What is the general consensus on the Theory of Evolution?

Question

I accept it, but apparently, 75% of people around me do not. . .

Answer 1

Well if 75 percent of the people around you don't accept it, than you are surrounded by the VAST MINORITY of people with any decent amount of education in the subject.

Evolution is a simple, and well tested, and thus very well accepted theory. Molecular evolution, species evolution...it's all been observed, tested, and accepted NUMEROUS times throughout the last 100 years. Anyone telling you evolution doesn't exist is a brainwashed simpleton.

Answer 2

Among *scientists* the consensus is overwhelming support of the theory of evolution.

Quoting from wiki:

"One 1987 estimate found that more than 99.84% of almost 500,000 US scientists in the earth and life sciences supported evolution over creation science. An expert in the evolution-creationism controversy, professor and author Brian Alters, states that "99.9 percent of scientists accept evolution". A 1991 Gallup poll of Americans found that only about 5% of scientists (including those with training outside biology) identified themselves as creationists."

But among the general public the numbers are dismal:

"According to a 2006 Gallup poll, about 46% of Americans believe in strict creationism, concurring with the statement that "God created man pretty much in his present form at one time within the last 10,000 years," and 36% believe that God guided the process of evolution. Only 13% believe that humans evolved over millions of years, without any supernatural intervention."

As for other countries:

"A study published in Science, compared attitudes about evolution from the United States, 32 European countries (including Turkey) and Japan. The only country where acceptance of evolution was lower than in the United States was Turkey (25%)."

This huge gap between what scientists believe and what the general public believes is a *terrible* statement on the level of science education in the U.S.

Make no mistake ... the creationists have been extremely successful in their campaign against evolution in American schools. The average person does not have a *clue* what the science is, and are hopelessly confused about what to think.

...

As for the "fact vs. theory" question ... whenever you see people arguing about that (like on this question), they are not agreeing on what the word 'evolution' means.

To some people, 'evolution' means the process by which organisms change over time at the population level. Most people would agree that this occurs. (Heck, we need a new flu vaccine every year because flu viruses "change at the population level" in the course of a year ... and we can breed cocker spaniels and great danes because dogs "change at the population level"). So in that sense, 'evolution' is an undisputable FACT ... organisms change.

To other people, 'evolution' means the *Theory* of Evolution. This is Darwin's explanation of *how* the process of evolution (change at the population level ... which is an observable fact) occurs in nature. It explains *how* that flu virus evolves (changes) in the course of a year. Even that is pretty undisputable ... many creationists will concede that there is no better explanation for why things change.

And still others think of 'evolution' as the theory that all of life on the planet is a result of that very same process of evolution. This is where the public (but not scientific) controversy is.

I really wish people would understand what they're arguing about, before they argue.

Answer 3

I personally think that many of the people who don't beleive in evolution, do not have the facts.
I was very anti-evolution when I was younger, but I ended up doing a lot of my subjects at university on the topic and have changed my mind.
I also believe you can believe in God and evolution. ie. Does a day to God LITERALLY a day??? There are a lot of the things that are taken literally, that are not supposed to be.
Anyway once facts and evidence are laid out, I think more people will actually beleive in it more. Also people are blinded by the "we came from Monkeys" comment....which has been misquoted for over a 100 years now!!

Answer 4

Well, that depends upon who you ask. The general consensus among scientists is that evolution is pretty much a well documented fact. The general consensus among certain fundamentalist sects is that the science concerning evolution is somehow, inexplicably--all wrong, because it contradicts the literal misinterpretation of allegorical writings of mediterranean goat herders penned some 45 centuries ago.

Answer 5

The general consensus of the scientific community is that evolution is a fact, not a theory. The way in which it works is the theory.

Answer 6

It is mind boggling to me that people don't accept the theory. You should check out the statistics in the rest of the world. Americans are a minority in our disbelief of evolution. I like the creationists. Instead of a scientific theory with lots of evidence to consider, they believe an invisible man in the sky created everything. I think you should look at both sides and form your own opinion.

Answer 7

Do you live in a rural area? I do and am surrounded by the same kind of people.

Luckily at this stage of my life, I am old enough not to need to be "respectful" of the creationists beliefs of the people who live around my neighborhood.

Don't let the 75% sway you. Mobs are usually wrong.

Answer 8

There are two strong opinions, I think its a bunch of crap. I do not accept the faith of the single cell, the faith of Evolution, I prefer to put my faith in something that has a pay back. Just like my money I put it where it give the best return.

Seriously, I do not believe in Evolution in any form. I am very much against it. I have an engineering degree and an advance degree in from a St Louis University. Bottom line when I took Biology in college, the professor did not believe it either. The godless bunch is trying to sell your soul to the devil. And the sad part is the idiots in this country are lined up giving theirs away. The people who say they believe in Evolution will lie to you and tell you that every body believe it, they are lying. Because most of the people I know do not believe it. The Evolutionist lie, lie and lie some more.

Answer 9

i don't understand as to why people don't believe in evolution. i live by it and can seem to make sense of phenomenon only in the light of evolution.do you know why we detest the high frequency screeching noises as in when nails are scratched on a black board. they say that these sounds are similar to the warning calls in lower mammals and and other phyla. therefore we inherently tend to associate these sounds to danger and are repulsed.
however these evolution theories flout religious beliefs that god has created the universe and that all animals are plants are unique, that everything has a particular function to perform in the nature. i therefore tend to avoid discussions on evolution with staunch and fanatic 'religiousists'.

Answer 10

Change the people that hang around you and start hanging out with the well informed. I hear the most ineffable nonsense from people from time to time and I can not help myself from laughing hard at a lot of it. This discourages further ignorance from these people; usually.