GODLESS WEDNESDAY: Percentage Of Godless Americans Doubled Since 1999

The ranks of the godless are growing! A recent Gallup poll indicates that up to 19% of Americans say they agree with statement "Humans developed over millions of years from less advanced forms of life, but God had no part in  the process." Sadly, 42% of Americans agree with the scientifically false statement "God created human beings pretty much in their present form at one time in the past 10,000 years or so." This is so disheartening for someone who is an academic and who has worked at the National Science Foundation. What are you people thinking?

Between 40% and 47% of Americans over the past 32 years have said the creationist explanation for the origin of human life best fits their personal views. These Americans tend to be highly religious, underscoring the degree to which many Americans view the world around them through the lens of their religious beliefs. Those who adopt the creationist view also tend to have lower education levels, but given the strong influence of religious beliefs, it is not clear to what degree having more education or different types of education might affect their views. 

A number of states have been embroiled in fights in recent years over the degree to which evolution and creationism should be included in their public school curricula. Residents in the South are more likely to believe in the creationist view of the origin of humans than are those living in other regions, making it clear why the fights to have creationism addressed in the public schools might be an important political issue in that region. 

Still, few scientists would agree that humans were created pretty much in their present form at one time 10,000 years ago, underscoring the ongoing discontinuity between the beliefs that many Americans hold and the general scientific consensus on this important issue.

Hat/tip to Joe Jervis