Watching the World
Who Will Prevail?
◆ On June 28 the United States Supreme Court ruled that state aid to Catholic and other parochial schools was unconstitutional. However, on August 17 President Richard Nixon told a Knights of Columbus gathering that Roman Catholics could count on his help in efforts to reverse the current trend that has seen many parochial schools close because of financial difficulties.
Also, on April 20 the Supreme Court ruled that busing of students from one area to another to achieve racial balance in schools was proper. Yet, on August 3 President Nixon instructed top officials in the administration “to hold busing to the minimum required by law.”
Oceans Unsuited as Garbage Dump
◆ With wastes dumped in the oceans washing up on the shores, some persons have considered dumping them in deep water. That too may create problems. It has been found that organic materials do not decay rapidly in deep water. When the research submarine “Alvin” was raised after being sunk in water a mile deep for one year, the crew’s sandwiches, while soggy, had not deteriorated. The combination of low temperature and high pressure seems to slow down bacterial action. Commenting on the discovery, the director of the National Science Foundation’s Biological Oceanography program in the United States observed: “For organic materials in particular, the deep ocean is not a sewage treatment plant. If you put organic material in the ocean, it’s going to be preserved. You’re going to end up covering the bottom of the ocean with garbage that will be there for years and years.”
Sell Church Treasures
◆ Jose Cardinal Clements, the head of Bolivia’s Roman Catholic Church, has proposed that the church in Bolivia sell the treasures it has accumulated over four centuries and use the money to build homes, hospitals, schools, roads and industries. The value of the property is estimated at $100 million.
Catholics Seek Protestant Bibles
◆ When Pope Paul VI ordered a switch from the use of Latin to modern languages for the Mass, many bishops found themselves without vernacular Bibles on which to base their liturgy. Since Protestant Bibles have been translated into over 1,200 languages whereas Catholic versions are available in only 80 languages, it has been necessary for many Catholic clergymen to use Protestant Bibles. Protestant and Catholic Bibles are fundamentally the same, despite the fact that some misinformed persons think they are not.
Latest Moon Landing
◆ On July 26 Apollo 15 lifted off for the moon. Four days later two astronauts stepped out on the moon’s surface, making this man’s third time on lunar soil. An electrically powered car was brought along on this trip, enabling the astronauts to make three excursions on the moon, covering 17 miles. They spent 18 hours and 37 minutes outside the craft they landed in. During that time they set up scientific instruments, made scientific observations and picked up samples of moon rocks and soil. It is believed that what these astronauts discovered will change a number of scientific theories about the moon. On August 7, Apollo 15 parachuted safely to earth.
DDT Controversy
◆ Although some persons argue for the use of DDT as a pesticide and try to minimize its unpleasant side effects, there are a growing number of voices arguing against its use. One is that of Prof. Charles F. Wurster of New York. Recently he stated that DDT frequently “creates more insect problems than it solves. DDT is a broad-spectrum poison that kills all insects, including parasitic and predatory insects that help keep pests under control. By destroying these natural enemies, DDT often causes increased pest outbreaks, aggravating the problem.” He recommends “integrated control” of insects that involves the use of natural enemies and “safe,” rapidly degrading insecticides.
Farming the Desert
◆ Despite very little rainfall, the deserts of the Middle East at one time supported many farms. The secret of how the ancients did this without piped-in water has been discovered and proved workable in the Negev Desert of Israel. Prof. Michael Evenari has succeeded in growing a wide range of farm products on desert land without using any piped-in water, although only three inches of rain falls in an entire year. He found that the sandy soil of the desert forms a crust that seals in rainwater and stops most of it from evaporating. The ancient Nabataeans would make a catchment area many times the size of their fields to hold such water. Prof. Evenari has found that micro-catchments, big enough for two or three fruit trees, work even better, with less water evaporation. Although rain may not fall for months or even a year and the soil looks very dry, there is moisture sealed in under the crust in the catchment and the trees survive and produce fruit. By this method he has grown apricots, peaches, nuts, peas, sunflowers, oil seeds, asparagus, loganberries, seed onions and various kinds of fodder plants without piped-in water.
Diet Improves Defense
◆ The defense mechanism of the body appears to be improved by a reduced diet. Dr. Roy L. Walford of the University of California, Los Angeles, School of Medicine, reported to the first International Congress of Immunology that mice placed on a nutritious diet that is one third of normal not only had greatly prolonged life-spans but had a much lower tendency to develop cancer. Although the animals grew more slowly, they eventually reached normal adult size with no loss of health. When Dr. Walford was asked if this implies that it would be wise for humans to eat less, he replied: “Yes, it does, but you should start when you are very young.” He observed that the diet would have to be nutritious and balanced.
Diet Best for Reducing
◆ It is a common practice for overweight people to try to reduce by means of drugs, but this, according to The Medical Letter of July 23, 1971, is not only dangerous but unrealistic. It observed that the treatment of obesity with drugs is “without proof of lasting benefit.” By using them a person runs the risk of injury from their side effects. This medical publication observed: “The continued proliferation of new methods and agents indicates the relative failure of all in promoting sustained loss of weight in most obese persons. . . . Dieting remains the most important technique for weight reduction.” With other methods the weight loss is soon regained. In conclusion the letter stated: “Crash programs, bizarre or special diets, and the prescription of drugs seldom result in more than temporary weight reduction; in fact, nothing short of the patient’s lifetime commitment to dietary control can permanently control obesity.”
Abortions Nearly Equal Births
◆ In New York city physicians are now performing 950 abortions to every 1,000 live births. They are therefore destroying nearly as many babies as they are delivering. During the first year under New York’s liberal abortion law there were 165,000 abortions in New York city alone, 64 percent of them on women from other states.
Pierced-Ear Problem
◆ Having one’s ears pierced for earrings can cause a woman to become sensitized to nickel, from which most earrings are made, claims an article in Science Digest. Once this happens, it is said, she will not be able to wear any type of jewelry, including a wristwatch, that contains nickel. This sensitizing to nickel occurs during the period that the ears are healing. It was reported that approximately one out of every ten women who allow their ears to be pierced has this experience.
Right of Father Upheld
◆ The New York Court of Appeals recently upheld the right of a father to withhold support from a disobedient daughter who elected to live outside the household in a manner displeasing to her father. Among other things the Court said: “It is our conclusion that where, as in the case at bar, a minor of employable age and in full possession of her faculties, voluntarily and without cause, abandons the parent’s home, against the will of the parent and for the purpose of avoiding parental control she forfeits her right to demand support. . . . While the duty to support is a continuing one, the child’s right to support and the parent’s right to custody and services are reciprocal: the father in return for maintenance and support may establish and impose reasonable regulations for his child.”
Thieving Shoppers
◆ In a recent study of shoppers in the United States, it was found that one out of fifteen shoppers was a thief. Race and age did not appear to be major factors in the stealing. However, a larger number of females were observed shoplifting than males.
Catholic Ancestor Worship
◆ Paul Cardinal Yupin of Taiwan expressed approval of an ancestor-worship ceremony. A few days before the ceremony was held he stated that he would participate in it and that he would promote more such ceremonies in the future. The Vatican lifted a prohibition against ancestor worship in 1939. How different this attitude is from the early Christians who gave worship only to our Creator!
Tortillas Used in Mass
◆ A Roman Catholic priest defied the bishop of San Diego, California, and used corn tortillas for the host in celebrating Mass. Church law specifies unleavened bread. The priest, Victor Salandini, said: “I have suddenly developed a craving for corn tortillas. I will use them exclusively in the Mass from now on.”
The Story of the “Dats”
◆ A report appeared in some newspapers about a pet shop owner in Ramsgate, England, who claimed to have bred an animal that was a cross between a cat and a dog. He called them “dats.” Another report called them “dogats.” The man claimed that part of the time the animals barked and part of the time they would meow; that they had a dog’s face but the legs, feet, fur and whiskers of a cat. Later the pet shop owner admitted he had placed the ad in a local newspaper as a practical joke. The “dats” were nothing more than puppies.
Mustangs Disappearing
◆ Wild horses, called mustangs, have long roamed the plains and mountains of the American West. Their ancestors were brought into the country by Spanish explorers some 400 years ago. In 1900 there were about two million mustangs in the Western United States. Today, the Department of the Interior estimates that only 16,000 remain. The others have been butchered as meat for dog food, killed by hunters as “sport,” or killed by farmers because they eat grass and thus compete with other livestock for food.
Predicting Earthquakes
◆ It is reported that research on volcanoes by two Queensland University scientists could lead to a breakthrough in predicting earthquakes. They have found that volcanic eruptions are preceded by changes in the earth’s magnetic field in the neighborhood of the volcano.