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"1 figure if 1 do
get married, and
1 do have kids,
and l'm sti/1
living .
..
they're going to
have to face the
same problems,
because if it
[nuclear war]
doesn 't come in
my lifetime .
. .
it's going to
come sooner or
later."
Mdnica, age
17
"psychic numbing" to explain the phenome–
non of consciously denying possible deatb
and destruction in nuclear war.
There was a time when parents sought to
teacb their children how to face reality.
Today, it is different. As Dr. Lifton states,
"Undermined now [by the ever-present
threat of nuclear war] is the fundamental
parental responsibility, that of 'family securi–
ty.' In the face of nuclear extinction, parents
must now doubt their ability to see their
child safely into ... adulthood."
"And," he adds, "the child must also
sense, early on, not only those parental
doubts but the general inability of the adult
world to guarantee the safety of children."
What promise of life does that third of
human beings bave who are under age 15?
Can these maturing young people continue
to accept a radioactive fate?
What Does t he Future Hold?
Young people do
not
wish to accept nuclear
disaster as their ultimate fate anymore than
do adults. On my desk, as I write, are numer–
ous tracts, buttons and other paraphernalia
urging peaceful settlements and negotiated
arms reductions. Barely concealed anger
laces the tone of most of the tracts.
The authors articulate the issues clearly
and intelligently. Simply put, they don't
want to see nuclear evaporation of their cities
and neighborhoods. And they no longer trust
authorities- parental and national- to pre–
vent such destruction.
Can humanity, cut off from contact with
an all-wise God, salve tbis nuclear dilemma
and provide the children- the next genera–
tion- with
real
hope?
Turn again to Mr. Powers for his comment:
" ... until now the world's great armies have
always
[his emphasis] gone to war sooner or
later. The great fleet of Darius, the Roman
legions, the Spanish Armada and the Wehr–
macht were all intended for war and that is
what they were used for. Why should the pres–
ent situation end any differently?"
The qualifier? "Of course we all hope it
will e·nd differently," be sadly adds, "but is
hope enough?"
That's a realistic, honest question.
Is hope
enough?
Finding REAL Hope
The consensus is widespread among tbis
wor ld's thinkers-and it is predicted in
another place, unless a change in the think–
ing of humanity
is
effected-that nuclear
/ war
wi/1
come. And when it does, it will be
"a calamity
unprecedented
in human his–
tory," accord ing to tbe U.S. Office of Tech–
nology Assessment (emphasis added).
At the last moment bowever, when humani-
6
ty has no other place to turn, an all-wise,
all -powerful Creator will
step in,
forcibly
halt
the self-obliteration of human beings and
reestablish his government over the nations!
That's the good news that Jesus brought
nearly 2,000 years ago! For, "if those days
had not been cut short ," said Jesus,
"no
human being would survive"
(Matt. 24:22,
Phillips translation).
But we have the promise, "those days
are
to be shortened" (verse 22).
The carnage will be
STOPPED.
The Creator
God, who has kept hands off the world for
almost 6,000 years, will not allow humans to
eradicate all life from off this planet.
The fact is that humanity need never suffer
the borrors of a future nuclear war. But
humanity is going in the opposite direction–
away from peace and cooperation- in the kind
of competition and greed that produces war.
Perhaps you have not realized that the
Bible describes two general ways of life.
These two ways were set before the original
two humans. They were set before the
ancient nation Israel. And today,
in
your
sight, they are set before
you.
Listen to these words: "I call heaven and
earth as witnesses today against you, that I
have set before you life and death, blessing
and cursing;
THE~EFORE
CHOOSE LlFE,
that
both you and your descendants may live"
(Deut. 30:19, RAV).
The Bible is simply God speaking in print.
The command to choose life points humanity
to a way of life that, if fully practiced, brings
real
happiness and prosperity.
Unlike the temporary efforts of civil dem–
onstrations, living this revealed way of life
would absolutely
guarantee
humanity the
avoidance of nuclear extinction. Choosing
the way of greed, selfishness and death, on
the other hand, virtually guarantees ultimate
nuclear war! Why? Because nuclear war is
the result of the collective choice of individ–
uals
in
pursuit of the way of competition.
That's
why God hims!!lf críes, "'As
J
live,' says the Lord God,
'1
have no pleasure
in the death of the wicked, but that the
wicked turn from his way [of competition,
greed and self-will] and
/ive.
Turn,
turn
from
your evil ways! For
why
shou ld you
die ... ?'" (Ezek. 33:11, RAV).
God's way of life, the way of living free of
disaster, is simply summarized in 10 points
known today as
(Continued on page
39)
EDITOR'S NOTE:
Photo credits on pages 40 and 41 of
!he July
1
August issue were inadvertently
switched.
The
PLAIN TRUTH