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thepeel
Joined: 08 Aug 2004
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 Posted: Sun Dec 02, 2007 6:09 am Post subject: More Americans believe in devil than Darwin |
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More Americans believe in a literal hell and the devil than Darwin's theory of evolution, according to a new Harris poll released on Thursday.
It is the latest survey to highlight America's deep level of religiosity, a cultural trait that sets it apart from much of the developed world.
It also helps explain many of its political battles which Europeans find bewildering, such as efforts to have "Intelligent Design" theory -- which holds life is too complex to have evolved by chance -- taught in schools alongside evolution.
The poll of 2,455 U.S. adults from Nov 7 to 13 found that 82 percent of those surveyed believed in God, a figure unchanged since the question was asked in 2005.
It further found that 79 percent believed in miracles, 75 percent in heaven, while 72 percent believed that Jesus is God or the Son of God. Belief in hell and the devil was expressed by 62 percent. |
http://uk.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUKN2922875820071129 |
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peppermint
Joined: 13 May 2003
Location: traversing the minefields of caddishness.
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| Posted: Sun Dec 02, 2007 6:23 am Post subject: Re: More Americans believe in devil than Darwin |
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Those numbers sound off to me. I have a lot of trouble accepting that 72% of Americans are not only some flavor of Christian, but devout enough to believe the Jesus as the son of God |
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thepeel
Joined: 08 Aug 2004
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| Posted: Sun Dec 02, 2007 6:25 am Post subject: |
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| Maybe they are so ignorant they don't understand their own religion. I've seen videos of American Christians being asked comically elementary questions about their "faith" that they couldn't answer. |
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Mix1
Joined: 08 May 2007
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| Posted: Sun Dec 02, 2007 8:29 am Post subject: |
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How embarrasing. I really hope those numbers are wrong.
I'm American, and I've only met a few people who didn't believe in evolution. But then again, I've never been to the South, and I rarely go to the Mid-West. I did live in Utah for four months and even though it was like going back in time, it still seemed pretty normal (didn't hang out with Mormons too much though), not that I go around asking everyone if they believe in evolution or anything.
As far as believing in God, there is a groupthink mentality to it. Looking back, I used to say I believed too just to avoid akward confrontations. I really hope there is a backlash to this sort of thing. I wonder if Dawkins, Hitchens, and other atheist authors are getting more popular.
I'm starting to believe Hitchens when he says religion should be "ridiculed." |
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On the other hand
Joined: 19 Apr 2003
Location: I walk along the avenue
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| Posted: Sun Dec 02, 2007 8:31 am Post subject: Re: More Americans believe in devil than Darwin |
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| peppermint wrote: |
Those numbers sound off to me. I have a lot of trouble accepting that 72% of Americans are not only some flavor of Christian, but devout enough to believe the Jesus as the son of God |
I can believe the numbers, but I'd thrown in the caveat that for a lot of people, statements like "Jesus was the son of God" is probably the sort of thing that you'd agree to without giving a lot of thought to what it really means. |
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On the other hand
Joined: 19 Apr 2003
Location: I walk along the avenue
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| Posted: Sun Dec 02, 2007 8:38 am Post subject: |
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Only 42 percent of those surveyed said they believed in Darwin's theory which largely informs how biology and related sciences are approached. While often referred to as evolution it is in fact the 19th century British intellectual's theory of "natural selection."
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I would like to know what exactly is meant be "believing in Darwin's theory". I myself believe in Darwinian natural selection, free of divine intervention. However, as far as anti-Darwinians go, I would make a distinction between someone who thinks that the world was created just as it says in Genesis, and someone who thinks that evolution did occur, but might have required some form of divine intervention at a critical stage(as suggested for example in the movie 2001.) I think they're both wrong, but the first is much more absurd than the second, in that it requires a complete dismissal of all the scientific evidence. |
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peppermint
Joined: 13 May 2003
Location: traversing the minefields of caddishness.
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| Posted: Sun Dec 02, 2007 9:04 am Post subject: |
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Good point. I had a rather interesting debate about this with a friend a few years ago, never would've thought he was a bible thumper til then. Lots of people don't understand the difference between the scientific usage of the word theory, (something not definitely provable, but supported by evidence, and testing) and the common usage of the word
To those who say "Evolution is only a theory", I say so is gravity, do we need a disclaimer for the section on Issac Newton too? |
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catman
Joined: 18 Jul 2004
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| Posted: Sun Dec 02, 2007 12:10 pm Post subject: |
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No wonder Bush got re-elected.  |
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Ya-ta Boy
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Location: Established in 1994
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| Posted: Sun Dec 02, 2007 3:04 pm Post subject: |
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| I've often wondered if the people who remain bigots after they complete their university education can get a refund. Have you looked into this, peel? |
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igotthisguitar
Joined: 08 Apr 2003
Location: South Korea (Permanent Vacation)
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| Posted: Sun Dec 02, 2007 3:16 pm Post subject: |
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| Ya-ta Boy wrote: |
I've often wondered if the people who remain bigots after they complete their university "education" can get a refund.
Have you looked into this, peel? |
Dunno, Ya-ta ... good question mind you.
Maybe you should look into this.
Might actually be able to snatch back a few bucks. |
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ernie
Joined: 05 Aug 2006
Location: asdfghjk
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| Posted: Sun Dec 02, 2007 3:43 pm Post subject: |
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| i think that fundamentalists of ALL faiths should have to apologize for the actions of religious fundamentalists around the world... |
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sundubuman
Joined: 04 Feb 2003
Location: seoul
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| Posted: Sun Dec 02, 2007 4:53 pm Post subject: |
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| I believe Darwin is the Devil... |
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thepeel
Joined: 08 Aug 2004
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| Posted: Sun Dec 02, 2007 5:06 pm Post subject: |
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| Ya-ta Boy wrote: |
| I've often wondered if the people who remain bigots after they complete their university education can get a refund. Have you looked into this, peel? |
Not sure. Though I've often wondered if the people who remain unemployable and only function as babysitters for lower-middle class Koreans after they complete their university education can get a refund. Have you looked into this? |
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boatofcar
Joined: 20 Dec 2006
Location: Sheffield, UK
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| Posted: Sun Dec 02, 2007 5:36 pm Post subject: |
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| thepeel wrote: |
| Ya-ta Boy wrote: |
| I've often wondered if the people who remain bigots after they complete their university education can get a refund. Have you looked into this, peel? |
Not sure. Though I've often wondered if the people who remain unemployable and only function as babysitters for lower-middle class Koreans after they complete their university education can get a refund. Have you looked into this? |
You're so clever, peel. |
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thepeel
Joined: 08 Aug 2004
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| Posted: Sun Dec 02, 2007 5:39 pm Post subject: |
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| I know, right? |
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