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.a 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?”

The next article in this series will discuss why the theory of evolution does not provide a satisfactory explanation for our existence.

Can you identify with this scenario? Perhaps for all your life, you’ve believed what the Bible says: “God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1) Yet, recently people have been trying to convince you that creation is a myth and that evolution is a fact. Should you believe them? Why question evolution?

• Two reasons to question evolution

• Questions to consider

• What your peers say

Two reasons to question evolution

1. Scientists don’t agree on evolution. Despite decades of research, scientists have yet to come up with an explanation for evolution that they all can agree on.

   To think about: If scientists can’t agree on evolution​—and they’re supposed to be the experts​—are you wrong to question the theory?​—Psalm 10:4.

2. It matters what you believe. “If life came about by accident, then our lives​—and all the things in our universe​—are meaningless,” says a boy named Zachary. He has a point. After all, if evolution were true, life would not seem to have any lasting purpose. (1 Corinthians 15:32) On the other hand, if creation is true, we can find satisfying answers to questions about the purpose of life and what the future holds.​—Jeremiah 29:11.

   To think about: How would knowing the truth about evolution and creation make a difference in your life?​—Hebrews 11:1.

Questions to consider

CLAIM: ‘Everything in the universe came as a result of a random big bang.’

• Who or what caused the big bang?

• Which makes more sense​—that everything came from nothing or that everything came from something or someone?

CLAIM: ‘Humans evolved from animals.’

• If humans evolved from animals​—from apes, for example​—why is there such a huge gap between the intellectual abilities of humans and those of apes?a

• Why are even the most “basic” forms of life so incredibly complex?b

CLAIM: ‘Evolution is a proven fact.’

• Has the person making this claim investigated the evidence for himself?

• How many people believe in evolution simply because they have been told that all intelligent people believe in it?

Do you feel the same way Jeanette does? If so, you may find yourself doubting your belief in creation. After all, no one likes to be viewed as ignorant. What can help?

• Objections to belief

• Think about your beliefs

• Tools to help you examine the evidence

• What your peers say

Objections to belief

1. If you believe in creation, people will think you’re against science.

“My teacher said that believing in creation is something people do when they’re too lazy to come up with an explanation for how the world works.”​—Maria.

What you should know: Those who make such claims are not aware of the facts. Famous scientists such as Galileo and Isaac Newton believed in a Creator. Their belief did not conflict with their love for science. Likewise, some scientists today find no conflict between science and belief in creation.

Try this: Type the expression (including quotation marks) “explains her faith” or “explains his faith” in the search box of Watchtower ONLINE LIBRARY for examples of those in the field of medicine and science who accept creation. Note what helped them to reach that conclusion.

The bottom line: Belief in creation doesn’t make you antiscience. In fact, learning more about the natural world can strengthen your belief in creation.​—Romans 1:​20.

2. If you believe in the Bible’s account of creation, people will think you’re a religious fanatic.

“A lot of people consider belief in creation to be a joke. They feel that the Genesis account is just a story.”​—Jasmine.

What you should know: People often have misconceptions about the Bible’s account of creation. For example, some creationists claim that the earth was recently created or that life was created in six 24-hour days. The Bible does not support either viewpoint.

• Genesis 1:1 simply states: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” This does not conflict with scientific evidence that the earth is billions of years old.

• The word “day” as used in Genesis can refer to long periods of time. In fact, at Genesis 2:4, the word “day” is used to describe all six days of creation.

The bottom line: The Bible’s account of creation is in harmony with scientific facts.

Think about your beliefs

Belief in creation does not require “blind faith.” Rather, it rests on sound reasoning. Consider this:

Everything you experience in life teaches you that where there is design, there is a designer. When you see a camera, a plane, or a house, you rightly conclude that someone designed it. Why should you abandon that logic when you consider the human eye, a bird in the sky, or our planet Earth?

To think about: Engineers often copy traits that they observe in nature so that they can improve their own inventions, and they rightly want others to acknowledge their work. Is it logical to recognize the human inventor and his work and yet fail to acknowledge the Creator and His far superior designs?

Tools to help you examine the evidence

You can strengthen your conviction in creation by inspecting the evidence found in nature.

Try this: Type the phrase (including quotation marks) “was it designed” in the search box of Watchtower ONLINE LIBRARY. Select some titles that interest you from the Awake! series “Was It Designed?” For each article, identify what is remarkable about the aspect of nature discussed. How does it convince you that there is a Designer?

Dig deeper: Use the following brochures to explore the evidence for creation in more detail.

• Was Life Created?

  • The earth is perfectly located and equipped to support life.​—See pages 4-​10.

  • Examples of design are found in nature.​—See pages 11-​17.

  • The Bible’s account of creation in Genesis is in harmony with science.​—See pages 24-​28.

• The Origin of Life​—Five Questions Worth Asking

  • Life could not have begun spontaneously from nonliving matter.​—See pages 4-7.

  • Living organisms are too complex to have developed through undirected, spontaneous events.​—See pages 8-​12.

  • The information capacity within the genetic code surpasses modern technology.​—See pages 13-​21.

  • All life did not descend from a common ancestor. The fossil record supports the sudden appearance of major animal groups, not their gradual development.​—See pages 22-​29.

“The natural world convinces me most about God’s existence, from the animals here on earth to the universe and the order that exists in it.”​—Thomas.

You can do it!

You might think: ‘I’m not smart enough to discuss science and debate evolution.’ That’s how Danielle felt at one time. “I hated feeling that I had to contradict my teacher and my classmates,” she says. Diana agrees, “I got confused when they argued using scientific terms.”

However, your goal is not to win arguments. And the good news is that you don’t need to be a genius at science to explain why you find creation to be a rational explanation for the natural world.

Tip: Use the simple logic found in the Bible at Hebrews 3:4: “Every house is constructed by someone, but the one who constructed all things is God.”

A young woman named Carol reasons on the principle of Hebrews 3:4 this way: “Imagine that you’re walking through a dense forest. Every evidence of a human being is miles away. You then look down and see a toothpick on the ground. What is your conclusion? Most people would say, ‘Someone else has been here.’ If something as small and insignificant as a toothpick is evidence of intelligent life, how much more so is the universe and all that’s in it!”

If someone says: “If creation is true, then who created the Creator?”

You could respond: “Just because we don’t understand everything about the Creator doesn’t mean he doesn’t exist. For example, you may not know the history of the person who designed your cell phone, but you still believe it was designed by somebody, right? [Allow for response.] There’s so much we can know about the Creator. If you’re curious, I’d be happy to share what I’ve learned about him.”

Be ready

The Bible says that you should be “ready to make a defense before everyone who demands of you a reason for the hope you have, but doing so with a mild temper and deep respect.” (1 Peter 3:​15) Therefore, give attention to two factors​—what you say and how you say it.

1. What you say. Your love of God is important and can motivate you to speak up. But just telling others how much you love God may not be enough to convince them that God created all things. It might be best to use examples from nature to show why it is rational to believe in creation.

2. How you say it. Be confident, but don’t be rude or condescending. People are likely to consider your viewpoint if you speak respectfully about their beliefs and acknowledge their right to come to their own conclusions.

   “I think it’s important never to come across as insulting or as a know-it-all. It would be counterproductive to speak in a condescending tone.”​—Elaine.

Tools to help you explain your belief

“If we aren’t prepared,” says a teenager named Alicia, “we’ll just want to stay quiet to avoid embarrassment.” As Alicia points out, preparation is vital to success. Jenna states, “I feel much more comfortable discussing creation when I have a simple yet well-thought-out example to back up my belief.”

Where can you find such examples? Many young people have had success using the following material:

• Was Life Created?

• The Origin of Life​—Five Questions Worth Asking

• The Wonders of Creation Reveal God’s Glory (video)

• The series “Was It Designed?” in the Awake! magazine. (Type the phrase [including quotation marks] “was it designed” in the search box of Watchtower ONLINE LIBRARY.)

• Use Watchtower ONLINE LIBRARY for additional research.

You might also find it helpful to review the previous articles in this series, “Creation or Evolution?”

1. Part 1: Why Believe in God?

2. Part 2: Why Question Evolution?

3. Part 3: Why Believe in Creation?

Tip: Choose examples that convince you. They will be easier for you to remember, and you will be able to speak about them with conviction. Try practicing how you will explain your belief.