According to a new survey from Pew Research Center, one in three Americans does not believe in evolution. The results of the survey were released on December 30 and they reveal that 33 percent of Americans believe humans and other living organisms have existed in their current form since the beginning of time.
Among those who said that they believe in evolution, a quarter said that a supreme being has guided the evolution of living organisms for them to exist as they do today. However, six in ten Americans said that living organisms have evolved over time, though only half of these respondents were of the opinion that different processes like natural selection, not god, have played a role in the same. This goes on to show that religion plays a crucial role in how evolution is viewed, at least by Americans.
The survey revealed that most white evangelical Protestants do not believe in evolution, since two thirds of them said that humans have existed in their current form since the start of time. Half of black evangelical Protestants shared the same opinion, with only 15 percent of mainline Protestants saying otherwise.
Pew Research Center last surveyed Americans on evolution in 2009. While the general population’s views have roughly remained the same, the difference in opinion between Democrats and Republicans has increased significantly. Now, 67 percent of Democrats and 43 percent of Republicans believe in evolution as opposed to 64 percent of Democrats and 54 percent of Republicans in 2009.
The 2013 survey that included 1983 adults from across the United States, was conducted between March 21 and April 8. The margin of error was determined as 3 percentage points.
