Robert Schlesinger

Evolution Gets Plurality Support in America—Happy Birthday, Mr. Darwin

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February 11, 2009 RSS Feed Print
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By Robert Schlesinger, Thomas Jefferson Street blog

Less than 40 percent of Americans believe Charles Darwin's theory of evolution. Seriously?

I guess the upside is that the figure—39 percent—is a plurality of respondents in a new Gallup poll. Fully a quarter of Americans said that they reject evolution, while 36 percent say they don't have an opinion.

Again: Seriously? More than 1 in 3 Americans, asked about evolution, respond with a shrug? Maybe that's one where the science and faith sides of the issue can find common ground—come on, people.

Thursday would be Darwin's 200th birthday and we've had a couple of pretty good debates in our op-ed section over whether creationism should be taught in school and, now, comparing evolution to creationism (excuse me—"intelligent design"). Check them out and weigh in with your thoughts.

Just don't be in that 36 percent.

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With all due respect to your spiritual readers,why couldn't both schools of thought be correct? The theory of Darwin was that creatures adapted to their envirnment over time. This created the "homo-sapien of today.We are ,theoretically ,still adapting which means in thousands of years, we should be phsically different than we are now.

The beginning of "mankind" began with the creation of universe.There had to be a starting point.There lies the spiritual founding by our creator.

Science and Religion are both correct.

P.S. I wonder how the stats would look(education,income,religion etc.) on those who agree or disagree with Darwin.

loureh of CT 8:27AM February 19, 2009

I see by the comments here that as expected, creationists have yet to evolve into a higher level of discourse. Instead, just more foot-stamping attacks on Darwin as if it matters one whit how he developed his concepts. Added to that recipe is my absolute favorite creationista hypocrisy, turning the words "faith" and "religion" into expletives. I find that so rich in irony.

The fact is - and it IS a fact - that for nearly 200 years, scientists of virtually every discipline, of every political, social, and national stripe, all agree that evolution is a fact of life.

Ando Joubert 9:11PM February 18, 2009

It's a law. Can't be broken. At least that's what all the physicist tell us. That is, until they try to explain how the universe evolved from a singularity to it's present size faster than the speed of light. Not to mention; where did all that matter come from?

Evolution has the same kind of problem. You first have to explain how life evolved from non-life, then and only then can you go on with the ability of a plant or animal to evolve.

I want a better explanation other than "the laws of the universe didn't exist yet". You might as well have said everything was magiced into existence.

John Kirkland of AL 9:33AM February 13, 2009

Robert Schlesinger

Robert Schlesinger

Robert Schlesinger is managing editor for opinion at U.S. News and World Report, overseeing all opinion editorial content. He is the author of "White House Ghosts: Presidents and Their Speechwriters." E-mail him at rschlesinger@usnews.com. Follow him on Twitter: @rschles.

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