Is America out in the left field on evolution?

Question

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20060811.wevolution0811/BNStory/Science/home

Answer 1

I propose a biological explanation for the extreme religious fundamentalist attitude of many American Christians. Many of the original settlers that began the colonization were motivated by religious zeal. These people were willing to risk an arduous ocean crossing in primitive vessels, leaving behind the known world so that they could practice a religion in the manner of their choosing. The allele frequency for genes that contribute towards fanaticism may have been exceptionally high and the legacy of that seeding continues until today.

Maybe a celibate clergy is a good idea.

Answer 2

LiveScience.comThu Aug 10, 5:45 PM ET

A comparison of peoples' views in 34 countries finds that the United States ranks near the bottom when it comes to public acceptance of evolution. Only Turkey ranked lower.

Among the factors contributing to America's low score are poor understanding of biology, especially genetics, the politicization of science and the literal interpretation of the Bible by a small but vocal group of American Christians, the researchers say.

“American Protestantism is more fundamentalist than anybody except perhaps the Islamic fundamentalist, which is why Turkey and we are so close,” said study co-author Jon Miller of Michigan State University.

The researchers combined data from public surveys on evolution collected from 32 European countries, the United States and Japan between 1985 and 2005. Adults in each country were asked whether they thought the statement “Human beings, as we know them, developed from earlier species of animals,” was true, false, or if they were unsure.

The study found that over the past 20 years:
The percentage of U.S. adults who accept evolution declined from 45 to 40 percent. The percentage overtly rejecting evolution declined from 48 to 39 percent, however. And the percentage of adults who were unsure increased, from 7 to 21 percent.

Of the other countries surveyed, only Turkey ranked lower, with about 25 percent of the population accepting evolution and 75 percent rejecting it. In Iceland, Denmark, Sweden and France, 80 percent or more of adults accepted evolution; in Japan, 78 percent of adults did.

The findings are detailed in the Aug. 11 issue of the journal Science.

Religion belief and evolution

The researchers also compared 10 independent variables­including religious belief, political ideology and understanding of concepts from genetics, or “genetic literacy”­between adults in America and nine European countries to determine whether these factors could predict attitudes toward evolution.

The analysis found that Americans with fundamentalist religious beliefs­defined as belief in substantial divine control and frequent prayer­were more likely to reject evolution than Europeans with similar beliefs. The researchers attribute the discrepancy to differences in how American Christian fundamentalist and other forms of Christianity interpret the Bible.

While American fundamentalists tend to interpret the Bible literally and to view Genesis as a true and accurate account of creation, mainstream Protestants in both the United States and Europe instead treat Genesis as metaphorical, the researchers say.

“Whether it’s the Bible or the Koran, there are some people who think it’s everything you need to know,” Miller said. “Other people say these are very interesting metaphorical stories in that they give us guidance, but they’re not science books.”

This latter view is also shared by the Catholic Church.

Answer 3

I dont know but I DO know is there are more than enough boobs in the world who refuse to look at the proof! Lets see here,I still havent seen an ark, I havent seen a holy grail, I have however seen dinosaur bones, the remains of early frozen man with apelike features and proof that he used makeshift tools, and evolution of creatures in my own lifetime.

Answer 4

I'm not sure who's out in left field regarding evolution. The problem with evolution as its taken as fact then science does everything it can to prove it. That's the wrong approach. It's supposed to be a theory with proof or debunking evidence. Even Evolutionist openly admit there are "gaps" in the theory. These gaps are the result of failed proofs. For all I know aliens put us on this planet. Random mutation has yet to be reproduced in a big enough way to convince everyone, including me.

Answer 5

Perhaps. Some may say we're 'behind'...but I disagree. For a long time, evolution was the predominant theory-but in recent years, there have been challenges to many aspects of evolution based on science. To me, this is progressive. There is no scientific evidence that one species can evolve into another; however, it is a generally accepted fact that evolution occurs within a species. 'Scientists' refuse to consider the possibility of a higher power because they cannot prove it. But the fact is, they cannot prove their theories on the origin of species either. Either way...it takes faith in the unknown/unseen to accept either a evolution theory or religious theory.

The 'scientific' evidence they have supporting species involving into another species is shaky and misinterpreted. They make inferences and claims about things based on some sketchy piece of evidence that cannot be backed up.

Why are evolutionist so afraid of challenges to many unproven aspects of evolution? Could it be that they are not really interested in discovering truth?

Answer 6

“Whether it’s the Bible or the Koran, there are some people who think it’s everything you need to know,” Miller said. “Other people say these are very interesting metaphorical stories in that they give us guidance, but they’re not science books.”

Answer 7

http://www.livescience.com/humanbiology/top10_missinglinks-10.html

Answer 8

its not that Americans dont believe in evolution, its their religion that they follow.

Answer 9

http://dumbass.com/