APRIL 2021
FINDING TRUTH IN
THE AGE OF DEEPFAKES THE FOSSIL RECORD AND THE BIBLE
WHY SHALL WE "NEVER FORGET THEM"?
A CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE ON THE WORLD TODAY
IN THIS ISSUE
APRIL 2021
FINDING TRUTH IN THE AGE OF DEEPFAKES
Distinguishing a deception PAGE 32
6 CURRENT
WHY SHALL WE "NEVER FORGET THEM"? The truth behind Anzac Day 12 LIVE TO FORGIVE Why Jesus' death matters 6
WELLBEING
18 SEVEN STEPS TO
APOLOGISING . . . PROPERLY AND EFFECTIVELY More than just "I'm sorry" 24 BETTER HEALTH FOR EVERY BODY Health news that makes a difference
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60 SUPPLEMENTS OR
FOOD? HOW TO GET NUTRIENTS
FAITH
40 THE POWER OF BROKEN
BREAD Symbolically representing Jesus' sacrifice 46 "THE WINNER TAKES IT ALL" What ABBA taught me about idols
BIG QUESTIONS
26 THE FOSSIL RECORD AND
THE BIBLE Does Creation explain million year-old buried artifacts? /SIGNSMAG
SCIENCE & TECH
52 CUTTING EDGE Engineering, science
and technology news
CULTURE
54 THE UNSPOKEN
EPIDEMIC Review: The Girl on the Bridge
FUN
62 CROSSWORD AND
SUDOKU
FORGIVENESS IS NOT FUN
Forgiveness is something I've always struggled with. Not the concept—I know it's the right thing, the needed thing, in any given situation. Not with the science. There are countless research pieces that show how important forgivness is, as well as the physical dangers of unforgiveness. No. I'm talking about the practical flesh and blood encounter of one person forgiving another. It's just so complicated. It doesn't feel right, especially if that person is undeserving. Is it even worth it? I'll be honest, as I write this I can probably give you a list of four or five people who I really need to forgive. I know that forgiveness is an important virtue. But it's so hard. I made a breakthrough some years ago when I was taking part in a health course for work. One of the lessons was on forgiveness and at that time something clicked. I realised one of the people I needed to forgive most was myself. I was hard on myself. I had internalised criticisms people had made of me as a child and through my life and, rather than loving myself and accepting myself, I was allowing those voices to continue to speak. I had to do some work to learn to forgive myself. And yet here I am, a few years later, and I haven't fully learned the lessons. That's why this month's Signs is so helpful. There is a powerful lesson on forgiveness (p12), practical steps for apologising (p18) and an article on the reality of what Jesus did for us to be forgiven (p40). We also cover Easter and Anzac Day, two significant events this month. It is an honour and a privilege to be editor of this wonderful magazine and I look forward to sharing the journey with you.
Jarrod
JARROD STACKELROTH Editor
VOL 136 NO 4 ISSN 1038-9733 EXECUTIVE PUBLISHER Brad Kemp EDITOR Jarrod Stackelroth ASSISTANT EDITOR Daniel Kuberek COPYEDITOR Tracey Bridcutt GRAPHIC DESIGN Theodora Pau'u Talia Valderrama PHONE +61 2 9847 2222 EMAIL info@signsofthetimes.org.au WEBSITE signsofthetimes.org.au ADDRESS Adventist Media PO Box 1115, Wahroonga New South Wales 2076 SUBSCRIPTIONS Kelli Geelan PHONE +61 3 5965 6300 Australia/New Zealand, $A26; South Pacific countries, $A41; Other countries $A51 Published since 1886, Signs of the Times is printed 11 times a year by the Seventh-day Adventist Church and is registered as a periodical. Seventh-day Adventist Church (SPD) Limited ABN 59 093 117 689 NOTE The inclusion of a person or their image within does not imply their endorsement of the Seventh-day Adventist Church or its beliefs. Unless otherwise stated, Bible verses are from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, Anglicised. Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc®. Used by permission of Hodder & Stoughton. All rights reserved worldwide. COVER PHOTO: recep-bg, Suebsiri —Getty Images
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RGET THEM"?
Does remembering the Anzacs include accepting all the death, destruction, war crimes and racism that have been a part of Australia and New Zealand’s war involvement? BY DANIEL REYNAUD
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nzac Day is now Australia’s most popular national public holiday, bringing Australians together where other memorial days seem to stir up controversy. It is odd that Anzac Day seems to have become a unifying national day compared to others similar days, however several once-popular days have either become contentious or have had their original significance watered down. Australia Day, marking the anniversary of the beginning of European settlement, is becoming increasingly controversial. Should it really be a celebration marking the start of a new country or a sombre day marking the invasion of an old one? Christmas and Easter, at one time universally respected, have worked to divest themselves of their strongly Christian associations in a nation that is increasingly secular and conscious of other faiths among us. Queen’s birthday reminds us of our continuing ties to Britain and prompts debate as to whether we
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should abandon formal ties now that there is little relevance in a British queen reigning over far-flung Commonwealth nations. New Zealanders have gone down a different path. While Anzac Day is important in New Zealand, it does not dominate the national conversation about identity in the way that it does in Australia, and far more attention is given to Waitangi Day, though it too remains controversial. By default, Anzac Day has become the celebration of all that is good and noble in Australia. Yet it has the potential to be as divisive, if not more so, than our other national days. In fact, until the 1980s, Anzac Day was divisive. As a national day, Anzac Day began in 1916, commemorating the landing at Gallipoli the previous year, with various groups around New Zealand and Australia organising dawn services and memorial activities. Many leading figures in establishing the traditions of Anzac
Day were clergymen, eager to give a spiritual significance to the sacrifice of Australian lives halfway around the world, yet conscious of the religious divisions existing at the time. Catholics were technically forbidden to attend Protestant services, and there were also deep divisions between Protestants, especially between evangelical groups and the more conservative High Church Anglicans. Putting too much religion into Anzac Day would merely inflame sectarian disagreements and make it impossible for men and women of different faiths to be together at Anzac services. Between the two World Wars, Anzac Day continued to be contested. The war had fractured Australian society along political, social and religious lines, and these bitter divisions continued into peacetime society. Returned servicemen set up competing organisations, some in favour of creating an independent republican Australia, and others
supporting a conservative, pro-Imperial British agenda. Backed by the government, the conservatives won out, though not after street battles between the rival groups and assaults on the infrastructure of the republican veterans. For many other former Anzacs, memories of war were too traumatic and bitter, and they refused to participate in Anzac Day services at all. While World War II created another cohort of Anzacs, Australia’s much lower profile in the war resulted in a diminishing of the “glory of Anzac”. But it also led to a broadening of Anzac Day services to include World War II veterans, a trend that has continued as Australians and New Zealanders have participated in other wars around the world. After World War Two, the day gradually slipped in popularity, reaching its lowest point during the anti-war sentiment of the 1960s and the unpopular Vietnam War. Many
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With Easter-time often comes hot cross buns, chocolate eggs and bunnies; but behind it all is the tragic love story of Jesus' death, and how it represents forgiveness. BY DAVE EDGREN
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n my primary school days, I recall a teacher saying that when people are old they stay in bed for most of the time before they die. When I got home, I ran into my mother’s room and threw myself onto her bed and cried into her arms. “What’s wrong, Davy?” she asked. “I don’t want you to die!” I blurted. My mother cradled me in her arms and told me she wasn’t dying. She just had a stomach ulcer and had to stay in bed until she healed. But she was wrong. She was dying. My mother had left home the day she turned 18 and didn’t look back. She didn’t talk about it until decades later, but she’d been abused by her father and had to get away from him. After she left, her sister began hating her father. The feelings of hate my mum felt tore her to pieces. For years after her
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sister died in a house fire, my mum kept the hatred alive. The story of her abusive father was untold and remained unforgiven. A few months after my tearful outburst, my parents attended a series of lectures on healing. The very first session was on forgiveness. The presenter said many people he treated who reported long-term gut pain and headaches were bearing a burden that wasn’t theirs. He said they began healing once they forgave. By forgiving, we remove the weight from our own shoulders and place it on the shoulders of the person who created the burden. When I choose to forgive someone, I say to myself: “I’m not the one at fault and I’m aware of this.” Then, by physically saying aloud to the other person, “I forgive you”, we are in fact saying, “This is yours again. I forgive you for sending it my way. But, I’m going
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to let you own it, because it really is yours to own.” Not long after the lectures on healing, my mum drove three hours to her parents’ house and expressed her forgiveness to her father. It wasn’t easy. She’d held the abuse inside for so many years—putting it into words seemed like a betrayal of herself. But she did it. “Dad,” she said, “you know what you did to me was wrong. I forgive you. You can do what you want with my forgiveness, but the pain isn’t mine anymore. It’s yours.” Then she left. Typically, she never did receive a sorry or an apology of any sort; he never changed, he never admitted to anything. But for my mum, she stopped “dying” and her ulcers healed. The length of a person’s life as well as their general happiness can be predicted by asking one question: Are you living alone? You see, positive relationships keep us healthy. According to the 80 year Harvard Study of Adult Development, relationships shape our resilience and provide our joy. The joy of togetherness you see in the faces of some elderly couples is well deserved. They are happy, because when their relationship got rough, they took time to patch the potholes rather than pulling off at the nearest exit. Resilience is the ability to face hard times and bounce back. Keeping relationships alive develops resilience because relationships aren’t easy.
The aforementioned Harvard study showed healthy life-long relationships are the number one predictor of both longevity and personal happiness. And in contrast, isolation and loneliness kills. Even though, sometimes it feels safer to be alone, it actually lowers your overall health and wellbeing, according to the Harvard study. And as it’s safe to assume that we all want to live long and happy lives, we need to develop strong relationship skills. And without a doubt, the most important practice is forgiveness. And what better time to learn about forgiveness than at Easter.
healthy relationships
Forgiveness is a requirement of all relationships. People will hurt you. They will let you down. They will say one thing and do another. They may even do the unthinkable. And you will be left with a decision: Should I forgive them? Often, it can feel safer to protect yourself emotionally. But consider the cost—the loss of happiness and a long life—and recognise that forgiveness is the default option for people who maintain healthy relationships. Note, forgiveness doesn’t necessarily mean staying. In abusive situations, you must protect yourself. Even when the best choice is to move on, forgiveness from afar will still save you a short lifetime of hurt and grant you a long lifetime of joy. In most relationship friction, the best choice is to face and fix it. You APRIL 2021 • SIGNS OF THE TIMES
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FAKES New technology is allowing ultra-realistic renderings of people’s faces and voices into videos where they are not present. What was once a harmless joke now has the potential to unsettle the world. By Nathan Tasker APRIL 2021 • SIGNS OF THE TIMES
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SUPPLEMENTS OR HOW TO GET NUTRIENTS
Should we consider supplements to fill the gaps in our diets?
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here’s no doubt a healthy diet is the best way to get all the nutrients we need, but the reality is, most of us fall far short of eating five serves of fruit and veggies a day. So, should we consider supplements to fill the gaps in our diets? We ask Sanitarium Health Food Company dietitian Angela Saunders: “Supplements are not intended to be a substitute for food. When you eat whole plant foods, you’re actually getting many more nutrients than a tablet can provide. In addition to essential vitamins and minerals, whole foods are also packed with fibre and thousands of other protective bioactive compounds, like antioxidants and phytonutrients. “These nutrients are essential for our bodies to function. They help us grow, help prevent disease and are vital for good health. The type and amount of nutrients you need will vary depending on your sex, age and whether you’re pregnant or breastfeeding. “However, you don’t need to get too hung up on counting the amount of nutrients you are consuming each day. Instead, we recommend focusing on eating a variety of healthy foods from SIGNSOFTHETIMES.ORG.AU • APRIL 2021
the core food groups to ensure you are getting all the nutrients you need.”
FOOD SOURCES OF FIVE IMPORTANT NUTRIENTS Calcium: Calcium-fortified, plant-based milk and products; calcium-set tofu; legumes (soybeans, navy beans, chickpeas, kidney beans); sesame seeds and tahini; green leafy vegetables (broccoli, kale, bok choy, cabbage); almonds; calcium-fortified breakfast cereals; dried figs; dairy and dairy products. Iron: Tempeh; wholegrains; legumes (lentils, soybeans, kidney beans); green leafy vegetables; iron-fortified breakfast cereals; dried fruits (apricots, dates, figs); nuts; seeds. Vitamin D: Vitamin D-fortified milk and plant-based milk; fortified margarines; vitamin D mushrooms; eggs; fortified juice. Zinc: Wholegrains; tofu; tempeh; legumes; nuts (cashews, pinenuts, pecans, Brazil nuts, almonds); seeds (pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds); dairy products. Iodine: Seaweed; eggs; bread; iodised table salt.
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COMMONLY RECOMMENDED Vitamin B12. It helps your body produce blood cells, supports immunity and normal mental function. It is found almost exclusively in animal-based foods. If you limit your intake of these foods, you may need to include B12-fortified foods and/ or a supplement.
Vitamin D. It helps maintain strong bones and muscles. Vitamin D comes from the sun with only a small amount available from food. If you have little safe sun exposure, your health professional may recommend a supplement.
Folic acid. Recommended to be taken before pregnancy and three months after conception to help prevent neural tube defects. Also, be sure to eat foods fortified with folic acid as well as foods naturally rich in folate such as green leafy veggies, legumes, avocado, beets, eggs and citrus fruits.
Article courtesy of Sanitarium Health Food Company. Visit sanitarium.com. au or sanitarium.co.nz and subscribe to Wholicious living for more great health and nutrition info each month. APRIL 2021 • SIGNS OF THE TIMES
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