72% of Americans do not believe in Evolution

[samiam]

72% of Americans do not believe in Evolution:

http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/08/15/nyt.kristof/index.html

Now, no matter how much we make fun of Dayton here, keep in mind that over 200 million Americans, to some degree, agree with him.

I rant on this some more in my journal here

- Sam

 

[Jet Black]

heh, then we can safely assume that at least 72% of americans do not know what evolution is.

 

[David Gould]

heh, then we can safely assume that at least 72% of americans do not know what evolution is.

Unfortunately, it is likely that at least half of the people that do believe in evolution do not know what it is and at the very least are vulnerable to confusion over it.

 

[Jet Black]

yeah, it is troubling that another 14% could be snatched away by hovindian arguments

 

[JohnR7]

heh, then we can safely assume that at least 72% of americans do not know what evolution is.

"The problem is that people don't want to submit themselves to a higher authority—the God of the Bible. They don't want God telling them what is right and what is wrong. They want to decide "truth" for themselves; they want to be their own "gods." In other words, the real reason most scientists are evolutionists is spiritual, not scientific. It has very little to do with evidence—the truth of creation is obvious in what we observe."

http://www.icr.org/pubs/btg-a/btg-046a.htm

 

[Jet Black]

This is part of the problem. Creation scientists continually tell themselves that we "all just want to come up with a better explanation" when really we don't. we don't all "secretly want to believe in a God"

 

[Mainframes]

"The problem is that people don't want to submit themselves to a higher authority—the God of the Bible. They don't want God telling them what is right and what is wrong. They want to decide "truth" for themselves; they want to be their own "gods." In other words, the real reason most scientists are evolutionists is spiritual, not scientific. It has very little to do with evidence—the truth of creation is obvious in what we observe."

http://www.icr.org/pubs/btg-a/btg-046a.htm

Sorry, but scientists that are evolutionaists are so because of the evidence put before them. The evidence for evolutions is irrefutable, and the irony of all these arguements is that evolution theory is probably one of the strongest theories at this time. We understand how and why it works and we have mass of evidence for it's action, we cannot say this about quantum or gravitational theory.

I think the main difference between scientists and 'Creationists' is that if it were possible to prove that God did or did not exist then either way the scientists would still be happy as we are interested in the truth. If proven that God didn't exist then all the creationists would be in a bit of a conundrum.

And before saying anything about scientists trying to diprove God or religion, we are not. It just happens that that is what the evidence points to at this time.

 

[croper]

heh, then we can safely assume that at least 72% of americans do not know what evolution is.

I agree.

In my experience, people who don't believe in evolution generally don't understand it - or deliberately don't want to understand it.

Examples of questions I've been asked:

"Who did the first human mate with, as there were no other humans?"

"What use is half a wing/trunk/leg?"


It's really sad that there are people out there who think that one day a monkey gave birth to a baby human, and hey presto here we all are....

 

[Jet Black]

It's really sad that there are people out there who think that one day a monkey gave birth to a baby human, and hey presto here we all are....

or rather, people who think we think that.

 

[croper]

or rather, people who think we think that.

*oops!*

 

[Meatros]

"The problem is that people don't want to submit themselves to a higher authority—the God of the Bible. They don't want God telling them what is right and what is wrong. They want to decide "truth" for themselves; they want to be their own "gods." In other words, the real reason most scientists are evolutionists is spiritual, not scientific. It has very little to do with evidence—the truth of creation is obvious in what we observe."

http://www.icr.org/pubs/btg-a/btg-046a.htm

The opening sentence begs the question:
"If there is so much evidence for creation and against naturalistic evolution, why do the majority of scientists believe in evolution?"

The fact is, there isn't "so much" evidence for creation. In any event, how does this Non-Sequitur pass for logic to you anyway?

 

[Pete Harcoff]

Unfortunately, there are no details of what poll was used to arrive at this "only 28% believe in evolution".

In contrast, a 1999 Gallup poll found that about 49% of Americans accept evolution (however, most of those people still believe God had something to do with the process).

http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evolution_Poll

But I agree with everyone else in suggesting that the lay-public is by-and-large ignorant of evolutionary biology. The sheer number of strawman that get flung around when discussing evolution is indicative of this.

 

[JohnR7]

The fact is, there isn't "so much" evidence for creation. In any event, how does this Non-Sequitur pass for logic to you anyway?

All of creation is evidence of a creator. It does not surprise me that the vast majority of people look at the natural world, they see that it had to have been created by a Creator. That is what I see when I look at the natural world. What surprises me is that people can look at the natural world, or the species, and think that it happened all by itself without a creator. Yet only around 10% of the people believe this:

"Gallup polls have shown that about 45 percent of Americans believe God created living things in their present form a few thousand years ago; about 40 percent believe that things evolved over a long time with God's guidance; while only a little more than 10 percent accept Darwin's theory that things evolved through unguided natural selection and random variations."

http://www.reviewevolution.com/press/fromPress_EvolutionFrMasses.php

 

[Mainframes]

All of creation is evidence of a creator. It does not surprise me that the vast majority of people look at the natural world, they see that it had to have been created by a Creator. That is what I see when I look at the natural world. What surprises me is that people can look at the natural world, or the species, and think that it happened all by itself without a creator. Yet only around 10% of the people believe this:

"Gallup polls have shown that about 45 percent of Americans believe God created living things in their present form a few thousand years ago; about 40 percent believe that things evolved over a long time with God's guidance; while only a little more than 10 percent accept Darwin's theory that things evolved through unguided natural selection and random variations."

http://www.reviewevolution.com/press/fromPress_EvolutionFrMasses.php

Probably because most people don't understand the theory properly and don't realise it is the best explaination...

 

[JohnR7]

In contrast, a 1999 Gallup poll found that about 49% of Americans accept evolution (however, most of those people still believe God had something to do with the process).

http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evolution_Poll

"49% believe that human beings have developed over millions of years from less advanced forms of life. "

" 40% of Americans believe in God-guided evolution but reject the "theory of evolution" advocated by neo-Darwinists. "

According to your link, the vast majority of American reject Darwin's theory of evolution. Only 10% accept Darwin's theory.

 

[Mainframes]

"49% believe that human beings have developed over millions of years from less advanced forms of life. "

" 40% of Americans believe in God-guided evolution but reject the "theory of evolution" advocated by neo-Darwinists. "

According to your link, the vast majority of American reject Darwin's theory of evolution. Only 10% accept Darwin's theory.

I do believe that is what he said in his post........

 

[LorentzHA]

72% of Americans do not believe in Evolution:

http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/08/15/nyt.kristof/index.html

Now, no matter how much we make fun of Dayton here, keep in mind that over 200 million Americans, to some degree, agree with him.

I rant on this some more in my journal here

- Sam

Sam, Have you also checked out the numbers of Americans who cannot read? What about the number of Americans who can only comprehend the reading material of a 7th grade student? It is a LARGE number!!!, yet, out of those who CAN read, I bet 100% believe they are NOT in that number who can only comprehend to a 7th grade level. Did you also know, that ONLY 10% of Americans have a passports to travel outside of The U.S.??? Yet, 95% of Americans talk about, 'how it is in other countries' or How 'THOSE people' are 'over there'- All based on information from AMERICAN news networks. This country was founded by puritans who had extreme religious beliefs abd it still filters through our society. Footnoting the American public on ANYTHING is not a wise move. You also have to take into account when siting any poll, margin of error and sample population. You have to ask was this taken random by phone?, which is the best way to conduct a truly random poll (where a computer selects the numbers) or was this poll taken in the parking Lot of a local baptist church in Texas? People cannot "believe in" something they cannot comprehend.

 

[Dayton]

45% of Americans accept young-earth Creationsm?

God Bless America!

 

[Vance]

John, please keep in mind that when you make statements that seem to equate "true Christian beliefs" with anti-evolution, it is insulting to that majority of Christians who believe in evolution. I believe God created the Universe and all that is in it, and I also believe in evolution. Please be very careful with your terms.

As for the poll, it is exactly your characterization which is the source of the conflict. People in certain groups have been told so often that Christian beliefs are incompatible with the theory of evolution that they believe it is an either/or choice.

The ironic thing is that the more any of them look into the matter seriously, they end up agreeing that the theory of evolution is correct (as the "scientists" at AIG had to at some point). They might continue to place conditions or restrictions on it to fit their needs, but the bottom line is that they went into the study insisting that TOE was a bunch of nonsense and setting out to prove it. They ended up begrudgingly admitting it is a true theory, but then place artificial limits on it in order to preserve their position for as long as possible.

 

[Pete Harcoff]

According to your link, the vast majority of American reject Darwin's theory of evolution. Only 10% accept Darwin's theory.

The distinction they are making between the two seems to be one of atheism versus theism, and they label The Theory of Evolution as being the athestic version. I think it's a bit disingenuous to do so, since it will cement in some people's minds that the Theory of Evolution = atheism.

I would've liked to see the questions they used in conducting this poll.