Whom Should You Believe?

“Of course, every house is constructed by someone, but he that constructed all things is God.”​—HEBREWS 3:4.

DO YOU agree with the logic of this Bible writer? Mankind has experienced some 2,000 years of scientific advancement since that verse was penned. Does anyone still think that the design evident in nature requires belief in a Designer, a Creator​—God?

Even in industrialized countries many people would say yes. In the United States, for example, a survey conducted by Newsweek magazine in 2005 found that 80 percent of people “believe that God created the universe.” Is this belief due to a lack of education? Well, do any scientists believe in God? The science journal Nature reported in 1997 that almost 40 percent of biologists, physicists, and mathematicians surveyed believe in a God who not only exists but also listens to and answers prayers.

However, other scientists strongly disagree. Dr. Herbert A. Hauptman, a Nobel laureate, recently told a scientific conference that belief in the supernatural, especially belief in God, is incompatible with good science. “This kind of belief,” he said, “is damaging to the well-being of the human race.” Even scientists who believe in God are reluctant to teach that the design evident in plants and animals requires a Designer. Why? Identifying one reason, Douglas H. Erwin, a paleobiologist at the Smithsonian Institute, says: “One of the rules of science is, no miracles allowed.”

You can let others tell you what you are allowed to think and believe. Or you may wish to investigate some of the evidence yourself and reach your own conclusion. As you read about recent discoveries of science presented on the following pages, ask yourself, ‘Is it logical to conclude that there is a Creator?’

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Investigate the evidence for yourself

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ARE JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES CREATIONISTS?

Jehovah’s Witnesses believe the creation account as recorded in the Bible book of Genesis. However, Jehovah’s Witnesses are not what you might think of as creationists. Why not? First, many creationists believe that the universe and the earth and all life on it were created in six 24-hour days some 10,000 years ago. This, however, is not what the Bible teaches. a Also, creationists have embraced many doctrines that lack support in the Bible. Jehovah’s Witnesses base their religious teachings solely on God’s Word.

Furthermore, in some lands the term “creationist” is synonymous with Fundamentalist groups that actively engage in politics. These groups attempt to pressure politicians, judges, and educators into adopting laws and teachings that conform to the creationists’ religious code.

Jehovah’s Witnesses are politically neutral. They respect the right of governments to make and enforce laws. (Romans 13:1-7) However, they take seriously Jesus’ statement that they are “no part of the world.” (John 17:14-16) In their public ministry, they offer people the chance to learn the benefits of living by God’s standards. But they do not violate their Christian neutrality by supporting the efforts of Fundamentalist groups that try to establish civil laws that would force others to adopt Bible standards.​—John 18:36.

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