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Jason Spaceman
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 Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2007 11:01 am Post subject: In the News: Poll shows belief in evolution, creationism |
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From the article:
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By Jill Lawrence, USA TODAY
WASHINGTON — Majorities of Americans in a new USA TODAY/Gallup Poll
say evolution and creationism are both likely explanations for life on
Earth — underscoring the complexities of an issue that has put
Republican presidential candidates on the spot in recent weeks.
Two-thirds in the poll said creationism, the idea that God created
humans in their present form within the past 10,000 years, is
definitely or probably true. More than half, 53%, said evolution, the
idea that humans evolved from less advanced life forms over millions
of years, is definitely or probably true. All told, 25% say that both
creationism and evolution are definitely or probably true.
Geoffrey Layman, a politics and religion expert at the University of
Maryland, says people are trying to reconcile science and religion.
"They might believe the science, or they might see the science as hard
to dismiss, and they don't necessarily take Genesis to be literal," he
says. "But they do think that God played some role in directing this
evolutionary process.". . .
.. . .Nearly three in 10 in the new poll said they'd be less likely to
vote for a candidate who rejects evolution; 15% said they'd be more
likely, and 53% said it would make no difference. Huckabee says the
issue is not relevant to a White House race and seven in 10 in the
poll agreed with him.
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Read it at
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2007-06-07-evolution-debate_N.htm
J. Spaceman |
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Steven J.
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| Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2007 7:27 am Post subject: Re: In the News: Poll shows belief in evolution, creationism |
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On Jun 8, 2:14 am, Jason Spaceman <notrea...@jspaceman.homelinux.org>
wrote:
| Quote: |
From the article:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By Jill Lawrence, USA TODAY
WASHINGTON - Majorities of Americans in a new USA TODAY/Gallup Poll
say evolution and creationism are both likely explanations for life on
Earth - underscoring the complexities of an issue that has put
Republican presidential candidates on the spot in recent weeks.
Two-thirds in the poll said creationism, the idea that God created
humans in their present form within the past 10,000 years, is
definitely or probably true. More than half, 53%, said evolution, the
idea that humans evolved from less advanced life forms over millions
of years, is definitely or probably true. All told, 25% say that both
creationism and evolution are definitely or probably true.
In defense of American public opinion, it has been pointed out that |
such polls don't express the total range of views on the matter. For
example, old-earth creationism isn't asked about. Neither are forms
of ID, such as that put forth by Michael Behe, in which common descent
occurs but divine (excuse me, unknown intelligent) intervention is the
mechanism of major evolutionary change. Technically, you could
reconcile the statements "humans developed over millions of years from
less advanced forms of animals" and "God created humans in pretty much
their present form at one time within the last 10,000 years," by
saying that God caused evolution by continually creating new revised
versions of His hominid design, and created the current model of human
within the last hundred centuries. Or, for that matter, you could
reconcile the two statements by assuming that God worked through
evolutionary processes, and that true, modern humans emerged within
the last ten thousand years. Of course, I've seen hints, on this
newsgroup, that some Americans don't have the reading skills that one
might desire them to have.
| Quote: |
Geoffrey Layman, a politics and religion expert at the University of
Maryland, says people are trying to reconcile science and religion.
"They might believe the science, or they might see the science as hard
to dismiss, and they don't necessarily take Genesis to be literal," he
says. "But they do think that God played some role in directing this
evolutionary process.". . .
. . .Nearly three in 10 in the new poll said they'd be less likely to
vote for a candidate who rejects evolution; 15% said they'd be more
likely, and 53% said it would make no difference. Huckabee says the
issue is not relevant to a White House race and seven in 10 in the
poll agreed with him.
Of course, there's an odd mismatch here, also: apparently at least one |
in six Americans feels that a candidate's views on evolution are a
reason to vote for or against him, while simultaneously feeling that a
candidate's views are irrelevant to his fitness to serve. Perhaps the
poll shows, after all, that a significant fraction of the American
public is not qualified to answer polls.
-- Steven J. |
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eyelessgame
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| Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2007 11:11 am Post subject: Re: In the News: Poll shows belief in evolution, creationism |
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On Jun 8, 12:14 am, Jason Spaceman <notrea...@jspaceman.homelinux.org>
wrote:
| Quote: |
From the article:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Two-thirds in the poll said creationism, the idea that God created
humans in their present form within the past 10,000 years, is
definitely or probably true. More than half, 53%, said evolution, the
idea that humans evolved from less advanced life forms over millions
of years, is definitely or probably true. All told, 25% say that both
creationism and evolution are definitely or probably true.
|
This jibes with what I see - many people simply do not hold well-
integrated beliefs about the topic. Many people will make casual
agreement with scientific findings about the antiquity of the
universe, the earth, and life, and will accept -- or at least not
reject -- the findings of science on the topic... *unless* you bring
up God and the Bible.
Virtually no one objects to, nor consciously rejects, an assertion
that dinosaurs lived, and died out, many millions of years ago. But a
significant percentage of Americans, at least, will also vociferously
agree that the earth is young because the Bible says it's young. And
if you ask them about dinosaurs, and then bring up the Bible, they'll
contradict themselves... and then start backtracking from their assent
to millions of years if pressed.
One cynical view would be that people's critical facilities simply
disengage when religion is mentioned. A different, but no less
cynical, view would be that people are aware that their religious
views don't make sense and don't agree with reality, but nevertheless
are not emotionally equipped to admit this when confronted. |
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