4 in 10 Americans still hold creationist views

[IDemo]

If you're in a room of 100 people, odds are likely about 40 think God created humans about 10,000 years ago, part of a philosophy called creationism, according to a Gallup poll reported Friday (Dec. 17). That number is slightly lower than in years past and down from a high of 47 percent in both 1993 and 1999.

And 38 percent of Americans, the poll estimates, believe God guided the process that brought humans from "cavemen" to today's incarnation over millions of years, while 16 percent think humans evolved over millions of years, without any divine intervention.

This secular view, while a relatively small number, is up from 9 percent in 1982, according to Gallup.

Like most American attitudes, Gallup wrote, views on human origins have political consequences. For instance, debates and clashes over which explanations for human origins should be included in school textbooks have persisted for decades. And with 40 percent of Americans continuing to hold to an anti-evolutionary belief about the origin of humans, it is highly likely that these types of debates will continue, according to Gallup.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40732028/ns/technology_and_science-science/

[nadinbrzezinski]

1. If you cannot say something nice....

yes, this is one of those moments...

[Initech]

18. Like I keep saying:

Between Kentucky's "exact" replica of Noah's Ark and Tennessee proclaiming that Jesus will return on May 21st, 2011, the Xtian fundies just keep inventing new ways for us to mock them relentlessly.

[RKP5637]

24. Should all be named "Fundies Comedy Park!"

[Botany]

2. This makes me stop and think.

Although being a gallup poll I have my doubts about the population being sampled.

[leftstreet]

3. 4 in 10? That actually seems pretty good!

I bet 9 of 10 still believe in the myth of the American Dream

[panzerfaust]

4. Some missed the boat I think

[WCGreen]

31. Crack me right the fuck up....

[JCMach1]

38. Yeah, seems a bit low actually...

[RC]

5. God created humans about 10,000 years ago...?

Wadadoo for 4000 years till God created the earth 6000 years ago? Or did I miss another memo?

[Pisces]

13. 6000 is the number from my fundie brother in law.

[muriel_volestrangler]

39. The wording of the option in the question was "within the last 10,000 years or so"

"God created human beings pretty much in their present form at one time within the last 10,000 years or so"

http://www.gallup.com/poll/145286/Four-Americans-Believe-Strict-Creationism.aspx

I guess they use that wording to stop getting arguments from fundies who are convinced its 6,005 years, not 6,003 or whatever, and would argue to the death about the detail.

[GOPBasher]

6. 40% is still terrible, but it's better than it has ever been. n/t

[Bigmack]

7. Meanwhile.... the rest of the civilized world...

80% believe in evolution.... Scandinavia, France, Japan...

Only Turkey doubts evolution more than we do.

The Stupid in this country just burns and burns..

[RKP5637]

14. US = United Stupidity! n/t

[Zhade]

36. Accepts the demonstrable fact of evolution. Not a belief.

NT!

[marmar]

8. "while 16 percent think humans evolved over millions of years, without any divine intervention"

In the inimitable words of Shaggy, "Zoinks!!!!!"

[Raine]

9. Given the stupidity that abounds in this country

I'm suprised the number isn't higher ... I'm actually encouraged.

[MountainLaurel]

10. Sure explains a lot, doesn't it?

:scared:

[Petrus Romanus]

11. What's worse is that a further 38% accept Intelligent Design.

Scientific literacy is out of the mainstream.

[andym]

12. About 40% of the public are self-described conservatives

Coincidence?

I wonder how much overlap there is?

[RKP5637]

15. My bet is it's darn close to 1:1. n/t

[muriel_volestrangler]

42. Breakdown as 'Republican', 'Democrat' and 'Independent'

http://www.gallup.com/poll/145286/Four-Americans-Believe-Strict-Creationism.aspx

So over half of Republicans are creationists, but it's still a third of both Democrats and Independents.

[struggle4progress]

16. It's probably a landline sample and skews Republican

[muriel_volestrangler]

43. About 15% cell-phone only users

Poll details at the bottom here: http://www.gallup.com/poll/145286/Four-Americans-Believe-Strict-Creationism.aspx

See #42 for results by party - a third of Democrats are creationists.

[struggle4progress]

46. Thanks. I should have noticed that

[MineralMan]

17. 4 in 10 Americans Have IQs below 90. So what?

[RKP5637]

23. That sure sounds about right IMO! n/t

[greyl]

34. False. nt

[robinlynne]

19. ouch! How mnay people did they poll? I dont like polls that dont tell you

the parameters.....

[IDemo]

20. the parameters.....

from the posted article:

The Gallup results are based on telephone interviews conducted Dec. 10-12 with a random sample of 1,019 adults, ages 18 and older, living in the continental United States. The findings were weighted by gender, age, race, education, religion and phone lines to make the sample nationally representative.

[robinlynne]

48. 1,000 people who were home and answered their phones..... in other words. the study

is zilch.

[cbdo2007]

21. We Raelians believe aliens put humans on Earth about 10,000 years ago...

so would they be considered "God"?

[Amonester]

22. if these aliens can 'finally' show up and save this planet in peril...

b 4 it's too late!

I promise I will b leave ;)

(FYI, I saw many UFOs, but I admit they 'scared' me, a bit.) :hide:

[dawg]

25. Well, I guess I'm in the 38% ...

Of course, it's just a matter of faith with me, but I do believe God exists, had a plan, and set the processes in motion that led to our evolution.

[dsc]

26. Ironic that in an article that is clearly meant to get us shocked about

the scientific ignorance of the American populace, such a glaring display of mathematical ignorance is in the first sentence. While not quite on par with believing the earth is 10000 years old, leaving out qualifiers about what a 38% rate of belief in creationism means is breathtakingly bad math. There are regional, religious, and other differences in the population that mean that in some places the rate is probably much higher while in others much lower. Go to a fundamentalist church tomorrow and you likely will have a rate in the high 70's or more. Go to a meeting of the scientific society of your choice and likely it will be much lower.

[SmileyRose]

27. I am one of them.

I believe some sort of intelligent being created everything around me through the process of evolution. I was raised in Christianity so those traditions are where I tend to be more comfortable in my thinking regarding this intelligent being. My mother is one of the fundies that make other fundies look sane. I am more comfortable recognizing we all relate to that "divine spark" in a unique way and that way can change over the course of our lives.

My ideas about creation are not threatened by the obvious realities of evolution. I am not stupid enough to think the entire planet magically appeared 10,000 years ago and humans magically appeared from the dust. I am also not stupid enough to think the original messages of the Christian bible have survived the ages and untold translations and editing.

[Amonester]

29. Actually, humans appeared from the dust.

The star dust. We, humans, are made from that (now organized) dust, and it took a period of time, beyond our comprehension because that's a very, very long time...

The question remains: why?

And the answer may also be: why not?

[muriel_volestrangler]

40. It sounds like you're one of the 38% "God-guided evolution", not the 40% creationists

The options were:

"Human beings have developed over millions of years from less advanced forms of life, but God guided this process"
"Human beings have developed over millions of years from less advanced forms of life, but God had no part this process"
"God created human beings pretty much in their present form at one time within the last 10,000 years or so"

http://www.gallup.com/poll/145286/Four-Americans-Believe-Strict-Creationism.aspx

The results were 38%:16%:40% (and, I suppose, 6% or do don't knows)

[demwing]

28. Get over it.

Let people be who they are.

[Zhade]

37. Uh, no. They're entitled to their beliefs -- however irrational -- but not their own "facts".

Ignorance like this should always be challenged.

[demwing]

44. Again, get over it.

Live your life, let them live theirs. If their life interferes with yours, fine. But annoying you with their "ignorance" is not "interference."

And by the way, facts are not nearly so fixed as you think. Make a mental list of all the scientific advances in the last 100 years that defied the known "facts" of the times. That list will be extensive.

Only an omniscient being would know all the facts, and you clearly reject that concept. As a person firmly rooted in logic, you should be open to a more evolving understanding of the truth. Truth is a journey, not a destination. As a progressive, you might also consider being a bit more tolerant of the beliefs and lifestyles of your brethren.

To sum up and recap, get over it.

[RainDog]

47. get over it

in order to hold a belief that it is a "live and let live" proposition deny every branch of science in support of a stone age belief defies all logic.

there is no reason to be tolerant of belief that refuses to accept that reality. during the Bush era, this same sort of logic allowed this nation to illegally invade another country and torture people. in Soviet Russia, it allowed the govt to create mass starvation by refusing to accept the reality of vegetative life.

according to your logic - you would have told those who opposed burning witches they should just "get over it" because some people wanted to believe the most absurd bullshit imaginable and use it to hurt others - and if you don't think creationism as a line of thought and teaching is hurtful, I encourage you to abstain from any of the scientific and medical advancements that stem from rejecting such a belief - which would be all of them.

there are no advancements in science in the last 100 years that have shown that creationism is reality. none. in fact, the last 100 years are a chronicle of the ways in which creationism is a lie.

your line of thought is the same sort that finds use in keeping the populace stupid and easily governed by fear. that's disgusting.

[demwing]

49. Your Reaction Amuses Me

Your knee jerks, and this is what you came up with:

"according to your logic - you would have told those who opposed burning witches they should just "get over it" because some people wanted to believe the most absurd bullshit imaginable and use it to hurt others"

Go back and read my post again. Don't just skim the subject lines. I specifically stated "Live your life, let them live theirs. If their life interferes with yours, fine. But annoying you with their ignorance is not interference."

I think burning someone alive qualifies as interference, don't you? But we're not talking about psychotics that burn people, we're talking about some who are not able to respond politely in conversation with a person of faith, just because that person believes in a deity. It annoys you, I understand. I just don't care. Get over it.

Merrily, you rolled along:

"and if you don't think creationism as a line of thought and teaching is hurtful, I encourage you to abstain from any of the scientific and medical advancements that stem from rejecting such a belief - which would be all of them."

LOL. That's pretty simplistic from someone who considers themselves superior. Tell me this, if I believe in a creator, what makes you think I don't just attribute all those scientific advances, and the entire concept of scientific theory, to that creator?

My philosophy is alien to you. On the other hand, your philosophy is a merely a subset of mine. As long as I don't hurt you, why do you care?

Get over it.

[Stevenmarc]

30. Blame it on The Flintstones

[snooper2]

32. can't fix stupid...they are starting to die off though...

Even the Drugger's kids in 20-30 years will be like ....no shit..I'm not THAT stupid :rofl:


Oh,

and,

SAVE GINGER!

[TheKentuckian]

33. What is more frightening is that like 9/10 hold Reaganite views

None of us were here 6,000 years ago but most of us have observed the last 30.

[Zhade]

35. Man, that's a lot of stupid people.

NT!

[AsahinaKimi]

41. I am sure

FOX NEWS is promoting it further..

[TroglodyteScholar]

45. In other news, approx 40% of Americans lack access to proper education n/t