Hahahaha, oh Georgia..

[kentonio]

A new Public Policy Polling (PPP) poll finds that a majority of Georgians believe in creationism over evolution.

Entitled "Georgia Miscellany," the Thursday item surveyed a pool of 520 voters on 32 questions. On the issue of creationism vs. evolution, 53 percent believe more in the former, compared to 29 percent choosing the latter, and 18 percent voting not sure.

When that question was transferred over to party lines, Republicans had a staggering split -- 70 percent for creationism, 17 percent for evolution and 13 percent not sure. Democrats split along closer lines -- 43 percent for creationism, 33 percent for evolution and 24 percent not sure. Independents held an even narrower divide -- 46 percent for creationism, 40 percent for evolution and 14 percent not sure.

Back in June 2012, a Gallup poll recorded some national growth among Americans believing in creationism. Among a sample of 1,012 adults, 46 percent said that they were believers, marking a two percent jump over the past three decades.

The PPP poll arrives one day after a heated creationism debate in Pennsylvania, which saw state Rep. Stephen Bloom (R) draw criticism for seeking cosponsors on a bill.

“With free discourse in the classroom under threat, I will soon be introducing a bill to preserve academic freedom in Pennsylvania’s schools,” Bloom said in a memo. “Efforts to squelch and stifle free critical inquiry in the classroom have too frequently arisen, often in the context of the teaching and debate of controversial scientific theories and paradigms.”

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/0...p_ref=politics

When we hear about Americans in the South believing about creationism I think there's still a tendency in Europe for us to go 'Nahhhh, surely they must be joking? Surely it must just be a few religious wackos? Surely?'. Guess not.

[Docfeelgood]

[MikeH]

I find it sad not funny. 46% of the people in the worlds biggest economy, and one of the most advanced countries on earth, believes some trivially disproven bull****? Depressing.

[MikeH]

And the problem is growing in the UK too.

If anyone was wondering why athiest movements are becoming more militant, it's **** like this.

[kentonio]

And the problem is growing in the UK too.

I actually thought it was worse here than it seems to be, due to some polls back in 2009-ish which seemed to show a rise. Here's a big one from 2012 though..

In the online survey of representative national samples, two thirds of Britons (69%) and three in five Canadians (61%) think human beings evolved from less advanced life forms over millions of years a view shared by only 30 per cent of Americans.

In the United States, 51 per cent of respondents believe God created human beings in their present form within the last 10,000 years. This opinion is shared by just 22 per cent of Canadians and 17 per cent of Britons.

http://www.angus-reid.com/wp-content....05_CreEvo.pdf

To be honest, 17% is far, far too high for my liking, but they point out that the number is much higher in London due to the higher cultural mix there, and you'd have to assume that's also true for the other big cities. Given the number of religious people we still have, it's understandable that there's going to be some kind of baseline figure we'll struggle to get below.

[MikeH]

Yeah, I agree, 17% is way too high. I would be reasonably satisfied if it was about 1.7%.

[MikeH]

There's no reason you can't be religious and still accept basic scientific concepts. Plenty of posters here fit that bill.

[kentonio]

Absolutely, but amongst more fundamentalist members of all the Abrahamic religions, you're going to come up against opposition. We might not have many Bens (thank ****) but there's always going to be some.

I read something a few years back about 1/3 of science teachers thinking that creationism should be taught in science class however. That should be immediate grounds for getting their sorry asses kicked out of the classroom. I very much hope it was a bull**** poll by some religious types, because if it's true then we're long overdue a huge push to restore reason to education.

[MikeH]

You have to be careful with statistics like that. Teaching it in science classes doesn't necessarily mean teaching it as Truth in science lessons.

We were taught it in Science classes, we were also taught spontaneous generation. The two of them took about 15 mins in terms of "this is what people believed in the past" then we moved on to some actual science and covered Evolution for however many lessons. Better to address is on those terms than ignore it entirely I think.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spontaneous_generation

Typically, the idea was that certain forms such as fleas could arise from inanimate matter such as dust, or that maggots could arise from dead flesh

[dannubis]

PLATO mode on\

Not that I am offended but you offend my religeous feelings. Not that I am offended though.

PLATO mode off\

For the rest I stand by my general statement that organized religeon is a pox on the face of humanity. This creationism thing is just one of the symptoms.

[giblets]

There's nothing you can do to stop these people from believing a fairy tale so why fret about it?

[Wezil]

Yet Americans get all huffy when you call them fundies.

[PLATO]

PLATO mode on\

Not that I am offended but you offend my religeous feelings. Not that I am offended though.

PLATO mode off\

For the rest I stand by my general statement that organized religeon is a pox on the face of humanity. This creationism thing is just one of the symptoms.

Close.

I do believe that people are entitled to their beliefs and should be able to have them without ridicule.

I think MOBIUS is on the right track (did I actually say that!?!) Discuss the evidence...do away with the ridicule.

[Wezil]

I do believe that people are entitled to their beliefs and should be able to have them without ridicule.

Really? No limits?

Empty the asylums.

[PLATO]

Really? No limits?

Empty the asylums.

Perhaps I should have been more specific for you and said "religious beliefs". How many people are in asylums simply because of their religious beliefs?

Let me be a little more specific as well...I don't believe that people have the right to act illegally based on their religious beliefs, but I do support their right to believe whatever they want.

Further, let me say that atheist have a perfect right to believe (or not believe) as they will. I am equally offended when people ridicule them.

To me, someone's religion is a very personal choice. People should not ridicule others based on their belief nor should they try to legislate based on their belief. This is where so much of the concern comes from when discussing religious beliefs I believe.