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necessity. Young women trying to
practice birth control are discour–
aged by members of the older gen–
eration. Social factors such as these
make birth control programs appear
at times about as realistic as Ca–
nute's attempts to keep back the
waves.
What About Food?
Here in Buchares t, not nearly
enough attention was paid to equat–
ing population with available and
potential food supplies. Perhaps the
delegates chose to !cave this to the
U.N. sponsored World Food Con–
ference to be held this November in
Ro
me.
Nevertheless, perhaps the most
frightening aspect of the present
population dilemma is that, while
population continues to burgeon,
food production is lagging behind.
The U.N. Food and Agriculture Or–
ganization has been warning re–
cently of the threat of massive
starvation "later this year or in years
to come."
Lesrer Brown, a top American ag–
ricultura! economist, told an au–
dience here : "1 fee l food is only
going to become scarcer. The era of
cheap food is gone."
World food s tock reserves a re
dangerously low - only a 27-day
supply. The alarming hike in the
price of petroleum has pushed up
the price of chemical fertilizers.
Ominous weather changes have al–
ready caused severe famine in Af–
rica and could increasingly atfect
other pans of the world. And on top
of all this, leading plant biologists
are warning that over the past two
to three decades the world's key
grains have been structured on a
dangerously small "genetic base."
They warn that plant diseases could
wipe out whole crops in many na–
tions at the same time in the years
ahead.
It's not a pretty picture at a ll.
What a comer mankind is being
backed into!
The plain fact is that the food–
population dilemma is proving to be
beyond man's ability to handle. The
14
very greatest personal and política!
will on the part of all nations will be
required to grapple with it. Only
global cooperation on a scale never
before seen in history - meaning an
about face change in man's mind
and basic intentions - can possibly
avert global catastrophe. Such a
united approach and common will
is just not in evidence. And if the
political hassling at Bucharest is any
indication, it never will be.
Nations and individuals will con–
tinue to pursue the ir own selfish and
short-sighted policies. History will
continue to be strewn with token
solutions and strings of meaningless
and inetfectual platitudes.
Of themselvcs, men and nations
divided politically, morally, and re–
Ligiously cannot a rrive at a united
"plan for action," a term much used
(and unachieved) at Bucharesl.
They cannol overlurn millennia of
superstition, religious custom, and
mutuaUy exclusive política! ideol–
ogies and replace such with true
and lasting values.
Needed - Righteous Authority
Only a world government with an
all-powerful righteous judge al thc
head could make the fundamental
and basic changcs essential for the
survival of mankind. There is no
such human savior. Success will de–
mand superhuman effort - God's
etfort, if you picase. This was the
hope of the prophets of old. ll re–
mains our only hope today. Notice
the words of the Old Testament
prophet Micah: "In days to come
the mountain of the Lord 's house
shaU be set over all other moun–
tains, lifted high above the hills.
Peoples shall come streaming to it ,
and many nations shall come and
say, 'Come, Jet us climb up on to the
mountain of the Lord, to the house
of the God of Jacob, that he may
teach us his ways and we may walk
in his paths.' For instruction issues
from Zion, and out of Jerusalem
comes the word of the Lord ; he will
be judge between many peoples and
arbiter among mighty nations afar.
They shall beat their swords into
mattocks and their spears into prun–
ing-knives; nation shall not lift
sword against nation nor ever again
be trained for war, and each man
sha ll dwell under his own vine, un–
der his own fig- tree, undisturbed.
For the Lord of Hosts himself has
spoken" (Micah 4: 1-4,
The New
English Bible).
Here is portrayed a coming,
world-ruling kingdom wilh power lo
enforce peace among the nations.
Mankind will no longer be divided
against itself - but be united in a
common philosophy of"love toward
neighbor." Notice also that every
man will have his own vine and fig
tree, indicating su fficient sustenance
for each family. There is obviously
no population or food problem in
this future sett ing.
The prophet Isaiah al.so spoke of
a coming time when the people of
Jerusalem - indeed all mankind -
will have sufficienl food. The popu–
lation explosion and food shortages
wiil be things of the past. "The Lord
will give you rain for the seed you
sow, and as the produce of your soil
he will give you heavy crops of corn
in plenty. When that day comes the
cattle shall graze in broad pastures;
the oxen and asses that work your
land shall be fed with well-seasoned
fodder, winnowed with shovel and
fork... ." But this utopía will come
only after calamity. And only after
" the Lord binds up the broken
limbs of his people and heals lhe ir
wounds" (lsaiah 30:23-26, NEB).
As long as nations and individ–
uals within those nations contin ue
to pursue selfish and short-sighted
policies without acknowledging re–
sponsibili ty toward their neighbors
and without relying upon the guid–
ance and direction of their Creator,
no solutions to mankind's dilemmas
are in sight.
It is only the intervention of a
righteous and all powerful God -
enforcing his way of life on all in–
habitants of this earth - that will
finally and permanently solve man–
kind's mammoth problems. h was
true in the days of the prophets, and
it remains true today.
o
PLAIN TRUTH October-November 1974