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The Harris Poll� #52, July 6, 2005
Nearly Two-thirds of U.S. Adults Believe Human Beings Were
Created by God
Opinions are divided about evolution theories
Earlier this year, the State Board of Education in Kansas reignited an old
debate � whether or not creationism should be taught in public schools � and
shone the spotlight on a new theory, intelligent design. While many in the
scientific community may question why this issue has been raised again, a new
national survey shows that almost two-thirds of U.S. adults (64%) agree with the
basic tenet of creationism, that "human beings were created directly by
God."
At the same time, approximately one-fifth (22%) of adults believe "human
beings evolved from earlier species" (evolution) and 10 percent subscribe
to the theory that "human beings are so complex that they required a
powerful force or intelligent being to help create them" (intelligent
design). Moreover, a majority (55%) believe that all three of these theories
should be taught in public schools, while 23 percent support teaching
creationism only, 12 percent evolution only, and four percent intelligent design
only.
These are some of the results of a nationwide Harris Poll of 1,000 U.S.
adults surveyed by telephone by Harris Interactive� between June 17
and 21, 2005.
Other key findings include:
- A majority of U.S. adults (54%) do not think human beings developed
from earlier species, up from 46 percent in 1994.
- Forty-nine percent of adults believe plants and animals have evolved from
some other species while 45 percent do not believe that.
- Adults are evenly divided about whether or not apes and man have a common
ancestry (46 percent believe we do and 47 percent believe we do not).
- Again divided, 46 percent of adults agree that "Darwin�s theory of
evolution is proven by fossil discoveries," while 48 percent disagree.
Factors such as age, education, political outlook, and region appear to guide
views on this debate.
- In general, older adults (those 55 years of age and older), adults without
a college degree, Republicans, conservatives, and Southerners are more
likely to embrace the creationism positions in the questions asked.
- Those with a college education, Democrats, independents, liberals, adults
aged 18 to 54 and those from the Northeast and West support the belief in
evolution in larger numbers. However, among these groups, majorities believe
in creationism.
- Despite the significant numbers who believe in creationism, pluralities
among the demographic subgroups examined still believe all three concepts
(evolution, creationism, and intelligent design) should be taught in public
schools.
TABLE 1
DID HUMANS DEVELOP FROM EARLIER SPECIES?
"Do you think human beings developed from earlier species
or not?"
Base: All Adults
| |
March 1994 |
June 2005 |
| |
% |
% |
|
Yes, I think human beings developed from earlier species. |
44 |
38 |
|
No, I do not think human beings developed from earlier species. |
46 |
54 |
|
Not sure/Decline to answer |
11 |
8 |
Note: Percentages may not add up exactly to 100% due to rounding
TABLE 2
PLANT AND ANIMAL DEVELOPMENT FROM OTHER SPECIES
"Do you believe all plants and animals have evolved from
other species or not?"
Base: All Adults
| |
June 2005 |
| |
% |
|
Yes, I believe plants and animals have evolved from some other species. |
49 |
|
No, I do not believe plants and animals have evolved from some other
species. |
45 |
|
Not sure/Decline to answer |
7 |
Note: Percentages may not add up exactly to 100% due to rounding.
TABLE 3
DO MAN AND APES HAVE COMMON ANCESTRY?
"Do you believe apes and man have a common ancestry or
not?"
Base: All Adults
| |
July 1996 |
June 2005 |
| |
% |
% |
|
Yes, apes and man do have a common ancestry. |
51 |
46 |
|
No, apes and man do not have a common ancestry. |
43 |
47 |
|
Not sure/Decline to answer |
5 |
7 |
Note: Percentages may not add up exactly to 100% due to rounding.
TABLE 4
DARWIN�S THEORY OF EVOLUTION PROVEN BY FOSSIL DISCOVERIES?
"Please tell me whether you agree or disagree with the
following statement: Darwin�s theory of evolution is proven by fossil
discoveries."
Base: All Adults
| |
January 2004 |
June 2005 |
| |
% |
% |
|
Agree (NET) |
43 |
46 |
|
Strongly agree |
19 |
15 |
|
Somewhat agree |
24 |
30 |
|
Disagree (NET) |
51 |
48 |
|
Somewhat disagree |
16 |
19 |
|
Strongly disagree |
35 |
29 |
|
Not Sure/Decline to answer |
6 |
6 |
TABLE 5
WHERE HUMANS COME FROM
"Which of the following do you believe about how human
beings came to be?"
Base: All Adults
| |
June 2005 |
| |
% |
|
Human beings evolved from earlier species. |
22 |
|
Human beings were created directly by God. |
64 |
|
Human beings are so complex that they required a powerful force or
intelligent being to help create them. |
10 |
|
Not sure/Decline to answer |
4 |
TABLE 6
EVOLUTION IN THE CLASSROOM
"Regardless of what you may personally believe, which of
these do you believe should be taught in public schools?"
Base: All Adults
| |
June 2005 |
| |
% |
|
Evolution only: "Evolution says that human beings evolved from
earlier stages of animals." |
12 |
|
Creationism only: "Creationism says that human beings were created
directly by God." |
23 |
|
Intelligent design only: "Intelligent design says that human
beings are so complex that they required a powerful force or intelligent
being to help create them." |
4 |
|
All three |
55 |
|
Neither |
3 |
|
Not sure/Decline to answer |
3 |
TABLE 7
SUMMARY OF KEY QUESTIONS ABOUT HUMAN EVOLUTION� BY EDUCATION
Base: All Adults
| |
All Adults (n=1,000) |
Education |
|
H.S. or Less (n=407) |
Some College (n=339) |
College Grad (n=157) |
Post Grad (n=75) |
| |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
|
Human Development from Earlier Species |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Yes |
38 |
32 |
35 |
46 |
60 |
|
No |
54 |
59 |
56 |
46 |
33 |
|
PLANT AND ANIMAL DEVELOPMENT |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Yes |
49 |
44 |
48 |
55 |
65 |
|
No |
45 |
48 |
45 |
39 |
32 |
|
MAN AND APES HAVE COMMON ANCESTRY |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Yes |
46 |
46 |
41 |
53 |
57 |
|
No |
47 |
47 |
50 |
39 |
40 |
|
DARWIN�S THEORY OF EVOLUTION PROVEN BY FOSSIL EVIDENCE |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Yes |
46 |
40 |
44 |
55 |
64 |
|
No |
48 |
51 |
51 |
39 |
34 |
|
HUMAN EVOLUTION |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Belief in evolution |
22 |
17 |
21 |
31 |
35 |
|
Belief in creationism |
64 |
73 |
66 |
48 |
42 |
|
Belief in intelligent design |
10 |
6 |
10 |
15 |
17 |
TABLE 8
SUMMARY OF KEY QUESTIONS ABOUT HUMAN EVOLUTION � BY PARTY ID
AND POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY
Base: All Adults
| |
All Adults (n=1,000) |
Party ID |
Political Philosophy |
|
Republican (n=391) |
Democrat (n=439) |
Independent (n=170) |
Conservative (n=538) |
Moderate (n=103) |
Liberal (n=359) |
| |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
|
HUMAN DEVELOPMENT FROM EARLIER SPECIES |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Yes |
38 |
27 |
48 |
36 |
25 |
40 |
56 |
|
No |
54 |
65 |
44 |
53 |
65 |
52 |
37 |
|
PLANT AND ANIMAL DEVELOPMENT |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Yes |
49 |
37 |
61 |
47 |
38 |
50 |
65 |
|
No |
45 |
58 |
33 |
42 |
53 |
46 |
31 |
|
MAN AND APES HAVE COMMON ANCESTRY |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Yes |
46 |
30 |
61 |
44 |
37 |
36 |
63 |
|
No |
47 |
62 |
32 |
47 |
56 |
52 |
31 |
|
DARWIN�S THEORY OF EVOLUTION PROVEN BY FOSSIL EVIDENCE |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Yes |
46 |
37 |
55 |
43 |
36 |
40 |
62 |
|
No |
48 |
58 |
40 |
45 |
58 |
43 |
35 |
|
HUMAN EVOLUTION |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Belief in evolution |
22 |
16 |
27 |
25 |
16 |
22 |
32 |
| Belief in creationism |
64 |
73 |
58 |
57 |
75 |
63 |
48 |
| Belief in intelligent design |
10 |
9 |
11 |
7 |
7 |
4 |
|
TABLE 9
SUMMARY OF KEY QUESTIONS ABOUT HUMAN EVOLUTION � BY AGE AND
REGION
Base: All Adults
| |
All Adults
(n=1,000) |
Age |
Region |
|
18-34 (n=258) |
35-54 (n=374) |
55+ (n=340) |
Northeast (n=213) |
Midwest (n=220) |
South (n=349) |
West (n=218) |
| |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
|
HUMAN DEVELOPMENT FROM EARLIER SPECIES |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Yes |
38 |
46 |
38 |
29 |
52 |
37 |
28 |
41 |
|
No |
54 |
46 |
53 |
61 |
38 |
57 |
64 |
50 |
|
PLANT AND ANIMAL DEVELOPMENT |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Yes |
49 |
51 |
50 |
46 |
63 |
47 |
41 |
51 |
|
No |
45 |
45 |
44 |
46 |
28 |
48 |
54 |
42 |
|
MAN AND APES HAVE COMMON ANCESTRY |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Yes |
46 |
57 |
45 |
39 |
60 |
43 |
40 |
44 |
|
No |
47 |
37 |
48 |
52 |
32 |
50 |
52 |
48 |
|
DARWIN�S THEORY OF EVOLUTION PROVEN BY FOSSIL EVIDENCE |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Yes |
46 |
57 |
48 |
35 |
58 |
43 |
36 |
52 |
|
No |
48 |
41 |
44 |
58 |
37 |
47 |
56 |
47 |
|
HUMAN EVOLUTION |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Belief in evolution |
22 |
25 |
25 |
16 |
30 |
17 |
17 |
28 |
| Belief in creationism |
64 |
60 |
59 |
73 |
52 |
72 |
71 |
56 |
| Belief in intelligent design |
10 |
11 |
9 |
9 |
13 |
9 |
8 |
10 |
Methodology
The Harris Poll� was conducted by telephone within the United
States between June 17 and 21, 2005 among a nationwide cross section of 1,000
adults (aged 18 and over). Figures for sex, race, education, and region were
weighted where necessary to align them with their actual proportions in the
population.
In theory, with a probability sample of this size, one can say with 95
percent certainty that the overall results have a sampling error of plus or
minus 3 percentage points of what they would be if the entire U.S. adult
population had been polled with complete accuracy. Sampling error for the
sub-sample results (as shown in the tables above) is higher and varies.
Unfortunately, there are several other possible sources of error in all polls or
surveys that are probably more serious than theoretical calculations of sampling
error. They include refusals to be interviewed (nonresponse), question wording
and question order, interviewer bias, weighting by demographic control data and
screening (e.g., for likely voters). It is impossible to quantify the errors
that may result from these factors.
These statements conform to the principles of disclosure of the National
Council on Public Polls.
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