59% of Canadians accept the reality of evolution, while only 22% believe some dude named God poofed man, the earth, the universe, and everything else into existence less than 10,000 years ago. Of course, we have a bunch of non committal Canadians who "don't know." These are the same people who would answer "don't know" to just about anything because they just don't want to risk that they might give the "wrong" answer. The don't knows could also have included those yo yo's who believe the earth is old but "macroevolution" never happened.
Click here for the actual poll results.
Here is what Americans "believe."
Of course, the more educated one is, the more likely that person is to accept evolution and an ancient earth. And on a bright note, the younger generation of Canadians accept evolution more than the older generation.
The second poll question was way too wordy. The Big Valley Creation Science Museum opened this month in Alberta. One of the museum’s displays suggests that dinosaurs and human beings co-existed on earth. Do you agree or disagree with this assertion? Canadians don't have the greatest attention spans. After around 12 words, many Canadians minds start wandering off thinking about beer or hockey.
The results just didn't jive with respect to the first question on whether one believed in evolution or creation. 42% agreed with that statement, while only 37% disagreed. Again another 21% were non committal. Besides not really understanding the question, I'm going to blame Canadian television which used to have The Flintstones on way too much.
I was really surprised that Quebec doesn't have as many reality deniers as the rest of the country. I would have thought that they had way more yard ape YECs.
"I was really surprised that Quebec doesn't have as many reality deniers as the rest of the country."
ReplyDeleteI don't know Canada very well but is it possible that Quebec, culturally speaking, is a little further removed from Anglo-Saxon culture? The YEC movement is after all a predominantly Anglo-Saxon Protestant affair. In most of Europe the whole Creationist idea is met with ridicule from all sides. But a few yokels did try and get a YEC foot on the ground in predominantly Protestant England (they weren't successful).
So this may be more the result of a cultural divide than anything else. Just a thought...
I don't see what's so wrong about admitting that you don't know something that you don't know. It's really the only way to not come off as arrogant.
ReplyDeleteGert, it could be due to a language barrier too.
ReplyDeleteZooplah, I understand your point. However I don't think that many Canadians really don't know. I could be wrong.
The reason for fewer YEC's in quebec is likely due to the "quiet revolution"
ReplyDeleteup until like the 50's the catholic church basically ran Quebec and kept it pretty ignorant and backwards finally quebecers were fed up and a secular revolution occurred brining more gender equity and making Quebec much more progressive. So as a result religiosity (proper word?) is very low in Quebec. The most popular religion is Catholicism which is prey notorious for its apathetic followers, also Quebec culture promotes secularism you may have heard of a stink made over hijabs at girls soccer games .
the pat