From Pewforum.org:
According to a new Pew Research Center analysis, six-in-ten Americans (60%) say that “humans and other living things have evolved over time,” while a third (33%) reject the idea of evolution, saying that “humans and other living things have existed in their present form since the beginning of time.”One third of Americans reject one of the foundations of modern science. Why?
Perhaps this is the reason:
These beliefs differ strongly by religious group. White evangelical Protestants are particularly likely to believe that humans have existed in their present form since the beginning of time. Roughly two-thirds (64%) express this view, as do half of black Protestants (50%). By comparison, only 15% of white mainline Protestants share this opinion.Two thirds of white evangelical Protestants reject one of the foundations of modern science.
Then there's party affiliation:
There are sizable differences among partisan groups in beliefs about evolution. Republicans are less inclined than either Democrats or political independents to say that humans have evolved over time. Roughly two-thirds of Democrats (67%) and independents (65%) say that humans have evolved over time, compared with less than half of Republicans (43%).About half of all Republicans reject one of the foundations of modern science.
I've written this a number of times but it seems I have to reiterate. If we are a nation in decline, this has to be one of the reasons: a willful faith-based, politically-aligned, anti-intellectual rejection of science.
Happy New Year!
5 comments:
If we are a nation in decline, this has to be one of the reasons: a willful faith-based, politically-aligned, anti-intellectual rejection of science.
Don't forget the cause behind the reason: an intentional calculated manipulation of public discourse for short-term political gain.
"One third of Americans reject one of the foundations of modern science."
What scientific advancements rely wholly on the theory of evolution Dayvoe? Computers? Engineering?
SCIENCE!
Mailvox: evolution and the slippery slope
1. How do creationists "pose a serious threat to society"?
Society only functions when the majority of the people agree on basic fundamental ideas. A critical mass of people who believe reason and evidence don't matter is a slippery slope to tyranny.
4. What scientifically significant predictive model relies primarily upon evolution by natural selection?
Nothing as precise as physics, but holding a life science to that standard is stupid. Our understanding of genetics, animal behavior patterns, and in an incomplete way, social science, are all aided by the concept of natural selection.
Well, Heir has me scratching my head. I have no idea what "point" he's trying to "make."
It reeks of the same (mal)logical tool used for "irreducible complexity". When evolution theory won't in very simple linear fashion, explain everything wholly, as opposed to creationism theory, then the former is of less merit and ought be dismissed
Williamson nicely shreds vox in this piece:
http://www.michaelzwilliamson.com/blog/item/the-fail-it-burns
I especially like his line:
"...Darwin's (or any) ideas are only "dangerous" to bleating ideologues"
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