Forums → WEPR → Americans believing in evolution
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Before reading the rest of this think to yourself a guess ratio of how many americans you think don't believe in evolution. By ratio I mean something like 8 in 10 dogs eat pizza.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/30/evolution-survey_n_4519441.html
1 in 3 americans don't believe in evolution
How do you react to this?
I don't find it surprising, from a lot of the stuff I see around society its pretty believable that this would be the statistic.
What was your guessed ratio? Were you surprised by this fact?
Do you believe in evolution?
Discuss
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I am British and do not really find this ratio surprising. Americans have many stereotypes, one being they all like fast food and are all fat. Which is not true. A lot of crazy stories come out of America as all states are very different so there are many extremists out there, especially when it comes to religion there are many different religions. Some are smaller than others but the most widely known is Christianity and Christianity teaches people to believe God created the world in seven days, this is obviously absolute crap as Darwin's theory of evolution disproves this. As there are a lot of Americans in America and many extremists, no this ratio is not surprising.
It's a slow process, but year by year, we are getting more and more scientifically-literate tax payers (a good thing). It's something to be expected.
We are getting more educated.
Some principles which have been supremely complicated in the past are now being mainstreamed into Elementary and Secondary schools.
Student loans and military service are paying for college which, in the past, was an exclusive privilege. Many of the most prestigious careers require either a Biology, Mathematics, Physics, or a Chemistry degree, or a combination of them. These then require a Biology 101 prerequisite which covers the principles of Evolution.
Then there's the simple fact that more and more science is seeping through mainstream society and into pop culture and I believe we have the man himself, Bill Nye, for pioneering this "Science is freaking cool" concept. We have our friends over at Mythbusters debunking old wives tales with physics. Ph.D of Astrophysics DeGrasse Tyson is bringing science together with the help of social media.
But compared to our statistics, nothing beats out Sweden, who has something like an 84% of the population accepting Evolution as a scientifically-valid phenomenon. A LARGE percentage. You can hop on over to Sweden and learn just how...fantastic the nation is right now. Course they aren't as happy as Finland, but they're pretty up there in Happiness right now.
1 in 3 americans don't believe in evolution
How do you react to this?
It's great. A dozen years ago more than half didn't. Maybe in another dozen we'll be hearing the last of young earth creationists...
But compared to our statistics, nothing beats out Sweden, who has something like an 84% of the population accepting Evolution as a scientifically-valid phenomenon. A LARGE percentage. You can hop on over to Sweden and learn just how...fantastic the nation is right now. Course they aren't as happy as Finland, but they're pretty up there in Happiness right now.
Isn't it amazing how having a more educated populous makes everything so much better? Whereas here in America, we still have people trying to have science classrooms teach ID as an "alternative theory" to evolution. Sigh.
Isn't it amazing how having a more educated populous makes everything so much better? Whereas here in America, we still have people trying to have science classrooms teach ID as an "alternative theory" to evolution. Sigh.
Ironically, we can attribute the Board of Science directors over Federal schools *not* have that decorative a Science degree to this problem. What's currently biting us in the butt are our best and brightest to pursue prestigious careers, which is a GOOD thing, but it leaves the education seats in school districts empty of knowledge.
Our top director in science, the man which many organizations take advice and perspectives, does not recognize Evolution and several other established scientific principles, whilst instead believing other concepts which are either not backed by science or hypotheses which aren't credible.
What was your guessed ratio? Were you surprised by this fact?
No I'm not surprised and I was already aware of this story before reading this thread so my guess would be invalid.
Do you believe in evolution?
I prefer to use the term accept rather than believe as belief tends to hold connotations which wouldn't apply. Though acceptance would be a form of belief, so yes.
I accept evolution as both fact and theory.
I do see a marked improvement from my time in school. I never actually even heard of evolution until after my formal schooling was over. Everything I know on the subject has been self taught. My cousin on the other hand who is nearing his high school years is receiving an education on the subject. I am unsure as to the extent of that education though.
Yeah...somehow I believe in evolution
how can you somehow believe in evolution? What makes you think otherwise? Evolution makes perfect sense to me.
how can you somehow believe in evolution? What makes you think otherwise? Evolution makes perfect sense to me.
To be fair, the phenomenon is a complex concept; the bare-bones version of Evolution one might learn in high school doesn't answer all the questions some people might have. To really get into the subject matter requires college-level content, and you may not get objective sources just surfing on the internet.
I'm actually surprised that so many Americans believe in it. I was thinking more along the lines of only 1 in 3 believing in evolution.
I believe in what I have seen, and have taking the time to think about, evolution presents that life can change based on certain variables while the whole religious stuff I find that most people who are committed to it lack any bias on other things that might relate to the origins of where life or their own beliefs come from.
It should be noted that just because that 1/3 don't believe in it, that doesn't mean the 2/3 rest necessarily accept it to be true.
Nevertheless, I'm surprised and still disappointed.
It should be noted that just because that 1/3 don't believe in it, that doesn't mean the 2/3 rest necessarily accept it to be true.
In surveys I've seen, the question is split into two answers: "deistic Evolution" and "autonomous Evolution". The first is where a super-intelligent creator guides the process of Evolution, while the second is where Evolution acts naturally by itself. The first answer usually gets a higher percentage than the other.
In surveys I've seen, the question is split into two answers: "deistic Evolution" and "autonomous Evolution". The first is where a super-intelligent creator guides the process of Evolution, while the second is where Evolution acts naturally by itself. The first answer usually gets a higher percentage than the other.
I'm guessing that's because of religous moderates believing in deistic Evolution.
(not all of course or maybe all? *shrug*)
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