Gallup Report: More than Half of Americans Reject Evolution, Accept Bible
A recently released Gallup report revealed that more than half of all Americans that reject the evolution theory and scientific evidence, agree with the statement, ‘‘God created man exactly how Bible describes it.’’
A recently released Gallup report revealed that more than half of all Americans that reject the evolution theory and scientific evidence, agree with the statement, ‘‘God created man exactly how Bible describes it.’’
The report was written by the director of The Gallup Poll, Frank Newport and released last Wednesday. The poll was taken last September and posed the question, “Which of the following statements comes closest to your views on the origin and development of human beings?”
The result – 53 percent chose “God created man exactly how Bible describes it,” 31 percent said man did not evolve but “God guided,” and 12 percent backed evolution with God playing “no part,” according to the journal Editor & Publisher.
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"Surveys repeatedly show that a substantial portion of Americans do not believe that the theory of evolution best explains where life came from," the report concluded. “[They are] not so quick to agree with the preponderance of scientific evidence."
Furthermore, the poll discovered that 57 percent of Republicans backed the view that “God created human beings in present form” versus 44 percent of Democrats.
It also revealed that support for the Bible view of creation rises progressively with age from 43 percent for age group 18-29 to 50 percent for those 65 and older. However, support for the Bible view declined with education, from 58 percent of those with high school degrees to 25 percent for those with postgraduate degrees.
"Several characteristics correlate with belief in the biblical explanation for the origin of humans. Those with lower levels of education, those who attend church regularly, those who are 65 and older, and those who identify with the Republican Party are more likely to believe that God created humans 'as is,' than are those who do not share these characteristics,” said Newport.
The Gallup Poll has asked the same question in different forms since 1982 and there has been consistent support of 45 percent or higher for the view that “God created man in present form.”
The debate between evolution and an intelligent designer or Biblical creation has played out in schools and court houses across America. Recently in late February, a large gathering of scientist rallied in St. Louis to support evolution from what they called religious pressure in public schools.
Also last month, in a surprising move, over 10,000 members of the clergy from mainline churches signed a letter stating they rejected a literal interpretation of the creation story. The "Clergy Letter Project," which advocates that "the timeless truths of the Bible and the discoveries of modern science may comfortably coexist," is urging school board members to reject such teachings as Scientific Creationism and Intelligent Design and "preserve the integrity of the science curriculum by affirming the teaching of the theory of evolution as a core component of human knowledge."
