• Share

Evolution views driven by faith more than education





Evangelicals are four times as likely to reject human evolution as mainline Protestants, with 64 percent of evangelicals saying that “humans have existed in their present form since the beginning of time.” Half of black Protestants say humans have not evolved, compared to 15 percent of white mainline Protestants who share that opinion.


The gap between Republicans and Democrats on evolution has grown by 10 points since 2009, with 43 percent of Republicans and 67 percent of Democrats saying humans have evolved over time.

Those who accept evolution may differ on how it may have happened. The belief that evolution occurred as a natural process (not necessarily one guided by God) is still a minority view. Only among people who have no religious affiliation does a majority (57 percent) think humans evolved due to natural processes.

For Protestants who say that humans have evolved over time, the group is divided over whether evolution is due to natural processes or whether it was guided by a supreme being (36 percent each).

Meanwhile, the Creation Museum in Kentucky, which promotes a literal reading of the biblical account of a six-day creation, will begin offering free admission to children this year. Seeking a wider audience, the museum has rolled out some displays that contain no religious messages. —RNS

This article was edited on January 23, 2014.
