Survey: U.S. Protestant pastors reject evolution, split on Earth's age

[n2doc]

By Dan Gilgoff, CNN.com

America’s Protestant pastors overwhelmingly reject the theory of evolution and are evenly split on whether the earth is 6,000 years old, according to a survey released Monday by the Southern Baptist Convention.

When asked if “God used evolution to create people," 73% of pastors disagreed - 64% said they strongly disagreed - compared to 12% who said they agree.

Asked whether the earth is approximately 6,000 years old, 46% agreed, compared to 43% who disagreed.

A movement called Young Earth creationism promotes the 6,000-year-old figure, arguing that it is rooted in the Bible. Scientists say the earth is about 4.5 billion years old.

The Southern Baptist Convention survey, which queried 1,000 American Protestant pastors, also found that 74% believe the biblical Adam and Eve were literal people.

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http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2012/01/10/survey-u-s-protestant-pastors-reject-evolution-split-on-earths-age/

[RKP5637]

1. Idiots.

[kestrel91316]

2. One of many reasons I don't go to church.

[rurallib]

3. makes me think of the Obama line

"They are not only ignorant, they are proud of it."

[hlthe2b]

4. Southern Baptist survey? So, which denominations did they survey? Fundies only?

I say this because, as a child I attended what would be considered liberal Christian denominations today, though they were very much mainstream then for the region--Methodist, mainly and the occasional Unitarian. The concept of evolution was not considered antithetical to their messaging, but was, rather incorporated much as many scientists are able to embrace the two. Even in "Sunday school," there was never this imposed ban on discussing anything but absolute and literal biblical messaging. In college, I even occasionally attended a Catholic church on campus with friends. While it was probably (undoubtedly) a rather liberal outlier, there was none of this kind of ridiculous anti-science crap being spewed from the Priest nor membership.

I'm just saying one can get any result you want by limiting WHO is surveyed. I also think that Darwin was not as much the heretic enemy he has been made to be today, until the RW and their fundy cohorts decided to make him so.

I am not a church attendee today, so perhaps things have changed. But, I really doubt that it is for all denominations.


BTW, I really want one of these newly minted two pound coins...

[jwirr]

7. That was my question. If all you ask is fundies then you wasted the time taking a survey.

[dmallind]

9. If both CNN and the research group are to be believed

The sample was of random protestant churches nationally.

[hlthe2b]

11. "Random Protestant churches" does not mean they did not restrict denominations...

My point remains. I don't buy it. One could randomly choose Southern Baptist or Church of Christ or any of a number of primarily evangelical/fundamentalist denominations. That is meaningless.

[HockeyMom]

5. Complete opposite of Catholic view

God created Evolution. Bible is meant to teach a lesson, not literal fact. They might have problems with Santorum on this, unless he parts company with this church's beliefs.

[liberalhistorian]

6. Well, as a devout Christian myself, I'd like

to tell them that they are entitled to their own opinions, but they are not entitled to their own facts and they cannot change or ignore actual scientific facts, including those involving evolution and the age of the earth.

Of course, I'm one of those "heretics" who believe the bible is often figurative and not literal. I believe evolution and creationism are not mutually exclusive, that evolution is the way we were created and that one day in the bible could have been, and likely was, millions of years. I've known Christians who are scientists and see no contradiction and, indeed, who gave archeological and scientific evidence for some biblical incidents and history. There are many more of us than you might think, including pastors and including seminary professors. It depends on the denomination. My guess is that mostly Baptists and other conservative denominations were used in this survey.

Those who demonize science and continue to insist on the falsehood of evolution and that the earth is only six thousand years old, and who call any evidence to the contrary a "satanic plot" are the ignorant idiots. Science is actually God's handiwork in a lot of ways.

[dmallind]

8. May I grab thid for the religion group? nt

[dmallind]

10. Never mind. There already. Good find! nt

[prairierose]

12. This looks very deceptive...

I do not think they could have asked any pastor from a mainstream protestant church these questions. I really do not believe they would have gotten these answers.

This is very poor polling practice as well as very poor reporting. Both the polling and the reporting seems to be very biased.