World News and Trends
Beyond Today Magazine
Good News Magazine: July - August 1999
Course Content
The smallpox virus was slated to be the first species specifically targeted for extinction.
Had all gone well, in June it would have been eradicated as scheduled had the United States and Russia destroyed their long-stored samples of the deadly virus.
However, fearing its possible use as a biological weapon by terrorists, the United States announced it would delay its planned destruction of the virus based on intelligence that the virus may have been secreted away in Iraq, North Korea and some areas of the former Soviet Union.
Over the last few decades smallpox has virtually disappeared, except for what were thought to be scattered samples kept for research. Scientists and physicians had hoped all traces of the disease could be eradicated and looked forward to the extinction of one of mankind's most deadly killers. But no one could guarantee that, had the United States and Russia destroyed their samples, it wouldn't reappear in the hands of terrorists or a rogue state.
Smallpox is believed to have taken more lives over the ages than any other infectious disease. Some scientists estimate that in this century alone smallpox claimed up to a half-billion lives, more than all other epidemics and wars put together. Historical accounts indicate the disease has been around as long as 3,000 years.
Should the virus be used in war or a terrorist action, the number of deaths could be staggering. Since most countries phased out vaccinations as the disease was driven into submission, billions of people have no resistance to the disease.
Some liken our situation to that of some American Indians who, having no natural resistance to the disease, were decimated when colonists and settlers inadvertently brought the virus with them as they came into contact with the American natives. In that sense, "we're all Indians," noted Elizabeth Fenn, a smallpox historian at George Washington University. "We're approaching 100 percent susceptibility" to the disease, she said.
Scientists have called for programs to develop a new vaccine to protect up to 100 million people vulnerable in the United States.
Jesus Christ predicted that "pestilence"—disease epidemics—would be a characteristic of the time of unprecedented worldwide turmoil leading up to His return (Source: The New York Times, Matthew 24:7, 21-22.)
John died on March 8, 2014, in Oxford, England, four days after suffering cardiac arrest while returning home from a press event in London. John was 77 and still going strong.
Some of John's work for The Good News appeared under his byline, but much didn't. He wrote more than a thousand articles over the years, but also wrote the Questions and Answers section of the magazine, compiled our Letters From Our Readers, and wrote many of the items in the Current Events and Trends section. He also contributed greatly to a number of our study guides and Bible Study Course lessons. His writing has touched the lives of literally millions of people over the years.
John traveled widely over the years as an accredited journalist, especially in Europe. His knowledge of European and Middle East history added a great deal to his articles on history and Bible prophecy.
In his later years he also pastored congregations in Northern Ireland and East Sussex, and that experience added another dimension to his writing. He and his wife Jan were an effective team in our British Isles office near their home.
John was a humble servant who dedicated his life to sharing the gospel—the good news—of Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God to all the world, and his work was known to readers in nearly every country of the world.
Scott Ashley is managing editor of Beyond Today magazine, United Church of God booklets and its printed Bible Study Course. He and his wife, Connie, live near Denver, Colorado.
Mr. Ashley attended Ambassador College in Big Sandy, Texas, graduating in 1976 with a theology major and minors in journalism and speech. It was there that he first became interested in publishing, an industry in which he has worked for more than 40 years.
During his career, he has worked for several publishing companies in various capacities. He has been employed by the United Church of God since 1995, overseeing the planning, writing, editing, reviewing and production of Beyond Today magazine, several dozen booklets/study guides and a Bible study course covering major biblical teachings. His special interests are the Bible, archaeology, biblical culture, history and the Middle East.
