Poll finds more Americans believe in devil than Darwin
Thu Nov 29, 2007 10:53pm GMT
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By Ed Stoddard
DALLAS (Reuters Life!) - More Americans believe in a literal hell and the devil
than Darwin's theory of evolution, according to a new Harris poll released on
Thursday.
It is the latest survey to highlight America's deep level of religiosity, a
cultural trait that sets it apart from much of the developed world.
It also helps explain many of its political battles which Europeans find
bewildering, such as efforts to have "Intelligent Design" theory -- which holds
life is too complex to have evolved by chance -- taught in schools alongside
evolution.
The poll of 2,455 U.S. adults from Nov 7 to 13 found that 82 percent of those
surveyed believed in God, a figure unchanged since the question was asked in
2005.
It further found that 79 percent believed in miracles, 75 percent in heaven,
while 72 percent believed that Jesus is God or the Son of God. Belief in hell
and the devil was expressed by 62 percent.
Darwin's theory of evolution met a far more skeptical audience which might
surprise some outsiders as the United States is renowned for its excellence in
scientific research.
Only 42 percent of those surveyed said they believed in Darwin's theory which
largely informs how biology and related sciences are approached. While often
referred to as evolution it is in fact the 19th century British intellectual's
theory of "natural selection."
There are unsurprising differences among religious groups.
"Born-again Christians are more likely to believe in the traditional elements
of Christianity than are Catholics or Protestants. For example, 95 percent
believe in miracles, compared to 87 percent and 89 percent among Catholics and
Protestants," according to the poll.
"On the other hand only 16 percent of born-again Christians, compared to 43
percent of Catholics and 30 percent of Protestants, believe in Darwin's theory
of evolution."
What is perhaps surprising is that substantial minorities in America apparently
believe in ghosts, UFOs, witches, astrology and reincarnation.
The survey, which has a sampling error of plus or minus two percent, found that
35 percent of the respondents believed in UFOs and 31 percent in witches.
More born-again Christians -- a term which usually refers to evangelical
Protestants who place great emphasis on the conversion experience -- believed
in witches at 37 percent than mainline Protestants or Catholics, both at 32
percent.
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