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Welcome to the “Living Hope” District ConventionsThe Watchtower—1979 | May 15
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SAN ANTONIO, TEX. (Spanish only), Convention Center Arena, S. Alamo & Market Sts. SAN FRANCISCO, CALIF., Cow Palace, Geneva Ave. SPRINGFIELD, MASS., Civic Center, 1277 Main St. WOODBURN, ORE. (Spanish only), Jehovah’s Witnesses Assembly Hall, 1510 N. Pacific Hwy.
July 26-29: CHICAGO, ILL. (Spanish only), Jehovah’s Witnesses Assembly Hall, 7859 S. Ashland Ave. CINCINNATI, OHIO, Riverfront Coliseum, 100 Broadway. E. RUTHERFORD, N.J., Giants Stadium, New Jersey Sports Complex. EL PASO, TEX. (Spanish only), County Coliseum, 4000 E. Paisano Dr. HOUSTON, TEX., Astroarena, Fannin & 610 S. Loop Fwy. INGLEWOOD, CALIF., Hollywood Park Race Track, 1050 S. Prairie Ave. LAKELAND, FLA., Civic Center, 700 Lemon St. PUYALLUP, WASH., Fairgrounds Grandstand, Cor. Meridian & 9th Ave. SW. SPRINGFIELD, MASS., Civic Center, 1277 Main St. WILLOUGHBY, OHIO (Spanish only), Jehovah’s Witnesses Assembly Hall, 38025 Vine St.
August 2-5: ELMONT, N.Y. (Spanish & Portuguese only), Belmont Park Race Track, Hempstead Tpk. at Cross Island Pkwy. INGLEWOOD, CALIF. (Korean also), Hollywood Park Race Track, 1050 S. Prairie Ave.
August 8-11 (Note: Wednesday through Saturday): NEW YORK, N.Y. (Chinese only), Yung Wing School Auditorium, 40 Division St.
August 9-12: ELMONT, N.Y. (Italian also), Belmont Park Race Track, Hempstead Tpk. at Cross Island Pkwy. INGLEWOOD, CALIF. (Japanese also), Hollywood Park Race Track, 1050 S. Prairie Ave. LONG ISLAND CITY, N.Y. (French only), Jehovah’s Witnesses Assembly Hall, 44-17 Greenpoint Ave.
August 16-19: ELMONT, N.Y. (Greek & Korean also), Belmont Park Race Track, Hempstead Tpk. at Cross Island Pkwy. LONG ISLAND CITY, N.Y. (French only), Jehovah’s Witnesses Assembly Hall, 44-17 Greenpoint Ave.
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Questions From ReadersThe Watchtower—1979 | May 15
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Questions From Readers
● Is the use of the birth-control device known as the IUD (intrauterine device) compatible with Christian principles?
An IUD is a small object inserted into a woman’s uterus as a birth-control measure. Of particular concern to Christians is whether the IUD functions in a way that is basically abortive. There is increasing evidence that it does.
The matter can best be understood by considering the normal course of events in pregnancy. A female egg or ovum comes from a woman’s ovary and enters her fallopian tube. Male sperm that have passed up through her uterus may meet the ovum in the tube. When fertilization (conception) occurs there, a new life has begun. In about a week the fertilized ovum (blastocyst) reaches the uterus and becomes implanted in its lining, to which it will be attached for the remainder of the pregnancy.
For many years there were conflicting theories as to how an IUD functioned. In The Watchtower of December 15, 1969, we pointed out that some scientists then believed that an IUD prevented the sperm from reaching and fertilizing the egg. Yet other authorities held that it permits conception but interferes with implantation. Regarding this latter possibility, it was explained that such “would amount to abortion from a Biblical standpoint.” (Ex. 23:26; 1 Cor. 15:8, footnote, NW; Moffatt) Yet, in view of the fact that even experts were divided over how the IUD functioned, the view was expressed that each concerned married couple would have to make a conscientious decision.
In the intervening years doctors have done much research into the IUD’s mode of action. What have they learned?
A lengthy article on the subject in the Canadian Medical Association Journal of January 7, 1978, concluded:
“The exact mechanism of action of the IUD is not known. Several effects have been noted with the IUD in place and probably a combination of these contribute to its contraceptive action.”
The article mentioned some of these effects:
1. “The IUD interferes mechanically with implantation.”
2. It produces an inflammatory reaction in the uterus, with resulting cells that engulf and interfere with the sperm [and the blastocyst, according to other researchers].
3. Increased muscular action of the fallopian tubes or uterus, so that the egg [fertilized or not] moves along too quickly.
4. Alteration of the biochemical state of the uterine lining where the fertilized egg would have to implant.
Additional comments were made about IUD’s containing copper, which seems to “have additional mechanisms of action,” such as: decreasing sperm motility, producing enzyme changes in the uterus’ lining that retard implantation, and more pronounced inflammatory reaction.
Such technical discussions usually include some comment about the possibility that the IUD may interfere with the sperm before fertilization can occur. However, most of the descriptions of how the IUD likely functions involve its preventing implantation after conception has occurred. The American Family Physician (Nov. 1977) observed: “Animal experiments have shown that the copper IUD exerts its contraceptive action mainly by preventing implantation.”
Even with an IUD in place actual developing pregnancies sometimes occur. There is also evidence of increased risk of ectopic (extrauterine) pregnancy, such as in the fallopian tubes. The last-quoted article concludes:
“While the IUD is effective in preventing over 98 percent of intrauterine pregnancies, it is less than 90 percent effective in preventing tubal pregnancies. If a patient becomes pregnant while she still has an IUD in place, the chances are more than one in 20 that the pregnancy is ectopic [extrauterine].”
The Canadian Medical Association Journal says:
“Among pregnancies occurring with the IUD in place the spontaneous abortion rate is 41%, . . . In contrast, the rate among pregnancies in women without an IUD is 10% to 15%.”
Many persons who condone deliberate abortion hold that (after conception) until an embryo reaches an age of a certain number of weeks no life or living person is involved. But the Creator of life, Jehovah God, expresses no such view in his Word. On the contrary, the Bible makes it plain that God recognizes and respects a life even in its early embryonic development. (Ps. 139:13-16; Jer. 1:5) Under the Mosaic law an action that caused the termination of that developing life merited severe punishment.—Ex. 21:22, 23.a
Such respect for life comes into the picture when considering the question of using an IUD. The fact is that at present no man can state with absolute certainty whether the IUD does prevent conception from occurring. There is mounting evidence, instead, that with an IUD in place conception can or does take place and that the product of conception is prevented from developing normally into a child. The sincere Christian concerned about the propriety of using an IUD should seriously weigh such information in the light of a Bible-based respect for the sanctity of life.
[Footnotes]
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Jesus—Was He God?The Watchtower—1979 | May 15
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Jesus—Was He God?
In the fourth century C.E. clerics of the Roman Catholic Church formulated the Trinity doctrine, which claims that Jesus was equal to his Father and part of a triune deity. However, many careful Bible students have held that the Scriptures actually do not support this widely taught doctrine.
Volume 2 of The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology (1976) considers this matter. It acknowledges that there are “a few N[ew] T[estament] texts [that] raise the question whether the Son of God is also called God.” But what is the overall picture found in the “New Testament,” or Christian Greek Scriptures? This dictionary states:
“Jesus Christ does not usurp the place of God. His oneness with the Father does not mean absolute identity of being. Although the Son of God in his pre-existent being was in the form of God, he resisted the temptation to be equal with God (Phil. 2:6). In his earthly existence he was obedient to God, even unto death on the cross (Phil. 2:8). He is the mediator, but not the originator, of salvation (2 Cor. 5:19; Col. 1:20; Heb. 9:15), the lamb of God who bears the sins of the world (Jn. 1:36). After the completion of his work on earth he has indeed been raised to the right hand of God (Eph. 1:20; 1 Pet. 3:22) and invested with the honour of the heavenly Kyrios, Lord (Phil. 2:9 f.). But he is still not made equal to God. Although completely coordinated with God, he remains subordinate to him. (cf. 1 Cor. 15:28). This is true also of his position as eternal high priest in the heavenly sanctuary according to Heb. (Heb. 9:24; 10:12 f.; cf. Ps. 110:1). He represents us before God (cf. also Rom. 8:34). If in Rev. 1:13 ff. the appearance of the heavenly son of man is described with features from the picture of the ‘Ancient of Days’ (God) of Dan. 7, this is not to say that Christ is equal with God. In Rev. a distinction is always made between God and the ‘Lamb’.”
Surely the overall view of the Scriptures points to the fact that Jesus was not God as the Trinity doctrine claims.
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