this country is the overcoming of such customs as polygamy, rites of puberty, witchcraft in its many forms and funeral customs; but no one can become a Witness until he discards all such. It is impressive to ourselves as well as to outsiders to see the change that the truth of God’s World makes in regard to these things. This in itself is a wonderful testimony to the power the Bible can exert on the minds of those who study and understand it.

Communism a False Religion

In his discourse “Political Creed and Character,” Dr. Robert Lindner discussed the reason why communism appeals to many people: “Every prerequisite for institutionalization as a religion—a secularized religion, it is true, yet still a religion—is present in communism. Almost from the moment of its conception it has borne the hallmarks of a system of faith and worship. To its slightest details it satisfies the necessary conditions for a commanding theological system, thus lending itself effortlessly to the deepest motives of men. The parallels between the biography of Marxism and that of any great religion are inescapable. Portents and a time of troubles—of wars, bloodshed, suffering and unrest—nourished the soil that was to become the seed-bed for a new faith. An outrider and prophet . . . appeared in the form of a generation of preachers finally embodied in the person of the German philosopher Hegel. Following him, there arrived the bearer of the Word, the messiah, Karl Marx. His deification requires no documenting. . . .

“Nor is this all that establishes the true nature of communism to be a religion in fact. Together with all other theologies, it possesses an eschatology embracing judgment and a vision of last things—the green pastures of a proletarian heaven when the state finally withers away and a classless society of joyful equals obtains, and the blackhell of social coventry to the remotest generations for the unregenerate. A hagiography, too, it can count among its attributes: what amounts, in effect, to a Calendar of Saints and a roll of canonized martyrs is an intrinsic part of its devotional appeal. An assertive body of dogma embedded in sanctified texts inscribed with the ineffable Word, a hierarchy of priests and functionaries entrusted with ceremonial rituals and protocols, a set of mysteries and initiatory rites—these, and more, eloquently complete the picture and proclaim what has been disguised as a social and political system to be, in actuality, a full-panoplied, bona fide religion. To recognize this real nature of communism and to see its point-for-point correspondences with every great theological system of which we have any knowledge is to begin to solve the mystery of its magnetism for all men, especially for those without a faith, those who suffer from the unfulfillment of this deep need. . . . We should not wonder at the success of communism, for so much of its success is rather that of religion.”—Must You Conform?

Questions From Readers

● How can we harmonize the accounts in Acts 7:2-4 and Genesis 11:31–12:4? The account in Acts indicates that it was while Abraham was in Mesopotamia that God commanded him: “Go out from your land and from your relatives and come on into the land I shall show you.” The Genesis account seems to indicate that this command was given to him in Haran following the death of his father Terah.—G. O., U.S.A.

The account in Acts makes it very clear that God’s command to Abraham to leave his home country and move into the land that God would show him was issued in Mesopotamia before he took up residence in Haran. This command is clearly the same one that is recorded in Genesis 12:1. The wording of the command here shows that Abraham was still in Ur of the Chaldeans, for God commands him: “Get out from your land and from your relatives,” and Haran, about 575 miles northwest of Ur, was not Abraham’s “land,” for it lay far outside Babylonia of that day. Hence Genesis 12:1-3 is not chronologically placed in the account and it is the command issued by Jehovah before Abraham ever moved out of Ur in Babylonia and which also resulted in Abraham’s further move at the death of Terah in Haran.

● What accounts for the difference in capacity of the molten sea in Solomon’s temple as mentioned at 1 Kings 7:23-26 and ; 2 Chronicles 4:2-6?—F. B., U.S.A.

Various explanations of this seeming discrepancy have been made. One is that Second Chronicles, which was completed after the exile, speaks of Babylonian bath measures, whereas First Kings speaks of Jewish bath measures, and it is assumed that the Babylonian bath measure was possibly smaller, so that a greater number were required to equal the Jewish bath measures. Another suggestion is that one account gives the liquid bath measure and the other the dry bath measure. One commentator calls attention to the difference in the Hebrew words involved and suggests that when the temple basin was used as a fountain its bowl proper and the adjoining basins were filled with water in such usage so as to allow for a greater measure of liquid content.

However, if you will read the New World Translation of these two texts you will see how they can be understood without disharmony. First Kings 7:26 reads: “Two thousand bath measures were what it would contain.” However, 2 Chronicles 4:5 says: “As a receptacle, three thousand bath measures were what it could contain.” So you see that 2 Chronicles 4:5 tells us what the full capacity of the temple basin was as a receptacle, what it could contain, whereas 1 Kings 7:26 states the quantity of water that they were accustomed to put into the temple basin. In other words, they would never fill it full. They customarily put in only two thirds of its capacity.

Announcements

FIELD MINISTRY

During August Jehovah’s witnesses will continue to offer the informative Bible study book “Your Will Be Done on Earth” and a booklet on a contribution of only 50c. For information as to how you may share, write us or contact the nearest Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s witnesses.

ANNUAL MEETING

On Thursday, October 1, 1959, at ten o’clock in the forenoon, the annual meeting of the members of Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania will be held at the Society’s office located at 4100 Bigelow Boulevard, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Notice of the annual meeting will be sent to all the members. So that the letters of notice will reach the members shortly after September 1, all should be certain that the secretary’s office has their present addresses,

Proxies will accompany the notice of meeting. Each member should complete and return his proxy promptly whether he is going to be at the meeting personally or not and should do so so that the proxies will reach the office of the secretary of the Society not later than September 15.

MAKE SURE OF YOUR WAY OF LIFE

One of Jesus’ last promises on earth was made to a man not even one of his disciples—yet it holds out a hope for eternal blessings that will extend to all persons who are able to meet the requirements. Can you personally turn to the Bible and confidently point out those requirements for life? You can with the Bible-study helps From Paradise Lost to Paradise Regained and “Your Will Be Done on Earth.” These two hard-bound books totaling 640 pages are yours for only $1.25. Send today and receive two booklets free.

“WATCHTOWER” STUDIES FOR THE WEEKS

September 27: Be Ready Always to Make a Defense. Page 493.

October 4: Fear Jehovah—Never Men. Page 500.