Why doesn't America believe in evolution?

You’re asserting that literalistic biblical beliefs like creationism or the desire for an afterlife is the product of modern culture and materialism. I’m pointing out that these desires are demonstrably several thousand years old. These beliefs have nothing to do with consumerism. They have nothing to do with modern culture.

The reason that more people dismiss evolution in the US is because the US has a large percentage of conservative Christians. Materialism and consumerism deeply affects our culture but the anti-evolutionary sentiment has nothing to do with these issues.

You can’t explain the presence of a 5000 year old belief by referring to a national culture that has only developed within the last 50 years.

Speaking as a Non-Believer, apology accepted. However, we have not acquiesed on our demands for reparations: tax-exempt status and a case of beer each. Something decent, don’t just get whatever’s on sale.

No, I’m speaking particularly about religion today in the U.S., which borrows the “easy” to deal with items like creationism, and ignores other aspects of religion which are not as fun or actually impose some hardship on the practitioner (such as not being driven by the need to acquire more money, power, and possessions).

Why doesn’t anyone ever do a poll to see who believes they get a shit ton of virgins in heaven if they blow themselves up? I guess their would be too many crying nancies.

Rob posted the correct answer before I could. If the average ape looked like Cary Grant or John Wayne, this debate wouldn’t exist.

Man, white and black people are from the same stock. I’m from the south. I’m religious. That’s just another ridiculous claim. Now, if this argument were being made 40 years ago, then yeah, I can see the point.

I think you should re-read your original post.

I know that with religion and emotion you can “prove” something just by yelling it loud enough, but I have a hard time seeing how this would work for even the most backwards nutcase. Wouldn’t people wanting to distance their heritage from those of another race embrace evolution, rather than saying they were descended from one pair 4,000 years ago?

Did southern racist christians from the reconstruction era not believe that blacks were descended from Adam?

Jason, no need to get excited, Rob just suggested that it was a reason that concievably could have caused a resistance to the theory historically, and that it might have given creationism a headstart in the south which it still keeps. At the end of the post he makes a comment much to the effect of your post.

What I think is great is that people like to talk shit about, and I’m talking about the doctrine not the execution of it, Christianity. Christianity is about peace and good will. Now, not everyone that practices it are good people, but not everyone that lives in New York are good people either. Not every cop is a good person, just like not all of them are bad.

Then these same people turn around and bitch about tolerance and acceptance for everyone else. It kills me that it’s cool to hate people if they don’t want to believe we were once monkeys, but it’s not cool to hate them if they think it’s cool to blow innocent people up. Nice.

Most religious, including Islam, view suicide as a sin, and there is no heaven for sinners. Only a few extremists believe that suicide can be excused by doing a “greater good”, so I suspect your poll results would be close to zero for every country. Although I’m not 100% positive what the opinion of Hindus is, so the fathers of suicide bombing, the Tamil Tigers, might think that they are rewarded in heaven for it.

Jason FTW.

I think that bit about “40 years ago” is the point: The popularity of Creationism in the USA right now has its roots in the “Revival” tradition that began in the 1800s.

awesome

It’s just ignorance, plain and simple - don’t bother trying to dress it up.

The poll further shows that 2/3s of Americans don’t believe that we share even 50% of our genes with Chimpanzees (the true value is 99%+). That’s not “racism” or “differing belief systems” or anything else - that’s just ignorance of basic, undeniable scientific facts.

Given that level of ignorance, why are you surprised that people don’t believe in evolution? Most people don’t believe in it because they are as dumb as rocks. You might as well ask why squirrels don’t believe in evolution.

I had the misfortune once of discussing evolution with (the now thankfully ex-) Mrs. Bigdruid, when she mentioned she didn’t believe in it. Turns out, she didn’t know anything about evolution, but just didn’t like the idea of being related in any way to an ape. I suspect her attitude is fairly common amongst the demographic being polled.

Most americans aren’t even capable of understanding how you might judge the validity of a scientific theory. To them, theories are kind of like movies - whether you like one or not is more of a subjective issue of taste, rather than something you can objectively judge.

Do you, Jason and Spoofy, seriousy feel that people here, or for that matter atheists or secular humanists in general, not only hate you but hate you more than terrorists?

I get that you might feel besieged or slighted more than occasionally, but hated?

How did you two meet?

“How dare those right-wing religious nuts turn our government into a theocracy!”

“How dare Israel respond to constant missile attacks and a kidnapping by attacking the people who want them all dead!”

Yeah, in general, I think that’s the way most folks on the Left feel.

Well hate’s a complicated word these days.

Hated as in “would wear a leather jacket onto a plane, check watch multiple times, then asplode said plane?”

No.

Hated as in “treated like crap and ridiculed constantly?”

Clearly. I think several of the people here definitely hate Christians, conservatives, and pro-Israel posters in the dictionary “to feel hostility or animosity toward” way.

We’re tired of your shit.