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34567NOVEMBER 1, 2012

What WouldYou Liketo Ask God?

THE PURPOSE OF THIS MAGAZINE, The Watchtower, is to honor Jehovah God, the Supreme Ruler of the universe.Just as watchtowers in ancient times enabled a person to observe developments from afar, so this magazine showsus the significance of world events in the light of Bible prophecies. It comforts people with the good news thatGod’s Kingdom, which is a real government in heaven, will soon bring an end to all wickedness and transform theearth into a paradise. It promotes faith in Jesus Christ, who died so that we might gain everlasting life and who isnow ruling as King of God’s Kingdom. This magazine has been published by Jehovah’s Witnesses continuouslysince 1879 and is nonpolitical. It adheres to the Bible as its authority.This publication is not for sale. It is provided as part of a worldwide Bible educational work supported by voluntary donations. Unless otherwise indicated, Scripturequotations are from the modern-language New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures—With References.

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Printing Each Issue:42,182,000 IN 195 LANGUAGES

NOVEMBER 1, 2012

FROM OUR COVER

3 Should We Question God?4 Question 1: Does My Life Have a Purpose?6 Question 2: What Will Happen When I Die?8 Question 3: Why Does God Allow Me to Suffer?

REGULAR FEATURES10 The Bible Changes Lives

15 Did You Know?

16 Learn From God’s Word—Will God Provide a World Government?

18 Keys to Family Happiness—Dealing With Debt

22 Draw Close to God—“What Is Jehovah Asking Back From You?”

23 Our Readers Ask . . .Is Religious Faith an Emotional Crutch?

24 My Bible Lessons

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE26 Life in Bible Times—The Shepherd

29 European Court Upholds the Rightto Conscientious Objection

SOME say that it is wrong to question God.They may feel that it is disrespectful to

ask why God does or does not allow certainthings to happen. Is that your view?

If so, you may be surprised to learn thatmany good people have questioned God.Note the following examples of questionsthey have asked him:

The faithful man Job: “Why is it that thewicked themselves keep living, have grown old,also have become superior in wealth?”—Job21:7.

The loyal prophet Habakkuk: “Why is itthat you look on those dealing treacherously,that you keep silent when someone wickedswallows up someone more righteous than heis?”—Habakkuk 1:13.

Jesus Christ: “My God, my God, why haveyou forsaken me?”—Matthew 27:46.

If you read the passages surrounding thosequotations, you will see no indication thatJehovah� God was offended when askedsuch sincere questions. Really, his tolerance

� Jehovah is the name of God as revealed in the Bible.

is not surprising. For instance, God is not in-sulted whenwe ask him to satisfy basic phys-ical needs that keep our bodies healthy. Hegladly fills those requests. (Matthew 6:11,33) Likewise, he willingly supplies informa-tion that can keep us mentally and emotion-ally healthy. (Philippians 4:6, 7) In fact, Jesustoldhis disciples: “Keep onasking, and it willbe given you.” (Matthew 7:7) The context ofJesus’ promise shows that he was talkingabout receiving not only material things butalso answers to important questions.

If you had the opportunity, which of thefollowing questions would you like to askGod?

˘ Does my life have a purpose?˘ What will happenwhen I die?˘ Why doyou allow me to suffer?

Since “all Scripture is inspired of God,”you will find the answers God gives in hisWord, the Bible. (2 Timothy 3:16) Considerboth what has prompted some to ask thequestions listed above and the answers thatthe Bible provides.

ShouldWeQuestionGod?

THE WATCHTOWER ˙ NOVEMBER 1, 2012 3

ROSALIND, who grew up in England, had aninsatiable desire for knowledge. She alsowanted to help people. After graduatingfromschool, she got a prestigious job that in-volved assisting the homeless, and she alsohelped those with physical and learning dis-abilities. Despite having satisfying work andbeing comfortable materially, she says, “Foryears I wondered, ‘Why are we here?’ and‘What is the purpose of life?’”

Why ask the question? Humans are notlike unreasoning animals. We have a capaci-ty to learn from the past, to plan for the fu-ture, and to look for a purpose in our life.

What do some say the answer is? Manyfeel that the primary purpose of life is togainwealth or fame and thus achieve happi-ness.

What does that answer imply? We set ourownpriorities in life. God’s will is less impor-tant than our desires.

What does the Bible teach? King Solo-mon gathered enormous wealth and pur-sued pleasure but found that those thingsbrought no lasting sense of purpose. Heidentified what brought real purpose in lifewhen he wrote: “The conclusion of the mat-ter, everything having been heard, is: Fearthe true God and keep his commandments.For this is the whole obligationof man.” (Ec-clesiastes 12:13) What does keeping God’scommandments involve?

Part of God’s purpose for us is that we en-joy life. Solomon wrote: “With a man thereis nothing better than that he should eat and

QUESTION 1:

Does My LifeHave aPurpose?

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Would you welcome more information or afree home Bible study? Please send yourrequest to Jehovah’s Witnesses, using oneof these addresses. For a complete list ofaddresses, see www.jw.org/contact.

America, United States of: 25 Columbia Heights, Brook-lyn, NY 11201-2483. Australia: PO Box 280, Ingleburn,NSW 1890. Britain: The Ridgeway, London NW7 1RN.Canada: PO Box 4100, Georgetown, ON L7G 4Y4. Ger-many: 65617 Selters. Guam: 143 Jehovah St, Barrigada,GU 96913. Jamaica: PO Box 103, Old Harbour, St. Cath-erine. Japan: 4-7-1 Nakashinden, Ebina City, Kanagawa-Pref, 243-0496. Puerto Rico: PO Box 3980, Guaynabo, PR00970. South Africa: Private Bag X2067, Krugers-dorp, 1740. Trinidad and Tobago: Lower Rapsey Street &Laxmi Lane, Curepe.

The Watchtower (ISSN 0043-1087) is published semi-monthly by Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of NewYork, Inc.; L. Weaver, Jr., President; G. F. Simonis,Secretary-Treasurer; 25 Columbia Heights, Brooklyn, NY11201-2483, and by Watch Tower Bible and Tract Societyof Canada, PO Box 4100, Georgetown, ON L7G 4Y4. Pe-riodicals Postage Paid at Brooklyn, NY, and at addition-al mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changesto Watchtower, 1000 Red Mills Road, Wallkill, NY 12589-3299. � 2012 Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society ofPennsylvania. All rights reserved. Printed in Canada.

Vol. 133, No. 21 Semimonthly ENGLISH

4

indeed drink and cause his soul to see goodbecause of his hard work. This too I haveseen, even I, that this is from the hand of thetrue God.”—Ecclesiastes 2:24.

God also wants us to love and care for ourfamily. Note the simple, practical guidancegiven to each family member.

“Husbands ought to be loving their wivesas their own bodies.”—Ephesians 5:28.

“The wife should have deep respect for herhusband.”—Ephesians 5:33.

“Children, be obedient to your parents.”—Ephesians 6:1.

If we apply those Bible principles, we willfind a measure of happiness and content-ment. However, the most important thingwe can do is learn all we can about our Cre-ator and draw close to him as our Friend. Infact, the Bible invites us to “draw close toGod.” It then makes this remarkable prom-ise: “Hewill drawclose toyou.” (James 4:8) Ifyou accept this invitation, your life will takeon real purpose.

Rosalind, quoted earlier, now feels thatshe has discovered the purpose of life. Onpage 10 of this magazine, you can read whatshe says led her to that change in attitude.

To find out more about how you can livein a way that pleases God, see chapter 12

of the book What Does the Bible ReallyTeach? Available for download at

www.jw.org

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Jesus had no doubt about the purpose of hislife. He said: “For this I have been born, andfor this I have come into the world, that Ishould bear witness to the truth.” (John 18:37) Jesus spent his life teaching people thetruth about God and His purposes.Our life will take on real meaning if wefollow Jesus’ example. In fact, Jesus invites usto learn from him. (Matthew 11:29) Consid-er just two ways in which we can do so.Jesus taught that for us to be happy,we must be “conscious of [our] spiritualneed.” (Matthew 5:3) We can satisfy ourspiritual need if we take in knowledge of“the only true God, and of the one whom[he] sent forth, Jesus Christ.”—John 17:3.Jesus commanded his followers to teachothers about what they had learned. Hesaid: “Go therefore and make disciples ofpeople of all the nations, baptizing them inthe name of the Father and of the Son andof the holy spirit, teaching them to observeall the things I have commanded you.”—Matthew 28:19, 20.Those who satisfy their spiritual need bystudying the Bible and applying what theylearn find that their life changes for the bet-ter. They gain the conviction that their lifehas real purpose when they start helpingothers learn about God.

What Did Jesus Say Aboutthe Purpose of Life?

ROMAN was a young boy when a closefriend of his was killed in a car accident.“The loss of my friend shook me up terri-bly,” he says. “For years after the accident, Iwondered what happens to us whenwe die.”

Why ask the question? Human deathseems unnatural. No matter what agewe are,we usually do not want to die. Many fearwhat comes after death.

What do some say the answer is?Many be-lieve that at death some part of the personlives on. They believe that good people willbe rewarded in heaven, while those whowere bad will be punished eternally for theirsins. Others think that at death a personceases to exist and eventually is completelyforgotten.

What do those answers imply? The firstanswer assumes that at death a person doesnot really die. The second implies that life ispointless. Those who hold to this latter viewmay adopt the fatalistic attitude: “Let us eatand drink, for tomorrow we are to die.”—1 Corinthians 15:32.

What does the Bible teach? The Bible doesnot teach that at death some part of a personlives on. God inspired King Solomon towrite: “The living are conscious that theywill die; but as for the dead, they are con-scious of nothing at all.” (Ecclesiastes 9:5)Those who are “conscious of nothing” aretotally unaware of their surroundings. Theycannot feel or act. So the dead cannot help orharm the living.

Contrary to what many believe, God didnot purpose for humans to die. He createdthe first human, Adam, with the prospect ofliving forever on earth. The only time thatGod mentioned death was when he toldAdam of the punishment for disobedience.He restricted Adam from eating the fruit of acertain tree and then warned him that if he

QUESTION 2:

What WillHappenWhen I Die?

6

ate from it, he would “positively die.” (Gene-sis 2:17) If Adam and Eve had remained obe-dient, they and all their descendants whowere loyal to God would have lived foreveron earth.

Adam chose to ignore God’s warning. Hesinned when he disobeyed God, so he died.(Romans 6:23) No part of Adam survived hisdeath. Rather, at death Adam ceased to exist.God said to Adam: “In the sweat of your faceyou will eat bread until you return to theground, for out of it you were taken. For dustyou are and todust youwill return.” (Genesis3:19) Because all mankind descended fromAdam, we inherited sin and death from him.—Romans 5:12.

Despite Adam’s poor choice, God willfulfill His purpose to populate the earthwith Adam’s descendants. (Genesis 1:28; Isa-iah 55:11) Soon, Jehovah will bring backto life the majority of those who have died.Speaking of that time, the apostle Paul said:“There is going to be a resurrection of boththe righteous and the unrighteous.”—Acts24:15.

Roman, quoted earlier, studied the Bibleand learned what it teaches about death andabout Jehovah God. What he discovered hada profound impact on him. Read his accountonpage 11 of this magazine.

To find out more about what happensat death, see chapter 6 of the bookWhat Does the Bible Really Teach?

Available for download at

www.jw.org

Jesus did not agree with the religious leadersof his day who said that there would be noresurrection of the dead. (Luke 20:27) Nei-ther did he teach that some part of a personsurvives death. Rather, Jesus taught the fol-lowing.Death is like sleep. When his friend Lazarusdied, Jesus said: “Lazarus our friend hasgone to rest, but I am journeying there toawaken him from sleep.” Jesus’ disciples didnot understand what he meant. They re-plied: “Lord, if he has gone to rest, he willget well.” The Bible account explains: “Jesushad spoken, however, about his death. Butthey imagined he was speaking about takingrest in sleep. At that time, therefore, Jesussaid to them outspokenly: ‘Lazarus hasdied.’ ”—John 11:11-14.The dead will be resurrected. When Jesusarrived at Lazarus’ hometown, he consoledMartha, Lazarus’ sister, by saying: “Yourbrother will rise.” Jesus then made this pro-found promise: “I am the resurrection andthe life. He that exercises faith in me, eventhough he dies, will come to life.” Jesus’promise was not mere empty words. In frontof many eyewitnesses, Jesus resurrected Laz-arus, although he had been dead four days.—John 11:23, 25, 38-45.In the revelation that he gave to the apostleJohn, Jesus again promised that the deadwould be resurrected. He described a time inthe future when death will release all whosymbolically are held captive by it.—Revela-tion 20:13.

What Did Jesus SayAbout Death?


IAN’s father was a heavy drinker. AlthoughIan grew up with what he needed materially,he lacked the emotional support that helonged to receive from his father. “I neverhad much affection for him, mostly becauseof his drinking and the way he treated mymother,” says Ian. As Ian got older, he beganto question God’s existence. “ ‘If God reallyexists,’ I reasoned, ‘why doeshe allow peopleto suffer?’”Why ask the question? Even if your life is rel-atively problem free, your sense of justicemight be outraged when you see innocentpeople suffer. However, the question aboutsuffering becomes especially significant ifyou, like Ian, personally experience hardshipor if a loved one gets sickor dies.What do some say the answer is? Some be-lieve that God permits suffering to teach usto be humble and compassionate. Othersfeel that people suffer in this life for sinscommitted in a past life.What do those answers imply? God is un-moved by human suffering, making it dif-ficult to love him. God is cruel.What does the Bible teach? The Bible plainlystates that God is not to blame for humansuffering. “Let no man say when he is tested,I am tested by God; for it is not possible forGod to be tested by evil, and he himself putsno man to such a test.” (James 1:13, The Bi-ble in Basic English) In fact, the idea that Godis to blame for suffering is out of harmonywith the way that the Bible describes God’spersonality. How so?

One of God’s primary qualities is love.(1 John 4:8) To emphasize that point, the Bi-ble portraysGod ashaving feelings similar tothose of a nursingmother. “Can awife forgether suckling so that she should not pity theson of her belly?” asks God. “Even thesewomen can forget, yet I myself shall not for-

QUESTION 3:

Why DoesGod Allow Meto Suffer?

8

get you.” (Isaiah 49:15) Can you imaginea loving mother deliberately harming herchild? A caring parent, on the contrary,would try to alleviate a child’s suffering.Likewise, God does not cause innocent peo-ple to suffer.—Genesis 18:25.

Even so, innocent people are suffering.You may wonder, ‘If God cares for us and isall powerful, why doesn’t he get rid of thecauses of suffering?’

God allows suffering to continue at pres-ent for good reasons. Consider just one: It isoften people who cause suffering to others.Many bullies and tyrantswho inflict pain areunwilling to change their ways. So forGod toremove a major cause of suffering, he willhave to destroy such people.

Explaining why God has not yet destroyedthosewhodowrong, the apostle Peter wrote:“Jehovah is not slow respecting his promise,as some people consider slowness, but he ispatient with you because he does not desireany to be destroyed but desires all to attain torepentance.” (2 Peter 3:9) Jehovah God’s pa-tience is an expressionof his loving and mer-ciful personality.

Soon, though, Jehovah God will act. Hewill “repay tribulation to those who maketribulation” for the innocent. Those who in-flict unjust suffering will “undergo the judi-cial punishment of everlasting destruction.”—2 Thessalonians 1:6-9.

Ian, quoted earlier, found satisfying an-swers to his questions about suffering. Whathe learned changed his outlook on life. Readhis account onpage 13 of this issue.

To find out more about why God allowssuffering and what he will do about it, see

chapter 11 of the book What Does the BibleReally Teach? Available for download at

www.jw.org

Jesus did not blame God for the sufferingthat surrounded him. Instead, he did the fol-lowing.Jesus showed that God does not punish in-nocent people by causing them to suffer.Jesus cured the sick, the lame, and the blind.(Matthew 15:30) The miracles that he per-formed teach us two significant facts: First,Jesus used God’s power to alleviate suffer-ing, not to cause it. Second, Jesus did notheal people dispassionately. When he sawpeople suffering, he was “moved with pity”for them. (Matthew 20:29-34) Jesus perfect-ly reflected his Father’s feelings about suffer-ing. Therefore, from Jesus’ speech and ac-tions, we learn that God is grieved by thepain He sees and that He wants to relieve it.—John 14:7, 9.Jesus identified the real source of much hu-man suffering—Satan the Devil. “That one,”said Jesus, “was a manslayer when he be-gan.” (John 8:44) Jesus also identified Satanthe Devil as “the ruler of this world” and theone who is “misleading the entire inhabitedearth.”—John 12:31; Revelation 12:9.Jesus gave us hope of a time when all suf-fering will end. He taught his followers topray: “Our Father in the heavens, . . . let yourKingdom come. Let your will take place, asin heaven, also upon earth.” (Matthew 6:9,10) When God’s Kingdom comes, there willbe no more suffering on earth, just as thereis no suffering in heaven.In a revelation that he gave to the apostleJohn, Jesus described what life will be likefor those living under God’s Kingdom. Atthat time, God “will wipe out every tearfrom their eyes, and death will be no more,neither will mourning nor outcry nor painbe anymore. The former things have passedaway.”—Revelation 1:1; 21:3, 4.

What Did Jesus SayAbout Suffering?

10 THE WATCHTOWER ˙ NOVEMBER 1, 2012

MY PAST: I was born in Croydon, SouthLondon, the sixth child of a family of nine.My parents were originally from the Caribbe-an island of St. Vincent. Mother attended aMethodist church. I had no interest in learn-ing about God, although I had an insatiabledesire for knowledge. My school vacationswere often spent by the local lake, readingnumerous books borrowed from the library.

Some years after leaving school, I realizedthat I wanted to help vulnerable people. I be-gan working with the homeless and thosewho had physical and learning disabilities.Then I took a university course in healthsciences. After graduating, I enjoyed a suc-cession of surprisingly prestigious positions,and my lifestyle became increasingly luxu-rious. As a freelance management consul-

tant and social researcher, allI needed for work was mylaptop computer and accessto the Internet. I would flyabroad for a couple of weeksat a time, stay in my favoritehotel, enjoy the beautiful sur-roundings, and use the spaand gym facilities to keep fit. Ireally thought I was living.But I never lost my concernfor the downtrodden.HOW THE BIBLE CHANGEDMY LIFE: For years I won-dered, ‘Why are we here, and

what is the purpose of life?’ But I never triedto find answers from the Bible. One day in1999, my younger sister Margaret, who hadbecome one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, visitedme with her Witness friend, who showed apersonal interest in me. I found myself agree-ing to have a Bible study with my sister’sfriend, but my progress was very slow, as mycareer and lifestyle tookupmuch of my time.

In the summer of 2002, I moved to south-west England. There, I began a postgraduateuniversity degree course in social research,with the ultimate goal of earning my doc-torate. I started attending the local KingdomHall more regularly with my young son. Al-though I enjoyedhigher education,my studyof the Bible was bringing me a greater under-standingof life’s problems and the solution. I

THE BIBLE CHANGES LIVES

HOW did a young woman who had no interest in God and who was enjoyinga promising career find real purpose in life? What did a young Catholic manlearn about death that made him change the course of his life? And what dida young man who was disillusioned with life learn about God that moved himto become a Christian minister? Read what these people have to say.

“For years I wondered,‘Why are we here?’”—ROSALIND JOHN

YEAR BORN: 1963

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: BRITAINHISTORY: ENJOYEDA PRESTIGIOUS CAREER

realized the truth of Matthew 6:24, whichsays that you cannot serve twomasters. It hadto be either God or riches. I knew I wouldhave to make a decision about my prioritiesin life.

The previous year, I had often attended ahome Bible study group where the Witnessesstudied the book Is There a Creator Who CaresAbout You?� I became convinced that onlyour Creator, Jehovah, has the solution tomankind’s problems. Now, at the university Iwas being taught that the meaning of life didnot involve belief in aCreator. Iwas incensed.After two months, I gave up my universitycourse anddecided to give more time to spiri-tual pursuits.

The Bible passage that motivated me tochange my lifestyle was Proverbs 3:5, 6:“Trust in Jehovah with all your heart and donot lean upon your own understanding. Inall your ways take notice of him, and he him-self will make your paths straight.” Learningabout our loving God was more rewardingthan any material riches and status that adoctorate might bring. The more I learnedabout Jehovah’s purpose for the earth and

� Published by Jehovah’s Witnesses.

the role Jesus played in sacrificing his life forus, the more I wanted to dedicate my life toour Creator. I was baptized in April 2003. Af-ter that I gradually simplified my life.HOW I HAVE BENEFITED: My friendshipwith Jehovah is priceless. I’ve gained real in-ner peace and joy from knowing him. I alsoexperience much happiness from associatingwith other true worshippers of God.

My thirst for knowledge continues to beamply satisfied by what I learn from the Bibleand from Christian meetings. I enjoy sharingmy faith with others. This has become mycareer, one in which I can really help people,both to experience a better life now and tohave the wonderful hope of life in the newworld. Since June 2008, I have been sharingin the full-time ministry, and I am happierand more contented than I have ever been. Ihave found the real purpose of life, and forthat I am truly grateful to Jehovah.

MY PAST: I grew up in thesmall town of Braunau, Aus-tria. The area was affluent,and crime was uncommon.My family was Catholic andraised me in that religion.

An event in my early lifehad a big impact on me. In1984, when I was about 11years old, I remember playingsoccer with one of my close

“The loss of my friendshook me up.”—ROMAN IRNESBERGER

YEAR BORN: 1973

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: AUSTRIAHISTORY: GAMBLER


friends. That same afternoon,he was killed in a car accident.The loss of my friend shookme up terribly. For years afterthe accident, Iwonderedwhathappens to us whenwe die.

When I lef t school , Iworked as an electrician. Al-though I became a habit-ual gambler and played forlarge sums of money, I hadno financial problems. I alsospent a lot of time on sports and developed alove of heavy metal and punk rock music.Life was disco after disco and party after par-ty. I was leading a pleasure-seeking, immorallife but felt very empty.HOW THE BIBLE CHANGED MY LIFE: In1995, an elderly Witness knocked on mydoor and offered me a book that discussedtheBible’s answer to thequestion,What hap-pens at death? The tragic death of my youngfriend still troubled me, so I took the book. Ireadnotonly the chapter about deathbut thewhole book!

What I read answered my questions aboutdeath. But I learned much more. Because Iwas raised as a Catholic, my faith centeredfirst and foremost on Jesus. However, mycareful study of the Bible helped me to devel-op a close friendship with Jesus’ Father, Jeho-vah God. I was fascinated to learn that Jeho-vah is not secretive and aloof but makeshimself clearly known to those who searchforhim. (Matthew 7:7-11) I learned that Jeho-vah has feelings. I also learned that he alwayskeeps his word. That led me to take a deep in-terest in Bible prophecies and to investigatehow they have been fulfilled. What I discov-ered strengthened my faith in God.

I soon realized that Jehovah’s Witnesseswere the only ones I knew of who wereseriously interested in helping people un-derstand the Bible. I noted the scriptures

mentioned in the Witness publications andlooked them up in my Catholic Bible. Themore I investigated, the more I realized that Ihad found the truth.

My Bible study taught me that Jehovah ex-pectedme to live by his standards. FromwhatI read at Ephesians 4:22-24, I could see that Ihad to get rid of my “old personality,” whichwas shaped by my “former course of con-duct” and that I had to “put on the newpersonality which was created according toGod’s will.” So I gave up my immoral life-style. I also saw the need to quit gambling,since that habit encourages materialism andgreed. (1 Corinthians 6:9, 10) I knew that tomake those changes, I wouldhave to stop see-ing my old friends and seek new associateswho shared my standards.

Making those changes was not easy. But Istarted attending meetings with the Witness-es at the Kingdom Hall and began makingnew friends in the local congregation. I alsocontinued a careful study of the Bible on myown. Those steps led me to change my tastein music, alter my goals in life, and tidy upmy personal appearance. In 1995, I was bap-tized as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses.HOW I HAVE BENEFITED: I nowhave a bal-anced view of money and material posses-sions. I used to be hot-tempered, but nowI have become more even-tempered. I am


also no longer overly anxious about the fu-ture.

I love being a part of an internationalgroup of people who serve Jehovah. Amongthem I see people who struggle with prob-

lems but still faithfully serve God. I feel sohappy that I now expend all my time and en-ergy, not on trying to satisfy my own desires,but on worshipping Jehovah and doing goodfor other people.

MY PAST: I was born in England, but aboutthe time I was seven years old, my fami-ly moved to Australia. We settled on theGold Coast, a tourist destination in Queens-land, Australia. Although my family was notrich, we always had what we needed.

Despite my comfortable upbringing, I wasnever really happy. I became quite disillu-sionedwith life.My father was a heavy drink-er. I never had much affection for him, most-ly because of his drinking and the way hetreated my mother. It was only later, when Ilearned about the things he had experiencedas a soldier in Malaya, that I began to under-stand why he acted the way he did.

I started binge drinking during my high-school years. At age 16, I left school and

joined the navy. I began to ex-periment with drugs and be-came addicted to tobacco. Ialso became more and moredependent on alcohol. I wentfrom binge drinking on theweekends to doing so everyday.

In my late teens and ear-ly 20’s, I started to questionGod’s existence. ‘If God real-ly exists,’ I reasoned, ‘whydoes he allow people to sufferand die?’ I even wrote poetryblaming God for all the wick-

edness in the world.I left thenavy at age 23. After that, I worked

at different jobs and even traveled overseasfor a year, but nothing relieved my despon-dency. I had no desire to set goals or achieveanything.Nothing really appealed tome. Theprospect of owning a house, having a securejob, and receiving promotions all seemedpointless. My only “comfort” came fromdrinking alcohol and listening to music.

I can recall the exact moment when I feltthe greatest desire to find purpose in life. Iwas in Poland, visiting the infamous concen-tration camp at Auschwitz. I had read aboutthe atrocities that took place. But when I ac-tually stood there and saw the enormoussize of the camp, my emotions were deeply

“At last, my life hasa purpose.”—IAN KING

YEAR BORN: 1963

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: ENGLANDHISTORY: DISILLUSIONED WITH LIFE


affected. I could not comprehend how hu-mans could be so cruel to otherhumans. I re-member walking around the camp with tearsin my eyes, asking, ‘Why?’HOW THE BIBLE CHANGED MY LIFE: In1993, after returning from overseas, I be-gan to read the Bible in search of answers.Soon thereafter, two of Jehovah’s Witnessesknocked on my door and invitedme to a con-vention that was being held at a nearby stadi-um. I decided to go.

I had been to that stadium a few monthsearlier for a match, but the contrast with thisconvention was enormous. The Witnesseswere polite and well-dressed, and their chil-dren were well-behaved. And I was stunnedbywhat I sawat lunchtime.Hundreds of Wit-nesses ate lunch on the playing field, butwhen they returned to their seats, I couldn’t

see a single piece of rubbish left on the field!Above all, these people seemed to have a feel-ing of contentment and peace—something Iyearned for. I don’t remember any of thetalks that were given that day, but the con-duct of the Witnesses made a lasting impres-sion.

That evening, I thought of my cousin whoread the Bible and studied different religions.Years earlier, he told me that Jesus said youwould be able to recognize the true religionby its fruitage. (Matthew 7:15-20) I thoughtthat I should at least look into what makesthe Witnesses so different. For the first timein my life, I felt a bit of optimism and hope.

The following week, the two Witnesseswho had invited me to the convention re-turned. They offered me a Bible study, whichI accepted. I also began to attend Christianmeetings with them.

As I studied the Bible, my view of Godchanged completely. I learned that he is notthe cause of wickedness and suffering andthat he himself is hurt when people do badthings. (Genesis 6:6; Psalm 78:40, 41) I be-came quite determined to try never to causeJehovah any hurt. I wanted to make his heartrejoice. (Proverbs 27:11) I stopped overdrink-ing and using tobacco, and I quit engaging inimmorality. In March 1994, I was baptized asone of Jehovah’s Witnesses.HOW I HAVE BENEFITED: I am genuinelyhappy and content. I no longer turn to alco-hol in an attempt to solve my problems. In-stead, I’ve learned to throwmyburdenson Je-hovah.—Psalm 55:22.

For the past ten years, I have been marriedto a beautiful Witness named Karen, and Ihave a wonderful stepdaughter named Nella.The three of us enjoy spending a lot of ourtime in the Christian ministry, helping oth-ers to learn the truth about God. At last, mylife has purpose.


ˇ At the conclusion of the third of histhree letters included in the Bible, theapostle John states: “I had many thingsto write you, yet I do not wish to go onwriting you with ink and pen.” A literaltranslation of the original Greek wordsthat John used indicates that he did notwant to go on writing with “black [ink]and reed.”—3 John 13, The Kingdom In-terlinear Translation of the Greek Scrip-tures.

The scribe’s pen was a length of hardreed. It was cut diagonally across oneend and finely slit through the point. Ascribe could resharpen the point with apumice stone. The reed resembled andfunctioned much like a modern foun-tain pen that has a metal nib.

Most ink, or “black,” was a mixture ofsoot or lampblack and a rubbery gum,which served as an adhesive. This inkwas sold dry and had to be mixed withwater to the right consistency beforebeing used. When applied, such inksimply dried on the surface of the papy-rus or parchment and did not penetrateit. Hence, a writer could readily cor-rect any errors using a wet sponge,which would also have been part ofthe scribe’s standard equipment. Thisdetail concerning ancient ink explainswhat Biblewriters may have been think-ing of when they spoke of names beingwiped out of, or canceled from, God’sbook of remembrance.—Exodus 32:32,33; Revelation 3:5, Kingdom Interlinear.

DID YOU KNOW?

What kinds of pen and ink were used in Bible times?

REED PENS FROMEGYPT, ABOUT THEFIRST CENTURY C.E.

˘ Image AssetManagement/age fotostock

ˇ Acts 18:3 says that the apostle Paulwas a tentmaker by trade. In Bibletimes, tentmakers wove camel or goathair to produce strips of cloth. Thenthey sewed the strips together to maketents for travelers. Many tents in thisperiod, however, were made fromleather. Others were made from lin-en, which was manufactured in Paul’shometown of Tarsus. Paul may haveworked with any or all of these materi-als. Whileworking with Aquila, though,Paul may have made linen sun awningsthat were used to cover the atria of pri-vate houses.

Paul likely learned this occupation inhis youth. Evidence from Egyptian pa-pyri indicates that during the period

of Roman occupation, apprentices inEgypt began learning a trade at aboutthe age of 13. If Paul was that agewhen he began his trade, then by age15 or 16, he may have mastered thearts of cutting his material to size andshape and then sewing it with variousawls and stitching techniques. “At theconclusion of his apprenticeship Paulmight have been given his own set oftools,” says the book The Social Contextof Paul’s Ministry. “The requisite knivesand awls,” says the same work, “wouldhave made tentmaking an easily porta-ble trade,” one that Paul could fall backon to support himself as a travelingmissionary.

What kinds of tents did the apostle Paul make?

SEWING IMPLEMENTSFROM THE FIRST OR

SECOND CENTURY C.E.Erich Lessing/Art Resource, NY

1. Why does mankind needa world government?

Today, mankind’s problems are often on a world-wide scale. In some nations, most people are poorand oppressed. In others, many people seem tohave more than they need. Only a global adminis-tration could distribute the earth’s resources fairly.—Read Ecclesiastes 4:1; 8:9.

2. Who could be trusted witha world government?

The idea of a world ruler is unpopular because noman or woman could do the job well. No humancould gain the acceptance of everyone. Also, who isabove being corrupted by power? The thought of asingle tyrant ruling all mankind is terrifying.—ReadProverbs 29:2; Jeremiah 10:23.

Jehovah God has chosen his Son, Jesus, to rulemankind forever. (Luke 1:32, 33) Jesus has experi-ence in living on earth. While here, he cured thesick, taught the meek, and spent time with chil-dren. (Mark 1:40-42; 6:34; 10:13-16) So Jesus is theideal Ruler.—Read John 1:14.

LEARN FROM GOD’S WORD

Will God Provide aWorld Government?

This article considers questions youmay have raised and shows where youcan read the answers in your Bible.Jehovah’s Witnesses would be pleasedto discuss these answers with you.


3. Is a world government really feasible?God has appointed his Son to rule the earth from

heaven. (Daniel 7:13,14) Just as a human ruler doesnot have to be present in every city he rules, Jesusdoes not need to be physically present on earth inorder to rule mankind.—Read Matthew 8:5-9,13.

Will everyone accept Jesus as Ruler? No. Onlypeople who love what is good will accept him. Je-hovah will clear the earth of those who reject theloving and righteous Ruler whom he has appoint-ed.—Read Matthew 25:31-33, 46.

4. What will the world Ruler do?As a shepherd gathers his sheep, Jesus is already

gathering meek people from all nations and teach-ing them God’s ways of love. (John 10:16; 13:34)Such people become eager supporters of Jesusand his kingship. (Psalm 72:8; Matthew 4:19, 20)Worldwide, Jesus’ loyal subjects are unitedly an-nouncing that Jesus has become King.—Read Mat-thew 24:14.

Jesus will soon act with power to relieve mankindof corrupt government. He has chosen some of hisloyal followers to rule over the earth as kings withhim in heaven. (Daniel 2:44; 7:27) Jesus’ Kingdomwill fill the earth with the knowledge of Jehovahand will establish the kind of paradise that was lostat the beginning of human history.—Read Isaiah 11:3, 9; Matthew 19:28.

For more information, see chapter 8 of this book,published by Jehovah’s Witnesses.

WHAT DOESTHE BIBLE

Really TEACH?

17


Giannis:� “My business collapsed during the Greek financial crisis, sowe could no longer keep up with our mortgage and credit-card pay-ments. I couldn’t sleep because of the stress.”

Katerina: “We had built our home with love, and I couldn’t bear thethought of losing it. Giannis and I fought many times about how wewould deal with our debt.”

DEBTcan strain or even de-stroy a family. For ex-

ample, researcher JeffreyDewfound that couples in debtspend less time together,have more fights, and are lesshappy. Compared with othertopics, arguments about debtand finances last longer, gen-erate more yelling and hit-ting, and are more likely tocarry over into other issues. Itis no surprise, then, that theleading cause of divorce inthe United States is disagree-ments about money.

Excessive debt also bringshealth risks, such as insom-nia, headaches, stomach-aches, heart attacks, and de-pression. Awife namedMartarelates: “My husband, Luıs,was so depressed about our debt that he sleptmost of the day. The man I had always reliedon had become helpless.” For some, thestress becomes unbearable. For example, BBCNews reported that a wife in southeastern In-

� Some names in this article have been changed.

dia committed suicide after falling behind onpayments for loans totaling the equivalent of$840 (U.S.). She had borrowed the money topay forher children’s medical treatment.

What if your family is under stress becauseof debt? Let us consider some common chal-

KEYS TO FAMILY HAPPINESS

Dealing With Debt

Debt troubles can strain or even destroy a family


lenges that couples face in dealing with debtand look at Bible principles that can help youto meet them.CHALLENGE 1: We blame each other.

“I accused my wife of wasteful spending,”admits Lukasz, “while she complained thatwe would have enough money if I had a jobthat provided year-round work.” How can acouple keep debts from driving them apart?

A key to success: Work together againstdebt. It will not help matters if you vent an-ger on your mate—even if you had no part inincurring the debt. Now, perhaps more thanever, the Bible’s counsel at Ephesians 4:31 ap-plies: “Let all malicious bitterness and angerandwrath and screaming and abusive speechbe taken away from you along with all bad-ness.”

Fight the debt, not each other. A husbandnamed Stephanos describes how he and hiswifeworked together: “Weviewedourdebt asa mutual enemy.” Such cooperation is inharmony with Proverbs 13:10, which says:“By presumptuousness one only causes astruggle, but with those consulting togetherthere is wisdom.” Rather than presumptu-ously trying to solve things onyour own, talkcandidly about financial problems and thenact unitedly.

Your children can join in the effort. Afather named Edgardo, in Argentina, de-scribes his family’s experience: “My youngson wanted a new bicycle, but we explainedto him why we couldn’t afford it. Instead, wegave him a bike that had belonged to hisgrandfather, and he enjoyed riding it verymuch. I learned the value of working togeth-er as a family.”

TRY THIS: Arrange a time to talk openlyand calmly about your debt. Acknowledgeany mistakes you may have made. Ratherthan dwelling on the past, though, try toagree on principles that will guide your

future financial decisions.—Psalm 37:21;Luke 12:15.

CHALLENGE 2: Getting out of debtseems impossible.

“I had run up a large debt in my business,which was made even worse by the financialcrisis in Argentina,” recalls Enrique. “Thenmy wife needed surgery. I felt that I couldnever get out of debt, as though I weretrapped in a spiderweb.” A man named Ro-berto, in Brazil, lost all his savings in a busi-ness venture and was in debt to 12 banks. Hesays: “I was almost too embarrassed to facemy friends. I felt like a loser.”

What can you do if you feel overwhelmedby discouragement, guilt, or shame aboutyour debt?

A key to success: Take control of yourfinances.�

1. Determine your current budget. Keep arecord of all money moving in or out of yourhousehold for twoweeks—or a month, if thatis more practical. Add to this record expensessuch as taxes, insurance, or clothing, whichmay occur much less frequently, and usemonthly averages for them.

2. Increase your income. You could take onextra shifts at your current job, perform sea-sonal work, tutor a student, recycle, or makeyour hobby into a home business. Caution:Take care not to allow work to encroach onactivities that are more important, such asyour spiritual routine.

3. Reduce your expenses. Buy an item only ifyou need it, not just because it is on sale.(Proverbs 21:5) “Waiting to buy is good,” saysEnrique, quoted above, “since it helps you todecide if you really need the itemor just wantit.” Here are some additional tips.

� For more suggestions, see the cover series “How toManage Money” in the September 2011 issue of Awake!published by Jehovah’s Witnesses.


˘ Housing: If possible, move into a resi-dence with a smaller monthly payment. Re-duce your utility costs by conserving electric-ity, water, and heat.

˘ Food: Pack a lunch or snack instead ofeating out regularly. Use grocery couponsand other special offers. “I save on fruits andvegetables if I shop at street markets just be-fore they close,” says Joelma, in Brazil.

˘ Transportation: Sell nonessential vehi-cles, and maintain what you have instead ofquickly trading in for newermodels.Usepub-lic transportation, or walkwhenever you can.

After you reduce your expenses, you areready to make the best use of your remainingmoney.

4. Analyze your debt and act. First, deter-mine for each debt the interest rate, the fees,the impact of a late or missed payment, andthe possibility that a payment is already over-due. Examine the wording of the loan or billcarefully, since creditors may be deceptive.For example, one short-term loan service inthe United States stated that its interest ratewas 24 percent, when, in fact, it was over400 percent.

Next, determine the order in which youwill tackle your debts. One approach is to paytoward debt with the highest interest ratefirst. Another option is to pay off smaller bal-ances first, since receiving fewer bills eachmonth will likely boost your morale. If youhave loans with a high interest rate, youmight benefit by getting anew loan at a lowerrate to payoff the existing ones.

Finally, if you cannot meet your obliga-tions, try to negotiate new payment planswith your creditors. You could ask for an ex-tension or a lower interest rate. Some credi-tors may even be willing to reduce what youowe if you can pay the lower amount in fullright now. Be honest and courteous in ex-plaining your financial situation. (Colossians

4:6; Hebrews 13:18) Put any agreements inwriting. Even if your first request is not suc-cessful, be willing to persist in asking for anadjustment if necessary.—Proverbs 6:1-5.

Of course, you will need to be realistic asyou manage your finances. Even the bestplan can fail as a result of factors beyond yourcontrol, since money often “makes wings foritself like those of an eagle and flies away to-ward the heavens.”—Proverbs 23:4, 5.

TRY THIS: Once you have prepared aninitial budget, discuss how everyone canreduce expenses or increase the family’sincome. Seeing one another’s sacrificescan help to pull you together in the fightagainst debt.

Find practical ways to deal with debt as a family

CHALLENGE 3: Debt consumes ourthinking.

The struggle to deal with debt can crowdout more important aspects of life. As a mannamed Georgios put it, “the biggest problemwas that our whole life revolved around ourdebts. Matters that should have had prioritygot pushed into the background.”

A key to success: Keep money in its properplace. In spite of yourbest efforts, youmaybepaying your creditors for many years. In themeantime, you canchoosehowyouwill viewyour circumstances. Rather than being ob-sessed with money or the lack of it, we arewise to heed the Bible’s advice: “Having sus-tenance and covering, we shall be contentwith these things.”—1 Timothy 6:8.

Being contentwithyourfinancial situationallows you to “make sure of the more impor-tant things.” (Philippians 1:10) These “moreimportant things” include your friendshipwith God and with your family. Georgios,quoted above, says: “Even though we havenot completely paid back our debts, they areno longer the focal point of our life.Our mar-riage is happier now thatwe spendmore timewith our children, with each other, and inspiritual activities together.”

TRY THIS: List things that are truly valu-able to you and that money cannot buy.Next, determine how to increase the timeand energy you devote to each item onyour list.

Debt problems create stress, and dealingwith them calls for sacrifices; yet the resultsare worth the effort. A husband named An-drzej, in Poland, admits: “When I learnedthatmywife hadguaranteed a large loan for aworkmate who then vanished without repay-ing, our home atmosphere was tense, to saythe least.” Looking back on how he and hiswife responded, though, he says: “We actual-ly became more united—not by the problemitself, but by working together to solve it.”

ASK YOURSELF . . .ˇ How can I help my family to get outof debt?ˇ How can we keep our debt fromdominating or even destroying ourrelationship?

Contentment brings joy that possessions cannot


WHAT does Jehovah expect from those whowant to worship him acceptably? Does

he demand perfection, thus making it impossi-ble for us imperfect humans to please him? Ordoes he expect only what is within our reach?The answers to those questions are vital if we areto find joy in serving God. Let us examine howthe prophet Micah summed up God’s require-ments.—Read Micah 6:8.

“He has told you . . . what is good.” We do nothave to guess what God expects of us. He hastold us, plainly outlining his requirements in theBible. What God asks of us “is good.” It couldnot be otherwise. “God is love,” so he has ourbest interests at heart. (1 John 4:8; 5:3) Heedinghis requirements is not only pleasing to him butalso beneficial to us.—Deuteronomy 10:12,13.

“What is Jehovah asking back fromyou?” DoesGod have the right to ask back anything from us?Of course he does! We owe him obedience asthe Source and Sustainer of life. (Psalm 36:9)What, then, does he ask back from us? Micahsums up God’s requirements with three phrases.The first two principally involve our dealingswith fellow humans, and the third involves ourrelationship with God.

“Exercise justice.” The Hebrew word for “jus-tice,” according to one reference work, “involvesright and fair relationships in the community.”God asks us to treat others according to what isright and fair by his standards. We exercise jus-tice by being impartial, upright, and honest inour dealings with others. (Leviticus 19:15; Isaiah1:17; Hebrews 13:18) When we act justly towardothers, they may be moved to act justly towardus in return.—Matthew 7:12.

“To love kindness.” God asks us not merely toshow kindness but to love it. The Hebrew wordrendered “kindness” (che�sedh) may also berendered “loving-kindness” or “loyal love.” Saysone Bible scholar: “Love, mercy, and kindnessare inadequate translations of [che�sedh]; it is noone of these virtues, but all of them together.” Ifwe love kindness, we show it willingly; we findpleasure in helping those in need. As a result, weexperience the happiness that comes from giv-ing.—Acts 20:35.

“To be modest in walking with your God.” Inthe Bible, the phrase “to walk” means “to followa certain course of action.” We walk with God byfollowing the life course he has outlined in theBible. We need “to be modest” in pursuing sucha course. How so? When we are modest beforeGod, we realistically evaluate our position beforehim and recognize our limitations. Therefore,“to walk modestly with” means to have a realis-tic view of what he requires and of what we cangive.

Thankfully, Jehovah never requires more thanwe can give. He is pleased with our best effortsto serve him. (Colossians 3:23) He understandsour limitations. (Psalm 103:14) When we, withdue modesty, learn to accept them as well, wecan find joy in walking with him. Why not learnhow you can begin walking with God? Such acourse brings rich blessings from him.—Proverbs10:22.

DRAW CLOSE TO GOD

“What Is Jehovah Asking BackFrom You?”

��

SUGGESTED BIBLE READING FOR NOVEMBER:˛ Joel 1–Micah 7

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ˇ An emotional crutch is a form of self-deceptionthat causes a person to ignore reality and pre-vents him from reasoning logically. For example,some people use alcohol as a crutch. Initially, al-cohol may make them feel more self-confidentand able to cope with life’s challenges. But inthe long run, those who lean on the crutch of al-cohol harm themselves. Can the same be saidabout religious faith?

Some equate faith with gullibility. They saythat people who resort to faith do not want tothink for themselves or allow hard evidence toinfluence their beliefs. Such skeptics imply thatthose with strong religious faith ignore reality.

The Bible has much to say about faith. Yet no-where does it encourage us to be gullible ornaive. Nor does it condone mental laziness. Onthe contrary, it labels people who put faith inevery word they hear as inexperienced, evenfoolish. (Proverbs 14:15,18) Really, how foolish itwould be for us to accept an idea as true withoutchecking the facts! That would be like coveringour eyes and trying to cross a busy street just be-cause someone tells us to do it.

Rather than encouraging blind faith, the Bibleurges us to keep our figurative eyes open so thatwe are not deceived. (Matthew 16:6) We keepour eyes open by using our “power of reason.”(Romans 12:1) The Bible trains us to reason onevidence and reach sound conclusions that arebased on facts. Consider some examples fromthe writings of the apostle Paul.

When Paul wrote to those in the congregationin Rome, he did not want them to believe in Godjust because he told them to. Rather, he encour-aged them to consider the evidence that God isreal. He wrote: “His [God’s] invisible qualitiesare clearly seen from the world’s creation on-

ward, because they are perceived by the thingsmade, even his eternal power and Godship, sothat they [those who deny God’s authority] areinexcusable.” (Romans 1:20) Paul used a similarline of reasoning when writing his letter to theHebrews. “Of course, every house is constructedby someone,” he said, “but he that constructedall things is God.” (Hebrews 3:4) In a letter toChristians living in the city of Thessalonica, Paulencouraged them to be selective in what theybelieved. He wanted them to “make sure of allthings.”—1 Thessalonians 5:21.

Religious faith that is not built on sound evi-dence can become a crutch, one that causes aperson to be misled and suffer harm. Concern-ing some religious people in his day, Paul wrote:“I bear them witness that they have a zeal forGod; but not according to accurate knowl-edge.” (Romans 10:2) How vital it is, then, thatwe follow Paul’s advice to the Roman congrega-tion! He wrote: “Be transformed by making yourmind over, that you may prove to yourselves thegood and acceptable and perfect will of God.”(Romans 12:2) Faith based on accu-rate knowledge of God becomes,not a crutch, but a “large shield”that protects us from emotion-al and spiritual harm.—Ephesians6:16.

OUR READERS ASK . . .

Is religious faith an emotional crutch?

Faith can bea shield thatprotects us

My Bible Lessons

A rainy day.“I’m stuck inside.Why won’t it stop?”

Tomoko cried.

But then, surprise!The sun appeared.The rain was gone.Tomoko cheered!

ACTIVITIES Have your child point to:Window Tomoko FlowersBird Tree

Find the hidden objects.Ladybug AirplaneRead Acts 14:17.Why did Jehovahcreate the rain?

AGES 3 AND

UNDER

She ran outside,and to her delight,

Tomoko sawan amazing sight.

Tomoko said,“I did not know

that rain from Godmakes the flowers grow!”

25

SHEPHERDS are mentioned dozens oftimes throughout the Bible, from the first

book, Genesis, to the last, Revelation. (Gene-sis 4:2; Revelation 12:5) Great men such asAbraham, Moses, and King David wereshepherds. The psalmist David beautiful-ly expressed the responsibilities and con-cerns of a good shepherd. And a psalmascribed to Asaph mentions David as a

shepherd over God’s people of an-cient times.—Psalm 78:70-72.

Later, in Jesus’ day, shepherdingwas still a vital occupation. Jesus re-

ferred to himself as “the fine shepherd” andoften used the qualities of a good shepherdto teach important lessons. (John 10:2-4, 11)Even the Almighty, Jehovah God, is likenedto “a shepherd.”—Isaiah 40:10, 11; Psalm 23:1-4.

What kinds of animals did a shepherd carefor? What did his job involve? And what canwe learn from those hard workers?

Sheep and GoatsShepherds in ancient Israel likely worked

with, among others, the broadtail Syrian va-rietyof sheep,which have large fatty tails anda thick fleece. The rams of this breed arehorned, and the ewes are not. These docileanimals are easily led and completely at themercyof their environment and predators.

LIFE IN BIBLE TIMES

The Shepherd“Like a shepherd he will shepherd his own drove. With his arm he will collect togetherthe lambs; and in his bosom he will carry them.”—ISAIAH 40:11.

26

Shepherds also cared for goats. The goatswere uniformly black or brown. Their long,flapping ears easily got torn on thorns andbriar bushes as they clambered on rocky hill-sides and grazed on shrubbery.

The shepherd faced the ongoing challengeof teaching the sheep and goats to obeyhis commands. Even so, good shepherdstook tender care of the animals in theircharge, even giving them names to whichthey would respond.—John 10:14,16.

The Seasons of the ShepherdIn spring, each day a shepherd might take

his flock from a pen near his home to grazeon the fresh, succulent growth in the nearbyvillage pastures. During this season, the birthof lambs and kids would expand the size ofthe flock. At that time, workers would alsoshear the winter fleece from the sheep, andthis was an occasion to celebrate!

A villager might own only a few sheep. Sohe would hire a shepherd whowould add thesmall flock to another one. Hired shepherdshad a reputation for showing less concern forthe animals of others than for their own.—John 10:12,13.

After the fields near the village were har-vested, the shepherd would allow his sheepto graze on new shoots and on grain leftamong the stubble. When summer heat setin, shepherds moved their flocks to coolerpastures on higher ground. For days on end,shepherds would work and sleep outdoors,allowing the flock to graze on the steep greenslopes and spending the nights guardingthe open sheepfolds. At times, the shepherdmight shelter his flock overnight in a cave,where they would be protected from jackalsand hyenas. If the howl of a hyena panickedthe flock of sheep in the dark of night, theshepherd’s calm reassuring voice would stillthem.

Each evening, the shepherd counted thesheep and checked the health of the ani-mals. In the morning, he would call, andthe flock would follow him to the pastureground. (John 10:3, 4) At midday, shepherdsled the animals to cool pools of water todrink. When the pools dried up, the shep-herd guided them to a well and drew waterfor them.

Toward the end of the dry season, a shep-herd might move his flock to the coastal

plains and valleys. When the cold rains be-gan, he would lead them back hometo winter indoors. Otherwise, the ani-mals could perish outside in the lashingrains, hailstorms, and snow. From Novembertill spring, shepherds would not graze theirflocks outdoors.

Equipped for WorkThe shepherd’s clothing was simple but ro-

bust. To protect him from rain and the frigidnight air, he may have worn a mantle madeof sheepskin, with the fleece turned inward.Against his skin, hewore a tunic. Sandals pro-tected his feet from sharp rocks and thorns,and he wrapped his head in a woven woolencloth.

The shepherd’s equipment usually includ-ed the following: A scrip, or leather bag, thatcontained food supplies, such as bread, ol-ives, dried fruit, and cheese (1); a rod, whichwas a formidable weapon, usually three feet(1 m) long with sharp slate embedded in thebulbous end (2); a knife (3); a staff, which

the shepherd leaned on while walkingand climbing (4); a personal water con-tainer (5); a collapsible leather bucket for

drawing water from deep wells (6); a sling,which he used to lob stones near the strayingsheep or goats to frighten them back tothe flock or to drive off prowling wild ani-mals (7); and a reed pipe, which he played toentertain himself and to soothe the flock (8).

In return for the shepherd’s care, the ani-mals provided the necessities of life—suchproducts as milk and meat for the table. Thefleece and skins were used as a medium of ex-change and for clothing and bottles. Goat’shair was spun into cloth, and both sheep andgoats were used for sacrifices.

A Model to FollowGood shepherds were diligent, depend-

able, and brave. They even risked their livesto protect the flock.—1 Samuel 17:34-36.

Little wonder, then, that Jesus and his dis-ciples used the shepherd as a model forChristian overseers. (John 21:15-17; Acts 20:28) Like a good shepherd inBible times, con-gregation overseers today strive to “shep-herd the flock of God in [their] care, notunder compulsion, but willingly; neither forlove of dishonest gain, but eagerly.”—1 Peter5:2.

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Events Leading Up tothe European Court Case

Vahan was born in Armenia in April 1983.In 1996, he and other members of his familybegan to study the Bible with Jehovah’s Wit-nesses, and when he was 16 years old, he wasbaptized. From his study of the Bible, Vahandeveloped a deep regard for the teachings ofJesus Christ, including the direction Jesusgave his followers not to take up physicalweapons of warfare. (Matthew 26:52) There-fore, only a short time after his baptism, Va-han faced a critical decision in his life.

Armenian law makes military service com-pulsory for all young menwhen they turn 18years of age. If they refuse to perform this

service, they can be punished with impris-onment for up to three years. Vahan wantedto serve his fellow citizens. At the same time,he did not want to violate his Bible-trainedconscience. So, what did he do?

As soon as he was deemed eligible for mili-tary service in 2001, Vahan began writingletters to the authorities in Armenia. In hisletters, he stated that such service would vio-late his conscience and religious beliefs. Atthe same time, he declared his willingnessto perform alternative civilian service in-stead.

More than one year passed, during whichVahan continued to appeal to authori-ties to recognize his conscientious refusal

EUROPEAN COURTUPHOLDS THE RIGHT TO CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTIONJEHOVAH’S WITNESSES around the world are well-known for their neutral stand when itcomes to the politics and wars of any nation. They firmly believe that they must “beat theirswords into plowshares” and not “learn war anymore.” (Isaiah 2:4) They do not interferewith those who choose to serve in the armed forces. But what if the conscience of a Wit-ness does not permit him to serve in the military, yet the country in which he lives makesit mandatory? That was the situation faced by a young man named Vahan Bayatyan.


of military service. However, in Septem-ber 2002, Vahan was arrested, and later hewas charged with draft evasion. He was sen-tenced to 18 months’ imprisonment. Theprosecutor, though, was not satisfied withthat punishment. Just one month after thesentencing, the prosecutor filed a motionwith the appeal court, demanding a harshersentence. He argued that Vahan’s religiouslymotivated conscientious objection to mili-tary service was “unfounded and danger-ous.” The appeal court granted the prosecu-tor’s petition, increasing Vahan’s sentence to30 months’ imprisonment.

Vahan appealed this decision to Armenia’shighest court. In January 2003, the Court ofCassation upheld the appeal court’s judg-ment. Vahanwas immediately transferred toa prison facility to begin serving his sentencealong with murderers, drug dealers, and rap-ists.

Events in the European CourtSince 2001, Armenia has been a member

of the Council of Europe. Its citizens there-fore have a right to appeal cases to the Euro-pean Court of Human Rights (ECHR) oncethey have exhausted all domestic remediesfor justice. That is what Vahan chose to do.In his appeal he argued that his conviction

for refusal to serve in the army had violatedArticle 9 of the European Convention onHuman Rights. He asked that his right toconscientious objection of military servicebe protected under this article—somethingthat had never been successfully argued be-fore.

On October 27, 2009, the ECHR issued itsjudgment. The court held that, in view ofexisting case law, freedom of conscienceas defined in Article 9 of the EuropeanConvention does not protect the rights ofconscientious objectors who refuse to servein the military.

By that time, Vahan had long been re-leased from prison, was married, and hada little boy. Vahan was disappointed bythe judgment. He then had to make thechoice either to drop the case or appealto the Grand Chamber of the ECHR. Hechose the latter. The Grand Chamber acceptsonly exceptional cases, so Vahanwas pleasedwhen it decided to review his case.

Finally, on July 7, 2011, in Strasbourg,France, the Grand Chamber of the ECHR is-sued its ruling. The court concluded by anoverwhelming majority of 16 votes to 1 thatArmenia violated the right of freedom ofconscience of Vahan Bayatyan when it con-victed and imprisoned him for his conscien-

Vahan Bayatyan in front of Nubarashen Prison in Armenia Bayatyan with his legal counselorsin the European Court of HumanRights, November 24, 2010


tious objection to military service. The judgefrom Armenia provided the sole dissentingvote.

Why is that ruling significant? Because itwas the first time in the history of the ECHRthat the right to conscientious objection tomilitary service was viewed as being fullyprotected under Article 9 of the Convention.As a result, the court views it as a violation offundamental rights in a democratic societyto imprison a conscientious objector.

The Court made the following remarkabout the position of Jehovah’s Witnesses asconscientious objectors: “The Court there-fore has no reason to doubt that the appli-cant’s objection to military service was moti-vated by his religious beliefs, which weregenuinely held and were in serious and in-surmountable conflict with his obligation toperform military service.”

Reaction to the DecisionOver the past two decades, over 450 con-

scientious objectors who are Jehovah’s Wit-nesses have been sentenced in Armenia. Atthe time this article was being prepared,there were 58 young men in that countrywho were imprisoned for their conscien-tious refusal of military service on religiousgrounds. Five of those individuals were im-

prisoned after the landmark decision in thecase of Bayatyan v. Armenia.� In one of thosecases, when the young conscientious objec-tor filed a motion requesting that the localprosecutor terminate the criminal proceed-ings against him for refusing military serviceon the basis of conscience, the prosecutor re-jected his motion. In his written response,the prosecutor stated: “The judgment by theEuropean Court in the case Bayatyan v. Ar-menia, dated July 7, 2011, does not apply inthis case, since it is obvious that there are nosimilar circumstances in the two cases.”

Why did the prosecutor feel that way?When Vahan Bayatyan was charged, therewas no alternative civilian service provisioninplace. The government of Armenia assertsthat since then, a law has been adopted mak-ing such a provision, so those opposed tomilitary service now have the option of per-forming civilian service. However, the alter-native service law is under military control,so it does not apply to many of the consci-entious objectors who are presently beingcalled up for military duty.

Vahan Bayatyan is pleased with the mile-stone decision that was made in his favor.The judgment now places an obligation onArmenia to stop prosecuting and imprison-ing individuals whose deeply held religiousconvictions do not allow them to engage inmilitary service.

It is not the purpose of Jehovah’s Witness-es to introduce reform into the legal systemof any country. However, just as young Va-han Bayatyan did, they seek to establishtheir legal rights based on some of the exist-ing laws governing the countries in whichthey live. Why? In order that they may con-tinue to live peaceably and freelyobey all thecommands of their Leader, Jesus Christ.

� Two of them were sentenced on July 7, 2011, the sameday as the ECHR ruling.

Bayatyan with his wife, Tsovinar,and son, Vahe

Even in this troubled world, you can gain happiness from accurate Bible knowledge of God, his Kingdom,and his wonderful purpose for mankind. If you would welcome further information or would like to havesomeone visit you to conduct a free Bible study, please write to Jehovah’s Witnesses at the appropriateaddress listed on page 4.

www.jw.org wp12 11/01-E

Would you welcome a visit?

Why does God allow suffering?SEE PAGES 8-9.

Why does mankind need a world government?SEE PAGES 16-17.

How can you stop debts from consuming yourthinking? SEE PAGE 21.

Is religious faith just an emotional crutch?SEE PAGE 23.

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