Gallup: Majority of Americans still creationists

Psycho Smiley · Post by **Psycho Smiley** » 2005-10-23 01:20pm

Linky, registration required

Which of the following statements comes closest to your views on the origin and development of human beings:

Human beings have evolved over millions of years from other forms of life and God guided this process - 31%

Human beings have evolved over millions of years from other forms of life, but God had no part in this process - 12%

God created human beings in their present form exactly the way the Bible describes it - 53%

Other answer - 1%

No opinion - 3%

The poll was conducted in September, and released Oct. 13th.

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This shit is depressing.

Zero · Post by **Zero** » 2005-10-23 01:24pm

How was this poll conducted, and who by? Except for the no opinion and other answer sections, all of these involve God. Is it possible that this study was conducted by people with specific interests in mind? I sure as fuck hope this is wrong...

Duckie · Post by **Duckie** » 2005-10-23 01:28pm

Zero132132 wrote:How was this poll conducted, and who by? Except for the no opinion and other answer sections, all of these involve God. Is it possible that this study was conducted by people with specific interests in mind? I sure as fuck hope this is wrong...

This actually is a few %s inprovement over the previous Gallup poll over this, so it seems likely.

I do like how it was "People evolved, but God had no part in this" as if "And" were the standard. Idiocy at the polls by both sides.

Post by **Surlethe** » 2005-10-23 01:45pm

No wonder George Bush is president.

The Guid · Post by **The Guid** » 2005-10-23 02:40pm

I wonder what would happen if a similar test were done in my country? I can't help but think it would be rather different. Surely also this poll is slajnted in Christianity's favour?

The only other thing I would point out is that the 30 or so percent who went for the first option might not be an Intelligent Design theorist as such. Sure, I think God had a hand in the process of creation but I don't think its something for the science classroom.

mr friendly guy · Post by **mr friendly guy** » 2005-10-23 11:00pm

Why don't they add another option to sort to try and cover other religious beliefs, like human beings were created in their current form by a deity not the same as the Judeo/Christian/Islamic God.

Noble Ire · Post by **Noble Ire** » 2005-10-24 12:10am

I find such poll results inconcievable, even if they may largely be accurate. As it is, I don't know of a single creationist within twenty miles (although there probably are plenty) and I can count the number of IDers on one hand. Only 12%? Very disconcerting.

Metatwaddle · Post by **Metatwaddle** » 2005-10-24 01:55am

The Guid wrote:The only other thing I would point out is that the 30 or so percent who went for the first option might not be an Intelligent Design theorist as such. Sure, I think God had a hand in the process of creation but I don't think its something for the science classroom.

I think you may be right. I think a lot of 'theistic evolutionists' might put that option by default - people like my dad, who's tepidly Christian but who hates ID.

There's gotta be another poll about teaching evolution though. If not by Gallup, then by someone else.

UCBooties · Post by **UCBooties** » 2005-10-24 02:00am

Discombobulated wrote:
The Guid wrote:The only other thing I would point out is that the 30 or so percent who went for the first option might not be an Intelligent Design theorist as such. Sure, I think God had a hand in the process of creation but I don't think its something for the science classroom.
I think you may be right. I think a lot of 'theistic evolutionists' might put that option by default - people like my dad, who's tepidly Christian but who hates ID.

There's gotta be another poll about teaching evolution though. If not by Gallup, then by someone else.

My problem with this poll exactly. To answer honestly, I would have to pick the first option, but that does not reflect support on my part of such things being presented as fact. In the realm of scientific policy and education I firmly believe we should present the second option which is backed by fact rather than my personal rationalization of my personal faith.

Metatwaddle · Post by **Metatwaddle** » 2005-10-24 02:32am

Well shit.

Found another poll asking about such things, and the numbers are equally fucking scary. 65% of Americans want creationism at least included as an alternative to evolution, and 37% want creationism to replace evolution in the classroom altogether. (I guess the way CBS conducted the poll, wanting creationism and evolution and wanting creationism only are not mutually exclusive...?)

Wyrm · Post by **Wyrm** » 2005-10-24 12:52pm

Discombobulated wrote:Well shit.

Found another poll asking about such things, and the numbers are equally fucking scary. 65% of Americans want creationism at least included as an alternative to evolution, and 37% want creationism to replace evolution in the classroom altogether. (I guess the way CBS conducted the poll, wanting creationism and evolution and wanting creationism only are not mutually exclusive...?)

There's something defective with the poll, then. There's absolutely no room for those who are "undecided" or those who want evolution only. If it's a fair, representitive poll, then they will show up!

Zero · Post by **Zero** » 2005-10-24 04:26pm

It seems odd that most of these polls take creationism as the default... and a bit scary..

Metatwaddle · Post by **Metatwaddle** » 2005-10-24 08:21pm

Zero132132 wrote:It seems odd that most of these polls take creationism as the default... and a bit scary..

I thought that professionally conducted polls weren't supposed to have a "default," that they were supposed to change the order of the questions in order to prevent that exact problem: a "default" option that would make most people vote for it.

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2005-10-24 08:23pm

Every poll I've ever seen, regardless of its methodology, has shown that a solid majority of Americans think creationism has a place in science class. It's sad but I don't think you can realistically deny it.

wolveraptor · Post by **wolveraptor** » 2005-10-24 08:33pm

I've noticed that polls sometimes draw a frightened, knee-jerk response from people. As soon as you put hot-button phrases in like "without God" or "as the Bible said", people may jump back to a more conservative, moronic stance. I once conducted a poll in my middle school when I did some essay or something on Creationism. I found that around 93% of my classmates believed "in God'. I should have known by their responses that they misinterpreted my question as one of atheism or theism, rather than creationism and evolution. In fact, one of my friends (who is Catholic) said that, yes, "he believed in God", when responding to, "Do you believe in creationism, as in the the Bible is inerrant?" He later told me that he did believe in evoultion, to clarify. I suspect that the situation was similar with many other students.

I should have known better than to include the word "inerrant" in a poll question to middle schoolers.

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2005-10-24 08:40pm

Anyone stupid enough to mistake "do you think the Bible is inerrant" with "do you believe in God" is stupid enough to easily become a full-blown creationist later in life when he reads their websites.

18-Till-I-Die · Post by **18-Till-I-Die** » 2005-10-24 08:50pm

I personally never understood creationism.

I'm a religious person, i beleive in God, but when i was...oh shit, maybe five...i understood evolution. I didnt know what it was called, but i knew what it was as in i understood the concept.

Its not that hard. I just dont get what creationism is about. I know plenty of religious people, some devoutly religious, who are perfectly willing and do accept the REALITY of evolution.

Wyrm · Post by **Wyrm** » 2005-10-24 11:20pm

Darth Wong wrote:Anyone stupid enough to mistake "do you think the Bible is inerrant" with "do you believe in God" is stupid enough to easily become a full-blown creationist later in life when he reads their websites.

Maybe, but that's not the question at hand, izzit? I don't care whether these people will become full-blown creationism given the proper indoctrination, I want to know whether they believe that creationism should be taught in science class at this point in time.

Not that I don't believe that your observation isn't relevant, mind you. But if the pollsters can't manage to figure out how to ask "do you think creationism should be taught in science classes" without conflating it with "do you believe in God", then no poll will tell you jackshit.

EmperorSolo51 · Post by **EmperorSolo51** » 2005-10-25 02:17am

I myself am a Theistic Evolutionist. But I tend to agree that Creationism belongs either in a Comparative Religions Class, a Philosphy class, or in a Religious Education School All together. There is really no need for it to be taught in a Science Class at all.

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2005-10-25 02:21am

Wyrm wrote:
Darth Wong wrote:Anyone stupid enough to mistake "do you think the Bible is inerrant" with "do you believe in God" is stupid enough to easily become a full-blown creationist later in life when he reads their websites.
Maybe, but that's not the question at hand, izzit? I don't care whether these people will become full-blown creationism given the proper indoctrination, I want to know whether they believe that creationism should be taught in science class at this point in time.

Not that I don't believe that your observation isn't relevant, mind you. But if the pollsters can't manage to figure out how to ask "do you think creationism should be taught in science classes" without conflating it with "do you believe in God", then no poll will tell you jackshit.

But that's the point; it's not the pollsters' fault. It's the fault of the idiots who can't tell the difference between two obviously different questions. If these fucktards can't tell the difference between "do you think the Bible is inerrant" and "do you believe in God", what's to keep them from similarly confusing the questions "do you think schoolchildren should be taught the concept of an Intelligent Designer" and "do you believe in God?"

If matters like this ever come up for a vote, the majority of morons like this will happily vote to put creationism in the classroom. If that doesn't make them full-blown creationists, it's still close enough.

wautd · Post by **wautd** » 2005-10-25 02:42am

18-Till-I-Die wrote:I personally never understood creationism.

I'm a religious person, i beleive in God, but when i was...oh shit, maybe five...i understood evolution. I didnt know what it was called, but i knew what it was as in i understood the concept.

Its not that hard. I just dont get what creationism is about. I know plenty of religious people, some devoutly religious, who are perfectly willing and do accept the REALITY of evolution.

but... didnt you know? Believing in Evilutin automatically makes you an atheist

(that's what I've learned during my short stay at rr anyway)

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2005-10-25 07:49am

If you want to see a real unfair take on this vox pop lark, then there's a ID show that was made involving a guy going out and asking random public people about evolution and then bringing up the usual Creationist retorts. Basically, if you make someone believe what they've heard is rubbish (and that's not too difficult if it's been a while since you were at school biology class and your job has nowt to do with evolution), then you can humiliate them and easily sway them with your usual AiG "refutations" of nasty evolution "theory". I believe it was called The Atheist Experimentand there's already a site out there that shows it up for being bullshit.

EDIT: The Onion has a nice cover here:

Wyrm · Post by **Wyrm** » 2005-10-25 10:36am

Darth Wong wrote:If matters like this ever come up for a vote, the majority of morons like this will happily vote to put creationism in the classroom. If that doesn't make them full-blown creationists, it's still close enough.

True enough, but it still smells fishy when the people who don't think ID should be taught in science classes don't even show up in the results. Either something is wrong with the poll, or my country is in more trouble than I thought.

Keevan_Colton · Post by **Keevan_Colton** » 2005-10-25 12:54pm

Wyrm wrote:
Darth Wong wrote:If matters like this ever come up for a vote, the majority of morons like this will happily vote to put creationism in the classroom. If that doesn't make them full-blown creationists, it's still close enough.
True enough, but it still smells fishy when the people who don't think ID should be taught in science classes don't even show up in the results. Either something is wrong with the poll, or my country is in more trouble than I thought.

I'm sorry to be the one to say it...but it's the latter...

Durandal · Post by **Durandal** » 2005-10-25 01:26pm

Admiral Valdemar wrote:http://www.theonion.com/content/files/i ... rticle.jpg

Woah! A Christian MILF!