Why Don't We Believe in Evolution?

2006 Republican Debate When asked to raise their hands if they didn't believe in evolution, 3 Republican Presidential candidates raised their hands.

New Scientist (August, 2006) "A survey of 32 European countries, the US and Japan has revealed that only Turkey is less willing than the US to accept evolution as fact.

Science "The percentage of people in the country [USA] who accept the idea of evolution has declined from 45 in 1985 to 40 in 2005 (Science, vol 313, p 765).

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I was astonished to hear these facts. Given decades of study and a landslide of evidence in absolute support of evolution, how is it possible that only a minority of people in our country believe in it?  It feels like a Twilight Zone moment, even a girl like me, raised in a Roman Catholic household.

While religion and state are to be separate, we also see the absolutely profound effects these and beliefs have had on our government policy, from how we handle education to how we practice science to how far our government enters into our medical decisions. Reality shows the immense difficulty of separating church and state, in a system where voters elect representatives, in at least part, based on how well they support religious beliefs in public policy.

The world around us has always been full of unknowns, like a huge dark room. But our scientists have doggedly, persistently felt their way around that room, lighting matches and turning on table lamps, to illuminate even a small piece of it.

As we watch the pendulum of policy swing between the poles of science and religion, I can only hold a optimism that we as a country will eventually turns our eyes to the benefits of that illumination.

Comments

[Fantasy Writer Guy]

I have the sense that religon in it's origin needn't have conflicted with any science but that over thousands of years humans have done to religon what humans do best - corrupted it with the self-serving agendas of individuals. Any structure (including politics and all business) that tempts frail humans with the attainment of positions is doomed to complete perversion and duplicity. Also raised RC I saw hypocracy and self-evident lies there and fled. Only now am I finally seeing some great wisdom in the bible that priests are utterly blind to, slave to the misteachings of their corrupt superiors. Religon - like all societal structures - is nothing but illusion.

[Heida]

Hi F W G -

Thanks for your comment!

I have to agree that anywhere we see absolute power, there will be those who might abuse it to the detriment of those with better intentions!

As I look at these situations, I feel we can only 'move forward' if we fully embrace 'that which is in front of us'. Science is such an incredible tool, that I hope we can free it to propel us into a better understanding of the world.

In that vein, California passed a resolution to fund stem cell research some time ago, but it's been tied up in the courts. A congratulations to California for finally winning their suit and getting the green light to start the funding.

- heida

[Ed Darrell]

The campaign against evolution is entrenched, well-funded, long-lived, and persistent. There is no lobby for evolution, on the other hand.

It astounds me that more U.S. churches don't make it known among their members that creationism is not an approved view -- Methodists, Mormons, Catholics, for examples. The problem is not just a misunderstanding of science, it is also a profound misunderstanding of Christianity.