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Most Americans Want Two Theories in School
- Many adults in the United States believe both creationism and evolution should be studied in the country's public schools, according to a poll by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press. 58 per cent of respondents support teaching both theories, down six points in a year.
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.
Earlier this month, more than 200 Greek academics signed a petition urging the government to improve the teaching of evolution in the European nation. The group claims the curriculum is "disorganized" and, in some cases, "completely nonexistent."
Polling Data
Would you generally favour or oppose teaching creationism along with evolution in public schools?
Jul. 2006 | Jul. 2005 | |
Favour | 58% | 64% |
Oppose | 35% | 26% |
Don't know / Refused | 7% | 10% |
Source: Pew Research Center for the People and the Press
Methodology: Telephone interviews to 2,003 American adults, conducted from Jul. 6 to Jul. 19, 2006. Margin of error is 3 per cent.