Watching the World
Who Wants the Kids?
“Take the Children Dear, I’ll Have the Cash.” This headline in the Mainichi Daily News summed up the answers of many Japanese women as to what they would want to keep if they ever divorced. According to a recent survey by Hakuhodo, an advertising company, the top three priorities are bank savings, cash, and vacation homes. Fourth came sons, followed by daughters, then homes, television sets, works of art, and handbags. Fathers too have little time for their children. A separate survey by Tokai Bank found that 69 percent of Japanese fathers say they are too busy with work to spend time talking to their children. In fact, 22 percent say they have nothing in common with their children to discuss anyway.
Catholic Occultists
Fascination with the paranormal seems to be infecting an increasing number of Catholics. Catholic clergymen are asking for abolition of the “ecclesiastical ban on the practice of spiritism,” says the Catholic weekly Il Sabato. Because of their interest in the occult, some Catholic leaders and their followers are known as “Cath-occultists.” They are convinced that they can contact the dead, film them with a video camera, and record their voices with a tape recorder. The academy of a pontifical university has offered a very popular course in paranormal studies. But not everyone approves. A Jesuit who teaches at another papal university stated: “There is a safer and more noble way of talking with the dead: prayer.” The Bible, however, explains that the dead are not conscious and that it is not possible to communicate with them, whatever method is used.—Ecclesiastes 9:5.
Fatter Children—Why?
“Today’s children are fatter and more sedentary than ever before,” reports The Toronto Star. “Obesity among children has increased quite dramatically in the last 20 years,” claims Dr. Oded Bar-Or, a director of children’s nutrition at Chedoke-McMaster Hospitals in Hamilton, Canada. Studies suggest that lack of exercise and a balanced diet are to blame. If the trend continues, doctors fear that there will be a sharp decline in the fitness level of children. According to the Star, doctors have already “identified lack of exercise as a risk factor for . . . coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and osteoporosis.” Dr. Bar-Or concludes that “an inactive child is likely to be an obese adult.” He recommends an active life-style.
Plagued by Severe Headaches
Experts estimate that some 15 million persons in the Federal Republic of Germany suffer from various types of severe headaches. One of the most common forms is migraine, which affects women four times as often as men. A migraine attack lasts about 18 hours, and it is generally agreed that there is no cure for this ailment. Furthermore, the newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung reports that “at least 1.5 million Germans suffer from constant headaches caused by painkillers.” The problem develops when someone takes painkillers regularly over a period of years to relieve headaches. The newspaper added that the only effective therapy for this type of headache is to stop taking the drugs.
A Cure for Leprosy
Should lepers be shunned or denied employment? Not according to an article in the South African journal Farmer’s Weekly. Okkie Kruger of the Leprosy Mission stated: “Within a few hours of starting treatment, they are no longer infectious and can lead normal lives with their families.” Nor will the victims be permanently disabled if they receive treatment early enough, as “considerable progress has been made in treating the disease during the past decade” with a multidrug therapy. Farmer’s Weekly reported that according to the World Health Organization, there are between 10 million and 15 million people with leprosy in the world.
Smoke Pollution
Does cigarette smoking improve thinking ability? Many smokers claim that it does. Recent research in the United States, however, indicates just the opposite. Smoking reduces concentration and impairs long-term memory, says the Guardian Weekly in a report on a study conducted at Washington College in Maryland. Smoking was also found to impair reaction time. In a test of driving skills, smokers were found to be 3.5 times more likely than nonsmokers to have driving accidents. The reason? Doctors suspect that long-term smoking may affect the blood supply to areas of the brain that process information.
Failing the Test of Honesty
An armored truck transporting money bags from a New York City bank accidentally dropped two bags on one of the busiest highways in the city. Traffic was brought to a sudden halt. The bags “burst open, showering motorists with dollar bills for several minutes,” reports Newsday. Of the more than $300,000 in the bags, only some $3,500 was recovered. Generally, in New York it is illegal to keep money found when it exceeds $20. Describing the incident, one official said: “It was like throwing out a piece of meat to sharks. People were just grabbing money from each other.” Someone suggested to a police spokesman that a special telephone number be established for those who wished to return the money. The spokesman reportedly “seemed momentarily stunned, then laughed.”
The Return of the Killing Germs
Scientists seem to have underestimated the resilience of some disease-causing microbes. After years of widely acclaimed victories over dangerous germs, “doctors are reporting increasing difficulty in treating a range of infections,” reports U.S.News & World Report. The magazine noted that some microbes are manifesting “clever genetic strategies that are allowing them to outpace the development of new antibiotics.” Hospitals, day-care centers, and homeless shelters are becoming breeding grounds for diseases such as meningitis and tuberculosis. Included among the reasons for the increased germ activity is the fast-moving human invasion of previously undisturbed lands. “As humans have spread and outnumbered other animals, they have become more inviting targets,” noted U.S.News & World Report. One expert says that “for parasites and pathogens, humans are now the host of choice.”
Television’s Appeal
If you were offered one million dollars to give up television for life, would you do it? Interestingly, 1 in every 4 Americans would not, reports the International Herald Tribune. According to a survey commissioned by TV Guide magazine, half of those surveyed said they would not give up TV for less than a million dollars. In contrast, 1 in 4 said he was willing to quit TV for life for as little as $25,000. Most people said they watched less TV than they did two years ago, but only 1 person in 8 felt guilty about watching too much television.
Money and the Church
According to La Maga, an Argentinean journal, a mere 3 percent of Argentinean Catholics attend Mass. However, Argentina remains the only country in the world with an article in its Constitution ordering the government to support the Catholic Church financially. Laws have been enacted stipulating high salaries for Argentinean bishops and other Catholic officials. After adding the cash, exemptions, subsidies, and other privileges granted, the total value of government aid comes to a yearly minimum of 246 million pesos ($245 million, U.S.). Where does the money come from? From the government. But the government gets it from “all Argentineans—regardless of their religious belief,” says La Maga.
The Fight Against Car Thieves
Hidden transmitters, small enough to hold in your hand, are helping police trace stolen cars, reports the International Herald Tribune. One company in the United States, which has equipped nearly 150,000 cars with the $600 homing device, claims that 95 percent of the 3,500 transmitter-equipped cars that have been stolen since 1986 have been recovered. In an effort to avoid capture, some thieves now drive a stolen car only a few miles and then park it. If the car is not recovered in several days, the thieves assume it is not fitted with a transmitter.
Abortions Kill Mothers Too
It is estimated that “every minute a woman dies as a consequence of pregnancy and childbirth,” reports the magazine Choices. The magazine adds that “over half a million mothers die each year from pregnancy-related causes. And for every woman who dies, 100 others are left sick or disabled.” In Latin America, about 1 in every 73 women dies from pregnancy complications. In Asia, it is estimated that 1 in every 54 women dies; and in Africa, 1 in 21. These figures are very high when compared with the ratio of 1 in every 10,000 in Western Europe. The causes for pregnancy-related deaths include “abortion, which alone is responsible for more than 200,000 of the 500,000 maternal deaths that occur worldwide each year,” noted Choices.