Breaking Free From BULLYING

THE bully and the victim of bullying both need help.  The bully needs to learn to relate to others without abusing power. And the victim of bullying needs  some practical tools to cope with the problem.

Often, the bully does not know how to relate to others and fails to understand the feelings of those he intimidates. He needs to be monitored and taught to communicate properly.  The book Take Action Against Bullying says:  "Unless new behaviors are learned and adopted, bullies continue to bully throughout their lifetime.  They bully their mates, their children, and possibly their underlings in their place of business." 

Help Not to Bully

Training children early in  life to be empathetic can help prevent them from turning into bullies. Educators in some lands are working with a new style of education called empathy training. The objective is to teach students as young as five years old to understand the feelings of others and to treat people with kindness. While there is yet little statistical data on the long-term impact, early results suggest that those who have gone through the  training are less aggressive than those who have not.

As a parent, you should not leave such training entirely to some school program. If you do not want your child to become a bully, you need to teach him by word and example how to treat others with respect and dignity. What can assist you?  Likely, you have readily available an excellent but underappreciated source of training in this regard-God's Word, the Bible. How can it help? 

For one thing, it teaches clearly how God feels about bullying. He despises it! The Bible says of God: "Anyone loving violence His soul certainly hates." (Psalm 11:5)  Furthermore, God is not blind to what is going on.  The Bible records his feelings of regret or sorry, in connection with the Israelites when they suffered  "because of their oppressors and those who were shoving them around." (Judges 2:18) On  many occasions God punished those who abused their power and bullied the weak and defenseless. -Exodus 22:22-24. 

The Bible also contains what may be the most famous instruction ever given regarding how to show empathy. Jesus stated:  "All things, therefore, that you want men to do to you, you must also likewise do to them." (Matthew 7:12)  Teaching children that to embrace that Golden Rule-to love and live by it-is not easy; it takes a good example, persistence, and hard work, particularly since young children are naturally self-centered.  But all such effort is worthwhile. if your children want to learn to be kind and empathetic, they will find the very though of bullying repulsive. 

Next time: Breaking Free From BULLYING -Help for the Victims

From the Awake! magazine, 2003

BULLYING Some Causes and Effects

Bullying Is Costly

Workplace bullying is also costly for employers. A workplace bully could be an acid tongued boss or a scheming coworker and is as likely to be a woman as a man.  Such ones over-control, micromanage, and put others down with negative remarks and constant criticism, often humiliating their target in front of others.   Bullies rarely recognize their impoliteness or apologize for their behavior. They often victimize workers who are capable, loyal, and well liked by fellow employees.

Workers who experience bullying tent to work less efficiently . The productivity of coworkers who witness bullying is also affected . Bullying can lead workers to feel less loyal to their employer and less committed  to their work. One report claims  that bullies cost industry in the United Kingdom an estimated  three billion dollars each year. And it is said that such behavior is responsible for more than 30 percent of stress related illnesses.

Clearly, bullying has an impact on society worldwide.  The question is, Can anything be done to curb the problem and eliminate it? 

Next time: Breaking Free From BULLYING

From the Awake! magazine, 2003

BULLYING Some Causes and Effects

The Impact on the Family 

Workplace bullying affects domestic stability and tranquility. It can trigger an inexplicable urge for the target, or victim, to hurt loved ones at home. Furthermore, it can lead  a spouse or family member to fight the bully in a misguided show of support for the victim. On the other hand, a spouse may blame his or her victimized mate for bringing on the trouble. When such cases  of bullying drag on unresolved, even spouses who are otherwise supportive have been known to run out of patience. As years pass, the family may be more likely to disintegrate. 

In some instances bullying results in a loss of career and divorce, or even in suicide. Between one half and two thirds  of Australian victims of workplace bullying reported bad effects on their close relationships, such as those with their partner, spouse or family.

Next time: BULLYING Some Causes and Effects -Bullying Is Costly

From the Awake! magazine, 2003

BULLYING Some Causes and Effects

Conclusion of Physical and Emotional Effects

Dr.Ed Adlaf, a research scientist and professor of public health sciences at the University of Toronto, expresses concern that "those who are involved in bullying are much more likely to experience emotional difficulties  now and in the future."  During the 2001 school year, more than 225,000 Ontario students were surveyed, and between one  fourth and one third of them were involved in some form of bullying, either as a target or as a perpetrator. In the same group, 1 in 10 had seriously contemplated suicide.

Persistent bullying may erode a victim's self-confidence, induce serious health problems, and even ruin a career. Bullied individuals may experience headaches, sleeplessness, anxiety, and depression.  Some develop post traumatic stress disorder. Whereas physical attacks may bring on an outpouring of sympathetic support for the victim, emotional attacks may not elicit the same response. The damage is far less apparent. So instead of sympathizing, friends and family may tire of hearing the victim's complaints.  

Bullying also has bad effects on the bullies themselves. If not stopped in childhood, they will likely grow up to bully others in the workplace. In fact, some studies reveal that those who had been bullies as children developed behavior patterns that endured into adult life.  They were also more likely to have a criminal record than those who were not bullies.

Next time: BULLYING Some Causes and Effects - The Impact on the Family 

From the Awake! magazine, 2003

BULLYING Some Causes and Effects

Physical and Emotional Effects

A report from the National Association of School Psychologists in the United States says that every  day more than 160,000 children miss school because they fear being bullied. Targets of bullying may stop talking about school or about a particular class or activity at school. They may try to go to school late each day or miss classes or even make excuses to miss school entirely.

How might children who are being bullied be identified?  Well, they may become moody, irritable, frustrated, or act tired and withdrawn. They may become aggressive with those at home or with peers and friends.  Innocent bystanders who observe acts  of bullying also suffer consequences. The situation induces considerable fear in them, which detracts from their ability to learn.

However, the journal Pediatrics in Review says:  "The most extreme consequence of bullying for victims and society is violence, including suicide and murder. The sense of powerlessness experienced by children who are victimized can be so profound that some react with self-destructive acts or lethal retaliation."

Next time: BULLYING Some Causes and Effects - Conclusion of Physical and Emotional Effects

From the Awake! magazine, 2003

BULLYING Some Causes and Effects

Conclusion of What Gives Rise to Bullying?

Unfortunately, such methods often seem to work. Shelley Hymel, associate education dean at the University of British Columbia, Canada, has been studying child behavior for two decades. She says:  "We've got kids who are figuring out how to play the game and unfortunately, bullying works.  They get what they want-they get power, status and attention."

Another factor that helps bullying to thrive is a lack of supervision. Many victims feel that they have no place to turn-and the tragedy is that in most cases they are right. Debra Pepler, director of  LaMarsh Centre for Research  on Violence and Conflict Resolution at Toronto's York University, studied students in a school-yard situation and found that teachers, detect and stop only about 4 percent of bullying incidents.

Yet, Dr. Pepler believes that intervention is crucial.  She says:  "Children are incapable of solving the problem because it's about power, and each time a bully picks on someone, the bully's power is enforced."

So why aren't most cases of bullying reported? Because victims of bullying are convinced  that if they report the problem, it will only get worse. Thus, to some extent,  many young people spend their school years in a permanent state of anxiety and insecurity. What are the effects of living that way? 

Next time:  BULLYING Some Causes and Effects - Physical and Emotional Effects

From the Awake! magazine, 2003

BULLYING Some Causes and Effects

What Gives Rise to Bullying?

In many cases the bully's formative years are marred by poor parental example or by outright neglect. Many bullies come from homes where the parents are cold or uninvolved or have, in effect, taught their children to use rage and violence to handle problems. Children raised in such an environment.  may not see their own verbal attacks and physical aggression as bullying; they may even think that their behavior is normal and acceptable.

One 16-year-old girl who had been bullied at home by her stepfather and at school by fellow students says that she became a bully herself when in the seventh grade. She admits:  "Basically it was a lot of anger building up inside of me; I just picked on anybody and everybody. 

Feeling pain is a big thing. Once you feel the pain, you want to dish it out." While such physical aggression may not be typical of girl bullies, the anger behind it is. Many schools bring together large numbers of students from different backgrounds, who have reared in widely varying ways. Sadly, some children are aggressive because they have been taught at home that intimidating others and verbally abusing them are the best means of getting their own way.

Next time:  BULLYING Some Causes and Effects  - Conclusion of What Gives Rise to Bullying?

From the Awake! magazine, 2003

BULLYING Some Causes and Effects

WHAT causes a child to begin bullying others?  If you have ever been victimized by a bully, you may be tempted to say, "I don't care!  There's no excuse for that kind of behavior."  And you are probably right. But there is a big difference between a reason and an excuse. The reasons why a child becomes a bully do not excuse the wrong behavior, but they might help us understand it. And such insight can have real value. How so?

An ancient proverb says:  "The insight of a man certainly slows down his anger." (Proverbs 19:11)  Anger at the bully's conduct can blind us, filling us with frustration and even hatred.  But insight into his behavior  may help cool our anger. That, in turn, may allow us to see more  clearly as we search for solutions. So let's consider some factors that give rise to this unacceptable behavior.

Next time:  BULLYING Some Causes and Effects - What Gives Rise to Bullying?

From the Awake! magazine, 2003

Bullying a Global Problem

The Workplace

Bullying in the workplace is one of the fastest-growing causes for complaints involving workplace violence. In fact, some countries report that it is more common than racial discrimination or sexual harassment. Each year, about 1 person in 5 in the U.S. work force faces bullying.

In Britain a report released in 2000 by the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology said that out of 5,300 employees in 70 organizations 47 percent reported that they had witnessed incidents of bullying in the last five  years. A 1996 European Union survey based on 15,800 interviews in its 15 member states showed that 8 percent-some 12 million workers-had been subjected to intimidation or bullying. 

Whether in the school yard or workplace, all bullying seems to have a common trait-the use of power to hurt or humiliate another. Why, though, do some people bully others?  What are the effects? And what can be done about it? 

Next time: BULLYING  Some Causes and Effects

From the Awake! magazine, 2003

BULLYING A Global Problem

Bullying is Global

Bullying among school-age children occurs worldwide. A survey published in Pediatrics in Review reveals that in Norway, 14 percent of children are either bullies or victims. In Japan, 15 percent of primary school pupils say that they are bullied, while in Australia and Spain, the problem prevails among 17 percent of students. In Britain one expert figures that 1.3 million children are involved in bullying.

Professor Amos Rolider of Emek Yizre'el College surveyed 2, 972 pupils in 21 schools. According to The Jerusalem Post, the professor found that "65% complained of being smacked, kicked, pushed or molested by fellow pupils." 

A new and insidious development is digital bullying-the sending of menacing text messages via cell phones and computers. Youths also create hate-filled Web pages about a victim, including personal information. According to Dr. Wendy Craig of Queen's University in Canada, this form of bullying is "extraordinarily damaging to the child who is being victimized by it." 

Next time: BULLYING A Global Problem - The Workplace

From the Awake!  magazine, 2003

BULLYING What Can You Do About It?

"If you come to school tomorrow, we'll kill you." -A Canadian student named Kristen received that telephone threat from unidentified female caller.

"I am not an emotional person, but I got to the point of not wanting to go to school. My stomach hurt, and every morning after breakfast, I threw up."-Hiromi,  a teenage student in Japan, recalls her experience with bullying. 



BULLYING A Global Problem

HAVE you ever had  to deal with a bully?  Most of us have at one time or another. It may have been at school or in the workplace, or it many have occurred right at home-where such abuse of power is played out with alarming frequency these days.  A British source, for instance, estimates that 53 percent of adults are verbally bullied by a spouse or a live-in partner. Bullies and their victims may be of either gender and from any walk of life in any part of the world.

What exactly constitutes bullying?  It is not quite the same as harassment or assault. It tends to involve many small incidents that accumulate over time rather than a singles incident or a few of them.  Psychologist Dan Olweus, a pioneer  in the systematic study of bullying, identifies common elements of this behavior, such as deliberate aggressiveness and a marked inequality in terms of power.

Perhaps no single definition covers all aspects of bullying, but it has been called  "a willful, conscious desire to hurt another and put him/her under stress."  The stress is created not only by what actually happens but also by fear of what might happen. Tactics may include harsh teasing, constant criticism, insults, gossip, and unreasonable demands. 

Kristen, the teenager mentioned at the outset, was singled out by bullies during most of her school years. In elementary school, bullies put gum in her hair, teased her about her appearance, and threatened to beat her up.  In high school, things got even worse-to the point that she received threats over the telephone. Now 18, she laments:  "School is a place where you are suppose to learn, not get death threats and get thrown around."

One mental-health professional comments:  "It's a sad but common aspect of human dynamics. Some people feel better diminishing someone else." When such behavior escalates, it may lead to violent retaliation and even tragedy.   For example, a transit employee who had a speech impediment was teased and bullied so much that he finally killed four of his coworkers and then shot himself. 

Types of Bullies

*Physical Bullies: These are the easiest to identify.  They act their anger by hitting, shoving, or kicking their chosen target-or by damaging their victim's property. 

*Verbal Bullies: They use words to hurt and humiliate their target, through either name-calling, insults, or persistent, harsh teasing. 

*Relationship Bullies: They spread nasty rumors about their target. This behavior is  predominately adopted by female bullies.

*Reactive Victims:  These are victims of bullying who turn into bullies themselves. Of course, their having been victims of bullying does not excuse their conduct; it only helps to explain it.

Source: Take Action Against Bullying, by Gesele Lajole, Alyson McLellan, and Cindi Seddon.  

Next time: Bullying A Global Problem - Bullying is Global

From the Awake! magazine, 2003 

Are You DIsappointed in God?

OVERCOMING DISAPPOINTMENT

Some 17 years after his accident, Sidnei, mentioned at the outset of this article, said:  "I never blamed Jehovah God for the accident, but I have to admit that at first I was disappointed in him. There are days when I really feel down, and I cry when I think about my physical disability. However, from the Bible I have come to understand that the accident was not a punishment from God. As the Bible says, 'time and unexpected events  overtake us all.'  Praying to Jehovah as well as reading specific scriptures has made me stronger spiritually and kept my spirits up." -Ecclesiastes 9:11; Psalm 145:18; 2 Corinthians 4:8, 9, 16. 

Keeping in mind the reasons why God has permitted suffering and how its effects will soon be undone helps us to overcome any feeling of disappointment in God that we may have.  We are assured that God is "the rewarder of those earnestly seeking him."  No one who rests his faith on him and his Son will be disappointed. -Hebrews 11:6; Romans 10:11. 

Next time: BULLYING What Can Your Do About It? - BULLYING A Global Problem 

From the Watchtower magazine, 2015 

Are You Disappointed in God?

WHY IS THERE SUFFERING?

To understand why there is suffering, we should go back to the time when it started. Induced by a rebellious angel, later called Satan the Devil, Adam and Eve rejected God's standards of right and wrong as represented by the command for them to refrain from eating of  "the tree of the knowledge of good and bad."  The Devil told Eve that they would not die if they disobeyed God, thus accusing God of being a liar. Satan also accused God of withholding from his subjects the right to determine good and bad.  (Genesis 2:17; 3:1-6) Satan implied that mankind would be better off without God's rulership. All of this raised an issue of vital importance-Was God fit to rule? 

The Devil raised yet another issue. He accused humans of serving God with selfish motives. About faithful Job, the Devil said to God: "Have you not put up a protective hedge around him and his house and everything he has? .  . .But, for a change, stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face." (Job 1:10, 11)  Though Satan's words were about Job, the implication was that all humans have selfish motives for serving God.  

HOW GOD RESOLVES THE ISSUES

What would be the best way to resolve these fundamental issues once and for all?  God, who is all-wise, had the best solution-one that does not leave us feeling disappointed.  (Romans 11:33) He decided to allow humans to rule themselves for a time and let the results prove whose rulership is superior. 

The miserable conditions on earth today are clear evidence that human rulership utterly failed.  Not only have worldly governments failed to bring peace, security and happiness but they have also brought the earth to the brink of ruin.  This reinforces the fundamental truth stated in the Bible;  "It does not belong to man who is walking even to direct his step." (Jeremiah 10:23) Only God's way  of ruling can guarantee lasting peace, happiness, and prosperity to mankind, because that is God's purpose. -Isaiah 45:18. 

How then, will God bring the human condition in line with his purpose? Recall that Jesus taught his followers to pray:  "Let your Kingdom come. Let your will be done on earth as it is in heaven" (Matthew 6:10)  Yes, in due time God, through his Kingdom will remove all causes of suffering.  (Daniel 2: 44) Poverty, disease, and death will be things of the past. Regarding the poor, the Bible indicates that God "will rescue  the poor who cry for help." (Psalm 72:12-14) As for the sick, the Bible promises:  "No resident will say: 'I am sick.' " (Isaiah 33:24) Even concerning the dead ones who are in God's memory, Jesus said:  "The hour is coming in which all those in the memorial tombs will hear his voice and come out." (John 5:28, 29) What heartwarming promises!  

Next time: Are You Disappointed in God? -OVERCOMING DISAPPOINTMENT 

From the Watchtower magazine, 2015

Are You Disappointed in God?

DID GOD INTEND FOR PEOPLE TO SUFFER?

Regarding God, the Bible tells us:  "Perfect is his activity, for all his ways are justice.  A God of faithfulness who is never unjust; righteous and upright is he." (Deuteronomy 3:4) That being the case, is it consistent or even comprehensible that a God who is "righteous and upright" would intend for humans to suffer or that he would use calamities to punish or purify them? 

On the contrary, the Bible tells us:  "When under trial, let not one say: a"I am being tried by God.' For with evil things God cannot be tried, nor does he himself try anyone." (James 1:13)  In fact,  we learn from the Bible that God gave mankind a perfect start. He gave the first humans, Adam and Eve, a beautiful home, all of life's necessities, and meaningful work to do. God told them:  "Be fruitful and become many, fill the earth and subdue it."  (Note: But he also meant not to go crazy to fill it. Just enough to the point of being to afford it. Not to over populate it. Humans take things too far and too seriously at times)  Adam and Eve certainly had no reason to be disappointed in God. -Genesis 1:28. 

But today, living conditions are far from perfect. In fact, throughout history, mankind's plight has been severe. True to the description: "All creation keeps on groaning together and being in pain together until now." (Romans 8:22) What happened?  

Next time: Are You Disappointed in God? - WHY IS THERE SUFFERING?

From the Watchtower magazine, 2015

Are You Disappointed in God?

"WHY ME? Why did God permit this to happen to me?" Those are questions that disturbed 4-year-old Sidnei from Brazil. After an accident on a waterslide, he became permanently confined to a wheelchair. 

Suffering that results from accident, illness, death of a loved one, natural disaster, or war can easily make people feel disappointed in God. This is nothing new. The patriarch Job of ancient times was struck with  one calamity after another. Mistakenly, he blamed God, saying:  "I cry to you for help, but you do not answer me; I stand up, but you just look at me. You have cruelly turned against me; with the full  might of your hand, you assault me. -Job 30:20, 21. 

Job did not know the source of his troubles nor why they came upon  him or were permitted. Happily, the Bible enlightens us on the reason why such events occur as well as how we should react to them. 

Next time: Are You Disappointed in God?-DID GOD INTEND FOR PEOPLE TO SUFFER? 

From the Watchtower magazine, 2015

Bedell's Bible One Small Step to Better Bible Understanding

A SMALL YET SIGNIFICANT FORWARD STEP

Bedell's Bible did not receive worldwide acclaim. Still, it was one small yet significant step toward better Bible understanding, especially for people who spoke Irish-not only in Ireland buy also in Scotland and many other places.  they could now satisfy their spiritual  need as they read God's Word in their mother tongue. -Matthew 5:3, 6. 

Bedell's Bible has continued to help others of truth to do that right to modern times. One speaker of Irish, who in relatively recent times learned what the Bible really teaches, says: "When we read Bedell's Bible, we heard the words of the Bible in our mother tongue.  This was a crucial key that opened the way for me and my family to learn the wonderful truths found in the Scriptures." 

Bedell Remembered and Recognized

For nearly 300 years after the publication of Bedell's Bible in 1865, no other complete Bible  in Irish was published. Then, in 1981, Catholic scholars produced the Maynooth Bible,  a translation in modern Irish. In its foreword, the Maynooth Bible recognizes the "great achievement on the part of the church of Ireland when they published their version of the Bible in the 17th century."  That, of course, was Bedell's translation, although, in fact, until very recently the Catholic Church prohibited Catholics from reading the Bedell Bible.

The scholars who produced the Maynooth Bible published some of their preparatory work in 1 971. One part of this was the Pentatuc (Pentateuch), the first five books of the Bible, in recognition of the pioneering work that Bedell had done, those Catholic scholars included the note "in memory of William Bedell" inside its cover page. 

The Translators of the Pentatuc used the Irish term "lave" for God's name in many of the places where it appears in the Hebrew Scriptures, represented by the Tetragrammaton or YHWh. Examples can be found at Exodus 6:2-13. Sadly, when the complete Maynooth Bible was eventually published the editors-unlike Bedell-decided to remove the divine name completely from their translation and substitute "an Tiarna" (the Lord) in its place.  

Next time: Are You Disappointed in God?

From the Watchtower magazine, 2015 

Bedell's Bible One Small Step to Better Bible Understanding

FINALLY PUBLISHED

Bedell completed his project about 1640.  But he could immediately publish it. Why?  For one thing, he still faced unrelenting opposition. Detractors vilified Bedell's chief translator, hoping thus to discredit his work.  They even maliciously  had him arrested and imprisoned . As if that were not enough, Bedell found himself in the middle of a bloody and bitter anti-English rebellion, which broke out in 1641. Local Irish people protected Bedell for a time despite his English origins because they recognized his genuine concern for them. Eventually, however, rebel soldiers imprisoned him in very poor conditions. No doubt this hastened his death in 1642. He never saw his work published.

Bedell's work almost perished completely when his home was ransacked and destroyed. Thankfully a close friend managed to rescue all his translated documents.  In time Narcissus Marsh, who later became the archbishop of Armagh and the primate church of Ireland, got hold of them. He received financial support from scientist Robert Boyle and courageously  published Bedell's Bible in 1685.  

Next time: Bedell's Bible One Small Step to Better Bible Understanding -  A SMALL  YET SIGNIFICANT FORWARD STEP

From the Watchtower magazine, 2015

Bedell's Bible One Small Step to Better Bible Understanding

BEDELL'S BIBLE PROJECT

Bedell was not deterred by such dictatorial views.  Early  int he 1630's, he started translating the recently published English-language Bible (the King James Version of 1611)  into Irish.  He wanted to produce a Bible that was understandable to as many people as possible. He felt strongly that the poor people could not search the Scriptures to find the way to everlasting life as long as the Bible remained a sealed book to them. -John 17:3.  

Bedell was not the first to see this. Some 30 years earlier, another bishop, William Daniel, had seen how difficult it was for anyone  to learn what the Bible taught when it came, as he put it, "in the cloud of an unknown tongue."  Daniel had translated the Christian Greek Scriptures into Irish. Bedell now took  on the task of translating the Hebrew Scriptures. What is known as the Bedell's Bible includes both his work and William Daniel's earlier work. As things turned out, Bedell's Bible-the first complete Bible in Irish-was the only translation of the Bible into Irish for the next 300 years.

Bedell, a qualified Hebrew scholar, enlisted two native speakers of Irish to help with the translation from English to Irish. As they progressed with their work, Bedell, along with one or two trusted helpers, painstakingly checked and rechecked each verse.  For reference, the consulted an Italian translation made by Swiss theologian Giovanni Diodati,  as well as the Greek Septuagint ans a precious old Hebrew Bible manuscript. 

The team followed  the lead of the translators of the King James Version (many of whom Bedell would have know personally) and included God's personal name in a number of places in their Bible. For example, at Exodus 6:3, they rendered God's name "Jehovah." Bedell's original manuscript is preserved in Marsh's Library, Dublin, Ireland.   

Next time: Bedell's Bible One Small Step to Better Bible Understanding - FINALLY PUBLISHED 

From the Watchtower magazine, 2015

Bedell's Bible-One Small Step to Better Bible Understanding

WHEN English cleric William Bedell went to Ireland in 1627, he found a very puzzling situation, Ireland, a predominately Catholic country, was ruled by Protestant Britain. Protestant Reformers had already translate the Bible into local languages all over Europe.  Yet, no one seemed interested in translating it into Irish.

Bedell felt strongly that the Irish people "ought  not to be neglected till they can learn English."  He set out to produce a  Bible in the Irish language. But he met bitter opposition, particularly from Protestant sources.Why was that?  

OPPOSITION OF THE USE OF IRISH

Bedell made it his business to learn Irish himself. He encouraged students to use Irish when he became provost, or head, of Trinity College in Dublin and when he later became the bishop of Kilmore. As a matter of fact, when Queen Elizabeth I of England founded Trinity College, she did so to product ministers who could teach her subjects the Bible's in their mother tongue. Bedell tried to make that happen.

In the Kilmore diocese, by far the majority of people spoke Irish. So Bedell insisted on having ministers who could speak Irish. He made his appeal in the spirit of the apostle Paul's words at 1 Corinthians 14:19, which says: "In a large congregation I would rather speak five words with my mind, that I might also instruct others, than ten thousands words in a  tongue," that is, in a language little understood. 

But influential authority figures made every effort to stop him. According to historians, some asserted that the use of Irish was "dangerous to the State" and other suggested   that it was against the interests of the Government."  Some felt that it was in the interests of England  to keep the  Irish in ignorance.In fact, laws were enacted that required the Irish to abandon their own language  and customs and to learn English and follow English ways and manners.  

Next time: Bedell's Bible/One Small Step to Better Bible Understanding - BEDELL'S BIBLE PROJECT

From the Watchtower magazine, 2015

TRUE STORY/Finding Something Better Than Glamour-AS TOLD BY MINA HUNG GODENZI

THE JOY OF HELPING OTHERS

In 2009, Cheri's whole situation in life changed. She decided to withdraw from the movie industry in order to serve Jehovah fully.  She made many new friends in the Christian congregation. She became a full-time preacher of the good news of the Kingdom and really enjoyed helping people find a better way of life. -Matthew 24:14. 

Then Cheri decided to learn Nepalese to support the growing group f Nepalese-speaking Witnesses in Hong Kong. I should explain that most Nepalese people in Hong Kong tend to be ignored or even despised  because they speak little English or Chinese and because their customs are different.  Cheri told me how much she enjoyed helping these people to understand the Bible.  For example, when calling from house to house one day, she met a Nepalese women who knew a little about Jesus, but nothing about the true God, Jehovah.  Cheri used the Bible to show her that Jesus prayed to his Father in heaven. When the woman realized that she could pray to the true God, whose name is Jehovah, she opened her heart to accept the good news. Soon her husband and daughter were also studying the Bible. -Psalm 83:18; Luke 22:41, 42. 

When I saw how much Cheri enjoyed preaching full-time, I asked myself, 'What prevents me from doing what she is doing?' By  this time, I too was living in Hong Kong again. I decided to reorganize my  life to share more fully in teaching Bible truth. I have found that listening to people and helping them to understand God's Word makes me genuinely happy. 

For instance, i have been able to study the Bible with a Vietnamese woman who was always sad and often had tears in her eyes. Now she has a joyful outlook on life and really enjoys associating with the congregation.  

Both Cheri and I found something far better than glamour. Although being in the movie industry was exciting and brought us fame, teaching people about Jehovah God is more satisfying because it brings glory to him. We have certainly experienced the truth of Jesus' words:  "There is more happiness in giving than there is in receiving.." -Acts 20:35.

Next time;  Bedell's Bible/One Small Step to Better Bible Understanding

From the Watchtower magazine, 2015 

TRUE STORY/ Finding Something Better Than Glamour -AS TOLD BY MINA HUNG GODENZI

SOMETHING BETTER THAN GLAMOUR

In 1997, my husband and I moved to Hollywood, California, U.S.A. There I became more involve in helping people to benefit from the wisdom of God's Word. Teaching the Bible has given me more satisfaction  than all the glamour of acting and starring in movies.  For example, in 2002, I met up with Cheri, an old acquaintance from Hong Kong. In many ways our experiences in life had been similar. She had been Miss Hong Kong the year before I was. In fact, when I won the title, she was the one who crowned me. She also became a movie actor and later a producer, working with famous directors. She too moved to Hollywood.

My heart went out to Cheri when I learned that she had lost her fiancee to a sudden heart attack.  She could find no consolation from her Buddhist religion. Like  me, she had achieved a glamours life that others envy, yet she was sad and unable to trust anyone. I began sharing with her what I had learned from the Bible, but her Buddhist background made it difficult for you to appreciate it. 

One day in 2003, Cheri called me from Vancouver, Canada, where she was making a film. Excitedly, she told me that she had been driving and admiring the countryside when suddenly  she started to pray out loud:  "Tell me, Who is the true God? What is your  name?" At that moment, she drove by a Kingdom Hall and saw the name Jehovah.  That, she felt, was a reply from God, and she wanted to meet with Jehovah's Witnesses as soon as possible.  I made arrangements,and within a few days, she was at the meeting of a Chinese language  congregation in Vancouver.  

"These people are genuinely interested in me," Cheri told me later. "I can tell them how I feel." I was very pleased to hear that, because Cheri was in the movie business, she never made friends.  Cheri continued attending the meetings.  But in 2005, she signed a contract to product two epic films in China,making it necessary for her to return to Hong Kong. Happily in 2006, Cheri dedicated her life to Jehovah and was baptized  at a Witness assembly in Hong Kong. Although she wanted to serve Jehovah more fully, her work in the movie business made things very difficult for her, and she was very unhappy. 

Next time: TRUE STORY/Finding Something Better Than Glamour - AS TOLD BY MINA HUNG GODENZI - THE JOY OF HELPING OTHERS

From the Watchtower magazine, 2015

TRUE STORY/Finding Something Better Than Glamour-AS TOLD BY MINA HUNG GODENZI

REMEMBERING MY CHILDHOOD FAITH

I began to remember with fondness the faith that I had when I was a little girl. Back then, each Saturday my sister and I went to visit a family of Jehovah's Witnesses.  The father Joe McGrath, studied the Bible with us together with his three daughters.  Theirs was a warm and loving family, and "Uncle Joe" treated his wife and children with respect.  I also enjoyed going with them to their Christian meetings. Sometimes we went to big assemblies. Those were happy times.  I felt safe with the Witnesses.

In contrast, terrible things happened to me in my own home.  My father's way of life caused my mother a lot of grief, and she became deeply depressed. When I was about ten, Mother stopped associating with Jehovah's Witnesses. I continued halfheartedly and was baptized at age 17. But soon afterward, I became involved in unchristian conduct. 

I DECIDED TO RETURN

Shortly after my wedding, two overseers from the local congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses came to visit me.  They explained how I could return to Jehovah God, and they arranged  for a missionary named Cindy to help me. By this time, I had lost much of my faith, so I asked her to prove to me that the Bible really is God's Word. She showed me examples of the Bible prophesies that have been fulfilled. Gradually, we became close friends, and she invited me to study the basic teachings of the Bible with her. I accepted.  For the first time, I came to appreciate that Jehovah is a God of love, who wants me to be happy. 

When I started going to Christian meetings again, I found that I enjoyed the company of the Witnesses much more than the company of the people in  the movie business. But my childhood experiences left me feeling  that I could not trust anyone, and I did not like myself.  A member  of the congregation helped me when she showed me from the Bible how to deal with those emotional problems. And I also learned to make genuine friends. 

Next time: TRUE STORY/ Finding Something Better Than Glamour-AS TOLD BY MINA HUNG GODENZI -SOMETHING BETTER THAN GLAMOUR

From the Watchtower magazine, 2015

LIFE STORY/Finding Something Better Than Glamour- As Told By Mina Hung Godenzi

One night in 1984, I changed from being just an ordinary teenager to being a celebrity.  I was crowned Miss Hong Kong. My picture was on the front page of magazines and newspapers.  I sang, danced, gave speeches, hosted TV shows, wore beautiful clothes, and appeared with important people, such as the governor of Hong Kong.

The next year, I started acting in movies, several times starring in the leading role. Reporters wanted my story, photographers wanted my picture, and people wanted my presence for premiers, ribbon cuttings, lunches and dinners. I was always the center of attention. 

Gradually, though, I discovered that all of this was not as attractive as I had imagined.I worked mainly on action movies, and that was dangerous. Actors in Hong Kong did not use doubles as often as actors in Hollywood did, so I performed my own stunts, such as riding a motorcycle over a car.  Many films I starred in were immoral and violent. Some featured demonism. 

In 1995, I married a movie producer. Although I seemed to have everything to make me happy-glamour, wealth, a loving husband-I was depressed and sad.  I decided to stop acting. 

Next time: LIFE STORY/ Finding Something Better Than Glamour- AS TOLD BY MINA HUNG GODENZI -REMEMBERING MY CHILDHOOD FAITH

From the Watchtower magazine, 2015

Who are Jehovah's Witnesses?

Why Do We Preach?

Perhaps nothing distinguishes us as much as our extensive preaching work-from house to house, in public places, and wherever people are found. Why do we do it\?

Jehovah's Witnesses preach to glorify God and to make known his name.  (Hebrews 13:15) We also want to obey Jesus Christ, who commanded:  "Go, therefore, and make disciples of people of all the nations, . . .teaching them to observe all the things I have commanded you." -Matthew 28:19, 20.

Moreover, we love our neighbor.  (Matthew 2:39)  Of course, we realize that most people have their own religious beliefs and that not everyone is interested in our message. Still, we feel that Bible teachings are lifesaving.  That is why we continue  "without letup teaching and declaring the good news about the Christ," as did the first-century Christians. -Acts 5:41, 42. 

Most readers of our literature are not Jehovah's Witnesses. And millions who study the Bible with us belong to other religions. Yet they are grateful that Jehovah's Witnesses call on them.

Of course, you may have other questions about Jehovah's Witnesses.  We invite you to learn the answer by 

* Asking one of Jehovah's Witnesses.

* Visiting our website, www.jw.org.

* Attending our meetings, which are free and open to all. 

Next time: LIFE STORY/Finding Something Better Than Glamour

From the Watchtower magazine, 2015

Who are Jehovah's Witnesses?

How is Our Ministry Financed?

Each year, we print and distribute hundreds of millions of Bible and pieces of Bible literature. We build and operate branch offices and printeries around the world.Tens of thousands of congregations meet in modest yet attractive places of worship called the Kingdom Halls.  Who pays for all this?

Our work is supported entirely by voluntary donations.  (2 Corinthians 9:7) in 1879, the second issue of this magazine stated: " 'Zion's Watch tower' [as this magazine was then called] has, we believe JEHOVAH for its backer, and while this is the case it will never beg nor petition men for support."  We do not waver from that policy.

Donations are sent directly to one of our branch offices or placed in a contribution box that is located in each Kingdom hall. But we never tithe, take up collections, or charge a fee for our services or publications. We are not paid to preach, to teach in the congregation, or to help build places of worship.  After all, Jesus  said:  "You  received free, give free." (Matthew 10:8)  All ministers at our branch offices and at our world headquarters, including those making up the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses, are unsalaried members of a religious order.  (Note:It is not a cult and it is true that they do not ask for money. I worship there) 

Donated funds are also used for disaster relief. The early Christians were pleased to share in relief measures for victims of adversity.  (Romans 15:26) we likewise assist the afflicted by rebuilding their homes and places of worship and by providing food, clothing, and medical treatment. 

Next time: Who are Jehovah's Witnesses? - Why Do We Preach?

From the Watchtower magazine, 2015

Who are Jehovah Witnesses?

What Do Jehovah's Witnesses Believe?

Jehovah's Witnesses believe that "all Scriptures are inspired of  God and beneficial." (2 Timothy 3:16) We use the Bible as a practical guide to learn about the Creator and to live meaningful lives. 

The Bible says:  "May people know that you, whose name is Jehovah, you alone are the Most High over all the earth." ( Psalm 83:18) Therefore, we worship only Jehovah God, and as his Witnesses, we endeavor to make known his personal name. -Isaiah 43:10-12. 

As Christians, we believe that Jesus, "the Son of God," came to earth and became the Messiah. (John 1:34, 41:25,26) After he died, Jesus was raised  to heaven.  (1 Corinthians 15:3, 4) Later he became King of God's Kingdom.  (Revelation 11:15) That Kingdom is a real government that will restore Paradise to the earth.  (Daniel 2:44) "The meek will possess the earth, and they will find exquisite delight in the abundance of peace." says the Bible. -Psalm 37:11, 29.

Jehovah's Witnesses believe that Bible principles can benefit people even today.  (Isaiah 48:17, 18) Therefore, we adhere closely to those principles.   For example, because the Bible warns us to avoid practices that pollute our mind and bodies, we do not smoke or misuse drugs.  (2 Corinthians 7:1) We also avoid practices specifically condemned in the Bible, such as drunkenness, sexual immorality, and stealing, to name a few. -1 Corinthians 6:9-11. 

Next time: Who are Jehovah's Witnesses? - How is Our Ministry Financed? 

From the Watchtower magazine, 2015

Who are Jehovah's Witnesses?

What Sort of People are Jehovah's Witnesses? 

We are an international organization  unaffiliated with other religious groups.  Although our world headquarters is in the United States, the vast majority o Jehovah's Witnesses live in other countries. In fact, some eight million of us teach people the Bible in over 30 lands. We do so in response to Jesus words:  "This good news of the Kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations." -Matthew 24:14. 

Regardless of where we live, we conscientiously obey the law. Yet we endeavor to remain politically neutral.  This is because we observe Jesus directions for Christians  to be "no part of the world."  Thus we do not take part in political issues and activities or support warfare.  (John 15:19; 17:16)  In fact, during World War II, Jehovah's Witnesses were imprisoned, tortured, and even worse because they would not compromise their neutrality. A former German bishop wrote:  "They can rightfully claim to be the only major conscientious objectors  in the Third Reich." 

Still, we do not isolate ourselves. Jesus prayed to God regarding his followers:  "I do not request that you take them out of the world." (John 17:15)  Therefore, you may see us as we work, shop, and go to school in the local community.  

This may be of interest:  LANDS WITH THE MOST WITNESSES:

United States - 1,190,000
Mexico - 800,000
Brazil - 770,000
Nigeria - 330,000
Italy - 250,000 
Japan 220,000 

Next time: What Do Jehovah's Witnesses Believe?

From the Watchtower magazine, 2015

Who are Jehovah's Witnesses?

"I had known Mike for years. He is one of Jehovah's Witnesses. But his religion always baffled me. Who is Jehovah? Why don't Witnesses celebrate the holidays? Was Mike mixed up in a cult?" -Becky, California, U.S.A. 

"When my neighbors started to study the Bible with Jehovah's Witnesses, I wondered:  'What does that name, Jehovah's Witnesses mean?  What a strange name for a religion!' " -Zenon, Ontario, Canada.

"My wife and I thought that Jehovah's Witnesses called to prey on our guilt feelings because we weren't at church. And we figured that if the mainline churches didn't have what we were looking for, a  weird sect like Jehovah's Witnesses couldn't have it either." -Kent, Washington, U.S.A.

"I honestly didn't know who they were and what they stood for." -Cecilie, Esbjerg, Denmark


"You have likely seen them preaching from door to door or in a public place, distributing  Bible-based (from the Bible)  literature and offering free Bible studies. You may have received this magazine from one of them. Still, you may wonder who Jehovah's Witnesses really are. Perhaps your thoughts are similar to  one of those quoted above. 

If you have such questions and concerns, where might you go for answers? How can you learn what Jehovah's Witnesses really believe, how their ministry and places of worship are financed, and why they call at your home and approach you in public places?

"I read a lot about Jehovah's Witnesses on the Internet," says Cecilie quoted earlier.  "I heard some rumors, and I listened to a great deal of prejudice talk. As a result, I formed a very negative view of Jehovah's Witnesses." Later, however, she spoke to Jehovah's Witnesses  directly and found satisfying answers to her questions.

Would you like to receive truthful answers to your questions about Jehovah's Witnesses?  We encourage you to turn to most knowledgeable source-Jehovah's Witnesses themselves, who publish this magazine.  (Proverbs 14:15) We hope that the following articles will help you to see who we are and what we believe as well as to understand the work we do. 

Next time: Who are Jehovah's Witnesses? - What Sort of People are Jehovah's Witnesses? 

From the Watchtower magazine, 2015

A UNIQUE REUNION After 30 Years

Reunion in Dominican Republic

Unbeknownst to each other, Mark and Dennis were working on similar projects in the Dominican Republic. One day they happened upon each other at the branch facilities of Jehovah's Witnesses in Santo Domingo. As you can imagine, they were delighted to get reacquainted. After all, they were both 33 years older and had a lot of catching up to do. With growing wonder, they shared much of what you have read above. But most remarkable to them-as well as to all with whom they have shared their experiences-were the many similarities in their lives. 

Both lived-hippies live-styles and moved to remote  areas to get away from the materialistic modern way of life with all its anxieties. Dennis married a girl named Kathy; Mark married a girl named Kathi. Both men accepted  a Bible study when attending their first meeting of Jehovah's Witnesses. Both were baptized in March 1974.  Both became members  of branch families of Jehovah's Witnesses-Dennis in the United States and Mark in Canada. both have made efforts to keep life simple in order to pursue spiritual goals.  (Matthew 6:22) Both became involved in international construction and have received assignment in numerous countries. Until their chance meeting in the Dominican Republic, neither had ever met any former friends who had accepted Bible truths.  

Do Mark and Dennis attribute these remarkable coincidences to fate? Not at all.  They recognize that, as the Bible says,  "time and unforeseen occurrence befall [us] all"-sometimes in very interesting ways.  (Ecclesiastes  9:11) However, they also recognize that something else played a role in their reunion: their mutual quests for purpose in life and their love for Jehovah God.

The history of Dennis and Mark highlights some things that are common to all honest-hearted ones who learn Bible truth. Dennis comments:  "What Mark and I have experienced demonstrates that Jehovah is aware of the life situations of people, and when their heart becomes rightly disposed, he draws  them to him." -2 Chronicles 16:9; John 6:44. Acts 13:48. 

Mark adds:  "Jehovah definitely blesses those who put his Kingdom first.  I consider it a special blessing to be able to serve as a member of the Canada branch family and to participate  in international construction."

A unique reunion?  Yes, because as Mark says:  "The real reason why meeting up with each other was such a thrill is that both of us have come to know, love, and serve the unique God, Jehovah.  

Next time: Who are Jehovah's Witnesses?

From the Awake! magazine, 2002

A UNIQUE REUNION After 30 Years

Mark in the Full-Time Ministry

In 1976, Mark, along with thousands of other  young American men who fled to Canada to escape the draft, was granted amnesty by the U.S. government. He and his wife, Kathi, also desired to keep their lives simple in order to devote more time to their ministry.  So Mark worked part-time as a surveyor, and he and Kathi gradually paid off the bills they had accumulated before their baptism. 

In 1978, when the Witnesses in Canada were planning to build a new branch complex near Toronto, Ontario, Mark and Kathi were in a position to offer  their services.  Since Mark had experience in surveying, they were invited  to participate in the construction.  They worked on  the project  in Georgetown until its completion in June 1981.  Afterward, they moved back to British Columbia and for the next  four years helped with building an Assembly Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses there.  When it was completed, they were invited back to work on the expansion of the Canada branch. 

In 1986, after a few months in Georgetown, Mark and Kathi were invited to stay on as regular members  of the Canada branch staff.  They have served on the staff  ever since and have also had extensive opportunities  to share in the construction work in many other countries.  Thanks to Mark's experience in surveying, he began to be used to do surveying for branch buildings and Assembly Halls of Jehovah's Witnesses in South and Central America and the islands of the Caribbean. 

Over the years, he and Kathi served in Venezuela, Nicaragua, Haiti, Guyana, Barbados, the Bahamas, Dominica, the United States (Florida), the Dominican Republic.  This special form of the full-time ministry caused the thread of Mark's life to cross that of Dennis' life once more. 

Next time: A UNIQUE REUNION After 30 Years - Reunion in the Dominican Republic

From the Awake! magazine, 2002 

A UNIQUE REUNION After 30 Years

Dennis in the Full-Time Ministry

Dennis became a pioneer, or full-time minister, in September 1974.  He observes:  "I was happy pioneering, but I wanted to expand my ministry; so in July 1975, I applied to serve at the world headquarters of Jehovah's Witnesses in Brooklyn, New York.  That December I was invited there."

The first assignment Dennis was given was to assist  in converting the former Towers Hotel into a residence for the headquarters staff.  He worked for several years there, overseeing  the tile crew. Then, desiring to get married, he moved to California. In 1984, while serving as an elder in the Cathedral City congregation, he married a pioneer named Kathy Enz. 

Dennis and Kathy were determined to keep their lives simple in order to pursue the interests of God's Kingdom. So Dennis often turned down opportunities  to make a lot of money in the booming town of California construction trade. In 1988 he and Kathy applied to help in the international construction that year, they received an assignment to work on the branch construction project in Buenos Aires, Argentina.  

In 1989, Dennis and Kathy were invited to serve in the construction work of Jehovah's Witnesses in a more permanent way.  In this special form of the full-time ministry, they have twice served in Suriname and Colombia.  They have also worked in Ecuador and Mexico, as well as on a similar project in the Dominican Republic. 

Next time:  A UNIQUE REUNION After 30 Years - Mark in the Full-Time Ministry

From the Awake, magazine, 2002

A UNIQUE REUNION After 30 Years

They Become Witnesses

Dennis, you will recall, was hitchhiking around the country looking for a purpose in life. His tour took him to Montana, where he found a job outside of Chinook helping a farmer during the grain harvest. The man's wife and daughter were Jehovah's Witnesses.  Dennis was given an Awake! magazine to read. Before long, he became convinced that the Witnesses practiced the true religion.

Taking a Bible with him, Dennis left the farm and moved to Kalispell, Montana. There he attended the first meeting of Jehovah's Witnesses.  He asked for a Bible study at that meeting. Shortly  thereafter, he cut his hair and shaved his beard. In January 1974 he went out in the preaching work for the first time, and he was baptized in a watering trough in Polson, Montana, on March 3, 1974. 

Meanwhile, Mark and Kathi, living on Gabriola Islland,decided that since they had the time, they would try investigating the Bible.  They began reading the King James Version but found the archaic English somewhat difficult to understand.  Then Mark remembered that he still had the Bible and books the Witnesses had given him years earlier .  They read the Bible along with the books The Truth That Leads to Everlasting Life and Is the Bible Really the Word of God?  Mark and Kathi were deeply impressed by what they learned.  

Mark explains:  "I was particularly struck by the fact that the Truth book mentions a group of Christians who would not go to war under any circumstances. I felt that such ones were practicing true Christianity."  Shortly afterward, Mark and Kathi returned to Houghton, Michigan, to visit Kathi's family -despite the risk of arrest. There, still looking like hippies, the attended a meeting of Jehovah's Witnesses. They accepted a Bible study and studied during the month they were in Michigan.

After returning to Gabriola Island, they met a Witness on the street in Nanaimo, British Columbia, and explained that they wanted a Bible study. That same day a carload of Witnesses came over on the ferry to contact them, and a Bible study was started. Three months later, Mark and Kathi began  in the preaching work. Three months after that, on March 10, 1974, both were baptized. It was one week after Dennis was baptized! 

Next time: A UNIQUE REUNION After 30 Years - Dennis in the Full-Time Ministry

From the Awake! magazine, 2002

A UNIQUE REUNION After 30 Years

Mark in the Antiwar Movement

Mark stayed at the university for a few semesters after Dennis left but then decided that he didn't want to become a part of the system that was supporting the war.  So he went back to Buffalo, where he worked for awhile as a foreman at a steel plant.  Still dissatisfied  with the war effort, he quit his job, bought a motorcycle, and traveled across the country to San Francisco, California. Although they didn't realize it then, Dennis and Mark were in San Francisco for awhile at the same time. 

Like Dennis, Mark grew a beard and long hair and began using Marijuana.  But Mark was heavily involved in the antiwar movement, participating in protests and marches. He was wanted by the FBI for draft evasion, so for a few years he used aliases to escape detection.  He pursued a hippie life-style in San Francisco.  There, in 1970, two of Jehovah's Witnesses came to his door.

Mark explains: "They must have felt that I showed some interest, so they returned. I wasn't home, but they left a green Bible and three books."  Mark, however, was too absorbed in political activism and in having a good time to read them. Also, he was closely pursued by the FBI. So under another alias, he moved to Washington, D.C.  His girlfriend Kathi Yanikivis, whom he had met at the university, joined him there.

Finally, in 1971, the FBI caught up  with Mark.  two FBI agents escorted him on a flight from Washington D.C., to New York and made sure that he continued on to Toronto Canada.  Evidently, the FBI didn't consider him a threat to civil order; they just wanted him out of the country.  The following year Kathi and he were married, and the moved to British Columbia, Canada.  They wanted to escape from society, yet they felt there had to be more to life. 

Next time:  A UNIQUE REUNION After 30 Years - They Became Witnesses

From the Awake! magazine, 2002 

A UNIQUE REUNION After 30 Years

Dennis Goes to War

Dennis returned home after his first year of college. Then, in December 1967, he was drafted into the U.S. Army, and in June 1968, he was sent to Vietnam. There he saw the horrors of war.  When his tour of duty was up in 1 969, he returned to the United States, eventually landing job with a large company in Ohio.  However, he wasn't satisfied.

"My boyhood dream was to move to Alaska and homestead," Dennis explains.  So in 1971 he an d a high school friend set out to fulfill that dream. Rather than homestead, however,, he worked at number of odd jobs.  For a while he lived in a tent and worked in fire control. He grew a beard and long hair and began smoking marijuana.

In 1972, Dennis left Anchorage to experience the Mardi Gras in New Orleans, Louisiana.  After that, he built a small cabin in the woods of Arkansas. There he worked at framing houses and finishing concrete. In June 1973, Dennis hitchhiked  around the country to see if he could find a purpose in life.  

Next time:  A UNIQUE REUNION After 30 Years - Mark in the Antiwar Movement

From the Awake! magazine, 2002 

A UNIQUE REUNION After 30 Years

In 1967 two young men were thrown together by chance.  They were assigned  as roommates at Michigan Technical University in the United States.  Dennis Sheets, from Lima, Ohio, was then an 18-year-old freshman studying forestry. Twenty-year-old Mark Ruge hailed from Buffalo, New York. He was a junior studying civil engineering.

A the time, their friendship might have seemed a brief fleeting one. Neither of the youths continued with university education; each went his separate way. More than three decades passed.  Then, one day in the Dominican Republic, the two men came face-to-face once more. But something else was at work too. What was that? To find the answer, let us follow the separate threads of their lives. 

Next time:  A UNIQUE REUNION After 30 Years - Dennis Goes to War

From the Awake!  magazine, 2002

Who Will Bring Lasting Peace?

Prayers to Which God Listens

Praying to God is by no means a futile act or an empty ceremony. In the Bible, Jehovah is called the "Hearer of prayer." (Psalm 65:2) So at any given moment, he is listening to untold numbers of prayers uttered by sincere people on earth.  Are there requirements, though, that must be met for prayers to be heard?  The Bible suggests that honest-hearted people who learn the Bible truths about God need to respond to these,becoming  "true worshipers," Who worship him "with spirit and truth." (John 4:23)   The prayers of those who do not respect his wishes are not granted:  "He that is turning his ear away from hearing [God's] law-even his prayer is something detestable." -Proverbs 28:9. 

Tragically, many religious leaders today neither teach nor pray about God's purpose to bring about peace. Rather, they pray for human governments to solve such problems,  when God's Word plainly says that "it does not belong to man who is walking to direct his step." -Jeremiah 10:23.

It was prophesied that "in the final part of the days," in our era,  lovers of peace would flow to the symbolic "mountain of the house of Jehovah" -that is, to true worship.  Such ones would make great changes in their lives:  "They will have to beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into  pruning shears.  Nation will not lift up sword against nation, neither will they learn war anymore." -Isaiah 2:2-4.

Is any group of worshipers today trying to live up to those words?  Or do all religions simply talk  about peace while promoting warfare?  The next time you meet Jehovah's Witnesses, you are invited to discuss the subject of peace with them and learn which religion  educates people to be peaceable with all. 

Next time: A UNIQUE REUNION After 30 Years

From the Awake! magazine, 2002