ABOUT FAITH & FREEDOM

Wednesday, June 04, 2014

What Americans Believe About The Origins Of Man

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A new survey shows that among people who regularly attend church, 69% believe God created humans in their present form within the past 10,000 years.

Among people who attend church somewhat regularly---once a month or so, 47% believe that God created humans within the past 10,000 years.

Interestingly, the number believing in strict evolution has only grown moderately over the past 15 years.

Is public education failing their mission in this area as well?


Gallup, a more left leaning than right leaning organization, says they have been asking about human origins since 1982. At that time, 44% believed that God created humans. "That number peaked," they say, "at 47% in the late 1990s."

Today, 42% of Americans believe God created humans in the last 10,000 years.

There is a point of interest in these numbers.

It is well known and documented that public education is deeply committed to secular progressive ideas and beliefs. These beliefs stand in direct conflict with biblical teaching and that of many parents.

Sex education in the public classroom has become a fertile ground for Planned Parenthood and their anti-life, free sex message, while homosexual advocates have seized the moment with materials and ideas that advance their agenda to children at the youngest age.

Biblical morality or ideals are not permitted under the guise of "separation" of church and state. In fact, they are mocked.

With this kind of force-fed indoctrination, one could imagine, and I believe it is the intent, that most if not all kids would be indoctrinated and morally reprogrammed after 12 to 16 years of this kind of "education."

During these important formative years, most kids spend exponentially more time in the classroom with one on one instructional influence than they do in church, or even with their parents in many cases.

Gallup finds, as every other similar poll finds, that the more educated people are, the more they tend to embrace Darwin's ideas. The less educated, the more they tend to embrace the biblical teaching of Creationism.

Gallup says, "Historically, America's views on the origin of humans have been related to religiousness, education and age."

"Religiousness," they say, "relates most strongly to these views, which is not surprising, given that this question deals directly with God's role in human origins."

They say, "Educational attainment is also related to these attitudes, with belief in the creationist perspective dropping from 57% among Americans with no more than a high school education to less than half that---27%, among those with a college degree."

But does the facts about evolution drive those beliefs, or are they driven by lack of any exposure to the facts of Creationism?

Are those labeled "more educated" actually more educated on this subject, or are they simply more "indoctrinated?" And less educated on the claims of Creationism.

Does authentic education with documentation change their mind or is it the combination of Creationism being kept from them, while evolution is force-fed, all in an environment of peer pressure to believe in evolution?

Darwin's evolution, absent the assumptions and outright lies, can be a hard sell.

In a book review on Darwinism, Dr. Daniel Dennett, an evolution popularist and well known writer and lecturer, wrote, "I was disconcerted to overhear some medical students talking in a bar recently. One exclaimed: 'How could anybody believe in evolution after learning about the intricacies of the DNA replication machinery'?"

When a scientific theory is rejected by scientifically trained individuals, that's bad---very bad and advocates like Dennett know it.

So do educators, but they continue to indoctrinate.

Julian Huxley gave the talking points to educators with this premise: "Organisms are built as if purposefully designed," but now clear thinking scientists are pointing out that Darwinism provides neither purpose nor design.

It is very difficult to deny intelligent design in the natural world.

Many who embrace Darwin's evolution ultimately become conflicted in their beliefs. In fact, Dennett wrote a book titled, "Darwin's Dangerous Idea." And he's an advocate.

And lack of purpose becomes more and more important as people face their own mortality.

In a PBS interview intended to promote Darwin's evolution, moderator Alan Alda asks Dr. Daniel Dennett why he thinks Darwin's ideas are dangerous.

Dennett's response: "Because a lot of people believe, and not foolishly, that if that's true then somehow life has no meaning. They're afraid that their own lives won't mean anything, that morality will evaporate, that the whole pageant of human existence somehow depends on not giving up this sort of top down idea.”

Alda: “Do you suppose some people feel that there's a lack of purpose to life if life is only the way Darwin describes it?”

Dennett responds, acknowledging our inclination to look “on high” for answers. But, he adds, it is an inclination that we need to get over, because there is no “on high.” Answers to life’s meaning are not found by looking up, but by looking around. “If you want to be happy,” Dennett coaxes, “find something more important than you are and work for it.”

"Something more" is the thirst of every human being.

Life's meaning is not found in "something" more or less. It's found in Someone.

And this is the actual battle between Creationism and evolution.

Dennett says, "There is no 'on high', get over it."

God says, "The fool has said in his heart 'there is no God'."

Darwin's evolution is a hard sell.

Jesus said, "You shall know the Truth and the Truth shall set you free."

Be Confident. Be Informed. Be Discerning. Be Prayerful. Be Blessed.