Almost 40% Of Americans Don’t Believe In Evolution!
August 21, 2006 (16 Responses)
IT’S A FAIRLY MAD STATISTIC. To be honest, I’d known for sometime that the Religious right and the political machine in the US had long had interests in fostering the idea that “Gawd” is on their side and that the scientists were all talking crap when it came to evolution, but I didn’t expect the statistics to prove so many Americans were actually falling for this mantra.
According to recently published research over at The New Scientist, a staggering 39% of Americans actually think evolution is rubbish. They don’t believe in natural selection; they don’t accept that we (humans) share 99% of our DNA with Chimps and they sure as hell don’t accept that we evolved from the slime to where we are now.
A survey of 32 European countries, the US and Japan has revealed that only Turkey is less willing than the US to accept evolution as fact. Just look at those numbers on the chart – it’s mind blowing.
There are lots of reasons for this, according to the New Scientist article; religious fundamentalism, bitter partisan politics and poor science education have all contributed to this denial of evolution in the US – but I must admit I am surprised that Turkey are even further off the scale when it comes to this topic.
The trends are at least heading in the right direction. Surveys on the same topic in the 1980s listed 45% of Americans as ‘non believers’ in the evolution theory. In 2005 that figure was down to 40%, and now this year it has dropped to 39% – so there is at least some hope these folks will ‘see the light’, at some point.
As to why there is such a difference between American and European attitudes to this topic? Well the article points out two salient facts. Firstly – most European education systems include a national curriculum; this is something missing in the US. Also Europeans – even religious ones – take the bible as a metaphor, where as the religious wingnuts in the US take it literally, actually believing that the Earth was only created 6000 years ago by “Gawd” himself.
Religion and politics have no place in science… except in the US it seems. Sad but true. Sadder still is the desire to go to war over such ideologies. Still, it’s nice to see that ‘good catholic’ Ireland (if such a place still exists) is high up the chart in taking a realistic approach to evolution.
This is incredibly scary.
Actually the SI article says that “Catholics, European Protestants and so-called mainstream US Protestants consider the biblical account of creation as a metaphor,”
rather than considering the bible as a metaphor as you wrote.
As one of them there European Christians, I certainly do consider the Bible as God’s Word, but believe that the way the account of Creation is written is never meant to be taken as a literal calendar.
What I find interesting in the article is the language that the scientists adopt is more akin to religious proselytising than science: target groups than can be reached, etc.
It is actually surprising how many Turks (25%) believe in evolution.
I am sure even higher numbers of non evolution believers are present in countries such as israel, iran, india and egypt
Coyote,
Thanks for bringing the subject up, for it is signifies as symptom of a dying civilization. Go back to your history books and note that the usual tipping point from which a civilization cannot recover is the creeping of theocracy into governmental affairs. Worse yet, the last time science experienced such blatant disregard served as the prelude to the Dark Ages.
America is headed in that direction.
Sad to say, but people on our side of the pond are so scared that they feel the need to be part of something greater, regardless of whether such alternative provides them with rational solutions to their anxieties. Despite the fact that recent archeological findings corroborate the Theory of Evolution, and that advances in Quantum Physics research are continually blurring the line between science and spirituality, most people feel more comfortable with seeking a sense of communion than opening up their minds to what could be. Little do they know that in the process of joining the average congregation, they will only find even greater fear.
The sad truth? The Church administers fear in a gradual and orderly fashion, and as long as you’re surrounded by friends and family when you’re being scared into submission, things just don’t seem as bad anymore.
From that perspective, the facts that men of the cloth are sometimes referred to as pastors, and that the congregations they tend to are often referred to as flocks are evidence that such terms are far more than metaphors…
Cheers, friend.
honeslty i am horrified at this statistic if only because this is a country that is THE most powerful in the world and at temoment at least is let free by the UN to do what it likes around the world.
if this is any indication of what ameica will turn into in the future than i am very very scared right now :S
well as a student i don’t believe in evolution. this is nothing but a waste of time. i don’t think that evolution should be taught in the schools because it’s not science. i feel very strong about this and i think if anything evolution is more like a religion other than science. if christianity is not allowed to be taught in the schools neither should evolution. evolution is a theory someones opinion and some people are ignorant enough to follow behind it i hope im not insulting anyone but evolution is pure non sense!
Square water melons and genetically engineered food are samples that once in a while, life is created. Not a proof, but a plausibility.
People who don’t accept the THEORY of evolution simply do not comprehend all of its complexities. Illiterate cries for narcissism should be ingnored.
[...] As mentioned in a previous post, Americans, overwhelmingly, are believers in God, as a 2005 Gallup poll found out. Only 1 percent are sure God does not exist. Yet, ironically evolution is taught in colleges and schools like it is a fact, whereas discussion of “intelligent design” or “creationism” and God is banned. Not surprisingly about 40% of Americans believe evolution is true. Moreover, most developed nations has even higher percentage of believers of evolution. (See chart below, right – courtesy of Avalon5.com). [...]
Late response but anyway
I find it extremely hard to believe that Evolution is much more accepted in Europe (especially southern Europe, WOW!!!) than it is in America
To any southern European (such as myself) this article has propaganda written all over it
There is no possibility that 50%-75% of the people from Spain, Italy and Greece believe that Evolution is true, I cant believe you people are stupid enough to try and lie to your own people like that
Very ridiculous statistics but what else should I expect when it comes to Americans trying to push their agendas onto others
Well, just to be clear… I’m not American, I’m Irish and I firmly believe in evolution because it’s the only thing that makes sense, however I’m ok with you believing in something else if thats your thing.
I believe people in Europe are more grounded than in the USA simply because they a) are not as insular, b) have a much longer historical reference to call upon going right back to the birth of science itself and c) are generally more realistic / pragmatic about things in preference enthusiasm or hope.
Danyell, re your post on October 15th, 2006 3:50 pm where you reject evolution as some kind of unproven “theory”. May I ask you;
What is your level of education?
Do you understand how radioactivity can be used to date rocks, fossils, and sedimentary layers?
Do you have any knowledge of plate tectonics?
What is your knowledge of fossils; how they are formed; and how they are dated?
Have you ever heard of a fossilised horse , rabbit , whale, or human being found in the same sedimentary layer as a seymouria, triceratops, archaeopteryx, or dimetrodon?
When you say that evolution is “not science” – what is your understanding of genetics, adaptation, and biology in general?
Do you understand the meaning of “Theory” in science as opposed to “theory” in common usage?
If not evolution – then what?
I’m quite interested in your worldview on this matter…
Danyell sounds like an uneducated ignorant sheep.
Thank you for the information
Natural selection is not evolution. Most Christians approve of natural selection because it is observable in our present world. However, evolution has never been observed nor proven, it is basically an individual’s point of view. I agree with Danyell that evolution is as much a religion as any other, even more so.
Ashley. You can’t see glaciers moving, continental drift, or stars orbiting around the galactic centre either. But it’s happening nevertheless.
Evolution, like glaciers moving, continental drift, or stars orbiting, happwens so slowly that it cannot be perceived in our life-times.
But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.
And yes, natural selection is very much a part of the evolutionary process.