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Where Does Your Religious Community Stand on Evolution?

☆Dreamwind☆

Active Member
The US is a bit different from other countries. Here is a study by Birmingham University on acceptance of evolution in the population as a whole:

Figure 4. People have different views about the origin of species and development of life on Earth. Which of the following statements comes closest to your view about the origin and development of life on Earth?
View attachment 88433


From: https://scienceandbeliefinsociety.o...e-and-Religion-Survey-Report.-8-Dec-2023-.pdf
That's embarrassing
 

☆Dreamwind☆

Active Member
I suspect it will be the Bible Belt that does it. There does seem to be more Protestant fundamentalism in the USA than elsewhere. It certainly surprised me when I lived in Houston.
Trust me I know which region was doing it, but was trying to be tactful for a change. The percentage doesn't make it any less embarrassing.
 

ADigitalArtist

Veteran Member
Staff member
Premium Member
There is no specific precept in Taoism about evolution, but the idea that everything is oart of nature acting in accordance to natural mechanisms, and form complicated push and pull relationships, seems to suit both evolution and Taoism.
 

SalixIncendium

अहं ब्रह्मास्मि
Staff member
Premium Member
I dunno.
But that "pemission to think" thing
really made an impression on me.
A facetious response is hardly adequate
for something so horrendous.
I hope its not typical of religions.
Me, too!

If it is, it might cause you to post derogatory one-liners about religion or something! :oops:
 

☆Dreamwind☆

Active Member
I'll second that there is nothing inherently wrong with taking both a spiritual and practical approach to what we discover about this wonderful planet we inhabit. My issue is when people vehemently refuse to acknowledge science and fact, and then demand that future generations be dumbed down and denied education. That makes me angry.
 
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Dan From Smithville

The Flying Elvises, Utah Chapter
Staff member
Premium Member
Here is a graph showing percentages of followers of individual religions' stance on evolution in the US.

View attachment 88423

Nothing here that I think would warrant any debate, I think, but I posted it in a debate forum anyway, because...well...this is RF.

I just found it interesting that, in the 21st century, less than half of the US religious population support the theory of evolution.
Mines down there at 24. I'm one of the 24%. Yah!

I sort of find the fact that 8% of JW's consider it valid. Based on what I've seen, I would have thought it was near 0. I suppose the case is the usual where the loudest voices lend to giving the wrong impression of the whole.
 

Dan From Smithville

The Flying Elvises, Utah Chapter
Staff member
Premium Member
The US is a bit different from other countries. Here is a study by Birmingham University on acceptance of evolution in the population as a whole:

Figure 4. People have different views about the origin of species and development of life on Earth. Which of the following statements comes closest to your view about the origin and development of life on Earth?
View attachment 88433


From: https://scienceandbeliefinsociety.o...e-and-Religion-Survey-Report.-8-Dec-2023-.pdf
At least the theory of evolution seems to fair better in the US with this breakdown.
 

Dan From Smithville

The Flying Elvises, Utah Chapter
Staff member
Premium Member
The US is a bit different from other countries. Here is a study by Birmingham University on acceptance of evolution in the population as a whole:

Figure 4. People have different views about the origin of species and development of life on Earth. Which of the following statements comes closest to your view about the origin and development of life on Earth?
View attachment 88433


From: https://scienceandbeliefinsociety.o...e-and-Religion-Survey-Report.-8-Dec-2023-.pdf
At least the theory of evolution seems to fair better in the US with this breakdown.
 

Viker

Your beloved eccentric Auntie Cristal
Here is a graph showing percentages of followers of individual religions' stance on evolution in the US.

View attachment 88423

Nothing here that I think would warrant any debate, I think, but I posted it in a debate forum anyway, because...well...this is RF.

I just found it interesting that, in the 21st century, less than half of the US religious population support the theory of evolution.
Once again, another list that leaves things like modern Satanism and even my group off from. We'd likely be close to if not outright 100%.
 

Quintessence

Consults with Trees
Staff member
Premium Member
Once again, another list that leaves things like modern Satanism and even my group off from. We'd likely be close to if not outright 100%.
PEW has discussed why they do not track small minority religious demographics.

 

Viker

Your beloved eccentric Auntie Cristal

Quintessence

Consults with Trees
Staff member
Premium Member
Okay. That makes some sense. We clearly don't represent a broader social norm. Kinda why we're into what we're into.
It's more of a methodology thing - one of the reasons PEW is respected is they follow proper methodology. They'd need to do a focus study on small minority demographics to avoid having massive margins of error. Sometimes they do that, though it doesn't seem to be common for them. They're more interested in tracking broad trends. I also like how they're mindful of how framing is impactful.

For everybody, here's one of their run downs a few years back on why the way a question about evolution is asked matters:


"Put more simply, our estimate of the share of Americans who reject evolution and express a creationist view drops considerably (from 31% to 18% of U.S. adults) when respondents are immediately given the opportunity to say God played a role in human evolution."
 

Vinayaka

devotee
Premium Member
I've always wondered why so many people do have a strong opinion on it. Personally, I rarely think about it. I would like to see some survey that ranks religious issues by their importance to various religions.
 

Astrophile

Active Member
The US is a bit different from other countries. Here is a study by Birmingham University on acceptance of evolution in the population as a whole:

Figure 4. People have different views about the origin of species and development of life on Earth. Which of the following statements comes closest to your view about the origin and development of life on Earth?
View attachment 88433


From: https://scienceandbeliefinsociety.o...e-and-Religion-Survey-Report.-8-Dec-2023-.pdf
I find it alarming that 12% of people in the United Kingdom are creationists and 11% of people don't know.
 
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