1, 2. What pressure may young ones today feel, and what steps can they take to deal with this?

“YOU seem to be too clever to believe in God,” said a fellow student to a young sister in Britain. A brother in Germany wrote: “My teachers view the Bible account of creation as a myth. And they take it for granted that the students believe in evolution.” A young sister in France said: “Teachers in my school are quite astonished that there are students who still believe in the Bible.”

² As a young servant of Jehovah or as someone learning about Him, do you feel under pressure to conform to popular beliefs, such as evolution, rather than believe in a Creator? If so, there are steps you can take to strengthen your faith and keep it strong. One step is for you to use your God-given thinking ability, which “will keep watch over you.” It will protect you from secular philosophies that could destroy your faith.​—Read Proverbs 2:10-12.

3. What will we discuss in this article?

³ Genuine faith is based on accurate knowledge about God. (1 Tim. 2:4) So as you study God’s Word and our Christian publications, do not just skim over the material. Use your thinking ability so that you ‘get the sense’ of what you read. (Matt. 13:23) Let us see how doing so can help you to strengthen your faith in God as the Creator and in the Bible​—topics on which there is no shortage of “convincing evidence.”​—Heb. 11:1, ftn.

HOW TO STRENGTHEN YOUR FAITH

4. Why do beliefs about God and the origin of life always involve some type of faith, and what sound approach should we take?

⁴ Have people said to you that they believe in evolution because it is based on science whereas belief in God is based on faith? Many hold this view. But it is good for us to keep this in mind: No matter what someone believes about God or about evolution, some type of faith is involved. How so? None of us have seen God or observed something being created. (John 1:18) And no human​—whether he is a scientist or not—​has observed one kind of life evolve into another kind. No one has watched a reptile evolve into a mammal, for example. (Job 38:1, 4) Hence, all of us must examine the evidence and use our thinking ability to reach sound conclusions. Regarding creation, the apostle Paul wrote: “[God’s] invisible qualities are clearly seen from the world’s creation onward, because they are perceived by the things made, even his eternal power and Godship, so that they are inexcusable.”​—Rom. 1:20.

5. How have we as God’s people been equipped to use our perceptive powers?

⁵ “To perceive” means to recognize something that may not be immediately visible or obvious. (Heb. 11:3) Perceptive people, therefore, use their mind, not just their eyes and ears. Jehovah’s organization has supplied many well-researched aids to help us. These can enable us ‘to see’ our Creator through our eyes of faith. (Heb. 11:27) These aids include the video The Wonders of Creation Reveal God’s Glory, the brochures Was Life Created? and The Origin of Life​—Five Questions Worth Asking, and the book Is There a Creator Who Cares About You? We also receive excellent food for thought in our magazines. Awake! has often presented interviews with scientists and others who have explained why they now believe in God. The series of articles called “Was It Designed?” has highlighted examples of the amazing design that we see in nature. Scientists often strive to imitate those wonderful designs.

6. What are some benefits from using the tools that are available, and how have you benefited?

⁶ About the two brochures just mentioned, a 19-year-old brother in the United States said: “These have been invaluable to me. I’ve studied those brochures about a dozen times.” A sister in France wrote: “The ‘Was It Designed?’ articles amaze me! They show that the greatest engineers may imitate but will never equal the complex designs in nature.” The parents of a 15-year-old in South Africa said: “The first thing that our daughter usually reads in Awake! is the ‘Interview’ article.” What about you? Do you take full advantage of these provisions? They can help your faith to become like a tree with deep roots. In that way your faith will enable you to withstand what might be like the winds of false teachings.​—Jer. 17:5-8.

REASONING WITH OTHERS

12, 13. What is an effective way to discuss creation or the Bible with fellow students, teachers, or others?

¹² How can you be effective when you reason with others about creation and the Bible? First, do not be quick to assume you know what others believe. Some people say that they believe in evolution, but they also feel that God exists. They think that God used evolution to create different forms of life. Others say that they believe in evolution because they feel that it would not be taught at school were it not a fact. And some stop believing in God because they are disappointed with religion. So when you discuss the origin of life with someone, it is usually wise to ask questions first. Find out what that person believes. If you are reasonable and willing to listen, he may be inclined to listen to you.​—Titus 3:2.

¹³ If someone seems to be attacking your belief in creation, you may tactfully shift the responsibility to him. You might ask him to explain how life could have begun without a Creator. For the first life-form to continue, it had to be able to reproduce, to make copies of itself. One professor of chemistry said that among the things needed would be (1) a protective membrane, (2) the ability to get and process energy, (3) information in the genes, and (4) the ability to make copies of that information. He added: “One is struck by the complexity of even the simplest form of life.”

14. What can you do if you feel that you are not equipped to discuss evolution or creation?

¹⁴ If you feel unprepared to discuss evolution or creation, you can try using the basic reasoning that Paul used. He wrote: “Every house is constructed by someone, but the one who constructed all things is God.” (Heb. 3:4) Such logic is very reasonable and effective! Yes, complex designs are the product of an intelligent mind. You might also use a suitable publication. One sister used the two brochures mentioned earlier with a young man who said that he did not believe that there is a God and that he accepted evolution. A week or so later, the young man acknowledged, “Now I believe in God.” This led to a Bible study, and this young man became one of our brothers.