Republicans' belief in evolution plummets, poll reveals

[Rey C.]

Fewer Republicans today than in 2009 believe in evolution, according to new analysis from the Pew Research Center.

A poll out Monday shows that less than half – 43 percent – of those who identify with the Republican Party say they believe humans have evolved over time, plunging from 54 percent four years ago. Forty-eight percent say they believe “humans and other living things have existed in their present form since the beginning of time,” up from 39 percent in 2009.

At 67 percent and 65 percent, respectively, the numbers of Democrats and independents who believe in evolution have remained more or less the same since 2009. They’re also in step with the population nationally: Six-in-10 Americans say they believe humans have evolved.

The gaping partisan disparity remains, the analysis states, even when accounting for “differences in the racial and ethnic composition of Democrats and Republicans or differences in their levels of religious commitment.” But the dip from 2009 is a telling indicator of the growing influence in the GOP of the oft-yoked tea party-type ideologues and the “religious right.”

 

[Mayhem]

So, 3.5 out of 10 Democrats still don't believe in evolution?

...

What's that 3rd Party you guys want me to start voting for again?

 

[Rattrap]

So, 3.5 out of 10 Democrats still don't believe in evolution?

...

What's that 3rd Party you guys want me to start voting for again?

I doubt you'll find much difference. The big message to take from this: 4 out of 10 Americans don't believe in evolution. For a 1st-world superpower super-rich country, that's beyond embarassing, it's downright scary.

After running across a picture of Jesus holding a dinosaur, the creationism museum in Ohio has been the butt of many jokes with my international colleagues recently.

 

[PlasmaTwa2]

What is the source of this poll and where was it taken? I have a really hard time believing that this is representative of national opinion. Maybe in small bible belt communities you could see something like this, but finding a Republican in the north who believes in creationism is absurd.

 

[Rattrap]

What is the source of this poll and where was it taken? I have a really hard time believing that this is representative of national opinion. Maybe in small bible belt communities you could see something like this, but finding a Republican in the north who believes in creationism is absurd.

http://www.pewforum.org/2013/12/30/publics-views-on-human-evolution/

These are some of the key findings from a nationwide Pew Research Center survey conducted March 21-April 8, 2013, with a representative sample of 1,983 adults, ages 18 and older. The survey was conducted on landlines and cellphones in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3.0 percentage points.

 

[Mayhem]

What is the source of this poll and where was it taken? I have a really hard time believing that this is representative of national opinion. Maybe in small bible belt communities you could see something like this, but finding a Republican in the north who believes in creationism is absurd.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/republicans-belief-in-evolution-plummets-poll-reveals/

And I want to reiterate that finding a Democrat anywhere that believes in creationism is what's going to keep me up at night.

 

[Philbert]

What is the source of this poll and where was it taken? I have a really hard time believing that this is representative of national opinion. Maybe in small bible belt communities you could see something like this, but finding a Republican in the north who believes in creationism is absurd.

As well as realizing that the millions of Southern Baptists who believe in Creationism and strict Bible interpretation are Legion in the Black Democratic base...
Not to leave out other Latino and Black sects of Christianity...who definitely don't support Gay marriage and do roll with the Bible...Dems all.

 

[CptHa]

Definitely explains the US's sagging education rankings. I've always wondered why the religious think that evolution precludes the existence of a god. Granted, I'm an atheist, so a lot of religious beliefs can be perplexing at times (despite being raised Catholic), but the overwhelming evidence points to the cosmos being a lot older than 6,000. Furthermore, it doesn't take much for people to look around them and see that change happens all the time, so why not to humans as well?

 

[Philbert]

After a quick reading of the survey, seeing that it only checked with a really small amount of people and left out a large segment of the US population, the only actual data I can draw from this little school project is that Christians of all sects are pretty dumb.

 

[Mr. Daystar]

I don't know, I vote mostly Republican, and I'm a Christian, and I find it VERY hard to believe, that mankind hasn't evolved from something. It may not have been apes, but if we were all put here in present form, by an all knowing, and perfect God....we wouldn't be so pathetically imperfect.

 

[Johan]

A Republican believing in science is nothing gut a RINO

 

[Jagger69]

From the article on the poll:

Mitt Romney, a devout Mormon and the Republican Party’s ultimate nominee in 2012, has publicly stated his support for evolution – as guided by God.

There's nothing wrong or inherently ignorant about this stance....and Romney is definitely a republican (from a registration viewpoint at least) and a christian (some would argue a cult member) and yet he can find a way to both believe in God, the Bible and evolution simultaneously. Says more about religious interpretation than party affiliation....especially if over 1 in 3 democrats also reject Darwin's theory.

 

[Mr. Daystar]

From the article on the poll:



There's nothing wrong or inherently ignorant about this stance....and Romney is definitely a republican (from a registration viewpoint at least) and a christian (some would argue a cult member) and yet he can find a way to both believe in God, the Bible and evolution simultaneously. Says more about religious interpretation than party affiliation....especially if over 1 in 3 democrats also reject Darwin's theory.

Ya know, I honestly think most of these fuckers just say that they don't believe in evolution, just because that's what the whack jobs that vote for them, WANT them to believe....and say.

 

[BioDefenseGrad]

http://www.politico.com/story/2013/10/tea-party-science-98488.html
http://www.culturalcognition.net/bl...on-religiosity-ideology-and-science-comp.html

The last bit inserted about the Tea Party might not actually be true. This Yale researcher was surprised to find a positive correlation between membership in the Tea Party and scientific correlation. He's definitely NOT a fan of the Tea Party or non-liberals in general, in case you are wondering.

Also, I noticed that the article barely mentioned that decline in the belief of human evolution has declined among Democrats as well, a party far less tied to religion in general. You would expect their belief in evolution to increase over time, not decrease. There's just as much story there as the headline about Republicans. Relative to other groups, Tea Partiers don't look so bad.

A lot of Democrats make the assumption that Tea Partier=extremely religious, but that's not exactly the case.

 

[BioDefenseGrad]

Ya know, I honestly think most of these fuckers just say that they don't believe in evolution, just because that's what the whack jobs that vote for them, WANT them to believe....and say.

Well, PEW left out the coy don't knows, who could very well be people who believe in evolution, but don't want to state that in order to fuel ostracism of Republicans who do.

 

[Rey C.]

For those who take issue with the sample size or the sampling method, here is a more complete explanation of the statistical methodology, along with a full explanation of the study.


PewResearch

December 30, 2013

Public’s Views on Human Evolution

Several stages of statistical adjustment or weighting are used to account for the complex nature of the sample design. The weights account for numerous factors, including (1) the different, disproportionate probabilities of selection in each stratum, (2) the overlap of the landline and cell RDD sample frames, and (3) differential non-response associated with sample demographics. Statistical results are weighted to correct known demographic discrepancies, including disproportionate stratification of the sample.

The survey’s margin of error is the largest 95% confidence interval for any estimated proportion based on the total sample – the one around 50%. For example, the margin of error for the entire sample is +/-3.0 percentage points. This means that in 95 out of every 100 samples drawn using the same methodology, estimated proportions based on the entire sample will be no more than 3.0 percentage points away from their true values in the population. Sampling errors and statistical tests of significance used in this report take into account the effect of weighting. In addition to sampling error, one should bear in mind that question wording and practical difficulties in conducting surveys can introduce error or bias into the findings of opinion polls.

 

[HehehehehehehehehehahaHyena]

Yeah? Well I don't believe in Republicans so STFU.