U.S. Lags World in Grasp of Genetics and Acceptance of Evolution
Chart: the US ranks 33 out of 34, next to the bottom on citizen acceptance of evolution; Turkey ranks 34.
by Ker Than
LiveScience Staff Writer
10 August 2006
"A comparison of peoples' views in 34 countries finds that the United States ranks near the bottom when it comes to public acceptance of evolution. Only Turkey ranked lower.
"Among the factors contributing to America's low score are poor understanding of biology, especially genetics, the politicization of science and the literal interpretation of the Bible by a small but vocal group of American Christians, the researchers say.
"American Protestantism is more fundamentalist than anybody except perhaps the Islamic fundamentalist, which is why Turkey and we are so close," said study co-author Jon Miller of Michigan State University.
"The researchers combined data from public surveys on evolution collected from 32 European countries, the United States and Japan between 1985 and 2005. Adults in each country were asked whether they thought the statement “Human beings, as we know them, developed from earlier species of animals,” was true, false, or if they were unsure.
The study found that over the past 20 years:
"The percentage of U.S. adults who accept evolution declined from 45 to 40 percent.
"The percentage overtly rejecting evolution declined from 48 to 39 percent, however.
"And the percentage of adults who were unsure increased, from 7 to 21 percent.
"Of the other countries surveyed, only Turkey ranked lower, with about 25 percent of the population accepting evolution and 75 percent rejecting it. In Iceland, Denmark, Sweden and France, 80 percent or more of adults accepted evolution; in Japan, 78 percent of adults did.
"The findings are detailed in the August 11, 2006 issue of the journal Science."
Creation vs. Darwin takes Muslim twist in Turkey
by Tom Heneghan, Religion Editor
Reuters
Nov 22, 2006 — ISTANBUL (Reuters) - "A lavishly illustrated 'Atlas of Creation' is mysteriously turning up at schools and libraries in Turkey, proclaiming that Charles Darwin's theory of evolution is the real root of terrorism.
"Arriving unsolicited by post, the large-format tome offers 768 glossy pages of photographs and easy-to-read text to prove that God created the world with all its species.
"At first sight, it looks like it could be the work of United States creationists, the Christian fundamentalists who believe the world was created in six days as told in the Bible.
"But the author's name, Harun Yahya, reveals the surprise inside. This is Islamic creationism, a richly funded movement based in predominantly Muslim Turkey which has an influence U.S. creationists could only dream of.
"Creationism is so widely accepted here that Turkey placed last in a recent survey of public acceptance of evolution in 34 countries — just behind the United States.
"Darwinism is dead," said Kerim Balci of the Fethullah Gulen network, a moderate Islamic movement with many publications and schools but no link to the creationists who produced the atlas.
"Scientists say pious Muslims in the government, which has its roots in political Islam, are trying to push Turkish education away from its traditionally secular approach.
"Aykut Kence, biology professor at the Middle East Technical University in Ankara, said time for discussing evolution had been cut out of class schedules for the eighth grade this year.
"The students will just learn there is a theory called evolution defended by Darwin back in the 19th century," he said. "However, views of Islamic thinkers from the Middle Ages about evolution and creation have been included."
A DOSE OF RELIGION
"Like the Bible, the Koran says God made the world in six days and fashioned the first man, Adam, from dust. Other details vary but the idea is roughly the same.
"But unlike in the West, evolution theory has not undermined the traditional creation story for many Muslims ..."
"Then comes a book-length essay arguing that Darwinism, by stressing the survival of the fittest," has inspired racism, Nazism, communism and terrorism.
"The root of the terrorism that plagues our planet is not any of the divine religions, but atheism, and the expression of atheism in our times (is) Darwinism and materialism," it says."
More from ABC News
All very scarey stuff. See METAXY: Religious Belief and Societal Health. Religion does not lead to a healthier society, rather the opposite. Morality and ethics are apart from religion, i.e., religion is not the source of morality and ethics.
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