Four in 10 Americans Believe in Strict Creationism

[chev1958]

Four in 10 Americans Believe in Strict Creationism
by Frank Newport
Gallup

PRINCETON, NJ -- Four in 10 Americans, slightly fewer today than in years past, believe God created humans in their present form about 10,000 years ago. Thirty-eight percent believe God guided a process by which humans developed over millions of years from less advanced life forms, while 16%, up slightly from years past, believe humans developed over millions of years, without God's involvement.

A small minority of Americans hold the "secular evolution" view that humans evolved with no influence from God -- but the number has risen from 9% in 1982 to 16% today. At the same time, the 40% of Americans who hold the "creationist" view that God created humans as is 10,000 years ago is the lowest in Gallup's history of asking this question, and down from a high point of 47% in 1993 and 1999. There has been little change over the years in the percentage holding the "theistic evolution" view that humans evolved under God's guidance.

Americans' views on human origins vary significantly by level of education and religiosity. Those who are less educated are more likely to hold a creationist view. Those with college degrees and postgraduate education are more likely to hold one of the two viewpoints involving evolution.

Americans who attend church frequently are most likely to accept explanations for the origin of humans that involve God, not a surprising finding. Still, the creationist viewpoint, held by 60% of weekly churchgoers, is not universal even among the most highly religious group. Also, about a fourth of those who seldom or never attend church choose the creationist view.

The significantly higher percentage of Republicans who choose a creationist view of human origins reflects in part the strong relationship between religion and politics in contemporary America. Republicans are significantly more likely to attend church weekly than are others, and, as noted, Americans who attend church weekly are most likely to select the creationist alternative for the origin of humans.

Most Americans believe in God, and about 85% have a religious identity. It is not surprising as a result to find that about 8 in 10 Americans hold a view of human origins that involves actions by God -- that he either created humans as depicted in the book of Genesis, or guided a process of evolution. What no doubt continues to surprise many scientists is that 4 out of 10 Americans believe in the first of these explanations.

These views have been generally stable over the last 28 years. Acceptance of the creationist viewpoint has decreased slightly over time, with a concomitant rise in acceptance of a secular evolution perspective. But these shifts have not been large, and the basic structure of beliefs about human beings' origins is generally the same as it was in the early 1980s.

Americans' attitudes about almost anything can and often do have political consequences. Views on the origins of humans are no exception. Debates and clashes over which explanations for human origins should be included in school textbooks have persisted for decades. With 40% of Americans continuing to hold to an anti-evolutionary belief about the origin of humans, it is highly likely that these types of debates will continue.

[JerryNumbers]

Mitch, I know your more than likely aware of this, yet many are not so I'm adding this to this topic and I understand some may well disagree with this.

I like to see polls, but I they are warped completely out of shape, as for as God is concerned, yet many think they are quite accurate.

Many polls tells us that more than 80 % of Americans believes in God, yet what &'s will claim to have been born again thankfully by Gods grace through faith in Jesus Christ, not of works, not of self?

So when reading such polls, please remember, a very few small minority there be that teaches the one and only way a person can be saved, yet these polls are about all that claim to be a Christian. Most teach a person is saved many different ways than mentioned above, while saying those who believe as I spoke of above are not saved. At least 2 or more denominations teaches you have to be baptized, be a member of their church, into their church to be a Christian.

One quick example, Americans consider Mormons Christians, yet they are not. So when that article says 85% of Americans have a religious identity, its including many that does not personally have Christ Jesus as their personal Savior.

[John81]

Polls do tend to be shallow. If they were not, they would have to be surveys!

Even so, unless the poll question is slanted, one can get some basic information from them.

Sadly, even among many professing Christians, there is little belief in literal, biblical creation. Most believe in one form or another of evolution. Most don't really even think about it much or have any idea why it matters.

This is little wonder since evolution is exclusively taught in public schools and universities. TV and movies promote evolution at every turn.

Americans tend to like to think of themselves as "good people" and most hold at least some vague belief in God/god. What the polls don't reflect is just how few actually believe in the One True God of Scripture. For most, they believe in "a" god, not THE God.

What is clear, from polls like this, from surveys Barna and others have conducted, and from the fruit of the people of America is that the God of the Bible is not the God of the majority and very few indeed believe and know Christ Jesus as Saviour and Lord.

[chev1958]

Mitch, I know your more than likely aware of this, yet many are not so I'm adding this to this topic and I understand some may well disagree with this.

I like to see polls, but I they are warped completely out of shape, as for as God is concerned, yet many think they are quite accurate.

Many polls tells us that more than 80 % of Americans believes in God, yet what &'s will claim to have been born again thankfully by Gods grace through faith in Jesus Christ, not of works, not of self?

So when reading such polls, please remember, a very few small minority there be that teaches the one and only way a person can be saved, yet these polls are about all that claim to be a Christian. Most teach a person is saved many different ways than mentioned above, while saying those who believe as I spoke of above are not saved. At least 2 or more denominations teaches you have to be baptized, be a member of their church, into their church to be a Christian.

One quick example, Americans consider Mormons Christians, yet they are not. So when that article says 85% of Americans have a religious identity, its including many that does not personally have Christ Jesus as their personal Savior.

Exactly, Jerry. I took a class on polling procedures while getting my journalism degree. I learned then that polling is not worth the time and effort. It's ironic that upward of 95 percent of Americans claim to be Christian (depending on the poll), yet our country is in the shape it's in.

[Bro Jim]

I read somewhere that Barna did a survey asking about going to church, and then followed it up with the question, "Did you answer the question the what you know it should answered or truthfully?" If I remember right about 50% of the respondents said they answered the way they thought it should be answered and not truthfully.

That is why we ask people if they are going the heaven. And then follow up with, how do you know?

[JerryNumbers]

I read somewhere that Barna did a survey asking about going to church, and then followed it up with the question, "Did you answer the question the what you know it should answered or truthfully?" If I remember right about 50% of the respondents said they answered the way they thought it should be answered and not truthfully.

That is why we ask people if they are going the heaven. And then follow up with, how do you know?

Yes, and yes, yet some Christians, professing Christians, thinks polls are accurate. I enjoy seeing some of them, yet I take them with a grain of salt.

And now days it seems America has become poll crazy, especially during election years.

[John81]

No doubt polls are overused, and especially when it comes to elections. It's important to know exactly what the question asked was. All too often poll questions are worded in a way to get the answer the poll taker wants.

Barna has done a very good jOB in some of their larger polls regarding Christianity and Christian issues. They have made their questions more direct. Anyone can ask the question "do you consider yourself to be a Christian", to which 80% or more typically answer yes...but what does that mean? Those who say yes could be Catholic, Mormon, JW, secular Christian, etc. What Barna has done a good jOB of is following up that question with another question regarding whether or not they've been born again in Christ according to John 3. As we might expect, the percentage of say yes to this only a small percentage of that 80% who claim to be Christian. This gives us a much clearer answer as to how many are actually biblical Christians and not just those who think they are Christians.

Unfortunately, the "news" makers are generally lazy today and it's far easier to create a simple poll with leading questions, have someone go out or call a few hundred people, and then report the results of that poll as if it's actually news. Also unfortunate is the poorly educated masses who fall for this because they were never taught to think for themselves.

[Bro Jim]

Terminology and wording makes a huge difference, like the banning of water, in 1997, Nathan Zohner, a 14-year-old junior high student at Eagle Rock Junior High School in Idaho Falls, Idaho, gathered 43 votes to ban the chemical Dihydrogen Monoxide (water), out of 50 people surveyed among his classmates.

[John81]

Terminology and wording makes a huge difference, like the banning of water, in 1997, Nathan Zohner, a 14-year-old junior high student at Eagle Rock Junior High School in Idaho Falls, Idaho, gathered 43 votes to ban the chemical Dihydrogen Monoxide (water), out of 50 people surveyed among his classmates.

Yeah, a few years ago somebody on Fox News experimented with this and found he was able to get most people to sign a petition to ban this and with little effort folks believed this was really something dangerous. Isn't the public school system wonderful?