Since only 28% of Americans can understand everyday science and 86% of Americans are Religious?

Question

28% of Americans can understand basic Scientific Literacy (http://reference.aol.com/science/scientific-literacy)

And over 86% claim to identify themselves with a specific religion(http://www.religioustolerance.org/chr_prac2.htm)

And 20% of Americans 18-25 hold no religious beliefs(http://www.humaniststudies.org/enews/?id=281&article=0)

Doesn't this show a direct correlation with the fact that maybe people oppose science and scientific facts like evolution because they really don't know that much about science to begin with? And also being that they "get" most of thier unexplained answers from religious guide books, doesn't it only stand to reason that maybe most religious people are simply content in thier ignorance? Any opinions? I mean 28% is very poor.

Answer 1

The Christian faith bills itself as "all the answers you'll ever need", particularly the conservative evangelical versions. Conservative, literalistic faiths become popular during periods of stress in a country because they provide simple (simplistic) answers to difficult questions. Hopefully this period of stress won't last too much longer, or America will cease to be a superpower in the world.

Other countries used to trust us to a much higher degree than they do now. We used to be able to get along with other people to our mutual benefit. With the rise of ignorance as an ideal, we have lost both.

Answer 2

No, that doesn't show a correlation.
From your statistics there's no way of knowing the religious beliefs of the 28% of Americans who understand basic scientific literacy. You've just taken two percentages with a sum of roughly 100 and suggested that everyone is either one or the other. That's not how statistics work.

To show a correlation you'd need to get statistics from other countries as well. So if you found three other countries with, say, 80%, 78% and 90% theistic populations, and they had 30%, 35% and 20% respectively for scientific literacy, then you might have a correlation.
Alternatively, if you had percentages for scientific literacy of American theists and American atheists, then you could make a comparison. But with what you have here, you're just guessing.

Answer 3

The US has some terrible education problems. The problem is, of course, that it's the parents, not the kids or the schools that are at fault...parents have to do what schools can't do anymore...and the parents are too exhausted to do anything (the average employed american works over 50 hours a week, and commutes 1 hour a day.)

The most educated people in the US in terms of literacy, numerancy and scientific literacy are the baby busters, born between 1965 and 1975. Most of us had very few classes when we were growing up, even in cities, with more than 20 students. When I was in 3rd grade, and 5th, they actually combined grades to come up with classes of 20.

You can't learn in factories. You need schools, and that means classes over 35 are right out.

The echo boom, my son's generation, is actually getting the WORST of it.

Answer 4

Even if all of the 72% who didn't understand everyday science were those who identified themselves with a specific religion, you're still left with 14% of the population who identify themselves with a particular religion and do understand everyday science, which would be equal to the 14% of the population who didn't identify themselves with a specific religion and did understand everyday science.

And speaking of having a poor understanding of science (not to mention statistics and logic), you have used an ambiguous term (not understanding science is not the same as opposing science) and have not shown what percentage of the population both do not understand everyday science and identify themselves with a specific religion and thus, have not shown any correlation, direct or otherwise. Physician, heal thyself!

Answer 5

Yes, there is a direct correlation, and unfortunately you are absolutely correct about them getting most of thier unexplained answers from religious guide books and being content in their ignorance. As a matter of fact, they are down-right relentless in their ignorance and defend it with all their might. They think the rest of us are wrong for not doing the same.

Answer 6

With regard to the 'Bell Curve', where 100 is 'average' IQ, we have been brought up to believe that every with an IQ that is higher than that is OK, and everybody to the left of that is pretty much of a dumbass. I have since learned differently.

'Critical thought' is NOT an innate human ability; it has to be learned. In the USA, over 80% of the population does not even know what 'critical thinking' is... much less, how to actually DO it. What an IQ test really provides a measure of is measure of one's ability to think critically. Plotting statistics on religious belief in the USA against the Bell Curve, I have concluded that, generally speaking (there are exceptions, of course), everybody with an IQ of around 125 and below is pretty much of a dumbass... and about half the people 135 and below... when it comes to evaluating evidence and coming to rational, justifiable conclusions.

I think that is pretty much in line with your observations.

Answer 7

For someone who claims to understand science (at least I assume that's what you're claiming) you don't understand logic very well. If 28% of Americans in a study understood basic science and a separate study found 20% of Americans liked to whack themselves over the head with a soda bottle that does not mean that Americans who understand science like to whack themselves with soda bottles. Similarly just because the approximate same percentages of Americans don't identify with a specific religion and have basic scientific literacy does not mean the two are correlated.

E.g.: I'm a Christian, and I received a 34 on my ACT. Oh, but maybe I'm just part of the odd 8%, by your theory...oh well.

Answer 8

I have noticed that the more religious a person is the less they know about actual science. Seriously anyone well educated in Science should try asking even simple questions about Photosynthesis or What water and oxygen are made up of. Most religious people don't even understand thoes basic concepts. Sad really

Answer 9

Do not be quick to judge a person of faith who has not tested his/her faith with the tools of reason and have accepted a truth without personal experience or rationale. They would be comparable to someone who has read a scientific text or gone to a lecture, accepted the facts presented before and then claim these things to be the real truth. Unless you can say that you have honestly/sincerely researched each experiment and rational argument of both science and religion then please do not belittle people of faith. There are many who oppose one faith or the other, who have never completely and with an honest heart and open mind read the holy books of the faiths they deny to be true.

Answer 10

I am an engineer and i although i do not follow any specific religion, i would consider myself a deeply religious person.

and i don't see my religious experiences as negating my scientific literacy...