Only 15% Believe in Godless Evolution

Terence P. Jeffrey at CNS News had an interesting summary of a recent Gallup poll (emphasis added) ...

Only 15 Percent of Americans Believe in Godless Evolution, Says Gallup

(CNSNews.com) - Only 15 percent of Americans say they believe that the human species evolved from a lower form of life and that God had no part in the process, according to a Gallup poll released on Wednesday.

A combined 78 percent of Americans believe that whether man developed over millions of years or was created from the start in his present form, it was God who did the forming.

In a survey conducted May 3-6, Gallup asked 1,024 American adults: “Which of the following statements comes closest to your views on the origin and development of human beings: 1) Human beings have developed over millions of years from less advanced forms of life, but God guided this process, 2) Human beings have developed over millions of years from less advanced forms of life, but God had no part in this process, 3) God created human beings pretty much in their present form at one time within the last 10,000 years or so?”

Forty-six percent said they believe God created human beings pretty much in their present form within approximately the last 10,000 years.

Thirty-two percent said human beings develop over millions of years from less advanced forms of life, but God guided the process.

Fifteen percent said they believed man developed over millions of years from less advanced forms of life, but God had no part in it.

People with the last view—that man evolved from lesser beings without the guiding hand of God—are most likely to be found among people who seldom or never go to church and people who attended post-graduate school.

Only 14 percent of American college graduates believe in Godless evolution, the Gallup poll revealed. However, 29 percent of those who attended graduate school believe man evolved without any involvement by God.

Only 3 percent of Americans who attend church weekly believe in Godless evolution, and only 10 percent of those who attend church almost weekly or monthly. However, among those who seldom or never go to church, 26 percent believe man evolved without any involvement by God.

Among Americans who attend church every week, 67 percent believe that God created man pretty much in his present form within approximately the last 10,000 years. Fifty-five percent of Americans who attend church almost every week or monthly share that view.

Democrats and Independents, according to Gallup, are more likely to believe in Godless evolution (19 percent of each group do), than Republicans (only 5 percent do).

Gallup has been asking Americans this question about God and evolution since 1982. In its analysis of the current survey, the polling firm said Americans have been very consistent in believing God had a hand in man’s development.

“Despite the many changes that have taken place in American society and culture over the past 30 years, including new discoveries in biological and social science, there has been virtually no sustained change in Americans' views of the origin of the human species since 1982,” said Gallup’s analysis.

In 1982, according to historical data published by Gallup, 44 percent said that God created man as is within the last 10,000 years, 38 percent said man evolved with God’s guiding hand, and 9 percent said man evolved and God had no part in the process.

I think the comment regarding Americans remaining consistent in their beliefs over the past 30 years , in spite of ongoing medical innovations and discoveries,  coupled with data on education levels are especially meaningful to me.