New poll - 66% of Americans believe in Creationism

[Darth Wong]

Did earlier polls have the multiple levels of agreement in this poll, ie- "definitely true", ""probably true", "probably false", "definitely false", "no opinion"?

The number that I tend to focus on is the shockingly small number that say evolution is definitely true: below 20%, which I believe to be quite consistent with previous polls.

[Dominus Atheos]

Upon further review, I can say its definitely a case of Gallop simply mostly picking a poor way to ask the poll questions.

As of 2004 only 45% of Americans picked the Creationist answer when the poll gave them almost the exact same options.

To assess public opinion on creationism, Gallup asked:

Which of the following statements comes closest to your views on the origin and development of human beings?
1) Human beings have developed over millions of years from less advanced forms of life, but God guided this process,
2) Human beings have developed over millions of years from less advanced forms of life, but God had no part in this process,
3) God created human beings pretty much in their present form at one time within the last 10,000 years or so?

Polled in November 2004, 38% of respondents chose (1), 13% chose (2), 45% chose (3), and 4% offered a different or no opinion. These results are also similar to those from previous Gallup polls, which extend back to 1982.

Those aren't even close to the same questions. That one asks if you believe in Theistic Evolution, while the USA Today one forces you to choose between Evolution and Young-Earth Creationism. That's why there's such a big discrepancy.

[Justforfun000]

Oh my poor brain. Look at some of these posts to the poll DW linked above.

I am grieved that many are seeking to use science to disprove the idea of God and creation. First of all, it is impossible to prove an unqualified categorical negative. You cannot prove that God does not exist though science. As our understanding of the complexity of the universe deepens, It is more and more logical to believe that our universe was a product of intelligent design rather than chance. Science shows the greatness and glory of a loving God. Evolution cannot account for an original first cause or explain how life could come from nonliving material. Evolution vs Creation is not a debate between science and stupidity, but between secularism and theism.

I suppose there's as great a "scientific consensus" on macro-evolution as there is on man-caused Global Warming! THERE IS NO CONSENSUS!!!

If Evolution is true, then show me the "missing links". There aren't any. I'll tell you why... there never were any!

Tell me how coal and petroleum was formed. How many rotten carcases have you seen turn into coal? Or fossilize? NONE! That's because it takes catastrophes like Noah's Flood to form them!

[K. A. Pital]

Evolution vs Creation is not a debate between science and stupidity, but between secularism and theism.

Well, he essentially spelled it out - secularism is science, theism is stupidity.

[Darth Wong]

What's frustrating about these people is the sheer arrogance with which they emphatically state opinions that have not a shred of genuine education or research behind them. It's like the way Stephen Colbert pounds his fist on the table and emphatically states bullshit claims that he just made up on the spot, except that unlike Colbert, these people don't grin and admit that it's all just made-up hot air afterwards.

[General Brock]

They can afford to be arrogant; its about social power, and when reality kicks them in the teeth and a badly mismanaged society can't bluff nature anymore, well, they have prophecies to cover that.