US views on evolution

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Pew Research just released a short report on the views of human evolution in the US public (N=1,983).

The results can be summarized by the following (including breakdown by religious affiliation):





Not all that surprising, really... However, look at *this* (emphasis added by me):



Yup. In the last 4 years, the percentage of Republicans in the US believing in evolution has dropped by 11 percentage points (8 - 14 with a margin of error of +/- 3 percent).

Sources:
Summary: http://www.pewforum.org/2013/12/30/publ ... evolution/
Full report: http://www.pewforum.org/files/2013/12/E ... -12-30.pdf

Oh, and the absence of views from other religious affiliations (Islam, Judaism, Hindu, Buddhist etc.) is likely due to insignificant sample sizes of individuals from these groups.

Discuss.

I have heard that people say that eugenics is wrong.

But when you have lists and names and locations,

Oh sorry drifted off, nice study interesting results.

So the result implies that over the last few years Americans have actually generally become dumber / less well educated than before; particularly republicans?

I find it amazing that a western country that is so technologically advanced as the US is so educationally backward regarding sciences; though in polls I've seen elsewhere scientific knowledge in the US is dropping compared to the rest of the world. I still think it is amusing that the Americans have to hitch lifts on the Russians rockets to reach the international space station... the embarrassment of it. Maybe the Chinese will let the Americans hitch a lift to the moon on their missions too.

So, So wrong, but the idea of a breeding licence does have merit. I imagine a demerit point system similar to driving licences, for example you lose 2 points for going to the supermarket in PJ's and ugg boots, 8 points for thinking tattooing the names of your kids and their birthdays on your back would be a great idea, 10 points for having fake testicles on your pickup, and 12 points (instant ban from breeding) if you are that dumb you think evolution is "just a theory" or you think scripture is relevant in a debate about science.

It is disgusting and a little bit frightening that so many people are so misinformed about this subject.

It is also very shameful that the side that tries to claim the moral high ground on this issue (the fundamentalist Christians) are the ones who are spreading misinformation, distortions and LIES about this subject and doing so in the name of God.

Idiots. Even if they are basing their opinion on misinformation (which most of them are), they are still idiots to not check this information out for themselves. In this day and age with access to all the information of the world at their fingertips, there is NO EXCUSE to be so STUPID about anything.

Complete ban on breeding if they watch reality TV.

I agree. My parents got them tattooed on their arms so they could see them without a mirror.

I think this is a symptom of Americans becoming all the more politically stratified. More and more Republicans are embracing creationism because they've fallen for their own bullcrap that those on the opposite end of the political spectrum are Godless infidels.

This comes to mind:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kitzmille ... l_District

A George W. Bush-appointed judge and big-time conservative ruled against intelligent design! In this case, the defendents (who were trying to push the teaching of ID in schools) engaged in several bad faith actions (including lying under oath!) during this case and presented crap for evidence, turning a judge who you would think would be hostile to the plaintiff and favorable to the defendants against the defendants!

When I read the ruling of Kosilek v. Spencer, the case in which a prisoner was ordered to receive sex reassignment surgery, I remember being reminded of Kitzmiller, because of the constant bad faith actions by the defendants (again including lying under oath!) and providing crap for evidence. As well, in this case, this turned the judge, a Ronald-Reagan appointed judge who you would expect to be hostile to the prisoner and favorable to the prison officials, against the prison officials!

Doesn't sound all that different from the Islamofacists they'd derided last decade.

And just watch 'em howl bloody murder if you told them that!

According to a Gallup poll "New Poll Gauges Americans' General knowledge level", eighteen percent of Americans continue to believe the sun revolves around the earth. (Yes, that's 18%, that's not a typo.)

I am guessing there is a large overlap between this group and the no evolution group.

We certainly have a lot of idiots in this country.

It seems wrong to bash people cause of their religious beliefs

I think a fair amount of it is the career path evangelicals take within their Churches. Many go to Bible school, which although strong on reading the text are weak on broader education, even in theology. More mainline Protestants and Catholics go to universities before they preach. Certainly some evangelicals Pastors attend colleges but they are rarely confronted with opposing views in their own institutions. In the Islamic world, where education is conducted along similar lines, the results are the same (http://whyevolutionistrue.wordpress.com ... ed-survey/), the trend defying state in the poll is Kazakhstan, which has a much more secularised education system.

I have a fair amount of experience with happy clapy evangelicals (my partner is one) and the lack of mainstream university education probably creates a separation in mindset from the broader views of society. I don't see attacking the evangelical worldview to be all that useful, rather I am in favour of encouraging evangelicals to study (even if its just theology and philosophy) within the mainstream system. It seems pretty obvious to me that the Bible College system, separate from the university system, is not equipping people with critical minds.

It seems wrong that a bunch of well-meaning but badly misinformed people try so hard to dumb down other people's children by denying them a quality science education just because reality conflicts with an interpretation of a Bronze Age book. It is just as stupid as if half the adults in the USA were to insist on equal time for the flat earth theory. Such stupidity is not harmless but is harmful to our country, our species and our planet.

IF all they wanted to do was believe whatever they want to believe even if it is falsified by literally tons of evidence, that is fine. I have no problem with that. It's when these misinformed idiots try to legislate reality and legally enforce ignorance that I speak up for truth, justice and the American way. If they don't want their kids learning real facts and real science in public schools, then they can teach them whatever they want at church, at home or in private schools. There still might be work for their kids as ditch diggers or burger flippers until those nations that teach science to their children invent robots that can do these jobs cheaper than humans.

It is so disappointing to see these words ...

Most of the people referred to in this topic are not doing this.



Arrogance, and poor form to use insults on people who don't agree with you.

Last edited by LoveNotHate on 31 Dec 2013, 12:09 am, edited 1 time in total.