Posted on 10/23/2005 12:06:32 AM PDT by GretchenM
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--A majority of adults support the biblical account of creation according to a new CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll -- the latest in a series of polls reflecting Americans' tendency to reject secular evolution.
In the poll, 53 percent of adults say "God created human beings in their present form exactly the way the Bible describes it." Another 31 percent believe humans "evolved over millions of years from other forms of life and God guided" the process. Twelve percent say humans "have evolved over millions of years from other forms of life, but God has no part."
The poll of 1,005 adults, conducted Sept. 8-11 and posted on Gallup's website Oct. 13, is but the latest survey showing Americans tend to reject a strictly secular explanation for the existence of life:
-- A Harris poll of 1,000 adults in June found that 64 percent believe "human beings were created directly by God," 22 percent say humans "evolved from earlier species" and 10 percent believe humans "are so complex that they required a powerful force or intelligent being to help create them." In another question, only 38 percent say humans "developed from earlier species."
-- An NBC News poll of 800 adults in March found that 44 percent believe in a biblical six-day creation, 13 percent in a "divine presence" in creation and 33 percent in evolution.
"Nobody starts out as a Darwinian evolutionist," said William Dembski, professor of science and theology at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky., and the author of "The Design Revolution: Answering the Toughest Questions about Intelligent Design."
"You start out with a wonder of creation, thinking that there's something beyond it. And then it has to be explained to you why there really is no wonder behind it."
The Gallup poll was released amidst a trial in Harrisburg, Pa., over whether Intelligent Design can be taught in a Pennsylvania school district. Intelligent Design says that patterns in nature are best explained by pointing to a creator (that is, intelligence). Supporters of the theory of Darwinian evolution have opposed Intelligent Design, saying it is not science. Evolution teaches, in part, that humans evolved over millions of years from apes.
But despite the fact that public schools are teaching evolution as fact, Americans are not buying it. A November 2004 poll of 1,016 adults found that 35 percent said evolution was "just one of many theories and one that has not been well-supported by evidence." Thirty-five percent said evolution was "well-supported by evidence," while 28 percent didn't know enough about evolution to answer. In addition, a February 2001 poll of 1,016 adults found that 48 percent said the "theory of creationism" best explained the origin of human beings while 28 percent said the "theory of evolution" made the most sense.
Reflecting the argument Paul makes in Romans 1, Dembski said the "beauty" and the "extravagance" of creation -- the "beautiful sunsets, flowers and butterflies" -- points to the existence of a creator.
"Unless you're really indoctrinated into an atheistic mindset, I think [the beauty of creation] is going to keep tugging at our hearts and minds," he said.
Richard Land, president of the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, called the Gallup poll findings "incredible" and said they should be "encouraging" to conservative Christians. ...
Said Dembski: "The secularized education system ... is not being executed as effectively as the secular elites would like. So that's something that we have to be thankful for -- that a lot of schools are not implementing it and forcing it down kids' throats. But it's still happening, and as far as it happens, the indoctrination can be quite effective."
For example, Dembski said, there is little public outcry over PBS programs such as "Nature" that are publicly funded and regularly present evolution as fact. Also, Americans themselves seem conflicted over what to believe. An August Gallup poll found that 58 percent said creationism was definitely or probably true and 55 percent said evolution was definitely or probably true -- meaning that many of those surveyed saw no conflict between creationism and evolution. And the Harris poll that found only 22 percent of adults believing humans evolved from earlier species also found that 46 percent believe apes and humans have a "common ancestry."
Americans, Dembski said, often try to take a middle road by believing God guided evolution. Nevertheless, he said, the poll numbers are promising for Intelligent Design proponents who are making their case in the public square.
"I think anybody who is on the God-had-something-to-do-with-it side -- whether it's through a direct act of creation or through some sort of evolution process -- is likely to give Intelligent Design a second look,” Dembski said. “We have a great pool of people that we can appeal to.
What is the name of the ancestor of the ostrich that could fly?
"No I think you will find that people who believe in Creation tend to not believe in UFO' etc... No UFO's or ghosts in the Bible."
I suspect you are wrong but again I have not found the definitive study to cite. Bear in mind I'm not talking about Christians in general but the subset of Christians who believe the creation story is literal because these are people who believe things that clearly and completley contradict what we observe through science.
mlc9852: Things made in Roman times don't go back billions of years.
I think the "radioactive dating" in this case would be radiocarbon dating, which goes from near the present to about 50,000 years into the past.
It is pretty accurate, in spite of what the Creationists websites claim. I have done a bit of this, so I could try to answer any questions you might have.
I didn't realize the Bible stated how old the earth is. Where is that information, please?
Still neither credentials nor citations.
The selective advantage of plumange hase been measured.
For the lurkers a nice article, not too much jargon:
SEXUAL SELECTION IN BIRDS
http://oak.cats.ohiou.edu/~jm703496/es-ssbrd.html
I have heard of bones from living elephants and eggshells being radioactivly dated as over a hundred thousand years old. Yet the egg shells were chicken eggs from living chickens. How can that be if the science is so solid?
I think a whole lot of people do not realize that evolution "science" is a religion and subject to bias like all faith systems.
In other words, neither credentials nor citations.
I believe in the Creation story but I'm not convinced there are ghosts or UFOs. There could be, though. I don't think they have been disproved, have they?
Big different between 50,000 years and billions of years, right?
Citations pelase.
Earth has several holes in it that were not there when it was created. The heavens are certainly not as they were when they were created. Humans didn't know how to drive SUVs when they were in the Garden. There have been some changes.
"I didn't realize the Bible stated how old the earth is. Where is that information, please?"
The creationists typically add up the years mentioned n the bible and get an age of about 10,000 years. This requires the dinosaurs to lived at the same time as men so it requires a series of explanations that don't jibe with observed evidence.
Now that is a statement I cannot pass up. Cellulose is a very bulky digestive system, it is why cows have 7 stomaches. It also is a very "prickly" dinner, all cellulose digestive systems have a very tough lining. An appendix is not only way to tiny to be of use, and does not have the required lining, but the throat of a human is not capable of withstanding the high acid content of constant regurgitation that is necessary in all ruminants, that, by the way is contrary to all ruminant digestive systems as the acid content would kill the cohabiting cellelouse eating bacteria.
To choose the appendix as a remnant of a cellulose digestive system takes a complete lack of understanding of not only the digestive system itself, but the physics of the teeth necessary to grind cellulose and the lining necessary to keep the appendix from being punctured by the food.
One thing for sure, stuff your appendix with chewed up bushes and you die. The one thing it could NOT be is a cellulose digestive system!
Unless of course, by faith that surpasses any Bible believer.
Do you have a citation for this? I would like to look it up. Thanks.
Right. For older materials you can't use radiocarbon, but must use other methods of radiometric dating. Those are the ones which place the earth at about 4.5 billion year old.
Gee, polls show that the majority of people support more gun control, gay adoptions, and believe in space aliens. If the majority believes that it is OK to kill 29 year old management consultants, I guess that's OK as well?
Since when is anything made "right" by the "Will of the People."
I should also let you know that those who oppose Darwinism are disproportionately located among the less educated members of the population.
"I have heard of bones from living elephants and eggshells being radioactively dated as over a hundred thousand years old. Yet the egg shells were chicken eggs from living chickens. How can that be if the science is so solid?
I think a whole lot of people do not realize that evolution "science" is a religion and subject to bias like all faith systems."
And individual measurement might have error. But rocks from the same strata yield the same results taken at different spots around the world with testing performed by hundreds of different labs. Since the rock is not used up the tests can be verified by others.
These results match other kinds of tests.
To be honest and reconcile these results with the bible you really have to believe God rigged these thousands of pieces of scientific evidence.
"I believe in the Creation story but I'm not convinced there are ghosts or UFOs. There could be, though. I don't think they have been disproved, have they?"
No, they have not been disproved. One might disprove a particular account but there's no way to categorically disprove the possibility.
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