New Poll Reveals Evolution's Corrosive Impact on Beliefs about Human Uniqueness

Evolution News and Views ^ | April 6, 2016 | Staff

[Heartlander]

New Poll Reveals Evolution's Corrosive Impact on Beliefs about Human Uniqueness

Evolution News & Views April 6, 2016 2:59 PM | Permalink

From the earliest days of civilization, humans have considered themselves exceptional among living creatures. But a new survey by Discovery Institute of more than 3,400 American adults indicates that the theory of evolution is beginning to erode that belief in humanity's unique status and dignity. According to the survey, 43 percent of Americans now agree that "Evolution shows that no living thing is more important than any other," and 45 percent of Americans believe that "Evolution shows that human beings are not fundamentally different from other animals."

The highest levels of support for the idea that evolution shows that humans aren't fundamentally different from other animals are found among self-identified atheists (69 percent), agnostics (60 percent), and 18 to 29 year-olds (51 percent).

The theory of evolution is also reshaping how people think about morality. A majority of Americans (55 percent) now contend that "Evolution shows that moral beliefs evolve over time based on their survival value in various times and places."

"Since the rise of Darwin's theory, leading scientists and other thinkers have insisted that human beings are just another animal, and that morality evolves based on survival of the fittest," says historian Richard Weikart, author of the new book The Death of Humanity: And the Case for Life (Regnery).

What this new survey shows is just how pervasive these ideas have become in our culture. Many people no doubt continue to believe that humans are unique, but most do not think that evolution supports that position. Many critics of my earlier scholarship will be disconcerted to see this data, which powerfully supports my arguments about the way that Darwinism devalues human life, a key point I explain further in my new book.

Weikart is a professor of history at California State University, Stanislaus, and a Senior Fellow with Discovery Institute's Center for Science & Culture.

The data for this survey was collected from March 17-20, 2016, using SurveyMonkey Audience, a nationally representative panel of more than 6 million people recruited from the 30+ million people who take SurveyMonkey surveys each month.

The SurveyMonkey platform has been used for public opinion surveys by NBC News, the Los Angeles Times, and other media organizations. Survey respondents were randomly sampled from members of SurveyMonkey Audience in the United States who are 18 or older, and the survey included 3,427 completed responses.

The poll report is available as a free download here.

[Verginius Rufus]

We will never know if humans are unique unless we check out all the planets which could support life.

That may take a while, so get started on grant proposals.

[Alas Babylon!]

Is it possible to believe in both creationism AND evolution?

Could not God have/is using evolution as his tool to create life and ultimately us?

Is evolution as a tool not a better solution than finger-snapping and saying “Poof”?

God gives us a tool—our brains—to figure things out. We have lots of evidence he left for us.

But NONE of that evidence means He didn’t do it or does not exists.

[spirited irish]

So-called scientifically enlightened modernists (progressives) claim scientific neutrality as a general operating assumption. Two applications of scientific neutrality evidence this: evolution (relentless change=relativism), an anti-creation account that deconstructs and reduces man in the spiritual image of the Trinity to evolved ape, and deconstructionism (destructive criticism/critical theory). Along with evolution (the divine energy), deconstructionism is a form of relativism or nihilism (meaninglessness) that for more than eighty years has been spilling into and contaminating our moral and culture sustaining institutions from seminaries and Biblical scholarship to academia, law, media, arts, and politics, thence our minds, individually and collectively.

The origin of the neutrality principle is the Garden of Eden. Its' father is the Evil One who tempted Eve to approach the question of eating from the forbidden tree in a neutral, unbiased fashion. He slyly suggested that she adopt a neutral position in order to decide who was right, God or the snake. Like modernists of our own age Eve doubted and therefore rejected God's Word as authoritative and conclusive. As a true neutralist she determined for herself which choice to take. (Gen. 3:4-6)

[freedumb2003]

>>Is it possible to believe in both creationism AND evolution?

Could not God have/is using evolution as his tool to create life and ultimately us?

Is evolution as a tool not a better solution than finger-snapping and saying “Poof”?

God gives us a tool—our brains—to figure things out. We have lots of evidence he left for us.

But NONE of that evidence means He didn’t do it or does not exists.<<

You are, of course, correct in all your statements, particularly the last.

But don’t pursue it further here at FR — trust me.

[SkyDancer]

Something or some model has to show or give reasons for dinosaurs.

[Heartlander]

Is it possible to believe in both creationism AND evolution?

That would depend how both creationism and evolution is defined. For example, you could not be a YEC and believe in common descent (I am not a YEC). A theistic evolutionist would not have an issue...

[spirited irish]

In the beginning, the Eternal Word thought, then by the Will of His spoken Word created ex nihilo the space/time dimension and all living creatures. Man He created last, in His own spiritual image. Then man, so gifted, thought, and by the will of his spoken word fell into sin. The point being that evolution is not the Word of God but of man.

[Vaquero]

My high school biology teacher taught us about evolution. It was in a Catholic HS and this particular teacher was a Marist Brother with a strong belief in God and of Jesus as Savior. My church separates science from religion. Faith need not have anything to do with science and vice versa.

[Fhios]

A poll proves this? Sounds idiotic. It was tl:dr the whole thing. I think more people believe in the clockmaker rather than pure evolution.

[papertyger]

Is it possible to believe in both creationism AND evolution?

Unfortunately, that equation does not balance. Suffice to say the book of Romans does not make provision for popular denials. The science in not nearly so firm as you have been indoctrinated into believing, but to question it it to make yourself Trump in a room full of apparatchiks.

Furthermore, "poof" as an alternative is as vapid as the notion of spending eternity sitting on clouds playing a harp.

[lacrew]

“We have lots of evidence he left for us.”

Do we? Yes, humans and apes are genetically similar...but to date, archeologists have dug up ape remains and they’ve dug up human remains...but never the remains of a being that was ‘in between’.

There has to be a central flaw in the theory of evolution. If evolutionary changes are brought about by random mutations that prove to be beneficial, over thousands of years, wouldn’t the fossil record be transitional? We should be finding half hoofed, half thumbed, etc skeletal remains all over the place. But we don’t.

I’m no theologian...but just logic alone makes the theory of evolution very improbably.

[fwdude]

People accuse God of being cruel for allowing millennia of human suffering; when evolution is infinitely more cruel with billions more suffering through subhuman existence for MILLIONS of years.

[Heartlander]

The survey questions:

1. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement: Evolution shows that no living thing is more important than any other.

2. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement: Evolution shows human beings are not fundamentally different from other animals.

3. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement: Evolution shows that moral beliefs evolve over time based on their survival value in various times and places.

[ameribbean expat]

“The data for this survey was collected from March 17-20, 2016, using SurveyMonkey Audience...”.

Couldn’t make it up...using SurveyMonkey for a study on evolution...

[papertyger]

There has to be a central flaw in the theory of evolution.

There is. Please note that while claiming to be "scientific," every piece of evidence found is not treated as a possible refutation of evolution, but often as a heroic struggle to fit that evidence into the evolutionary framework.

[Cyberman]

The entire premise here is silly. The author is basically arguing that we ought to believe what makes us feel better about ourselves, never mind what is actually true.

[Bogie]

Every life given organism is unique. For all eternity, no matter how similar the clone.

[sasportas]

Your post is an “Alas Babylon” all right. Ancient Babylon with its tower of Babel, the mother of paganism, the original one-worlders.

Being an evolutionist, I presume you also an Darwinist. If so, are you aware that Darwin did not invent the evolution idea? Pagans came up with the idea long before Darwin. Its a pagan theory. Believed by the Hindus, the Greek “mystery” religions, Greek philosophers, and occultic secret societies. Darwin plagarized the idea, he got it from pagan thought that preceded him.

Alas “Mystery” Babylon...the mother whore of the earth, Rev. 17:7.

[Heartlander]

See the questions at - post 14 - or look at the actual survey . It’s interesting how the broke down the demographics.