25 yearsago. Boars are susceptible to such contamination becauseof their taste for “mushrooms and truffles, which are par-ticularly efficient at absorbing radioactivity,” explains Spie-gel. “The reason for the climbing payments, of course, hasmore to do with Germany’s skyrocketing wild boar popula-tion than with an increase in radioactive contamination.” Ex-

perts say that the radiation problem will likely last for anoth-er 50 years.

WATCHING THE WORLD

Statistics produced by the Arab Road SafetyOrganization, based in Tunisia, indicate thatmore than 500,000 road accidentsoccur in the Arab world each year,resulting in over 36,000 deaths.—REUTERS

NEWS SERVICE, TUNISIA.

“The Internet is the most importantsource of information about sexfor Chinese teenagers, as sex education atschool and home is inadequate, accordingto a survey.”—CHINA DAILY, CHINA.

22 Awake! July 2011

Awake! July 2011 23

The Fabulous Variety of

Life in the Upper Amazon

(April 2010) Your article claims that theAwajun people (Aguaruna) worship fivegods. As a member of the indigenous Awa-jun population, I disagree. I think you havemade a mistake, because most Awajun peo-ple profess to be Christians and we do not worship five gods, as your mag-azine reports. Since the Awajun population frequently reads your magazine,please correct this mistake.

T.P.T., Peru

“Awake!” responds: The writer gathered information from various sources,including personal interviews with former inhabitants of Aguaruna communi-ties and a number of published sources. One of these, “Atlas Regional delPeru,” 2004 Edition, gives the names and descriptions of five Aguaruna deities.However, as you note, inhabitants of some Aguaruna communities have con-verted to nominal Christianity. We apologize for any misimpression we mayhave given.

How to Cope With Stuttering

(May 2010) Thank you for this article.I too am a stutterer, and many times I feltlonely because of it. But after reading this ar-ticle, I realized that I am not alone. NowI am determined to face my disability and,like Rafael, “when a word causes me to stut-ter, . . . laugh” and show a sense of humor.

Y. S., Japan

Young People Ask . . . How Can I Boost

My Self-Respect? (May 2010) I am 12years old and live with my mother, who isseriously ill and raising me alone. WhenI read the question “Do you feel loved?”I honestly replied “No.” That upset me.So I spoke about it with some mature Chris-tians and with my mother. This articlehelped me to understand that there is noreason to judge myself so harshly. Many peo-

ple love me. Thank you for helping me tosee how much Jehovah cares for us youngpeople.

C. H., France

This article encouraged me to cope withpainful experiences from the past and feel-ings of worthlessness that sometimes stillbother me. I will never forget the three waysto boost my self-respect that were discussedin this article and especially the illustrationof a bill with a small tear! Thank you for thiswonderful article!

S. W., South Korea

FROM OUR READERS

1.Peterdidnotstandwhilepraying;heknelt.2.Women(widows)showedPetergarmentsTabithahadmade,notpottery.3.Peterprayedalone,notwithpeopleintheroom.4.69,500.5.B.

ANSWERSTOPAGES30AND31

24 Awake! July 2011

WHICH of the above statements comesclosest to reflecting your view? Either

way, one thing is certain: Social networkinghas become hugely popular.� Consider this:It took 38 years for radio to reach 50 mil-lion users, 13 years for television to attractthe same number, and 4 years for the Inter-net to do so. The social networking site Face-book gained 200 million users in one recent12-month period!

Mark the following statement true or false:Teenagers represent the largest segment of

the population using social networking sites.��� True ��� False

Answer: False. Nearly two thirds of theusers of the most popular social network are25 years of age or older. In 2009 the larg-� A social network is a Web site that allows those who have

an account to communicate with a selected group of friends.

est percentage of increase came from thoseover 55!

Nevertheless, millions of youths use socialnetworking sites, and for some it has becomethe preferred method of communication. “Ideactivated my account,” says a teen namedJessica, “but then I reactivated it because no-body would contact me by phone. It’s as ifpeople forget about you if you’re not on a so-cial network!”

What’s the appeal of social networking?The answer is simple: Humans are hardwiredto interact with humans. And that’s what a so-cial network is all about. Consider why manymight be tempted to join one.

1. Convenience.

“Keeping up with your friends can be hard,but when they’re all on one site, it’s easy!”—Leah, 20.

YOUNGPEOPLEASK

What should I know aboutsocial networking? Part 1

“I have friends in other countries,and the best way I can keep in touchwith them is by social networking.I love being able to talk to them eventhough they’re far, far away.”—Sue, 17.�

“I think social networking is awaste of time, a lazy person’s sociallife. Face-to-face interaction is theonly way to maintain friendships.”—Gregory, 19.

� Names in this article have been changed.

Awake! July 2011 25

“I can post a comment and it’s as if I’ve juste-mailed every one of my friends at the sametime.”—Kristine, 20.

2. Peer pressure.

“I’m always getting requests to join some-one’s list of friends, but I don’t have an account,so I can’t.”—Natalie, 22.

“When I tell people that I’ve chosen not tohave an account, they look at me like, ‘What’swrong with you?’ ”—Eve, 18.

3. Media pressure.

“There’s this belief fostered by the media thatif you don’t stay superconnected with people,you will have no friends. And having no friendsis like having no life. So if you’re not social net-working, you are nothing.”—Katrina, 18.

4. School.

“My teachers use a social network. Some postmessages to tell us when we have a quiz comingup. Or with math, for example, if I don’t under-stand something, I can post a message on myteacher’s Wall and he’ll help me solve the prob-lem online.”—Marina, 17.

5. Work.

“People looking for employment use a socialnetwork to connect with others. Sometimes thishelps them find a job.”—Amy, 20.

“I use a networking site for my work. It al-lows clients to see current graphic-design proj-ects I’m working on.”—David, 21.

Should you have a social networking ac-count? If you live at home, that’s for your par-ents to decide.� (Proverbs 6:20) If your par-ents do not want you to have an account, you� Awake! neither endorses nor condemns any particular net-

working site. Christians should be sure that their use of the In-ternet does not violate Bible principles.—1 Timothy 1:5, 19.

should comply with their wishes.—Ephesians6:1.

On the other hand, some parents do allowtheir mature children to use a social network-ing site—and they supervise their use of it. Ifthat’s true of your parents, are they invadingyour privacy by doing so? Not at all! A so-cial network is a powerful tool, and your par-ents are rightly concerned about how you useit. The fact is, social networking—like virtual-ly any use of the Internet—has its dangers. Ifyour parents allow you to have a social net-working account, how can you avoid thosedangers?

Safe “Driving”

In some ways, using the Internet can becompared to driving a car. As you’ve probablynoticed, not all who have a license are respon-sible drivers. In fact, many people have gotinto horrific accidents because of their care-lessness or neglect.

It’s similar with people who use the Inter-net. Some “drive” responsibly; others reck-lessly. If your parents have allowed you tohave a social networking account, they aretrusting you to navigate a particularly trickypart of cyberspace. So, what type of “driv-er” have you shown yourself to be? Haveyou demonstrated that you “safeguard practi-cal wisdom and thinking ability”?—Proverbs3:21.

In this article we will now discuss two as-pects of social networking that deserve yourserious consideration—your privacy and yourtime. The “Young People Ask” article in thenext issue of Awake! will discuss your reputa-tion and your friendships.

It took 38 years for radioto reach 50 million people

In just 1 recent year, the socialnetworking site Facebook signedon more than 200 million users

YOUR PRIVACYPrivacy might be the last thing on your

mind when it comes to a social network. Af-ter all, isn’t the whole idea to reach out to peo-ple? Nevertheless, not taking precautions canlead to disaster.

To illustrate, suppose you had in your pos-session a large amount of cash. Would youdisplay it for everyone to see as you walkeddown a public street with your friends?That would be foolish—you’d be asking to berobbed! If you’re smart, you’ll hide your cashwhere it can’t be seen.

Think of your personal information asyour cash. With that in mind, look at the listbelow and check off the items that you wouldnot feel comfortable advertising to a completestranger.

��� my home address

��� my e-mail address

��� where I attend school

��� the times when I am at home

��� the times when nobody is at home

��� my photos

��� my viewpoints

��� my likes and interests

Even if you’re the world’s greatest extro-vert, likely you’d agree that there are at leastsome things on the above list that shouldn’t berevealed to just anyone. But many young peo-ple—and adults—have unwittingly shared suchdetails with strangers! How can you avoidsuch a pitfall?

If your parents allow you to use a socialnetwork at all, you need to be thoroughly fa-miliar with its privacy settings—and use them.Don’t leave it up to the networking site to pro-tect your privacy. The fact is, the default set-tings it provides may allow more people tosee and comment on your page than you mayrealize. That’s one reason why a girl namedAllison customized her settings so that onlyher close circle of friends could see her posts.“Some of my friends had friends that I didn’tknow,” she says, “and I didn’t want thosestrangers reading about me.”

Even if you communicate only with yourclose friends, you need to be careful. “Youcan become addicted to getting commentsfrom your friends,” says 21-year-old Corrine,“so you start putting more information aboutyourself out there than you should.”

Always remember that when it comesto the Internet, “privacy” is merely a rela-tive term. Why? “Large Web sites back uptheir databases,” points out Gwenn Schur-gin O’Keeffe in her book CyberSafe, adding:“What we put on cyberspace never truly goesaway. We have to consider it permanent be-cause there is likely a copy somewhere; tothink otherwise is foolish.”YOUR TIME

Not only your privacy but also your timecan be compared to a large amount of cash.In a sense, then, you need to budget yourtime. (Ecclesiastes 3:1) And that’s one of thegreatest challenges when it comes to any useof the Internet, including social networking.�

“So often I have said, ‘I am going to get on itfor just a minute.’An hour later, I’m still online.”—Amanda, 18.

“I was addicted. Every time I got home fromschool, I would spend hours checking what some� For more information, see “Young People Ask . . . Am

I Addicted to Electronic Media?” in the January 2011Awake! Note especially the box on page 26, “I Was a Social-Networking-Site Addict.”

Your activities on a socialnetwork may not be asprivate as you think

Awake! July 2011 27

people said about my posts and looking at theirposts.—Cara, 16.

“I could access the site on my phone, so I’dlook at it on my way to school, at school, andon my way home from school. Then, after I gothome, I’d go on the computer. I knew I was ad-dicted, but I didn’t want to stop!”—Rianne, 17.

If your parents let you use a social network-ing site, think about how much time wouldbe reasonable to spend on it each day. Thenmonitor yourself. For a month, keep track ofhow much time you spend on a social net-working site and see if you’re keeping with-in the limits you set. Remember, your time islike your money. So don’t let a social network“bankrupt” you. After all, there are things inlife that are more important!—Ephesians 5:15,16; Philippians 1:10.

Some youths have taken steps to make surethat they stay in control of their time. For ex-ample, consider the following:

“I deactivated my account, and I had heapsof time. I felt free! Recently, I reactivated my ac-count, but I have complete control. I don’t checkit for days at a time. Occasionally I even forgetabout it. If my social networking account be-comes a problem again, I’ll just deactivate myaccount.”—Allison, 19.

“I have taken ‘networking breaks,’ whereI deactivate my account for a couple of monthsand then reactivate it later. I do that wheneverI realize that I’ve been spending too much timewith it. Now I don’t feel as attached to it asI used to. I’ll use it for a purpose, but then I’mdone.”—Anne, 22.

The Bottom Line

There’s another factor about social net-works that you need to consider. To help yougrasp this aspect, put a O next to the optionthat you feel best applies.

A social networking site is primarily . . .(A) ��� a business.

(B) ��� a social club.

(C) ��� a form of entertainment.

The correct answer? Believe it or not, it’sOption A. First and foremost, a social net-work is a business. Its objective is to make aprofit, mainly through advertising. And to ad-vertisers, the value of the network increasesas more people join and those members’ postsare more widely shared. After all, the moretime you or anyone spends networking, themore ads will be viewed.

Knowing that helps you to realize that a so-cial network really has little to lose—and ad-vertisers have much to gain—if you share yourinformation too widely or if you spend toomuch time online. By all means, then, if youuse a social network at all, protect your priva-cy and monitor the amount of time you spendon it.IN THE NEXT “YOUNG PEOPLE ASK” . . .Social networking can affect your reputation

and your friendships. Find out how.

More articles from the “Young People Ask”series can be found at the Web sitewww.watchtower.org/ype

WHY NOT ASK YOUR PARENTS?

Discuss online-privacy issues with yourparents. Which things are best kept pri-vate, and why? What information could bedangerous if posted on any part of the In-ternet? Also, ask your parents for adviceon how you can balance online interactionwith face-to-face communication. What ad-justments, if any, do they recommend?

Time is like money.If you spend it all inone place, you won’thave enough leftwhen you need it

28 Awake! July 2011

LOVE of neighbor is one of the fundamentalteachings of the Bible. Love, however, is

diametrically opposed to the concept of op-pressive slavery. Hence, some people are puz-zled by the mention of slavery in the Bible.

In ancient times God allowed his people toown slaves. (Genesis 14:14, 15) Even in thedays of the apostles, some Christians wereslave owners and some were slaves. (Phi-lemon 15, 16) Does this mean that the Biblecondones oppressive slavery?

Social Structures in ConflictWith Bible Principles

By the time the Bible began to be written,humans had already established social struc-tures and economic systems that conflict-ed with godly principles. While some of thepractices involved were condemned in hiswritten Law, God chose to tolerate others,such as slavery.

Regarding the social structure of the an-cient nation of Israel, The International Stan-dard Bible Encyclopedia states: “It was meantto function as a brotherhood in which, ideally,there were no poor [and there was] no exploi-tation of widows, waifs, or orphans.” Hence,more than simply allowing an already estab-lished social and economic structure, God’sLaw regulated slavery so that, if practiced,slaves would be treated in a humane and lov-ing manner.

Slavery in Bible History

Consider the following regulations includ-ed in the Law given through Moses:

˘ Kidnapping a man and then selling himwas punishable by death. (Exodus 21:16)However, if despite all the provisions madeto prevent poverty, an Israelite found himselfdeeply in debt, perhaps as a result of poormanagement, he could sell himself as a slave.In some cases he might even be able to earna surplus by which he could redeem himself.—Leviticus 25:47-52.

˘ This was not the oppressive kind of slav-ery that has been common in many landsthrough the ages. Leviticus 25:39, 40 says: “Incase your brother grows poor alongside youand he has to sell himself to you, you mustnot use him as a worker in slavish service. Heshould prove to be with you like a hired labor-er, like a settler.” So this was a loving provi-sion to care for Israel’s poorest.

˘ A person found guilty of stealing whowas unable to make full restitution accordingto the Law could be sold as a slave and in thisway pay off his debt. (Exodus 22:3) When hehad worked off the debt, he could go free.

˘ Cruel and abusive slavery was not al-lowed under God’s Law to Israel. While mas-ters were allowed to discipline their slaves, ex-cesses were forbidden. A slave killed by hismaster was to be avenged. (Exodus 21:20) Ifthe slave was maimed, losing a tooth or aneye, he was set free.—Exodus 21:26, 27.

˘ The maximum time that any Israelitewould have to serve as a slave was six years.(Exodus 21:2) Hebrew slaves were set free inthe seventh year of their service. The Law de-manded that every 50 years all Israelite slaves

THEBIBLE’SVIEWPOINT

Does the BibleCondone Slavery?

Awake! July 2011 29

were to be set free nationwide, regardless ofhow long the individual had been a slave.—Le-viticus 25:40, 41.

˘ When a slave was released, the masterwas required to be generous toward him. Deu-teronomy 15:13, 14 says: “In case you shouldsend him out from you as one set free, youmust not send him out empty-handed. Youshould surely equip him with something fromyour flock and your threshing floor and youroil and winepress.”

Later, in the days of Jesus and his apostles,slavery was an entrenched practice in the Ro-man Empire. As Christianity spread, it wasinevitable that individuals who were slavesand others who were slave owners wouldcome in contact with the good news and be-come Christians. Neither Jesus Christ him-self nor his apostles preached a gospel ofsocial liberation, as if trying to reform the ex-isting system. Rather, both slaves and slaveowners were admonished to love one anotheras spiritual brothers.—Colossians 4:1; 1 Timo-thy 6:2.

The End of Slavery

As is the case with every Bible-relatedquestion, the issue of slavery must be consid-ered in context. A careful examination of theScriptures reveals that God deplores the mis-treatment of humans.

Such an examination also reveals that thekind of slavery practiced by God’s people inthe Bible is not the cruel and abusive slav-ery that is envisioned by most people today.And the Bible shows that God will deliver usfrom all forms of slavery in due time. Then,all mankind will enjoy true freedom.—Isaiah65:21, 22.

HAVE YOU WONDERED?

˘ Does the Bible condone themistreatment of slaves?—Leviticus 25:39, 40.

˘ How were Christians to treat slaves?—Colossians 4:1.

God deploresthe mistreatment

of humans

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FOR FAMILY REVIEW

What Is WrongWith This Picture?Read Acts 9:36-41. What three features ofthis drawing are incorrect? Write your answerson the lines below, and complete the picture bycoloring it.

1 ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝

2 ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝

3 ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝

˘ “FOR FAMILY REVIEW” answers on page 23

FOR DISCUSSION: What is anothername that Tabitha is known by, and whatdo her names mean? CLUE: Read the foot-note on Acts 9:36 in the New WorldTranslation of the Holy Scriptures—WithReferences. Was Tabitha a selfish person?Explain. CLUE: Read Acts 9:36, 39. Howdid the words of Jesus found at Luke 6:38prove true for Tabitha? How can you imi-tate her example? CLUE: Read Ephesians4:28; James 2:14-17.

FAMILY ACTIVITY: Have each familymember think of someone to whom he orshe would like to give a gift. Then make asimple item for that person. For example,make a card or a bookmark with a Bibleverse on it.

30

Collect and Learn Cut out, fold in half, and saveP

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P E T E R

PROFILE A hardworking fisherman whobecame one of Jesus’ earliest disciples.Jesus selected Peter as one of his 12apostles, or sent-forth ones. The fourGospels list more of Peter’s statementsthan those of any other apostle. Jehovahused him mightily to preach and to‘strengthen his brothers.’—Luke 22:32;Mark 3:13-19.

QUESTIONS

A. Why did Peter begin to sink?

B. Is this statement true or false? Peterremained single.

C. When religious leaders told the apostlesto stop teaching, Peter and the otherapostles answered: “We must . . . ”

ANSWERS

A. He gave way to doubt.—Matthew 14:28-31.

B. False.—Mark 1:29-31; John 1:42;1 Corinthians 9:5.

C. “. . . obey God as ruler rather thanmen.”—Acts 5:18, 27-29.

Peoples and Lands4. My name is Antonia. I am eight years old,and I live in Chile, which is in South America.About how many of Jehovah’s Witnesses live in Chile?Is it 69,500, 96,500, or 106,500?

5. Which dot shows where I live? Circle it, draw a dotwhere you live, and see how close you are to Chile.

Children’sPicture SearchCan you find these pictures inthis issue? In your own words,describe what is happening ineach picture.

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Sea ofGalilee

Lived in Bethsaidaand Capernaum

˘ A teacher asked a fourth-grade class of stu-dents what they knew about King Solomonwho is mentioned in the Bible. Nine-year-oldSheena said that he was a very wise king anddescribed how he solved the argument of twowomen who each claimed to be the mother ofthe same child. Her classmates were at firstshocked when hearing Solomon’s way of han-dling the matter, but the teacher said that itwas a good one.

Sheena explained that she had learnedabout this by reading My Book of Bible Stories,

a book that includes the story about thewisdom of Solomon. “Six of my classmatesbecame interested in having this Bible Storiesbook,” Sheena explained, and she added:“My teacher also asked for one. So all in all,I was able to place seven copies.”

You can request a copy of My Book of BibleStories, which contains 116 stories that featurepeople and events in the Bible. To obtaina copy, just fill in the accompanying couponand mail it to an appropriate address listed onpage 5 of this magazine.

The Wisdom of King Solomon

Q Without obligation,I request a copy of thebook shown here.

Indicate which language.

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Q Please contact me con-cerning a free home Biblestudy.

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Address �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������

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BIBLESTORIES

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