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"Nearly Two-thirds of U.S. Adults Believe Human Beings Were Created by God" (press release)
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"Nearly Two-thirds of U.S. Adults Believe Human Beings Were Created by God" (press release)
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| Press Release | Source: Harris Interactive |
Nearly Two-thirds of U.S. Adults Believe Human Beings Were Created by God
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<span class="tt">Wednesday July 6, 4:06 pm ET<span>
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 June 1994 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 June 1996 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 June 2004 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 Education All H.S. Some College Post Adults or Less College Grad Grad (n=1,000) (n=407) (n=339) (n=157) (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 Party ID All Adults Republican Democrat Independent (n=1,000) (n=391) (n=439) (n=170) % % % % HUMAN DEVELOPMENT FROM EARLIER SPECIES Yes 38 27 48 36 No 54 65 44 53 PLANT AND ANIMAL DEVELOPMENT Yes 49 37 61 47 No 45 58 33 42 MAN AND APES HAVE COMMON ANCESTRY Yes 46 30 61 44 No 47 62 32 47 DARWIN'S THEORY OF EVOLUTION PROVEN BY FOSSIL EVIDENCE Yes 46 37 55 43 No 48 58 40 45 HUMAN EVOLUTION Belief in evolution 22 16 27 25 Belief in creationism 64 73 58 57 Belief in intelligent design 10 9 11 7 Political Philosophy Conservative Moderate Liberal (n=538) (n=103) (n=359) % % % HUMAN DEVELOPMENT FROM EARLIER SPECIES Yes 25 40 56 No 65 52 37 PLANT AND ANIMAL DEVELOPMENT Yes 38 50 65 No 53 46 31 MAN AND APES HAVE COMMON ANCESTRY Yes 37 36 63 No 56 52 31 DARWIN'S THEORY OF EVOLUTION PROVEN BY FOSSIL EVIDENCE Yes 36 40 62 No 58 43 35 HUMAN EVOLUTION Belief in evolution 16 22 32 Belief in creationism 75 63 48 Belief in intelligent design 7 4 TABLE 9 SUMMARY OF KEY QUESTIONS ABOUT HUMAN EVOLUTION - BY AGE AND REGION Base: All Adults All Age Adults 18-34 35-54 55+ (n=1,000) (n=258) (n=374) (n=340) % % % % HUMAN DEVELOPMENT FROM EARLIER SPECIES Yes 38 46 38 29 No 54 46 53 61 PLANT AND ANIMAL DEVELOPMENT Yes 49 51 50 46 No 45 45 44 46 MAN AND APES HAVE COMMON ANCESTRY Yes 46 57 45 39 No 47 37 48 52 DARWIN'S THEORY OF EVOLUTION PROVEN BY FOSSIL EVIDENCE Yes 46 57 48 35 No 48 41 44 58 HUMAN EVOLUTION Belief in evolution 22 25 25 16 Belief in creationism 64 60 59 73 Belief in intelligent design 10 11 9 9 Region Northeast Midwest South West (n=213) (n=220) (n=349) (n=218) % % % % HUMAN DEVELOPMENT FROM EARLIER SPECIES Yes 52 37 28 41 No 38 57 64 50 PLANT AND ANIMAL DEVELOPMENT Yes 63 47 41 51 No 28 48 54 42 MAN AND APES HAVE COMMON ANCESTRY Yes 60 43 40 44 No 32 50 52 48 DARWIN'S THEORY OF EVOLUTION PROVEN BY FOSSIL EVIDENCE Yes 58 43 36 52 No 37 47 56 47 HUMAN EVOLUTION Belief in evolution 30 17 17 28 Belief in creationism 52 72 71 56 Belief in intelligent design 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.
J24642 Q900, Q905, Q910, Q915, Q920, Q925 The Harris Poll® #52, July 6, 2005 By Bill Dalbec, research director, Harris Interactive. About Harris Interactive®
Harris Interactive Inc. (http://www.harrisinteractive.com), the 15th largest market research firm in the world, is a Rochester, NY-based global research company that blends premier strategic consulting with innovative and efficient methods of investigation, analysis and application. Known for The Harris Poll® and for pioneering Internet-based research methods, Harris Interactive conducts proprietary and public research to help its clients achieve clear, material and enduring results.
Harris Interactive combines its intellectual capital, databases and technology to advance market leadership through its U.S. offices and wholly owned subsidiaries, HI Europe in London (http://www.hieurope.com), Novatris in Paris (http://www.novatris.com), and through an independent global network of affiliate market research companies. EOE M/F/D/V.
To become a member of the Harris Poll Online(SM) and be invited to participate in future online surveys, http://www.harrispollonline.com.
Press Contacts: Nancy Wong Harris Interactive 585-214-7316 Kelly Gullo Harris Interactive 585-214-7172 Harris Interactive Inc. 7/05
Source: Harris Interactive
