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U.S. Majority Picks Creationism over Evolution
(Angus Reid Global Scan) - Many American adults support the principles of creationism, according to a poll by CBS News. 53 per cent of respondents believe God created human beings in their present form.
Conversely, 23 per cent of respondents believe human beings evolved from less advanced life forms over millions of years, but God guided this process, while 17 per cent think God had no part in the evolution of man.
Charles Darwin's "The Origin of Species" was first published in 1859. The book details the British naturalist's theory that all organisms gradually evolve through the process of natural selection. Darwin's views were antagonistic to creationism, the belief that a more powerful being or a deity created life.
In the United States, the debate on the topic accelerated after the 1925 Scopes trial, which tested a law that banned the teaching of evolution in Tennessee public schools. In 2004, Georgia's Cobb County was at the centre of a controversy on whether science textbooks that explain evolutionary theory should include disclaimer stickers.
The theory of intelligent design suggests certain biological mechanisms are too complex to have developed without the involvement of a powerful force or intelligent being.
In December, U.S. District Judge John E. Jones III issued a ruling in a federal trial on whether intelligent design should be included as part of the high school biology curriculum. Jones wrote, "The evidence at trial demonstrates that intelligent design is nothing less than the progeny of creationism."
Polling Data
Which of these views do you agree with the most? 1. Human beings evolved from less advanced life forms over millions of years, and God did not directly guide this process; 2. Human beings evolved from less advanced life forms over millions of years, but God guided this process; or 3. God created human beings in their present form.
Apr. 2006 | Oct. 2005 | Nov. 2004 | |
God created humans in present form | 53% | 51% | 55% |
Humans evolved, God guided the process | 23% | 30% | 27% |
Humans evolved, God did not guide process | 17% | 15% | 13% |
Source: CBS News
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 899 American adults, conducted from Apr. 6 to Apr. 9, 2006. Margin of error is 3 per cent.
