26. What do we say concerning our own children and their training?

²⁶ For our children we want right ways, which means Jehovah’s ways; right steps, which means Jehovah’s steps; and en route to the new world we want their way marked by moral uprightness instead of degraded misconduct, and by works of praise instead of misdeeds of delinquency. And in the midst of mounting godlessness we do not just helplessly sit by and wring our hands and chew our nails and worry and wishfully hope our children do not get sunk in the sordid seas of the old world. We keep them sailing along with the New World society by giving good instruction, by setting right examples, by administering necessary discipline. Let the worldly wiseacres say that if we discipline our children we hate them. Their undisciplined children will die with them at Armageddon, but our disciplined ones will live with us forever in Jehovah’s New World society. So who are the real haters of their children, and who are the real lovers of children? Who guide theirs to death, and who lead theirs to life? Why train our children in the ways of the old world just so they can die with it? We will train them in the ways of the New World society so they can survive with it forever. Forget the way that seems right to men; learn the way that is right to God. What do we care if the way that is right to God seems wrong to men? Whom are we trying to please, God or men? Jehovah God, first, last and always!

27. So what do we conclude?

²⁷ You parents know what you must do. You children know what you must do. Jehovah knows what he will do. If we obey him, he will do things for us. If we disobey him, he will do things to us. Remember, the meek will inherit the earth; the rebellious will return to the earth. Let us try to inhabit it, not return to it. This is the day of decision. We must make our decision, the old world must make its, and eternal destiny hangs in the balance. So in conclusion we say: If it seems bad in their eyes to choose Jehovah’s way, let them choose in this day of Jehovah whose direction they will take and whose way they will choose; but as for us and all the new-world-society household, we will make Jehovah our God the director of our steps and the chooser of our ways, all to the eternal good of the thousands of children in our midst, and the thousands more who will yet be among us before Armageddon strikes, and the multitudes that will yet be born to the other sheep in the endless new world now at hand! May Jehovah help all parents in the New World society rear their children for the New World society.

Questions From Readers

Is it permissible to cross plants or animals to get hybrids, in view of the Genesis decree that each kind should bring forth after its kind?—F. B., United States.

When Jehovah God created plant life he decreed that it should by shoot or seed reproduce “according to its kind.” When he created the great variety of water creatures they were ordained to propagate themselves “according to their kinds,” and also “every winged flying creature according to its kind.” (Gen. 1:11, 12, 21, NW) The primary requisite in this discussion is the definition of “kind” as the Bible uses it. On pages 112 and 113 of “Make Sure of All Things” a Scriptural definition is given, as follows: “A family or group of living creatures or things that are interfertile among themselves, but not fertile with others outside their family. (That is, whose sex cells will unite to form, or begin to form, an offspring; but with those of another ‘kind’ or family are absolutely incompatible and unable to unite.)” This definition is the same as the old definition once given to “species.” Then “species” was used to mean the offspring of a single specially created pair. But with the advent of the false theory of evolution “species” has changed meaning and according to present-day scientific usage numerous species may all be of the one Biblical kind. When variations occur within the one kind evolutionists speak of some of them as new species and as evidence that species change; according to their narrowed-down definition of “species” it is true, but species do not change if we hold to the old definition of the term and which coincides with the above definition of the Biblical kind.

With this foundation laid, the question can be answered clearly. There is no prohibition against man’s developing of new varieties of plants and animals through selection or mutations or cross-breeding. Any hybrids he may be able to produce through his breeding experiments are not violations of Genesis’ decree that life reproduce according to its kind. Why not? Because if plants or animals are interfertile and produce offspring they are of the same kind; there is no stepping over the kind boundary. It is impossible to overstep this boundary, for Jehovah so created the kinds. Man cannot violate the Genesis decree concerning kinds, because two different kinds are not interfertile and no offspring could result. Through selective breeding and cross-breeding and mutations a great variety of plants or animals may be developed, but they are all within the boundary of their kind. Science is without evidence to successfully dispute this.