Cape Breton's Magazine

Rod; The earth will survive. The earth a- bides forever. One generation cometh and passeth away, but the earth will never die out. Rheta; I was brought up a Baptist, and their teachings were pretty much the same as the Presbyterians, only they believe in immersion for baptism, not sprinkling. See, there's nothing in the Bible that says an? ybody should be sprinkled. One should be immersed. There is a meaning to it. It's not just a formalism. Rod; See, Jesus was immersed. So any fol? lower of him would do the same. Rheta; Nothing in the Bible says to sprin- kle children. He sent the disciples out to teach the people and baptize them. (So they have to be teachable?) Yes. (Wouldn't a child be baptized?) No. Rod; Not until they understand what bap- tism is, at any age. Rheta; Twelve or fourteen. There's not many children at twelve who have knowledge enough to dedicate their lives to do Je? hovah's will. (So you weren't born Jehovah's Witnesses?) No. To be a Witness you have to study and get information that you can give to oth? ers. It's not something to join. It's something to study • to find out what God's word, the Bible, teaches • and then to help others. Rod; There's nothing to join. It's a matter~oT dedicating your life to do Je? hovah's will. And be immersed in water. and being a witness. Rheta; Look, we're giving you a Bible lecture. (Oh, that's all right. I want to know about you, and that's been your life.) Rheta.; See, they weren't called Jehovah's Witnesses fifty years ago. They were called Bible Students and Russellites, be? cause Pastor Russell was really the great? est Bible Student of his day. He's the one who straightened out the hellfire busi- ness--showing people the Greek and Hebrew words from which the English word hell was taken, how it merely meant a hole in the ground. And the hellfire • Jesus used the garbage dump Gehenna outside Jerusalem to show the utter destruction of the wicked. You didn't throw something in the garbage dump to keep it burning eternally. You threw it there to dispose of it, get rid of it. IV' father was a shoemaker and he had a shop, and Mr. IVfeirchant came there with the first three volumes of Pastor Russell's books • way back probably in I902 or some? where along there. I was just a youngster. My father had read Ingersoll and Tom Paine and religious books--and he had come to the conclusion that there was something radically wrong. The doctrine of hellfire and trinity and all • he couldn't accept them. B/iarchant convinced him to read these books, and he hadn't read very far before he knew that this was the truth. You got sense to what you were reading and the Bi? ble was being made plain. So he became a Bible Student. % mother still took us kids to the Baptist church for years. But my father got the Watchtower, and it car- a Wood and coal stoves can be dangerous If you want to beat the high cost of heating by using a wood or coal stove, be sure that the installation is safe. Special attention should be paid to: • the condition of the Stove • protection for the floor and nearby wa'lls • the flue and chimney system. For free information on safe usage of wood and coal stoves and home fire prevention, check coupon below. Please send me a free copy of: ( ) Wood & Coal Stoves Check • A Primer on Safety ( ) 60 Ways to Prevent Fire in Your Home Return Address: Name City/Town Prov. Postal Code 'P' Write to: The Maritime Centre %iiir ' 505 Barrington Street Irvsuforvce Bureau of Carvada 12th Floor Bureaud'ossurofvceduCarvada HALIFAX. Nova Scotia B3J 3K5 or Dial Toll Free 1 -800-565-7189