Poll: Just 39% believe in evolution - What an ignorant country!

[El Supremo]

Poll: Just 39% believe in evolution
Posted: Thursday, February 12, 2009 10:30 AM by Mark Murray
From NBC's Mark Murray

Today it's not only Abraham Lincoln's birthday; it's also Charles Darwin's.

And a brand-new Gallup poll tied to Darwin's birthday finds that just 39% of Americans believe in evolution.

As expected, Gallup notes, education plays a big role here: 74% of those with post-graduate degrees believe in evolution. That's compared with only 21% of high school grads (or those with less education) who believe in the theory.

Ditto religion: 55% who don't attend church believe in evolution, versus 24% of weekly churchgoers who believe in it.

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2009/02/12/1791814.aspx

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

1. Many polls show the same thing year after year.

This is no surprise.

[leftstreet]

2. Even followers of Flying Spaghetti Monster need good paying jobs

Who gives a shit what people believe

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

3. Teachers.

Scientists.

[leftstreet]

6. Teachers can't teach the truth about American Imperialism

why is it shocking they can't teach evolution?

[Avalux]

4. Yep. Just pick up a high school science book and take a look.

People aren't taught the specifics of evolution in science class; the good stuff is kept out and if the fundies had their way it wouldn't be mentioned at all. My dad bought me The Origin of the Species when I was a kid so I could learn about it on my own.

In contrast to Great Britian, where today is a day of celebration; people over there pay homage to Darwin.

[stopbush]

17. Pick up a middle school history book

where you'll find the fables of the Bible taught as if they were actual history.

[Hello_Kitty]

5. I put the blame on a well-organized movement to cast doubt on it.

They use the same spurious tactics as the Global Warming deniers (in fact, they are often one and the same). I specifically point the blame at fundamentalist Christians. Other mainstream Christian denominations recognize evolution. Even the Catholic Church isn't stupid enough to let its prestigious universities be tainted by association with anti-science nitwits.

[4 t 4]

7. I saw that today also

I just don't believe those numbers for a second. How do you set yourself up to do polls ? I would like to start my own poll study. I think my results would be Very different. I'm serious I would like to be in the poll business. what are the requirements ?

[Golden Raisin]

14. That coupled with the staggering

decline in the quality of educational product and the scandalous under-funding in this country since the end of WWII. We pay our teachers shit. We have too high a percentage of uneducated and unknowledgeable electorate (if they even bother to vote --- something the fundies NEVER forget to do). Kids are fortunate if they can read and manage basic arithmetic when they graduate from high school now. They wouldn't know Dostoyevsky, Verdi, Rembrandt, Darwin or Garbo if they came back to life, jumped up and bit them on the nose. How many times do you read those horrifying surveys in which staggering percentages of Americans cannot identify Iraq on a map? Or France? Or Michigan?

[infidel dog]

18. Hmmm... Could there be a correlation between willful ignorance and fundamentalist religion?

Oh, maybe I'm just a sour old secularist, mind-poisoned by those disreputable Enlightenment philosophers. Never mind.

[Hello_Kitty]

29. But the problem is that it's not confined to the fundamentalists

If you look at the survey you'll see that only 55% of people who don't attend church believe in evolution. The fundies' brain poison has spread to other groups.

[infidel dog]

40. You know, when I consider how rare

and precious a thing our secular democracy is, especially in times like these when the messy mixture of hope, skepticism and humanism that keeps a democratic republic worthy of the title are matched against the murderous, brutal, ultimately brainless certainty of very old books written by GOD HIMSELF, I am in despair. Sometimes I feel like the last caretaker of the remains of the Library of Alexandria as fanatical Christian or Muslim(take your pick)mobs howl and pound at the doors. I am thinking of the R.Crumb drawing "Welcome to the Wonderful World of Colonized Minds" right now for some reason. St. Kurt Vonnegut, have mercy on us all.

[ThomWV]

8. I am disgusted by people who are purposfully stupid.

[Deja Q]

"believe in evolution"

:evilgrin:

[Geek_Girl]

9. Everyone should take a trip and visit the La Brea Tarp Pits

It's physical proof of Darwin's Theory of Evolution. I always believed in the Theory of Evolution or took it as face value but could kind of see the other side too. After visiting the Tar pits I know without any doubts that creationism is absolute 100% bullshit.

[Johonny]

38. IDK

Tar Pits is kind of overpriced and under exciting. It's only about 1 hr worth material there if you watch the movies. Better off at a full blown natural history museum. LA may someday finish renovating theirs.

[amborin]

10. Scary---make me believe the rethugs won fair and square in '04

[Avalux]

11. Another thought on that poll that's REALLY bothering me -

what's with the use of the word "believe"?? Evolution is not based in belief. It is a scientific theory that is the best explanation for life on this planet; based on facts, evidence.

There is no belief involved; it is not a religion. A person either accepts it or does not.

[wryter2000]

20. I'm with you

"Are convinced by the evidence" is even better, although probably too ponderous. It's even worse when you have someone saying "Believing in Darwin." Sure, I believe in Darwin. I've seen pictures of him. That has nothing to do with his theory.

You sometimes even hear this from ardent evolutionists. I once saw an Amazon review of S. J. Gould's The Mismeasure of Man that said basically, "He's betrayed Darwin!" It's a reification of the theorist. Very, very sloppy thinking.

[provis99]

26. an even better phrase

"those who accept the reality of evolution". Saying people "believe in evolution" reduces them to the level of a dimwit fundamentalist. Evolution is not something that is merely believed in; it is a case of accepting reality, which fundamentalists don't.

[wryter2000]

27. Yours is probably better

Less awkward than mine.

[Avalux]

30. I like that. The word accept is appropriate - "reality" after it is even better. n/t

[amborin]

21. good point...it's a loaded question

[rucky]

12. 26% with post-graduate degrees don't believe in evolution?

must be MBA's

[Dumak]

13. I would never go to a doctor who things humans were

intelligently designed. I don't think you can understand animal physiology without understanding that we are a product of trial and error.

(oops.. mean to reply to the top-level post)

[ihavenobias]

32. That's what stood out to me. Then again there there IS Liberty University.

http://www.liberty.edu/

[Birthmark]

15. "Believe in evolution?"

No one needs to "believe" in evolution. Evolution is a scientific fact.

[El Supremo]

28. Actually, it's a theory...

supported by observations that some could call "facts". There are no credible observations to the contrary. The language of science is different than everyday language.

[Birthmark]

31. You are incorrect

...or rather half correct. Evolution is an observed and observable fact. These facts are explained by the Theory of Evolution. So, evolution is both fact AND theory.

ALL of science is theory. When was the last time you heard anyone say "Chemistry is only a theory"; or "Gravity is only a theory"; or...you get the idea.

Those who ask that question about evolution are merely trying to confuse people.

[indepat]

16. That the Gipper, GHWB and junior were all elected or could get enough votes for the elections

to be stolen, as in the case of junior, is proof, positive that this is largely a most ignorant citizenry. :P

[amborin]

25. i think the citizenry's ignorance re: evolution

shows that '04 was not stolen

folks are just stupid enuf to buy into rethug lies....

we have a very ignorant and/or stupid populace

[Toasterlad]

19. Misleading. This Country Is God-Awful Stupid, But Not THAT Stupid.

36% of the respondents said they "had no opinion either way", which in many cases is code for "You are asking me about things that I don't understand, so in order to not appear stupid, I'll say I have no opinion." That's dumb, but not as dumb as the 25% who think we're all going to hell because a talking snake convinced some naked broad to eat an apple.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

22. I disagree.

People who have no opinion are just as dumb as the plain old creationists.

[Hello_Kitty]

35. And the fact that so many people who don't go to church have no opinion

Is indicative of the extent of the failure of our educational system, which has enabled the fundie misinformation campaign to succeed.

[blaze]

23. That can't be right!!!

Maybe I'm burying my head in the sand... but I just can't believe that number!

Obama's election gave me so much hope that the citizens of this country really will prevail... but that number gives me pause.

[Greyhound]

24. How many times do we have to have this pandemic of American ignorance

demonstrated before we decide it is time to do something about it?

Poll after poll, papers, articles, Jay Leno fer God's sake (that street interview segment he does(did?) on his show), and it keeps getting worse.

[sofa king]

33. I said this morning it was frightening, but...

...But in other articles it is mentioned that 36 percent of the people polled don't have an opinion, and only the magic 25% don't want to believe in it (23% of all Americans are foolish right-wing authoritarians who are too stupid to have an opinion not fed to them by Jebus and Rush).

As for that 36%, well, it's obvious which way they would go if they had to make a choice. They'd choose the opinion offered by the taller, more attractive proponent.

[Hello_Kitty]

37. The "taller, more attractive proponent" should be evolution.

Except that our education system is a disgrace, the MSM are a bunch of blithering hacks, and the fundies have waged a successful misinformation campaign.

[Roadless]

34. Please tell me this is a joke. Please.

UGH.

[NC_Nurse]

36. Sad. That's just sad.

[TexasObserver]

39. Church goers: " 24% of weekly churchgoers who believe in it"

There it is.

"Fairy tales can come true, it had can happen to you,

if you're ill-informed ...."

Religion is mythology, except everyone thinks their mythology is real, and all the others are mythology.

[Vinca]

41. I wonder how many of the Jaywalkers they polled know what the word evolution means.

[EFerrari]

42. Of those with an opinion, more than half do believe in evolution. n/t