Awake 2011, en

!"#2D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 1

THE BOOKTHAT COULD NOTBE DESTROYED

!"#2AVERAGE PRINTING 39,913,000PUBLISHED IN 83 LANGUAGES

The BookTHAT COULD NOTBE DESTROYED

3 An Outstanding Bookand a Survivor

4 The Bible Attacked

6 They Tried to Keep God’s WordFrom the Masses

10 The Bible’s ViewpointDoes God Care AboutAnimals?

12 The Christmas Tree—Its Pre-Christian Origin

14 The 2011 Japan Tsunami—Survivors Tell Their Stories

21 An Inquiring Mind That HistoryRemembers

22 The King James Version—How It Became Popular

25 Young People AskWhat Makes a Social EventReally Fun?

28 Watching the World

29 Subject Index for 2011 Awake!

30 For Family Review

32 ‘A Blend of Depth and Simplicity’

1513 B.C.E.–c. 98 C.E.

Bible is penned inHebrew, Aramaic,and Greek

100

Becomes moreportable incodex form

405

Translatedinto Latinby Jerome

WHY should the Bible be worthy of yourattention? For one thing, it claims to

contain God’s message to humanity. (2 Tim-othy 3:16) If that claim is true, then you wouldsurely be missing out by not reading it.

Another reason for paying attention to theBible is that it is one of the oldest books in ex-istence and is by far the most widely translat-ed and distributed. It is the best-selling bookof all time and continues to top the best-sellerlist every year.

The claims, age, and circulation of the Bi-ble are even more impressive in the light ofthe numerous attempts that have been madethroughout history to suppress it. “No bookhas excited so much opposition as this; but ithas survived every attack which power, tal-ent, and eloquence have ever made on it,”stated the 19th-century theologian AlbertBarnes.

The same writer noted that people natu-rally take an interest in anything that has

withstood repeated onslaughts. “But no armyever survived so many battles as the Bi-ble,” continued Barnes, “no ancient bulwarkhas endured so many sieges, and stood sofirm amid the thunders of war and the rav-ages of time; and no rock has been sweptby so many currents, and has still stood un-moved.”

Many ancient writings have been lost, de-stroyed, or just forgotten, but despite viciousattacks, the Bible has always survived. Somepeople have fought, at the risk of their life, tomake it available to the masses. On the otherhand, some have snatched it from the handsof yearning readers and have publicly burnedBibles and their owners.

Why has this book been so loved and sohated? What battles has it survived? Whotried to destroy it? More important, why hasit survived? And why is its message importantto you? The following pages will address thesequestions.

AN OUTSTANDING BOOKAND A SURVIVOR

“No book has excited so much opposition . . . , but it has survived everyattack which power, talent, and eloquence have ever made on it.”

TIME LINE OF BIBLE PUBLISHING

1380

Translatedfrom Latininto Englishby Wycliffe

1455

Gutenbergproduces the firstprinted Bible

1525

Translatedinto Englishby Tyndale

1938

Printed inover 1,000languages

2011

Available in over2,500 languages

3

4 Awake! December 2011

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

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

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

Vol. 92, No. 12 Monthly ENGLISH

THE collection of writings that we knowas the Bible, or the Holy Scriptures, was

recorded over a period of more than 1,600years. The earliest part of this collection waspenned by Moses; the last, by a disciple of Je-sus Christ about a hundred years after Hisbirth.

Efforts to silence the Scriptures have along history extending from well before ourCommon Era, through the Middle Ages, anddown to modern times. An early record ofsuch efforts dates back to the time of God’sprophet Jeremiah, who lived over 600 yearsbefore the birth of Jesus Christ.

An Unpopular Message Attacked

The prophet Jeremiah was directed by Godto write in a scroll a message condemningthe sinful inhabitants of ancient Judah andwarning them that their capital city, Jerusa-lem, would be destroyed unless they changedtheir ways. Jeremiah’s secretary, Baruch, readthe message aloud, in public in Jerusalem’stemple. He read it a second time in the hear-ing of Judah’s princes, who took the scroll toKing Jehoiakim. As the king listened to God’swords, he did not like what he heard. So hecut the scroll into pieces and burned it.—Jere-miah 36:1-23.

Then God ordered Jeremiah: “Take againfor yourself a roll, another one, and write onit all the first words that proved to be on thefirst roll, which Jehoiakim the king of Judahburned up.” (Jeremiah 36:28) Some 17 yearslater, exactly as God’s word through Jeremiahhad foretold, Jerusalem was destroyed, manyof its rulers were slain, and its inhabitantswere taken into exile in Babylon. The mes-sage that scroll conveyed—and a record of thecircumstances surrounding the attack madeupon it—have survived until our day in the Bi-ble book of Jeremiah.

Bible Burnings Continue

Jehoiakim was not the only person in pre-Christian times who attempted to burn God’sWord. Following the breakup of the GreekEmpire, Israel came under the influence of

THE BIBLEATTACKED

Languages: Afrikaans, Albanian, Amharic, Arabic, Armenian,Bislama, Bulgarian, Cebuano, Chichewa, Chinese (Simplified), Chinese(Traditional)� (audio Mandarin only), Chitonga, Cibemba, Croatian,Czech,� Danish,� Dutch,�� English,�� Estonian, Ewe, Fijian, Finnish,�French,�� Georgian, German,�� Greek, Gujarati, Hebrew, Hiligaynon,Hindi, Hungarian, Icelandic, Igbo, Iloko, Indonesian, Italian,�� Japa-nese,�� Kannada, Kinyarwanda, Kirghiz, Kirundi, Korean,�� Latvian, Lin-gala, Lithuanian, Macedonian, Malagasy, Malayalam, Maltese, Myanmar,Norwegian,�� Polish,�� Portuguese,�� Punjabi, Rarotongan, Roma-nian, Russian,�� Samoan, Sepedi, Serbian, Sesotho, Shona, Silozi, Sin-hala, Slovak, Slovenian, Spanish,�� Swahili, Swedish,� Tagalog,� Tamil,Thai, Tok Pisin, Tongan, Tsonga, Tswana, Turkish, Ukrainian, Urdu, Viet-namese, Xhosa, Yoruba, Zulu

� CD also available.� MP3 CD-ROM also available.� Audio recordings also available at www.jw.org.

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

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

Britain: The Ridgeway, London NW7 1RN. Canada: PO Box 4100, Georgetown, ON

L7G 4Y4. Germany: 65617 Selters. Guam: 143 Jehovah St, Barrigada, GU 96913.

Jamaica: PO Box 103, Old Harbour, St. Catherine. Japan: 4-7-1 Nakashinden, Ebina

City, Kanagawa-Pref, 243-0496. Puerto Rico: PO Box 3980, Guaynabo, PR 00970.

South Africa: Private Bag X2067, Krugersdorp, 1740. Trinidad and Tobago: Lower

Rapsey Street & Laxmi Lane, Curepe.

Awake! December 2011 5

the Seleucid dynasty. The Seleucid King An-tiochus Epiphanes, who ruled from 175 to164 B.C.E., wanted to unite his empire inGreek, or Hellenistic, culture. To that end, heattempted to force Greek ways, customs, andreligion on the Jews.

About 168 B.C.E., Antiochus plundered Je-hovah’s temple in Jerusalem. Atop the al-tar, he built another in honor of the Greekgod Zeus. Antiochus also prohibited the ob-servance of the Sabbath and commanded theJews to leave their sons uncircumcised. Thepenalty for noncompliance was death.

An element of that religious purge was An-tiochus’ attempt to eliminate all scrolls of theLaw. Although Antiochus pursued his cam-paign throughout Israel, he failed to destroyall copies of the Hebrew Scriptures. Somecarefully-concealed scrolls may well have es-caped the flames inside Israel, and copiesof the Holy Scriptures were known to havebeen preserved by colonies of Jews living else-where.

Diocletian’s Edict

Another prominent ruler who tried to de-stroy the Scriptures was the Roman Emper-or Diocletian. In 303 C.E., Diocletian pro-mulgated a series of increasingly harsh edictsagainst Christians. This resulted in whatsome historians have termed “The Great Per-secution.” His first edict ordered the burningof copies of the Scriptures and the demolitionof Christian meeting places. Harry Y. Gam-ble, professor of religious studies at the Uni-versity of Virginia, wrote: “Diocletian took

it for granted that every Christian commu-nity, wherever it might be, had a collectionof books and knew that those books were es-sential to its viability.” Church historian Eu-sebius of Caesarea, Palestine, who lived dur-ing that period, reported: “We saw with ourvery eyes the houses of prayer cast down totheir foundations from top to bottom, and theinspired and sacred Scriptures committed tothe flames in the midst of the market-places.”

Three months after Diocletian’s edict, themayor of the North African city of Cirta,which is now known as Constantine, is saidto have ordered the Christians to hand overall their “writings of the law” and “copies ofscripture.”Accounts of the same period tell ofChristians who preferred to be tortured andkilled rather than to hand over copies of theBible to be destroyed.

The Intent of the Attacks

The shared intent of Jehoiakim, Antio-chus, and Diocletian was to wipe out—yes,to obliterate—God’s Word. Yet the Bible sur-vived all attempts to destroy it. Rulers ofRome after Diocletian began to profess a con-version to Christianity. However, attacks onthe Bible continued. Why?

The rulers and the church leaders claimedthat Bible burnings were not attempts to de-stroy the Bible. Rather, these men were simplytrying to keep the Bible out of the hands ofthe common people. But why would churchleaders want to do that? And to what lengthsdid the church go in their efforts to suppressBible reading? Let us see.

AS TIME passed, efforts were made totranslate the Bible into the languages

that people commonly spoke. Few could readthe Bible in the Hebrew or Greek in which itwas written. Most of us would have difficultyunderstanding God’s Word if today it wereavailable only in ancient forms of those lan-guages.

Almost 300 years before Jesus lived onearth, work began on translating the HebrewScriptures into Greek. That translation isknown as the Greek Septuagint. Some 700years later, Jerome produced a famous trans-lation known as the Vulgate. This was a ren-dering of the Hebrew and Greek Scripturesinto Latin, which was the common tongue ofthe Roman Empire of that time.

Later, Latin began to fade as a commonlanguage. Only the well-educated main-tained familiarity with Latin, and the Cath-olic Church resisted efforts to translate theBible into other languages. Religious leaders

argued that Hebrew, Greek, and Latin werethe only suitable Bible languages.�

Church Divisions and Bible Translation

In the ninth century C.E., Methodius andCyril, Thessalonian missionaries acting onbehalf of the Eastern Church in Byzantium,� The idea seems to have come from the writings of the

Spanish bishop Isidore of Seville (560-636 C.E.), who argued:“There are three sacred languages, Hebrew, Greek, and Latin,and they are supreme through all the world. For it was in thesethree languages that the charge against the Lord was writtenabove the cross by Pilate.” Of course, the decision to post thecharge in those three languages was made by the pagan Ro-mans. The decision was not directed by God.

THEY TRIED TO KEEPGOD’S WORDFROM THE MASSES

The common people were givenseverely limited access to theBible, which afforded the clergypower over the masses

TIME LINE OF BIBLE ATTACKS

c. 636 C.E.

Isidore of Sevillecontends thatHebrew, Greek,and Latinare “sacred”languages andtherefore theonly languagessuitable for theHoly Bible

1079

Pope Gregory VIIadamantly refusesVratislaus’ requestto use Slavonicin church, statingthat the Scrip-tures should beinaccessible tothose of “limitedintelligence”

1199

Pope Innocent IIIviews as hereticsany who dare totranslate anddiscuss the Bible.Those who defythe pope’s orderare often torturedand killed


promoted the use of Slavic as a church lan-guage. Their goal was to enable the Slavicpeoples of Eastern Europe, who understoodneither Greek nor Latin, to learn about Godin their own language.

These missionaries, however, met withfierce opposition from German priests, whosought to impose Latin as a defense againstthe expanding influence of Byzantine Chris-tianity. Clearly, politics were more importantto them than people’s religious education. In-creasing tensions between the Western andEastern branches of Christendom led to thedivision between Roman Catholicism andEastern Orthodoxy in 1054.

The Fight Against Bible Translation

Roman Catholicism eventually came toview Latin as a holy language. Thus, in re-sponse to the request made in 1079 by Vra-tislaus, duke of Bohemia, seeking permis-sion to use Slavonic in local church services,Pope Gregory VII wrote: “We cannot in anyway grant this petition.” Why not?

“It is evident to those who consider thematter carefully,” said Gregory, “that it haspleased God to make Holy Scripture obscurein certain places lest, if it were perfectly clearto all, it might be vulgarized and subjected todisrespect or be so misunderstood by peopleof limited intelligence as to lead them into er-ror.”

The common people were given severelylimited access to the Bible, and it had to staythat way. This stand afforded the clergy powerover the masses. They did not want the com-mon people dabbling in areas they consideredto be their own domain.

In 1199, Pope Innocent III wrote concern-ing “heretics” who had translated the Bibleinto French and dared to discuss it amongthemselves. To them, Innocent applied Jesus’words: “Do not give what is holy to dogs, nei-ther throw your pearls before swine.” (Mat-thew 7:6) What was his reasoning in thismatter? “That no simple and unlearned manpresumes to concern himself with the sub-limity of sacred Scripture, or to preach it toothers.” Those who resisted the pope’s or-der were often delivered to inquisitors whohad them tortured into making confessions.Those who refused to recant were burnedalive.

During the long battle fought over pos-session of the Bible and the reading of it,Pope Innocent’s letter was often appealed tofor support in forbidding use of the Bible andits translation into other languages. Soon af-ter his decree, the burning of Bibles in the ver-nacular began, as did the burning of some oftheir owners. In the centuries that followed,the bishops and rulers of Catholic Europeused all possible means to ensure that the banimposed by Pope Innocent III was observed.P

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1559

Pope Paul IV forbidspossession of Biblesin the common lan-guages. Vernaculartranslations areconfiscated andburned, and oftentheir owners areburned with them


The Catholic hierarchy certainly knew thatmany of its teachings were based, not onthe Bible, but on church tradition. Doubt-less, this is one of the reasons for their re-luctance to allow their faithful to have accessto the Bible. By reading it, people would be-come aware of the incompatibility betweentheir church doctrine and Scripture.

Effects of the Reformation

The arrival of Protestantism transformedEurope’s religious landscape. Martin Lu-ther’s attempts to reform the CatholicChurch and his eventual break with it in 1521were based essentially on his understandingof Scripture. So when that break was com-plete, Luther, a gifted translator, endeavoredto make the Bible available to the public.

Luther’s translation into German and itswide distribution got the attention of the Ro-man Catholic Church, which felt that Lu-ther’s Bible ought to be offset by one accept-ed by the church. Two such translations in theGerman language soon appeared. But then,in 1546, less than 25 years later, the RomanCatholic Council of Trent, in effect, placedany printing of religious literature, including

translations of the Bible, under the control ofthe church.

The Council of Trent decreed “that hence-forth sacred Scripture . . . be printed in themost correct manner possible; and that itshall not be lawful for any one to print, orcause to be printed, any books whatever onsacred matters without the name of the au-thor; or in future to sell them, or even to pos-sess them, unless they shall have been firstexamined and approved of by the [local bish-op].”

In 1559, Pope Paul IV published the first in-dex of books prohibited by the Roman Cath-olic Church. It forbade possession of Bibletranslations in Dutch, English, French, Ger-man, Italian, and Spanish, as well as some inLatin. Any who wanted to read the Bible weretold to obtain written permis-sion from bishops or inquis-itors—not an appealing pros-pect for those who wantedto remain above suspicion ofheresy.

People who dared to pos-sess or distribute Biblesin the common languages oftheir region had to contendwith the ire of the CatholicChurch. Many were arrest-ed, burned at the stake, roast-ed on spits, sentenced to lifein prison, or sent to the gal-leys. Confiscated Bibles wereburned. Indeed, Catholicpriests continued to confis-cate and burn Bibles well intothe 20th century.

When caught, people who daredto possess or distribute Bibleswere burned at the stakeor sentenced to life in prison

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This is not to say that Protestantism hasbeen a real friend and defender of the Bible.In the 18th and 19th centuries, some Protes-tant theologians championed techniques ofstudy that came to be known as higher criti-cism. In time, many people accepted teach-ings influenced by Darwinian theories thatlife was not created but somehow appeared bychance and evolved without a Creator.

Theologians, and even many clergymen,taught that the Bible is largely based on leg-end and myth. As a result, it is not uncom-mon today to hear Protestant clergymen, aswell as many of their parishioners, disavowthe Bible, saying it is unhistorical.

Perhaps you have noted attitudes critical ofthe Bible’s authenticity, and maybe you aresurprised at the attempts that were made todestroy it in centuries past. The attacks, how-ever, failed. The Bible has survived them all!

Why It Has Survived

True, many have loved the Bible and havebeen willing to lay down their lives to defendit. The key to its survival, however, lies in aforce greater than human love. The simple

reason for the survival of the Bible is thatall those who contributed to the writings thatmake up the Bible wrote under inspiration byGod.—Isaiah 40:8; 1 Peter 1:25.

Reading and applying what the Bible teach-es will enable us to improve our lives, health,and family life. God wants the Bible to sur-vive and to be translated into as many lan-guages as possible so that all can have the op-portunity to learn to love him, to serve him,and eventually to enjoy his eternal blessings.Surely, that is what we all want!

Jesus, in prayer to his heavenly Father,said: “Your word is truth.” (John 17:17)The Bible—the Scriptures Jesus read andtaught—is God’s means of providing answersto the questions that sincere people ask.

You are warmly encouraged to learn moreabout God’s message to mankind as found inthe Bible. Jehovah’s Witnesses, the distribu-tors of this magazine, would be happy to helpyou.�� You may contact them, without obligation, at one of

the addresses found on page 5 of this magazine or atwww.watchtower.org.

The Creator wants us tobe able to answer thesefundamental questions:

˘ Why are we here?

˘ Why is there so muchsuffering?

˘ Where are the dead?

˘ Where is mankind going?

The Bible provides answersto these questions as well aspractical advice on how to findtrue happiness.

THE BIBLE’SANSWERS


ANIMAL life is in peril. Many scientists be-lieve extinction of animal species is tak-

ing place at an accelerated rate. Animals aresuffering the devastating consequences of hu-man encroachment. Industrial food produc-tion, cruel blood sports, and callous abandon-ment of pets add to this grim picture.

Some feel, however, that such a picture isthe inevitable price of human progress. But isthat what God intended? Has he abandonedanimal creation to suffer at the hands of hu-mans? How do we know that God cares aboutanimals?

Care Evident From the Start

After God’s creation of fish, birds, andland animals, God was pleased. The Biblesays that he “got to see that it was good.”(Genesis 1:21, 25) All those creatures, fromthe smallest to the largest, had the Creator’sloving concern. God not only created them“instinctively wise” but also made provisionsfor them to flourish in their environment. Asa Bible writer aptly stated: “All of them—foryou they keep waiting to give them their foodin its season. What you give them they pickup. You open your hand—they get satisfiedwith good things.”—Proverbs 30:24; Psalm104:24, 25, 27, 28.

True, God made animals subject to the firstman, Adam. They were not designed with rea-soning ability or the capacity for spirituali-ty. (2 Peter 2:12; Jude 19) In contrast, Adamwas a higher life-form, created “in God’s im-age.” He was able to reflect the personalityof his Creator, Jehovah. (Genesis 1:27; Psalm83:18) But this did not give humans license to

exercise authority over animals independentof their Creator.

For example, Adam began naming the ani-mals because Jehovah extended that privilegeto him. Moreover, Jehovah assisted Adam by“bringing [the animals] to the man to seewhat he would call each one.” (Genesis 2:19)Only by working under his Creator’s direc-tion could man be successful in caring for theanimals.

God Really Does Care!

Sadly, Adam rebelled against his Creator.His rebellion brought devastating conse-quences to the human family and to all lifeon earth. The Creator, however, made clearhow animals were to be treated. Althoughman was eventually permitted to use them forfood and other practical purposes, God nev-er sanctioned cruel treatment of them. TheBible says: “The righteous one is caring forthe soul of his domestic animal, but the mer-cies of the wicked ones are cruel.”—Proverbs12:10.

God even gave the ancient nation of Isra-el laws that addressed the welfare of animals.The arrangement for a Sabbath, a day of com-plete rest each week, benefited the Israelites’animals in that they too could rest. (Exodus23:12) Significantly, although no work was al-lowed on this sacred day, people were tocome to the aid of a distressed animal. (Luke14:5) God further directed that cattle werenot to be deprived of food while they worked,and animals were not to be put under an ex-treme burden. (Exodus 23:5; Deuteronomy25:4) Yoking a bull and a donkey together was

THEBIBLE’SVIEWPOINT

Does God CareAbout Animals?

prohibited, preventing injuryto either animal. (Deuterono-my 22:10) Clearly, the Bibleteaches that animals were tobe treated with propriety, re-spect, and compassion!

Though many people fo-cus on their own concernsand ignore any consequencesto animals, God compassion-ately considers them. Whenthe prophet Jonah reactedunmercifully when the inhab-itants of Nineveh repentedand were spared God’s judg-ment, Jehovah stated: “Formy part, ought I not to feel sor-ry for Nineveh the great city,in which there exist morethan one hundred and twenty thousand menwho do not at all know the difference betweentheir right hand and their left, besides manydomestic animals?” (Jonah 4:11) Yes, the Cre-ator felt pity even for the animals!

Future Care Is Assured

Clearly, God is not insensitive to how ani-mals are treated. His beloved Son, Jesus, evensaid that a single sparrow does not fall to theground without his Father’s knowledge. (Mat-thew 10:29) In contrast, even with the best ofintentions, humans do not fully understandhow their actions influence the environment.Managing human society in a way that showsregard for wildlife requires a change in man-kind’s thinking.

Happily, the Bible describes the time whenunder God’s Kingdom rule, “the earth willcertainly be filled with the knowledge of Je-hovah.” (Isaiah 11:9) Such knowledge willprovide obedient humans with the educationand training they need to manage the earthproperly. The Creator’s influence will then en-sure that harmony prevails between man andbeast, thus restoring the conditions on earththat God originally purposed.

The Bible describes the transformationthat will then take place, explaining: “Thewolf will actually reside for a while with themale lamb, and with the kid the leopard it-self will lie down, and the calf and the manedyoung lion and the well-fed animal all togeth-er; and a mere little boy will be leader overthem. And the cow and the bear themselveswill feed; together their young ones will liedown. And even the lion will eat straw justlike the bull. And the sucking child will cer-tainly play upon the hole of the cobra; andupon the light aperture of a poisonous snakewill a weaned child actually put his ownhand.” What a glorious prospect to contem-plate!—Isaiah 11:6-8.

HAVE YOU WONDERED?

˘ Does God care how animals aretreated?—Proverbs 12:10; Matthew 10:29.

˘ Is complete harmony between man andanimals possible?—Isaiah 11:6-9.

Showing regard forwildlife requires achange in mankind’sthinking

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IN MANY parts of the world, the evergreenChristmas tree is a well-known symbol in

holiday celebrations and commerce. The reli-gious origin of the tree runs deep and stretch-es far back in human history.

This is evident in Bohuslan Province onthe west coast of Sweden and in the near-by province of Østfold in Norway. In thoseareas, more than 75,000 individual rock carv-ings have been found at some 5,000 differentsites. Archaeologists say that many of theserock carvings were made between about1,800 and 500 B.C.E.�

These remarkable carvings reveal some-thing about the beliefs of people who liveda very long time before the birth of Jesusof Nazareth. For example, some researchersthink that in early times in areas of present-day Sweden and Norway, evergreen trees,such as spruces, were used as sacred symbols.

Why was it that people living in these farnorthern coastal areas of the world maderock carvings of spruce trees? Some scholars� Some of the Bohuslan rock-carving sites are included in

the UNESCO World Heritage List.

suggest it was partly because of the evidentrarity of those trees during the pre-Christiantimes when the carvings were made. Under-standably, a tree that stays permanentlygreen, or “alive,” when other trees seeminglydie in cold weather must have been somewhatof a mystery.

Trees have been symbols of life, survival,and immortality in many cultures worldwide.This fact may also help explain why tree im-ages that clearly resemble evergreen spruceswere carved into rocks in the area of Bohus-lan and Østfold many centuries before thattree became a common sight there.

The book Rock Carvings in the Borderlands,published in cooperation with the SwedishNational Heritage Board, says: “The imagesof trees in rock carvings illustrate that as ear-ly as the Bronze Age the southern Scandi-navian region was part of a larger religiousand cultural context that covered the wholeof Europe and large parts of Asia. Reli-gion and cosmology were adapted to peo-ple whose livelihoods were farming and ani-mal husbandry. They largely worshipped thesame gods, although the names of the godsvaried.”

The Rock Carving Tour, a booklet publishedby the Bohuslans Museum, further explains:“It was not the everyday world the rock carv-ers wanted to portray. We believe that theirimages perhaps were a form of prayer and in-

The Christmas TreeIts Pre-Christian Origin

Rock carvings suggestthat pagan worship ofthe evergreen tree beganbefore the time of Christ

vocation to the gods.” The booklet adds: “Be-liefs revolved around the eternal circle of life,fertility, death and re-birth.”

Describing a unique collection of symbolicart, created long before the art of writing wasintroduced into northern Europe, Nationalen-cyklopedin, the Swedish national reference en-cyclopedia, notes: “The marked presence ofsexually charged depictions shows how im-portant a fertility cult was in the religion ofthe Bronze Age people in the North.”

Evidently, customs involving evergreentrees spread and became part of life in manyplaces. The Encyclopædia Britannica states re-garding the Christmas tree: “Tree worshipwas common among the pagan Europeansand survived their conversion to Christiani-ty.” It did so in various rites and customs, in-cluding “the custom . . . of placing a Yule treeat an entrance or inside the house during themidwinter holidays.”

The broad way leading the evergreen treeto modern popularity was paved in 1841 whenthe British royal family used a decoratedspruce for their Christmas celebrations. To-day the Christmas tree is recognized all overthe world, and the demand for countless mil-lions of natural and artificial Christmas treesseems endless. Meanwhile, Scandinavianrock carvings provide silent testimony, literal-ly set in stone, that the Christmas tree is notof Christian origin.

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ON Friday, March 11, 2011, at 2:46 p.m.,the fourth-strongest earthquake ever re-

corded anywhere in the world struck Japan.It triggered a massive tsunami and powerfulaftershocks that continued to strike fear intopeople in the area for weeks. Some 20,000people were killed or are missing. Thousands,however, survived. Here are some of the sur-vivors’ stories.

Tadayuki and his wife, Harumi, were athome in Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, whenthey heard a rumbling and their house start-

ed shaking violently. “We rushed outside andwere shocked to see fissures in the ground,”said Tadayuki. “We watched as our houseswung back and forth and dust gushed fromthe walls like smoke.”

The quake’s epicenter was80 miles (129 km) off thecoast of Miyagi. The tsunamicreated havoc for 420 miles(670 km) along the Pacif-ic Coast of Japan. In someplaces the waves were 45 feet

T H E 2 0 1 1 J A P A N T S U N A M I

Survivors Tell Their StoriesRead first-person accounts about those whosurvived the earthquake in Japan and thetsunami that followed.

, JIJI PRESS/AFP/Getty Images

Harumi andTadayuki

(15 m) high at the shoreline, crushing break-waters and riverbanks and surging up to25 miles (40 km) inland.

Sources of electricity, gas, and clean waterwere totally destroyed. Some 160,000 hous-es, shops, and factories were damaged orwashed away. At one point, as many as440,000 victims were living in some 2,500temporary shelters, such as schools and lo-cal community centers. Many others wereaccommodated in the homes of family orfriends. There were tens of thousands of ca-

sualties, but thousands of bodies have notbeen found.

Loss and Heartache

The tsunami killed far more people thandid the earthquake. Yoichi, who lived in Riku-zentakata, Iwate Prefecture, immediately sus-pected that a tsunami would follow the quake,so he took his parents to a nearby shelter.Then he went to check on neighbors. Stillconcerned about his parents, Yoichi alongwith his wife, Tatsuko, wanted to go back tosee them but received news that a tsunamiwas approaching.

They rushed to another shelter but couldnot enter the building because the entrancewas blocked by debris. Then they saw thepitch-black building of the neighboring saw-mill rushing toward them. “Run!” Tatsukocried.

They finally reached a schoolyard, whichwas on higher ground. From there they sawthe tsunami swallow up the whole neigh-borhood. “My house is being washed away,”someone said. Almost three quarters of Riku-zentakata was devastated, and Yoichi’s par-ents were swept away. His father’s body wasnever recovered; his mother’s body was even-tually found.

Toru was working at a factory near thecoast in Ishinomaki. When the first tremorsubsided, he rushed to his car to escape. Heshouted for others to flee from the tsunamithat he suspected would follow.

“First I headed toward my home, whichwas on high ground, but I was sooncaught in a traffic jam,” Toru explained.“I heard on the car radio that the tsunamihad already reached a near-by city. I opened my car win-dow so that I could escape ifit hit my area. Soon a hugewall of black water over sixfeet (2 m) high came rush-ing toward me. The carsin front of me were hurled

Yoichi andTatsuko

Soma, FukushimaRikuzentakata, Iwate

Ishinomaki, Miyagi

Kamaishi, Iwate

Minamisanriku, Miyagi

J AP

AN

TOKYO

KamaishiRikuzentakata

Ishinomaki Minamisanriku

Soma

Fukushima nuclearpower plant

Ebina

Branch office ofJehovah’s Witnesses


back into mine, and we were all washed farinland.

“I barely got out through the window, butthen I was swept away by the oily, smelly tor-rent. I was thrown into an auto repair shop,where I grabbed hold of a staircaseand climbed onto the second floor.With great effort, I was able to pullthree people to safety. A few of ussurvived the rising water and thecold, snowy night. But we were un-able to save others whowere callingfor help.”

Before the quake, Midori in Ka-maishi, Iwate, had spent somepleasant moments with her grandparents.She had just graduated from high school andhad taken her diploma to show to her grand-father, who had been incapacitated for sometime. He read the diploma aloud and com-mended Midori for all her effort. Five days af-ter that happy occasion, the earthquake hit.

Midori and her mother, Yuko, urged thegrandparents to take refuge, believing thata tsunami would follow. But the grandfather

said: “No, I am not going.Tsunamis have never reachedthis far inland.” They tried tocarry him out of the house,but they were not able tolift him, so they went to findhelp. By then, however, thetsunami had already reachedthe shore. “Hurry! Run!”shouted the men on a near-by hill. The tsunami was swal-

lowing up one house after another. Midori’sfrantic cries, “Grandpa! Grandma!” reverber-ated loudly. Her grandfather’s body was lat-er found, but her grandmother was never lo-cated.

Efforts to Provide Help

The Japanese government immediately dis-patched firefighters, policemen, and self-defense forces from all over Japan. In a

short time, over 130,000 people were en-gaged in rescue-and-relief work. In time, helpalso came from foreign countries and in-ternational organizations. Dozens of rescueteams soon arrived as did medical staff. Theysearched for survivors, provided medical aid,and cleared debris.

Various organizations helped their mem-bers. Jehovah’s Witnesses were among them.Immediately after the Friday afternoon quakeand tsunami, Witnesses checked on the safe-ty of those with whom they regularly meet to-gether for worship. Roads, however, were im-passable in many places, and electricity andtelephone services were cut off. Locating peo-ple over the huge affected area was very dif-ficult.

Takayuki, one of the eldersin the congregation of Jeho-vah’s Witnesses in Soma, Fu-kushima Prefecture, couldcontact only a few fami-lies that horrible Friday after-noon. “I decided to look forothers the next day,” he said.“As dawn broke, I started outby car and then went on foot to find them andcontinued until evening. I went to 20 loca-tions, including shelters, to search for congre-gation members. When I found them, I read

Toru

The vehicle Toru was driving

Yuko andMidori

Takayuki


scriptures and prayed withthem.”

Shunji in Ishinomaki ex-plains: “We set up teams tofind fellow believers. Whenwe entered the disaster area,words failed us. Cars were

hanging off electric poles, houses were piledone on top of the other, and the debris waspiled up even higher than the houses. Onthe roof of a car, we saw a dead body, prob-ably a person who was unable to survive thecold night. Another car was upside down and

hanging between houses. There was a bodyinside it.”

Shunji was relieved to find fellow worship-pers in shelters. “When I met up with them,”he says, “I realized just how dear they are tome.”

“You Came So Quickly!”

Two young Witness women, Yui and Mizu-ki, lived near each other in Minamisanriku,Miyagi. When the first tremor subsided, theyrushed outside and saw each other. Togeth-er they ran to higher ground. Less than ten

NUCLEAR DISASTER FOLLOWS

Tsunami damage to reac-tors at the Fukushima Daiichinuclear power plant madeheadlines worldwide. Radio-active emissions spread overJapan and other countries.Thousands were evacuatedbecause of possible lethalradiation.

“Our house was near thenuclear plant,” explainsMegumi. “The day after thequake, we heard about thedamage to the power plantand were told to flee.” Hersister Natsumi recalls,“Helicopters were hovering,sirens were wailing, and anannouncer kept shouting thatwe must evacuate.” In thefollowing weeks, they movedto nine different locations.Eventually, the two girls wereallowed to return home forjust two hours to pick up afew possessions.

Chikako, in her 60’s, wasin Namie, Fukushima. “Whenthe quake occurred, I went toa designated shelter nearby.There, my two children andI spent a sleepless nightbecause of the strong after-shocks. At 7:00 a.m. the nextday, we were told to moveimmediately to a shelter inanother city.

“The roads were jammedwith traffic, so it was aboutthree o’clock in the afternoonwhen we got to the destina-tion. There we learned of theexplosion at the nuclear pow-er plant. I thought that wewould soon be returninghome, so we had taken noth-ing with us.” She and herfamily moved from one placeto another until they finallyfound an apartment far fromtheir home.

Shunji

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minutes later, they watchedas the whole town, includ-ing their homes, was washedaway by one wave after an-other.

When Yui and Mizukifound Witness friends at ashelter, they prayed togeth-er. The next morning, mem-bers of their own congrega-tion as well as neighboringones crossed the moun-tain, bringing them foodand supplies. Yui and Mizu-ki exclaimed, “We knew youwould come, but you came soquickly!”

Hideharu, one of the Witness overseersfrom the Tome Congregation, visited the shel-ter. He explains: “All night long I tried to lo-cate our friends living along the coast. Final-ly, at 4:00 a.m., I received information abouta school where some had taken refuge. At7:00 a.m., about ten of us gathered to preparerice balls, and three of us set out by car withthe food. Most roads were impassable. Aftermuch effort, we got through to the school.Even those who had lost their homes helpedus give support to others.”

Filling the Spiritual Need

Jehovah’s Witnesses meet regularly tostudy the Bible, and some congregations doso on Friday nights. This was the case inRikuzentakata; however, the Kingdom Hall—the Witnesses’ place of worship—had justbeen washed away by the tsunami. “Let’s havea meeting anyway,” a Witness suggested. So ahome that had not been badly damaged wasselected, and members of the congregationwere informed.

Although the electricity had been cut off,an electric generator was available to providelight. Sixteen people were present. “We shedtears of joy,” recalls young Yasuyuki, who hadlost his apartment in the tsunami. “It was the

best refuge for us.” Hideko noted: “Strongaftershocks often disturbed the meeting, butwhile we were together, I forgot the fears andanxieties that had been upsetting me.”

Since then, the congregation has nevermissed holding one of its regular meetings.Two days later, on Sunday, the subject ofthe discourse chosen for the occasion was“A Worldwide Brotherhood Saved From Ca-lamity.”

Organized Relief Work

Various government agencies soon beganrelief work, as did the branch office of Jeho-vah’s Witnesses, located in Ebina, near To-kyo. By Saturday, the day after the earth-quake, the branch had divided the vast areaaffected by the quake into three sections. OnMonday, three days after the quake, represen-tatives from the branch visited these areas.

Relief efforts continued in the weeks andmonths that followed. Many tons of suppliesprovided by the Witnesses have been distrib-uted. At one time, 3 relief centers and 21warehouses and relay stations were activelydelivering relief supplies. During the first twomonths, hundreds of volunteers distributedover 250 tons of food, clothing, and other ne-cessities. Many Witnesses have shared suchsupplies with their neighbors.

Members of the Rikuzentakata and theneighboring Ofunato congregations of

Mizuki andYui

Hideharu

Relief workers in action

Jehovah’s Witnesses are using their recon-structed Kingdom Hall to strengthen peoplespiritually. This will help the local people tocope with the hardships they face in rebuild-ing their lives and recovering from the traumacaused by the devastating earthquake and tsu-nami. Of the more than 14,000 Witnesses inthe disaster area, 12 are confirmed dead and2 are still missing.

Many among Jehovah’s Witnesses whowere victims of this horrific disaster madeexpressions similar to what one family said:“When we fled, we had one bag each. But allour needs were met by our fellow believers.”How grand it is that servants of the true God,Jehovah, can now enjoy the worldwide broth-erhood of which Jesus and his apostles spoke!This bond cannot be washed away by tsuna-mis or any other natural disasters.—John 13:34, 35; Hebrews 10:24, 25; 1 Peter 5:9.

LESSONS FOR US ALLYoichi, from Rikuzentakata, who was mentioned earlier and who

lost most of his material possessions, said, “I really can testify thatmaterial things do not bring security.” Such sentiments have longbeen expressed by servants of God, especially by those who havelearned the lesson taught by Jesus. He explained the relative un-importance of material possessions when compared with havingGod’s favor and blessing.—Matthew 6:19, 20, 33, 34.

Another lesson is to take action when warnings are given. Doingso can make the difference between surviving and becoming a vic-tim. Those in Japan who hurried to higher ground without hesitationoften escaped.

Rikuzentakata Kingdom Hallafter the tsunami

Rebuilding work three months later

Completed Kingdom Hall

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ANSWERSTOPAGES30AND31


˘ How would you like to be remembered?What will come to people’s minds when theythink of you? Driven by concerns over their leg-acy, many aspire to greatness in science, poli-tics, sports, and the arts. But what if you wereparticularly remembered for questions youasked?

Five hundred years ago, a man in CentralAmerica asked many thought-provoking ques-tions. He was a native chief called Nicarao,from which “Nicaragua” is evidently derived.His name came to identify the tribe of his peo-ple, the land in which he lived, and their largelake.

Nicarao’s tribe lived on the strip of landbetween the Pacific Ocean and huge Lake Nic-aragua. Shortly after Columbus discovered theNew World, the Spanish set out to explorethis area. Captain Gil Gonz

ález D

ávila led his

troops north from what is now Costa Rica andentered Nicarao’s land in 1523 C.E.

Imagine the explorers’ trepidation as theyjourneyed into unknown territory. How pleasedthey must have been on meeting Chief Nica-rao! With generosity that continues to be ahallmark of Nicaraguan culture, the peoplewelcomed the Spanish and gave them gifts,including a large amount of gold.

Nicarao wanted answers to questions hehad long thought about. Other questions cameup as a result of the visit of the Spaniards.Chroniclers report that he asked Captain Gon-z

ález the following:

Have you heard of a great flood that de-stroyed all men and animals? Will God floodthe earth again? What happens after death?How do the sun, the moon, and the starsmove? How are they suspended in the sky?How far away are they? When will the sun, themoon, and the stars cease to shine? Wheredoes the wind come from? What causes heatand cold, light and dark? Why do the daysvary in length throughout the year?

Clearly, Nicarao was eager to know aboutthe natural world around him. His questionsindicate much about his religious beliefs.They reveal that he had interests and con-cerns similar to those many people have to-day. And the fact that Nicarao and his peopleknew about a great flood reminds us of whatthe Bible relates.—Genesis 7:17-19.

Even though Nicarao’s culture was steepedin spiritism and ritual human sacrifice, hewas concerned about the conduct and way oflife of his people. His questions bear witnessto the operation of conscience. In this regard,the apostle Paul wrote: “Their conscience isbearing witness with them and, between theirown thoughts, they are being accused or evenexcused.”—Romans 2:14, 15.

Today, a statue of Chief Nicarao stands asa memorial near the place where he is sup-posed to have first met the Spanish explor-ers. His inquiring mind, which moved him tothink deeply about life and the world aroundhim, may well serve as an example for us.—Romans 1:20.

An Inquiring MindThat History Remembers

Nicaragua

ATLANTIC OCEAN

SOUTH AMERICA

MANY celebrations were held in Englandthis year to commemorate the 400th

anniversary of the King James version of theBible, otherwise known as the Authorized Ver-sion. These included special TV and radiodocumentaries, as well as conferences, lec-tures, and seminars.

Prince Charles took a lead in celebratingthe national treasure that bears the nameof King James I of England. How, though,did the King James Version, published inMay 1611, attain a unique place in the heartsof English-speaking people?

Translation Gains Momentum

By the middle of the 16th century, a long-ing for knowledge of the teachings of the Bi-ble had begun to sweep across Europe. Near-ly two centuries earlier, about 1380, JohnWycliffe had whetted the appetite of English-speaking people with a translation of the Bi-ble from Latin. In the following two centu-ries, his followers, the Lollards, circulatedhandwritten Bible texts countrywide.

Bible scholar William Tyndale’s New Testa-ment was another milestone. It was translatedfrom the original Greek into English by 1525.

Shortly afterward, in 1535, Miles Coverdaleproduced his complete English Bible. A yearbefore that, Henry VIII broke relations withRome and also made a strategic move. Tostrengthen his position as head of the Churchof England, Henry VIII authorized a transla-tion of the Bible into English. It is known asthe Great Bible. Printed in 1539, it was a largevolume in heavy Gothic type.

Puritans and other Protestant exiles fromall over Europe settled in Geneva, Switzer-land. In 1560 the Geneva Bible, the first En-glish Bible in easy-to-read type, was pro-duced, with chapters divided into verses. Itwas imported to England from continentalEurope and quickly became popular. Eventu-ally, in 1576, the Geneva Bible was also printedin England. Maps and marginal notes helpedclarify its text. But some of its readers wereirritated by its notes because these spokeagainst the papacy.

Meeting a Challenge

Because the Great Bible failed to gain gen-eral acceptance and the Geneva Bible con-tained contentious footnotes, a revised Bi-ble was decided upon. The Great Bible was

TheKing JamesVersion

How It Became Popular

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chosen as its basis. The task was entrustedto Church of England bishops, and in 1568the Bishops’ Bible was published. This was alarge volume, replete with many engravings.But Calvinists, who repudiated religious ti-tles, took exception to the word “bishops.” Sothe Bishops’ Bible was not generally acceptedin England.

King James I, after ascending the Englishthrone in 1603,� endorsed the making of afresh Bible translation. He stipulated that itshould commend itself to all by omitting anyoffensive notes or comments.

King James promoted the project. Eventu-ally, 47 scholars in six separate groups acrossthe country prepared sections of the text.Making use of the work of both Tyndale andCoverdale, these Bible scholars basically re-vised the Bishops’ Bible. However, they alsodrew from the Geneva Bible and the RomanCatholic Rheims New Testament of 1582.

James himself was a respected Bible schol-ar, and the translation’s dedication to “the� James was born in 1566 and was crowned in 1567 as

James VI of Scotland. When he was crowned King James I ofEngland in 1603, he became the ruler of both countries. In1604, he took the title “King of Great Britain.”

most high and mighty prince, James” ac-knowledged his initiative. As head of theChurch of England, James was seen to be ex-erting his authority to bring the nation to-gether.

A Literary Masterpiece

The clergy were pleased to receive from thehand of their king a Bible “appointed to beread in Churches.” However, the question re-mained, How would the nation receive thisnew Bible translation?

The translators, in their original extendedpreface, revealed their apprehensions as towhether this new translation would be accept-ed. However, the King James Version faredwell, even though it took some 30 years for itto supplant the Geneva Bible in the affectionsof the people.

“By that time,” says The Bible and theAnglo-Saxon People, “it was the AuthorizedVersion, though its only authorization hadbeen its own excellence.” The Cambridge His-tory of the Bible concludes: “Its text acquireda sanctity properly ascribable only to theunmediated voice of God; to multitudes ofEnglish-speaking Christians it has seemed

THE AMERICANSTANDARDVERSION

In 1901 the AmericanStandard Version was pub-lished. It was based on thetext of the King James Version.Its preface states: “We are notinsensible to the justly laudedbeauty and vigor of the styleof the Authorized [King James]Version.” Yet, the AmericanStandard Version made asignificant adjustment.

The preface explains this:“The American Revisers,after a careful consideration,were brought to the unani-mous conviction that aJewish superstition, whichregarded the Divine Nameas too sacred to be uttered,ought no longer to dominatein the English or any otherversion of the Old Testament,as it fortunately does notin the numerous versionsmade by modern missionar-ies.”

It is not that the divinename, Jehovah, does not ap-pear at all in the King JamesVersion. It does appear infour places, namely Exodus6:3; Psalm 83:18; Isaiah12:2; and Isaiah 26:4. TheAmerican Standard Versionof 1901, however, restoredthe name to some 7,000 of itsrightful places in the Bible.

1901


little less than blasphemy to tamper with thewords of the King James Version.”

To the Ends of the Earth

The early settlers from England who land-ed in North America brought with them theGeneva Bible. Later, however, the King JamesVersion gained greater acceptance in Ameri-ca. As the British Empire expanded through-out the world, Protestant missionaries spreadits use. Since many who translated the Bibleinto local languages were unfamiliar with Bib-lical Hebrew and Greek, the King James Ver-sion in English became the basis for these lo-cal translations.

Today, according to the British Library,“The King James, or Authorised, Version ofthe Bible remains the most widely publishedtext in the English language.” Some estimatesput the number of copies of the King JamesVersion produced in print worldwide at overone billion!

Time for Change

Over the centuries, many have believedthat the King James Version is the only “true”Bible. In 1870, work on a full revision of itstarted in England. Later a minor American

revision of the resulting English Revised Ver-sion was published as the American StandardVersion.� In a more recent revision, in 1982,the preface to the Revised Authorised Versionsays that effort was made “to maintain thatlyrical quality which is so highly regarded inthe Authorised Version” of 1611.

Although the Bible remains the world’sbest seller—and the King James Versionis the most popular one—Professor Rich-ard G. Moulton observed: “We have done al-most everything that is possible with theseHebrew and Greek writings. . . . We havetranslated them [and] revised the translations. . . There is yet one thing left to do with theBible: simply to read it.”

Without question, the King James Version isa literary masterpiece, appreciated and valuedfor its unparalleled beauty of expression. Butwhat about the importance of its message?The Bible’s inspired writings reveal the last-ing remedy for the problems of our criticaltimes. No matter which version or translationyou choose to use, Jehovah’s Witnesses will behappy to help you in your study of the Bible.� See the accompanying box “The American Standard

Version.”

MEETING ASPECIAL NEED

In 1907 a Bible Students Edition ofthe King James Version was publishedin the United States of America for theWatch Tower Bible and Tract Society.It included an extensive appendix calledthe “Berean Bible Teachers’ Manual.”Later, Jehovah’s Witnesses printed theKing James Version on their ownpresses. By 1992 the Witnesses hadproduced 1,858,368 copies.

A VALUABLE MODERNTRANSLATION

In the past half century, many Bible trans-lations (some of them printed in numerouslanguages) have been provided. Consideredespecially valuable by many is the New WorldTranslation of the Holy Scriptures. More than170 million copies have been distributed,in whole or in part, in 100 languages. Themaps, alphabetical index, and appendix inits Reference Edition have helped readersto understand more clearly theBible’s message for our day.

1907 1961


MOST young people love getting together,and there’s nothing wrong with that. So-

cial events are even mentioned favorably in theBible.

Did you know?˘ Job’s sons held family gatherings.—Job 1:4.˘ Jesus attended a sizable wedding celebra-

tion.—John 2:1-11.˘ Christians in the first century socialized in

private homes.—Acts 2:46, 47.There’s no denying that getting together with

friends is fun. Sadly, however, some gatheringsare anything but refreshing.

YOUNGPEOPLEASK

What makes a social eventreally fun?

Below, put a O next to the activity thatyou look forward to most at a social event.M eating

M dancing

M playing games

M making new friends

M connecting with old friends

M other � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �

TRUE STORY “I was invited to a partywith an open invitation, meaning anyone couldcome, and it was to be held at the house of aboy whose parents were out of town. I decidednot to go, and I’m glad! The next day, I heard thatthere was alcohol everywhere and that somepeople got intoxicated. Three boys even passedout. Also, a fight broke out, and the police hadto come and shut down the party.”—Janelle.

LESSON Don’t leave things upto chance! Whether you’re organizingan event or you’ve been invited to one,be sure you know the answers to thequestions on the following pages. Thatway you’ll be much more likely to havegreat memories—and no regrets—oncethe party is over.

YOU’RE

INVITED!

˘ Who will be there,and how large will thegathering be?

“I think you should invite peopleyou actually know and you shouldnot make it an open invitation or tellthose who are coming to bring afriend.”—Renee.

“If the number of invitations isn’tmonitored, a social event can getway out of hand. You invite 20 peo-ple, but then those 20 people inviteanother 10 people, and those 10people invite more people . . . I’veseen it happen!”—Colette.

“Big social events are prone to getout of hand. I think it’s smarter to bewith small groups of people.”—Alexis.

“He that is walking withwise persons will becomewise, but he that is havingdealings with the stupidones will fare badly.”—PROVERBS 13:20

˘ What is likely to happen there?“If it’s your party and bad things happen,

it makes you look bad.”—Bridget.

“With proper precautions, a social gatheringcan be enjoyable for everyone. It all dependson the use of foresight.”—Seth.

“I have a friend who told methat he doesn’t invite me to his gatheringsbecause he knows my parents are goingto ask him questions, such as, Who is goingto be there? and How long will it last? Hesays he doesn’t like being monitored that way.That’s a big warning sign! If he doesn’t feelcomfortable with questions, I don’t think hisgatherings are the kind I want to attend!”—Ellen.

“Whether you are eatingor drinking or doinganything else, do allthings for God’s glory.”—1 CORINTHIANS 10:31

“There are peoplewho are good associ-ates, and there arethose who enjoy living‘on the edge.’ The secret toa good social event is to beselective in your choice ofguests.

”Nicole

SUCCESS STORIES“When my friend had a gathering, her

mom knew where everyone was. Evenwhen I went to the car to grab a jacket,she asked where I was going. Was sheovercautious? Maybe. But I wasn’t of-fended because I realize it’s better to besafe than sorry.”—Kim.

“I’ve been to good events, and I thinkthe reason why they were a success isthat there was a variety of age groupsthere. Plus, the people giving the gather-ing had fun activities planned, so nobodywas left to wander off and do his ownthing.”—Andrea.


“I’ve been to success-ful organized gatheringswhere rules were enforcedso that potential problemswould be avoided. Thatmade those events stressfree and much more enjoy-able.

”Andrew

WHY NOT ASKYOUR PARENTS?

Find out what kind of gath-erings your parents enjoyedwhen they were your age.What, if anything, wouldthey do differently with regardto the social events thatthey organized or attended?

PLANNING A GATHERING?Talk to your parents

about it, and think carefullyabout . . .

1. Who will be invited

2. How many will attend

3. Where the gathering willtake place

4. What type of supervisionthere will be

5. What activities are planned

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

˘ What will you do if the event makesyou feel uncomfortable?

“I have an escape plan. When I go to a gath-ering, I always call my parents anyway to tell themwhat time I’ll be home. When I do that, they askme if everything is OK. If I say no, that’s their cue toremind me of all the chores I need to do. After I getoff the phone, I tell my friends that my parents wantme home early and that I have to leave.”—Therese.

“At one gathering, two boys whoweren’t invited walked in, and one of them wasknown to be connected with drugs. It was reallyhard for me to make the decision, but I calledmy dad and asked him to come and get me.”—Mary.

“Sensible people will seetrouble coming and avoid it,but an unthinking person willwalk right into it and regretit later.”—PROVERBS 22:3, TODAY’SENGLISH VERSION

˘ What kind of supervisionwill there be?

“If mature people are there tomake sure everything goes well, thegathering will most likely be a suc-cess.”—Mark.

“I used to be embarrassed to havemy parents at a gathering. But nowI realize that they’re there to makesure things don’t get out of hand.Just because your parents are theredoesn’t mean you can’t have a goodtime.”—Laura.

“Hold a goodconscience.”—1 PETER 3:16


Pope No Longer an Organ DonorWhile Joseph Ratzinger was a cardinal of the Ro-

man Catholic Church, he was an organ donor, says theItalian newspaper La Repubblica. Yet, since being elect-ed pope, Benedict XVI is no longer an organ donor.Why not? “The body of a Pontiff belongs to the en-tire Church,” explains archbishop Zygmunt Zimowski,a member of the Vatican hierarchy. “It is therefore un-derstandable that when a pope dies his body be pre-served intact, since it is possible that in the future it willbe venerated.”

Life in Exchange for Money?Would people be willing to trade a year of their life

for a million euros? In Germany more than 1 in 4 menand 1 in 6 women would do so, says a survey conduct-ed by the polling institute Emnid on behalf of Read-er’s Digest Deutschland. The younger the people polled,the more inclined they would be to accept such a deal—29 percent of the 14- to 29-year-olds and 25 percent ofthose aged 30 to 39 would make the exchange. The old-er people get, however, the more precious they consid-er life to be. Only 13 percent of the 50- to 59-year-oldsand 11 percent of those over 60 years of age could imag-ine selling a year of their life.

WATCHING THE WORLD

Swab tests reveal that thenumeric keypads of city centercash machines [ATMs]around England are contami-nated with as much potentiallyharmful bacteria as the seatsof public toilets.—THE TELEGRAPH,

BRITAIN.

“Sometimes, scientists areblindsided by earthquakes[such as those in New Zealandthis year and Haiti last year]because they occur alongundiscovered faults. . . .That raises a worrisome ques-tion: How many major quakesare lurking in underestimatedor unknown faults?”—THE NEW

YORK TIMES, U.S.A.

“The world’s four richest citi-zens . . . control morewealth than the world’spoorest 57 countries.”—FOREIGN POLICY, January/

February 2011, U.S.A.

The owners of 90 percent ofPolish businesses report thatthey have been the victimsof theft or deception bytheir employees within the lasttwo years.—GAZETA PRACA, POLAND.

A Catholic churchin Brazil now finesbrides $300 (U.S.)if they arrivelate for theirwedding. Coupleshave to write acheck before theceremony, and itis returned only ifthey arrive on time.—G1, BRAZIL.

!"#2

Is Religion a Forcefor Peace?

!"#2

The TruthAbout the

Occult

!"#2

FIVE KEYS TO

BETTER HEALTH

!"#2

Coping With theLoss of a Loved One

!"#2

HUMAN LIFEA PRECIOUS GIFT

!"#2

TERRORISMWhy does it happen?When will it end?

!"#2

Life WithoutSuffering

When?

!"#2

MUSICHow does itaffect you?

!"#2

HOW TOMANAGEMONEY

!"#2

Howto Raise

ResponsibleChildren

S P E C I A L I S S U E

!"#2

IS BELIEF INA CREATORREASONABLE?

!"#2

THE BOOKTHAT COULD NOTBE DESTROYED

ANIMALS AND PLANTSBeauty and Grace (Arabian horse), 4/11Bird’s-Eye View of Fishing, 9/11Cork, 7/11Honey Ants, 5/11ECONOMICS AND EMPLOYMENTHow to Manage Money, 9/11FOR FAMILY REVIEW1/11, 2/11, 3/11, 4/11, 5/11, 6/11, 7/11, 8/11,

9/11, 10/11, 11/11, 12/11HEALTH AND MEDICINEBreast Cancer, 8/11Child Has Cancer, 5/11Child With Down Syndrome, 6/11Dengue, 11/11Five Keys to Better Health, 3/11Hospice Care, 7/11Migraine, 1/11Safety Tips for Elderly, 2/11Sleep, 1/11Wisdom for Heart, Health, 8/11HUMAN RELATIONSCoping With Loss of Loved One, 4/11Raise Responsible Children, 10/11Raising Child With Down Syndrome, 6/11JEHOVAH’S WITNESSESBook Learn From the Great Teacher, 12/11“Couldn’t Put It Down!” (Young People

Ask book, Volume 2), 4/11“Let God’s Kingdom Come!”

District Conventions, 5/11“Write to Anton!” (Russia), 9/11LANDS AND PEOPLES2011 Japan Tsunami, 12/11Domesday Book (England), 9/11Honey Ants (Australia), 5/11Ibn Battuta Reveals His World, 8/11

Inquiring Mind (Nicarao of Nicaragua), 12/11In Search of Gold, Found Home (Australia),

2/11John Foxe, Turbulent Times (England), 11/11Land of Watchtowers—Svaneti (Georgia), 6/11Mexico’s Liquid Ambassador (tequila), 11/11Miniature Mansions of Istanbul (Turkey), 1/11Murchison Falls (Uganda), 9/11Russian Wood Painting, 9/11Sounds of Music in Ancient Israel, 3/11Tatars, 9/11Tingatinga Art (Tanzania), 11/11Walk Along Slave Route (Benin), 5/11Welsh Shepherds, 7/11LIFE STORIESAnswer to Injustice (U. Menne), 11/11Changed My Violent Ways (J. Nebrera), 4/11Happy to Be Shepherd (A. Bekmanov), 3/11Most Rewarding Life (H. Neuhardt), 2/11Nazis Could Not Change Me (H. Liska), 8/11Something More Precious Than Life Now

(M. Ibatullin), 6/11

MISCELLANEOUSCar Accidents, 7/11Childbirth, 1/11Have Realistic Goals? 2/11In Grandfather’s Time (clocks), 1/11Life Without Suffering, 7/11Lips “Precious Vessels”? 5/11Music, 8/11Occult, 2/11Weather Can Change History, 6/11

RELIGIONBelief in Creator Reasonable? 11/11Book That Could Not Be Destroyed (Bible),

12/11Book You Can Trust (Bible), 1/11, 2/11, 3/11,

4/11, 5/11

Christmas Tree, 12/11Force for Peace? 1/11“I Did Not Die,” 9/11Jean Crespin’s Book of Martyrs, 3/11King James Version, 12/11

SCIENCEHuman Life—Precious Gift, 5/11Was It Designed? 1/11, 2/11, 3/11, 4/11, 5/11,

6/11, 8/11, 9/11, 11/11

THE BIBLE’S VIEWPOINTBible Condone Slavery? 7/11Faith and Reason Compatible? 1/11God Care About Animals? 12/11God Omnipresent? 4/11God Support Wars Today? 8/11How to Make Marriage Succeed, 11/11Science and Bible Compatible? 2/11Self-Inflicted Pain, 3/11Weekly Holy Day Required? 9/11What Is Parent’s Goal? 10/11Why Jesus’ True Followers Hated? 5/11Why Your Speech Matters, 6/11

WORLD AFFAIRS AND CONDITIONSClimate Summits, 11/11Terrorism, 6/11

YOUNG PEOPLE ASKAddicted to Electronic Media? 1/11Am I a Failure? 5/11How Make Good First Impression? 6/11Social Networking, 7/11, 8/11What Makes Social Event Fun? 12/11What Should I Know About Smoking? 3/11Where Do I Fit In? 4/11Where Find Good Entertainment? 11/11Who Am I? 10/11Who Are My True Friends? 9/11Why Won’t Parents Allow Fun? 2/11

SUBJECT INDEX FOR 2011 AWAKE!


FOR FAMILY REVIEW

What Is Different?Can you identify the three differences betweenpicture A and picture B? Write your answers onthe lines below, and complete the pictures bycoloring them. CLUE: Read Isaiah 6:1-8.

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

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

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

4. Which picture is correct, picture Aor picture B?

A. B.

˘ “FOR FAMILY REVIEW” answers on page 20

FOR DISCUSSION: What good attitude didIsaiah have? How can you show that you havea humble and willing spirit? CLUE: Read Psalm110:3; Matthew 28:19, 20.

FAMILY ACTIVITY: Have each family memberresearch facts about the role of the angels.Then come together and report what you havelearned. For example, what are some of theresponsibilities of the angels? CLUE: ReadPsalm 34:7; Hebrews 1:14; Revelation 14:6, 7.Are the angels organized? CLUE: Read Psalm103:19-21. Are angels humble and willing tohelp others? CLUE: Read Judges 13:17, 18;Luke 22:43; Revelation 22:8, 9.

To print out additional copies of “ForFamily Review,” go to www.jw.org

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PROFILE A faithful prophet, who madethe worship of God a family activity. Heset a good example for them by the wayhe carried out his ministry. His wife wascalled “the prophetess.” (Isaiah 7:3;8:3, 18) Isaiah served God for at least46 years. His name means “Salvationof Jehovah.”

QUESTIONS

A. Who went with Isaiah to delivera message to King Ahaz?

B. When Jehovah asked, “Whomshall I send?” how did Isaiah reply?

C. Isaiah foretold: “The earth willcertainly be filled . . . ”

ANSWERS

A. His son, Shear-jashub.—Isaiah 7:3.

B. “Here I am! Send me.”—Isaiah 6:8.

C. “. . . with the knowledge of Jehovah.”—Isaiah 11:9.

Peoples and Lands5. Our names are Abigail, aged 9, and Jeriah,aged 7. We live in India. About how many ofJehovah’s Witnesses live in India? Is it 31,500,59,600, or 86,000?

6. Which dot shows where we live? Circle it, drawa dot where you live, and see how close you areto India.

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

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˘ That is how a reader in Nebraska,U.S.A., described a book he had recentlyread. He wrote: “I am a 56-year-old singleman who just finished reading LearnFrom the Great Teacher. Right awayI began marveling at the ingenious blendof depth and simplicity of words that youbrought together through a pen of love.”He added: “The illustrations are nothingbut marvelous. I think if I were a dador grandpa, I would help my little onesspend as much time with the pictures aswith the text.”

A woman in Georgia, U.S.A., wroteregarding the same book: “My six-year-oldniece, Avery, took it to school to sharewith her first-grade class. After Averyshared a story with the class, her teacherwas so impressed that she arranged forAvery to read a story from the book everyday.” The aunt added, “What a greatwitness this has been for her classmatesand her teacher!”

You may request a copy of this256-page, beautifully illustrated book,which has the same page size as thismagazine. Simply fill in the accompanyingcoupon and mail it to an appropriateaddress listed on page 5 of this magazine.

‘A Blend of Depthand Simplicity’

Q Without obligation,I request a copy of thebook shown here.Indicate which language.��

Q Please contact meconcerning a free homeBible study.

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