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AREWE NEGLECTING YOUTH?

OURNATION'S
Parentsare increasingly neglecting their most important responsibility, often with tragic results. lt is time to take a closerlook at this important subiect, for the youth of today are the adults of tomorrow.
rvER have our young people had more leisuretime, better food, better education,or more material goods.Yet youthful violence, and hostilityis aggression, morepronounced than in any period of modernhistory. Forty percentof and United Statescrimesof violence property two thirdsof crimes against (807oof vandalism) are committed by those undertwenty-one. And the U.S.is by no means alone in this phenomenon. Youth crime in almost and violence are epidemic all "advanced" countries. "We are experiencing a breakdown in the process of makinghuCornell manbeings human,"stresses psychologist and careerchild watcher Urie Bronfenbrenner. It would be grossly misleading to implicate that all modernyouth are turning out "bad."Thcreareinnumwith which erable notable exceptions we areall familiar.Still, our children and young adults-tomorrow's most valuableand important resourceare temptedto respond to alluring but warped social forces that havealready pusheduntold numbersinto heartache,disillusionment,and ruinedlives. Parents on the Run. Many forces havecaused but withouta thiscrisis. doubtthe biggest singlefactoris that youth and parentsincreasingly are goingtheir separate ways. Havinglosttheirspiritual andmoral roots,manyparents are running, manyliterally,from oneof the most important responsibilities in life:that of preparing the future generation undertheir chargeto become intelligent, self-disciplined, responsible, productive, decenthumanbeings. "An increasing numberof parents
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their responsibility for haveresigned Dr. of theirchild,"says thecharacter of sociolAmitai Etzioni, professor "It's as ogy at Columbia University. as that." elementary of work, Caughtup in a whirlwind activities, social. or entertainment havelittle time,desire, manyparents to showaffection or to give or energy positivetraining and disciplineto Yet these are the batheir offspring. of "makinghumanbesic dssentials ingshuman." Finding their children irritating. unrewarding, or "in the ungrateful, have cometo reway," manyparents senttheir children. of social staBacked up by stacks agencies. tistics from government pointsto an alarmBronfenbrenner fact: Upsidedown ing but irrefutable homesand family fracture. while in poor and nonwhite more serious groups, cut right across all income. categories. race,and education the problem,more To compound women to desmodern are beginning ert their homeand family. In some places,wives actually outnumber husbands as runawaysWorking Mothers.Anotherwell-established trend-the desire of mothers to pursue a career outside the home-hasn't improvedoverallparor character ent-childrelationships training. mothers of Onethird of American preschool childrenare in the labor force.More than half of our schoolage childrennow havemotherswho work outsidethe home, mostly full time.While this is not to sayit is always harmful for mothersto work on outsidethe home(much depends the family circumstance, ageof children, and quality of training),this
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situation has produced a growing number of neglected children who barely see or know their parents, or vice versa. Worst Fruit from Child Rearing Extremes. While broken homes often engendera great deal of youthful probl ems. much dehumani zing is done in intact homes where childis rearing extremesor inconsistency the rul e. Untold numbersof homesare not where chilhomes.but battlegrounds dren and parents endlessly"fight it out." with man)' parentsintimidated and cou' eri ng before thei r child's everv selfishwhim. In too manl'homesat the other exwhimsical, treme. harsh, oppressive, or capri ci ous parental di sc ipline leavesa variety of deep scars on its youthful victims.The toll of emotional l y and ph1' si cal l y battere d and abusedchildren mounts up into the hundreds of thousandsevery year. In between are a large group of parental oscillators;they swing back and forth between being too strict and too lenient.Unhappy with the remany just sultsof their inconsistency, give up and take the path of least resistance. P arenti ng-A D yi ng A rt. P ar ent al influenceis rapidly diminishing to a very low point. Many parentsseemto be blindly apathetic or demoralized while a growing list of ersatz "parents" i ndoctri nate thei r ch ildr en with questionable values and attitudes. For many youngerchildren,television-with its violenceand inanityis frequently used as a flickering electronic parent. TV now occupies rrrore waking hours of millions of young children than any other single

i n fl u enc e- inc luding b o th p a re n ts a n d sc hc r ols . Pec-rrroups. schools. preschools, a n d r' ; r r ir r us c hild- c a rec e n te rsh a v e u l s.r ta k enov ert he r o l e th a t to o ma n y p .rre nt \ s eem r eluc t a n t to p e rfo rm. \\ i i i e nt r neof t hes ea re n e c e s s a ri l y \\rrrn g.and in s om e re g a rd sm a y b e q u i te benef ic ial. none l u l fi l l th e m a Itrr re spons ibilit i, of p re p a ri n gy o u th fo r mat ur e. r es ponsi b l a e d u l th o o d . Evenafter six yearsof lormal schooling, though,an average child hasspent percentof his or her life in onll' seven school. Ninety-three percent of the child'slife has beeninfluenced by the moral.ethical.and socialvaluesof the home, neighborhood. friends,community,or church. So w it hout t he ac t i v ep a rti c i p a ti o n o l p a rent s or guar d i a n s w h o v a l u e a n d e x hibit s om e m e a s u re o f th e q u a l i tiesof r es pec tc , o o p e ra ti o na , nd concernfor others,there is almost no p o ssi b ilit yt hat t he n e x t g e n e ra ti o n ca n l e ar n t hem . "Wh at is needed ,"s a y s Bro n fe n b re n ner ," is a c hang ei n o u r w a y s o f l i vi n g t hat will onc e a g a i n b ri n g a d u l ts bac k int o t he l i v e so f c h i l d re n a n d childr en bac k in to th e l i v e s o f a d ul ts. " Pa re n t s in Need of H e l p . R e s p o n s i b l c p a r ent sdar e not d e p e n do n h o p e a n d l u c k t o f as hionth e c ri ti c a l a tti tu d cs t her v alue in th e i r c h i l d re n . \\ c' cr r Dnt r tr eallv ex p e c t d e s i ra b l e b ch a v it r t r n our c hildr e ni f w e h a v e n ' t d trfl c'our hom esc r k e a rl y i n th e i r l i l e s. To a lar gedegr e e w . e re a pw h a t
\\ e SL)$ .

WAYWARD TEEN-AGERS' ADVICE TO PARENTS


Severalyears ago, a minister, C. Galea,wasassigned to the Guelph CorrectionalCentre for summer work. During his time therehe developedan excellentrapport with the younglawbreakers there.After becoming acquainted with them,he askedthe boys to delve into their backgrounds for clues as to why they had endedup in that institution for delinquents. He asked them to drawup a "codefor parents," using as a basisspecific areaswhere their own parents had failed.Here is what they advised: l. Keep cool. Don't lose your temperin the crunch.Keepthe lid go wrong. on whenthings Kidsneed the reassurance that comes from controlled responses. 2. Don't get strungout from too much booze or too many pills. When we seeour parents reaching for thosecrutches, we get the idea that nobodygoesout there alone, that it's perfectlyokay to go for a whenthingsget bottleor a capsule heavy. Remember, your children aregreatimitators. And we loserespectfor parentswho tell us to behaveoneway whiletheyare behaving another way. 3. Bug us a little. Be strict and consistent in dishingout discipline. Show us who'sboss.It gives.us a feelingof securityto know'we've got some strongsupports underus. 4. Don't blow your class.Kep the dignity of parenthood. Stay on that pedestal. Your childrenhave put you there because they need
Ma n y p arentsdo not understand th e e m o ti onal or i ntel l ectual needs of th e i r c h i l d r en.Many parentsare unw i tti n g l y rei nforci ng i n thei r chi l dren th e v e ry h abi ts they w ant to el i mi n a te . l a rg e l y from an i mproper app ro a c h o r wrong emoti onalcommuw i th thei r chi l dren. n i c a ti o n s N o p a re nti s perfect.A nd a chi l d i s not usually destroyedby a few mistakes. Every parent can improve on th e p a re n ti ngart: yet i t w i l l take effo rt to g et the proper bal ance of knowledge,methods,and attitudes.

Th e r e is a c r it ic al p e ri o d d u ri n g the trrst lour or llve vears rr hen a ch i l d c an nt os t r ead i l \ g e t a s o l i d l o u n d a t ion ol pr ope r a tti tu d e s a n d va l u e s.W e m us t not fa i l th e g e n e ra ti o n w hic h is s t ill r es p o n s i vto e sound va l u e sand pr inc iples o f g o o dc h a ra c te r. To o f r equent ly y o u n g . i m m a ru re or unpreparedmen and women find th e ms elv es s addled wi th th e re s o o n s i b i l i tl of an im pr es s i o n a b l e h.e l p l e s s i n fa n t about whic h t he y k n o w a l m o s t n trl h i n g. Hou' many parents have received rrn ei o t a of f or m al t r ain i n gi n th e v e ry cn ti cal ar eaof c hild r e a ri n g ?S o c i e ty d e n rrrnds t hat t hos ew h o ra i s ec h i c k en r l n d pigs hav em ore tra i n i n g th a n th tr:c r r h( rr ear c hildr e n .W h a t a tra g e d r and lr av es t y !

someone to look up to. Don't try to dress, dance, or talk like your kids. You embarrass us and you look ridiculous. 5. Light a candle.Show us the way. Tell us God is not dead,sleeping, or on vacation. We needto believe in somethingbigger and strongerthan ourselves. 6. If you catchus lying,stealing, or being cruel, get tough. Let us knowwnv what we did waswrong. Impress on usthe importance of not repeating suchbehavior. When we needpunishment, dish it out. But let us know you still love us, even thoughwe havelet you down.It'll make us think twice before we makethe samemoveagain. 7. Call our bluff. Make it clear that you meanwhat you say.Don't bewishy-washy. Don'tcompromise. And don't be intimidatedby our threats to drop out of schoolor leave home. Standfirm. If you collapse,we will know we beat you down, and we will not be happy about the "victory." Kids don't want everything they askfor. 8. Be honestwith us. Tell the truth no matter what. And be straight-arrow aboutit. Lukewarm We can answers make us uneasy. smelluncertainty a mileaway.This with praise. meansbeinggenerous If you give us kids a few complimentsoncein a while, we will be ableto accept criticism morereadily. We want you to tell it like it is. -Ann Landers, Field Newspaper Syndicate
W hat i s a good parent?E ver y par ent needs to know ri ght moral v alues, how to set limits, how to encourage growt h, as i ntel l ectual and emoti onal w el l as how to di sci pl i ne w it hin a framew orkof l ove. It' s a mi gh t y big task. The hel pful pri nci pl eson the f oll ow i ngpages. w hi l e not total a nswer s to every chi l d reari ng probl em , ar e solid. common-sense methods to use i n trai ni ng your chi l dren to becom e responsibleand useful members of societv. :l

CONTROLLING YOUTHFUL ENERGY


"Theglory of young men,"saysthe The longer thisagitation contin- sponsi bl e parents must provide "is theirstrength. . " (Prov. ues,the moreirritable Bible, the parents their childrenwith constructive, enprob- become. 20'.29). One of the greatest Afterall,theywouldlikea joyable outletsfor that vast reserlemsin anysociety is the harness- nice,quiet, relaxing trip! voir of dynamic,vibrantenergy. ing of the energy and vitality of its Beforelong an explosion A childshouldneverbe cut totaltakes youth. lt is alsoone of the greatest orace. ly adrift from his family unit. He "Willyou difficulties of parenthoodl kidsSHADDAP!! Justsit should be able to find exoression "JohnnylPleasesf sl/// Stop stilland be quiet!We'll get there wthin il. He should never be left exjerking andjiggling!" shouts theex- whenwe getthereandI don'twant clusrvely to his or her own devices asperated motherof a ten-year- to hearanymore aboutitl" durrng those cri ti cal format ive old."What's the matter-haveyou years (Thrs is nol to say a child Sulk. Pout.Fume. Resent gotantsin yourpants?" shefumes. The atmosphere in the car has shoul d not be taught i ndepen"Can't you ever be still and degenerated considerably since dence. self-reliance and responsiquiet?" the tripbegan. brlity ) Parentsmust striveto underParents havebeensaying things whv? stand therr childs need for conlikethatfor centuries. Simply because the parents did slant actrvrtyand provide ways for Virtually all "normal" children are not understand, nor know how to the release of that energy bundles of pent-up, explosive ener- cope with,the factorof theirchrlFamrlyoutrngs. sporls activities, gy. And that energymust be re- dren'senergy! lt's a lawof nature- hikes camp-outs,musicalendeavleased! Whenit is bottled up, sup- energy mustbe released.lt mustbe ors, bui l di ng proj ects, w restling pressed and thwarted, it builds up burntup, utilized. matcheswith Dad, walks and runs, pressures incredible in youngchilYet children oftenlack the wrs- .loggrng as a family,exercising todren. The longerenergyis sup- dom to know how lo rightly ultlize gether, etc., are all invaluable and pressedthe more frustrated the theirownvastenergy reservesWe constructiveoutlets which can be childbecomes. are told that "a child/e/l to himself shared by all of the family. Just as an experiment, (Prov. try this brings shame to hismother" Children should be taught and sometime. You are drivingalong 29:15).Children, left to theirown encouraged to "Think Family."The thefreeway or themotorway. lt'san devices, oftenusetheirenergy in a family environmentshould ideally extended trip of severalhours. destructive manner. be the most enjoyable place for There are few slops except for Thisis one of the principal rea- a chi l d to be. l t shoul d be t he gasoline or "rest" stops.As you sonswhy children coopedup and most interesting, the most satisfydrive,studythe expression on the left alonein a big-city environmenti ng. facesof your children in the rear- oftenresort to actsof viclence and A childwho cannot find satisfacview mirroras they sit, squirm, vandalism. Children cut loosetrom tion and activity withinhis own famistruggle, wrestle, tussle,tug and thewarmandcreative environmently unit will seek it elsewhere.Repullawayat eachotherin the back of closeand loving family unitfre- sponsible,perceptive parents will seatof the automobile. The longer quentlybecomeyouthlulvagrants recognizethis need and seriously they have to sit there,the worse prowling the streetsand alleysof strive to provide the right kind of theirattitudes will become. Some- cities looking for destructive outlets exciting,interes!filledenvironment timestheywillfall asleepin sheer for those pent-upenergies. Such for their children. frustration. Theymaykeepsaying, neglecton the part of parentsis Granted,it takes time and plan"Whenare we goingto gel there, one ol the key factorsinvolved parent.But in ningto be a responsible daddy?" "How much longer?""l the formation of adolescent street isn'tit worth it? Willyou do your part haveto go to the bathroom." (He gangs. in helping to control the youthful earlierl) The conclusion lustwent 15 minutes is obvious. Re- "energy crisis"? D

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Youth of Today . r r

IS THESPIRIT WHERE OF ADVENTURE?


Why do so many young people today have the blahs? Why are so many TURNED OFF? Why do they DROP OUT? Should life be so BORINGfor young people? ls there any REALADVENTURE left to be had in our times? Or are the only adventures left in our society found in sex, drugs and violence? lf you're under thirty-in age or spirit-you'd better read this article!
Trail26,492-f oot Annapurna,writes about nvrnrunE! Challenge! blazing! Conquest! New horiadventure: zons! These action-packed "As life has grown progressively
words have stirred generations of young peoplein the world over! Youth has always been keenly responsive to the challenge of adventwe, eager to tackle new and more demanding obstacles, anxious to do what has yet been undone by "the older generation."Countlesstales of courage, heroism, exploration, discover\'.and rugged adventureattest to this fact. But is this vital commodi tr o f l out h c hangingto d a y ? .\re roung peopletoday losing lle spirit o_fadventure? It depends upon what kind of "ad!e n tu re' v ou m ean! M i n d -b e n d i n g C:-uss and jaded sexual exploits are "adlenture" enoughfor many youths :C:r For others "adventure" is to ':e f..und in the revolutionarypolitic-;l ::ena-a Molotov cocktail in one :ra:.lc. lhe uritings of Lenin, Marx or \l a t rn t he ot her ! B u t i s th a t " th e :-e:l thine" l Or will these prove in :rme i'- *. phonv substitutesfor the cieepll =atisfling pursuits and acclrmrlishrnentsthat others, in other rirno and berter days. have tasted? Corne onl [f 1ou're young and aiire and 1'ou think you can 1or.l're ta ke a challenge. t ak e th i s o n e !C h a l lenge .t..,lr-tel-f.' DO f.OU gnVE Z|lE S PI RI T OF .+DV'E.\TURE? "Ad ve n t ur e" - W hat l s l t? L i s te n to \rhat \laurice Herzog, the gallant 1'oungFrenchman who led the successful l9-i0 erpedition to the top of with adveneasierover the centuries, ture disappearing from the face of the earth, man's physical organism has protested. Society's solution is sport. It is notable that sports have d e v e l o p e d most bri l l i antl y i n advanced societies.Sport has no meaning when daily life provides its parallel. "For the ultimate stageof our comfo rt-k e y e d ci vi l i zati on, man w i l l doubtless sustainhimself by consuming a variety of little pills. But just as swallowingnourishmentthrough pills will neverentirelysupplantgourmandizingand the pleasures ofthe table,so sportwill neverabolisha thirst for natural activity without training manuals o r tri c k s . A nd the sol uti on i s not a supersport [like American football. basketball,baseballl.The solution is a d v e n tu re-adventure i n u hi ch a man's totol energiesand all his physicaland mentalresources. are involved. In a d v e n t ure, muscl es. nerves. i nstincts, reflexes. even brains-in a word, the entire man-are taxed to the full" (Man Against Nature, collectedand edited by CharlesNeider, "Adventure-The Unending Challenge,"Maurice Herzog,p. xi, emphasisoursthroughout). Here, with clear reasoning, this world-famous mountaineerexemplifies the need for man to be challenged,to be alert, alive and activenot sedentary,placid, and passive!
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A Little World. Face it! For most peopletoday what was once "the big, wide world" has become "lhe little world." You know what we mean? Today it's the little world in front of the TV set. The little world of a narrow , bi g-ci ty street. The lit t le world inside the little house,or the little car or the little classroom! " W here' s i t at?" youth w a nt s t o know. They're not finding it in the little worlds they were born intoand have not yet escapedfrom. Not only is it a little world, with narrow horizons.it's also a soft world, an indoor world----ory' outdoors, a smogchoked. noise-polluted,deadly dull and boring world! Are there any true challenges left? Or have we passedthe lost frontier? What's it going to be from here on out? Just more of the same until there'sstandingroom only? Will the "adventures" of Tomorrow's llorld be about as thrilling as waiting for a bus, or punching a clock, or sitting stalled in a traffic jam? No, fortunately a much better world awaits you-rF you do your part today! Tomorrow ' s W orl d w i l l need young men and women with rugged stamina and courage.They will have to face some of the greatest challengesthe world has ever seen! Tomorrow's leaders won't be the kind of peoplewho can only sedately reflect on the problem, pose alternatives, or pass the buck. They will have to DO SOMETHING! The stresswill be on dynamic action, not

another"blue ribbon committee"to study the problem! Recognizing the needfor this kind what can you do of activeleadership, yourselffor facingtomorto prepare row'sproblems How and challenges? can you respond to the call of advento meetit ture todayand be prepared head-on tomorrow? Be Active, Not Passive! The proper functioning of your mind depends in large measure on right use of your body! Learn to use your God-given arms and legs as your Creator intended. This means exercise! It means vigorous, hard WORK.This is problems oneof the biggest of youth today-too little work and exercise. That's why so many are soft and flatulent-and plainly efe minate! Thebookof Proverbs is full of exhortations to learn to labor productively with your handsas a prime meansto diligence in life.Young menandwomen areto learnto work willingly with their hands. The Proverbs speakof thelazy manwhose hands refuse to labor(Prov. 2ll,25),andwhobecome solazy hecan hardly bring his food to his mouth (r9:24)l The legs need exercising,too. Walking anywheretoday is almost unheard of! Machines must take us we go, but they rob us of everywhere much-needed exercise.Develop a love of walking,,running, hiking. Swimmingis alsoa fine form of exercise. Learn to walk erectly,breathe deeply, and feelyour bodyrespond to your commands. This is a vital part of becoming an activeperson! Don't sit on the sidelines, watch from the bleachers, or lie sprawled in front of the TV set.Get in thereand participate! Every young person should knowa numberof teamsports and be ableto play them fairly well. Thesemight includebaseball, basketball, volleyball,touch and flag football.He shouldlearnsomeof the individual sports,too, like tennis, golf, handball, squash,racquetball and thosetaught in track and field. Even a fair level of accomplishment in theseareaswill bring you enormoussatisfaction in life-in the form of a healthybodyand alert mind,in learningthe lessons of good sportsmanship plusthe perand teamwork, sonal qualitiesof drive, determination, endurance, training,etc. Be active! Develop your skills!
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Learn to play fairly and courageously. All this stimulates the spirit of adventure and developsthe whole man! Develop a Love of the Outdoors! When Almighty God completed His marvelousphysical creation, He "saw everything that he had made, it wasvery good"!(Gen. and,behold, 1:31.) Indeedit was-and slil/ rs/ Granted,man has donea lot to pollute what He madeperfectand pure, but thereis still much to see,experience,behold,and appreciate. Forestsand woodlands are "very good." They hold fascinating sights, Mountains, sounds, and secrets. high and low, new or old, rugged or smoothare marvelons-bigger than his ability to completely man,beyond defile or "conquer." Upward they beckon with their forested slopes, cascading streams, and breathtaking views. The sea and its shore are also "very good." They too are btg and aweinspiring. Their formsof life are seemingly endless-waterbirds, fish (largeand small),clamsand crabs, lobsters All partsof the andsealions. truly " great outdoors." So are the vast,windswept Great Plains.Here are other formsof life and very beautiful scenes. Upland game birds, prairie dogs, antelope and deer,oftenagainsta backdrop of grain. shimmering seas of golden No matter where you may live. thereis a part of God'soutdoorworld to you! By simply putting available forth a little effort, even big-cit1jundwellers canescape the concrete gles of man's making to the much morebeautiful,peaceful, and inspiring world that God made!You don't haveto staypenned in andboundto a modernmegalopolis! You can start by gettinga map of your homestate.State and national park systems publishexcellent, free mapsand brochures. Evenoil compapoints ny highwaymapsshowspecial parks, of interest, recreational areas, etc.Librariesare full ofsuchpublications.Many bookstores havea special sectionfor maps and travel guides. You shouldhave no trouble finding o:utwhere to go. Some imagination will turn up theway. andingenuity Most youthstoday haveaccess to cars.Many havea car of their own. Others have motor bikes. Bicvcles

provide good exercise and cheap transportation, but shouldbe usedon less heavily trafficked roads. But you don't have to go places all by yourselfl.Thoughtful parents should take the lead in such outings! But whatever you do, don't make the mistake of thinking that if you uere born in, or now must live in, a crou' ded, nerve-j angl i ng, peoplechoked city, you are forever doomed to )'our fate. You can-and mustget out occasionally-to preserve a balanced.sane, and healthy view of life and the world around you! You need to be outdoors to develop a /ove of the outdoors! C hri st the Outdoor Man. Never forget that JesusChrist was-and is todal'-the greatest naturalist, conservationist. and outdoor man of all ti mel N oti ce uhat B ruce Bar t on writes in his book The Man Nobody Knows (The Bobbs-\lerrill Co., Inc., N ew Y ork. 1962. p. .13): " All His dayswere spentin the openair . . . on the SabbathHe *'as in the svnagogue becausethat was u'here the people were gathered.but b1'far the greater part of His teachingwas done on the shoresoi His lake. or in the cool recesses of the hills. He *'alked constantll from village to village, His face was tannedb1'the sun and wind. Even at night He slept outdoorswhen He could-turning His back on the hot walls of the city and slipping away'into the healthful freshness of the Mount of Olives. He was an energetic outdoor man.The vigorous actitities of His days gave His nerves the strength of steel." Mr. Barton gives us an accurate and fresh perspectiveof some of the physical aspectsabout the true Jesus Christ! He did not come as a soft, pedantic, effeminate teacher of nice sayingsand platitudes. He came as a MAN!!-a rugged outdoorsmanwho could lead other equally rugged and masculine men like Peter, a commerical fisherman. Men like Peter would never have followed the so-called "Jesus" the artists have portrayed for gs-4 "rnan" who looks as if he never saw the light of day! Let's follow the example of the greatest man who ever lived and who set us a perfect example! Let's develop the same kind of love for the outdoors He had and has today! The same kind of vigorous activities will

prepareus for the challenges or not He will protectus. God forbids of His wonderful World Tomorrow! such foolishness! To have God's proKeep lt Sale and Sane! If you detection, one must qualify for it! This meanswe must minimize and avoid t velop an active and energeticmind and body and a love for the outdoors, risks and hazards, not invite them! this ncxt step comes logically-you "Be Prepared." To this end,the old will naturallv want to seekout SAFE Boy Scout motto, "Be prepared," and S,,{/YE challengesand adven- should be rigidly adheredto. Solid tures! and thorough preparations include Eachqrtdor activity hasits ownparsuch considerations as proper clothtkillar cbllengc, providesits own ading and footgear,adequate and nourruture- Thc hiker and climber quests ishing food supplies,clean, pure for hb dcstination.It may be a distant water, navigational aids-map and lake where the fishing promisesto be compass-first aid training and supplies,matches, excdlent. Perhaps the goal is the sumetc.All these requiremit of a high hill or mountain.Such , ments vary according to the natureof ^ the gels tcs out a challenge. Can you outing, but certain laws of commakeit? Will yousucceed ? mon sense,restraint, safety, and judgment mtst always prevail! The fun comesfrom planning and preparing If you are young and relatively to attain the goal,and then putting forth all the effort and usi,ng inexperienced, take this word of cauall the ingenuitynecessary to do ii! tiont. Recognizeyour inexperience Hunting and fishing have their and limitationsl Usually youth does challenges, too! Theseoutdoorsports not do so unless or until they are forrequireskill, patience and technique cibly driven home-but by then it and build within the sportsman may be too late! Don't let a cut or the gainedonly in the traits of character burn, getting lost or stranded, or a outdoors. bad fall teach you this lesson the And in the goingand coming,and hard way! Be carefulin the outdoors! while on location, thereare countless Exercisejudgment and restraint! sights,sounds, and lessons-a hawk Take everyprecautionand safeguard circling overhead, within reason-suchas tellingothers the rushing of a waterfall,the lonelyhowl of a coyote whereyou're going,when you expect or wolf, the glimpse of a deer,the exto return, etc. plosion underfoot of a grouse or And aboveand beyondall your hupheasant, the impressive track of a man efforts, ask Almighty God for bear,the spoorof an elk, the amazing protection! Claim His promise of intricacy of a spider web, beautiful Psalm34:7,"The angelof the Lord rocksand crystals; tumbledand torencampethround about them that tured strata in the rocks and roadfear him, and delivereth them." You sides,wildffowers in full bloom,the can count of God'sangelicprotection startled whistle of a woodchuck, if you have done your part, and are a glorioussunset markingthe end of a Iooking to God to do His! perfectday. The programoutlinedabove-rrwc But rememberI said "SAFE AND ACTIVE. DEVELOPING A LOVE OF TI{E sANE"adventures! Why did I qualify ouTDooRs, A\lD SEEKTNG AND ACCEPTthat? Because the pursuitofdangerous INc SAFE AND SANE e,pvrvrunrs-is adventures cananddoes leadto perma- onethat will startyou inthe right direcnentinjury anddeath!Adventure youfor life's does tion. It will beginpreparing not haveto bedeath-defying andfinestadventures. andnerve- highest But make shatteringto be challengingand renomistake aboutit. n r Nor ANEND rN warding-nor shouldit be! rrsrlr! When Satanthe devil was temptBeyond the Physical Realm.There ing JesusChrist to Jin, he encour- is a world beyond the physical agedHim to jump off a high building realm-an unseen,spiritual world. while claiming the promiseof God's There is a God in heavenwho gives protection(see Matt. 4:3-6). Jesus man his very life and being for a quickly shot back the right reply, great and awesome tuneosr! Yes, "Thou shalt not tempt [or test] the there is a purposein life-c reason Lord thy God"! (Verse7). By inten- for being-and that transcending tionally putting our livesin jeopardy, purposeis the greatestadventureof we tempt or test God to seewhether all! God's plan for mankind c}a/-

lengesthe total man-physical and spirituaMt pits man againsthimself in a kind of right "competition" known only to a chosenfew, and rewards the victorious with a senseof satisfactionbeyond belief. It is God Almighty who is the Ultimate Challenger-who suppliesman with the adventure of enteringHis very own Family for all eternity! Apart from contactwith this great God, you can go on vainly searching for the meaningof it all, catching your pleasures while you can, but you will never figure out why you were born, whereyou are going, and what is the outcomeof it all! Not only will you neverappreciate God's physical "work" and creation, you will never,unaidedand on your own,find outanddiscover His truespiryouneed itualWork. Forthisadventure thebest Guidein thebusiness! You must have access to His maps, His sawy, know-how,and experience! And you mustbecome a part of His highlyorganizdexpedition. Take heart! You're on the right track this very minute as you hold this in your hands. tr

"What the WorldNeedsNow ls

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I I I CHARACTER!
With this one word, most of the world's problems could be solved. Why? How? When? Can character really be relevant to the 20th century? ls it for the young? We now find out.
HISIs A mind-shattering agewe live in! It's the age of "Mary Jane" and "Jesus Rock." Youngmusicians beatout the ampli"trips," sex fiedrhythms of the blues, and religionwhile the world'syouth jerks and cavorts mesmerically before them. Society's older members look on helplessly. Meanwhile, the Establishment while itself flounders, crime,unemployment, taxes, divorce, inflation and ecological crisessoar out of sight. To somethis is the "dawningof the age of Aquarius"as interestin the occult,associated mysticism and other "black arts" enjoysnew popularity. Bookstores stocktheir shelves with volumeson astrology, Tarot, I Ching, and witchcraft-and do a land-office business. goes," In thisageof "anything dirty bookstores "adult" and so-called pockmarkthe faceof the namovies pox. tion like chicken This is quite an age all right! And it's a toughageto grow up in! It's a thwarting and a frustrating psyage.This is a time of enormous chologicalpressures, especially on theyoung. Thepressure is on to coNFoRM, to blend with contemporaries of one's ownagegroupand"run with the pack." How Does lt Happen? How doesa young person become caughtup in the vortexof conformity? How does a lovable,seemingly innocentlittle child becometransformedinto a foul-mouthed,long-haired,potsmoking drop-out? What processes effect such a transformation? The first major influencein any child's life is, of course,his parents.Until aboutagesix, Dad and Mom are the ultimate authority on everything.
8

The child imitates their mannerisms. actions personality traits and, to a degree,their likes and dislikes. Then the child enters the school environment.A new influenceis added in the form ofthe teacher.Before long the child comes home quoting "Miss So and So." The teacher'sinfluencemay, in some cases,begin to o v e rri d e that of the parents. A s school-life continues, the child becomes increasinglyconsciousof the other children. By junior high schoolthe influence of the "peer group" may begin to outweigh that of the parentsand the te a c h e rs. A s the student passes through the high-school years, the sway of the "peer group" emerges supreme! The average young person then becomesvastly more concerned with what is "in" than with parental wishesor the desiresof his teachers! The high-school student DEspERATELY wants to be lccnprEo by his or her contemporaries! In order to accomplish all this. the teen-ager must conforrn to existing peer-groupstandardsand vogues!He must do what the other kids do and "run with the pack." To do otherwise is to invite "social ostracism. Unless th e s tu d ent fal l s i n w i th current clothing styles and musical vogues, he is an outcast! lt is not eas,l'to survive without conformingto the mores of this high-velocitysociety. Many teens find the only way to bridge the gap between the Establishment (parents, teachers, police, rulers,etc.) and their peersis to play "Jekyll and Hyde." They conduct themselvesone way around the Esta b l i s h m e nt, and another around their peers.There are changesin vocabulary, personalhabits, hair styles,
@ l97l Ambassador College All Rights Reserved

facial expressions, etc., in order to conform to the wishes of whichever group the young person is with. This constantadjustingand readjustingis a tremendousstrain on the young mind! Many youths finally resort to an open break with the Establishment. They becomepart of the growing army of disillusionedyouth "sittin' on the dock of the bay." What the World Needs Now . . . In a permissive.hedonisticand violent age the pressures to conform are gigantic and seeminglf irresistible.1t is not easy to live a clean. moral, wholesome and ultimatell' profitable life in the midst of a df ing. decadent, out-of-control society. lt is intensely dfficult to resist the pulls and lures of drugs. sexual looseness,X-rated movies. pornography, violence and all the other evils that are gnawing at the fibre of modern society. No wonder young people tend to be "turned off." But it doesn't have to lurn you

ofl!
You don't haveto be a drop-out. You don't have to conform to the antics ofa society that is rapidlyhurtling itselfinto oblivion! You shouldbe otprEnrNr.And in a POSITIVE way.Just because it is difficult to live sanelyand rightly doesn't meanit is impossible. "What the world needsnow is love,sweet love. . ." sosaysthe song. And it's true! The world does need love.But that'snot ALLrr rurros!If war-torn thisstrife-filled, old worldis to survive into a betterage,then its peopleneed somethingelse besides love.Something to make lovework. What the world desperately needs is a solid nucleusof young men and womenwith CHARACTER.

What ls Character? "Character . . . what's that?" some might say.Characteris the most necessary ingredient any person mustpossess in orderto achieve satisfaction and ultimate success in life! Without it, no personcan achievea happy, meaningful life. The acquisition of character is the key to fulfilling the wholepurposein humanlife. NorHrNc couldbe more important! Here is a good working definition of character:"True characterinvolvesthe capacityand the willingness tofind what is right, the will to choose the right way, then the strength of will to resistall other actions and impulses and DO what is right!" How many peopledo you know whoselives personifythat definition of character?Doesyours? Imagine how much the world would be changedif all mankind possessed true character? THnr's what the world nElLr-yNerosNow!! If this world really is to ulvn a tomorrow-and it shall!-then its youngmenand womenof today need to begin to develop the characterto build that tomorrow! This world needsyoung peoplewho are willing to step out into the world, seek the right way and havethe intestinalfortitude Iofollow it No MATTER wHAT. There is no room for compromise here. CharacterDevelopment-ls lt for the Young? "Religion,"assertthe young,"is for little old ladiesin felt hats!" To millionsof modernteenagers, becoming a "Christian"is the "squarest"thing they could possibly do. Youth,theyallege, is the time to "sow your wild oats" and "have a ball." Old ageis the timeto "get religion" they will claim. In reality, nothing could be farther from the truth. True religioninvolves the development of cH,rnecrrR! Today, more than ever,youth needs character. At this turbulent,crisis-filled juncture in human affairs,a solid nucleusof character-filledyoung men and women is a crying necessity. This world desperatelyneeds young peoplewho are willing to seek out whatis right,and then,in spiteof all influences to the contrary,have the courageto step out and perform it.

Only thosewilling to do so will ever achieve maximumsuccess and happinessin this life. Tomorrow's World of productivity and abundance will be made up of suchyoungleaders. Bible Examples.The Creator's InstructionBookis filled with examples of youngpeoplewho werenot afraid to demonstrate characterin spite of very trying circumstances. Such examples"were written downfor our instruction uponwhomthe endofthe ages has come" (I Cor. l0:l l, RSV). Our first casehistory is that of a young Hebrew. If he were alive today, he would most likely be named "Joe Jacobson." In Bibleterms.however,he wasknownas "Joseph."His father'snamewasJacob. was Joseph the next-to-youngest of twelvebrothers. Our story openswhen Joseph is yearsold (Gen. 37:2). seventeen Josephand his brothershad the responsibility of taking care of their father'svast flocksof sheep. As a result, the young men spent a great dealof time together. Josephwas his father's favorite sonand Jacobdid not try to hide the fact. In fact, JacobevenmadeJoseph a special multi-colored coatasa symbol of his love(verse3). Joseph tactlesslyflaunted the garment around his brothers. As a resultthe brothers jealousand hateful became intensely toward young Joseph.They spoke sarcasticallyand cynically to him (verse 4). In addition,God had inspiredJoseph to havesome dreams of prophetic significance. In the dreamsGod symbolicallyindicated that there would come a time when Joseph wouldriseabove the restof his family. In his youthful exuberance, Joseph could not help boastingabout these dreams to his brothers.This certainlydid not help matters.This only intensifled his brothers' animosity towardhim. As their anger and jealousy reached a feverpitch,the youngmen began to plot Joseph's death.However, the oldestbrother,Reuben, wasa little more levelheaded than the rest and he restrainedthem. He suggestedthey throw Joseph into a pit, from which he hopedto {ater rescue him and return him to Jacob.Judah. the more practical-minded brother,

G0lruER$01
Gan't ffou prize win the you unless the race) start
The apostle Paul likened the Christianlife to a race which must be run for the "prize" of eternal life. A oerson does not even begin his "Race," however, until he has undergonea genuine conversion. The New Testamentconcept ot conversioninvolvesmuch more than a mere intellectualor ritualisticacceptanceof a set of beliefs. True conversion can be defined in two parts. The first involves a definite event which occurs when God fulfillsHis promiseto place the Holy Spiritwithina person aftercertainconditions are met.The secondpart is a processwhich continues lhroughoutthe Christian's life. lf you'd like to know more about the Bible's teaching on conversion, requesl the free booklet Just What Do You MeanCONYERS/ON?Write to the address of our office you. nearest

followedultimately led to his being came up with a "better idea." He suggested sellingthe seventeen-year- broughtto the attentionof the Phaold boy into slavery. Some of his raoh and finally his being made the brothersthen cast Joseph into a pit Prime Minister of all Egypt. and went off to eat and to consider As a resultof his character, Joseph this latestplan. achievedglittering success. Joseph While they were eating, some fulfilled God's instruction as expressed in I Corinthians Midianite merchants 6:18. He happened by. fornication! How many others Joseph wasthen pulledout of the pit fled and sold to them for twenty silver would havedone so? But then, how pieces.They in turn, took young many others were qualified to be Joseph to Egypt, wherehe was sold PrimeMinister? (Gen.37:5-28). Daniel's Example.Danielis anothas a slave Then Joseph was purchased er sterlingexample by a of a youngteenhigh-ranking Egyptianofficernamed age boy with strong character.DanPotiphar. Josephmatured a great was testedin a diferiel's character deal in Potiphar's household and was ent areaof life than wasJoseph's. job adminisgivena very responsible The time was604 B.C.The house tering his business affairs.Ultimateof Judahwas in the process of being ly, all of Potiphar'saffairs were diconquered by the Babylonian Empire rected by the young Joseph(Gen. under the leadership of King Nebu39:I -4). chadnezzar. The king had instructed Now let'sstepbacka momentand his top eunuchto selectsomeyouths get the whole picture. Here is a of Jewishnobility to undergoa speyoungman (likely in his earlytwen- cial training program to prepare ties now) who had everythinggoing them for servicein the Babylonian for him. He wastrustedand responsi- government. Among those selected ble for the administrationof great was a young man in his mid-teens wealth.In additionto this ". . . JonamedDaniel.He wasan outstandseph was good looking and handing youth in everyway. Thoseselectsome" (Gen. 39:6, Moffatt transla- ed were to be ". . . strong, health;-. tion). He had ability, brains,good good-looking lads. . . those who have job. looksand an excellent read widely in many fields,are well But like most modernyoungmen, informed, alert and sensible, and, he was also exposed to rather over- have enough poise to look good whelming temptations!Notice how (Dan. l:4, Living around the palace" Joseph handledone suchtemptation Prophecies version). in Genesis 39:7-12(Living Books of During their three-year tenure Mosesversion). they wereto be givena specialdiet of "One day . . . Potiphar'swife beexoticfoods similar to thosethe king gan makingeyesat Joseph, and sughimselfdined on. However,Babylogestedthat he comeand sleepwith niandietarystandards werenot up to ier. JosrpHREFUSED. . . 'How cl,N God's.Danielrealized that to indulge I no sucs A wrcKED THrNG es rrtts? in thisdiet wouldphysically defile his Ir wouln BEA GREAT srNAcArNsr body!(Dan. l:5,8.) Beinga young Goo.' But shekepton with her sug- man of character,Daniel was not gestionsday after day, eventhough about to compromisewith God's HE R EFUS ET Do LI S T E N ... th e n o n e high standards. No matterwhat! day as he was in the house going The young Daniel faced a seemabout his work . . . she came and ingly insurmountable problem!He grabbed him by the sleevedemandhad beeninstructed to eat and drink ing, 'Sleep with me.' Hr ronr urprcertain foodsand wines.To disobey S E LF AW A Y . . . H E F L ED F ROM T HE couldhavemeantdeath.After all, he sousn . . ."!!! wasa prisoner.He wastakenfrom a Many young men of today would conquered nation. To turn his nose havewelcomedsucha situation. But up at the royal cuisinewould have Josephwas not an ordinary young been considered an insult of the grosman! He wasdifferentin that he had sestsort.And to haveresisted the exCHARACTER. He rNEw what was press wishes of the king himself was right, and in spiteof intenseand reincredible to saythe least.But Daniel peated temptationshis powerful was determinednot to compromise. character prevailed.The events that Wisdomis an importantaccessory
10

to character. Realizing he was treading on thin ice, Daniel diplomatically and tactfully suggesteda test. He knew if he could prove the efficacy of his own diet over that of the king, then he might be allowed his own diet on a regular basis. He requested a (pulse) and water. diet of vegetables (Not that he was a vegetarian.It is likely the meat offered by the Chaldeans had not been properly slaughtered according to God's Law or perhaps it had been offered in sacrifice to idols. Lev. 3:17:,Acts 15:20. Or possibly only those meats considered "unclean" were being served. Lev. l l ;D eut. 14.) In any case, the chi ef eunuch agreed to the test and it was carried out. At the end of the l0-day period, it was evident that Daniel's diet had benefi ted hi m greatl y (D an. l: 8l 6). Daniel and his friends were then allowed to continue on the diet they had chosen,and the king's cuisine was withdrawn. Daniel's character, u'isdom and determination to do right had paid of! Another Test of Character. Some later. under a different admin1'ears istration.a governnrent order uas issued forbidding anrone to pra),' to anr but the king himself (who was considered a "god"l). This ruling was to be enforced for a one-month period (D an. 6:7). B ut D ani el w as in t he habit of pra_r'ing three times a day to the God of Israel. He was not about to discontinue this practice which enabled him to remain closeto his Creator. In the face of being torn to shreds by vicious lions, Daniel maintained his customof praying regular-

lr'!
He would not be movedfrom doing what wasright! The government jealous officials-who wereintensely of Daniel-found him doingso and had him placed in a compoundof ravenous lions. A large rock was placedat the entrancebarring any escape. Danielspentthe night in the company of thesegreatcatsand was released in the morningunharmed! (Dan.6:10-23.) AlmightyGod sent an angelto protectDaniel. Onceagainthe strongand faithful character of Danielpaid of! Youth No Excuse! "lf I'm old enoughto fight (in military service), I'm old enough to drink!" assert

nran\ modernyouths.When it comes to th e us e of alc oho l .c i g a re tte s . or th e i ndulgenc e in p re m a ri ta l s e x , many youths wlll vehemently procl a i m t heir eligibilit y . Yet when it comesto learning moral principles and exercising character and self-control-that's for old folks. But it's nothing new. Youth has long been used as a "cop-out" front responsi bi I i t t'. Ce n t ur iesago, G od c h o s eto u s e a young ntan lo warn a whole nation of i mp e ndingnat ionald i s a s te r. Bu t l i k e so manv m oder n te e n a g e rs a n d yo u n g people,he t o o u s e d th e o l d d o d g e " l' m t oo y oun g " to a v o i d re sp o n s ibilit yHis . nam ew a s J e re m i a h ! L e t's not ic e what t r a n s p i re di n J e re mi a h l: 5- 6. G od s ai d to y o u n g J e re mi a h:" . . . I or dain e dl h e ea p ro p h e / u n t o t he nat ions ." H e re w a s a g i a n t r es pons ibilit v th ru s t o n th e yo u th f ul s houlder s of J e re mi a h .B u t n o ti ce his all- t oo- f a m i l i a r re a c ti o n ! "'O Lor d G od. ' I s a i d . ' 1 c a n ' t d o th a t! l' m pA RT O OY O U N Gl!' rr.r o N r.v A Yo ur u! " ' ( Liv in g P s a l m s a n d Proverbs With the Major Prophet.s Parap h rased version.) Bu t G od r ec ogn i z e d .l e re mi a h ' s "co p -out " ! Not ic e H i s re p l y ! " Bu t th e L or d s aid t o m e. ' D O N O T SA Y, I AM O NLY A YOU T H ..." ' I (Ve rs e7, RS V . ) O f c o u rs e J , e re m i a h changedhis attitude and w,ent ahead and Julfilled the respon.sibility Cod h a d g i v c n him . A s a r e s u l to f d c mo n \trating c'haracter and doing what .,. d \ ris ht , J c r em ieh w a s i n s tru m c n :-r1i n pr es er v ing t he ro y a l d y n a s ti c :t o f I s r ael. \.,- r ut hf ulnes s s ho u l d N E VE R b e -.-J . , ' r t n c x c us et o a v o i d rc s o o n s i T hc dev elopm e na t n d e x e rc i s - - : - -:::L -\\ Ca n be d em O ns t r at ed by

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o e ', 3 ., : . : : . - j. : bidin g c H A R A C T E R . G.lj '*:r.. ,. : , 'oe.strcce.r.se.r in life, t,.rbe rr:,.: ,:..----^.r . .rnd to realizeour ma ri m um : , - - : e: : r : i l rs h u ma n b e l n g s. Yo u or r e it t r r r c . r u r:e lto l l o o k i n to th e ma t t er ol c har a,' te r development a n d begin r our o\ n p e rs o n a l p ro gram in it.

Contrary to popular opinion, the Bible is a NOW book. lt is God's revelation to mankind - of the way to happiness, peaceand prosperity.For more than two decadesthe AmbasCorrespondence sadorCollege Coursehas been helpingthousands to understandthe Bible. This course explainsthe Bible by letting the Bible interpret itself. There are twelve monthly tessonsof thorough, yet easily understood instruction * all absolutelyfree. Why not enroll today?Just send your request totheaddressnearestyou.(See last page for address.)

an0p*Lm
to the Apocalypse Generation
I'm twenty1-tirst my credentials: years have been old and three J'{ I with the Worldwide associated to know Churchof God long enough what's going on, or most of it anyway. So heregoes: thing most The most nettlesome youngpeoplefind about the Church is its teachingthat the "world" (meaning society)is going organized to end soon. To be honest, the idea doesn'tset well with anyone under thirty-or underninetyfor that matter-whose earthly existence isn't so bleak that he hasnothingto loseby lookingforward to a cataclysmic upheaval. I will be blunt-no matterhowone intellectuallyacquiesces to the idea be that, shortly,the world will indeed comingto an end,one is hauntedby will be the notion that something missing-that a givenamountof the experience of life simplywill neverbe realized. Another point a younger person finds hard to understand is the apparent eagerness of one's elders to want to believe the end is imminent. at what might be called One recoils the "medieval" syndrome:the tendencyto put all one'shopes on some afterlife becauselife now is so bleak. The net effect is to predispose a personagainsta church which proclaimsthat the end is near. The problemis that how one feels about truth doesn'tchangeit. Individuals rage cango into an apoplectic against the sum of 2 * 2, but it is still 4, no matter how hard that fact is to swallow. Or, to be more specific, if the world really is coming to an end, sulkingabout the fact isn't going to change anything. It ultimatelyis the problemof the "universe," of objective reality: I
12

may not like it, but thereit is.staring me in the face.I may haveno apprenuclearweapons, or ciationfor smog, high crimerates,but thereis nothing I personallycan do to makethem go away.They are factswhich haveto be lived with. waywith the Church. It's thesame It really has no choice:it must be that true to itself, and if it believes God Himselfsaidfor it to collectivell saycertainthings,it mustsay them come"hell or high water." The More Things Change. . . Perwith I'm not at all impressed sonally, to my generathe world bequeathed tion by the onewhich went beforeit: communism. tera worldof inflation. rorism, and the threat of nuclear war. Why did it haveIo be my generation whichgrewup underthe shadow of the bomb?. . . which was handed a worldwith aboutas muchstabilitl' . . . which got the as nitroglycerin? privilege of living in a time of potential holocaust? The problem is that my own words remindmeof thesentiments of t*enty-three-year-old JohnFranklinCarter who wrote: "The older generation . . . certainly pretty well ruined this world beforepassing it on to us. to They gaveus this Thing. knocked pieces, leaky,red-hot,threatening to blowup...." Carter wrote those words at the beginning of the 1920s.My sentimentsexactly.Yet I can't escape the fact that Carter's generationonly managed to make the world, on the net,worse, and I can't conceive of my own generation doingany better. In otherwords,the mess the world is in is a function of the nature of man and the universe, and not the anticsof oneor two particulargenerations which just managed to uniquelybotchthingsup.
@ 1976 Ambassador College All Rights Reserved

True, I am a little olderthan most teenagerstoday (four years!) and more like sometimes the gap seems My own generation eons. createdthe historical debrisknownas the 1960s: we were the "perfect generation" idolized by the mediaand politicians, infallible,the oneswho would ban the bomb,endthe Vietnamwar, and fight for the civil rights of black people.Rememberthe idealism of the earll'sixties? It's gone. Gonelike so much old brown grass.It was killed b1the realityof humansociet1'-the natureof man. The *orld just wasn't ready for l'et. Camelot. Thereit is again.The dark figure uith the hoodand the long.bony finger pointingal !-ou:reality, depressing realitl . which won't go away, would like it to. e$enthough."-ou the Viet-\fter Camelotvanished. nam $ar refusedto go away, and povertt stubbornlyresisted its aboliThe creepJohnson. tion b1'Lyndon ing realizationset in: we live in an imperfect world, a world in which progress wassticky.cold. cruel. Not the sortof placeonewouldlike to live in. My own generation learned its lesson.So did the onejust younger. In response to an imperfect, unfortunate world, both generations immersedthemselves in a Philosophy known as "existentialism": live for the moment, the "Now" generation. The ideawasthat nothing makes any differencebut the immediatemoment-the ttow. Sincethe universe is onechaoticmess, onemustconcentrate on immediacy. Ah, but theremust be something beyond.Life can be fun, but can be rather fragile also: it doesn't take much to end it. And, however life is lived,it is terminal:"one thing happensto them all" (Eccl.2:14).

the But thereis something beyond chaoticphysicalmessin which the world findsitself.And it is the duty of religion-true religion-to reveal that something. If the world is in chaos, then it is the duty of the true Churchof God to tell the worldwhat it knows to be the way out: the returnof Jesus Christ. . . . The More They Stay the of our Same. Backto the uniqueness generations. I'll be blunt.The return to say of Christ is "inconvenient," the least.Thereare all sortsof things I'd like to do in the meantime, some of whichI will in all probability never get to do. But here's where perspective comes in. While the typicalAmerican middle-class teenager has many positivethings to look forward to, giventhe indefinite continuityof this "presentevil world," most peoplein that world, particularlythe Third World, don't. For them, grinding povertyis a permanent lot. Furthermore,what aboutthe personal tragediesevenin our affiuentsociety: crippling sickness, accident, suicide; the privatedramas whichtake placebecausethe world is the way it iswithoutChrist. It comes down to this: Christ'sreturn may cut short my life the way I'd like to live it out physically-but for most of the world any change would be blessed relief. After all, if the world is evergoingto be straightenedout by a divine miracle,somebody'sgeneration is goingto haveto be "inconvenienced." Oneof theliteraryfadswhenI was in high schoolwas the Lord of the Ringsby J. R. R. Tolkien.A passage verl' eloquently speaks to our generations:"l wish it neednot havehappenedin my time," said Frodo."So do 1." Gandalfanswers, "and so do all who live to seesuch times.But

All we that is not for themto decide. haveto decide is what to do with the time givenus." And whatshallwedowith "the time that is givenus"? Wasteit? Gandalfls wordsechothoseof the apostle Paul: ". . . Redeem thetime,because thedays (Eph.5:16). areevil" Yes, the daysare evil. And short. Which is all the more reason not to squander them. "The Present Distress." 5sw I'rr really going to be blunt. flre most haunting image that dogs )'oung peoplewho acceptthe biblical stricturesagainstfornicationis the speca sexual reter of neverexperiencing lationship. It is asif onewerecaughtin a vise: sexuntil marriage and God prohibits to endthe world before thenproceeds one can get married. It just doesn't seemfair. Bearwith me for a moment, and I think I can demonstrate that such fearsare largelyunnecessary. This is because thel' apply only to selectagegroups: thosefew who are old enoughto be baptizedinto the family of God but not matureenough to marry. Those who are younger, and who are trying to live by God's law, couldlive overinto the time of and be marriedthen. the millennium Thosewho are olderand not married wouldbe in that conditionregardless of how far awayChrist'sreturnis. Here'sthe clincher. An individual who isn't prepared to facethe possibility of never marrying because Christmight return,reallyisn't preparedto be baptized anyway. God really is fair and he hasn't plottedto deny this generation what he providedfor all the others. When Life Throws You Lemons. . . Make lemonade. One can look exclusivelyat what might havebeen,and whichpossibly won'tbe,andproceed to

develop a greatcosmic funk. But this ignoresthe good side of the coin, the positive unique opportunities. havethe opportuOur generations nity to physicallyescapethe holocaust which threatensto cut short our physical lives. The prophet Ezekiel speaksof protectionon God's supernatural those who "sigh and cry" for the abominations around them (Ezek. 9:4). Solomon pointed out that God would not permit the righteousto (Prov.l0:3),while,mostimfamish portantly, God promises direct protection for His Churchin the time of (Rev.l2:14). the greattribulation In the meantime, life can be fun. There's nothingin the Bible against sports,games,hobbies, music, cars, friends or clothes.True, there are somelimitationson the use of some things (the Bible does condemn drunkenness, for example),but God never intended that we become monksand withdraw to monasteries where we could affiict ourselves all day because God is in some way pleased by our pain. "Rejoice.O young man, in thy youth;and let thy heartcheertheein thedaysof thy youth, andwalk in the waysof thineheart,and in the sight but knowthou,that for of thineeyes: all thesethingsGod will bring thee intojudgment"(Eccl. I l:9). Granted,our generation may never get the opportunityto live out full physicallives.Still, there are better things to do in the meantimethan mopearoundall day, contemplating our navels, transfixed at what could havebeen. It wouldbe betterto focus one'sattention on what couldbe.As long as we'rehere,we might as well makethe bestof it. Regards, Jeff Calkins
13

One of our editors invited a group of teenagers to express their thoughtsand feelings about growing into adulthoodin these complicated and troubledtimes.He asked themto openly, honestly, and anonymously write down whatever was on their minds, including their gripes and problems.Below are edited excerpts from their replies, plus letters from other youngpeople who have written to us. The staff has commented on points. somesensitive Hair havetheideathatindividuals People who havelonghairare no-good, lazy thinkthat just bebums.My parents cause a guyhaslonghairand"hippie" clothes thathe is dumb, butninetimes outof tenthey're wrong. people I think expect moreof us than theyought to. They seeour. hairgetting a bitover ourears andthey sayto them"lf I hadscissors give selves, I would the kida haircut." Sex problem. I know thisis a great Allthe kidsat school bragabouttheirexperiyou get to believing ences it's the until thing to do. Parental Criticism It seems whenever anyguypaysthe least bit of attention to me,myparents, go offontantrums especially mymother, trying to keepus apart. My neighbor across thestreet is only in her early twenties andall the girlsin my family confide in her abouteverything. She's a verygoodlistener. Sheis helping meto understand mymom a little (Mymother better. andl do notgetalong verywell.) My neighbor tellsme I'mlike my mother in many ways, which upsets megreatly. I know whatI want to be like and my momisn'tit! Perhaps it's because she'salways withdad in arguing yelling front of usandshe's always at us. Shehadturned meagainst marriage almostcompletely before I started liking myboyfriend, I talked to himabout it and justbecause myneighbor too.I decided my mother wasn't happily married was no reason for menotio be.
14

Most teens I know have actually thought seriously about leaving home, because the parents gripe constantly nag, and complain. you, They get never compliment butalways probonyou. Irealize ispartly this theteens' lembutI think time should betaken to iron theproblems outl Myparents arealways comparrng me people to other andpointing outmybad points instead of expressing their thanks for mygoodpoints. I dread my mother's nearme coming because sheusually starts me criticizing She'sbeengonefor a weekand I ve never feltso truly happy for such a long period of timein years. Communication We need to make more parents aware of our gripes and howwe (both parents and teenagers) can elminate theproblems together. As teenagers we needto feel that hasa personal someone interest in us I personally think thatparents areat faull in someways. Theyare trying to push instead of guide. I would liketo seemaybe a series of articles on the sublect I hope of teens. you can helpme and the otheryoung people problems. thatarehaving

school.As you can see. lm two or three years presents quite ahead. This a problem. My fatherhas decidedthat I cannotdate untilI turneighteen. WhenI graduate l'llbe I'veread TheMissing sixteen. in Dimension Sexbookandaboutthistime| findI'msupposedto be whatan adult would consider a " lf that'swhatI am. then "litlleknow-it-all problem. there lies mywhole Butldon t feel I should haveto waittillI'meighteen to date, especially since I'll graduate.before then andhalfof myfriends candatealready. . First of all, you shouldhave an attitudeof respect for your parents' wishes. "Honor vour father and mother" is the fifth commandment Ourparentsmay not alwaysbe ncht but theystillbrought us into thisworld arc are entitledto ourloyalty. Scneltmes parents just need a little pn t:altnn .9nlvinn these situatiOns -... 'ec-tre scme patrent explainingon -a; :.e ta,! 3f :aens Don'tsellparentsshort.
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\i-::^j:-s-r a carents main goal s'l-tt:: l: crecare hrs:hildren to takeon ar--;'t:-ri'-S{j,iies and make wse decthavedOnetheir ,<..JI._ :.- ls* :z: ,r^ ! CA.g^!S *jr :., I ae aDE lC Eraduaily allow .3C ie' :-.s -.:r: a'c nE{e responsibility for ?e' : ,t' r.':s as :rYgt older Butchildren a'c ::a ;E s a,e aMtals andmatureat j-.{:'a::s Sy:e are grownup enough :: s :;<:ea a: twelve others will mature
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j'r.,.: s carents trusted Him enough at e;e *rte lo allowHimtotravelalone onan We teensneedencouragement: we :-:-:L:c'hn trip (see Luke 2:41-51). They just need communications, talk sesi't ! worryuntiltheyhadnl heardfromHim sions, Youknow, whenthere's nobody 'J. .hree days lt nay be argued that Mary yougetlonely. around youre Andwhen a.o Joseph livedin differenttimes than we justforsomeone lonely to talkto,yougo Jc loday, but their actions cannot by any you anywhere canfindsomeone. ,neans be termed "overprotective."Of I am happy, though it maynotsound course. Jesus had undoubtedly demonlike it,because I know what's ahead and strated Hismaturityand senseof responsiwhereI'm going.I'm happythereare Dtlityto them over and aver again by His peoplelike you aroundto listenand actions. Thefact remainsthat Joseph and help. Those articles thathave been writMary weren'tafraid to trustHimevenin this tenfor teenagers arethegreatest thing unusual situation. we can receive fromyourmagazine I The main point we can glean from this only wishthere could be a lot more exampleis thatparents shouldbe willingto Overprotectiveness trust their children. Children will probably Mygripe isthatI amtreated like a little behavejust the way their parents expect kid Myfather is verymuch overprotec- them to. lf there is parental doubt and distive,Being the oldest and a girlmakes trust, childrenwilltend to say, "l've got the my fathermoreoverprotective nameanyhow-why not go aheadand act thanif I werea boy, liketheyexpectme to?" years I'mfifteen lf a mother or father is constantlv susoldanda junior in high

TEENAGERS FROM LETTERS


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well she f.^r,is On the other hand, if par..:: j\ai-':' ihetrkids to behavewell, .t:-.r : i a -:-i-.-i r,err truSt Openly,Cha nCeS .;'. '---,.j - cs will act as theirparents i ,:-: ^3' . . lhemac t . - ----:-ir or fatherwhohas takentime :- :'-[:., tnslructtheirteensand build . .',1'- ,elalonshrp with them are in a .:': .:' . ,^sttton to gaugewhenthat teenis
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drunk,iake drugs,steal,have sex and muchmore.Theythinkthey have nothing to lose, so why not? | myselfcan't convince them that what they do is I'm a holyperwrongand I'm not saying lect oerson, I know l'm not,But because can't they see and learnfrom the mistakes of others? Rock Music It cameas quitea blowto the majority whenwe weretold of teensin our church to stop listening to rock music.Most all w e w ere o f u s h a v el i stened to i t srnce old enough to turnthe radioon.We really feel no incentive to stop. . Some people find certain types ot music depressing or unpleasant,and it would make good sense lor them to avoid that type of music Also, some electronicallyamplifled live bands play lheir music so loud it damages the ears, at least temporarilyand sometimespermanently. cultures aporeciate different Different The criteriformsof musical expression. on by which we ludge musicis a very subjective one: ls it enjoyable to us? Does it upliftus or make us feel good? to our "lower"feelings Or doesit appeal

and desires, causingus to want to do wrongthings? Any suchmusic should be avoided. Loneliness for I havewritten on various occasions inlormation aboutthe SabbathThe literawas excellent, as lar as it ture I received went i find that you direct nrost of your for adults,and to the problems attention verymuch rightly so.Butlwouldappreciate of morearticles thatdealwiththeproblems youngpeopleand, specifically, adviceon a teenfaces howto dealwiththeproblems intrying to bea Christian. I would lrkevery much to becomea C hri sti an, and i t i s not the " crowd- buckI f eel i ng" thatI mi nd. l t i s the l onel i ness. and al thoughI know I overw hel med, thereis musiovercome theseobstacles, no one I can turnto for help,no si mpl y to sharetheSabbathlt is onewithwhich
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::.i.d time away from home wlth a 'rtind or fnends Thismight be earlieror ater than his brothersor sistersor the ':st ol htspeer group But to arbitrarily -rr/ .?nagc ("You can't date untilyou're =';hteen") can be veryunwise. lt failsto ::.: rntoaccounta teen'spossibleear=' -talurily and developmenlof a sense - ' '::ponsibility -=t!tng go-trusting a son or daugh':' '-' not 'depart out of the way" "--, ;!- 0een tauqht-is one of the most : :kttlosa Darenthas to learnhow :.,I /hrss part of the growth pro' --onlrolis not relinquished gradj-: . ,,,.tsely, a child may feel forced ' ''. aDronstnngs" in a more dra: -'.ieasanl fashion. Ch a nged Lif e -. :- : . . , ?S a trme no t l o n ga g o w h e nI ,,:: .: ' . . . - ' " c ey I we n tfro mp i l l sa n d - - . ' - - = ar s uic id eI. b e c a me . h a rd .-:' : ' - ? c t her s .I re a l l yh u rt th e year : - = - - , . . - - s hedm y e l e v e n th - :. - - : . ' : . , ' . m y jo b .I to o k a Gre y ----r : - : - : l' = jt n a n d s ta y e d w i tha - ' = ' . re p e n te dOn ':-. C el ":.', ,',:S.' , - : : - : : : ^ aaC l e a fna b OU G t Od , I cr'a ^ - = ' ' aa, z ' a I w a n te dto h e l p Ol h e rS u^, 1: ' ) : ' -I . ' . ^: ft w a yW a S re a l l y th e rrg ht r v ai get l h av e m anyl' : - : s i v h o s mo k e ,

. lf you are interested in meeting other young people who are trytng to obey God and who attend Sabbathservtces at their local congregatton of the Worldilde Church of God, please wilte to the address ol aur office nearest VOU. U

LiketoKnowMore lf Youd
M any h u n d r e d s h a v e w r i t l e n a s k i n g il we h a v e r e p r e s e n l a t i v e s t n t h e t r loc al ar e a s t o c o u n s e l w i t h t h e m p e r s onally a n d l o a n s w e r l h e t r q u e s t l o n s . The an s w e r r s y e s , w e d o . The W o r l d w r d e C h u r c h o f G o d s t a t ions pe r s o n a l r e p r e s e n l a l i v e s ( m o s t ar e or da i n e d m i n i s l e r s ) r n t h e U n i t e d Slales a n d B r r t i s h C o m m o n w e a l t h and m an y o t h e r a r e a s o f t h e w o r l d Thes e lo c a l m i n i s t e r s w r l l v i s i t y o u , t l inv it ed,d i r e c t l y I n y o u r o w n h o m e So if y o u h a v e s p i l t u a l m a t l e r s t o dis c us s o r q u e s l i o n s t o a s k a b o u t biblic al t o p r c s s u c h a s r e p e n t a n c e , bapt is m , e l c , p l e a s e f e e l l r e e t o w r l t e us and r e q u e s t a p i l v a l e a p p o l n l m e n l . W or ldwi d e m a i l i n g a d d r e s s e s a n d phone n u m b e r s a r e a s f o l l o w s . o Unit e d S l a t e s P O B o x 1 1 1 , P a s a dena , C a l r f o r n i a 9 1 1 2 3 ( o r s i m P l Y dial t h i s l o l l f r e e n u m b e r i n t h e o 1 - 8 0 0 - 4 2 3 -4 4 4 4 continental US In California, Alaska and Hawaii c a l l 2 1 3 - 5 7l '5 2 2 5 c o l l e c t ) U n i t e d K i n g d o m , E u r o p e , In d ta a n d A f r i c a , P O B o x I 1 1 , St Al b a n s , H e r t s , E n g l a n d ( o r d t a l th ts number in U K Radlett [092 76] 2670) New Zealand and Pacilrc ls es P O Box 2709, Auckland 1 New Zealand (or dral Auckiand 686I 14-reverse the charges) Auslralia: P O Box 202 Bur ergh H e a d s , O u e e n s l a n d 4 2 2 0 t o r d ta l thrs number 075 !15-4233-reverse lhe cnarges' A, VanStatron Canada P C, Bor .1-1 c o u v e r B C '6 C 2 M 2

Wc h l v c a v a i l a b l ea \ !' r \ in ilr r n r r tive pub l i c l t i o no n t h c s u b j cct tr i r cn cr e r ld isc . r' e . S r r t t f t l ] r * r i t c t o u \ iu r \' u r ir cr e, , l \ \ o l " ' T h c S i l c n t E pid e m i, '

. S o u t h A l r c a P O B o x 10 6 0 , Jo h a n n e s b u r g2 0 0 0 ( o r d i a l t h i s n u m ber 01 1 216406)

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