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Is Life Too Cheap? 3-10

In recent years it seems that a
death culture has developed among
young people. What are the causes?
Is there a solution?

Is Life G e ttin g Cheaper?

How Is the Death C u ltu re

Smile Its Good Prom oted?
for You! 11
H elping Youths Escape
Can smiling make the Death C u ltu re 8
a difference in your
A Tale of Two Rivers 14
daily life?
When Cow s Go on Vacation! 18

The Lure of Santeria 23

The B ib le s V ie w point
Who Is a M in ister? 26
The Search for the
Immortality Gene 20 W atching the World 28

Why do we die? From Our Readers 30

Can science really
DST An Idea Before Its Tim e? 31
increase our life span?
I Like the Way It Treats M a tte rs 32
C ourtesy of Geron Corporation

Awake! July 8, 2000

 Is Life Getting
Cheaper?
It is a world where life is cheap. Death can
be bought for a few hundred pounds [sterling]
and there is no shortage of those willing to
provide the service. -TA e Scotsman.

During April 1999, in an assault that shocked the entire world, two
adolescents violently took over Columbine High School, in Littleton,
Colorado, U.S.A., leaving 15 dead. Investigation showed that one of the
attackers had a Web page on which he had written: DEAD PEOPLE
DONT ARGUE! Both attackers died in the tragedy.

U R D E R is universal, and dren and of their own parents. Life is

M untold num bers of people

die a violent d eath every
day. South A frica led the world with a
m urder rate o f 75 per 100,000 inhab
itants in 1995. Life is especially cheap
in one S o u th A m e ric a n c o u n try ,
where m ore th an 6,000 were killed for
political reasons in 1997. Killing by
contract is a norm al procedure. One
report on th at country states: Shock
ingly, the m urder o f children has also
soared: In 1996, 4,322 children were
killed, a 40 per cent rise in just two
years. How ever, even children are
becom ing m urdererso f other chil
cheap indeed.
Why the Death Culture?
W hat do th e se facts and figures
show? An increasing lack o f respect
for life. Pow er-loving and m oney-
hun g ry p e o p le k ill w ith o u t any
qualms. D rug lords order the m urder
o f whole fam ilies. They euphem ize
their killing by using such expressions
as whacking, rubbing out, elim i
nating, or term inating the victims
of what they call hits. G enocide and
ethnic cleansing have added to the
toll and have cheapened the value of
 The younger lot in the gangs [in m A Brooklyn real-estate broker
Mumbai, India] are so desper was arrested .. . and charged with
ate, they will do a con paying a teen-ager part of a
tract killing for as little $1,500 fee to kill the mans
as 5,000 rupees [$115]. pregnant wife and her mother.
Far Eastern Economic The New York Times.
Review.
m The price of killing in England
He Killed a Passerby Who is coming down. Prices for a hit
Refused Him a Cigarette. H eadline have fallen from 30,000 pounds
in La Tercera, S a ntia go, Chile. five years ago to a more affordable
How Much It costs about $7000 to fix up an
5,000 to 10,000 pounds.
The Guardian.
Is a Life average contract killing in Russia
'Vicious Balkan gangs put Ma
[in 1 9 9 5 ]... Contract killings have
Worth? increased sharply in the economic fia in the shade. This is a new type
explosion of post-communist Rus of criminal, with new rules and new
sia. R euters, based on a re p o rt in weapons. He has explosives and
th e Moscow News. machine guns and doesnt hesitate
to use them. The Guardian Weekly.

hum an life. As a result, killings have be
come daily fare on the news menus of TV
stations worldwide.
Add to this the violence and mayhem glo
rified on television and movie screens, and
ou r society appears to be w rapped up in
a m orbid c u ltu re centering on death. In
this regard the Encyclopedia Britannica says:
D uring the latter half of the 20th century,
death has becom e a strangely popular sub
ject. Before th at time, perhaps rather sur
prisingly, it was a them e largely eschewed
in serious scientific, and to a lesser extent,
philosophical speculations. According to
Josep Fericgla, a C atalonian professor of
cultural anthropology, death has becom e
the last effective taboo in our societies, and
therefore, it is one of the m ost im p o rtan t
sources today o f ideological m anipulation.
Perhaps the m ost outstanding character
istic of this death culture is the popular
belief that power, supremacy, money, and
pleasure are of m uch m ore im portance than
hum an life and m oral values.
How is this death culture spread? W hat
can parents do to counteract this negative
influence that surrounds them and affects
their children? These are some o f the ques
tions that will be answered in the following
articles.

W h y Awake! Is Published Awake! is for the enlightenment of the entire family. It shows how to cope with
todays problems. It reports the news, tells about people in many lands, examines religion and science. But it does more.
It probes beneath the surface and points to the real meaning behind current events, yet it always stays politically neutral
and does not exalt one race above another. Most important, this magazine builds confidence in the Creators promise of
a peaceful and secure new world that is about to replace the present wicked, lawless system of things.
Unless otherwise indicated, New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures With References is used.

/te /re /(IS S N 0005-237X ) is published sem im onthly by W atchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc.; M ilton G. Henschel, President; Lyman
A. Swingle, Secretary-Treasurer; 25 Columbia Heights, Brooklyn, NY 11201-2483. Periodicals Postage Paid at Brooklyn, N.Y., and at additional m ail
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Vol. 81, No. 13 Printed in U.S.A. 2000 Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania. All rights reserved. Sem im onthly ENGLISH

4 Awake! July 8, 2000

 How Is the
Death Culture"
Promoted?
Thousands of miles lie between the traumatized
young refugees of Kosovo and American children exposed
to violence and other painful experiences, but the
emotional distance between them may not be so great.
-M a rc Kaufman, The Washington Post.

Whether we like it or not, we are all affected directly or indirectly by

death. This is true regardless of where we livein a country that is
racked by violent conflict or in one that enjoys relative stability.

H E m anifestation of the death cul t h a t . . . death is becom ing recognized as the

T tu re can be seen in the high inci central dynamism underlying the life, vitali
dence o f depression, anguish, drug ty, and structure o f the social order. D eath
is the m use o f our religions, philosophies,
addiction, abortion, self-destructive behav
ior, suicide, and mass m urder today. Profes political ideologies, arts and m edical tech
sor M ichael Kearl, o f the D epartm ent of nologies. It sells newspapers and insurance
Sociology and A nthropology o f Trinity U ni policies, invigorates the plots o f our televi
versity in San A ntonio, Texas, U.S.A., ex sion programs, and . . . even powers our in
plained with regard to the m anipulation of dustries. Let us examine some examples of
the subject o f death: From our late twen how this phenom enon, called death culture,
tieth century vantage point [1999], we find is m anifested in o ur times.

Would you welcome more information? Write Watch Tower at the appropriate address.
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Awake! Ju ly 8, 2000 5
 The Sale of Arms
The death cu ltu re is m anifested on a
daily basis in the sale of arms. A rm am ents
are used to kill soldiers, b u t m ainly they
kill civilians, among them innocent women
and children. In wars, w hether civil or other
wise, life is always cheap. How m uch does
the bullet o f an assassin or a sniper cost?
Easy public access to arm s in some coun
tries has resulted in a terrifying and con
stant increase in the deaths of individuals
as well as groups of people. After the high
school shooting tragedy in Littleton, C ol
orado, protests arose because o f the wide
spread sale o f arm s and their easy availabili
ty to minors. The num ber of young people
in the U nited States who die violently is
a la rm in g according to Newsweek m aga
zine, an average o f 40 a week. O f these, al
m ost 90 percent are shooting victims. This
is equal to 150 m assacres like th at at Little
ton each year!
The Entertainment World
Movies exploit the subject of death. For
example, the plot of a film m ight glamorize
im m orality, violence, drug trafficking, or or
ganized crime and thus m inim ize the val
ue o f life and m oral principles. There are
films in which death is even romanticized
depicting the m yth o f life after death and
the supposed return o f some to visit the liv
ingserving only to trivialize death.
The same is true o f some television pro
gram s and m usic. A ccording to news re
p o rts, th e young m u rd e rers o f L ittle to n
were fervent adm irers of a rock singer who
has becom e fam ous for androgyny, satanic
images, and songs w ith them es of rebel
lion and death.
In the U nited States, the way television
program s are rated was revised to protect
young p e o p le from seeing m aterial th a t
m ight affect th em adversely. T he resu lt
6 Awake! July 8, 2000
has been counterproductive. Jonathan A l
ter, writing in Newsweek, com m ents that this
may make kids want the forbidden fru it
m ore. He added th a t in o rder to sham e
and obligate those responsible into reduc
ing violence in the media, President C lin
ton would have to publicly read the names
of all the big com panies (and their C EO s)
that not only make movies o f knifings and
recordings of gangsta rap but also produce
com puter-gam e program s th at allow chil
dren to virtually kill people.
Death in Video Games
and on the Internet
In his book The Deathmatch Manifesto,
Robert Waring analyzes the popularity o f
so-called d e a th m atc h gam es am ong ado
lescents* Mr. Waring believes th at an un
derground society of gamers has sprung up
around this phenom enon. These games real
ly have the effect, not o f educating, but o f
teaching to kill. Playing with a live oppo
nent from anywhere in the world, and trying
to prove yourself, is a powerful experience.
Its really easy to get sucked into th at, War
ing comm ents. Adolescents are trapped by
the force of the three-dim ensional scenarios
designed as backdrops for the bloody strug
gles. N ot having access through the In te r
net, some buy video-game packages to use
on the television at home. O thers custom ari
ly go to public places where they rent video-
game m achines and have virtual fights to
the death with other opponents.
A lthough deathm atch games are clas
sified according to the age o f the player,
the tru th is th at there is very little control.
Fourteen-year-old Eddie from the U nited
States comm ented: People usually tell you
youre not old enough, but they dont stop
you from buying [the game]. He enjoys one
* In Deathmatch games, notes this review, players [are]
driven to kill each other in three-dimensional networked
games.
that consists o f shoot-out orgies. A lthough
his parents are aware o f this and do not like
it, they rarely check to see if he is playing
the game. One teenager reached this conclu
sion: O ur generation is far m ore desensi
tized to violence th an any other generation.
TVs raise children now m ore than parents
do, and television caters to childrens violent
fantasies. John Leland, w riting in News
week, stated: W ith as m any as 11 million
teenagers now online [in the U nited States],
m ore and m ore o f adolescent life is taking
place in a landscape th at is inaccessible to
many parents.
Life-Styles That Lead to Death
W hat about behavior outside the world of
deathm atch games and violent films? Al
though in real life we do not have to com
pete in a struggle to the death with outland
Our generation Is far more desensitized to violence than any other generation
Awake! July 8, 2000
ish creatures, the life-style of m any people
includes self-destructive behavior. For ex
ample, in spite o f fam ily influence, health
systems, and o th er au th o rities who w arn
about the danger involved in smoking and
drug abuse, these practices continue to in
crease. In m any cases they lead to a prem a
ture death. In order to increase illicit profits,
big business and drug traffickers continue to
take advantage o f the anxiety, hopelessness,
and spiritual poverty o f the people.
Who Is Behind All of This?
Does the Bible present death as an apt
su b ject for e n te rta in m e n t? A re th e life
styles th at can lead us to death justified?
No. For tru e C h ristian s, like the apostle
Paul, death is nothing less than an enemy.
(1 C orinthians 15:26) C hristians do not view
death as som ething attractive and fu n but,
7
 rather, as som ething against nature, a direct
consequence o f sin and rebellion against
G od. (Rom ans 5:12; 6:23) D eath was never a
part o f G o d s original purpose for man.
Satan is said to have the means to cause
death. He is called a manslayer, not nec
essarily because he produces death in a di
rect way, but because he does it by using
deceit, by seducing people into sin, by pro
moting conduct th at produces corruption
and death, and by fostering m urderous atti
tudes in the m inds and hearts of men, wom
en, and even children. (Hebrews 2:14, 15;
John 8:44; 2 C orinthians 11:3; James 4:1, 2)
However, why are young people the princi
pal target? W hat can we do to help them?

Helping Youths
Escape the
99
Death Culture
What accounts for the fascination with the subject of death that is
seen among young people today? Representative Henry Hyde, of the
state of Illinois, U.S.A., said: There is a spiritual vacuum in these
young people that is filled with the culture of death and violence.

R E A D E R o f Time wrote: I ts lazy hours alone every day and spend 11 hours

A p a re n ts , v io le n t e n te rta in m e n t
^ and a lack o f m o ral and s p iritu
al grounding th at are responsible for the
subculture of death that exists among our
youths today.
Loneliness is another of the m ajor prob
lem s afflicting adolescents. Som e live in
homes where both parents work and are ab
sent m ost o f the day; others have only one
parent. A ccording to one source, adoles
cents in the U nited States pass some 3.5
less w ith th e ir p a re n ts each w eek th a n
young ones did in the 60s. In fact, some
young people do not have the presence or
the em otional support o f their parents at
all.
What Parents Can Do
In view o f the sp iritual vacuum th at
young p eople contend w ith, how im p o r
tant is the role of parents? Wise parents un
derstand that on the one hand, their chil
dren need wholesome entertainm ent and on

8 Awake! July 8, 2000

 Parents should
take time to
really listen to
their children
and understand
their problems

the other hand, they need regular personal use such occasions, not to call their children
support. M otivated by loving interest, par to account, but rather to consider subjects
ents can talk with them about their prefer that are spiritually upbuilding. In these fam
ences in music, television program s, videos, ily gatherings, they listen to problem s o r
novels, video games, and movies. A lthough challenges th at affect each o f their children
young people may not express it, m any of so th at the youths have an o pportunity to
them crave the affection and loving guid receive individual attention.
ance o f their parents. They need forthright Young people who get no spiritual guid
answers because they live in a world full ance from their parents can gain strength
of uncertainties. A dults should understand from Psalm 27:10, which says: In case my
th at children face a m uch m ore com plicat own father and my own m other did leave
ed world than they did as youths. me, even Jehovah him self would take me
Parents who wish to protect th eir chil up. How does Jehovah, the Father of ten
dren willconverse with them regularly, really
der mercies, help young people? The con
listen to them , and w arn them o f the dan g reg atio n s o f J e h o v a h s W itn esses have
gers involved in m odern culture. W hen p ar been a refuge where m any have found the
ents set firm lim its and are consistent and affection o f other people and have resolved
reasonable as well as affectionate with their their doubts. Josias, a young m an who found
children, they will norm ally have good re th at to be true, com m ents: Jehovahs or
sults.M atthew 5:37. ganization fills a vital role. I felt th at life
P a re n ts w ho are J e h o v a h s W itn esses was not w orthw hile. I lived w ithout p u r
make an effort to have regular discussions pose, w ithout hope. To know th at one is not
w ith th e ir c h ild ren , using th e Bible and alone changed my life completely. I saw in
Bible-based publications and videos* They the brothers in the congregation the family
* The video Young People AskHow Can I Make Real Friends? th at I had lost. The elders and the fam ilies
is produced by the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of in the congregation are like an anchor in an
New York, Inc. It is presently in English and provides practi
cal help for young people. emotional sense.

Awake! July 8, 2000 9

 In fact, m any youths and adults have im
proved th eir m ental and spiritual health by
regularly attending the congregation m eet
ings o f Jeh o v ah s W itnesses. A n th ro p o l
ogist P atricia F o rtu n y com m ented about
this positive effect in her essay L o s Testi-
gos de Jehova: u n a a lte r n a tiv a relig io sa
e n fr e n ta r e l fin d e l m ile n io (Jehovahs W it
nesses: A R eligious A ltern ativ e for Fac
ing the E nd o f the M illennium ): Jehovahs
W itnesses offer a clear and explicit sys
tem o f order to apply to daily life, an ex
act code th a t serves as a guide for th in k
ing an d a c tin g . T h e system o f o r d e r
and the code referred to here are based
on th e Bible. H ence, a l
th o u g h J e h o v a h s W it
n e sse s face th e sam e
p ro b lem s and p ressu res
as th e ir n e ig h b o rs, they
are stre n g th e n e d by th e
u n iq u e w isd o m o f th a t
a n c ie n t b o o k . Yes, th e
W itnesses find refuge in
th e c le a r d o c trin e s a n d
p rin c ip le s fo u n d in th e
Bible.
When Death Will Be No More
The teaching given in the Kingdom Halls
of Jehovahs W itnesses stresses again and
again G o d s prom ise of a new world th a t
will soon begin, w here rig h teo u sn ess is
to dwell and where there will be no one
p amr aaking them trem ble. (2 Peter 3:13; Mi-
cah 4:4) M oreover, the prophet Isaiah re
cords th a t th en G o d will actually sw al
low up d eath forever, and the Sovereign
Lord Jehovah will certainly wipe the tears
from all faces. D eath struck the hum an
race as a consequence of the transgression
of the first man, Adam, bu t G ods promise
is that soon death will be no m ore.Isa
iah 25:8; Revelation 21:3,4;
Romans 5:12.
If you are a youth look
ing for help, we invite you
to find hope and a reason
for living, through the pag
es o f the Bible. W ith the
help of Jehovahs W itness
es, you can have the hope
that the best o f times are
still ahead of us in the new
world th at G od promises.
 Smile
It s Good for You!
BY A W A K E ! CORRESPONDENT IN JAPAN
'H E N genuine it melts away the
W ice o f su sp ic io n . It rem o v es
layers o f prejudice accum ulated
th ro u g h the years. It so ften s h e a rts fro
zen by disbelief and m istrust. It brings re
lief and joy to m any. It says, I understand.
D ont w orry. It m akes the appeal, I hope
we can be friends. A nd w hat is this pow er
ful tool? It is a smile. It can be YOUR smile.
W hat is a smile? A smile is generally de
fined in dictionaries as a facial expression
in w hich the corners o f the m outh curve
slightly upw ard, expressing am usem ent, ap
proval, or joy. Herein lies the secret o f the
warm smile. A smile is a nonverbal way of
expressing ones feelings or co m m unicat
ing ones em otions to others. O f course, a
smile m ight also express scorn or disdain,
b u t th a t is an o th er subject.
D oes sm iling really m ake a difference?
Well, do you rem em ber w hen som eones
smile brought you a sense o f relief or m ade
you feel relaxed? O r w hen the absence o f a
smile m ade you feel nervous or even reject
ed? Yes, a smile does m ake a difference. It
affects bo th the one w ho is smiling and the
one sm iled at. T he Bible character Job said
o f his adversaries: I w ould smile at them
they w ould not believe itand the light
Awake! July 8, 2000
o f my face they w ould n o t cast dow n. (Job
29:24) The light o f Jo b s face may have
denoted his brightness o r cheerfulness.
T he positive effect o f a sm ile rem ains
true to this day. A w arm sm ile may help
relieve b u ilt-u p te n s io n s . It m ay prove
to be like a s a fe ty v alve o n a p re s s u re
c o o k e r. W hen we feel te n s e o r f r u s
tr a te d , a sm ile c a n h e lp us to a lle
viate th a t tension and cope w ith o u r fru s
tra tio n . F o r in s ta n c e , T o m o k o o fte n
o b serv ed o th e rs loo k in g at her. She as
sum ed th a t they w ere c ritic a l o f her, as
they quickly averted th eir eyes w hen they
saw th a t she no ticed them . Tom oko felt
lonely and unhappy. O ne day a friend sug
gested th a t she smile
at p e o p le w hen she
caught th eir eye. To
m oko trie d it fo r
two weeks and was
am azed th a t every
o n e sm iled b a c k
a t her! T e n sio n s
w ere gone. L ife
has becom e real
ly enjoyable, she
says. Yes, a smile
m ak es us feel
 m ore a t ease w ith o th
ers and helps us becom e
m ore friendly.
The Good Effect
on You and Others
Sm iling can affect a p er
son em otionally. It helps
p u t one in a right fram e o f
m ind. It is good for phys
ical health too. T here is a
saying, L au g h ter is go o d m edicine. In
fact, m edical a u th o ritie s n ote th a t o n es
fram e o f m ind has m uch to do with ones
physical condition. M any studies indicate
th a t prolonged stress, negative em otions,
and the like weaken o u r im m une system.
On the other hand, smiling m akes us feel
good, and laughter even fortifies o u r im
m une system.
A sm ile h as a g re a t effect on o th e rs.
Im agine a situation where you are receiv
ing counsel or being adm onished. W hat fa
cial expression would you like to see on the
A Word o f C au tion
It is a sa d fa c t th a t n o t e v e ry s m ile w e
s e e is g e n u in e . Con m e n , s w in d le rs , u n
s c ru p u lo u s s a le s p e o p le , a n d o th e rs m ay
fla s h m illio n -d o lla r s m ile s . They kn o w th a t
a s m ile ca n d is a rm p e o p le a n d p u t th e m
o ff g u a rd . P e o p le w ith d u b io u s m o ra ls or
u n c le a n m o tiv e s m a y a ls o p u t on an e n
tic in g s m ile . Yet, t h e ir s m ile s a re e m p ty ;
th e y a re d e c e p tiv e . (E c c le s ia s te s 7 :6 ) So
w h ile n o t b e in g ove rly s u s p ic io u s o f o th e rs ,
w e n e e d to a p p re c ia te th a t liv in g in th e
la s t d a ys," w h ic h are h ard to d e a l w ith , we
n e e d to prove o u rs e lv e s c a u tio u s a s s e r
p e n ts a n d ye t in n o c e n t as d o v e s , as Jesus
h im s e lf re c o m m e n d e d .2 T im o th y 3 :1 ;
M a tth e w 1 0 :1 6 .
12 Awake! July 8, 2000
counselors face? A cold or
stern expression m ay con
vey anger, irritation, rejec
tion, or even hostility. On
the o th er hand, w ould not
a w arm smile on the c o u n
selors face perh ap s m ake
you feel m o re a t ease
and thus m ore receptive
to the counsel? C ertainly,
a smile helps to reduce m isunderstandings
in tense situations.
Positive Thoughts
Make Smiling Easier
O f course, m ost o f us are not like pro
fessional actors w ho can rad iate a flash
ing sm ile a t any given m o m en t; n o r do
we desire to be such. We w ant o u r smiles
to be n a tu ra l and genuine. A c o m m u n i
cation school in stru c to r co m m en ted : It
is im p o rtan t to relax and give a heartfelt
smile, o r else your smile may look artifi
cial. How can we sincerely smile from the
heart? Here the Bible can help us. R egard
ing o u r speech it tells us at M atthew 12:
34, 35: O ut o f the abundance o f the heart
the m o u th speaks. T he good m an o u t of
his good treasure sends o u t good things,
whereas the wicked m an o u t o f his wicked
treasure sends o u t wicked things.
Rem em ber, a smile is a nonverbal way
o f com m unicating o u r feelings. Bearing in
m ind th at we speak ou t o f the abundance
o f the h e a rt and th at good things com e
out o f a good treasure, it becom es evi
dent th at the key to a genuine smile lies
in o u r thoughts and em otions. Yes, w hat is
in o u r hearts will no doubt be expressed,
so o n e r o r la te r, n o t o n ly by o u r w o rd s
and deeds b u t also by o u r facial expres
sions. Thus, we need to continue to work
on dwelling on positive thoughts. O ur fa
cial expression is strongly affected by o u r
thoughts a b o u t others. So let us concen to smile th an others.
trate on the finer qualities o f fam ily m em Even if they are filled
bers, people in o u r neighborhood, and ou r w ith g o o d w ill fo r
good friends. We will find it m uch easier to their neighbors, they
smile at them . It will be a genuine smile, for a re ju s t n o t a c c u s
behind it will be a h eart filled w ith good tom ed to smiling at
ness, mercy, and kindness. O ur eyes will be them . For instance,
bright, and others will know th at we really J a p a n e s e m en a re
m ean it. traditionally expect
It m ust be recognized, though, th at be ed to keep p e rfe c t
c a u se o f th e ir b a c k g ro u n d o r e n v iro n co m p o su re and to
m ent, som e people find it m ore difficult m aintain silence at
all tim es. T h e r e
fore, m any o f th em are n o t accustom ed
Take the initiative to sm iling at th o se w ho are co n sid e red
In greeting others strangers. T he sam e m ay be tru e o f o th
with a smile er cultures. O r som e individuals may
be shy by n atu re and may not find
it easy to sm ile a t o th e rs. H ence,
we should not judge others by how
big their smile is o r how often they
smile. People are different, and so
are their characteristics and ways o f
com m unicating w ith others.
N evertheless, if you find it
challenging to smile at o th
ers, why not w ork at it? T he
Bible advises: Let us not
give u p in doing w hat is
fine . . . Let us w ork w hat
is good tow ard all. (G a
la tia n s 6:9, 10) O ne way
to w ork w hat is good to
others is to smile at them
an d th is is w ith in y o u r
m eans! So tak e th e in itia
tive in greeting o th ers and
g iv in g a w o rd o f e n c o u r
agem ent w ith a smile. It will
be greatly appreciated. Also,
you will discover th a t smiling
becom es m uch easier as you
develop the habit.

13
 A Tale of Two Rivers
BY A WA K E ! C O R R E S P O N D E N T IN INDIA

Two rivers that are major lifelines to the Indian subcontinent provide sustenance
for hundreds o f millions of people. Born not too far apart in the glacial areas of the
worlds highest mountain ranges, they each flow majestically more than 1,500 miles,
mainly through two countries. They empty into two different seas. Each river was the
cradle o f an ancient civilization. Each saw the birth o f a major religion. Each is
appreciated by man for its gifts, and one is worshiped, even today. Their names?
The Indus and the Ganges, the latter known here in India as the Ganga.

EC A U SE m an k in d needs w ater to Where Ancient Civilizations Started

B survive and prosper, early civiliza

tions developed around rivers. Since
rivers were som etim es personified as
and goddesses, early records can be shroud
ed in mythology. This is certainly true of
the histo ry o f the Indus and the G anga,
also know n in India as G anga M a (M other
Ganga).
To b o th H in d u s a n d B u d d h ists,
22,027-foot-high M ount Kailash and near
by Lake M apam Yumco, also known in Ti
bet as M anasarovar, are the abode of the
gods. For a long time, it was believed that
four great rivers flowed from the lake out of
the m ouths o f anim als. The lion river was
the Indus, and the peacock river was the
Ganga.
The Tibetans did not welcome foreign ex
plorers. In 1811, however, an English vet
erinary surgeon employed by the East In
dia C om pany traveled through the land in
various disguises. He reported that no riv
ers ran out o f M anasarovar, though some
m ountain stream s did run into it. It was not
until the early 20th century th at the head
w aters o f bo th the Indus and the G anga
were located. The Indus has its source in Ti
bet, north o f the Himalayas, and the G anga
starts in an ice cave in the Himalayan slopes
o f northern India.
14 Awake! July 8, 2000
It is believed th at the earliest inhabitants
of the Indian subcontinent journeyed east
ward into the Indus Valley. Here archaeolo
gods
gists have found ruins of a highly advanced
civilization at such sites as H arappa and
M ohenjo-Daro. In the early decades o f the
20th century, these finds changed the view
th at Indias early settlers were prim itive no
madic tribes. M ore than 4,000 years ago,
the Indus Civilization was on a p ar with, if
not superior to, th at o f M esopotam ia. Ev
idence o f g rid -p a tte rn e d s tre e ts , m u lti
storied houses and tenem ent blocks, excel
len t sew er and s e p tic -ta n k d ra in a g e ,
enorm ous granaries, tem ples, and baths for
ritual cleansing all point to an advanced u r
ban civilization. There are also indications
o f trad e co n n ectio n s w ith M eso p o tam ia
and the M iddle East, the Indus providing a
route to the A rabian Sea from hundreds o f
miles inland.
O ver th e c e n tu rie s n a tu r a l d isa s te rs
p e rh a p s e a rth q u a k e s o r g re a t riv e r
floodsappear to have weakened the u r
ban civilization o f the Indus Valley. This
left little resistance to invasion by waves of
nomadic tribes from C entral Asia, general
ly referred to as Aryans. They drove m ost
o f the city dwellers away from the river, so
th at the ancient culture th at had developed
around the Indus now m oved to southern
India, where today the D ravidian race con
tinues as one of the m ajor Indian ethnic
groups.
M oving east through India, some Aryan
tribes began to settle in the plains o f the
Ganga. Thus the A ryan division o f the sub
continent developed its unique culture in
northern India, prim arily associated w ith
the G anga River, where it largely rem ains
today.
Two Rivers and Two Religions
A rchaeological finds show sim ilarities
betw een the religion practiced in the In
dus Valley and th at in M esopotam ia. Some
relics o f H induism , long thought to be the
religion o f the Aryans, have been found in
the ruins o f Indus cities. W ith the fusion
of pre-Aryan and Aryan gods and religious
beliefs, the H indu religion was born. The
Aryans first held the Indus as sacred, but
as they m oved east and settled along the
G anga, they transferred th eir w orship to
th at river. As centuries passed, cities like
Haridw ar, A llahabad, and Varanasi devel
oped on the Ganga. T hese were centered on
the H indu religion. Today millions of pil
grim s flock to such centers to dip in the wa
ters of the Ganga, w hich are considered to
be both healing and purifying.
W hile H induism was started around the
In d u s, B u d d h ism has its ro o ts n e a r th e
G anga. It was at S arnath, near Varanasi,
th at S iddhartha G autam a, called Buddha,
preached his first serm on. It is said th at he
swam across the G angas great w idth w hen
he was 79 years old.
How Are the Rivers Today?
River w ater is m ore critical today than
it was 4,000 years ago, when people were
draw n to the banks o f the Indus and the
Ganga for sustenance. To su p p o rt the great
p opulations o f India, P akistan, and Ban
gladesh, the rivers m ust be carefully con
trolled. (See the map on pages 16-17.) Inter
national agreem ents have been necessary,
since the rivers flow th ro u g h m ore th an
one country. Pakistan has built, am ong oth
ers, the two-mile-long, 470-foot-high Tarbela
D am for irrigation. One o f the largest in the
world, it contains 194,200,000 cubic yards of
earth fill. The Farakka Barrage, on the G an
ga, ensures an adequate and stable supply o f
w ater to the river for the increased shipping
near Calcutta Port.
As is true with m any rivers, pollution is
a m ajor problem w ith the Ganga. Thus, in
1984 the am bitious G anga Action Plan was
set in m otion by the Indian governm ent. At
tention was given to converting sewage into
fertilizer or biogas, diverting drains em pty
ing into the river, and building treatm ent
plants for chem ical wastes.
However, the problem o f restoring earth s
rivers to their pristine beauty and cleanness
is proving to be beyond the capacity of hu
m an agencies. But G od will soon rem edy
the situation. U nder the rule o f his King
dom, the rivers them selves will clap their
hands as the entire earth becom es a para
dise.Psalm 98:8.
 Harappa

The Mighty Indus

W ith so m a n y s tre a m s m e rg in g to fo rm th e Indus, th e re has been
d e b a te a b o u t th e lo c a tio n o f th e a c tu a l so u rce o f th e river. B u t th a t
th is g re a t riv e r o rig in a te s high up in th e H im a la yas is c e rta in . F low ing
in a n o rth w e s te rly d ire c tio n a n d jo in in g o th e r s tre a m s en route, th e riv
e r ru n s 2 0 0 m ile s a c ro s s th e high p la te a u o f T ibet, th e ro o f o f th e w o rld .
As th e riv e r a p p ro a c h e s th e b o rd e rs o f In d ia in th e Ladakh region, it w o rks
its w ay th ro u g h th e m o u n ta in s , w e a rin g in to th e base o f c liffs to fo rm a c h a n n e l be
tw e e n th e H im a la y a n a n d K a ra k o ra m ran g e s. Now in In d ia n te rrito ry , it d ro p s n e a r
ly 1 2 ,0 0 0 fe e t in a m a tte r o f 3 5 0 m ile s. D u rin g th is plunge it tra v e ls n o rth and th e n
ta k e s a s h a rp tu rn a ro u n d th e w e ste rn edge o f th e H im alayas, w h e re it is jo in e d by th e
G ilg it, a la rg e riv e r s u rg in g o u t o f th e H indu Kush. The w a te rs th e n flow s o u th th ro u g h
P a kis ta n . F o rcin g its w ay b e tw e e n th e m o u n ta in s , tw is tin g and tu rn in g w ith v io le n t
fo rce , th e In d u s e v e n tu a lly re a ch e s th e p la in s and flow s on th ro u g h th e P unjab. This
na m e m e a n s Five R iv e rs , as five g re a t trib u ta r ie s - th e Beas, th e S u tle j, th e Ravi, th e
J h e lu m , and th e C h e n a b flo w like o u ts p re a d fin g e rs o f a g ia n t hand to jo in th e Indus
and tra v e l w ith it to th e e nd o f its m a je s tic jo u rn e y o f m ore th a n 1 ,8 0 0 m ile s. Mountain High Maps
Copyright 1997
Digital Wisdom , Inc.
 The Venerated Ganga
A b o u t 6 0 m ile s s o u th o f th e H im alayan so u rce o f th e Indus, th e G anga b e g in s its jo u rn e y o f
m ore th a n 1 ,6 0 0 m ile s to th e Bay o f B engal. At an a ltitu d e o f over 1 2 ,7 0 0 fe e t, th e h e a d w a te rs
gush fro m a g la c ia l p ro je c tio n th a t re s e m b le s a cow 's m o u th , c a lle d Gaumukh in H in d i, fo rm in g
a s tre a m n a m e d B h a g ira th i. S o m e 1 3 3 m ile s fro m th e s ource, it is jo in e d by a n o th e r s tre a m , th e
A la k n a n d a , a t D evaprayag. T hese tw o s tre a m s a lo n g w ith th e M a n d a k in i, th e D h a u lig a n g a , and
th e P in d a r b e co m e th e G anga.
F lo w in g s o u th e a s t a c ro s s th e s u b c o n tin e n t, th e G an g a is jo in e d by o th e r la rg e riv e rs
su ch as th e Y a m u na a t A lla h a b a d in In d ia and th e n th e m ig h ty B ra h m a p u tra in B a n g la
d e s h . S p re a d lik e a fa n , th e G an g a a n d its tr ib u ta r ie s w a te r o n e q u a r te r o f th e to
ta l a re a o f In d ia , th e fe rtile p la in s o f th e G anga. The riv e r s y ste m d ra in s an area
o f 4 0 9 ,0 0 0 sq u a re m ile s and s u p p o rts a b o u t a th ird o f In d ia 's p o p u la tio n , now
m o re th a n a b illio n , in o ne o f th e w o rld s m o s t d e n s e ly in h a b ite d a reas. In
B a n g la d e s h it b e co m e s very w ide, like an in la n d sea, w ith riv e r tra ffic o f
a ll kin d s . Then th e G anga d iv id e s in to s e ve ra l m a jo r riv e rs and n u m e r
ous riv u le ts to fo rm one o f th e la rg e s t d e lta s in th e w o rld .
Copyright Sean
Sprague/Panos
Pictures

gitai
Varanasi
Allahabad
Patna

Calcutta
INDIA

W hen Cows
Go on
Vacation!
BY AWAKE! CORRESPONDENT
IN SWITZERLAND
ID you k now th a t th o u sa n d s o f
D cows in Switzerland go on vacation
every year? You sh o u ld see how
m uch they enjoy it!
During Switzerlands cold and snowy win
te r m o n th s, d airy cow s are sh e lte re d in
stables. W hat a welcome relief when spring
arrives and the cows can go outdoors and
graze in green meadows dotted with bright-
yellow dandelions. T heir occasional leaps in
the air seem to express their sheer joy at the
change o f scene and season.
By May or early June, additional pasture
grounds becom e available w hen m elting
snow exposes the meadows at higher alti
tudes. It is tim e for sum m ering the cattle in
the m ountains.
A Land of Well-Watered Pastures
In Switzerland there are about 10,000 pas
ture grounds at higher altitudes, covering
some 4,000 square miles. This am ounts to
one quarter of the countrys total land area.
Thus, great care is taken to protect this valu
able resource.
M an and beast w ork to g e th e r to keep
the high meadows clear o f brushw ood and
thickets. To this end, farm ers entrust about
500,000 cattle to the care o f professional
herdsm en. M ilk cows, along w ith heifers,
are transported by truck or train for a sum
m er vacation o f grazing in the m ountains.
Awake! July 8, 2000
Since the roads and railways do not reach
high enough, th e last leg o f th e jo u rn e y
has to be c o m p leted on foot. T he herds
keep moving upw ard as sum m er advances.
T h e re, so m e tim e s in p a s tu re s b e tw e e n
6,000 and 7,000 feet above sea level, the
cattle find sweet alpine grass and beautiful
m ulticolored flowers. M ountain springs are
plentiful, so there is no shortage of drinking
water.
The fine m ilk p roduced by the cows is
sometimes transported down the m ountain
for consum ption or processing. But in most
instances it is m ade into b u tter or cheese
right there in m ountainside cabins. As the
sum m er days shorten, the herds are guid
ed to lower stations. The day finally arrives
depending on the w eather, it is usually to
ward the end of Septem berfor the herds
to return to their w inter quarters. Yes, their
sum m er vacation is nearing its end! But first
a special parade is held.
The Big Day!
Production records have been kept, and
the best cows are decorated according to the
am ount of milk they gave. The top m ilk pro
ducer gets to lead the herd on the m arch
home. The cows heads are adorned w ith
colorful paper flowers, ribbons, and branch
es of small fir trees. M any carry a m etal
bell around the neck, announcing their ap
proach from afar.
The herdsm en m ark this special occasion
by dressing up in w hite shirts and em broi
dered black velvet jackets. M eanwhile, down
in the valleys, the farm population gathers
along the roadside to receive the procession
with a standing ovation.
U pon reaching the lowlands, the cattle
are redirected to their respective owners for
another winter. It wont be long, however,
before it is tim e for another vacation in the
mountains! W hat a life!
19
 | A N Y civ iliz a tio n s have sto ries
and fables th at attem pt to explain
m ankinds m ortality. In Africa,
for example, one legend has it that a cha
meleon was sent by G od to bring im m or
tality to m ankind, but it traveled so slow
ly th at another lizard, carrying the message
of death, arrived first. G ullible m ankind ac
cepted th at lizards message and thus lost
out on im m ortality.
O ver the c e n tu rie s p h ilo so p h e rs have
likewise attem pted to answer the question,
W hy does m an die? In the fo u rth ce n tu
ry B.C.E., the G reek philosopher Aristotle
taught th at the continuation o f a persons
life hinged on the bodys ability to balance
heat and cold. He said: It is always to some
lack o f heat that death is due. Plato, on the
o th er hand, taught that m an has an im m or
tal soul th at survives the death of the body.
Today, despite the amazing advances of
m odern science, biologists questions about
why we grow old and die rem ain largely un
answered. Said The Guardian Weekly of Lon
don: One o f the great mysteries o f medi
cal science has been not why people die of
cardiovascular disease or cancer: it was why
they die even when there is nothing wrong at
all. If hum an cells divide, and go on renew
ing themselves by division for 70 years or so,
why should they suddenly stop replicating
all at once?
20 Awake! July 8, 2000
In th eir quest to und erstan d the aging
process, geneticists and m olecular biolo
gists have turned their attention to the cell.
M any scientists feel that w ithin these m i
croscopic units, the key to longer life can be
found. Some, for instance, predict th at ge
netic engineering will soon allow scientists
to conquer cancer and heart disease. But
how close is science to fulfilling m ankinds
dream of living forever?
Unlocking Secrets of the Cell
P revious g e n e ra tio n s o f sc ie n tis ts a t
tem pted to unlock secrets o f the cell, but
they lacked the necessary tools to do so. It
has only been within the last century that
scientists have had the ability to peer inside
a cell and observe m any o f its basic com
ponents. W hat have they found? The cell,
says science w riter Rick Gore, has turned
out to be a m icrouniverse.
To get some idea of the enorm ous com
plexity of a cell, consider that each one is
made up o f trillions of m uch sm aller units
called molecules. Yet, when scientists ob
serve the structure of a cell, they find tre
mendous order and evidence o f design. Phil
ip Hanawalt, assistant professor o f genetics
and m olecular biology at Stanford Univer
sity, says: The norm al growth of even the
sim plest living cell requires th a t tens o f
thousands o f chem ical reactions occur in
coordinated fashion. He also states: The
p ro g ra m m e d a c c o m p lish m e n ts o f th ese
tiny chemical factories go far beyond the ca
pabilities of the scientist in his laboratory.
Imagine, then, the daunting task of trying
to extend the hum an life span through bi
ological means. It would require not only
a deep understanding o f the basic building
blocks o f life but also the ability to m anip
ulate those building blocks! Let us take a
brief look inside a hum an cell to illustrate
the challenge facing biologists.
Its AM in the Genes
W ithin each cell is a complex control cen
ter called a nucleus. The nucleus directs the
cells activities by following a set of coded
instructions. These instructions are stored
in the chrom osom es.
O ur chrom osom es consist prim arily o f
protein and deoxyribonucleic acid, or DNA
for short.* A lthough scientists have known
about DNA since the late 1860s, it was not
until 1953 that its m olecular structure was
finally understood. Even then, it took near
ly a decade m ore before biologists began to
understand the language DN A molecules
use to carry genetic inform ation.See the
box, page 22.
In the 1930s, geneticists found th at at the
tip o f each chrom osom e is a short sequence
of DNA th at helps to stabilize the chrom o
some. N am ed telom eres, from the G reek te'-
los (end) and me'ros (part), these snippets of
DNA act m uch like the protective end cap
on a shoelace. W ithout telom eres, our chro
mosom es would tend to unravel and break
into short segments, stick to one another, or
otherwise becom e unstable.
Researchers later observed, however, that
in m ost types o f cells, the telom eres becam e
shorter after each successive division. Thus,
after 50 or so divisions, the cells telomeres
were w hittled down to tiny nubs, and the
* For a detailed description of DNA, see Awake!, Septem
ber 8, 1999, pages 5-10.
Awake! July 8, 2000
The tips on chromosomes (shown here
glowing) allow cells to keep dividing
C ourte sy of Geron C orporation
cell stopped dividing and eventually died.
The observation th at cells appear to be lim
ited to a finite num ber o f divisions before
they die was first reported in the 1960s by
Dr. Leonard Hayflick. Hence, the phenom e
non is now referred to by m any scientists as
the Hayflick limit.
Did Dr. Hayflick discover the key to cel
lular aging? Some thought so. In 1975 the
N a tu r e ,/ S c ie n c e Annual said th at the avant-
garde in the field o f aging believed th at all
living creatures carry around w ithin them
selves a precisely tim ed self-destruct m ech
anism, a clock o f aging th at ticks away vi
tality. Indeed, h ope began to grow th a t
scientists were finally beginning to zero in
on the aging process itself.
In the 1990s, research ers studying h u
m an cancer cells discovered a n o th e r im
po rtan t clue regarding this cellular clock.
They found th at m alignant cells somehow
le a rn e d how to o v e rrid e th e ir c e llu la r
clock and divide indefinitely. This discov
ery led biologists back to a m ost unusual
21
 enzyme, first discovered in the 1980s and rating telomeres. Consider, for instance, the
later found to be present in m ost types of com m ents of Dr. M ichael Fossel, au th o r of
cancer cells. T hat enzyme is called telomer- the book Reversing Human Aging: If we con
ase. W hat does it do? Simply put, telomer- quer aging as we know it today, we will still
ase can be likened to a key th at resets a cells age in some new, less fam iliar way. If we ex
clock by lengthening its telomeres. tend our telom eres indefinitely, we may not
End to Aging? acquire the diseases we now associate w ith
Telomerase research soon becam e one of old age, but we will still eventually wear out
the hottest fields in m olecular biology. The and die.
im plication was th at if biologists could use Indeed, there are likely a num ber of bio
telom erase to offset the shortening of telo logical factors th at contribute to the aging
meres when norm al cells divide, perhaps ag process. But the answers at present rem ain
ing could be halted or at least substantial locked up beyond the reach o f scientists.
ly delayed. Interestingly, Geron Corporation Leonard G uarente of the M assachusetts In
News reports th at researchers experim ent stitute of Technology says: Right now ag
ing with telom erase in the laboratory have ing is still very m uch a black box. Scientific
already dem onstrated th at norm al hum an American, Fall 1999.
cells can be altered to have an infinite rep While biologists and geneticists continue
licative capacity. to probe the cell to understand why m an
In spite o f such progress, there is little rea kind grows old and dies, G ods W ord reveals
son to expect th at in the near future, biolo the real reason. It simply states: T hrough
gists will appreciably extend our life span one m an sin e n te red in to the w orld and
w ith telom erase. Why not? One reason is death through sin, and thus death spread to
th at aging involves m uch m ore than deterio all men because they had all sinned. (Ro
mans 5:12) Yes, hum an death results
from a condition that science will never
THE LANGUAGE OF DNA be able to cureinherited sin. 1 Co
The b a sic u n its, o r le tte rs , o f th e DNA language are rinthians 15:22.
c h e m ic a l c o m p o n e n ts c a lle d b a s e s . T h e re a re fo u r O n th e o th e r h an d , o u r C re a to r
ty p e s o f b a s e s : th y m in e , a d e n in e , g u a n in e , a n d cy to promises to undo the effects o f inher
s in e , u s u a lly a b b re via te d T, A, G, a n d C. T h in k o f th o s e ited sin by means o f C hrists ransom
fo u r ba se s as le tte rs in a fo u r-le tte r a lp h a b e t, says Na
tional Geographic m agazine. Ju st as we arran ge th e le t sacrifice. (Romans 6:23) We can be cer
te rs o f o u r a lp h a b e t in to m e a n in g fu l w ords, th e As, Ts, tain that our Creator knows how to re
Gs, an d Cs th a t m a ke up o u r g enes are arra n g e d into verse aging and death, for Psalm 139:16
th re e -le tte r w o rd s c o m p re h e n s ib le to th e m a ch in e ry o f says: Your eyes saw even the embryo
th e c e ll. In tu rn , g e n e tic w o rd s fo rm s e n te n c e s th a t of me, and in your book all its parts
te ll th e ce ll h o w to m a n u fa c tu re a p a rtic u la r protein. The
were down in writing. To be sure, Je
o rd e r in w h ich th e DNA le tte rs are s tru n g to g e th e r d e te r
m in e s w h e th e r th e p ro te in w ill fu n c tio n as an e nzym e hovah G od originated the genetic code
th a t h e lp s you to d ig e s t y o u r s u p p e r, an a n tib o d y th a t and put it down in writing, as it were.
w ards off an in fe c tio n , or any o f th e th o u s a n d s o f pro Thus, in his due time, he will see to it
te in s th a t are fo u n d w ith in your body. L ittle w o n d e r th a t that our genes perm it everlasting life
th e book The Cell re fe rs to DNA as th e basic b lu e p rin t for those who are obedient to his re
o f life ."
quirem ents. Psalm 37:29; Revelation
21:3,4.

22 Awake! July 8, 2000

 BY A W A K E ! CORRESPONDENT IN MEXICO
A N T E R IA has been a prom inent reli
S gion in Cuba for m any years. However,
this form of w orship has been gradually in
troduced to other countries. For instance,
one of the m ain m arketplaces in downtown
Mexico City features shops th at specialize
in Santeria paraphernalia, such as crosses,
candles, amulets, and fetishes. M ost of these
shops are known as botanicas, and they can
be found in other large cities o f the Am eri
cas. In New York City, botanicas are well ad
vertised in the telephone book, having far
more listings in the yellow pages than other
religious stores.
M any people are a ttracted by
th e m y sticism and exotic
mk
aura o f Santeria. Elements
of Santeria can be found
in som e p o p u la r L a tin
m usic and lite ra tu re . S an
teria is becom ing m ore secu
la r and c u ltu r a l th a n re li
gious, and it has been spread
th ro u g h A fro -C a rib b e a n
m usic and cultural events.
Origins in Ancient Africa
S anteria has the basic
fe a tu re s and tra d itio n s
o f an ancient African re
Awake! July 8, 2000
ligion practiced am ong the Yoruba in N i
geria. W hen Yoruba were taken to the Ca
ribbean islands as slaves betw een the 1770s
and the 1840s, they took their religion w ith
them. Once in the New World, these Afri
cans in bondage were forced to accept Ca
tholicism, but they refused to give up their
traditions completely. So they created a new
form o f worship w ith elem ents taken from
both religions. Such a merging o f religious
practices is called syncretism.
In an effort to w orship according to their
ancient beliefs, th e slaves gave C ath o lic
saints dual identities, each one correspond
ing to an A frican god w ith p articu lar
characteristics and powers. Thus, Af
rican gods and goddesses, called ori-
sha, took on the nam es and form s o f
Catholic saints. However, the ritu
als, customs, and beliefs rem ained
the same as those practiced in Af
rica. A Santeria priest in C uba ex
plains: Syncretism allows us to
w orship the C atholic god on
the altar, but w hat we see is
the African god behind it.
Religions such as voodoo,
O b eah , and m ac u m b a a re
also m ade up o f elem ents
from R o m an C a th o lic
liturgy, sacram ents, and sacred parapherna
lia blended w ith spiritistic practices from
A frica. B ecause from th e beginning the
Catholic C hurch in Latin Am erica prohib
ited A frican religions, Santeria had to be
practiced in secrecy for a long time. Eventu
ally the Catholic C hurch came to tolerate
this syncretism among the slaves.
Characteristics of Santeria
W hat are the characteristics o f this reli
gious w orship? Santeros, as the practitio
ners o f S anteria are now called, w orship
one suprem e being and a group o f deities,
or orisha, th at form the Yoruba pantheon.
T he o rish as will is interpreted by Sante
ria priests through divination. It is said that
som etim es orisha possess the w orshipers in
order to voice their counsel. Followers can
appeal to the orisha through prayers, music,
p ro p er behavior, and offerings. A ltars play
an im p o rtan t role in the worship; santeros
set them up in their hom es and pu t flowers,
rum , cake, and cigars on them to keep the
deities happy and helpful.
Lizette Alvarez explained in a York
Times article a b o u t S an teria philosophy:
Santeria paraphernalia on display In a botanlca
The religion em phasizes the here and now
rather than the afterlife, and it focuses on
natural forces. Each deity represents an as
pect o f nature, like thunder, and a hum an
characteristic, like pow er. Santeria priests
help p e o p le to resolve day-to-day p ro b
lems by consulting the orisha. T hese are
not C atholic priests, and their ordinary San
teria rituals are held in hom es rath er than
temples.
People in need o f em otional and econom
ic su pport are especially draw n to Santeria
because it offers a sense o f com m unity, an
extended family. The ones m ost attracted
are the deprived and also im m igrants who
move to countries where Santeria is prac
ticed. Followers belong to a specific com
m unity w ith a m ale or fem ale santero serv
ing as godparent, counselor, and priest for
the com m unity. New m em bers are initiated
by priests in a cerem ony th at includes m u
sic, dances, and anim al sacrifices. A nim als
are also sacrificed to celebrate births, m ar
riages, and deaths. Chickens, goats, doves,
pigeons, and turtles are am ong the anim als
used.
 The Music of Santeria filtrated some Latin music. Santeria term i
M usic plays an im p o rtan t role as a regu nology has been included in som e m usical
lar feature o f w orship in Santeria. Music is pieces.
used during bembes,or cerem onies in which
What the Bible Says
drum s are beaten to invoke the deities. Spe
cific rhythm s are played to sum m on a p a r Santeria is closely connected w ith spirit
ticular god. The sound is so loud th at the in ism, a form o f w orship condem ned in the
sistent rhythm o f the drum s can be heard Bible. (Leviticus 19:31) G o d s W ord lists the
blocks away. practice o f spiritism am ong the works
Percussion in stru m e n ts such as drum s o f the flesh, which bar a person from in
and xylophones, or m arim bas, have been heriting G o d s Kingdom . (G alatians 5:19-
cult instrum ents in W est A frica for centu 21) The Scriptures also com m and those de
ries. T hat was their prevailing significance siring G o d s approval to flee from idola
when slaves brought them to Am erica. In try and to w orship the F ather w ith spirit
Brazil, m em branes for sacred drum s are and tru th . 1 C orinthians 10:14; John 4:
m ade from the skins o f ritually sacrificed 23,24.
anim als, and new instrum ents are custom C hristians should be alert to the fact th at
arily baptized, preferably w ith holy water Santeria practices and m usic are becom ing
from a C atholic C hurch. O ther drum s rep m ore secular in nature. Various form s o f
resent a certain deity, such as in the Afro- entertainm ent and som e aspects o f Latin-
C aribbean culture o f Haiti. A m erican culture are laced w ith elem ents
It is not unusual to find on the m arket o f Santeria. These are becom ing m ore p o p
com pact discs o f sacred m usic for Santeria, ular and are widely regarded as harm less.
openly referred to as such. D rum s are the N evertheless, C hristians do well to avoid
m ain instrum ent in the rhythm s, and some anything th at is in direct conflict with Bible
pieces have titles th at are actually nam es o f principles regardless o f how p o p u lar it is or
Santeria deities o r o f custom s of the reli how harm less it seems to be. 2 C orinthi
gion. Over time, these rhythm s have also in ans 6:14-18.

TERMS USED IN SANTERIA

Babalu-aye: God o f h e a lin g w o rs h ip e d as S a in t
Lazaro.
Chango: God o f fire, th u n d e r, and lig h tn in g
and also pa tro n o f a rtille ry , w o rs h ip e d as
S a in t B a rbara in th e C a th o lic fa ith .
Ifa Corpus: S y s te m o f la w s e x
p re sse d in 2 5 6 s y m b o ls th a t re p re
s e n t th e S a n te ria tra d itio n .
Ikole orun: The h e a v e n w h e re all
h um ans go w hen th e y die. However,
bad peop le live in hell on e a rth and
s u ffe r in iko le orun.
Obatala: A god w ho c re a te d hum an
life and c o n s c io u sn e ss o u t o f th e s u b
s ta n c e o f th e e a rth .
OChun: G od d e ss o f riv e rs , love, m a rria g e , m oney,
joy, and a b u n d a n c e , w ho d o u b le s as th e Virgen
de la Caridad, p a tro n s a in t o f Cuba.
Oggun: P atron god o f m in e rs and w o rk
ers, w o rs h ip e d as S a in t Peter.
Oloddumare: T h e s u p re m e b e in g ,
w ho c re a te d th e u n iv e rs e .
Orumila: A god th a t d e c id e s an in
d iv id u a ls fa te .
Yemaya, or xemaya: G o d d e s s o f
th e s e a s a n d o f f e r t ilit y , w h o is
id e n tifie d w ith th e V irg in M a ry , o r
th e Virgen de Regia in C uba.
25
 TH E B I B L E S
Who Is a Minister?
N T H E eve of Jesus sacrificial death,
O his closest friends got involved in a
heated argum ent. According to Luke 22:24,
there arose a heated dispute among them
over which one of them seemed to be great-
est. This was not the first time th at such an
argum ent had erupted among Jesus apos-
ties. On at least two previous occasions, Je-
sus had to correct their thinking.
How sad th a t on this critical night, Je-
sus found him self having to rem ind them
again w hat a C hristian m inister should tru-
ly be. He said: Let him th at is the greatest
among you become as the youngest, and the
one acting as chief as the one ministering.
Luke 22:26.
lt should not surprise us th at the apos-
ties had an erroneous idea about the impor-
tance of position and prominence. Prior to
Jesus, their principal example in the m atter
o f religious leadership had been provided by
the scribes and Pharisees. Instead of giving
people spiritual guidance and direction,
these false m inisters endorsed rigid tra-
V I E W P O I N T
ditions and rules th a t shut up the king-
dom of the heavens before m en. They were
position-oriented, prominence-seeking, self-
centered individuals who perform ed their
works to be viewed by men.M atthew 23:
4, 5,13.
A New Type of Minister
Jesuf, however, introduced a new concept
0f sp iritu a l m in istry to his disciples. He
taught: Do not you be called Rabbi, for one
js yGur teacher, whereas all you are brothers,
Moreover, do not call anyone your father on
earth, for one is your Father, the heavenly
One. . . . But the greatest one am ong you
m ust be your m inister. (M atthew 23:8-11)
Jesus disciples were not to im itate the reli
gious leaders of their day. If they wanted to
be genuine ministers, they had to im itate Je-
sus. W hat kind o f example did he leave?
The Bible often uses the G reek word
for m in iste r. The Encyclopedia
o f Religion explains that this word repre
sents not status but the serving rela-
tionship of the m inister to the one
served: following the example of C h rist... is
at the heart of the C hristian understanding
of ministry.
In harm ony with the correct definition of
the word m inister, Jesus spent him self giv
ing to others. The Son of m an came, he ex
plained patiently, not to be ministered to,
but to m inister and to give his soul a ransom
in exchange for many. (M atthew 20:28) Je
sus unselfishly used his time, energy, and
ability to help others physically and spiritu
ally. Why? Because he felt pity for the spiri
tually abused crowds th at flocked to see him.
He wanted to help. G enerous love is what
motivated his ministry, and he wanted his
disciples to display the same giving attitude.
M atthew 9:36.
Through his life course, Jesus set the pat
tern for fu tu re m inisters. The harvest is
great, he said, b u t the workers are few.
Therefore, beg the M aster o f the harvest to
send out workers into his harvest. (M at
thew 9:37, 38) Yes, C hrists ministers were to
be workers in the greatest work the world
has ever seenproviding spiritual com fort
to all m ankind by preaching and teaching
the good news o f G o d s Kingdom .M at
thew 28:19,20.
This focus on giving and on serving the
needs o f others is w hat m ade C hrists ap
p roach to m in iste rin g so d istinctive. He
taught his m inisters to be laborers, spiritu
al fishermen and shepherds, not mystics and
academics in special garb and regalia. M at
thew 4:19; 23:5; John 21:15-17.
The Bibles View
Sadly, over the cen tu ries this elevated,
selfless c o n c e p t o f m in iste rs as self-
sacrificing preachers and teachers was dis
torted. W hat began as the C hristian ministry
evolved into a form al, hierarchical institu
tion. O rders and ranks were form ed, and
they were invested with prestige and pow
er and often accum ulated great wealth. This
created divisions. A clergy class developed
Awake! July 8 f 2000
th at was m ostly devoted to adm inistering
religious sacram ents and counseling the er
rant. First-century C hristianity changed in
succeeding ce n tu rie s from an active reli
gion where everyone was a m inister to a pas
sive one where only a handful o f special
ly trained and accredited individuals could
preach and teach.
However, the Bible identifies a Christian
minister, not by distinctive garb, elaborate
ritual, a salary, or state decree, but by his un
selfish labor. The apostle Paul outlined the
attitude Christian m inisters should display.
He encouraged them to do nothing out of
egotism but with lowliness of m ind.Phi-
lippians 2:3.
Paul certainly practiced what he preached.
Adhering closely to C hrists pattern, he nev
er sought his own advantage but that of the
many, in order th at they m ight get saved.
He understood and keenly felt his respon
sibility to furnish the good news without
cost, as he said, to the end that I may not
abuse my authority in the good news. He
was not seeking glory from men. 1 C o
rinthians 9:16-18; 10:33; 1 Thessalonians 2:6.
W h a t an o u tsta n d in g m o d el o f a tru e
C hristian minister! Those who im itate his
excellent example and walk in the selfless
pattern set by Jesus Christ, giving of them
selves freely to provide spiritual help and the
com fort of the good news to others, show
them selves to be tru e m in iste rs o f G od.
1 Peter 2:21.
IN OUR NEXT I S S UE
Spiritism Helpful or Harmful?
Antarctica The Last Frontier
Is It Time for a New Bed?
27
 W A T C H I N G
Mars Spacecraft Problems
In December, NASA was un
able to reestablish contact with
its Mars Polar Lander after the
spacecraft entered the Martian
atmosphere. The failure oc
curred only about two months
after the failure of the Mars
Climate Orbiter, which was to
help relay information from the
lander to Earth. Why the land
er failed is unknown. But the
orbiter went astray, among oth
er reasons, because the space
crafts navigation commands
were in English units of mea
surement rather than in the
more widely used metric sys
tem! This difference prevent
ed navigation data from being
transferred properly. Although
disappointed at their losses,
NASA scientists intend to con
tinue pursuing their goals,
says CNN. These are to learn
about the red planets climatic
and geologic history; to look
for signs of life; and to lay the
groundwork for manned explo
ration.
A Vanishing Chinese
Writing System
A unique writing system
called Nu Shu, understood
only by women, has been used
for centuries in a cluster of
small villages in Hunan Prov
ince, southern China. It was de
veloped by peasant women at
a time when girls were denied
formal education. Its script
consists of an estimated 700
phonetic characters, compared
with the thousands of Chinese
ideographic characters. Nu Shu
is written with delicate curved
and tilted lines, which Yang
28
THE WORL
Yueqing, a filmmaker who doc killing. The video-game indus
umented Nu Shu, describes as try, at $17 billion a year, is
very feminine and beautiful, bigger than film and television
. . . also extremely graphic be combined. Stafford urges par
cause it was woven into cloth ents to know what games their
and embroidered as patterns, children are playing and to be
reports The Sunday Times of alert to any tendency toward
compulsion.
London. The women recorded
folk traditions and expressed Reports of Wars
their lot in life in songs and
poems written in Nu Shu. After There are now 27 active
women were granted equality wars worldwide, states Psy
in China in 1949, the use of Nu chology Today. As reported by
Shu began to decline. Today, the Stockholm International
only three people are known Peace Research Institute, over
to write the ancient script, and 150,000 Liberians perished in
they are female senior citizens. their 7-year civil war, and 500,-
000 people have died in the
Violent Video Games 15-year civil conflict in An
gola. Clashes in Turkey have
killed more than 37,000 since
1984, and war in Sri Lanka has
claimed some 60,000 lives since
1983. In all, more than 20 mil
lion peoplemost of them ci
vilianshave died in war since
the end of World War II,
the magazine states. War may
continue to be inevitable... be
Based on a study of 600 cause of economics. War is one
young video-game players, re [of] the largest industries on
searcher Brent Stafford, of Si earth, to the tune of $800 bil
mon Fraser University in Brit lion in expenditures per year,
ish Columbia, Canada, warns and it also brings enormous
that many games are training spoils. The editorial notes:
our kids to celebrate violence. What an odd, odd species we
Maclean's magazine reports: are to be so brutal to our own
Some hard-core players who kind. The United Nations has
prefer the most violent and re declared this year to be an in
alistic games kill as many as ternational year of peace.
1,000 avatars (on-screen char
acters) in a single night, often in Smoking and Blindness
scenes of gory realism. The re Smoking is a major cause of
search documented the extent blindness, reports the Canber
to which violent video games ra Times newspaper. Research
are designed to appeal to a play ers at the Australian National
ers emotions and to engulf University and Sydney Uni
young minds in worlds that de versity estimate that 20 per
sensitize them to violence, even cent of all blindness in Austra-
Awake! July 8, 2000
lians over 50 years of age is
due to smoking. The research
ers cited studies from Austra
lia, the United States, and Eu
rope that indicate that smokers
are two to five times as like
ly to develop age-related macu
lar degeneration as nonsmok
ers. Dr. Wayne Smith of the
Australian National University
suggested that cigarette packs
bear the warning: Smoking is
a major cause of blindness.
Neglect and Child Abuse
R eported cases of child
abuse in Japan soared 30 per
cent during fiscal 1998, com
pared with the previous year,
says Asahi Evening News. Ex
perts attribute this to mount
ing stress borne by mothers,
many of whom were carrying
the entire burden of rearing
their children, as well as to a
heightened awareness among
the general public of their
responsibility to report abuse
or neglect. The Daily Yomiuri
mentions that Japan has also
seen an increase in the num
ber of deaths of small children
who were left alone at home or
in parked cars. In some cas
es their absent parents were
gambling at pachinko pinball
machines. Until recently, few
parents were held criminally
responsible in such cases. Now,
however, authorities intend to
step up prosecution of serious
ly negligent parents.
Newborns With HIV
Half of all babies in Af
rica are born infected with
HIV the virus that develops
into AIDS, reports United
Press International. Dr. Pe
ter Piot, executive director of
the Joint United Nations Pro
gramme on HIV/AIDS, stat
ed that HIV and AIDS have
shortened life expectancy by 25
years in some parts of Afri
ca. The report adds: The 21
countries with the highest inci
dence of HIV infection are all
in Africa, and in 10 of those
countries, at least 10 percent of
the population is infected. Of
all AIDS-related deaths world
wide, about 80 percent have oc
curred in Africa.
Pedal Power
One of the most energy-
efficient ways to get around
may be a bicyclenot only be
cause it uses pedal-power but
because its design wastes very
little energy, says a Reuters
report. Checking a computer-
controlled bicycle driveline by
means of an infrared camera,
engineers at Johns Hopkins
University in Baltimore noted
that little heat was generated
as the chain moved. To their
surprise, the engineers found
the chain drive had an ener
gy efficiency score of 98.6 per
cent, meaning less than 2 per
cent of the power used to turn
the front sprocket was lost as
heat, the report said. The
worst the bicycle scored, under
varying conditions, was 81 per
cent efficiency. James Spicer,
who led the study, said: This
was amazing to me, especially
when you realize the essential
construction of this chain drive
hasnt changed in more than
100 years.
Awake! July 8, 2000
Evil Rain
A n atural phenom enon
known as evil rain occurs in
Turpan, in the Sinkiang Uighur
Autonomous Region of China.
Even as dark rain clouds pass
overhead, the weather may
remain hot and dry on the
ground, reports China Today.
Rain appears to be falling from
the sky, and a person can even
feel the rain by waving his hand
up in the air. However, in the
extremely arid climate of Tur
pan, evaporation takes place at
a much faster rate than the rain
falls. Thus, the evil rain evap
orates before it ever reaches the
ground.
Deadly Diet
A veterinary surgeon in the
Kutch district of western India
recently removed 100 pounds
of plastic bags from the stom
ach of a sick cow, reports The
Week, a magazine of Kerala, In
dia. Besides the bags, he also
found cloth, coconut husks, a
coil of wire, and a screw. Stray
cows in India subsist main
ly on garbage, and discarded
plastic bags are dangerous for
them. Even privately owned
milk cows often eat roadside
garbage when moving to their
grazing areas. The veterinarian,
Dr. Jadeja, says that consump
tion of plastic is second only
to foot-and-mouth disease as a
problem for the cows. The indi
gestible material blocks the ab
domen, so that the cow can
not chew the cud. Such cows
are often left to die. Dr. Jade
ja was alerted to the situation
by cobblers who found masses
of plastic in the stomachs of
dead cows when removing their
hides.
29
 F R O M OUR
Global Trade I want to thank you very
much for the clear information presented in
the article Global TradeHow It Affects
You. (September 8, 1999) Now I better un
derstand why there is a gulf between rich
and poor nations.
M. Z , Italy
I am studying economics in college and
have just finished the topic of international
trade. Your article had points that we did not
discuss in class. I will use them in my exam
next month.
H. N., Zimbabwe
Wrong Laser? The item in Watching the
W orld called Pain-Free D entist? (Octo ticle SurstrommingA Stinking Delicacy.
ber 22, 1999) spoke of the use of the
erbium:YAG laser for dental surgery.
Should this have read neodymium:YAG?
D. B., Canada
Although the Academy o f Laser Dentistry de
scribes the neodymium:YAG laser as the most
commonly used wavelength in dentistry,an ar
ticle in The Journal o f the American Dental As
sociation(August 1997, Volume 128, pages 1080-
7) mentions the use o f the erbium:YAG laser as
FDA Consumerdescribed.ED.
Crossword Puzzle Regarding the cross
word puzzles, couldnt you post the com
pleted answers in the following issue? I al
ways read the magazine first and do the
puzzle later, and it is hard to read the page
on which the answers appear without glanc
ing at it.
J. L., United States
We appreciate the suggestion. However, since
Awake!is distributed from door to door, many
o f our readers do not get successive issues. So we
feel it best to keep the answers in the same issue.
Try not to peek at them in advance!ED.
30 Awake! July 8, 2000
R E A D E R S
Witchcraft I am 13 years old, and I met
a girl at school who believes in the practice
of witchcraft. One day she asked me what I
thought about it. I told her that I am one
of Jehovahs Witnesses and that I dont be
lieve in using occult powers. She was upset
and has brought the m atter up many times
since then. I prayed to Jehovah for help,
and it came in the form of the article The
Bibles Viewpoint: W hat Is Behind Witch
craft? (November 8, 1999) I gave her the
article, and since reading it, she hasnt ques
tioned the way I feel on the subject.
K. E., United States
Stinking Delicacy Thank you for the ar
(July 8, 1999) We had never heard of it be
fore, so we spoke to a fellow believer who
comes from Sweden. She described this del
icacy in glowing terms and surprised us
some time later by giving us two tins of it.
A group of us from the local congregation
decided to enjoy it together. Heeding the
warning in the article, we opened the tins
outside in the garden. G ood thing we did.
The smell exceeded even our wildest expec
tations! It was impossible for us to make an
objective assessment of the taste! But
thanks for the article, without which we
would never have had such an unforgettable
experience.
C. B., Germany
RSD It has taken me two years to write to
express my thanks for the article RSDA
Puzzling, Painful Disorder. (September 8,
1997) I had never heard of the disorder un
til I found out that I have it in my left arm.
My physical therapist said that she learned
more from the article than from her studies
in college. Anyway, thanks for the article. It
has really helped me to cope.
L.M.K., United States
 Why do m any p e o p le have to re se t th e ir clo cks tw ic e a year?
It's a real h assle fo r som e w hen clo cks have to be a d ju ste d fo r
w a rd a n d b a c k w a rd . A n d w h e n d o you d o w h ic h ? In E n g lis h
th e phrase s p rin g fo rw a rd and fa ll b a ck" re m in d s people w hen
each change ta k e s place, in th e s p rin g and th e fa ll. How did day
lig h t saving tim e (DST) com e a b o u t? W ho s ta rte d it?
The Encyclopaedia Britannica says th a t B e n ja m in F ra n k lin
firs t su g g e ste d th e id e a o f s a v in g d a y lig h t in 1 7 8 4 . M ore th a n
a c e n tu ry la te r, an E n g lis h m a n n a m e d W illia m W ille tt a c tiv e ly
cam pa ig n e d fo r it. However, W ille tt die d before a law w as e n a c t
ed in P a rlia m e n t.
A cco rd in g to B ritish w rite r Tony Francis, W ille tt, a m aster b u ild
er from C h isle h u rst, Kent, s tru c k on th e u s e fu ln e ss o f a tim e m a
n ip u la tio n as he w as rid in g his horse e a rly one su m m e r m o rn in g
in Petts W ood. D u rin g th e rid e he notice d m any hom es w ith th e ir
w in d o w s h u tte rs c lo s e d . W h a t a w a s te o f d a y lig h t! he m u s t
have th o u g h t. He s ta rte d to c a m p a ig n fo r a bill in th e B ritish Par
lia m e n t to get th e clo c k a d ju s te d . S im p ly p u ttin g all th e c lo cks
forw ard 8 0 m in u te s, in fo u r in c re m e n ts o f 2 0 m in u te s each, d u r
ing th e s p rin g and s u m m e r m o n th s and th e n back in th e a u tu m n
w ould have a llo w e d p e o p le to have m ore d a ylig h t in th e evening.
Francis re p o rts th a t W ille tt w rote in one o f his leaflets: Light
is one o f th e g re a te st g ifts o f th e C reator to m an. W hile da ylig h t
s u rro u n d s us, c h e e rfu ln e s s reigns, a n xie tie s press less heavily
and courage is bred fo r th e s tru g g le o f life ."
K ing Edward VII d id n o t w a it fo r an a c t o f P a rlia m e n t. He d e
c la re d S a n d rin g h a m , h is royal m a n s io n w ith 1 9 ,5 0 0 a c re s , a
d a y lig h t s a v in g zone. He la te r a p p lie d th e sa m e cha nge to th e
royal e sta te s a t W in d so r and B a lm o ra l.
W h a t fin a lly p e rs u a d e d th e p o litic ia n s to give in and a d o p t
DST? They w an te d to co n se rve fu e l d u rin g W orld W ar I by reduc
ing th e need fo r a rtific ia l lig h t! O th e r c o u n trie s soon to o k up th e
idea fo r s im ila r reasons. Even d o u b le s u m m e r tim e w as a d o p t
ed in E ngland d u rin g W orld W ar II. This allow ed fo r a d iffe re n c e
o f tw o h o u rs in th e s u m m e r and one h o u r in th e w inter.
There is a m o n u m e n t in Petts Wood to W illia m W ille tt, p ictured
a t th e rig h t. It is d e d ic a te d to th e u n tirin g advocate o f s u m m e r
tim e . " The in s c rip tio n b e n e a th th e s u n d ia l says: Horas non nu-
mero nisi aestivas w h ic h m e a n s, I d o n t c o u n t h o u rs u n le s s
[they are] s u m m e r h o u rs .
With thanks to the National Trust
 'mm

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