God created human beings in their present form within the last 10,000 years

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

I am an atheist who is painfully aware of why our side will not be in a big hurry to demolish Palin's primitive crack-pot religious views.

Creationism polls MUCH better than John McCain.

This is a 66% view: Creationism -- that is, the idea that God created human beings pretty much in their present form at one time within the last 10,000 years

Definitely True: 39% Probably True: 27%

____________________________________

USA Today/Gallup Poll. June 1-3, 2007. N=1,007 adults nationwide. MoE ± 3.


"Creationism -- that is, the idea that God created human beings pretty much in their present form at one time within the last 10,000 years"

Definitely True 39
Probably True 27
Probably False 16
Definitely False 15
______________

"Which comes closer to your view? A presidential candidate's views on evolution are a legitimate indicator of whether he or she is qualified to be president. OR, A presidential candidate's views on evolution are not really relevant and therefore should not be discussed as part of the campaign." Options rotated

Legitimate Indicator 25%
Not Really Relevant 70%
______________

Gallup Poll. May 8-11, 2008. N=1,017 adults nationwide. MoE ± 3.
"Which of the following statements comes closest to your views on the origin and development of human beings?

(1) Human beings have developed over millions of years from less advanced forms of life, but God guided this process. 36%
(2) Human beings have developed over millions of years from less advanced forms of life, but God had no part in this process. 14%
(3) God created human beings pretty much in their present form at one time within the last 10,000 years or so." 44%

http://pollingreport.com/science.htm

[Occam Bandage]

1. I am always shocked, disappointed, and depressed by these polls.

Only 14/15%...

:cry:

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

9. I comfort myself that people are too dumb to really understand the question... which is as sad.

[Occam Bandage]

11. I'd like to see a breakdown of that 25% legitimate-indicator figure. Which are people saying,

"no way that I'd want someone that indifferent to fact in office," and which are people saying "I won't vote for anyone who accepts science?"

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

13. I have always wondered that myself

My hunch is that the 25% is mostly rationalists.

The fundys hear that question differently... "is it a legitimate indicator?"

They know their candidates are attacked for it by the dreaded secular media, so no, it's not legitimate as an indicator.

[GreenPartyVoter]

12. Me too :^(

[Union Thug]

2. America needs to put on a dunce cap and go sit in the corner for a while.

[lapfog_1]

3. Dumbing down of the United State nearly complete. - n/t

[KathieG]

4. It's scary

[cottonseed]

5. Gee, why dem indiuns takin' all r jobz

[Lifetimedem]

6. I do not think it is that important BUT

It is interesting that after years of evolution being taught in the school as absolute truth the majority of Americans still see God as the mover in this, either directly or indirectly .

Americans are a religious people.

[RaleighNCDUer]

15. I think it IS all that important. I don't want the nation to be guided

by anyone who puts more trust in myth than in science.

Evolution is a proven fact. If someone wants to say god guided evolution, that's fine. But if someone says they don't believe in evolution it is evidence that they are seriously undereducated.

NO MORE 'STUPIDS' IN OFFICE!

[thenam]

16. America has BEEN led...

by people that trust myth more than science. There's no better proof of this than Bush. I'd definitely like to see this stop.

[anigbrowl]

23. It could hardly be more important

Pardon me being all elitist and Yuropee-an here, but the rest of the developed world laughs at the USA for having such a large number of true believers in a religious creation story. It's laughter tinged with fear, because such credulity is what allowed the rise of fascism in Europe. To quote Voltaire, 'Those who can make you believe absurdities can also make you commit atrocities'.

Frankly, having 120 million people whop believe the world was effectively created by magic much as it is today, followed by some drama involving a talking snake, scares the pants off me. People who are willing to a) swallow and b) defend such an idea will do ANYTHING they are told by an appropriate authority figure. For more on this, take a few hours to read this free e-book, 'The authoritarians': http://home.cc.umanitoba.ca/~altemey/

[Graybeard]

7. Well, they used dinosaurs to build the pyramids didn't they?

That's gotta be proof that all God's creatures were created recently. :crazy:

[Sebastian Doyle]

8. Yep. All the pyramids were designed by

The Wesayso corporation.

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

25. !

[Bernardo de La Paz]

10. Failin' Palin is a creationist who wants it taught in schools. . . . nt

[Az]

14. This is exactly why sometimes it is necessary to speak the truth even when it costs votes

If such ignorance is not opposed then it grows. And we will continue to slide into scientific obsolescence. We are already a laughing stock for our fundamentalist views in the world. Our future is bleak if we do not turn this around.

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

17. I agree we need to turn it around, but a 60 day campaign isn't the place for education

I vote for people who will stem the tide somewhat, but I don't expect national politicians to be candid when they're on the wrong side of a 66%-33% issue.

Obama was describing how he 'fundamentally' agrees with Genesis in that God somehow brought the world into being. He wasn't saying he thinks the world is 5,000 years old, but the use of the code word "fundamentally" sickened me. But I understood it as good politics.

On actual policy matters, like school curricula, I expect a stronger approach.

[Crunchy Frog]

18. It's important to me that a president have a grasp on reality.

If a president believes in one outrageous fantasy, how many other outrageous fantasies will he or she believe in?

[crimsonblue]

19. do people not take biology in HS anymore?

How anybody could possibly doubt microevolution is beyond me.

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

22. Most people consider man an exceptional case

I don't know why... anyone with a pet must recognize that our differences are of degree, not kind.

But one thing we evolved is our sense of species exceptionalism. That's the ultimate irony... We EVOLVED a brain that is uncomfortable with evolution.

(Any social animal can be expected to have a profound innate sense of difference from other species.)

[The2ndWheel]

20. Just about when the foundation of civilization got started

So, in a way, it makes sense.

"less advanced forms of life"

Odd way to look at evolution.

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

21. Interesting point

I believe man underwent some dramatic change in brain architecture not much more than 10,000 years ago, during one of the low population "squeeze" periods.

And I think man is "more advanced" than preceding forms only if advanced is defined as "later."

But I doubt many respondents to the poorly framed question were reacting to either of those aspects of the question.


(If someone thought "in present form" meaning wearing clothes and having city council meetings they'd be on the right track. Though God's hand in it is another thing.)

[kestrel91316]

24. We are seeing the unravelling of The Enlightenment.

:cry: