Is your heart sick? Is it heavy under the weight at woe that is upon this old world? Would it be made light to know that the end of uncertainty and fear, strife and war, disease and death, is near at hand? This may sound too good to be true, yet we challenge you to prove it false. There is solid basis for believing it. Hearts yearn to believe it, if only minds can be convinced to accept it. Is your mind free? Is it open to be convinced? Or is it closed by national or racial or religious prejudice? If you are not blinded by prejudice, if your mind is open to reason, you will read these pages with increasing interest. And at the conclusion you will have a comforting basis for belief in a righteous new world.
-THE PUBLISHERS
1953
PUBLISHERSWatchtower Bible and Tract Society, Inc. International Bible Students AssociationBrooklyn, New York, U. S. A.
Made in the United States of America
BASIS FOR BELIEF IN A NEW WORLD
IF YOU were dying of thirst would you refuse water from one whose nationality you did not like? If you were dying of hunger would you refuse food from a hand whose skin color did not suit you? If you were dying of an illness would you reject the help of a doctor whose race displeased you? How trivial are such prejudices when our life is at stake! Even when life is not at stake they are foolish, foolish because they blind minds from perceiving vital facts. Often it takes a time of great stress to jolt us from our prejudiced views to sane thinking. Such a time now confronts all peoples, but to see it they must lift the curtains of prejudice that block mental vision. To enter a new world of unity these curtains must be lifted forever. Why not start now? Start now by lifting them at least long enough to read these pages with an open mind. Let us reason together.
If the one offering you this booklet is of a different race or nation or color, does that change the message? Its waters of truth win still quench your , thirst, if you are thirsty for truth. Its food for thought will still nourish your mind, if you are hungry for comforting thought. Its healthful words will still revive your dying hope, if you are heart-
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sick over a hopeless outlook. At the end of the path of every man, woman and child going the way of this world there looms death. But what if this grim death could be blasted from the way and the path of life be made to stretch on endlessly into a new world of indescribable happiness? If life in such a world were possible would you reject it just because the one telling you about it was of a different nation or race or religion?
Thinking persons know that people cannot be classed as good or bad on the basis of race or nation, religion or politics, wealth or poverty, age or sex, language or color, social prominence or insignificance, or any of the other classifications that divide humanity. As individuals they should not stand or fall just because they come within one of these large classes. Each one should be rated good or bad on the basis of his own deeds, and not on the basis of the deeds of his race or nation or religion or other group in which he may be placed. By the fruits each one brings forth each one should be known, and both good fruits and bad fruits are plentifully produced by any one nation or race. One mad dog does not make all dogs mad. One bad European does not make all Europeans bad. Nor does one bad Asiatic make all Asiatics bad. Right or wrong should be determined" by what is said, not who said it; by what is done, not who did it. So rid your mind of the unreasonable prejudices that split this old world and be mentally free to weigh new ideas on their own merits. It may mean life in happiness to you, and life in happiness is what sane persons seek.
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The desire to live is natural with man. Why are you now breathing? Because you choose to live. Why will you drink some water today? Because you choose to live. Why will you eat some food today? Same answer, you choose to live. For the same reason you will sleep tonight and work tomorrow. The rest will revive strength for more living, and the labor will bring the necessities of life within grasp. By all these activities everyone shows he chooses to live on.
But by breathing, drinking, eating, sleeping and working, what kind of life are we choosing? Take a look at it. It springs up like the grass, and like the grass it soon withers. It blossoms forth like the flowers, and like the flowers it soon fades. Life in this present wicked old world is of few days and full of trouble. Look at the national divisions that make some feel superior, that make them tread down those they think inferior. And the injustices and violences and wars that result, just because of racial or political differences. Look at greedy commerce that oppresses the poor of all nations, that a few might get all the wealth, and will even start wars to accumulate more. Look at the militarism whose business is the large-scale crippling and killing of mankind. And do not overlook the false religions that divide humanity, so that they not only quarrel and persecute but also launch and bless wars.
Do not stop looking with these big things in the world's spotlight. Look at the slums in the big cities, with their poverty and filth and disease, with their hopeless inhabitants huddled in the
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dark holes of pathetically overcrowded huts and tenements, ill fed, poorly clothed. See the millions of refugees scattered over Asia, without hope, sunk in despair. Do not stop looking. Consider the criminals and dope addicts that prey on society, in all parts of the earth, and those behind bars that are kept by society. Look at the hospitals with beds filled with suffering bodies, and the mental institutions overcrowded by those out of their right minds. Think of the general conditions in the world, the immorality, the treachery, the unfair . distinctions made between peoples because of their birth, or education, or social standing, or material possessions. Note the clouds of confusion and perplexity and fear that hover over the restless seas of humanity. Read the hopelessness and utter despair written on millions of faces. Yet these distressed millions keep doing what is necessary for them to live, because even with such woeful conditions they choose to live on.
It is impossible to point to one part of the earth and say it is the trouble spot. Nor can any part be pointed to as free from trouble. Whether living in East or West, problems are unsolved and people are suffering. Now the East stirs under feelings of nationalism and independence. Some Eastern nations now rightly possess political freedom, but has this ended their troubles? If old troubles have gone, new ones take their place. Social unrest remains, crime is everywhere, people are still starving, oppression continues, disease is widespread, political corruption exists. The common people are learning that even when their own nationals
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replace foreign rulers corruption continues to flourish, and riots often follow in protest of this national greed and injustice. Changing the political parties in power provides no remedy. The problems are still present, the solutions are still absent, and the suffering still thrives earth-wide. It is men themselves that must undergo a change, a change of mind and a change of heart. Can such a thing happen?
The West, with its educational program and technical sciences and industrial, might, has till now wielded great power in world affairs, shaping events more than the East. But has ft done so for the good of all mankind? Has not oppression come out of the West, as conquering empires reached out to control backward peoples in distant lands? Have not scientific discoveries been primarily used to make War more destructive? Have not the world wars of this century had their rise in the West? With all its supposed culture and education and civilization, has the West been a force for the good of all mankind? Admittedly, for these reasons its ability to do good is great. But for the same reasons its power to do evil is also great. Honesty forces the confession that more often than not the evil has overshadowed the good. Why? For the same reason that Eastern nations have not enjoyed the relief they expected when their own nationals took over their governments. Too often men in power fall victim to their own greed and ambition and lose interest in the plight of the people. These human failings are not confined to certain races
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or nations, but leap all divisions to take in all kinds of men.
PREJUDICE AGAINST A BOOK
Just as false stories and impressions can create prejudice against a people, so they can create prejudice against a book. Scientists may belittle it. Historians may contradict it. Clergymen may misrepresent it. Nations who claim to follow it may by their conduct bring reproach upon it. All this has happened to a book widely circulated in the West, with the result that it has been little appreciated in the East. That book is the Bible.
Eastern prejudice against the Bible is understandable, but is it justified? Peoples of the East learn of the racial prejudice, religious disunity, political corruption, immorality, crime and other ills that afflict Western nations. They know that out from the West have come oppressive rulers, greedy empires and horrible wars that bathed the earth in blood. Then they hear that the West is Christian, that the Bible is its guide, that it contains the remedy for the world's ills. If the fruits brought forth by the Western nations are samples of the fruits that spring from Biblical guidance, those samples are horrible and Eastern nations want none of it. So they reason, and understandably so. But let such peoples reason this way for a moment. For a man to have a book in his home does not prove he reads it. Even if, he reads it, does that prove he follows it? If the man is bad, does that necessarily prove the book is bad? Not all Hindus are good, but they claim to follow the
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Vedas. Not all Buddhists are good, but they claim to follow the Tri Pitika or the Daizokyo. Confucianists accept the Classics as their guide, but some of them do wicked deeds. And Muslims claim to follow the Quran, but not all of them are good people. Moreover, these lands, like Western lands, are afflicted with immorality and corruption, and their past and present governments leave much to be desired in the way of righteousness. Now, does all this in itself prove as worthless and wicked the sacred writings of their various religions? To be fair, the sacred writings must be judged on the basis of their contents, and not on the basis of what their supposed followers do.
So it should be relative to the Bible. Many in Eastern nations think they cannot trust the Western nations. If not, why believe them when they claim to follow the Bible? When they say their culture is founded on Christianity, why accept their claim? Why blame the Bible as backing Western wrongdoing just because the West says it follows the Bible? To be fair you cannot judge the Bible according to what men or nations do who claim to follow it. Their claim may be false. You may learn that the Bible does not support them but condemns them. Whether you live in East or West, will you set aside any prejudice you may have against the Bible and consider some points on its behalf? If you live in the West, scientists or historians or clergymen may have turned you against the book. But scientific theories are as changeable as the wind, histories frequently require revision, and clergy teaching often clashes with Bible doctrine.
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If you dwell in the East, the sins of nations claiming to follow the Bible may have soured you on it. But you know how often national claims are false. Weigh some of the evidence in the Bible's favor before deciding it deserves your disfavor.
When men or nations feel high and mighty and look down on the weak and lowly, their claim to be Christian is false, for to Christianity "not many wise in a fleshly way were called, not many powerful, not many noble; but God chose the. foolish things of the world, that he might put the wise men to shame, and God chose the weak things of the world, that he might put the strong things to shame; and God chose the ignoble things of the world and the things looked down upon, the things that are not, that he might bring to nothing the things that are, in order that no flesh might boast in the sight of God".-1 Corinthians 1:26-29, NW.*
When men or nations show special favor to the rich they make class distinctions, are corrupt and fall short of Christianity: "You have class distinctions among yourselves and you have become judges rendering corrupt decisions, is that not so?" (James 2:1-4, NW) When men or nations seek to enrich themselves beyond their needs they trample underfoot this Bible principle: "We have brought nothing into the world, and neither can we carry anything out. So, having sustenance and covering, we shall be content with these things. However, those who are determined to be rich fall into temptation and a snare and many senseless and hurtful desires which plunge men into destruc-
*In this booklet NW means New World Translation.
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tion and ruin." (1 Timothy 6:7-9, NW) To seek to increase holdings in a lust for the power that comes with large estates or empires is condemned by the Bible: "Woe to you who join house to house, and add field to field, till there is no more room, and you are left to dwell alone in the midst of the land!"-Isaiah 5:8, AT*
Men and nations should come to the aid of others when the need arises, but such relief work should be done out of love for the peoples in need. It is not Christian to expect something in return, some material benefit or political advantage, or swing weaker nations into the sphere of influence of the rich nation doing the giving. Such selfish giving could be used as a club to beat into subjection a nation already in trouble. Rather than give to those who can repay, the Bible says, "when you spread a feast, invite poor people, crippled, lame, blind; and you will be happy, because they have nothing with which to repay you." That is unselfish giving and will be rewarded by Jehovah God. -Luke 14:12-14,NW.
Many times men and nations violate good principles for the sake of gaining their own selfish ends. That is not Christian. True Bible followers will hold to Bible principles regardless of the consequences. When Jesus came to earth Jewish religionists thought it was to their national interest to cater to the Roman empire, though it meant the death of their Messiah and disobedience to God's Word. The high priest at that time "counseled the Jews that it was in their interest for one
* In this booklet AT means An American Translation.
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man to die in behalf of the people"; so in the name of national interest an innocent man was murdered. (Matthew 27:25; John 18:14; 19:15, NW) Today nations that claim to be Christian violate their principles to advance their interests. Nations that stand for freedom may for political advantage support oppressive foreign rule saddled on the backs of the nationals, or for political favor they may support a crooked national government that the masses of common people are trying to replace. The interfering nation, violating its own principles to gain selfish advantage, may keep the tyrants in power, but it will earn the hatred of the common people and prove itself hypocritical. Such only claim to be guided by the Bible; actually they follow the way of their own selfish interests.
And what about men or nations that show prejudice because of nationality or race or color? One thing is certain: they are not guided by God's Word. There we read: "God is not partial, but in every nation the man that fears him and works righteousness is acceptable to him." Also, "He made out of one man every nation of men, to dwell upon the entire surface of the earth." And again, "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor freeman, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in union with Christ Jesus." (Acts 10:34, 35; 17:26; Galatians 3:28, NW) In addition to those in union with Christ, the millions who will gain eternal life in happiness on earth will be "out of all nations and tribes and peoples and tongues". (Revelation7:9, NW) No prejudices will divide them; their common love of righteous-
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ness will unite them. So any man or nation today that shows prejudice also shows he or it is out of step with God and the Bible.
Nor does the Bible support military might or international wars as the way to bring peace on earth. In the days of the Bible prophet Isaiah war equipment consisted of chariots and horsemen, and hence he proclaimed woe upon those that "trust in chariots, because they are many; and in horsemen, because they are very strong"; and he later declares Jehovah God's anger "upon all nations, and his fury upon all their armies". (Isaiah 31:1; 34:2) Jesus announced this principle: "All those who take the sword will perish by the sword." (Matthew 26:52, NW) Military might is not what the Bible proclaims as the way to enforce peace and avoid war, but rather disarmament: "He shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against na-
"They publicly declare they know God. but they disown him by their works."-The Bible at Titus 1:16, NW.
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tion, neither shall they learn war any more." -Micah 4:3.
From the foregoing is it not clear that many men and the nations that claim to follow the Bible are actually condemned by it? Many preach it but never practice it. Jesus said: "Not everyone saying to me, 'Master, Master,' will enter into the kingdom of the heavens, but the one doing the will of my Father who is in the heavens will" (Matthew 7:21, NW) Many of the clergy of Christendom and the missionaries they send out are like the hypocritical religious leaders in Jesus' day. Because many of their teachings are based upon the traditions of men and actually contradict the teachings of the Bible, what Jesus said to false teachers la his day applies to modern ones: "You have made " the word of God invalid because of your tradition. You hypocrites, Isaiah aptly prophesied about you, when be said: 'This people honors me with their lips, yet their hearts are far removed from me. It is in vain that they keep paying respect to me, because they teach commands of men as doctrines."' (Matthew 15:6-9, NW) Those persons who do try to live up to the Bible commands are persecuted. Such are the conditions in the nations called Christendom.
And what is the result of all this misconduct? It results in reproach being heaped upon the Bible. Missionaries from false religions of Christendom go to lands they call heathen. They do not preach the Bible's doctrines. They do not practice the Bible's principles. Then on top of this the nations claiming to be Christian extend their power
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and influence into the lands they call heathendom and act greedily and oppressively, and heap still greater reproach on the Bible they say is their guide, but which they actually ignore.
The result is the same as when the Jews, claiming to be Jehovah God's people but acting contrary to his will, were scattered to various nations: "And when they came unto the nations, whither they went, they profaned my holy name; in that men said of them, These are the people of Jehovah." (Ezekiel 36:20, AS*) To those who preach God's Word, then act contrary to it, the Bible says: "Do you, however, the one teaching someone else, not teach yourself? You, the one preaching 'Do not steal', do you steal? You, the one saying 'Do not .commit adultery', do you commit adultery? You, the one expressing abhorrence of the idols, do you rob temples? You, who take pride in law, do you by your transgressing of the Law dishonor God? For the name of God is being blasphemed on .account of you people among the nations'; just as it is written." (Romans 2:21-24, NW) Certainly those who pose as the Bible's friends yet act contrary to it are its greatest enemies. Their hypocrisy has turned millions in the West against the Bible, and their sins have prejudiced millions in the East against the Bible. But honest persons, whether in East or West, should not blame the Bible as supporting what it really condemns.
So peoples of the East should not think they would have to become like the Western nations
* In this booklet AS means American Standard Version.
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if they followed true Christianity. Rather, such copying of the West would be fatal, for its fruits are not Bible fruits. Nor should any in the East be prejudiced against the Bible because they think it is a Western book. It is not. It was largely written in the East. Every individual God used in its writing was of the East. The faithful priests and prophets it discusses were from the East. The one true rel...
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