Most Americans Agree with Evolution [new poll]

Angus Reid Consultants ^ | 01 September 2006 | Staff

[PatrickHenry]

More adults in the United States believe the theory of evolution is correct, according to a poll by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press. 51 per cent of respondents think that humans and other living things evolved over time, while 42 per cent say they existed in their present form since the beginning of time.

Charles Darwin’s "The Origin of Species" was first published in 1859. The book details the British naturalist’s theory that all organisms gradually evolve through the process of natural selection. Darwin’s views were antagonistic to creationism, the belief that a more powerful being or a deity created life.

In the United States, the debate on the topic accelerated after the 1925 Scopes trial, which tested a law that banned the teaching of evolution in Tennessee public schools. In 2004, Georgia’s Cobb County was at the centre of a controversy on whether science textbooks that explain evolutionary theory should include disclaimer stickers.

The theory of intelligent design suggests certain biological mechanisms are too complex to have developed without the involvement of a powerful force or intelligent being.

Last month, Austrian cardinal Christoph Schoenborn said the two views are not necessarily incompatible, declaring, "There is no conflict between science and religion, but a debate between a materialist interpretation of the results of science and a metaphysical philosophical interpretation. (...) The possibility that the Creator used evolution as a tool is completely acceptable for the Catholic faith."

Polling Data

Some people think that humans and other living things evolved over time. Others think that humans and other living things existed in their present form since the beginning of time. Which of these comes closest to your view?

	Jul. 2006	Jul. 2005
Evolved over time	51%	48%
Existed in their present form since the beginning of time	42%	42%
Don’t know / Refused	7%	10%

Source: Pew Research Center for the People and the Press Methodology: Telephone interviews with 2,003 American adults, conducted from Jul. 6 to Jul. 19, 2006. Margin of error is 3 per cent.

[longshadow]

"....most planets have wildly elliptical orbits!"

"A circle is not an ellipse!"

"1^720" is a really big number

"..... infrared light causes sunburn...."

[HairOfTheDog]

I'm suggesting it's rude and confusing to teach a subject that the parents of nhearly half the class don't believe in, without acknowledging those beliefs.

I see you on these threads all the time, so I know you find this subject fascinating to debate. I bet you learn a lot about both the subject, and your fellow citizens from such discussion and debate. Let the kids do the same.

It really does not need to be not all that complicated.

[Liberty Valance]

[Wormwood]

Any student is going to find both points of view in the world, they ought to find it in school.

Really?

Let's compile a quick list of fallacious or unsupported concepts that have multiple points of view in the world.:

* Alien Abductions are occuring with frightening regularity.
* Moon Landing? Hollywood trickery!
*Your personality and the quality of your life are determined by the position of Jupiter and Mars at the moment of your birth.
*A living Plesiosaur resides in a lake in modern-day Scotland.
*And don't get me started on the "so-called Holocaust"

Teach the controversy? No. Teach the best available facts.

[Tulsa Ramjet]

"I know many deeply religious people who believe that evolution is compatible with religion."

I am one of them. I think it is completely possible that God made evolution happen. I wasn't there, but more and more scientists are coming around to this view when they discover the beauty of the universe in all its compexity. I don't know about the ape thing, but I pretty sure man is not just 4-5000 years old. So lets allow the teaching of religion in tax-payer financed schools. What is so scary about that?

[GSlob]

" I didn't evolve from apes." - perfectly correct. You haven't.

[andysandmikesmom]

I do think that niceosity is a perfectly cromulent word..so I would have to say I fall into the first category...

[HairOfTheDog]

	Jul. 2006	Jul. 2005
Believe that 51% = most...	51%	48%
believe 51% is not 'most'	42%	42%
Was never very good with statistics	7%	10%

[andysandmikesmom]

Niceosity placemarker..

[HairOfTheDog]

I'm pretty sure I discussed many of those subjects in classrooms of my youth. Some in high school, some in college.

Pretty interesting discussions, too :~)

[Radix]

I take a few different things from that comment myself.

I suppose now that "most" means a whole lot more than what "most" should mean according to folks who do not know what the original word "most" meant.

"Most" means something more than 51%, but something more than just 51%!

[ChuteTheMall]

"Existed in their present form
since the beginning of time"

Stupidly phrased question.

Nobody believes this; even the Biblical account of creation doesn't teach this.

"In the beginning was the Word..."
but man wasn't created until at least the 6th day so the clock was already running.

[FlingWingFlyer]

After watching Georgie Soros' "DemocRATS" and their IslamoFascist pals over the past 6 years, I really believe that "reverse evolution" has begun. The IslamoFascists have already moved back into the caves. I don't think the DemocRATS will be far behind. I'm also convinced that "reverse evolution" occurs when you no longer use your brain. That explains why the DemocRATS are showing the first signs of "reverse evolution." They are also starting to congregate into different tribes again. Survivor is going to do a show about it.

[ButThreeLeftsDo]

"You haven't."

I "haven't" what?

[Revolting cat!]

Mickie Most

[Coyoteman]

I'm suggesting it's rude and confusing to teach a subject that the parents of nhearly half the class don't believe in, without acknowledging those beliefs.

I see you on these threads all the time, so I know you find this subject fascinating to debate. I bet you learn a lot about both the subject, and your fellow citizens from such discussion and debate. Let the kids do the same.

It really does not need to be not all that complicated.

Not, it is not complicated. Science operates under a particular set of rules, the scientific method. These (in short) define what science studies and how it studies it. So how would you like science to "acknowledge those beliefs?" As superstition? Myth? As being unsupported by science? Do you want a full evaluation, as occurs in science, of, say, the stories of a global flood or the tower of Babel? I would guess that you would not be happy with the result.

To be true to its methods, science would have to say that there is no scientific evidence for creationism and ID. Is that what you want? You want science to detail various religious beliefs and then say that there is no scientific evidence for those beliefs?

Perhaps it is better to leave well enough alone.

[Liberty Valance]

Is this a new poll? I love polls...

[ml1954]

Polls are meaningless, unless your side is ahead, so I think this one is significant. Note the change of 3% to our side since last year. It's time to celebrate and throw an evilutionist party, as if we needed a reason.

[longshadow]

It's time to celebrate and throw an evilutionist party, as if we needed a reason.

We just did a few weeks ago, or did you pass out for the duration of the Conclave?

[freedumb2003]

I'm suggesting it's rude and confusing to teach a subject that the parents of nhearly half the class don't believe in, without acknowledging those beliefs.

Norse Creation Story

In the beginning there was the void. And the void was called Ginnungagap. What does Ginnungagap mean? Yawning gap, beginning gap, gap with magical potential, mighty gap; these are a few of the educated guesses. Along with the void existed Niflheim the land of fog and ice in the north and Muspelheim the land of fire in the south. There seems to be a bit of confusion as to whether or not these existed after Ginnungagap or along side of it from the beginning.

In Niflheim was a spring called Hvergelmir from which the Elivagar (eleven rivers - Svol, Gunnthra, Fiorm, Fimbulthul, Slidr, Hrid, Sylg, Ylg, Vid, Leiptr, and Gioll) flowed. The Elivargar froze layer upon layer until it filled in the northerly portion of the gap. Concurrently the southern portion was being filled by sparks and molten material from Muspelheim.

The mix of fire and ice caused part of the Elivagar to melt forming the figures Ymir the primeval giant and the cow Audhumla. The cow's milk was Ymir's food. While Ymir slept his under arm sweat begat two frost giants, one male one female, while his two legs begat another male.

While Ymir was busy procreating Audhumla was busy eating. Her nourishment came from licking the salty ice. Her incessant licking formed the god Buri. He had a son named Bor who was the father of Odin, Vili, and Ve.

For some reason the sons of Bor decided to kill poor Ymir. His blood caused a flood which killed all of the frost giants except for two, Bergelmir and his wife, who escaped the deluge in their boat.

Odin, Vili, and Ve put Ymir's corpse into the middle of ginnungagap and created the earth and sky from it. They also created the stars, sun, and moon from sparks coming out of Muspelheim.

Finally, the brothers happened upon two logs lying on the beach and created the first two humans Ask [Ash] and Embla [vine?] from them.