About origins

Results of public opinion polls on naturalistic
evolution, theistic evolution & creation science

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Beliefs about origin of the species:

Since most religions have a unique creation story, the total number of belief systems about origins is quite large. However, the vast majority of Americans believe one of the following three belief systems:

• Naturalistic evolution: The Earth coalesced about 4.5 billion years ago, literally out of stardust -- the waste products of exploding supernovae. Within about 1 billion years, the first forms of elementary life came into existence. These single-celled animals evolved over billions of years producing an enormous variety of species, most of which are currently extinct. Either no God exists, or the God who exists took no part in this evolution.
  
  
• Theistic evolution: As for naturalistic evolution, except that God directed evolution and used it as a tool to produce the diversity of species currently present on Earth or now extinct.
  
  
• Creation science: God created the Earth, sun, moon, planets and other stars less than 10,000 years ago. He then created all of the plant and animal life. Finally, he fashioned Adam out of mud, and Eve out of a rib of Adam.

This section contains polling data about the percentages of Americans who believe in each of these three belief systems.

Topics covered in this section:

• 1987 poll among earth and life scientists; Polls from 1982 to 2010 polls among the general public.
  
  
• Polls by various groups, 1999 to 2005.
  
  
• Polls by various groups, 2006 to 2010. Beliefs in other countries. Sources of beliefs.

Other related essays dealing with evolution & creation science:

	Overview of evolution and creation science
	3 conflicting world views, and many individual belief systems
	Beliefs held by various faith groups

Copyright © 1995 to 2010 by Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance (Yes, this website went online during the infancy of the Internet when there were only about 6,000 websites in existence.)
Originally published on 1995-NOV. 
Last update: 2010-DEC-26
Author: B.A. Robinson

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