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Only 39% of Americans believe the theory of evolution
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by generaldecay | September 22, 2009 at 03:15 am
442 views | 10 Recommendations | 18 comments
On the heels of a February 2009 Gallup poll showing that only 39% of Americans believe the theory of evolution, a new British film about Darwin has had difficulty finding US distributors, apparently because the topic was deemed too controversial for American audiences.
Is this as surprising a statistic for anyone else as it is for me?
Only 39% of Americans believe in the theory of evolution. What's not to believe? How, in the name of all that is sensible, can it not be believed?
On the eve of the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin's birth, a new Gallup Poll shows that only 39% of Americans say they "believe in the theory of evolution," while a quarter say they do not believe in the theory, and another 36% don't have an opinion either way. These attitudes are strongly related to education and, to an even greater degree, religiosity.
Well, yes, religiosity would be my guess too. But, now, perhaps you could educate me. I'm not an American, and I was not educated in an American religious school (although I was educated in an Irish religious school). So I wonder... is evolution just not taught in American religious schools? Is it actively denied? Is creationism the only instruction received? I'm genuinely interested because the statistic of 39% boggles my mind!
The Guardian piece highlighted first discusses in detail that author's opinion of the why the statistic is so high, but I don't have the time to go into that right now. Interested members may wish to read on.
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Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (18)
at 04:21 on September 22nd, 2009
Most of evolution could be true, humanity was made as a seperate creation though. Well that is what I believe. Do you believe in the soul ? Did they evolve ? Do animals have souls ? At what point did the soul evolve ? Did dinosaurs have souls ? Perhaps evolution does not have all the answers.......
at 08:26 on September 22nd, 2009
In the Gallup poll that was the source of the statistic, 36% of respondents had "no opinion". That was hardly the case. Clearly, they didn't like the question.
In polls I saw about 20 years ago, the majority of American believed in some combination of Divinity and evolution, with evolution as an expression of a Divine plan.
My impression, having just seen a Catholic priest on TV say that there was no contradiction in evolution and having a God, is that this belief is widespread.
Basically, I think that with that figure of 39%, someone is trying to paint us as ignorant to satisfy an anti-American itch that needed to be scratched.
at 08:46 on September 22nd, 2009
1982 to 2004: Gallup polls:
The Gallup Organizations periodically asks randomly selected American adults about their beliefs on evolution and creation. They have conducted a poll of U.S. adults on at least six occasions between 1982 and 2004. By keeping the wording of their questions identical, each year's results are comparable to the others. This facilitates the detection of trends. 10
Beliefs-->
Year
at 09:46 on September 22nd, 2009
Wuppee we're making progress - belief in evolution without divine intervention is up 4 points over the surveyed period! Religious fundamentalist interpretation up 1% too. I know the US health system is screwed, it really makes one wonder about the public education system as well (Full disclaimer - I am involved as a provide and user of private education, so I know the quality there)
at 10:05 on September 22nd, 2009
So, Buddhists, Native American practicioners who believe in the Great Spirit, Hindus, Muslims, and all the Taoists, setting aside the Christians, are all wrong to see the universe as an expression of a Higher Power with evolution as one of its natural laws?
at 09:58 on September 23rd, 2009
Roy, I would bet that there was only one "Buddhists, Native American,Hindus,Muslim, or Taoist" in the whole poll That is one way to get numbers that you want...
distilled numbers from a poll have about as much in common with reality as corn does to vodka :)
at 10:22 on September 22nd, 2009
I would rather see more secular leanings in the US when it comes to issues of science...religious dogma tends to be an inhibitor of scientific advancement as a generic observation despite the Catholics trying to hedge their bets
at 10:38 on September 22nd, 2009
Yes, but how come no condemnation of the Dalai Lama?
See, this is how I read it.
The left loves to cut up the right, correctly, I add, when it comes to Creationism. The super-secular left, the left at war with the existence of a Higher Power, will not put down non-whites and non-Christians for their belief in a Higher Power which guided evolution.
Simple diagnosis: politically correct hypocrisy.
From Dawin to Hitler: next on my reading list.
at 13:19 on September 22nd, 2009
Heck if the same survey had been posted about China or Nepal I would be equally as disappointed though not as surprised as an in the case of an advanced nation. I responded to an article about a survey of beliefs in America. I think it is a case of staying on topic really.
at 11:07 on September 22nd, 2009
I am a white lefty
- reply
Hall Monitor (not verified)at 12:23 on September 22nd, 2009
I guess it's easier to believe in mythological characters creating the word.Hall Monitordetentionslip.org
at 17:26 on September 22nd, 2009
How many of them are conservatives?
at 17:41 on September 22nd, 2009
The people who ran the Killing Fields in Cambodia, and the Red Guard in China who killed millions and Lenin and Stalin and the rest with their forty, fifty million killed in gulags, gee, didn't they all believe in evolution and weren't they all atheists as well?
at 12:08 on September 23rd, 2009
Roy
In my opinion, they were just communist and killers, to agree with evolution don't make you an atheist or a killer, do not believe in God it does. I told you before; I am not at the left side, I am not a socialist, but to conservatives, any diversity in thinking makes you a communist. Sorry if the hat is fitting your head.
at 18:34 on September 22nd, 2009
How did this become a political partisan string? It is an issue of US domestic religiosity and opinions about evolution. It is an indicator of the level of dialog in our society that this issue is perverted to a partisan discussion. The article has nothing to do with party politics but all to do with societal development questions
at 10:06 on September 23rd, 2009
rng ,exactly right, it is a social development question. But because of the politics in the US we have a "this way, or That way" bent or another way would be to say "your for us or against us" mentality, that is the current fundamentalist way in this country. All I have seen from them, is the force of belief that they are right & every other view is invalid because its not in the King James bible....
I'll get of the soap box now :)
at 13:28 on September 23rd, 2009
What the poll doesn't say is what Americans who believe in creationism use that belief to justify. Unlike in other Western Democracies, in the US this belief is used to justify being anti-gay, pro-school prayer, pro-gun and anti-tollerance in general. I don't care if people want to believe in God and creationism but I do take offense whjen you use those beliefs to try to restrict my liberties and freeedoms and force your beliefs on society. Just because you are all jacked up on Jesus does not give you the right to push your drug of choice on the rest of us.
at 09:36 on September 28th, 2009
Thanks, all, for the comments and recommendations. I'm moving houses (and cities) this week so I just don't have the headspace to go through them all to respond, but they are all appreciated.