This is an astute question. You are clearly a deep thinker. There are only two possible answers: we are here because of evolution, or we are here because of intelligent design. If evolution is correct, then there is absolutely no more purpose to your life than to the life of the last bug that collided with your windshield. If that is the case, the only logical course it to find what gives you happiness and a sense of purpose now, and pursue it with everything you have. If we are here as the result of some intelligent designer, then it is reasonable to believe that there is a purpose to our existence, that there may be more to our life than a mere 80 or 90 years of existence, and that the designer could reasonably be expected to have some guidance for us.

Evolution claims that all the deep thinkers are on their team, and only shallow thinkers would fall for the intelligent design scenario. My own observation has been the opposite. Don't ask me to believe, with no proof, that anything ever popped into existence from nothing, by chance. Everything comes from something. Every tree comes from a seed, which came from a previous tree. Every house, chair, or paperclip had a designer.

Evolution claims I'm ignoring the enormous lengths of time involved; that given enough time, monkeys pounding on typewriters would produce the complete works of Shakespeare; hence given the time involved it was inevitable that life should spontaneously come into existence from nothing.

That is a specious argument, and here's why: Time is not infinite. The universe is believed to be 13.8 billion years old. If that amount of time was enough for life to spontaneously erupt here, it should be enough for it to have spontaneously erupted everywhere. By that rule, the universe should be bursting at the seams with life.

Science's best guess is that the universe contains about 100 times as many earth-like planets as there are grains of sand on our planet – a truly mind-boggling number. Their most conservative estimate is that the Milky Way galaxy alone should have no less than 100,000 planets sporting intelligent life. By Science's own estimate, it would take intelligent beings at most 3.75 million years to spread their civilization to the entire Milky Way galaxy. (Don't take my word for it. Google 'Fermi's paradox.') And there are stars in the galaxy that are hundreds of millions of years older than the sun – hence, planets with a hundred-million-year head start on Earth's space program. Thus, Fermi's Paradox is simple: “Where is everybody?” SETI has picked up no radio signals; and every planet, moon, and asteroid we've inspected is barren rock.

Since there is zero proof life that came about spontaneously, it must have had a designer. The Bible claims to be authored by such an intelligent designer, but why should you believe it? I do, but not simplistically. I spent several weeks 50 years ago, first analyzing the paradox above, then analyzing the origin of the Bible itself. I found that the snide questions and flip remarks of pseudo-intellectuals as to the Bible being inconsistent, or contradictory, or unscientific, poorly translated, or of questionable origin, were completely groundless. However, that was MY research. It does you no good unless you do YOUR OWN research. Once I had laid a foundation, convinced myself that the Bible was reliable, I then proceeded to learn about the intelligent designer from it. And I now know, to my own satisfaction, that God has a name, has a personality, cares about me, my family and my friends, appreciates when I follow his advice and is hurt when I ignore him… in other words, an actual relationship. That relationship gives me a future, and a hope. I can recommend a PDF called The Origin of Life—Five Questions Worth Asking at jw.org.