Creationism does not match reality in any way, yet nearly half the country believes it as fact.

[cleanhippie]

46% Americans Believe In Creationism According To Latest Gallup Poll

A new Gallup poll measures Americans' belief in the origin of human beings, and how this belief correlates with church attendance, political party affiliation and education level. The poll was conducted by interviewing a random sample of 1,012 adults, aged 18 and older, living in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia.

--snip--

Forty six percent Americans believed in creationism, 32 percent believed in theistic evolution and 15 percent believed in evolution without any divine intervention. As the graph below shows, the percent of Americans who believe in creationism has increased slightly by 2 percent over the last 30 years. The percent of Americans who believe in evolution has also increased by 6 percent over the last 30 years while the percent of Americans who believe in theistic evolution has decreased 6 percent over the same time period.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/05/americans-believe-in-creationism_n_1571127.html

Forty-six percent of Americans believe in the creationist view that God created humans in their present form at one time within the last 10,000 years. The prevalence of this creationist view of the origin of humans is essentially unchanged from 30 years ago, when Gallup first asked the question. About a third of Americans believe that humans evolved, but with God's guidance; 15% say humans evolved, but that God had no part in the process.



--snip--

The Most Religious Americans Are Most Likely to Be Creationists

Gallup's question wording explicitly frames the three alternatives in terms of God's involvement in the process of human development, making it less than surprising to find that the more religious the American, the more likely he or she is to choose the creationist viewpoint.



http://www.gallup.com/poll/155003/Hold-Creationist-View-Human-Origins.aspx

[dmallind]

1. If they had any introspection at all, Christians who complain about atheists' "cartoonish" views

of religion would see that we are merely reacting to the majority view of Christians. Even if we, laughably, assume every Jew and Muslim (even though AFAIK the Qur'an is silent on the age of the world and contains references that if anything suggest evolution for humans) is a young earth creationist, that still means the majority of Christians must be.

Meanwhile the basic view that is more attuned to liberal Christianity (you know, the supposedly majority "mainstream" lot that we should accept are the REAL Christians) dropped like a rock, plummetting over 25% in 30 years and less than a third the size of the "fundy fringe" of young earth creationists. Fringe? Fuck it not the most petite anorexic hippy chick with the wildest "Indian" jacket had fringes this much bigger than the main body!

That cartoonish view ain't coming from atheists folks. It's coming from your lot. Your scientifically illiterate, critical thinking incapable, woefully uninformed and willfully blind lot. THIS is "real" Christianity guys. You Spong-spouting Hell-denying touchy-feely love of Christ types are the fringe. This is what we have to deal with, even when you pretend it's not so.

[2ndAmForComputers]

7. Beautiful.

[rurallib]

2. Ignorant and proud of it.

[lunasun]

3. yep and would like everyone to join them-it's their mission!!!

[catbyte]

4. People are idiots

[dimbear]

5. First we need to know whether that poll was taken on Sunday. Beliefs vary.

For instance, if there was a 20 dollar bet riding on it, the 'creationist' number would plummet.

Another useful excercise is to ask a creationist where coal comes from. You're likely to get a fairly accurate answer. The fact that it involves the Carboniferous Era doesn't clash with Bishop Ussher at all in their minds.

[laconicsax]

6. Remember: That is necessarily a majority of Christians. n/t

[rrneck]

8. Ah shit. I had some tequila around here somewhere. nt

[daaron]

9. I was reading about this study -->

It seems the numbers have barely changed in half a century. Education isn't working. I think I know why:

"The Republican Brain" points out that authoritarian-leaning folks become more rigid in their beliefs when they incorporate knowledge. In brief, education turns Mr. Bossy-Boots into Mr. Know-It-All, if they are already predisposed to justify their beliefs. Egalitarian-leaning folks on the other hand, become more open-minded as they incorporate knowledge. The Bossy-Boots at your local Dem Party meetings or Occupy GA is likely an under-educated liberal. Giving them more information will make them more open-minded.

What this suggests is that creationists could win, and warp the minds of generations, by getting creationism of some sort taught in public schools, before kids get to college, by which time their personality preferences for knowledge-incorporation will have begun to coagulate, as it were, into a belief-justifying machine. At the same time, schools must be pressured to act proactively when teaching evolution and all science - to be cognizant, at least, of the protracted war being waged by fundamentalist forces in this country, and take steps to neutralize it at the local level.

[muriel_volestrangler]

10. Still, 41% of Democrats are creationists, too

and 39% of independents.

I think the creationists have already warped the minds of generations, looking at these results. It shows that it's not just what they're taught in school that counts - it's also what they're taught at home and in churches.

There was a poll - I can't find it now - that said a huge number of people (I think it was just Americans) said that, if evidence contradicted a religious belief of theirs, then they'd just reject the evidence. This shows they do it already.

[daaron]

17. When you're right, you're right.

Mind-boggling. I remember sitting in Civics class in the 8th grade (remember those?) and answering a question in a way that exposed my evolutionist upbringing. The class roared with derision, almost chanting, "YOU might be descended from a monkey, but I'M NOT!" It one of my earliest exposures to fundamentalist right-wing brainwashing by bumper-sticker slogans. As I grew older, I got so I just won't engage in a bumper-sticker debate. I announce they're a flat-earther and disengage until they change their minds.

So education isn't the answer. Legislation won't work in a democracy (since then idiots rule). What's the answer?

I figure atheism is the cure - it's the trend. People are leaving religion at an unprecedented rate. Fundamentalism will simply starve to death, and at last, at long last, reason will prevail.

[muriel_volestrangler]

18. Maybe explicitly associating creationism and fundamentalism with bigotry?

We are seeing a steady improvement in people rejecting homophobic bigotry - the overall acceptance of homosexual relationships and marriage is increasing, and especially in younger age groups. So people are willing to stop listening to the fundamentalists on that issue; I think it should be possible to point out that most homophobia in the USA is led by those biblical fundamentalists, and to get people to understand that biblical literalism is plainly outdated, and a view supported by bigots. And that means dropping the "God made humans in the past 10,000 years, because it says so in the Bible" BS too.

Asking people to go all the way to atheism is a lot, and will take a long time. But saying "look at the mainstream denominations, who have accepted for decades that science is right about humans being descended from hundreds of millions of years of animal evolution" seems quite possible, because that's somewhat similar to what people are doing with same sex rights already.

[LARED]

11. Maybe this view of reality

is not as compelling as you believe.

Atheistic evolution is hardly a settled truth.

[skepticscott]

12. How do you define a "settled truth"?

And where is it written that a view of reality that you personally don't find "compelling" can't possibly be the most accurate one we have?

[LARED]

14. I'm not making any claim that any view of reality

is the most accurate one.

The OP is stating that Creationism does not match reality in any way

I was merely pointing out that that highly exclusionary view may not be as compelling as the poster would like to believe. Hence it may be a factor as to why about half of Americans hold to some type of creationism.

[skepticscott]

21. So what does your statement

"Atheistic evolution is hardly a settled truth." mean? And in what way DOES creationism match reality better than anything else?

[LARED]

22. It means what it says

Atheistic evolution is not settled science. There is no proof it is validated science let alone that is the truth. There certainly is evidence for it as a valid scientific theory of course.

But as I stated I am not trying to validate any version of reality. Creationist or atheistic evolutionist.

[skepticscott]

24. You act as if the term "settled science" has a universally accepted meaning

It doesn't. To me, it means something that is so well supported, and so closely in concert with observed fact that no alternative is worth considering or is ever likely to be. We know it with as much certainty as we can know anything. You obviously have some odd and different interpretation, which makes your statement "it means what it says" ridiculous and meaningless.

[edhopper]

13. Don't know what "settled truth" is

But it is close to scientific fact as we have.
And whether or not it is "compelling to the ignorant masses of Bible believing simpletons is irrelevant.
Most of them don't think all objects fall at the same rate, doesn't make it false either.

[LARED]

15. Nice.

So about 1/2 of American are ignorant masses of Bible believing simpletons

Do you really believe that?

[edhopper]

16. What would you call people

who believe in a fairy tale (creationism) and disbelieve a proven fact.
Sorry if I didn't mince words. i say the same about those who think Tax Cuts for the rich are the way to help create jobs. Or that Global Climate Change isn't real. Or that Universal Health Care is bad.
If they choose to believe the Bible over reality, what would you call them?

[muriel_volestrangler]

19. I believe that; that's what this thread is about

I know that saying it to their faces isn't the best tactic to snap them out of it; but it is nevertheless true. They are ignorant; there are masses of them; they are ignorant because they believe the Bible is literally true; and that is a simplistic attitude to have, which is emblematic of a simpleton.

[EvolveOrConvolve]

20. I would say that "ignorant masses of Bible believing simpletons" describes the situation pretty well

Like muriel_volestrangler said, saying it to their face may not be the best way to point it out, but it's an uncomfortable truth. And frankly, it's a dangerous condition when 140+ million Americans can so easily be swayed by rigid, fundamentalist authoritarianism. Especially since we own the most destructive military machine in the history of the world.

[Goblinmonger]

23. They believe the myths of bronze age nomads

over centuries of science. "Ignorant masses of Bible believing simpletons" might be a little too kind.

Are you taking this a little too personally?

[2ndAmForComputers]

32. Let us test that hypothesis.

I am truly, adamantly convinced there is no such thing as a creationist who is not an idiot.

To reiterate: even though I'm typing this as part of an experiment, the above statement reflects my opinion accurately.

[Iggo]

27. I wouldn't say simpletons.

[AlbertCat]

29. So about 1/2 of American are ignorant masses of Bible believing simpletons

Nah....

a large % of that 1/2 just say they are creationists to be "in the "right" group" when in reality, they don't think about it at all for most of their waking life.... like they don't think or care about how the electric lights, TV, car, CP, microwave, or blender work.


95% of the time, most religious people go about their lives as if god didn't exist.... trusting science (they are not even interested in) even with their lives (take your daily aspirin!) completely. Just like any atheist.

[2ndAmForComputers]

31. I don't speak for edhopper, but me, yes. I do believe that.

And that's why, among other things, most electoral results in this country hover near 50/50.

[laconicsax]

26. Evolution is almost universally rejected by those who don't understand it.

Thank you for adding your support for this axiom.

[2ndAmForComputers]

30. Holy crap.

We have a live, self-admitted one here.

Wow.

[laconicsax]

25. The really depressing part is that 78% are creationists of one form or another.

"Humans evolved, with God guiding" is the basic premise of Intelligent Design Creationism.

[Nihil]

28. Somewhat reminiscent of the famous Daily Mail headline ...

"How can 59,054,087 people be so DUMB?"