Creation or evolution?
Do you believe that God
created all things? If so, you’re not alone; many young people (and adults)
share your view. But others say that life and the universe evolved—without the
help of a “Supreme Being.”
Did
you know? People
on both sides of the debate are often quick to state what they
believe without really knowing why they believe it.
·
Some people believe in creation simply because that’s
what they’ve been taught at church.
·
Many people believe in evolution simply because that’s
what they’ve been taught at school.
This series of articles
will help you to reinforce and explain your belief in creation. First, though,
you need to ask yourself an even more basic question:
Why do I believe in God?
Why is that question
important? Because the Bible encourages you to use your mind, “your power of
reason.” (Romans 12:1) That means your belief in God
should not be based merely on
·
emotion (I just feel that there
must be a higher power)
·
the influence of others (I live in a religious
community)
·
pressure (My parents raised me to
believe in God—or else)
Instead, you should be personally
convinced that God exists and should have sound reasons for your belief.
So, what convinces you
that God exists? The worksheet “Why Do I Believe in God?” will build your
conviction. You might also find it helpful to consider how other young people
have answered that question.
“When I’m in class
listening to the teacher explain how our bodies function, there’s no doubt in
my mind that God exists. Each part of the body has its own function, down to
the smallest detail, and these functions are often carried out without our
awareness. The human body truly is mind-boggling!”—Teresa.
“When I see a
skyscraper, a cruise ship, or a car, I ask myself, ‘Who built this?’ It takes
intelligent people to build a car, for example, because so many small
components have to work just right for the whole thing to function. And if cars
have to be designed by someone, then so do we humans.”—Richard.
“When you realize that
it’s taken the most intelligent human minds hundreds of years to understand
even the smallest fraction of the universe, then thinking that it took no
intelligence to bring that universe into existence seems completely
unreasonable!”—Karen.
“The more I studied
science, the less credible evolution seemed. For example, I thought about the
mathematical precision in nature and the uniqueness of humans, including our
need to know who we are, where we came from, and where we are going. Evolution aims
to explain all these things in terms associated with animals, but it has never
been able to explain why humans are unique. To me, it takes more ‘faith’ to
believe in evolution than to believe in a Creator.”—Anthony.
Explaining my belief
What if classmates
ridicule you for believing in something you can’t see? What if they say that
science has “proved” evolution?
First, be confident in
what you believe. Do not be intimidated or ashamed. (Romans 1:16) After all, remember:
1.
You are not alone; many
people still believe in God. That includes highly intelligent, professional people.
For example, there are scientists who believe there is a God.
2.
When people say that
they don’t believe in God, sometimes what they really mean is that they don’t understand
God. Rather
than offer evidence to support their view, they raise questions such as, “If
God exists, why does he allow suffering?” In effect, they turn an intellectual
issue into an emotional one.
3.
Humans have a “spiritual
need.” (Matthew 5:3) This includes a need to
believe in God. So if someone says there is no God, that person—not you—has
the responsibility to explain how he or she could reach such a conclusion.—Romans 1:18-20.
4.
Belief in God is
entirely reasonable. It conforms to the proven fact that life cannot come into
existence by itself. No evidence exists to support the idea that life could
spontaneously come from nonliving matter.
What, then, could you
say if someone questions your belief in God? Consider a few possibilities.
If someone says: “Only uneducated people
believe in God.”
You could respond: “Do you really accept that stereotype? I don’t. In fact,
in a survey in which more than 1,600 science professors from various elite
universities took part, a third did not claim to be atheist or agnostic. * Would you call those professors unintelligent just because
they believe in God?”
If someone says: “If God exists, why is
there so much suffering in the world?”
You could respond: “Perhaps what you mean
is that you don’t understand how God acts—or in this case, doesn’t seem
to act. Is that right? [Allow for response.] I’ve found a satisfying answer to
the question about why there is so much suffering. But understanding it takes
an examination of several Bible teachings. Would you be interested in learning
more?”
LEARN MORE AT www.jw.org see the book Young People Ask
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