Poll: Majority Reject Evolution

Most Americans do not accept the theory of evolution. Instead, 51 percent of Americans say God created humans in their present form, and another three in 10 say that while humans evolved, God guided the process. Just 15 percent say humans evolved, and that God was not involved.

These views are similar to what they were in November 2004 shortly after the presidential election.

VIEWS ON EVOLUTION/CREATIONISM

Now
God created humans in present form

51%
Humans evolved, God guided the process

30%
Humans evolved, God did not guide process

15%

Nov. 2004
God created humans in present form

55%
Humans evolved, God guided the process

27%
Humans evolved, God did not guide process

13%

This question on the origin of human beings, asked both this month and in November 2004, offered the public three alternatives: 1. Human beings evolved from less advanced life forms over millions of years, and God did not directly guide this process; 2. Human beings evolved from less advanced life forms over millions of years, but God guided this process; or 3. God created human beings in their present form.

The results were not much different between the answers to that question and those given when a specific timeline was included in the final alternative: God created human beings in their present form within the last 10,000 years.

Americans most likely to believe in only evolution are liberals (36 percent), those who rarely or never attend religious services (25 percent), and those with a college degree or higher (24 percent).

White evangelicals (77 percent), weekly churchgoers (74 percent) and conservatives (64 percent), are mostly likely to say God created humans in their present form.

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IIbeetfarmerII says:: It must really be hard to escape from the truth. I just hope that you keep this "god" of yours to yourself and not spreading it. And dont give me the "I will pray for you".

The scientific method= Finding the facts, comes up with different conclusions based on the fact.
The creationist method= Make up a conclusion up and try to find fact to support it.; reply

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norcalruss says:: Americans most likely to believe in only evolution are liberals (36 percent), those who rarely or never attend religious services (25 percent), and those with a college degree or higher (24 percent). White evangelicals (77 percent), weekly churchgoers (74 percent) and conservatives (64 percent), are mostly likely to say God created humans in their present form.
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I am surprised that so many people are ignorant of science. Evolution was a theory when Charles Darwin first put it forth over a hundred years ago. It is now a well excepted fact of science. Maybe this is proof of Americans falling behind many nations in science and math. If the bible-thumpers had their way everyone would be ignorant.; reply

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foo8259 says:: What is a bright?
"A bright is a person who has a naturalistic worldview.
A bright's worldview is free of supernatural and mystical elements.
The ethics and actions of a bright are based on a naturalistic worldview." I am with Carl Sagan and Stephen Hawking -- they are a lot smarter than I am. http://www.the-brights.net/; reply

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train99 says:

Those 15% atheists sure are active preachers because they dominate the message boards in everything from politics to sports. Maybe they have a lot of free time?


joe16777 replies:: linkicon reporticon emailicon; Strange isn't it? they must all be people sitting in front of computers all day ever day because I cant seem to get away from them. Most of them are young.

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24zen says:

Shame on me. I thought we had left the dark ages and superstition far behind. However, after reading many entries here, it is quite apparent that superstition is alive and kicking and looks as it may be around for a bit longer. I'm being facetious; all I have to do is listen to the GOP candidates and their automatons to know that superstion is alive and well. What is patently clear, public education as well as parental education, is an abject failure when it comes to disabusing our children of superstitious hype. How many lives are lost (physical and psychological) everyday because one culture or another keeps fighting to declare their religion as the "true" religion.


joe16777 replies:: linkicon reporticon emailicon; Hmm how many people died in Iraq over propaganda and people who do not believe in a creator? oh just a million men women and children is all. How many died from atheist Hitler oh i do not know 6 million, how many from Stalin oh I do not know 12 million. Should i keep going or are you going to try and justify your illogical statement? Besides they accept the Muslim religion with no problems but they keep killing people, Christians? oh no they are evil people who are crazy but they promote peace and love and hope. You on the other had take away all hope. Makes a lot of sense buddy. And do not bring up what the Catholic church did because they are not Christian but rather an evil empire teaching false and pagan doctrines

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doubleecho-2009 says:

Now THAT is a REALLY sad poll to see! When Americans are SO misinformed on such a basic science question as this, it really staggers the imagination that there are REALLY that many stupid people in America!


joe16777 replies:: linkicon reporticon emailicon; You cant comprehend it because you refuse to to seek it. So God will blind you and harden your heart so that it makes you constantly question why? Ever thought that maybe just maybe we are all on to something and you are the minority for a good reason? There is a reason your indoctrination will not work and that is because Jesus Christ is alive and with those who call upon Him. He makes Himself known in a physical, emotional and spiritual way so profoundly that we will die for that belief in Him. It has absolutely nothing to do with what the bible states or doesn't state or what a preacher says or even whether we were raised in it or not. You have faith in your belief of theoretical history aka evolution. Why not try having faith in God? For me growing up in a non religious family I was exposed to all the same teachings you were but when i spent so much time in the natural wilds I found it impossible to believe all this beauty was random, all this perfection we see every day, the foods that sustain us, the many wonderful tastes and experiences nature has to offer. Its simply common sense that God created it.Dont miss out on the amazing wonders God has to offer. You will not regret it I promise you


angry jubu replies:: linkicon reporticon emailicon; @joe16777: "You cant comprehend it because you refuse to to seek it. So God will blind you and harden your heart so that it makes you constantly question why?"

Perhaps - or perhaps you're just a brainwashed troll.

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BIMeyers says:

We promote openness, you guys are the real enemies of intelligence and education, not us. If you weren't all just religious Darwinists who want to indoctrinate people to believe a different philosophy, you could tell, this is a FACT. Look at what the UK just did, made it impossible to teach ID in free schools, restricting freedom. YOU are the ones restricting free thinking. We want them both taught, not a one sided teaching like you. Plus, we share the evidence, how you LOOK at the evidence is what shapes the interpretation. It's called presuppositions, I see similarities in creatures and interpret it as a common designer, you say it means they evolved.


ge556 replies:: linkicon reporticon emailicon; You claim to want "Both" taught. What makes you think there are only 2 possible stories of origins? The one that has evidence and the one supported by your faith. There are an infinite number of possible stories, and yours has no more support than the rest of the made-up ones. Evolution is the only one that has evidence.


doubleecho-2009 replies:: linkicon reporticon emailicon; Reminds me of a grade school playground rant! WHY should we take YOUR view over sound science?

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BIMeyers says:

For all you closed minded ignorant people who think both aren't equally valid or can't both be taught, how about using your brains for a second, science cannot prove that God exists, true, neither can science prove a single-celled organism can pop out of nowhere and evolve into a man. If you were to actually look at the evidence with an open mind you'd realize evolution and creation both take faith, and that both can neither be proven nor disproven because neither are science, they're philosophy because you cannot test it via scientific method. You people who yell "The Christian Taliban are winning" or "at least educated people still believe evolution" guess what? You guys are doing the brainwashing and indoctrinating. We promote open thinking, you promote forcing it on them. And, "educated" people only believe it because it's forced on them, if EVERYONE thought for themselves the poll would probably be a lot different, there'd be more of EVERY side. Also, Chris Darwin believes in thinking for yourself, Darwin's great grandson, Darwin himself would too, yet modern religious Darwinists don't? Dawkins has hijacked evolution and made his own religion, Darwinian evolution is a lot different from Dawkins' evolution, which instils hate in other groups who think different and promotes ignorance and intolerance. Follow Darwin's example, let people THINK, don't just impose, promote both ideas and let kids come to THEIR conclusions, not their teachers. Us creationists don't want evolution aboloshed from schools like the media and you guys make it out to be, we want BOTH taught.


ge556 replies:: linkicon reporticon emailicon; Creationists tried and tried to get evolution abolished from schools, and were winning the battle for a long time, in many states. Fortunately, the SCOTUS recognized creationism, and then ID, as religious ideas, not science.

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notreich says:: The world is going to start worrying about US having nukes. If this poll were true it would be hard to over estimate how much that would worry the Europeans. If they thought that 51% of our population really believed that humans were just zapped into existence in an instant! In backward outposts like Scandanavia and Germany you are hard pressed to find a single person who believes that. At least educated and well-read Americans believe in evolution. That's something.; reply

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ge556 says:

"Believe me it takes more "faith" to believe in the many myths of evolution than that a Divine Being created the universe."

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Utter nonsense. There's NO evidence of anything supernatural, let alone an omnipotent God. Only faith makes anyone think God exists.

There's a huge amount of evidence of evolution, and most of it is intuitive once you understand the basics.


Mike_in_USA replies:: linkicon reporticon emailicon; In effect, the questioning of a scientific theory is forbidden. I am sure that at one time the questioning of the scientific theory of the world as the center of the universe was not permitted either. Isn't science the free questioning of ANY THEORY? However, the questioning of evolution theory is, at times, forbidden. If you think the church used an iron fist to control science, then you must admit that is exactly what you are doing by teaching evolution as the one-and-only possibility.
Or, in the 'readers digest' version, what are you so afraid of?


ge556 replies:: linkicon reporticon emailicon; Wrong. Questioning is not forbidden. In fact, it is encouraged, if you use reason and evidence. What is forbidden is teaching religion in a public school. Creationism and ID are religious beliefs, not scientific theories. Evolution is not the only possibility, but it's the only theory we have, which means it has lots of evidence, and the evidence fits together well.

What I am afraid of is an anti-scientific population, and government officials, leading to bad decisions. For example, anti-scientific attitudes are endangering the future of the planet by denying the very real and imminent dangers of global warming.