Canadians divided over creation and evolution theories: poll
The survey conducted for Canwest News Service and Global National for Easter, found 30 per cent of Canadians who believe in God also believe in evolution. Another 23 per cent of believers say they agree with ideas put forth by both creationists and evolutionists.
“As you get older, you become more accepting of possibilities,” says John Wright, senior vice-president of Toronto-based pollster Ipsos Reid. “There are now people who are prepared to accept both sides and don’t see them as necessarily being mutually exclusive.”
Overall, 31 per cent of Canadians believe humans were created by “a spiritual force” and not as part of an evolution from other species over time; 41 per cent believe that humans evolved “from lower species such as apes;” 21 per cent are on the fence, agreeing and disagreeing with certain aspects of each theory; seven per cent aren’t sure.
Read it here.
Not too divided, the whacked out creationists and Harper voters, are still a minority, at 31%.
Just to point it out...you get a good number of Conservatives that follow evolution in Calgary. The Calgary Zoo featuring dinosaur footprints and drumheller just a 1.5 hour field trip away, most become quite aware the world is quite a bit older than 6000 years. I get the feeling a decent number of the 'beleive in both' come from this area too.
I wish I could explain away the 'GodExists' bus ad's that have started to pop up too. sigh.
I had a lovely conversation with a paleontologist from the Tyrrell museum a little over a year ago when I was researching a project. Not being so far removed from Alberta's bible belt, he seemed quite frustrated with the local fundies' insistance on the 6 day creation bit. Apparently Drumheller itself is not immune to them - they even do a big passion-play of the crucifixion every year.
Creationism is nothing more than a chip on the shoulder issue. It's like, "I'm so Christian, I'll even say I believe in this idiocy."
Alberta has a bible belt? I just figured anything outside of a few urban regions was bibleland. Yes, Drum is apart of bibleland.
Heh, I love that comment Tommy...here's your warning that I'ma stealing it for my own personal use ;)
But dinosaurs and humans existed together just 6000-10,000 years ago, don't ya know? So that takes care of their cognative dissonance over the issue.
What should be of concern regarding their "Christianess" and cognative dissonance is the fact that they lead in child and spousal assaults across Canada. Let those fetuses be born, so we can beat them, sets up a huge dissonance for me.
Speaking of religious whackjobs, church leader Tristian Emmanual has moved into politics big time, and is Randy Hillier's campaign manager.
Great wit tommy!!!
Some paleontologists believe that birds are essentially dinosaurs so dinosaurs and humans still co-exist. At the very least, birds evolved from dinosaurs and aren't very different.
I had a lovely conversation with a paleontologist from the Tyrrell museum a little over a year ago when I was researching a project. Not being so far removed from Alberta's bible belt, he seemed quite frustrated with the local fundies' insistance on the 6 day creation bit. Apparently Drumheller itself is not immune to them - they even do a big passion-play of the crucifixion every year.
I don't know if doing a passion play of the crucifixion necessarily qualifies one as a fundamentalist.
On the other hand, non-believers are a growing minority in the States.
http://www.alternet.org/rights/139788/40_million_nonbelievers_in_america_the_secret_is_almost_out/
I'm leaning more toward directed exogenesis as proposed by Crick, Hoyle etc