ES MARCH 1966 The Edge of the Precipice-6 CHECKMATE ! IN THIS twentieth century the world is like a Famine. Linked with the population explosion is gigantic chess-board on which humanity is playing a the threat of a global lack of food which, in the words desperate game for life itself against forces which it of Dr. Raymond Ewall, of the State University of does not comprehend and cannot control; forces that New York, is "the greatest and most nearly insoluble are using the very elements of nature itself to defeat problem in the history of the world." He is only one humanity. And among the many frightening aspects of the many to voice such fears. Said another scien- of the whole situation is this, that often man seems tist: "World food production cannot hope to keep to be a pawn used by these malignant powers to de- pace with our rocketing population—any more than feat and destroy himself. a running man can catch up with an express train." When, in a game of chess, a player finds his king As a result a great world famine is predicted to piece in a position where it is trapped, and cannot be begin in the next four or five years which "may kill defended or rescued, he knows that he has been billions," to quote one newspaper headline. "checkmated," and that nothing further can be done. Global Water Crisis. "Almost every nation has He has lost the game. water-shortage areas, or is facing the prospect of In this column over the last five months we water shortages in the near future," stated a writer have been considering not one, but a number of situa- in The Times of India a few months ago. And Presi- tions of the gravest magnitude which, to our minds, dent Johnson stated that "there is no newer or more plainly show that humanity is in a position of check- vital frontier" than the challenge of solving the water mate from which it cannot of itself escape. problem. Let us briefly review the evidences we have been Look on a map at almost any part of the world; presenting in establishing our conclusions. India, Africa, the Near East, China, South America, The Thermonuclear Bomb. In this "ultimate North America, Australia, and you are looking at an weapon," this "hell bomb," mankind has created with area where there are water problems or threatening his own hands a monster which is capable of destroy- water problems. And, while efforts are being made to ing him, as Russia's former Prime Minister solve the problem they are pitifully inadequate in Khrushchev pointed out. And there are men in a posi- view of the colossal needs looming ahead. tion to know who are convinced that this is just what Here, then, are four conditions, any one of which will happen. Dr. Harold C. Urey, one of the de- may be sufficient to virtually wipe out the human velopers of the atom bomb, stated in an interview race: The thermonuclear bomb, a catastrophic popu- recently: "A flaming end is inevitable, for someday lation explosion, famine, and a world-wide water there will be someone at the head of a government crisis. The last three of these affect basic essentials of crazy enough to turn loose atomic destruction." life, it will be noted: living space, food, and water. The Population Explosion. The world popula- Take away either of them and life cannot be sus- tion is increasing at express train speed. "Unless the tained. world's soaring birthrate is drastically checked civili- Yet not only one, but three of them, are gravely zation as we know it is doomed," said Professor Denis threatened, so much so that our leaders do not really Gabor, of Imperial College, London. "Governments know the answer to our problems. They are, to re- will collapse, law and order will vanish, mass rioting, peat a statement quoted early in this series: "Little plagues and disease will sweep the earth." And Pro- men with little minds throwing little words at gigantic fessor Dana E. Harlow, of the University of Massa- problems." chusetts, stated: "Scientists predict that by the year 2000 there will be one square foot of land for each Is there any solution to these problems, or is human being through the world. By land I mean all humanity's long, sad road nearing an appalling end? land from grazing meadows and ploughed fields to We believe there is a satisfactory solution. Only lofty mountains and dry deserts." Such a situation one. We shall discuss it in our concluding article in would be intolerable, of course. But how to escape it? this series next month. 2 OUR TIMES MARCH 1966 VOLUME 8, NUMBER 3 The British National Electronics ARTICLES Research Council has inaugurated SDI—"Selective Distribution of Information"—a project to read HOW TO HAVE PEACE OF MIND 5 and catalogue the thousands of scientific papers published yearly around the world. A computor will WHAT IS GOD LIKE? 6 make synopses of information which will be made available to SATISFIED WITH SILVER 8 every Commonwealth country. Speaking of the project, Lord NEARING THE FINAL SECRETS 10 Mountbatten, chairman of the Council, said: "When we finish, we propose to put this country GOD'S LOVE FOR MAN 12 [England] right on top of the world." WHEN BLUE DAYS COME 20 The staggering fact was brought out at the UNESCO world con- FEATURES ference on illiteracy that despite all efforts put forward, the num- Events and Trends 2 For Juniors 17 ber of world's illiterates increased by 35 millions between 1952 and 1960. Editorial 4 Mark Your Bible 18 While addressing the members Editor: THOMAS A. DAVIS of "Young Europe" organization Assistant Editor: GEORGE C. THOMAS in Rome, Pope Paul VI said that in spite of grave obstacles "we Layout Artist: A. C. MOSES have firm belief that the cause of Contributing Editors: M. E. Cherian, N. G. Mookerjee the unification of Europe will Circulation Manager: G. W. Maywald finally overcome all difficulties. International Correspondents: These can truly block and slow Kalee Paw, BURMA; R. S. Fernando, CEYLON; E. Y. Kim, KOREA; down unification, but they cannot Damin Batoebara, INDONESIA; Takashi Saito, JAPAN; definitely cut off the road toward F. M. Sajid, PAKISTAN. the unity of peoples whose history and geography tend to make them A SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST PUBLICATION issued monthly by the ORIENTAL mutually understandable." WATCHMAN PUBLISHING HOUSE, P. 0. Box 35, Poona 1, India. 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EXPIRY NOTICE: X on wrapper of magazine indicates subscription has expired. PICTURE CREDITS Cover: Colour transparency by D. Kasbekar. Owned by the General Conference of Seventh-clay Adventists (Southern Asia Division), Salis- bury Park, Poona. Printed and published by V. Raju at and for the Oriental Watchman 5, 8, 12—G. T. Zachariah; 6—Vidyavrata; Publishing House, Salisbury Park, Poona 1. 1550-66. 11—HSIS. MARCH 1966 3 THE GOOD LIFE EVERY BODY craves for what we may call the good life. Of course, one person's idea of what the good life is may differ from another's, for this individual may believe that it comes from a con- tinual round of pleasure, a second thinks it comes by being surrounded by luxuries, a third feels it is found in travel, and so on. But the person who lives the truly good and satisfying life is the Christian, for while he may have few of the things that others possess he has an inward contentment and joy that no external posses- sions or surroundings can give. Someone once remarked to a Christian who had been a long time as a follower of Jesus, "You have sacrificed a great deal for your religion. Sup- pose, when you come to the end of your life you find your hope has been false, and there is no reward in an after-life after all. What then?" The old Christian answered, "Even if I should discover that my hope of the future has been a mirage I shall still conclude that living the Christian life has been worth-while." What led him to this conclusion? Simply that he had discovered that when one squares his life by the principles of Christianity he is conforming best to the laws of his being which make for happiness.