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SffieWATCHTOWER

cruel way. There is no righteous rule, and for that
reason the people mourn. Religious and political dictators and commercial giants together destroy the
liberties of the people. Wickedness prevails, and the
wicked are in control. "rhe wicked, through the pride
of his countenance, will not seek after God; God is
not in all his thoughts." (Ps. 10: 4) This prevailing
state of affairs is the result of the influence and
power of the demons.
VIOLENCE
23 As it was in Noah's day so it is at the present
time, where now 'the earth is filled with violence'.
In every nation violence is directed especially against
those who are in a covenant to do the will of God and
who are diligent to keep faithfully that covenant.
The faithful followers of Christ Jesus are violently
'hated for his name's sake', even as Jesus foretold.
(Matt. 24: 9) During the year last past violence
against Jehovah's witnesses has been shown particularly throughout that part of the earth known as
"Christendom". Mobs, led by religious preachers,
have wickedly and violently assaulted and beaten and
otherwise ill-used the true followers of Christ Jesus.
2. Political officers, sworn to uphold the law and
order of the land, acting together with the religious
preachers, wholly disregard all law and rules of
righteousness and indulge in violent assaults upon
the followers of Christ Jesus, treat them cruelly and
imprison them. It is certain that all of Jehovah's witnesses and companions today would be slain by the
violent ones were it not for the protection the Lord
provides for them. The rights of the people and the
freedom which at one time they enjoyed are no longer
given consideration by many of the ruling element.
For instance, when Christian citizens appeared before the legislative committee of the State of Connecticut in March, 1941, to express opposition to the
Bill pending before that legislature, which, if enacted into law, would destroy the Constitutional
rights of citizens to preach the truth, members of the
legislative committee brazenly and violently replied
to such protest: 'We are not interested in your Constitutional rights." Thus men elected by the people
to safeguard the people's interests have no interest
in the rights of the people. Religion, politics, commerce, and their agencies have united in their efforts
to heap violence upon all those who boldly declare
the name of and the kingdom of Jehovah. Freedom
of worship of Almighty God has disappeared from
the earth, and only Jehovah and his King give protection to those who love righteousness. Violence is
bad enough, but there is a more subtle way in which
the demons now attempt to wreck the world and to
destroy those who have made a covenant to do the
will of God.

BROOKLYN,

N. Y.

MORAL DELINQUENCY
25 "Seduction" is the act of leading aside or astray
from the path of rectitude, virtue and duty, and into
paths of evil, to corrupt men. "Debauchery" means to
degrade and corrupt, and is usually the result of
seduction. In Noah's day and up to the time of the
flood Satan and his associate demons seduced angels
and human creatures, leading them away from the
path of duty, rectitude and virtue and into the paths
of degradation. The "sons of God" of the angelic
order materialized and by the demons were induced
to take human women for wives and therefore to take
a course contrary to God's fixed law. These indulged
sexually with women, and the result was that both
were debauched and the offspring of that action were
morally delinquent to the extreme; as it is written:
"For all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth."
(Gen. 6: 12) There was a clear line of demarcation
or distinction between "all flesh ... upon the earth"
and the eight persons of Noah's family, these being
the exception. That was in Noah's day, and, says
Jesus, "so shall it be also in the days of the Son of
man."
26 The present is the day of the Son of man. And
what are the facts as related to the prophecy uttered
by Jesus as above 1 In 1914 Christ Jesus was enthroned and sent forth to rule, while the wicked ones
still operated. The "war in heaven" followed, and the
demons were defeated and cast down to earth. (Rev.
12: 1-12) From 1914 onward the moral standard upon
earth has continued to be lowered. Religion has become more outwardly degrading. In the name of the
Lord the people are invited to religious meetings,
there to indulge in bingo games and other gambling
games and in other practices that are far from righteous. Religion is used as a shield to carryon many
other immoral and wicked schemes. Politics has
moved to a far lower standard. Commerce and commercial operations have lowered their standard and
become more cruel and heartless. Morality has greatly lowered its standard in regard to the relationship
between the sexes. Less than half a century ago few
women indulged in intoxicating drinks to excess, and
few, if any, indulged at all in the use of tobacco.
Today almost all women indulge in both to great
excess and their moral and mental state and standard
are greatly lowered. The relationship between the
sexes has become deplorable. Both the rulers and the
ruled find themselves today on the toboggan slide
hurrying madly on their downward way.
21 Why this marked change for the worse since
19141 The Lord gives the answer, which now sounds
the warning: 'Woe to the inhabiters of the earth, and
of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but
a short time."-Rev. 12: 12.

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