[Doxxic]

Acceptation of Darwin's evolution appears to correlate with:
1: Biological knowledge (positively)
2: Religious fundamentalism (negatively)



(green: theory is true, yellow: not sure, red: untrue; numbers on right indicate amount of respondents in that country)

[Bryson]

Can you translate the less obvious ones for us?

[digitalprimate]

Originally Posted by Doxxic Acceptation of Darwin's evolution appears to correlate with: 1: Biological knowledge (positively) 2: Religious fundamentalism (negatively) (green: theory is true, yellow: not sure, red: untrue; numbers on right indicate amount of respondents in that country)

From top to bottom:
Iceland
Denmark
Sweden
France
Japan
UK
Belgium
Spain
Germany
Italy
The Netherlands
Poland
Greece
USA
Turkey

Colour codes: (About the Evolution Theory...)
Green: True
Yellow: Don't know
Red: Untrue

[drewprops]

This thread makes me blue

[Luca]

I'm watching this thread. I don't think I need to post anything as everyone here probably already knows my opinion on this.

[Dorian Gray]

To be honest, does this matter very much? Most of the people in the survey presumably know next to nothing about evolution and less about religion. And what they believe has hardly any impact on science or society in general.

I'd be just as worried that high-school physics textbooks continue in 2006 to explain the function of an aircraft wing exclusively in terms of Bernoulli's Principle, when in reality old Bernoulli could only account for less than 5% of a wing's actual lift!

[Kickaha]

Unfortunately, when you have these folks electing legislators that then implement these *ahem* questionable views as a matter of policy, then yes, this matters quite a bit.

OTOH, it's such an idiotic wedge issue that it really needs to be dropped by all sides before they embarrass themselves further.

[thuh Freak]

Originally Posted by Kickaha Unfortunately, when you have these folks electing legislators that then implement these *ahem* questionable views as a matter of policy, then yes, this matters quite a bit.

the sadder thing is the generation of kansasites who'll contribute to a wider red line next poll. and that these kids dont have and wont get a full education. its that many fewer potential biologists that we're creating, and thus that many fewer advances for science.

[DMBand0026]

Is this going to be another one of "those" threads?

[Wrao]

As I recall 60% of americans are not convinced of chuck norris, those 60% are dead.

[Kickaha]

Let's see... we've got evolution, education (or lack thereof), and Americans, posted by a Yuropeein.

Magic 8 Ball says... "You can count on it"

[digitalprimate]

It's an American study, apparently. By the Michigan State University.
But still...

Originally Posted by Kickaha Let's see... we've got evolution, education (or lack thereof), and Americans, posted by a Yuropeein. Magic 8 Ball says... "You can count on it"

[spikeh]

I won't think in your Church if you don't pray in my schools.

[DMBand0026]

That seems to be a good policy. For more on my feelings on the subject, consult your local search function.

[FFL]

Hooray!

There is at least ONE country more religious and less logical than the USA.

"America - at least we look reasonable compared to Turkey!"

[World Leader Pretend]

Here in Kansas we get taught lots of cool things in science class, like how the world is flat and the earth is only about 5,000 years old





My science teachers are always pained about what they can and can't teach, so lots of times we just put up the textbooks and have a class discussion about what we think it true. I personally believe in God, and also in evolution. I don't see any reason that they can't co-exist.

[Brad]

Originally Posted by World Leader Pretend I don't see any reason that they can't co-exist.

They can coexist. The problem is that you can't (or shouldn't) teach religion as science.

[DMBand0026]

Bingo!

You said in a few words what I try to say in a lot of words.

Spot on, Brad.

[Bryson]

America....7% less backward than Turkey!

That's a sweet slogan.



I kid, I kid...

[AWR]

Originally Posted by Bryson America....7% less backward than Turkey! That's a sweet slogan. I kid, I kid...

That shit ain't funny, man.

Oh, it is?

[Doxxic]

Originally Posted by Luca I'm watching this thread. I don't think I need to post anything as everyone here probably already knows my opinion on this.

If you mean flame bait, sorry Luca I've been a little hasty, otherwise I would have thought twice. But luckily, until now, people remain pretty peaceful!

I posted it because I was amazed by the graph, and admittedly a little disappointed in the average American but hey he/she doesn't really exist anyway.

I knew the 'Intelligent Design' debate has been a lot more heated in the US than it was in Europe, but I never knew it has been so serious.

I would have thought that America's proclaimed belief in a free market, freedom of speech, and democracy, should be in harmony with a belief that love and positivity (God?) go together well with the process of evolution.
How can a nation send people to the moon, understand and modify DNA, use antibiotics, make Jurrassic Park, and doubt the evolution theory on such a large scale?

I really wonder.

btw Looks like Icelanders are very aware that they live on the bomb that killed the dinosaurs...

[Sauvblanc]

What's amazing to me is that since coming to work as a scientist in the US personally know other *scientists*-PhD-level hard core geneticists, molecular biologists, you name it-ascribe to creationism/ID. Not many, but enough to make you go "whoa".

These are people who live their lives coming up with hypotheses and testing them-yet they ascribe to a series of beliefs that disguises itself as science but puts forward no testable hypotheses and can't be proven-ever.

There's a real head scratcher if there ever was one.

So...more education doesn't necessarily mean anything if your belief that the Bible contains fundamental truths is strong enough to overcome your scientific training.

[Schnauzer]

why does this matter? I dont see how the fact of 60% of USA not convinced of evolution is a BIG deal right now. o_0

We have better things to do..... like watching Iran and NK

[spikeh]

I know 2 Cambridge grads (1 did Biology, 1 did Physics) who have real doubts over the theory of evolution. As a theory it isn't bullet-proof: that's the nature of a theory. The fact is that it's provable on some levels and it exists as a better explanation for life on this planet than God (Reel as Prof. Pumpleweed proves that dinosaur bones are nothing but an evil trick by satan - by way of SCIENCE!!), for which there is absolutely no evidence, other than the billions across the globe whose terrifying zealotry and desire to feel something results in war. A lot of war.

[spikeh]

Originally Posted by Schnauzer why does this matter? I dont see how the fact of 60% of USA not convinced of evolution is a BIG deal right now. o_0 We have better things to do..... like watching Iran and NK

As much as I like non-sequeters (and I do, Sheila, I do), that's not the point. The point is that over half of the population of the United States do not believe in a commonly accepted explanation for our existence that is largely based on fact and science, rather than quasi-historical documents written by Romans to gain control over the unruly populace.

Unruly populace pacification vs. Science.

Your call.

[Schnauzer]

I do accept the theory of evolution, but don't find it a issue that the rest of the country might not, and think that we have better things to do than bicker over silly little issues

[Mugge]

Originally Posted by Doxxic Acceptation of Darwin's evolution appears to correlate with: 1: Biological knowledge (positively) 2: Religious fundamentalism (negatively) (green: theory is true, yellow: not sure, red: untrue; numbers on right indicate amount of respondents in that country)

*looks closer at chart*

"Denmarken" ?!

EDIT:
Oh, not english. Looks more like dutch.

There goes my typo joke...

Oh, and just for the record. I'm with the Darwin guys on this one.

[spotcatbug]

Originally Posted by Brad They can coexist. The problem is that you can't (or shouldn't) teach religion as science.

Unfortunately, when the existence of your god relies on the literal truth of The Bible, science and religion can't coexist. The reason fundamentalists don't like evolution is that it refutes the literal truth of The Bible and would disprove the existence of their god (by showing that The Bible is not the literal truth). However, I believe that to them it's actually kinda turned around from that explanation. They aren't so much worried that the existence of their god will be disproved by evolution; their absolute belief that their god exists (and that The Bible is literally true) means that evolution cannot possibly be true, and so shouldn't be taught in school.

[Sauvblanc]

Originally Posted by Schnauzer why does this matter? I dont see how the fact of 60% of USA not convinced of evolution is a BIG deal right now. o_0 We have better things to do..... like watching Iran and NK

I'm gonna crack open a big can of worms just a little bit here...

It's not just evolution/ID per se that's the problem-it's more the big picture concept here i.e. what leads to these beliefs in the first place.

The fact that people hold the Bible to be a literally true and historical document and base their way of life and way of thinking around what is in the Bible (or perhaps more accurately, what other people tell them the Bible says). The fact that if it's contrary to what the Bible says then it must be wrong/immoral/evil/a sin. The fact that the Government panders to this segment of the population in a big way and that their influence on the country is slowly turning the clock back to a less progressive era.

Creationism/ID is just the tip of the glacier...

[Brad]

Originally Posted by spotcatbug Unfortunately, when the existence of your god relies on the literal truth of The Bible, science and religion can't coexist.

Even if you assume that all people with religious beliefs also believe the Bible presents 100% literal truth, that does not mean religion and science are mutually exclusive. It does not even mean evolution is excluded. Only certain interpretations make that claim. There is no Biblical passage that directly states that all creatures are wholly immutable. In fact, some passages imply some sort of natural evolution. Look no farther than the first chapter of Genesis for that.