Prairie dwellers less supportive of evolution

16 posts / 0 new

Sun, 2012-09-09 12:51

Snuckles

Quote:
The majority of Canadians think humans have evolved over millions of years, but Prairie dwellers are easily the most skeptical.

According to an Angus Reid poll, 61% of Canadians believe in Charles Darwin's theory of evolution, compared with 69% of Britons and just 30% of Americans.

In Canada, Quebecers are the most likely to believe in evolution (71%). Albertans are the least likely (48%), followed by residents of Manitoba-Saskatchewan (53%). Respondents were asked to choose between two statements that came the closest to matching their own point of view regarding the origin of human beings.

Albertans were the most likely to agree with the creationist statement, "God created human beings in their present form within the last 10,000 years", with 35% in agreement, followed by Atlantic Canadians (27%) and Manitoba-Saskatchewan and Ontario (both 24%). Quebec respondents were the most skeptical of creationism, with 13% believing God creating humans in their present form.

Read it [url=http://www.torontosun.com/2012/09/09/prairie-dwellers-less-supportive-of....

Tue, 2012-09-11 18:25

Michelle

I love that opening sentence. Believing that humans played with dinosaurs 6000 years ago doesn't make you "skeptical". It makes you gullible. And possibly a moron.

Skeptics don't believe the woo-woo.

Tue, 2012-09-11 18:36

Slumberjack

61% belief in evolutionary processes is nothing to brag about nationally. Isn't that like a D grade.

Tue, 2012-09-11 19:14

Lachine Scot

Michelle wrote:

Believing that humans played with dinosaurs 6000 years ago doesn't make you "skeptical".

Agreed. I wonder what kind of journalism describes several Canadian provinces as "prairie-dwellers" though. I suppose people from BC are "Forest-runners" and people from Montreal are "river-swimmers"?

Wed, 2012-09-12 12:33

kropotkin1951

Could we use the term "flatlander" instead?

Wed, 2012-09-12 12:40

Bacchus

60-64% is a C grade

Wed, 2012-09-12 13:07

6079_Smith_W

kropotkin1951 wrote:

Could we use the term "flatlander" instead?

Probably less accurate than "prairies" which is only a corner of Manitoba, and maybe half of Saskatchewan at best.

Unless you're in the Red River valley, or near Regina none of it is really flat at all. It just looks that way to people who never leave the #1.

Now the lower mainland? You could probably roll a bowling ball in Chilliwack and have it drop off the pier at Tsawassen.

grin and wink back atcha.

Wed, 2012-09-12 13:33

autoworker autoworker's picture

Could it be a residual prairie populist belief that Darwinism is a ruling class exegesis of its natural superiority. Early progressives were fundamentalist Christian socialists, if I'm not mistaken-- which nay explain why we haven't seen any banners that read: MORONS 4 MENSA!

Wed, 2012-09-12 13:51

kropotkin1951

Flatlander is a term of endearment that I picked up in the '80's when I lived in the East Kootenays. It was usually directed at a someone with a propensity to drive really really slow coming through any passes and then putting the pedal to the metal on straight stretches keeping everyone stuck behind them when the next set of corners arrived. When I went to school in Saskatoon we used to drive up to Candle Lake to camp. Of course I know the "prairie" provinces are neither all prairie nor all flat. Wanuskewin proves that not even the prairies are actually flat.

Wed, 2012-09-12 14:48

#10

bagkitty

kropotkin1951 wrote:

Could we use the term "flatlander" instead?

What's wrong with the old stand-by, stubble jumpers?

Wed, 2012-09-12 15:34

#11

6079_Smith_W

I figured you knew, k. It is interesting that so many people think of this part of the world as just "flat prairie" when very little of it is. I actually moved from Winnipeg to Saskatoon in part to get away from the flat land.

Speaking of the Kootenays, I got a lift from a fellow once who said there is an exact cultural divide - the Salmo-Creston pass. One side was settled up from the coast, and the other in from Alberta.

Wed, 2012-09-12 18:29

#12

kropotkin1951

The europeans settled both areas mostly by railroad. Until the 1950's going from the coast into the interior was mostly by rail. Overland from New West to Nelson was a long journey. The West Kootenays have the navigable lakes so it also had steamboats running from the revelstoke area done to Nelson.

However the scenario he describes pretty much sums up the last 45 years of "settlement" certainly since the late '60's. Creston has many retired farmers from the prairies.

Wed, 2012-09-12 20:25

#13

6079_Smith_W

kropotkin1951 wrote:

The europeans settled both areas mostly by railroad. Until the 1950's going from the coast into the interior was mostly by rail. Overland from New West to Nelson was a long journey. The West Kootenays have the navigable lakes so it also had steamboats running from the revelstoke area done to Nelson.

However the scenario he describes pretty much sums up the last 45 years of "settlement" certainly since the late '60's. Creston has many retired farmers from the prairies.

Yes. It's hard to imagine that Nelson was once one of the major economic engines of the province. And I think that was what he was meaning. He didn't mention Bountiful, but he did have a thing or two to day about the KKK in Creston. It's a little bit different than Nelson.

I can't think of too many Canadian places with a starker cultural divide, though the north street of Cardston Alberta, at the edge of the Blood FN comes to mind.

... speaking of prairie people, many of whom don't believe in evolution.

Wed, 2012-09-12 20:37

#14

alan smithee alan smithee's picture

Vive le Québec libre!

Wed, 2012-09-12 21:50

#15

bagkitty

What would be particulary interesting is to see the Alberta breakdown - with particular reference to how many of the anti-evolution crowd are employed in the fossil fuel industries.

Sometimes I just break me up.

Wed, 2012-09-12 22:16

#16

6079_Smith_W

I don't know alan. I wouldn't say he's proof positive that dinosaurs walked among us. Nice try though.

It is kind of funny though, that the prairies and Newfoundland have some of the most stark fossil records in the entire country. Maybe they just think Drumheller is like a petting zoo.