Changing Values in a Modern Age

As viewed on the African scene

‘I HAD seen the clothes my brothers had brought back and heard them speak of the wages to be had. They had described the street lights, the cinemas, the dance halls, the women and the clever town men. My father did not wish me to go, but without saying good-bye to my parents I boarded the bus for the big city.

‘I was amazed at what I saw and wished I had come earlier. There was nothing like this at home. Every house was bright with lights; there was an unbelievable and exciting bustle, thrill and glitter. Everyone radiated wealth, confidence, success. Life in town must be easy, the rewards great and quickly plucked. I was glad that I had left the dark quiet hut of my father, where I was only a boy, a messenger, a fetcher, a laborer. This was Life!’

So began the experience of one African who wished to explore the delights of another world​—life in a big city.

He felt that his move to the city and the prospect of more material possessions would be a springboard to happiness. Many share his feelings. Perhaps you do. What is happening in Africa has taken place, or is taking place, in many parts of the world.

Changes Touch Minds and Hearts

Minds and hearts accustomed to a very simple way of life have become acquainted with a manner of living that involves an endless array of fascinating possessions. The effect is portrayed in a selection from the African poem “Song of Lawino.” A newly educated man returning from town had just brought a clock home to his village wife who had never seen one before. She said: “To me the clock is a great source of pride. It is beautiful to see. And when visitors come, they are highly impressed!” Yes, this new “toy” seemed to add glitter and excitement, as well as prestige, to her life. Who of us has not seen and then desired some new gadget that could make our life more enjoyable?

However, all the benefits of modern technology come with “price tags”​—they cost money, sometimes plenty of it! The question each person must face is, How much am I willing to sacrifice to have that item? Enjoying certain benefits of this modern age may even require that you sacrifice personal values. This has been happening, not merely in Africa, but world wide.

To appreciate fully what precious values are being lost, let’s briefly examine the “traditional life-style” that has characterized much of African society for millenniums.

Traditional Values

There is evidence that Africans in ancient times were responsible for many outstanding technical feats. However, the real achievement of African culture was in another area.

Basil Davidson in the book African Kingdoms relates: “In the shadow of their pomp and glory rests the modest but impressive achievement of village-level Africa. In community attitudes that joined man to man in a brotherhood of equals, in moral rules that guided social behavior, in beliefs that exalted the spiritual aspects of life above the material, the African village achieved a kind of social harmony that often functioned without any need of centralized authority. This, in fact, was where Africa best displayed its real genius​—in its capacity for social organization. . . . more concerned with the amenities of personal relationships than with material progress.”

FAMILY LIFE: An international press release noted regarding traditional African societies: “The young, the old, the infirm are never without care, food or shelter as long as there is a relative or tribal brother with anything at all to share.” The family worked together and, basically, the villages were, and many still are, close-knit groups of several “extended” families. Children were reared in an atmosphere of family interest.

HOSPITALITY: It was the general practice in ancient Africa. Strangers were welcome without reservation. Two writers, a European and an American, lived for a time with some of the most primitive tribes in Africa. The European wrote: “The hospitality of the Nuba is wonderful to experience.” The other reported: ‘The Masai have a development of spirit, of human dignity, warmth and humor, a love of family and friends. I thought that the Masai had developed something very special.’

RULE OF LAW: The villages all had chiefs, village elders and a judicial system. Crimes were punished and criminals were ostracized from the community. There was security, and village life as a whole was relaxed and warm.

Yes, love for family, hospitality, rule of law​—are not these all valuable qualities, especially in a cold world where a close family and friends are becoming a rarity and lawlessness is increasing? Traditional African life considered these things precious. But what is happening to such values?

What Is Changing?

FAMILY LIFE: “Already the problems of affluent society are knocking hard on our doorsteps. Drug addiction, problems of adolescence [and] high increase in divorce rates.”​—African writer Ebomuche Oguuh-ibe.

“Parents neglect their roles. . . . The check and balance system of behaviour which characterised an African family is totally lacking nowadays.”​—African student Francis Uzoeshi.

HOSPITALITY: “Hospitality is disappearing [because] one does not trust unknown visitors: they may be thieves!” (Bantu Customs) Also, many cannot afford to show much hospitality and still maintain their standard of living or care for the needs of their immediate family.

RULE OF LAW: “Time To Wage War On Crime.” “This Brutal Land.” “The War Against Corruption.”​—African newspaper headlines.

“People increasingly tend to be more callous and selfish than ever before, even up to the point of not caring about what happens to the neighbour next door, quite contrary to the traditional African belief in the brotherhood of man.”​—African writer Oguuh-ibe.

What Is Causing the Changes?

A group of young mothers in southern Africa were asked: “What causes more trouble, beer or money?” Unanimously they answered: “Money.” Of course, it is not the money itself, but what one does to get it and how it is used.

For instance, to earn more money, some men move far away into town, leaving the wife to cultivate the family plot and rear the children. Long hours of loneliness lead to temptations of excessive drinking and immorality. Some men even take on a ‘town wife,’ a woman who will live with a man without marriage. With these new pressures he may be unable to send any of his salary home, putting further strains on the family’s already disrupted life. He may go home only once or twice a year!

Yet, even where the husband and wife live together in town, the wife often works to supplement the husband’s earnings. In many cases young children are left at home to be cared for by a house servant, who herself may be a young girl. Such lack of proper training has contributed to a dramatic increase in juvenile crime and immorality in many cities of Africa. This is especially serious to Africa because nearly one half of the population is under 16 years of age!

The destructive effect of the quest for wealth is vividly illustrated with some of the Nuba tribesmen. Author Leni Riefenstahl, who lived with the Nuba, reported that in years past he could leave his photographic equipment in unlocked crates for months at a time. But recently he had to stop. Why? Thievery. He writes: “Because of a very poor harvest, some of the Nuba tribes had to go to the towns to earn some money to buy cattle or a few goats. In the towns they saw how everything could be bought with money and this had a destructive effect on them.”

Before becoming acquainted with modernization, they were basically self-sufficient. Riefenstahl adds: “They knew nothing else and were happy and content with this life. The possession of money used to be foreign to them. But soon the inevitable march of civilization will reach the Mesakin Nuba and change them too.”

In pursuit of the things that this modern age can bring, many have also become ensnared by something else.

Enslaving Credit Buying

“This easy credit is a terrible snare,” wrote one African couple. “It makes buying things seem so easy and cheap, whereas in reality it isn’t. The fact that one can walk into a shop and buy a dress without paying for it right away is a real lure, and as for payment​—well, they can think about that later. When ‘later’ comes and they get the bill, they realize that they can’t pay, and then the ‘fun’ starts. They become real slaves to these credit stores because the desire for new things is so great. I have been in homes that have new hi-fi sets, a new car, beautiful furniture and yet they don’t have enough money for food because they’re paying it all off. Husband and wife are both working and the kids are running wild.”

In this respect Africans do not stand alone. Debt created by credit buying is an enormous problem in other countries as well. For instance, one out of every 20 Americans is in serious credit debt, since over 60 percent of their total income is committed to credit payments.

The effects on one, mentally and emotionally, are truly harsh. One person deep in debt from credit buying wrote: “I lost my job, and my unemployment compensation isn’t enough to make the minimum payments, let alone pay rent and buy food. I have resorted to selling blood plasma and doing odd jobs. Ducking creditors is driving me crazy. I’m a nervous wreck.”

Not All Change

Of course, not all Africans have lost good judgment and proper values in their desire to enjoy the benefits from modern technology. There are many honest and upright persons throughout Africa.

A foreign correspondent who spent a short time in Africa noted some dishonest ones, yet candidly reported: “But I should tell as well of . . . a young man who refused money after guiding me for hours around an irrigation project. Of the woman laundry worker who returned to me the eighty naira that I left in a shirt pocket. And I should tell of the kindnesses shown to me by the man I had called stupid.”​—National Geographic, March 1979.

Not all who move to the big city change their values. Necessity may have required the move, but some have retained their good principles and kept their families united. They have taken a realistic look at a life-style centered around a quest for money and the comforts it can buy. They know that other things are worth more.

The Good Life?

Do you remember the young man mentioned at the beginning of this article who felt that his new way of life would bring genuine happiness? His story continues:

‘I have been six months now in the big city. I had moved from the first job, where the hours were long and the work unending, to another job and then a third. The conditions were little different and the pay actually a little less. I had settled into the rhythm of town life​—dead low before payday, then a surge at the end of each month. Eventually all I had went into pawn, and I lived a life as quiet as I once did at home.

‘Each evening when work was over I went out into the street and stood and watched. There were always the same sights, the same procession of cars, the same well-dressed women in taxis, the same flush-looking boys. Where did they get it? There was a trick somewhere. I was worked as I was never worked before, but the money​—which came in handfuls that I would not have dreamed of—​went out again as fast. I began to see that people like me never had a chance.’

Though not all who go to the ‘big city’ end up feeling this way, many see the utter futility of seeking happiness merely through material things. They yearn for the simple life that existed before. Not that they wish to live again in poverty, as some did, nor to revive everything in the traditional culture. But they sorely miss the values of a close family, hospitality and rule of law, which are being eroded in this modern age.

Perhaps you too are concerned about the way your life has been affected by materialism. You may wish to make a change. But how? A practical answer that is already assisting thousands throughout Africa is discussed in the following article.

An Education That Brings Rich Benefits

THERE has been a real push for education in Africa, especially for the young. Some nations there reportedly devote a major part of their resources to it.

But something more is needed. Noting the many educated persons roaming the streets unemployed, the black mayor of a large city in East Africa pleaded: “We need to start giving our children practical educations that prepare them and train them for the realities of life.”

Among other things, such education must assist one to know what is truly valuable in life and to be convinced of it. But what textbook can do this?

“The Supreme Guide in the Art of Living”

For hundreds of years the Bible has been the most widely distributed book in Africa. Concerning it, author Thomas Tiplady once wrote: “Of all great books, the common sense of mankind has declared the Bible to be the supreme guide in the art of living.” Why is it so outstanding in this regard? The Bible itself explains that it is the Word of God.

It is a book that deals with life. As you read it, you will find it full of real people and you will see how some made their lives happy and why others failed. The more you read the more it will become plain to you what things are worth while and what things are not. You will, as one appreciative reader put it, find “the key to your own heart, your own happiness, and your own duty.”

For decades in Africa and throughout the earth, Jehovah’s Witnesses have been assisting millions of persons to apply Bible principles in their own lives. The results have been significant. Following is but a sampling of what such education has accomplished. As you read, ask yourself: What if everyone in Africa, in fact in the whole world, lived by such values?

Preserving Family Unity

“Well, what is your decision? The promotion will mean much more money. You are honest and a reliable worker, you deserve the raise.” So an official of a large African railway addressed one husband and father of four children. It would seem like an easy decision. However, there was one catch​—the new job would require his being away from his family for long periods of time.

The man, who had studied the Bible with Jehovah’s Witnesses for some time, replied: “I’m sorry, but I must decline. You see, I love my family very much and I cannot afford to be separated from them in this manner.” The officials could hardly believe their ears. Yet, they were impressed with his view of priorities in life and granted his request to continue working near home.

Did he make the right decision? The man has been rewarded with a family that is noted in the community for its warmth, unity and happiness. The good conduct of his children is the talk of the neighborhood. These things money cannot buy.

Honesty Leads to Self-Respect

“Dear Sir:

“We thank you for your letter and hereby also acknowledge the receipt of our Clinic Clock you returned. We are pleased to read that from your converted faith, you learn that stealing is against the law of Jehovah God.”

This letter, written to one who had recently become a Witness, was the result of some highly unusual changes. The recipient of the letter was once a heavy smoker of marijuana, led a life of sexual depravity, and engaged in stealing and other crimes. His mind was so affected by this way of life that he had to be admitted to a mental hospital. After weeks of care, he had not been cured, so he was declared mad and sent home.

Shortly afterward he began a study of the Bible with Jehovah’s Witnesses in his Nigerian village. The education he received helped him to change his life. His mental health gradually improved as he could now cope with the “realities of life.” The villagers were amazed and thought it was a miracle. “It was the work of the Bible with God’s blessing and help from his people,” was his explanation. He managed to obtain a job to support himself. Remembering that he had stolen the clock from his previous employer, he returned it. For the first time in his life he had self-respect.​—Eph. 4:28.

Not Pretending to Be Rich

In Namibia, South-West Africa, one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, a family man, lost his job. His family was accustomed to a high standard of living, but now the only job available paid considerably less than the one he held previously. After talking it over with his wife, he accepted the job and decided to make the best of it.

Rather than pretending he still had plenty of money and trying to maintain his previous standard of living, he and his family cut their expenses. They moved into a tumbledown railway house. Yet, after painting and some minor repairs, they had a home with low rent. His garden produced almost all the vegetables they ate, and fishing also helped to keep the food bill down. Some knitting by the wife almost covered the clothing costs. It was a humble way of life, but the family was content with having necessities.​—1 Tim. 6:7, 8.

His industriousness and honesty were not overlooked, and within a year his salary was increased. In time his fine reputation even brought him job offers from others.

How They Manage

The Bible does not advocate poverty. (Prov. 30:8, 9) Yet there are times when a person can do little to alter his situation without sacrificing an important principle. Under such circumstances, how can a person make it economically without centering his life on money?

For one thing the Bible helps a person to avoid bad habits, such as gambling (which has cost many a worker his entire paycheck), drug addiction, smoking, sexual immorality and drunkenness. Not only does this enable one to have a good conscience, but it surely helps the pocketbook!​—1 Cor. 6:9, 10; 2 Cor. 7:1.

Those who truly apply Bible principles are also benefited because they are part of an association of brothers who genuinely love one another. (John 13:35; 1 John 3:17, 18) As one example, one of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Ghana was laid off his job. He had to care for a daughter and a pregnant wife. At the congregation meeting he happened to mention his plight to another Witness. Not only did the Witness encourage him, but he taught him how to make a brand of local soap that he could sell. This brought relief until he was recalled by his former employer.

So that they might apply the Bible’s counsel to ‘owe no man anything except love,’ they also learn to be careful to budget their money. (Rom. 13:8) One traveling minister who visits the homes of many of Jehovah’s Witnesses describes how one African couple handles this: ‘Every month the husband and his wife balance the money. He puts his salary on the table and then sets aside amounts for the different expenses and needs. He takes care of his expenses first while he has the money rather than waiting until the last of the month when he might run out.’

This couple avoided credit buying, and for good reason. First of all, a person usually pays considerably more for the item. Also, the Bible realistically states: “The borrower becomes the lender’s slave.” (Prov. 22:7, The New English Bible) Who wants to be a slave to another human? How much easier life is when a person saves his money until he can afford to buy the item outright. Naturally there are occasions when one may need something urgently and credit is the only answer, but if that happens often, is it a necessity or a fervent desire?​—Eccl. 6:9.