Why They Do Not Believe

“No God”

No Creator

Evolution

Human Suffering

“WE LIVE in a secular society in which God plays no significant part in the lives, thoughts, or actions of men; men know today that they can get along practically, emotionally, and intellectually without reference to God.”

These are the words of a philosopher studying the problem of unbelief, as he was quoted in the book Religion in a Secular Age. Do you agree with him?

If you do, doubtless you think of yourself as an atheist, convinced that God does not exist. Or perhaps you are an agnostic, considering that, well, God may exist or he may not; but since we have no way of knowing, it does not make too much difference. Alternatively, you may be what the Encyclopædia Britannica calls a “practical atheist.” Perhaps you believe in God; but your belief makes no practical difference in your life.

Whatever way you describe yourself, why not pause and think for a moment? If there is a God, and he really does have a purpose for you, is not denying his very existence serious? Would it not be like living in a country and refusing to recognize the existence of the government of that country? Very soon you would be in trouble with the government. And you would not be able to take advantage of any services, protection or rewards that the government provided.

Hence, you need to be sure. And we urge you to consider seriously your own thinking on this matter. If you do not believe in God, why not? Is it a decision that you made on your own? Is it because of your education? Or is it because of the influence of people around you? What are some of the commonest reasons why people do not believe in God?

In the East

If a person lives in the Soviet Union, the most likely reason why he would not believe in God would be that he was educated that way. There is a government policy in that land to discourage religion, and atheism is officially taught in the schools.

If he lives farther east, it could be because of his religious background. Religious background? Yes, because while many Oriental people are deeply religious, often their religions do not teach belief in an Almighty God who is the Creator.

For example, one of the most widespread Eastern religions is Buddhism. According to one source, this religion has affected the thinking of “perhaps one-fourth of all human beings who have lived in the 2,500 years since the Buddha’s death.” That is a lot of people! Of this influential man, we read: “He preached a practical religion devoid of ritual, and he eliminated philosophical speculation, even leaving unsettled the question of God’s existence.” (Italics ours) Hence, while Buddhists in some countries may worship at the shrines of their ancestors, they often do not understand the concept of an Almighty God who created everything.

Some other Oriental religions are similar. Even Hinduism, with its millions of gods and goddesses, is described by the same source in this way: “A man might not believe in God and still call himself a Hindu.”

In the West

If you live in the West, you will certainly understand what is implied by the phrase “Almighty God.” Most religions in the West claim to worship God, and they teach that he created all things. But the West is also in the lead in the movement of modernism and scientific progress. These influences tend to make people look on religion as old-fashioned and encourage them to look to man for the solution to their problems. Hence, many churchgoers are finding conflicts between what they hear at church and what they hear from other sources. The results can be quite surprising.

A recent poll taken in Australia revealed that about a third of the members of the Protestant denominations there—and one in five of the clergymen—have doubts about the existence of God. That situation is not unique to Australia. And if it is true of churchgoers, it is undoubtedly more true of nonchurchgoers.

Perhaps You Have a Personal Reason

Most of those referred to above do not believe in God because of the influence of the society in which they live. But, if you do not believe, you may have a more personal reason. You may have experienced a tragedy or considered the amount of suffering in general in the world. You may have concluded that God could not exist, because if he did, he would have done something about these things.

Or have you, perhaps, made an intellectual decision? Do you feel that, in the light of man’s greatly increased understanding of the universe, and particularly in view of the teaching of evolution, there is no room any more for belief in a Supreme Creator?

If you recognize your own thinking in any of this, we encourage you to read the following articles.

Are Their Reasons Sound?

DO YOU believe that man can get along without reference to God? It may be true that he tries to get along in this way. But does he succeed?

What you see happening in the world today is a result of man’s trying to get along without God. True, some of the world’s leaders claim to be believers; but the French philosopher Voltaire once correctly pointed out: “Most of the great men of this world live as if they were atheists. . . . The knowledge of a God, his presence, and his justice, has not the slightest influence over the wars, the treaties, the objects of ambition, interest, or pleasure, in the pursuit of which they are wholly occupied.”

What has been the fruitage of this ‘living as if they were atheists’? Hunger, oppression, crime, disease and unhappiness. Human existence is made miserable by pollution and overcrowding. A newspaper article dated March 6, 1979, listed a number of lands with populations totaling a quarter of mankind that, on that particular day, were embroiled in terrorist activity, civil strife or outright war.

The Bible insists that man cannot rule himself successfully without help. At Jeremiah 10:23 it states: “The course of man is not in his control, nor is it in man’s power . . . to guide his steps.” (The Jerusalem Bible) Events today bear out the truth of this. However, the Bible tells us that God’s guidance is there for those who really want it.

Do We Need God Emotionally?

Atheists feel that man can “get along . . . emotionally . . . without reference to God.” Is that so?

The evidence shows that man is religious by nature. All civilizations throughout history have featured some system of worship.

And what happens when people resist what has been described as their “need to believe”? They may turn to the worship of money, power, science, political dogmas or self. Even atheism can become a religion. Psychiatrist Stafford-Clark says of those who argue in favor of atheism: “The passion with which they will defend this . . . is yet further vivid evidence of the emotional necessity of belief.”

How About Intellectually?

Is it not true that men can explain the existence of things without referring to God? They try to. There has been a growing movement to relegate God to the background.

Do you agree with that point of view? If so, reflect for a moment. To what extent is this due to your own thinking? And how much is due to the influence of the “intellectual climate” that exists in the world today?

Philosopher Leslie Dewart, as quoted in the book Religion in a Secular Age, says that “contemporary men . . . are shaped by the scientific culture of the day, as medieval men were shaped by the theological culture of their day.” In the Middle Ages, most people believed in God. That was the kind of society that existed then. Besides, it was often dangerous not to! However, their belief was often unreasoning and superstitious. Sometimes the “theological culture” of those days tended to block the progress of science. Hence, when Galileo came up with his revolutionary discoveries, the religious leaders then tried to make him “recant” (although, in fact, what he had discovered in no way contradicted what the Bible said).

These days, the shoe is on the other foot, as it were. There is almost as much pressure not to believe in God as there used to be to believe in him. Even clergymen abandon parts of the Bible in favor of modern theories such as evolution. Some even reject Bible standards of morality and approve such things as homosexuality and fornication.

Is either of these situations, the medieval or the modern, correct? The fact that the medieval superstitious view was unbalanced does not make the modern, materialistic view right. For example, Doctor Wernher von Braun, prominent American rocket engineer, is on record as saying: “It is as difficult for me to understand a scientist who does not acknowledge the presence of a superior rationality behind the existence of the universe, as it is to comprehend a theologian who would deny the advances of science.”

Can Evolution Replace Belief in God?

Before Darwin popularized the theory of evolution, most people supposed that there had to be a God, since there was no other way to explain the existence of things. But with acceptance of the theory of evolution, many apparently felt that there was no longer any need for belief in God.

However, if you believe in evolution, you may be interested in the comments that appeared in a recent issue of Harper’s magazine as to what shaped Darwin’s thinking. Was it really based on an objective analysis of living things and of the fossil record? Stephen J. Gould, a professor of biology at Harvard University, is quoted as saying: “Phyletic gradualism was an a priori assumption from the start—it was never ‘seen’ in the rocks; it expressed the cultural and political biases of nineteenth-century liberalism.” In other words, Darwin’s thinking was conditioned by the society in which he lived. Karl Marx is quoted as saying: “It is remarkable how Darwin recognizes among the beasts and plants his English society with its divisions of labor, competition, [and so forth].”

Many scientists today raise serious questions as to the validity of theories set forth in support of evolution. Why, then, is belief in Darwin’s teaching still advocated? The article goes on to say: “There are those who argue that the abandonment of the evolutionary mechanism would inevitably lead to doubts that evolution had occurred at all. That is undoubtedly why Darwin is still defended so stoutly . . . because [his supporters] are materialists.”

But their unwillingness to consider an alternative does not mean that evolution has to be right, does it?a No more than the stubbornness of the religious leaders in Galileo’s day meant that he had to be wrong. Emotion and prejudice can blind scientists just as easily as it can blind religious leaders.

The truth is that, in spite of all the pressures of “modernism” to abandon belief in God, or at least to relegate him to the background, many persons are firmly convinced as to the existence of God. And the increase of scientific knowledge in our days only makes their conviction stronger.

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“In the Middle Ages, most people believed in God. That was the kind of society that existed then. . . . These days, the shoe is on the other foot.”

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Scientists Raise Doubts

Are scientists united in accepting evolution? That is what many have been led to believe. However, literally thousands of reputable scientists in the United States alone reject evolution or question it on scientific grounds, and evolutionary scientists themselves often admit great flaws in the theory. Note the observations of some of these:

“In recent decades, the interpretations about man’s possible origins have changed so considerably that there’s room for caution in saying where man came from and when. A lot of scientists just give back the party line. But there are adequate grounds to question evolution without any religious presuppositions.”—King’s College biologist Wayne F. Friar.

“It’s dogmatism, not science. It doesn’t make sense in terms of today’s scientific knowledge.”—Michigan State University natural scientist John N. Moore.

“I should remind the reader that some of the oldest and most troublesome questions about human evolution remain unanswered. . . . As in the past, the present proponents of various hypotheses may be wrong on the very points on which they are surest they are right. . . . all views of human evolution are built on seeming facts that vary widely in their degree of reliability.”—Professor of Physical Anthropology Sherwood L. Washburn, University of California at Berkeley.

Could any microscopic life-form that supposedly evolves from the inanimate reproduce itself?

“It is particularly pertinent to point out that the eminent theoretical physicist, Eugene P. Wigner, in a little known publication, gave an elegant and rigorous proof from group theory, that the probability for spontaneous existence of a self-reproducing unit of any kind is zero.”—Edward A. Boudreaux, Associate Professor of Chemistry, University of New Orleans.

Why Should They Believe?

WHAT kind of reasoning leads one to a belief in the existence of God? The Bible gives us a guide. It says: “[God’s] invisible qualities are clearly seen from the world’s creation onward, because they are perceived by the things made.”—Rom. 1:20.

Considering the “things made”—the creation itself—has led many to a realization that there must be something or someone behind it all. Einstein, whose theories have influenced so much of modern scientific thought, said: “Everyone who is seriously involved in the pursuit of science becomes convinced that a spirit is manifest in the laws of the Universe—a spirit vastly superior to that of man, and one in the face of which we with our modest powers must feel humble.”

Look at Yourself

The Bible says: “The heavens are declaring the glory of God; and of the work of his hands the expanse is telling.” (Ps. 19:1) And how eloquently they do so!

However, we do not have to view the vast starry heavens to see demonstrations of God’s power and qualities. Just consider yourself.

Look at your hands. Are they holding the magazine that you are reading? If so, no doubt your arm is bent so as to keep the magazine at the right distance from your eyes. Each finger is exerting just enough pressure to prevent the magazine from falling, but not so much that you tear the paper. Did you think all of this out before you started to read? Of course not. Your body organized the whole thing for you, with just a minimum of decision-making by you.

Although your body is comparatively at rest, what are your eyes doing? They are automatically focusing on successive words or groups of words. The visual impressions are being changed in the back of your eyes to electrical impulses. These are being carried to your brain. If you are concentrating, the brain is storing up information for future use and comparing new material with what was received previously.

Meanwhile, without your giving a thought to it, your heart is busily pumping, sending blood on its complicated journey through your body. That blood is carrying essential substances to places where these are needed, then carrying waste products to locations where these can be expelled from the body.

Additionally, the movement of the diaphragm is filling your lungs with oxygen, then squeezing them to get rid of the carbon dioxide.

If you have eaten recently, your food is now being digested, without your conscious direction. The food is either being mixed with acids in your stomach to break it down to its basic constituents or being squeezed by a complicated muscular action known as “peristalsis” through your intestines, allowing the nutrients to be absorbed into the bloodstream.

There is much other activity going on too. Your bone marrow is making replacement blood cells. Your skin is manufacturing new parts to replace the worn-out surface cells. Your toenails, fingernails and hair are growing. Glands are manufacturing complicated substances to keep your body chemistry balanced. All of this is happening right at this moment even when your body is apparently resting!

The technology of our bodily mechanisms is incredibly more advanced than anything man has been able to accomplish in this space age. Is it logical to view such a masterpiece as the product of mere chance?

The theory of evolution says that mankind is a product of the working of natural laws, but it does not explain who the “lawmaker” is. In effect, it says that we made ourselves. But is it not more logical—more according to the way we know things really happen—to follow the reasoning of the Bible writer who proclaimed: “In a fear-inspiring way I am wonderfully made”? And: “Know that Jehovah is God. It is he that has made us, and not we ourselves”?—Ps. 139:14; 100:3.

Let’s Face Reality

Because of the materialistic trend of thinking in the West, many persons feel uneasy about admitting that there is a God and acknowledging a spiritual answer to the question: “Where did we come from?” One freethinker stated: “We can be sensible and rational only when we express ourselves in terms of and within the realm of present knowledge.” But is that really so?

There are many things that scientists know exist but are unable to explain. Such things as the human mind, our conscience, our instinct for worship—they all certainly exist. But science cannot explain them in terms of “present knowledge.” What about life itself? What is this powerful “life energy” that differentiates living things from the nonliving? Scientists cannot say. Yet it is a part of our everyday experience. In fact, it is so common that we tend to forget how truly miraculous life itself really is.

The familiar law of cause and effect states that every effect must have a cause. There must have been a “cause” for the wonderfully delicate machinery that makes up the human body. Today we are in a better position than any previous generation to see how wise that first “cause” must have been. Yet even more, there must have been a “cause,” a Producer, of such things as the human mind, the human conscience and of life itself. Really, these things can never be satisfactorily explained except in the way that the Bible does. Addressing the God he worshiped, a Bible writer said: “With you is the source of life.” (Ps. 36:9) There is no basis in our “present knowledge” for coming to any other conclusion.

Why, Then, Do Bad Things Happen?

While considering the above arguments, one Filipino atheist raised the following problem: “To some extent there is order, wonder and beauty in nature. But this is only one half of the picture. The other half is terrible chaos.” Then, after explaining what he means by “chaos”—such things as natural disasters, pestilences and the like—he goes on to say: “A religious person gazes lovingly at the order in nature that strengthens his religion, but looks away from the chaos that weakens such creed.”

Do you do that? Or could it be that the atheist is looking away from the “order, wonder and beauty in nature” that weaken his creed of disbelief?

For example, in complaining about pestilences, he is telling only part of the story. He fails to mention the wonderful healing power of our bodies, which itself testifies to the existence of a Maker with wonderful powers. On one occasion, Napoleon’s surgeon-general was thanked by the emperor for healing so many of his soldiers. The surgeon’s answer, according to one version, was: “I tended them, God healed them.”

Besides, does man have a moral right to question God’s existence because of the diseases and other problems that exist? Is it not true that man’s misrule, his wars, crime, dishonesty, and so forth, cause most of these problems? How many pestilences—such as heart disease or cancer—are largely a result of the environment and living habits that man himself has developed? How many other diseases could be controlled but for the fact that a huge proportion of the human race lives in poverty and squalor?

Nevertheless, it is true that not all of man’s problems are directly his own fault. Why does God allow them to happen? Do they prove He does not exist?

An illustration may help us to see this point more clearly. On an island off the west coast of Ireland, there is a place known as the Abandoned Village. It is a small village where nobody lives anymore. As may be imagined, the houses are in a bad state. The roofs are off. The doors are gone. In many cases, walls have collapsed.

In view of the ruinous state of the village, would you say that it is unlikely that anybody designed and built the houses there? Or, would you rather instinctively agree with the Bible’s statement: “Of course, every house is constructed by someone”—yes, even a house now ruined? (Heb. 3:4) Despite the neglected state of those houses, we know they were built by someone. We know, too, that their present condition is not necessarily the fault of the builder. There are ways of preventing houses from deteriorating. But the owners abandoned them. Hence, they are now in ruins.

The situation of mankind is similar. The Bible tells us that man was created perfect by his Maker. He was given a responsibility to subdue the earth and fill it with his children. (Gen. 1:28) Success in this would depend on following the instructions of his Maker. If he had followed these instructions, there would have been no “chaos,” no lives lost because of natural disasters or pestilences in the subdued earth. However, man rejected the guidance of his Creator; so now the human “house” is undeniably in a bad state of repair.

God gave mankind free will to choose his own course. God does not force humans to be obedient. Nevertheless, throughout the long centuries of human misrule, He has been seeking out those who are willing to use their free will to serve him. The Bible explains that those who refuse to acknowledge God’s right to rule his own creation will soon be destroyed. Their lives will be forfeited because they reject the Source of life. But those who appreciatively conform their lives to God’s requirements will have the joy of seeing the earth transformed into a global paradise under a heavenly government of God. They will enjoy all the blessings of which man’s imperfections and misrule have deprived them.—Rev. 21:3-5.

Therefore, it is very important for everyone to get to know about God now. It is enlightening to know how some have been helped to do that.

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WHO DESIGNED THE HUMAN BODY?

BRAIN: A living computer so complex that best man-made models are toys by comparison. Memory and learning capacity estimated at a billion times more than used in present human lifetime.

EYE: A fully automatic, self-focusing, nonblurring, color motion-picture camera that takes instant three-dimensional pictures needing no laboratory development.

HEART: A pump far more efficient than any machine of any kind devised by man. Pumps 1,500 gallons (5,700 L) or more daily, doing enough work to lift your body 500 feet (150 m) straight up.

LIVER: An extremely complicated and versatile chemical laboratory with more than 500 functions, including storage and release of blood, vitamins, minerals and nutrients as needed. Manufactures over 1,000 different enzymes to promote chemical conversions.

BONES: A structural frame weighing only 20 pounds (9 kg), yet strong as iron girders—superbly rigged and balanced to anchor muscles and to shield vital organs.

NERVOUS SYSTEM: A massive communications network that receives and/or acts on 100,000,000 sensations a second through electrochemical impulses. Reaches every square millimeter of skin, every muscle, blood vessel bone and organ.

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Even a house in ruins was “constructed by someone”

How Some Have Been Helped to Believe

HOW can a person who does not believe in the existence of God come to know him? Many who now do believe found that, first of all, they had to face up to a certain problem. What is that?

A former member of an Eastern religion admitted: “Perhaps one of the strong reasons [for clinging to the belief that there is no Creator] is that this religion encourages one to live a carefree life, to be content.”

Similarly in the West, author John Cogley observes: “Modernity (at least the non-Marxist sort) puts tremendous emphasis on personal freedom—in thought, politics, matters pertaining to sexual behavior, and above all in speculation about the great issues of life.”

This freedom—and the easygoingness referred to above—can be heady stuff. To give them up and recognize a superior Authority requires a humility and an open-mindedness that not everyone possesses.

Freedom for What?

Freedom, of course, can be desirable. But freedom can be harmful too. Giving a child too much freedom may lead to his playing games on a busy street or his putting a hand on a hot stove. Complete freedom to make all our own decisions without any outside help can cause all kinds of problems, if the decisions are wrong.

When we accept the truth about God’s existence, we do not lose out. True, there is a measure of restriction of a person’s freedom—but only in ways that help us to avoid hurting ourselves and others. Those who truly believe in God have been willing to face up to the need for such limitations. Accepting the truths about God has also given them freedom: freedom from being deceived by persons who seek to exploit others by their own philosophy and from hopelessness because of not knowing the purpose of life. Just as Jesus once said: “The truth will set you free.”—John 8:32; Col. 2:8.

Help to Recognize the Existence of God

In the West, most people know what is meant by the term “Supreme Being,” although many claim not to believe in him. In the East, the problem is more difficult. Many do not understand the expression. A former non-Christian said about his onetime fellow religionists: “Most of them lack imagination as to the existence of the Supreme Being.”

For both these kinds of person, however, the first step in helping them to know God has often been to point to the creation and the reason that there must be an original Maker, an original Designer. One Christian who has served a long time in Japan explained: “We make use of illustrations. It takes an intelligent person to make a watch, camera, etc., but these things are without life. Look at a flower, a bird or the human body. Who designed these?” With such reasoning, he tries to build up in the Oriental mind the idea of the existence of God.

Helping Them to Know God

To progress from recognizing that a creative force exists, to coming to know God as a loving, heavenly Father is quite a big step. Even Einstein, evidently, could not accept that the creative spirit that he discerned behind the universe was really a personality who could be approached by mankind. He once commented: “The main source of the present-day conflicts between the spheres of religion and science lies in the concept of a personal God.”

How have persons who now believe become acquainted with God as a person? Here, they had to rely on God himself. In a large country, most of the citizens may know about the existence of their head of state. Their lives are affected daily by him. Nevertheless, those who become his friends are only those to whom he makes himself accessible. Similarly, we can learn from the creation about the undoubted existence of God, and our lives are daily affected by him, in that we enjoy his gifts of food, air, sunlight, rain, and so forth. Nevertheless, we could never get to know him unless he made himself accessible to us.

Happily, he has done this. How? Well, one way is by means of the Bible. In that book, he has had recorded his dealings with mankind over the years. He has shown us his qualities, and even given us a name by which we can speak to him. That name is “Jehovah.” (Ps. 83:18) Hence, those persons who have truly come to know God have first had to cultivate an appreciation for that amazing book.

Most people recognize that there is something different about the Bible. It has been translated into far more languages than any other book. It is the all-time best seller. It has survived over the centuries despite determined efforts to destroy it. It goes farther back in history than any other book. What many do not accept, however, is the Bible’s own claim to be inspired. But the Bible clearly states: “All Scripture is inspired of God.” (2 Tim. 3:16) Can this claim be demonstrated as true? Yes, and persons who at one time did not believe, but now have come to know Jehovah, were willing to take the needed time to examine the evidence personally. What did they find?

They saw in the Bible hundreds of prophecies that have come true. They realized that no human could have known all these details of human affairs centuries, even thousands of years, in advance. The Bible itself indicates that the ability to prophesy correctly is one proof of godship. (Isa. 46:8-10) Regarding Bible prophecies that had been fulfilled up to his time, one of God’s ancient servants said: “Not one word out of all the good words that Jehovah your God has spoken to you has failed. They have all come true for you. Not one word of them has failed.” (Josh. 23:14) Those who are convinced of this have also found that fulfillment of prophecy is not simply a thing of the past. More prophecies are coming true in our own day. As they have examined the facts, they have felt compelled to acknowledge that the Bible must be God’s inspired word.—See Matthew 24; Mark 13; Luke 21; 2 Timothy 3:1-5.

They have found to be equally impressive the counsel and guidance in the Bible. Gradually they realized that these bespeak an intelligence that is much higher than mere folk wisdom. They saw before them the knowledge and understanding of someone who has observed mankind for thousands of years and who knows what is best for us. They found the Bible’s advice for married couples, for youths, for poor and rich people, to be a constant source of wonderment because of the insight it reflected and its practicality. (See, for example, Colossians 3:5-8, 18-25; 1 Timothy 6:9-11, 17-19; Matthew 6:24-34; Proverbs 7:1-27.) As they personally began to apply this counsel, they experienced the truth of Psalm 119:2: “Happy are those observing [God’s] reminders; with all the heart they keep searching for him.”

Other Ways to Get to Know God

In Japan, a few years ago, a gentleman happened to ride a train several days in succession with a group of Christians attending an assembly of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Their conduct impressed him so much that he investigated. Long ago, the apostle Paul told all Christians to “become imitators of God.” (Eph. 5:1) Just as children often become reflections of their parents, so true Christians try to reflect their heavenly Father in their lives and conduct. It was the fruitage of these efforts that so impressed the Japanese gentleman referred to here, and helped him to come to know Jehovah. Now he, too, is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

Similarly, a lady from another Eastern country, when asked to list the things that helped her to come to know God, mentioned among other things: “The knowledge of the governing laws and principles that are able to unite all kinds of men, regardless of racial differences, as proved by the example of Jehovah’s Witnesses.” And: “Observing the personalities of Jehovah’s Witnesses.” Hence, in the conduct and activities of his worshipers, the Creator reveals himself to seeking ones.

The above-mentioned lady also referred to another thought-provoking thing that led her to know the Creator. She said: “Many of my personality traits have been changed—to my own amazement!” How was that possible? The apostle Paul said we should expect such a thing to happen. He told Christians: ‘Be made new in the force actuating your mind. Put on the new personality which was created according to God’s will in true righteousness and loyalty.’ (Eph. 4:23, 24) Honest people try to quell bad tendencies that they find in themselves. It is difficult. But those who worship the Creator have a ‘force actuating their minds’ that enables them to do it. This is fortified by God’s own holy spirit. Strengthened by this “force,” some have been cured of drug addiction, sexual perversion, criminal tendencies, and so forth. They have become loving, joyful, peaceful, long-suffering, kind, good, faithful, mild and self-controlled. (Gal. 5:22, 23) This has been a strong confirmation to them of God’s existence, and of his desire to help them.

Prayer is another way by which they have come to know God. The apostle John said: “No matter what it is that we ask according to his will, he hears us.” (1 John 5:14) Of course, God does not answer the prayers of everyone. “Jehovah is far away from the wicked ones, but the prayer of the righteous ones he hears,” says Proverbs 15:29. However, those who serve God faithfully do pray, and their prayers are answered. It is difficult not to believe in someone that you talk to constantly, and who answers you in various ways.

Yes, Jehovah Exists

Yes, Jehovah God does exist. Of this there is no doubt. And he wants his creatures to know him. He has revealed himself by means of his created works, by means of the Bible, as well as by the way his spirit works on his organization and on individuals.

Why not come to him as your heavenly Father and enjoy the freedom that comes from knowing the truth? Follow his counsel. Accept his heartwarming promises for the future. Yes, just as the psalmist long ago exhorted: “Taste and see that Jehovah is good, O you people; happy is the able-bodied man that takes refuge in him.”—Ps. 34:8.

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The bird must have had an original designer

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Through the Bible, God introduces himself to us, telling us his name, his qualities, his purpose

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Persons are attracted to the worship of Jehovah when they observe his qualities reflected in the lives of his worshipers

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It is difficult not to believe in someone whom you talk to and who answers you

Overcoming Obstacles to Belief

BEFORE they can genuinely believe in God and accept the Bible as being his Word, many persons find that they have obstacles that must be overcome. That was true of an atheist in Japan, who later said:

‘My parents are confirmed atheists and two of my sisters are devotees of Sokagakkai. Grandmother worshiped a famous ancient Buddhist named Kobodaishi, engaged in fortune-telling and sometimes did faith healing. For that we would usually get a large sum of money and plenty of rice, vegetables and other necessary things. I was deeply influenced by this background. I knew that worshiping my grandmother’s god was a means to get material riches. From childhood I was well acquainted with the hypocrisy of persons who professed to believe, so I personally was not interested in God.

‘At the same time, my private life was a shameful one. Every night I went out to play Mah-Jongg (a Chinese gambling game) and to bowl. When I came home, at about dawn, I was drunk. Around noon I would get up and do some work around the house. Then back for more of the same. As a result of how I was living, I became sick and had a serious operation on my stomach. I constantly quarreled with my wife.

‘About that time I heard that a friend of mine who is a serious fellow was studying the Bible. When he first spoke to me about God from the Bible, I reacted with hatred. I feared that my friend would be cheated by religion, so I earnestly tried to stop him from studying the Bible. Though I tried time and again, he was determined and would not stop. So I began to study the Bible, but not because I wanted to understand it. My objective was to find fault with the Bible in order to convince my friend to stop studying.

‘But as I studied I began to understand the truth. I became convinced that Jehovah is different from all other gods, that he is a God of love and mercy, that he is Almighty, our Creator as well as our Life-Giver. At Hebrews 4:12, the Bible says that “the word of God is alive and exerts power.” I am convinced of that, because studying it led me to change from my former immoderate way of life. When I ceased to quarrel with my wife, she noticed the change and began to attend the meetings of Jehovah’s Witnesses with me. Now, as she often tells me, she really trusts me, and our family life is happy.’

Another former atheist, also in Japan, later made these comments: ‘I had attended a university, participated in the activities of Communism, pursued pleasure, and now was a married woman. But I was surprised one day to learn from one of Jehovah’s Witnesses what the Bible says that God’s government will do for this earth and what life will really be like then. I read some of the Watch Tower books, including one entitled “Is the Bible Really the Word of God?” From what I read I could see that these people have something, a confidence based on the objective truths of the Bible, a record free from hypocrisy, a willingness to risk their lives for what they believe. I wanted to attend their meetings. And I began to pray, “If God does exist, please teach me.” Soon I realized that I had found what I was searching for. If even in a small way, I want to show Jehovah my appreciation for his mercy in letting me hear the “good news.”’