Why do American Christians stand with Muslim Nations on the Question of Evolution?

by fulltimestudent 16 Replies latest jw friends

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  fulltimestudent

  Some statistics.

  This graph charts national responses to the statement, "Human Beings, as we know them, developed from Earlier Species of Animal," and show some strange bedfellows.

  

  As you see, a huge majority (70% and higher) of western Europe people surveyed, accept evolution (in some form). In East Asia only Japan* was surveyed, but their level of support for evolution is also at 80%. China was not surveyed, but since a big majority do not believe in any religion, we can expect that likely there is big majority that believe in evolution. Vietnam has a large Catholic population who are allowed to believe in evolution - adding that to 50 years of communist teachings means that likely support for evolution would be over 70%. In south Asia, India and similar cultures influenced by the religious system the west calls hinduism, also permits acceptance of evolution (See this Wikipedia entry for an overview: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindu_views_on_evolution )

  In eastern Europe with its strong orthodox Christian following, the level of support diminishes.

  In the USA though we find only 40% (according to this survey) acceptance of evolution, a percentage that is only matched by similar fundamentalist thinking in Turkey, which is more liberal in attitudes than other Islamic nations, which likely have an even lower level of acceptance.

  This chart was from a Wikipedia entry discussing the level of support for evolution.

  Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Level_of_support_for_evolution

  Footnote references 108,109 deal with the above chart.

  * Japan has a very small percentage of people that accept Christianity - around 1-2 %
• 

  John Free

  It's probably the same Americans that are backing Donald trump? These people are from the stone ages.
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  Village Idiot

  Your chart only included Turkey amongst Muslim nations and there was a big difference between the USA, 40% pro-evolution, and Turkey at 25%.

  Also, your title's mention of American Christians implies that most who identify themselves as such, about 85% of its population, hold on to that belief. It's fundamentalist Christians who are the focus, not liberal Christians and moderates who tend to believe in evolution and outnumber the Fundamentalists.

  Of course, the USA lags behind the secular minded Europeans because of its having a larger fundamentalist Christian presence but it is not fair to compare them to Muslim nations. Especially Turkey which is a more secular state than other Muslim nations.
• 

  fulltimestudent

  Village Idiot : Your chart only included Turkey amongst Muslim nations and there was a big difference between the USA, 40% pro-evolution, and Turkey at 25%. Also, your title's mention of American Christians implies that most who identify themselves as such, about 85% of its population, hold on to that belief. It's fundamentalist Christians who are the focus, not liberal Christians and moderates who tend to believe in evolution and outnumber the Fundamentalists.
  Of course, the USA lags behind the secular minded Europeans because of its having a larger fundamentalist Christian presence but it is not fair to compare them to Muslim nations.

  Unfortunately, not 'my chart' V.I. but 'the chart.' I would love to have the facilities to produce such charts)

  Nonetheless, you are quite right. Both 'the chart' and my comments contained generalisations. The fact that Christianity is hopelessly divided on this (and, other topics) is a point I made in Shadow's thread, "What are the biggest holes in Evolution." This is the point I made, emphasising that relatively few Christians (a minority) refute evolution.

  Even more basic is that the question can be reduced to this, "How did humans come to exist on this planet?"
  Faith based Christian religions, a rather small minority of the 2.2 billion professed Christians* in the world insist that it is by special creation. If you ask the same questions that you suggest should be asked about evolutionary scientists, what answers do you think that you will get?

  I fail to see why it is 'unfair' to compare fundamentalist Christians to Muslim nations. Though of course, to speak of Muslims as a monolithic, homogenous bloc is also a generalisation. Not all Muslims are the same, not all are fanatical. Neither, are all Christians peace loving, are they? The point I wanted to make in the thread's title was that the beliefs of both groups on the topic of evolution are similar.

  But I accept your judgement that it may have been better to define the term, 'American Christians' more specifically to fundamentalist American Christians.

  
  
  
• 

  fulltimestudent

  And for an analysis of how religions (generally-grin) view evolution, this Pew research centre provides useful summaries.

  http://www.pewforum.org/2009/02/04/religious-groups-views-on-evolution/

  and another Pew Summary can be found at: http://www.pewforum.org/2009/02/04/religious-differences-on-the-question-of-evolution/

  which contains this chart:

  

  and you may note that in lumping Muslims together, I 'generalised' again. As the chart shows, the Pew researchers hold an opinion that 45% of Muslims agree that evolution poses the best explanation for the existence of life on earth.

  The 'special creationists' are indeed a minority.
• 

  nicolaou

  Faith. Americans and Muslims have a high regard for faith and therein lies the problem. Faith gives you permission to deny reality and believe that a man walked on water or took a journey on a winged horse.

  If you can deny realities so obvious you'll have no problem denying evolution.

  Religious faith is a blight.
• 

  Nathan Natas

  Just as there are many paths to the top of a mountain, there are many paths to the bottom of the intellectual valley. Two different paths, both descended from Abraham, arrive at the same stagnant pond.
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  Simon

  They are both different religious ideologies of ignorant belief. Neither is enamored with science, free-thinking and self-determination.

  Different cults, same idiots.
• 

  Nathan Natas

  "...and a woman said, "Speak to us of FREEDOM."

  He replied, "Freedom is in the heart of every child. It is the heart's desire of every creature above the level of the insects.

  Freedom begins when we first learn to say NO."
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  fulltimestudent

  Off topic, but interesting.

  That Pewforum chart stated that 8% of Jehovah's witnesses support the idea that evolution is a better explanation for the origin of human life.

  Since this conclusion is based on surveys of some kind, I wonder who those (jws?) were?