Most Brits don't believe in evolution

[donheld]

A BBC survey into Brits' views on evolution has found that while 48 per cent of people opted for evolution as that which "best described their view of the origin and development of life", 22 per cent opted for creationism and 17 per cent for for intelligent design. The remainder of the pollees "did not know".

Asked which of the three theories should be included in school science lessons, 44 per cent said creationism should be on the agenda, 41 per cent voted for intelligent design, while 69 per cent backed evolution.

According to the Beeb - which conducted its probe of 2000 participants for a programme entitled: Horizon: A War on Science - this is evidence that "more than half the British population does not accept the theory of evolution".

Horizon editor Andrew Cohen said: "I think that this poll represents our first introduction to the British public's views on this issue. Most people would have expected the public to go for evolution theory, but it seems there are lots of people who appear to believe in an alternative theory for life's origins."


more...http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/01/26/evolution_claim/

[It was not a pretzel]

1. what's the difference between

creationism and intelligent design please? :eyes:

[Brundle_Fly]

4. creationism

is more like the fabrication motif pattern, and intelligent design is more like the perspicacious blueprint.






oh my point is they are all bullshit.






and I should know.








God told me.









right after he said invade Iraq.

[JVS]

9. Here is some stuff from Wikipedia

Under creationism:
Young-Earth Creationism
The belief that the Earth was created by God a few thousand years ago, literally as described in Creation according to Genesis, within the approximate timeframe of the Ussher-Lightfoot Calendar or somewhat more according to the interpretation of biblical genealogies. (They may or may not believe that the Universe is the same age.) As such, it rejects not only radiometric and isochron dating of the age of the Earth, arguing that they are based on debatable assumptions, but also approaches such as ice core dating and dendrochronology. Instead, it interprets the geologic record largely as a result of a global flood. This view is held by many Protestant Christians in the USA, and by many Haredi Jews. For Christian groups promoting this view, see the Institute for Creation Research (ICR), El Cajon, California, USA, and the Creation Research Society (CRS), Saint Joseph, Missouri, USA.
Because Young Earth creationists believe in the literal truth of the description in Genesis of divine creation of every "kind" of plant and creature during a week about 6,000 years ago, they dispute parts of evolution (specifically Universal Common Ancestry) which describes all species developing from a common ancestor without a need for divine intervention over a much longer time. Different young-earth creationists offer different explanations for the fossil record, which gives the appearance that the Earth is much older:

Old-Earth Creationism
The view that the physical universe was created by God, but that the creation event of Genesis is not to be taken strictly literally. This group generally believes that the age of the Universe and the age of the Earth are as described by astronomers and geologists, but that details of the evolutionary theory are questionable.

Under intelligent design:

Intelligent design (ID) is the concept that "certain features of the universe and of living things are best explained by an intelligent cause, not an undirected process such as natural selection."<1> Its leading proponents, all of whom are affiliated with the Discovery Institute, say that intelligent design is a scientific theory that stands on equal footing with, or is superior to, current scientific theories regarding the origin of life.<2>

[truebrit71]

2. Not an accurate representation....

2000 people represent the entire British population? Hardly....

[Selatius]

6. That's how most polls are conducted. Usually 1,000 or 2,000 people samples

If it was done in an accurate manner instead of a rigged manner like oversampling Republicans or intentionally phrasing questions to get a desired result, then you should get an accurate reading that is close to the true reality of the situation.

[donheld]

7. I thought I'd post this and see what kind of response I got

I really have a hard time believing brits are on the ID trail.

[truebrit71]

16. None of the Brits I know are...

..which is why I question the legitimacy of this survey...

[Beer Snob-50]

3. 48% approved of evolution

while 39% backed creationism/intelligent design. I don't see the evidence that half of all brits does not accept evolution.

[JVS]

10. Less than 50% agreed with it. Thus most don't

This is not the same as making the statement: most Brits are creationists.

[TheBaldyMan]

18. some 13% were undecided ie were not creationist or IDers

48% + 13% = 61% as you say in America ' do the math '

[JVS]

20. That 13% could believe anything, if it were evolution they'd have said so

Most is more than 50% do the math

[TheBaldyMan]

21. sry JVS you seem to have misunder stood my post

I agree with what you said.

[JVS]

22. Oh, cool.

[Caution]

5. There goes the "stupid American" argument.

Apparently people are stupid all over.

[fasttense]

8. How can they get most Brits don't believe in evolution from the survey?

The headline is misleading. Only 39% believe in creationism or ID, that is not the majority.
48% for evolution
22% creationism
17% ID
13% don't know

Seems the majority believe in evolution with 39% believing in creationism or ID. The problem is in the question. It is not an either or thing for some people who don't understand what creationism and ID really stand for.

Then on the question of what to teach in school, this is how it breaks out:

44% creationism
41% ID
69% evolution.

Now that adds up to 154% what the heck is going on here? Don't they know how to add? Maybe they don't believe in math?

[fhqwhgads]

11. the headline...

...is misleading, but technically true. most of the people surveyed (52%) did not explicitly state a belief in evolution.

as for the "what to teach in school" question, respondents were allowed to select more than one choice - hence the numbers add up to more than 100%.

without seeing the questions, and a detailed description of the respondents (demographic breakouts relative to the British population at large), i can't say anything about bias. i don't think sample size is really an issue - 2000 should be sufficient.

[Taxloss]

12. Some people believe more than one thing should be taught.

The poll has caused widespread shock here.

[muriel_volestrangler]

13. Damn right I'm in shock

44% think creationism should be taught in science lessons? That's an astounding level of fuckwittery. That'll be the 16 million adults with primary-school-level numeracy, I suppose. Or maybe it's the 12 million with primary school literacy - they misunderstood the question (or don't know the meaning of 'science').

I'm now hoping the BBC has misreported this, or the poll was self-selected, or the questions were crappily worded, or something. I hate to think we're a bunch of ignorant myth believers.

[Taxloss]

14. Yes, it's astonishing.

Maybe this is intellectual chauvinism, but I think the poll must have been deeply flawed. Maybe the group was unrepresentative, or the question was leading. Fortunately, the chances of the National Cirriculum being acutally altered are close to nil.

That said, my hatred for and opposition to the creationist sponsor of one of Blair's "city academies" is now heavily reinforced.

[Taxloss]

15. Yes, it's astonishing.

This may be intellectual chauvinism, but I think the poll must have been deeply flawed. Maybe the group was unrepresentative, or the question was leading. Fortunately, the chances of the National Cirriculum being acutally altered are close to nil.

That said, my hatred for and opposition to the creationist sponsor of one of Blair's "city academies" is now heavily reinforced.

[mogster]

17. OK, Brits - that's it!

I'll round up some vikings and get the hell over there :spank: :toast:

[deadparrot]

19. For a country supposedly full of athiests,

somewhere in the neighborhood of 70%, IIRC, those levels seem a bit high.

However, the argument for creationism/ID is just as ridiculous in the UK as it is in America.

[bunkerbuster1]

23. Well, they don't believe in refrigerating beer either

or central heating...