Since 2009, Republicans growing more skeptical of evolution

[enhanced_deficit]

Don't think he had anything to do with this shift but since Obama election in 2009 Republicans view on evolution has changed.
Republicans growing more skeptical of evolution: poll A recent survey from the Pew Research Center says that Republican belief in the theory of evolution, a major unifying concept of modern biology, plummeted from 54 % in 2009 to 43 % in 2013. By Michael Walsh (http://www.nydailynews.com/authors?author=Michael%20Walsh) / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS Monday, December 30, 2013, 9:59 PM





http://assets.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.1561946.1388458413%21/img/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_635/178524048.jpg The National Science Teachers Association said there is no debate among scientists as to whether or not evolution occurred.


Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/republicans-growing-skeptical-evolution-poll-article-1.1561950 (http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/republicans-growing-skeptical-evolution-poll-article-1.1561950#ixzz2p2KbJF2W)

[CPUd]

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[James Madison]

http://i3.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/296/328/d64.gif

[DamianTV]

I think Evolution more closely resembles this:

http://philosophers-stone.co.uk/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/devolution.jpg

[Christian Liberty]

So why do we automatically trust government schools with regards to evolution while we know they are full of crap on everything else?

[FSU63]

So why do we automatically trust government schools with regards to evolution while we know they are full of crap on everything else?
There is undeniable proof that evolution is real. The "theory" is how it works.

inb4 some idiot says "hurr durr, how are there still monkeys?"

[DamianTV]

The skepticism is well deserved, but aimed at the wrong theory. I have concluded that we would all do well to be more skeptical of Republicans.

[Christian Liberty]

There is undeniable proof that evolution is real. The "theory" is how it works.

inb4 some idiot says "hurr durr, how are there still monkeys?"

No, I know the theory is that both humans and monkeys descended from an ape-like ancestor. I just think the theory is full of crap.


The skepticism is well deserved, but aimed at the wrong theory. I have concluded that we would all do well to be more skeptical of Republicans.

I'm skeptical of both Republicans and evolution;)

[erowe1]

There is undeniable proof that evolution is real.

Why do you believe this?

[erowe1]

I'm not sure what to make of the claim that Republican belief in evolution has dropped that much. The article doesn't say anything about the polls it bases that claim on or how it analyzed them. Did the polls follow the same methodology? I doubt that very many individual Republicans who used to believe in evolution changed their minds and became skeptics of it over the past 4 years. It could be that those that believed in evolution have become less inclined to identify themselves as Republicans or that skeptics have become more inclined to identify themselves as Republicans recently. But I don't see why that would be the case either.

[Christian Liberty]

I'm not sure what to make of the claim that Republican belief in evolution has dropped that much. The article doesn't say anything about the polls it bases that claim on or how it analyzed them. Did the polls follow the same methodology? I doubt that very many individual Republicans who used to believe in evolution changed their minds and became skeptics of it over the past 4 years. It could be that those that believed in evolution have become less inclined to identify themselves as Republicans or that skeptics have become more inclined to identify themselves as Republicans recently. But I don't see why that would be the case either.

I think its probably statistically more likely for libertarians (I use that word somewhat loosely here) to be believers in evolution than conservatives, and I think libertarians are getting tired of the GOP.

[erowe1]

Here's Pew Research's own summary.
http://www.pewforum.org/2013/12/30/publics-views-on-human-evolution/

What's odd to me is that the only point at which they compare 2013 results with 2009 results is in the partisan breakdown. Unless I missed it, they don't give that info when they present it according to religion and ethnicity. We'd be in a better position to understand what's going on with the partisan data if they did.

[otherone]

I'm not sure what to make of the claim that Republican belief in evolution has dropped that much.

It's probably because they haven't observed anything evolving in the last four years. In another four years probably less will believe in it. In a couple of hundred thousand years they'll all be believers, though. Wait...that's induction. Sorry.

[erowe1]

It's probably because they haven't observed anything evolving in the last four years. In another four years probably less will believe in it. In a couple of hundred thousand years they'll all be believers, though. Wait...that's induction. Sorry.

The belief that we can explain the state of the universe, including human life, by extrapolating backwards ad infinitum the processes that we've observed doesn't come from induction. It is a dogma based on blind religious faith.

[otherone]

The belief that we can explain the state of the universe, including human life, by extrapolating backwards the processes that we've observed ad infinitum doesn't come from induction. It is a dogma based on blind religious faith.

Why, that would make teaching evolution a violation of the Establishment Clause!
Quick, someone get me William Jennings Bryan on the horn!

[ThePenguinLibertarian]

OH MY GOD, WHO THE HELL CARES!!?!!!??!?!??!?!?!

[jmdrake]

Don't think he had anything to do with this shift but since Obama election in 2009 Republicans view on evolution has changed.
Republicans growing more skeptical of evolution: poll A recent survey from the Pew Research Center says that Republican belief in the theory of evolution, a major unifying concept of modern biology, plummeted from 54 % in 2009 to 43 % in 2013. By Michael Walsh (http://www.nydailynews.com/authors?author=Michael%20Walsh) / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS Monday, December 30, 2013, 9:59 PM





http://assets.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.1561946.1388458413%21/img/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_635/178524048.jpg The National Science Teachers Association said there is no debate among scientists as to whether or not evolution occurred.


Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/republicans-growing-skeptical-evolution-poll-article-1.1561950 (http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/republicans-growing-skeptical-evolution-poll-article-1.1561950#ixzz2p2KbJF2W)


Even among creationists there is little to no debate that evolution has occurred. The debate is over to what extent. Since the Bible teaches there was no rain before the flood (and by extension, no snow), it's unlikely that polar bears were created for example.

[matt0611]

Why, that would make teaching evolution a violation of the Establishment Clause!
Quick, someone get me William Jennings Bryan on the horn!

No it wouldn't actually. Neither would be teaching about creation.


I'm not sure what to make of the claim that Republican belief in evolution has dropped that much. The article doesn't say anything about the polls it bases that claim on or how it analyzed them. Did the polls follow the same methodology? I doubt that very many individual Republicans who used to believe in evolution changed their minds and became skeptics of it over the past 4 years. It could be that those that believed in evolution have become less inclined to identify themselves as Republicans or that skeptics have become more inclined to identify themselves as Republicans recently. But I don't see why that would be the case either.

Yep, very true, it may very well not be the same people who have switched views. Just people switching categories.