Cary Funk and Becka Alper wrote Strong Role of Religion in Views About Evolution and Perceptions of Scientific Consensus for the Pew Research Center, October 22, 2015 AD.
It pertains to the “wide differences among religious groups when it comes to beliefs about evolution” as “There have long been religious divides over the theory of evolution” about which they direct readers to a pervious article on that specific issue: Darwin and His Theory of Evolution.
Note that I will deal with one segment of a much larger research project the results of which can be found, in totto, here.
One of the most interesting, but not surprising, finding is a disparity which notes that a mere 29% of polled scientists agree that “scientists generally agree that humans evolved over time” with 66% of the general public agreeing and a huge 78% of religiously unaffiliated agreeing. It seems that pop-science propaganda ruled supreme amongst the general public and especially amongst the religiously unaffiliated.
As per below, “those who attend church services at least weekly are less likely to believe that scientists generally agree about human evolution” which means that they hold to the correct view as the stats show as much about scientists.
BIO EVOLUTION The following stats pertain, generally, to US adults: 65% “Humans and other living things have evolved over time.”
31% Humans and other living things have “existed in their present form since the beginning of time.”
Now to US adults who are “religiously affiliated” (“those who attend worship services at least weekly”):
86% humans and other living things evolved over time.
73% White Catholics. 59% Hispanic Catholics. 71% White mainline Protestants. 36% White evangelical Protestants.
49% Black Protestants.
Humans existed in their present form since the beginning of time: 60% White evangelical Protestants. 47% Black Protestants.
22% “of those who attend church services less frequently.”
35% “humans have evolved due to natural processes.” 24% “a supreme being guided the evolution of living things.”
5% “unsure of their views about the processes behind evolution.”
“Religiously unaffiliated”:
67% humans evolved due to natural processes. It is noted that “This is the only group among whom a majority holds this view” which makes sense as they likely have no other option.
Humans have evolved due to natural processes: 15% of those “who attend worship services regularly.
46% of those “who attend services less regularly.
SCIENTISTS “Scientists generally agree that humans evolved over time”: 66% general public. 29% scientists. 78% religiously unaffiliated. 69% White mainline Protestants. 65% Catholics. 46% White evangelical Protestants (49% “say scientists do not agree about this”). 63% While black Protestants. 72% less-frequent churchgoers.
54% more frequent churchgoers.
CREATION OF THE UNIVERSE
The view of scientists on whether “the universe was created in a single, violent event, often called the ‘Big Bang.’”
Scientists “generally agree”: 42% US adults. 61% religiously unaffiliated. 47% White mainline Protestants. 30% attend church services regularly. 48% attend church services less often.
35% of “other Christians (i.e., those who are Mormon or Orthodox Christian)” are “less likely than the religiously unaffiliated.”
Scientists “are divided”: 52% US adults. 69% White evangelical Protestants. 62% Hispanic Catholics. 46% White mainline Protestants.
62% attend church services regularly.
I certainly cannot speak for every group of personages referenced herein and, of course, the report notes, “a number of other factors also have a significant influence on views about evolution including age, gender, education and political party and ideology.”
However, at least within my circles “religiously affiliated” will consume common mainstream science info such as within magazines, TV and books and will also consider other views such as from Creation Science or Intelligent Design sources. Thus, they possess a fuller scoped view of the subjects in general. Conversely, the general public has, as with most “religiously affiliated,” undergone at least a dozen years of Darwinian indoctrination (and more than that as per-school aged children are exposed to Darwinian propaganda within children’s TV, movies and books) and thereafter will solely consume even more Darwinian from magazines, TV and books. Thus, they end up thinking that only one single view is right, Darwinism, and anyone who even questions it is _______________ (fill in the blank). They also will, apparently, not consider that what they were taught in school as supposed evidence of evolution (and that which their grandparents and their grandparents, etc.) were taught has, by the current day, likely been discredited as outdated, hoaxes, frauds, mistakes, etc.
You can view the charts and graphs related to this data at the album below:
