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JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2022 THE RCG.ORG/REALTRUTH
TM
A MAGAZINE RESTORING PL AIN UNDERSTANDING
What
We Must
Learn from
History
Today’s Problems: What Is Designed for Did God Keep
What Everyone Misses Russia’s Endgame? Discovery His Word?
HOW THIS MAGAZINE IS PAID FOR:
The Real Truth TM is made possible
by the voluntary, freely given tithes
and offerings of the members of
The Restored Church of God ®, and
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world. Contributions are gratefully
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the U.S. and Canada. Those who
wish to voluntarily aid and support
VOL. XX | NO. 1 | JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2022 the Work of God in preaching and
publishing the gospel to all nations
are gladly welcomed as co-workers.
A R T I C L E S RCG.ORG/REALTRUTH Contributions may be sent to the fol-
lowing address:
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PUBLISHER/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
DAVID C. PACK
MANAGING EDITOR
EDWARD L. WINKFIELD
SENIOR EDITOR
BRADFORD G. SCHLEIFER
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
SAMUEL C. BAXTER
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
DAVID C. PACK
SAMUEL C. BAXTER
JUSTIN M. FRAZIER
WULPHERT DE GRAAF
ANDREW J. HOLCOMBE
RICHARD O. LEE
DAVID J. LITAVSKY
Volunteers, mostly employees from the Personal from the Editor-in-Chief FRANK LYDICK
Mayfield Consumer Products factory, help Today’s Problems: What Everyone Misses KENNETH M. OREL
GARRICK R. OXLEY
sal
vage poss essions from a de stroyed Page 1 TIMOTHY D. RANNEY
home in the aftermath of tornadoes that DOMINIC J. RIVARD
tore through the region se veral days What We Must Learn from History BRADFORD G. SCHLEIFER
earlier, in Mayfield, Kentucky (Dec. 13, NESTOR A. TORO
Throughout millennia, civilizations have lived out an all- F. JACO VILJOEN
2021).
to-familiar pattern: incredible advancement followed by VIDAL N. WACHUKU
AP/GERALD HERBERT EDWARD L. WINKFIELD
societal collapse. Can we break this vicious cycle?
Page 4 EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS
MELISSA M. HOLCOMBE
Why Does God Allow DAVID J. LITAVSKY
Designed for Discovery GARRICK R. OXLEY
Natural Disasters? The Earth is filled with inferences of design. Here is a ART/GRAPHICS
In the wake of a deadly look at some of these unique and inspiring markers. CHAUNTEL A. HOUK
DARNITRA D. JACKSON
tornado outbreak in the Page 13 JODY E. LYDICK
SARAH O. VIDAL
United States, people are left What Is Russia’s Endgame? WEBSITE SERVICES
wondering whether a higher Understanding Russia’s motives has always been BRADFORD G. SCHLEIFER
ANGELA K. BAXTER
impossible for the West. Yet history and the Bible reveals
power cares or even exists. its national character—and exactly what its future holds.
AMANDA B. DODD
Page 9 Page 16
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
TIMOTHY C. WILLARD
Finally, a Positive Dating Trend
A new study shows American singles have changed
their priorities for potential partners. What do you need
to do to match up to the new standards?
Page 22
The preparation and production of
Did God Keep His Word? this magazine involved the work of
editors, proofreaders, graphic artists,
The Bible was promised to remain pure and preserved illustrators, writers, researchers and
over thousands of years. Records show this promise those who support the Work of God.
FRONT COVER: A stone sculpture at Tonina, has not been broken. Copyright © 2022, The Restored
the site of a ruined Maya civilization, in the Page 24 Church of God. Printed in the USA.
Mexican state of Chiapas. All rights reserved.
The Restored Church of God
World News Desk is not responsible for the return of
CREDITS: All photos from Getty Images Page 32 unsolicited articles and photos.
unless otherwise noted. Articles on pages Scriptures are quoted from the
9-12 and 20 contain information from Reuters King James (or Authorized) Version
and The Associated Press. of the Bible, unless otherwise noted.
PERSONAL FROM
Today’s Problems:
What Everyone Misses
T
he world is now at the point you would J “A new breed of brazen takeover robbers hitting
expect it to be before the imminent arrival California luxury retailers, raising ire” (Los Angeles
of the Kingdom of God. Problems have Times). Waves of masked thieves with hammers
descended on high-end stores, looting everything of
grown worse, as if they were on a clock tick-
value and terrifying employees and customers.
ing toward Christ’s Return. Every corner of the J “Afghanistan’s economic meltdown following the
globe is experiencing turmoil, with no solution Taliban’s takeover 100 days ago is pushing destitute
in sight. There are individual problems that are families to marry off young daughters—and even baby
too much for man’s governments to solve—let girls, campaigners say” (Reuters).
J “Dollar Tree hikes prices 25%. Most items will
alone solve so many, and at the same time!
cost $1.25” (CNN). America’s best known “dollar
Think of society like an old car. At a point, it is
store” can no longer survive without dramatically
constantly breaking down and cannot be repaired.
increasing prices across the board, a testament to the
All of its component parts are worn out. It either dire state of the economy.
needs a complete overhaul—or to be scrapped and J Thinking of the Olivet prophecy, “A swarm of
replaced altogether. God has a plan to replace the more than 40 earthquakes in 24 hours is causing a buzz
rotten, pagan foundations of this world with its in the Northwest U.S.” (CNN). The article goes on to
many gods and set up what all mankind is longing say, “The sheer number of magnitude 5.0 or greater
for more than ever, knowingly or unknowingly. quakes in the region triples the annual average (three
Lead headlines worldwide make plain the world 5.0+ quakes per year) since 1980, according to the
is on an irreversible course of destruction. But lesser- USGS database.”
reported stories—hundreds or thousands per day—show God says this to His people: “I will visit you, and
just how broken the world truly is. A few moments of perform My good word toward you, in causing you to
surfing the web paints the graphic picture in article return to this place. For I know the thoughts that I think
titles alone. You can find an endless number more... toward you…thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give
JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2022 1
Left, police tape blocks access
to the area where a shoot-
ing took place in Beverly Hills,
California (Dec. 1, 2021). Right,
a woman shops at the Dollar
Tree store where $1.25 price
tags are posted on the shelves,
in Alhambra, California (Dec.
10, 2021). Bottom, a worker
wearing a protective suit takes
a momentary break as people
perform the last rites of patients
who died of COVID-19 during
a mass cremation held at a
crematorium in New Delhi, India
(May 1, 2021).
vALERIE MACON/AFP VIA GETTY
IMAGES (LEFT); FREDERIC J. BROWN/
AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES (RIGHT); AN-
INDITO MUKHERJEE/GETTY IMAGES
(BOTTOM)
you an expected end. Then shall you half-mile-wide parent body named son! The booklet is free—online or in
call upon Me, and you shall go and Didymos. Neither poses any threat hardcopy form—made possible by the
pray unto Me, and I will hearken unto to Earth, either before or after the tithes and offerings of members, co-
you. And you shall seek Me, and find dart encounter.” That mankind must workers and donors who voluntarily
Me, when you shall search for Me with now grapple with existential threats aid and support this Work of God
all your heart” (Jer. 29:10-13). of this magnitude should be the ulti- around the world.
But instead of turning to God mate wake-up call. But it is not!
for help, mankind feebly attempts to Now think of this maneuver and how Mankind’s Feeble Effort
solve problems that threaten its very deluded man still trusts himself to Humanity right now believes it is invin
existence. Major catastrophe looms at save himself. cible—that it can solve any problem—
every turn. Here is a recent shocking Civilization on its own is hope- that it will always rise to new and greater
example, as reported by CBS News, less, cut off from God in this pres- heights. Continent after continent is wit-
“NASA is launching a small probe… ent evil world (Gal. 1:4). It does not nessing the conditions Christ foretold
that will crash head-on into a small understand that only by seeking God would precede His arrival—and in big
asteroid next fall at some 15,000 will it ultimately survive—and thrive! ways. Yet the leaders of this world—the
mph to test the feasibility of one day Co-workers and subscribers may wish only ones who have the power to make
nudging a threatening body off course to request What Is Your Reward in the real progress—simply cannot find the
just enough to prevent a catastrophic Next Life? (found at rcg.org/wiyrnl) answers. Proof of this came when lead-
impact on Earth…The 525-foot-wide to learn more. God’s Plan alone can ers from scores of nations met at two
target asteroid, known as Dimorphos, focus humanity on the astounding life
is actually a small moon orbiting a that the Creator wants for every per- Please see PERSONAL, page 28
2 The REAL TRUTH
Answers to
Life’s Greatest
Questions…
M illions believe God exists! Few have proof.
Have you proven that God exists? Or do
you hope—suspect—feel—believe—think—He
does? Can His existence be scientifically proven?
Can you know with certainty that an all-intelligent
Mind created the universe and all life on Earth—
including you? Must the answers be “accepted
on faith”? Let’s squarely face these questions!
Visit rcg.org to order
your free booklets!
Sargon of Akkad
The ruler of the Akkadian Empire
in Mesopotamia ruled from
approximately 2334 to 2279
BC. Considered the world’s first
emperor, he united the disparate
kingdoms in the Fertile Crescent
under a central authority through
conquest. The Akkadian Empire
was also the first political
entity to make extensive use of
bureaucracy and administration
on a large scale and set the
standard for future empires.
4 The REAL TRUTH
What We Must Learn from
HISTORY
Throughout millennia, civilizations have lived out an all-
to-familiar pattern: incredible advancement followed by
societal collapse. Can we break this vicious cycle?
BY SAMUEL C. BAXTER
S
argon of Akkad got there first. He is So what happened? Why did the Akkadian Empire
the man who many historians crown as fail? Why was Sumer lost to history?
the world’s first great empire builder. In short, human beings happened. Many archaeolo-
gists point to aggressive irrigation tactics, leading to
Reigning from around 2334-2279 BC, the salinization of the soil, as a major cause for the fall of
king subjugated all of southern Mesopotamia this empire. Look at the Mesopotamia region today,
as well as Syria, Anatolia and Elam (part of which was home to the Babylonian, Assyrian, Persian
modern Iran). and Chaldean empires. Even thousands of years later,
Yet that is pretty much all we know for sure the area remains desolate!
about Sargon. Everything else is based on legends This is just one cautionary tale of history in one
region of the world. Yet the typical problems that
and guesswork. Part of this lack of information is
plague mankind—war, famine, disease and environ-
because he lived so long ago, the other is that the mental catastrophes—are no longer regional. Each
Sumerian civilization collapsed into obscurity. of them now carries a global tone. This means global
The ruins of Sargon’s capital city of Akkad have consequences.
never been found. Yet worldwide interconnectivity has a silver lining.
The early civilization of Sumer had everything For the first time, we can survey the entire planet and
going for it. First, it was situated on the banks of the see where our practices are detrimental to humankind.
Tigris and Euphrates rivers, which the Bible defines as In addition, we can comb the pages of history to learn
near the location of the Garden of Eden. This was the from the trial and error of our ancestors.
area known as the Fertile We all stand at a crossroads. Civilizations have been
Crescent. These natural down this path before and failed, with George Santayana’s
features led to incredible famed words landing with a resounding thud:
human advancements such “Those who cannot remember the past are
as the first schools, gov- condemned to repeat it.”
ernment bureaucracy, mas- What can we learn from
sive architectural works, the templates of failure
and irrigation techniques. throughout history? What
There was also the first must we learn?
written language, cunei-
form, and the oldest heroic Societal Collapse
tale, the Epic of Gilgamesh. What is societal collapse?
While there is no one defini-
A cuneiform tablet depicting the
birth of Sargon of Akkad, in the
tion, an article in the schol-
Louvre Museum in Paris, France. arly journal Proceedings
CC BY SA 4.0 B helps explain: “Virtually
JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2022 5
every past civilization has eventually A Motherboard article examined acteristic—its towering Moai figures.
undergone collapse, a loss of socio- the math in the article “MIT Predicted Most everyone can identify these iconic
political-economic complexity usually in 1972 That Society Will Collapse multi-ton statues cut from stone, with
accompanied by a dramatic decline in This Century. New Research Shows staring eyes and elongated features.
population size. Some, such as those of We’re on Schedule.” The Polynesian nation of Easter
Egypt and China, have recovered from After reviewing predictive models Island has become a metaphor for the
collapses at various stages; others, such from the past decades, and comparing crises facing mankind—a microcosm
as that of Easter Island or the Classic them to what has actually happened in for the era of globalization.
Maya, were apparently permanent.” the years since, researchers found the The parallels ring with clarity for
Societal collapses are almost 1972 report The Limits to Growth. It us today:
always complicated, with not just one has most closely aligned with what has J Easter Island is all by itself in the
thing causing the demise. Most often, occurred in the nearly 50 years since. Pacific—Earth is a planet all by itself
however, overexploitation of the envi- This new analysis examined 10 key in space.
ronment is a leading cause—or the variables: population, fertility rates, J Polynesian settlers must have seen
straw that ultimately breaks the civili- mortality rates, industrial output, food that they were tearing down the last
zation’s back. production, services, non-renewable tree—mankind can survey the world
The article said today’s most serious resources, persistent pollution, human through the internet and satellite com-
problems stem from weather upsets, the welfare, and ecological footprint. We munication and see the destruction it is
rapidly increasing extinction of animals are fully on track for a collapse by 2040. causing.
and plants, land degradation, a pole-to- Study author Gaya Herrington told J Both Easter Island and modern
pole spread of toxic compounds, ocean Motherboard that collapse “does not manmade catastrophes spark the same
acidification and dead zones, conditions mean that humanity will cease to exist,” question: Why do we never stop our-
that more easily mutate and spread dis- but rather that “economic and indus- selves?
ease, depletion of rare resources, and trial growth will stop, and then decline, Surprisingly, Easter Island was once
depletion of groundwater. which will hurt food production and a lushly forested subtropical paradise.
What a Gordian Knot of evils and standards of living.” It supported a prosperous and complex
ills! And each has to do with how Despite this, Ms. Herrington clings society of up to 30,000 people.
humankind interacts with the environ- to hope. While presenting at the World The climate was well suited for habi-
ment. Often, this is where the debate Economic Forum in 2020, she said: tation; three long-dormant volcanoes
enters on climate change and car- “Changing our societal priorities hardly left rich deposits of fertile soil across
bon dioxide emissions—but clearly needs to be a capitulation to grim neces- the terrain. Open grasslands covered the
the problems are much beyond that. sity. Human activity can be regenera- island in between Easter Palm forests,
Set that aside and think of ecological tive and our productive capacities can with trees that grew over 70 feet tall.
footprint rather than carbon footprint. be transformed. In fact, we are seeing The volcanic deposit at Rano Raraku to
The global community must examine examples of that happening right now. the southeast provided plentiful stores
these issues to avoid the fate of past Expanding those efforts now creates of rock for construction.
failed societies. a world full of opportunity that is also The tribes that migrated to the island
The Proceedings B article contin- sustainable.” formed a loose collective government
ued: “The human predicament is driven “The necessary changes will not be that created a unique culture. Primarily
by overpopulation, overconsumption easy and pose transition challenges but farming and seafaring, these groups had
of natural resources and the use of a sustainable and inclusive future is still a structured tribal society, with a lead-
unnecessarily environmentally damag- possible,” said Ms. Herrington. ing chief and class of priests, along with
ing technologies and socio-economic- While change is still possible, the farmers and tradesmen. The religious
political arrangements to service Homo record of history is not on our side. pantheon included hundreds of animal-
sapiens’ aggregate consumption.” Often, man can clearly see he needs to istic gods.
That is a mouthful, but it just means change and still fails to act. Chiefs raised the Moai, each weigh-
we are consuming more than Earth ing an average of 10 tons, to prove
can handle. To make today’s consump- Cautionary Tales their status with the gods, and exer-
tion sustainable, we would need half Whenever societal collapse is men- cise power over their followers. The
an additional Earth. If everyone alive tioned, Easter Island is often brought chiefs’ elite status allowed a ruling
today consumed as much as the average out as the classic example. It is the class to structure society and maintain
American, we would need four to five cautionary tale. order among tribes. Under them, vast
more Earths. Today, Easter Island is a near-tree- projects were organized. Trading har-
Even if it is not hurtling toward com- less, 63-square-mile patch of land in vested resources from the small island
plete collapse, society is heading toward the Pacific Ocean, 2,200 miles west encouraged construction on a broad
at least a significant decline. of Chile. It has a single defining char- scale. Large plantations produced food
6 The REAL TRUTH
surpluses, which aided population Societies Choose to Succeed or Fail Despite the track record of history,
growth. Religious worship, fueled by defines the earmarks of collapse as a many scholars, thinkers and scientists
even larger Moai and elaborate funeral combination of five broad factors: (1) cling to hope.
services, united the tribes. human environmental impact; (2) natu- Dr. Diamond believes there are about
But it all came crashing down. ral changes in climate; (3) hostile neigh- a dozen major factors threatening mod-
An August 1995 article in Discover bor nations; (4) loss of allies; and (5) ern man. All 12 of these must be solved.
magazine suggested that the environ- breakdown or shortsightedness of eco- Even if 11 problems are addressed per-
mental collapse of Easter Island hap- nomic and social institutions. fectly, the 12th would still bring utter
pened “not with a bang but with a Easter Island is just one example. disaster. Yet seeing certain positive
whimper.” After several generations, Sumer was another example of collapse changes across the globe, and having
islanders slowly consumed most avail- from great heights. As is Rome, which the record of history as a guide, he is
able resources. had a lethal cocktail of problems that cautiously optimistic about humanity’s
Forests were clear-cut for canoes, caused its demise around AD 476. future.
ropes and firewood. Farms produc- The Romans followed the formula In A Short History of Progress,
ing sweet potatoes, taro and sugarcane for collapse: (1) they pushed their soil Ronald Wright said, “We are now at the
stripped soils of available nutrients. to its limits, sparking famine and lead- stage when the Easter Islanders could
Bird, fish and porpoise populations ing to disease pandemics such as the still have halted the senseless cutting
dwindled to extinction by overhunting. Black Death, smallpox and measles; and carving, could have gathered the last
Blind to the impact that a growing popu- (2) a climate shift caused too much trees’ seeds to plant out of reach of the
lation had on the environment, inhabit- rain, which routinely ruined crops; rats. We have the tools and the means
ants used up the island’s resources until (3) a dwindling Roman army forced to share resources, clean up pollution,
there was nothing left. emperors to hire Germanic tribes to dispense basic health care and birth
A massive migration was impossible defend their borders; (4) a band of these control, set economic limits in line with
due to the great distance from the near- mistreated mercenaries, the Visigoths, natural ones.”
est landmass. The isolated island was later conquered the weakened city; (5) Many look to science and technol-
unable to draw needed resources from even at its lowest point, the citizenry ogy to dig us out of this mess. Yet such
elsewhere; it was forced to continue on attended extravagant chariot races and solutions are always a double-edged
its own. Populations, now too large for gladiator battles. sword. Look at the humble plow for
the island to support, soon began to die The Dark Ages followed on the heels farming. It has allowed an awesome
out. Easter Island descended into civil of Rome’s fall! advancement throughout centuries—
war as chiefs-turned-warlords vied for Time and again, the cycle repeats. but it is also often the cause of soil
leftover resources. Incredible advancement, terrible decline. degradation and topsoil loss.
Internal conflict and violence turned In his book A Short History of When we throw in bioengineering
into anarchy, as the only way to sur- Progress, Ronald Wright demonstrat- and complex technological achieve-
vive was to steal food from opposing ed the truth of the anonymous quote, ments, these unintended side effects
tribes. The wars hindered communica- “Each time history repeats itself, the often balloon.
tion and made transportation between price goes up.” The 2011 documentary “Surviving
tribes almost impossible. The island He wrote, “The collapse of the first Progress,” based on Mr. Wright’s book,
was no longer unified—cooperation civilization on earth, the Sumerian, featured cognitive psychologist Gary
between peoples ceased. The greed of affected only half a million people. The Marcus: “One of the challenges…that
individuals nullified any attempt at an fall of Rome affected tens of millions. faces the human species is we are more
organized solution to the now cata- If ours were to fail, it would, of course, and more in a position of acting like
strophic problems. bring catastrophe on billions.” gods…This is [going to] be even more
The islanders’ use of resources was true with genetic technologies, we’re
unsustainable. Great amounts of for- Collision Course? [going to] be able to manipulate other
est were cut for materials to erect the In the television special “National Geo species, and eventually ourselves.”
gigantic Moai. While scientists today do graphic: Collapse,” which was based on Also in “Surviving Progress,” award-
not fully understand how these ancient Dr. Diamond’s book, Harvard University winning author and scholar Robert
peoples raised the monoliths, most agree social psychologist Daniel Gilbert stat- Wright stated that man must quick-
that strong lumber and rope were nec- ed, “What’s so curious about human ly develop the moral side to being a
essary. This, coupled with unchecked beings is that we can look deeply into “god”: “If we don’t develop what you
growth, eventually led to a food short- the future, foresee disaster, and still do might call the moral perspective of God,
age. The tribes sank into a starvation- nothing in the present to stop it. The then we’ll [mishandle] the engineering
fueled population decline. majority of people on this planet, they’re part of playing God, because the actual
Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jared overwhelmed with concerns about their engineering solutions depend on seeing
Diamond, who wrote Collapse: Why immediate well being.” things from the point of view of other
JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2022 7
people, ensuring that their lives don’t the fish of the sea, and over the fowl I consider Your heavens, the work of
get too bad, because if they do it’ll come of the air, and over the cattle, and over Your fingers, the moon and the stars,
back to haunt us. So you know, kind of all the earth, and over every creeping which You have ordained; what is man,
half of being God has just been handed thing that creeps upon the earth.” that You are mindful of him?” (8:3-4).
to us and then the question is whether Genesis 2 describes the Garden of This question’s answer is the single
we’ll master the other half of being God, Eden and two symbolic trees: “the tree most exciting theme found within the
the moral half.” of life” and “the tree of knowledge of Bible. It reveals a deeper, hopeful pur-
He continued, “The bad news is that good and evil” (vs. 9). pose for mankind.
the enlightenment is…sometimes hard These trees represent two opposite The New Testament book of
to come by because of human nature…” ways of life, which can be summed Hebrews quotes David and then begins
up as give and get. The “tree of life” to answer his question: “What is man,
Hope for the Future? describes a life of genuine, outflowing that You are mindful of him?…You
In the end, man must learn this stark concern for others. The tree of knowl- [God] crowned him with glory and
lesson from history: human nature edge of good and evil symbolizes a honor, and did set him over the works of
stands in the way of real peace, abun- way of experimenting to discern what Your hands: You have put all things in
dance and happiness. It blocks man is “good” and what is “evil.” subjection under his feet. For in that He
from true moral understanding. It is In the account, Adam and Eve chose put all in subjection under him, He left
the root cause of humanity’s problems. to eat from the tree of get. nothing that is not put under him. But
Many thinkers, scientists and leaders Look at human nature throughout now we see not yet all things put under
have concluded this, but feel powerless history. Civilizations have regularly him” (2:6-8).
to modify how society thinks and acts. implemented seemingly “good” solu- At first these verses may seem to
Amazingly, efforts in fields such as tions (almost exclusively devised for contradict each other. God put “all
synthetic biology show that man would personal gain), later to reap unintended things in subjection under” man, but
rather attempt to change nature itself “evil” consequences. “we see not yet all things put under
than address his own human nature! This way of get—human nature— him.” Put another way, in the future, all
In his 1860 Cooper Union Address, can be summarized in four words: things will be put under the rulership
Abraham Lincoln stated, “Human vanity, jealousy, lust and greed. All of of man, but this has not yet happened.
action can be modified to some extent, today’s problems stem from these four The Moffatt translation of the Bible
but human nature cannot be changed.” characteristics. renders the Greek word for “all things”
The same is true today. During Yet does this mean mankind is as “the universe.” Man is to rule over
a lecture for non-profit group doomed to fail? the entire universe!
TED, British Prime Minister David Yet to do so, he must first learn
Cameron stated, “Government is Ultimate History Lesson the way of give, which can be done
essentially today learning to go with Throughout time, there has remained by building the character of God, as
the grain of human nature.” a sense that the purpose of mankind is seen within the Bible and throughout
Yet most cannot concisely describe much grander than the here and now. Creation. Human nature must be over-
what this nature is. This is never so evident as when gaz- come, and genuine outflowing concern
Unknown to almost all, there is an ing at a star-filled sky on a clear night, must take its place.
instruction manual for mankind that away from city lights—or when view- Although man has moments of
succinctly defines human nature. The ing the Hubble Telescope’s jaw-drop- incredible ingenuity, human nature is
Bible plainly outlines man’s true col- ping images. Man looks to the universe holding him back. Imagine how much
ors—helping make sense of the mod- for his future, whether to more he could achieve if
ern world. This is just one reason The see planets he will one day vanity, jealousy, lust and
Real Truth uses this Book as the lens explore or to understand greed came to an end!
through which to view current events. the basic laws of science For many more details
The Bible begins to define the governing all things. about mankind’s incredible
human condition almost immediately. Consider. The light from future and the grand pur-
The first chapter of Genesis reveals those stars took billions of pose for human existence,
why “god-like” aspirations are deep- years to reach Earth. So, read the enlightening and
seated. Notice: “And God said, Let while peering into the dis- inspiring free book The
us make man in Our image, after Our tant past, we often contem- Awesome Potential of Man.
likeness…” (vs. 26). plate our future. Despite the bleak pic-
The notion of mankind having a In the Old Testament, ture seen in headlines
mastery over nature is also immedi- Israel’s King David cap- today, man is not doomed
Order a Free Copy!
ately addressed. Verse 26 continues, tured this feeling in the to fail—he is destined to
“…and let them have dominion over book of Psalms: “When rcg.org/tapom succeed! c
8 The REAL TRUTHLeft, a man dusts off family photos from
the rubble of a home destroyed by a
tornado that tore through Mayfield,
Kentucky (Dec. 13, 2021). Right, an
employee of a candle factory hugs
another person at the conclusion of a
candlelight vigil (Dec. 14, 2021). Bottom,
a framed photo of a resident lies among
the debris of her destroyed home in the
aftermath of tornadoes that tore through
the region (Dec. 13, 2021).
AP/GERALD HERBERT
A
WHY
s the sun set at 5 p.m. on
December 10 in Paducah,
Kentucky, National Weather Does
Service staff were tracking a super-
cell storm and ready to send tor- God Allow
NATURAL
nado warnings across the state.
Over 200 miles away in Mayfield,
workers at a candle factory were
clocking in for overtime shifts to
DISASTERS?
keep up with Christmas demand
and earn bonus pay.
Just 30 minutes later, employ-
ees heard the faint wail of sirens.
Cellphones lit up with severe
weather alerts. Following the com- In the wake of a deadly tornado outbreak in the
pany’s emergency protocols, staff
went into a hallway designated as a
United States, people are left wondering whether a
storm shelter. higher power cares or even exists.
JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2022 9Top left, the view of tornado damage from a bedroom window in Mayfield, Kentucky (Dec. 12, 2021). Top right, the remains of a destroyed home in Dawson Springs, Kentucky (Dec. 12, 2021). Middle left, a displaced woman hugs a friend outside a shelter in Wingo, Kentucky (Dec. 12, 2021). Middle right, a man sits in a shelter in Wingo, Kentucky, after his home was destroyed (Dec. 12, 2021). Bottom left, a family photograph lies among debris in Bowling Green, Kentucky (Dec. 14, 2021). Bottom right, a man plays with his four month- old son inside a makeshift shelter in Wingo, Kentucky (Dec. 13, 2021). REUTERS/CHENEY ORR (TOP LEFT); AP/MICHAEL CLUBB (TOP RIGHT); AP/ROBERT BUMSTED (MIDDLE LEFT/MIDDLE RIGHT); AP/JAMES KENNEY (BOTTOM LEFT); REUTERS/CHENEY ORR (BOTTOM RIGHT) 10 The REAL TRUTH
Several minutes went by with no dead to get to the living at a disaster
storm in sight. Employees trickled back scene that smelled of scented candles.
to work. Some, like Chelsea Logue, who Elsewhere, homes were flattened or
arrived to start her shift as co-workers missing roofs.
returned to the plant floor, did not think For many survivors like Wes Fowler,
there was much to worry about. who rode out December’s storm in a
“I thought it would be a rainstorm,” tunnel under the church he pastors,
she said. there were no answers for the devasta-
At 9 p.m., sirens sounded again. tion. “My little girl asked me, ‘Why
This time, alerts from the National would God let this happen?’”
Weather Service were dire, telling While Mr. Fowler said he believes
people in Mayfield to “shelter imme- God did allow the tornado to hap-
diately!” as a spotted violent tornado pen, he had no answer as to why the
barreled toward the area. Workers, western Kentucky community where
including team-leader Autumn Kirks he was baptized, grew up and chose to
and her boyfriend, Lannis Joe Ward, raise his family was not spared from
who was a line leader at the plant, the storms.
scrambled back to the hallway. “I had to look at my little 8-year-old
Twenty-seven minutes later, there girl, who looks to me for answers,” he
was an eerie silence. Lights flickered, said, “and I had to say…‘I don’t know.
“then all of a sudden you hear just I don’t know.’”
crumbling, and it’s like the whole Each time a natural disaster brings
world is just falling down around you,” untimely death and destruction, people
Ms. Kirks said. The building collapsed ask: If God is all-powerful, why did He
as deafening winds thrashed concrete let it happen? And if the Almighty is
blocks and steel frames around. good, why does He allow such awful
Then it went silent. tragedies? Or, as a USA Today piece fol-
Ms. Kirks saw sky and lightning lowing the Moore, Oklahoma, twister in
where a wall had been, and her boy- 2013 put it, “How can a vicious tornado
friend—who was just 10 feet away when kill kids when God is good?”
they ducked for cover—had vanished. These are all questions worthy of
“I remember taking my eyes off straightforward answers.
of him for a second, and then he was
gone,” she said. Searching for Meaning
Later, she got the terrible news. He Often, deadly catastrophes push sur-
had been killed in the storm. vivors to stop believing in God alto-
Mr. Ward was one of 90 lives lost gether. In his 2020 book Tornado
that night during an unprecedented God, Peter Thuesen argued that disas-
powerful December outbreak of torna- ters should make us question our
does that ripped through six U.S. states. concepts of a heavenly Being and His
The one that hit the Mayfield candle attributes.
factory was the strongest and most dev- According to an internet review
astating in Kentucky history, leaving prior to its release, the author asked,
a 165-mile trail of death and destruc- “if a god is directly responsible for
tion, demolishing homes, leveling busi- both the existence and the path of a
nesses and setting off a scramble to find tornado, that god is acting according
survivors beneath the rubble. to something that in no way resem-
The next morning revealed scenes bles the standard Christian conception
of utter destruction across Mayfield. At of ‘right’ and ‘wrong.’ And if a god
the candle factory, layers of steel and isn’t directing the tornado but merely
cars 15 feet deep were on top of what watches while it kills the innocent,
used to be the roof. An aerial view of then is that god worthy of worship
the plant showed concrete footprints every Sunday? And if that god isn’t
decorated like confetti with twisted even watching, how is the situation of
metal and shredded drywall and insu- those faithful functionally any differ-
lation. Rescuers had to crawl over the ent than atheism?”
JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2022 11These questions are based on three time to die. To plant and pluck. To kill This does not mean God wants us
foundations of Christian belief: God and heal. Break down and build up. to be perpetually unhappy, nor is life
is all-knowing, all-powerful and all- Weep and laugh. Mourn and dance. equal parts prosperity and adversity.
good. Each time calamity takes lives Get and lose. Love and hate. The Bible speaks much more about
indiscriminately, those pillars can These dichotomies are more than how to make the most of your life.
seem to stand on sand. Believers have poetic drivel. They paint a picture of But God has “appointed unto men
a hard time accepting that any person life—both good and bad—and show once to die” (Heb. 9:27), giving each
who sees what is happening and has both are inevitable parts of our exis- person a limited space of time to
the power to stop it does not. tence. Solomon made clear later in the learn and experience from times of
Yet rejecting the existence of God book that no one is immune from expe- adversity. He wants us to make the
is not the answer to why an omnipotent riencing both sides of the spectrum. most of life.
and omniscient being allows suffering. Notice in chapter 7: “In the day of Make no mistake. God does not
But, again, you should not accept “we prosperity be joyful, but in the day of enjoy punishing people. He says in
cannot know” for an answer. adversity consider: God also has set Ezekiel 18:32, “I have no pleasure in
Some of the Bible’s authors explored the one over against the other, to the the death of him that dies.” The Bible
similar lines of thinking. Ancient end that man should find nothing after says God Himself suffers through
Israelite King Solomon, for instance, him” (vs. 14). millennia of human misery. II Peter
wrote Ecclesiastes while grappling with In simple English, every person 3:9 states that the “Lord is not slack
troubling observations. regardless of religious belief will expe- concerning His promise, as some men
In it, he wrote: “All things have I rience good and bad. The person who count slackness; but is longsuffer-
seen in the days of my vanity: there is a is born will die. In the same way, the ing to us-ward, not willing that any
just man that perishes in his righteous- person who dances will mourn. He should perish, but that all should
ness, and there is a wicked man that pro- who laughs will weep. Getting is fol- come to repentance.” I Timothy 2:4
longs his life in his wickedness” (7:15). lowed by losing. further states that God would “have
Through his reign, the king found Even more simply stated: Tragedy all men to be saved.”
that some of those who obeyed and is inevitable. Ultimately, God wants to bring
trusted God were not any more success- Each one of us—whether religious good to everyone who grows.
ful than those who did not. Instead, “All or not—cannot control when or wheth- Revelation shows a glimpse: “God
things come alike to all” (9:2) and “time er suffering comes. But we can and shall wipe away all tears from their
and chance happens to them all” (9:11). should control how we react to it when eyes; and there shall be no more
Solomon simply had to conclude it does. Solomon said in dark times we death, neither sorrow, nor crying, nei-
that “man also knows not his time: as should consider. ther shall there be any more pain: for
the fishes are taken in an evil net, and What does that mean? Ecclesiastes the former things are passed away”
as the birds that are caught in the snare; 7:2 makes it clear beyond doubt: “It is (21:4).
so are the sons of men snared in an better to go to the house of mourning, Of course, this still leaves many
evil time, when it falls suddenly upon than to go to the house of feasting: for unanswered questions. Why does God
them” (vs. 12). that is the end of all men; and the liv- make human beings to suffer at all
This reality drove him to despair, ing will lay it to his heart.” if He does not like it Himself? Why
told through the king’s refrain through- Realize what you just read. even allow pain if He plans to take it
out the book, “all is vanity and vex- Instead of dismissing the death and away in the end? How can you know
ation of spirit.” We could suppose destruction—or dismissing God’s exis- for sure He really exists?
he was thinking: Why would an all- tence—following tragedies such as the These are tough questions. Yet
knowing, all-powerful and loving God tornadoes in the Central U.S., we are the Bible itself states everyone should
simply let people needlessly suffer and best served to reflect on what hap- be pondering them as they endure the
unexpectedly die? pened there. Those 90 deaths, and the adversity life brings.
Yet Solomon did not leave this despair and fear associated with them, Those asking these questions owe
question unresolved. should send a message to those who it to themselves to find the answers.
remain alive. Our hearts should go out To help you, go to our literature
The Crucial Lesson to the survivors. But we should also library at rcg.org. You will notice
Let’s go back to Ecclesiastes, to the carefully consider that life is tempo- many of the titles are questions: Why
most oft-quoted passage. Chapter 3 rary and fragile, and therefore live it a Do You Exist? Does God Exist? and
starts: “To everything there is a season, certain way. Why Does God Allow Suffering?
and a time to every purpose under the Ecclesiastes states anyone sobered While these titles represent the
heaven…” (vs. 1). by reality, who experience “sorrow” greatest questions afflicting mankind,
The following verses list the highs and “sadness of the countenance,” the pages inside will guide you to the
and lows of life. A time to be born, a makes their “heart better” (vs. 3). Bible’s plain answers. c
12 The REAL TRUTHDesigned for
DISCOVERY The Earth is filled with inferences of design.
Here is a look at some of these unique and inspiring markers.
BY BRADFORD G. SCHLEIFER
M
any millions view Earth cover, the more we realize that hun- the honest reader will be left with little
as just another planet in a dreds of conditions are needed for doubt as to the inspiring origin of our
vast universe. They see the rich abundance of plant, animal world and the evidence left behind for
and human life on Earth, which humanity to discover. In fact, much
it as neither unique nor special in
have not been found elsewhere in of what has been set in place for
any way. mankind was designed so that only an
But decades of research are the known universe.
There are so many indicators on advanced, technology-driven society
changing this view. If we peer Earth pointing to an Intelligent could uncover it.
through the lens of science, some- Designer that it becomes impossible As you read this article, you will
thing remarkable can be shown to believe they appeared by blind see the fingerprints—the handprints—
about our planet. The more we dis- chance. Reading with an open mind, of something. You will be left to ask,
JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2022 13“Are these the fingerprints of dumb,
A Lucky Size?
blind luck, or the fingerprints of an
engineer who left markers—clues—
careful design?”
Also ask: “Could our life-bearing
planet be nothing more than coinci-
dence?”
A
nother interesting “coinci- mosphere, disrupting the delicate
dence” is Earth’s perfect mixture needed for life. Ancient Geological Compass
size and mass, crucial to a Conversely, a larger Earth would One of the fascinating treasures wait-
planet’s ability to develop an atmo- carry with it an entirely different set ing for millions of years to be uncov-
sphere and sustain life. of problems. Instead of the atmo- ered is an ancient global positioning
If one were to create a dupli- sphere being swept away by a so- system found in rocks containing mag-
cate of Earth, but shrink its size, lar wind, the planet would have a netic elements, such as iron. These
some drastic changes would take much greater magnetic and gravi-
rocks are located everywhere, but are
place. Most important, a smaller tational field. The fine balance of
planet would generate a weaker gasses in our atmosphere would particularly concentrated where iron-
magnetic field. Our existing mag- be disrupted, resulting in an atmo- filled molten lava spews from within
netic field creates a kind of “force sphere thick with carbon dioxide the Earth. When superheated in a vol-
field” around our planet, protecting and methane. This would in turn in- cano or within crevices on the ocean
us from direct interaction with the crease the size of our atmosphere floor, rock becomes as fluid as maple
sun’s solar wind—which could and make Earth resemble the gas- syrup. In this state, the iron element
blow away our atmosphere and eous giants Jupiter or Saturn. aligns with our planet’s magnetic field.
with it the ability to sustain life. Gravity also increases in inten- While most are familiar with a
Also, the unfiltered energy of sity as the mass of a planet grows. standard compass, few realize that
the sun would permeate all those An Earth twice its current size the planet generates a magnetic field
living in such a hostile world. This would increase gravity 3.5 times. in three dimensions. When lava cools,
alone would mean deterioration No matter which direction the
and eventual destruction of life. mass of our planet is shifted, the
its magnetic alignment “locks” into
Even a slight reduction in the effect would be a barren waste- place. (Only superheating to a near
size of the planet would mean a land—not the lush world brimming liquid state would cause its position to
gradual sweeping away of our at- with life we enjoy today! c change once again.)
Like a global positioning system
using three satellites to pinpoint a
location, these rocks can be used to
pinpoint the location where they hard-
Magnetotail ened. This opens a fascinating window
into Earth’s early history. As continents
Solar Wind
Particles shift, molten rock bubbles up from
deep within the planet’s crust. When
Polar Cusp Magnetic Field Lines this liquid rock comes in contact with
water or air, it cools and solidifies. As
Auroral Oval
the continents continue to drift, hard-
ened rock moves with them. By mea-
BOW SHOCK
SUN Prominence
Plasma Sheet
suring its magnetic field, scientists can
determine its exact original location.
Collecting specimens from around
the world has allowed scientists to
determine that continents currently
Van Allen drift at a rate of about one centimeter
Radiation Belts
per year.
If hundreds of measurements are
compared from around the globe, a
Magnetotail
road map of how our planet trans-
formed begins to appear. A picture
of the Earth from millions of years
ago reveals only one large continent,
referred to as Pangaea.
14 The REAL TRUTHThere is no evolutionary reason for constituted the early Earth’s environ- a planet can sustain life. Further,
the appearance of this ancient position- ment—and when. Major earthquakes, the more of these attributes a planet
ing system. Could it have just been volcanoes, climate changes, shifts possesses the more likely it can con-
chance? in Earth’s magnetic field and even tain both simple life (bacteria and
This magnetic map is missing the events occurring in space can be read proteins) and complex life (plants and
important element of time. There is from these wonderfully designed ice animals).
no direct way to measure how fast core “books.” Even beyond this is another
the continents shifted or if they main- “level” seldom addressed: technologi-
tained a constant motion over millions cal life—that is, a species advanced
of years. enough to develop technology, and in
To develop a timeline of our world,
another recent discovery is required.
“Major earthquakes, turn discover the markers placed by a
Creator.
Icy Encyclopedias volcanoes, climate Our planet was perfectly suited for
the arrival of mankind. It may come
Without a clear timeline, scientists changes, shifts in as no surprise that many of the fac-
have no verifiable way to compare dis- tors needed to sustain complex life
coveries in various parts of the world. Earth’s magnetic are exactly the same factors needed
We have a picture of how the early for advanced technology. It is no
planet looked, but no way to know the field and even events mere coincidence that conditions
rate at which it developed.
Recall learning about tree rings in
occurring in space can facilitating technology are the same
as those necessary to support a special
grade school. Counting them reveals
the age of the tree. Their thickness
be read from these life-form capable of harnessing it.
Michael Denton, a famous biochem-
indicate the growth in a particular wonderfully designed ist, states the following about the precise
season and the total amount of rain- balance of oxygen in our atmosphere
fall that had occurred. We have come ice core ‘books.’” and its link to technology: “Another fas-
to learn that much more can be read cinating coincidence is that only atmo-
from these natural data recorders. spheres with between ten and twenty
While fascinating in their own right, percent oxygen can support oxidative
trees are usually only centuries old. But why would this information metabolism in a higher organism, and it
Much of that time has already been even exist? How could an accident is only within this range that fire—and
recorded by man. “create” something as precise as sedi- hence metallurgy [working with metals]
What was learned with tree rings ment layers, which are so crucial and technology—is possible” (Nature’s
has now been applied to many kinds to understanding the ancient Earth? Destiny).
of geological “layering,” and perhaps One could argue that this phenom- Not only is our planet perfectly
most interesting are the layers found enon happened by chance. However, designed to develop technology capable
in polar ice. In arctic regions, a fas- again, could mere accident—luck— of advancing society, those resources are
cinating phenomenon occurs: Snow, form data recorders so detailed and conveniently placed within our reach.
sediment, gases, etc., form easily iden- precise that, until recently, it was out
tifiable layers. With each year, another of the reach of mankind’s ingenuity to The Placement of Power
layer is formed, and “snapshots” are unlock them? Another so-called coincidence is the
stored. Hundreds, even thousands, of Couple these icy “encyclopedias” location of the resources required to
years are documented in these icy with the detailed ancient compass power society. This was the case with
data recorders. The longest ice core already explained, and the mountain the first sustainable power source: fire,
retrieved is a 2.25 mile sample allow- of evidence for a Creator continues primarily derived from trees.
ing scientists to peer 420,000 years to grow. The ability to heat homes provided
into the past. for a purpose greater than pure surviv-
By taking long core samples, each Life and Technology al. Man was free to study and research.
year can be read in a manner similar to One fascinating aspect of the above- Time was spent testing and analyzing
tree rings. However, the information mentioned discoveries is that they the world around him. And before
stored in the ice cores is much more require an advanced species to under- he exhausted this resource, research
detailed. Not only can temperature stand them. The Earth is perfectly efforts led to our next power source,
and snow depth be determined, atmo- designed for advanced life. When coal. This gave way to petroleum,
spheric gases can be measured. Since scientists analyze the possibility which paved the way to the Industrial
gases are generally uniform world- of life on other planets, they use a
wide, much can be learned about what series of parameters to determine if Please see DISCOVERY, page 31
JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2022 15WHAT IS RUSSIA’S ENDGAME? Understanding Russia’s motives has always been impossible for the West. Yet history and the Bible reveals its national character—and exactly what its future holds. BY SAMUEL C. BAXTER 16 The REAL TRUTH
A
rmed with shovels and have only to kick in the door, and
metal detectors, a group the whole rotten structure will come
of young Russians dig in crashing down” (The Life and Death
of Adolf Hitler).
the flat-open plains outside the Instead, Stalingrad became a major
town of Rossoschka—about 30 turning point in the war between
miles from Volgograd, formerly Germany and Russia. The battle is
known as Stalingrad. The chil- sometimes touted as the catalyst event
dren are assisting with a program that began the downfall of the Third
Reich. From that point forward during
to unearth and properly bury sol- WWII, the Soviets slowly drove back
diers who lost their lives during Hitler’s armies until they marched into
World War II. Berlin in April 1945.
Nearly everywhere they sink What the Germans found most
shovels into dirt they find human unexpected—which serves as another
skulls in rusted helmets, as well as lesson from this operation—was the
rib cages, femurs and finger bones. fortitude of the Soviets. Frequently,
Within a few hours, the small group Russians would fight to the last man,
and the last bullet, in the face of over-
has found the skeletal remains of
whelming defeat.
about a dozen combatants from Over and over, history’s greatest
the Eastern Front—Russians and military forces have failed to under-
Germans alike. stand the Russians. The Vikings,
A History Channel special detailed Mongols and the army of Napoleon
this scene. Just under the surface of Bonaparte were all stymied by the
the plains in this region lie thousands Russian will to win.
upon thousands of bodies that have Russia has always baffled Western
remained there since 1943. powers. Discussing the nation during
In the winter of that year, frozen World War II, British Prime Minister
corpses made a macabre blanket far Winston Churchill stated, “I cannot
and wide across the area, sometimes forecast to you the action of Russia. It
three bodies deep. Today, the bone is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside
fields echo what took place nearly 70 an enigma…”
years ago. Writing about the collapse of
A documentary based on the book the USSR, The Economist said the
Aftermath: The Remnants of War fea- West figured Russia “would embrace
tured an interview with a Russian man Western values and join the civilised
who has made it his life’s work to world.” Yet, the magazine continued,
unearth the remains of the fallen and the U.S. and its allies failed to take
identify them. He described the scene into account “the country’s ruined
around Stalingrad after the battle’s economy, depleted and exhausted
conclusion: “You would not have been human capital and the mental and
able to walk through this field. It moral dent made by 70 years of Soviet
was full of rotting, stinking corps- rule. Nobody knew what kind of coun-
es. Unburied. Why? Let me tell you. try would succeed the Soviet Union,
There simply weren’t enough people. or what being Russian really meant.”
They were all cleaning up Stalingrad. Even today, Moscow’s foreign
Then these fields were full of mines policy decisions always seem to con-
that had to be removed. The crows had fuse the West. Think of Syria’s civil
a feast here.” war, where Russia backed President
The Battle of Stalingrad reveals an Bashar al-Assad while America and
important lesson about the Russians: its allies supported various rebel
never underestimate them. groups. Russia is also quick to take
After Hitler captured much of Iran’s side in geopolitical squabbles
Europe in a matter of months, he and is the odd man out in ongoing
smugly declared of the USSR, “We conflicts in eastern Ukraine.
JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2022 17Such actions lead to a question: “Both Russia and the United States have oil-rich Caucasus Mountain region,
What is Russia’s end goal? historically asserted a global vocation the Soviets held their own. This move
Those in Europe and the U.S. also for their societies. But while America’s essentially became a case study in
have a hard time understanding the idealism derives from the concept of lib- Russian will.
appeal of Russian President Vladimir erty, Russia’s developed from a sense of The Nazi Wehrmacht pounded
Putin. Yet, at home, he has regularly shared suffering and common submis- Stalingrad with 1,000 tons of artil-
maintained an 80-plus percent approval sion to authority. Everyone is eligible lery from the ground and bombs from
rating. It has been around 60 percent to share in America’s values; Russia’s the air. When this attack was in full
lately. He has led the nation for 18-plus have been reserved for the Russian swing, historian James Burns wrote
years and has a path to remain in power nation, excluding even the subject that flames from the city were so bright
until 2036. nationalities of the empire. American “that a newspaper could be read at
No matter who is in charge of idealism tempts isolationism; Russian night forty miles away” (Roosevelt:
Russia, whether today’s president of idealism has prompted expansionism Soldier of Freedom).
a controlled democracy, the iron fist and nationalism.” After four months of being ruth-
of the Soviets, the czars, or warlords Mr. Kissinger quoted what Mr. lessly pummeled, the Soviets seemed
before them, the nation has remained Putin wrote the day before taking on far from demoralized. They secret-
virtually the same at its core. the responsibilities of Russia’s presi- ly amassed a one million man army
Therefore, a key to understanding dency in early 2000: “It will not hap- designed to encircle the overstretched
Russia’s future is found in examples of pen, if it ever happens at all, that Russia German and Romanian Axis forces in
its national character—both past and will become the second edition of, say, the region.
present. the United States or Great Britain…For In November 1942, Red Army forc-
Russians, a strong state is not an anom- es moved to secure a 100-mile perime-
National Idealism aly, which should be got rid of. Quite ter around Stalingrad. Assisted by well-
Idealism has long been deeply ingrained the contrary, they see it as a guarantor placed Soviet artillery and thousands of
in the Russian national psyche. of order and the initiator and the main infantrymen and cavalry, the operation,
Historian Albert Jeremiah Beveridge driving force of any change.” codenamed Uranus, successfully shift-
noted this characteristic in his 1903 In Letters from Russia, French trav- ed the tide of battle. On January 31, the
book The Russian Advance: “No mat- eler and nobleman Astolphe de Custine Germans surrendered—marking the
ter how casual his observation, every wrote that a person could journey the first major defeat of the Axis powers.
traveller through Russia will run across entire country and “return home with- This would be the beginning of the
evidences of Russian idealism. On the out having surveyed anything but a end of perhaps the most brutally effec-
other hand, men who have given their series of facades.” Custine believed tive army the world had ever seen. No
lives to the study of this curious people that on the surface Russia appeared to battle has surpassed the incredible car-
declare that the Russian is, first of all, be much like any European nation. Yet nage of Stalingrad. By some estimates,
an idealist.” he felt that whenever he looked past three million fought there, and only one
Beveridge especially saw this ide- these outward shows, he invariably million lived to tell about it.
alism in the nation’s literary works found something entirely different— Throughout their time on the
from Leo Tolstoy, Ivan Turgenieff, and something uniquely Russian. Eastern Front, the Germans learned to
Maxim Gorky, which all contain the A similar statement could be applied have a healthy respect—and in some
“characteristic of ideality in spite of to any period in Russia’s history. At its cases, fear—for Russian soldiers. In
their realism.” heart, the nation does not change. Its The Greatest Battle: Stalin, Hitler, and
In the end, he concluded that people are ready to sacrifice and suffer the Desperate Struggle for Moscow
Russians believe it is their duty to inconvenience for “the greater good.” That Changed the Course of World War
preserve “order, form, and authority This formula has time and again II, author Andrew Nagorski quoted an
in civil affairs” and then “to restore to bred success for the country. As a unit- eye-witness account that demonstrates
the confused, hopeless, struggling peo- ed nation backing one ruler, Russia has Russia’s grit.
ples of the earth those forms of social repeatedly expelled and repelled mili- “A German soldier who was sent
order and political authority which the tary advances from formidable foes. to the Eastern front in August 1941
[Russian] thinks are, after all, the foun- It continues to maintain a firm stance described his shock in discovering
dation-stones of civilization.” on certain global issues, even when that the Red Army was employing the
Put another way, Russians want to opposed, and has vehemently defended same kind of human wave tactics that
export and expand the Russian empire its borders. were used in World War I. The Soviet
to spread their ideals. assaults ‘were carried out by masses of
The same mindset persists today. In Russian Warriors men who made no real attempt at con-
his 2001 book Does America Need a When Hitler decided to redirect cealment but trusted in sheer weight of
Foreign Policy? Henry Kissinger wrote: efforts on the Eastern Front to the numbers to overwhelm us,’ he wrote.”
18 The REAL TRUTHYou can also read
