Next, we'd like to ask about your views on two different explanations for the origin and development of life on earth. Do you think -- [ITEMS ROTATED] -- is -- [ROTATED: definitely true, probably true, probably false, (or) definitely false]?
A. Evolution, that is, the idea that human beings developed over millions of years from less advanced forms of life
|
Definitely true
|
Probably true
|
Probably false
|
Definitely false
|
No opinion
|
|
2007 Jun 1-3
|
18%
|
35
|
16
|
28
|
3
|
B. Creationism, that is, the idea that God created human beings pretty much in their present form at one time within the last 10,000 years
|
Definitely true
|
Probably true
|
Probably false
|
Definitely false
|
No opinion
|
|
2007 Jun 1-3
|
39%
|
27
|
16
|
15
|
3
|
How familiar would you say you are with each of the following explanations about the origin and development of life on earth -- very familiar, somewhat familiar, not too familiar, or not at all familiar? How about -- [ITEMS ROTATED]?
A. Evolution
|
Very familiar
|
Some-what familiar
|
Not too familiar
|
Not at all familiar
|
No opinion
|
|
2007 Jun 1-3
|
41%
|
41
|
12
|
5
|
1
|
B. Creationism
|
Very familiar
|
Some-what familiar
|
Not too familiar
|
Not at all familiar
|
No opinion
|
|
2007 Jun 1-3
|
50%
|
36
|
9
|
4
|
1
|
If a presidential candidate stated that he or she DID NOT believe in the theory of evolution, would that make you -- [ROTATED: much more likely to vote for that candidate, a little more likely, not make a difference either way, would it make you a little less likely, (or) much less likely to vote for that candidate]?
|
Much
more likely
|
A little more likely
|
Not make a difference
|
A little
less likely
|
Much
less likely
|
No
opinion
|
|
Registered Voters
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2007 Jun 1-3
|
8%
|
7
|
53
|
14
|
15
|
3
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
National Adults
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2007 Jun 1-3
|
8%
|
7
|
54
|
13
|
15
|
3
|
Which comes closer to your view -- [ROTATED: a presidential candidate's views on evolution are a legitimate indicator of whether he or she is qualified to be president, (or) a presidential candidate's views on evolution are not really relevant and therefore should not be discussed as part of the campaign]?
|
Legitimate indicator
|
Not really relevant
|
No
opinion
|
|
2007 Jun 1-3
|
25%
|
70
|
5
|
Which of the following statements comes closest to your views on the origin and development of human beings -- [ROTATE 1-3/3-1: 1) Human beings have developed over millions of years from less advanced forms of life, but God guided this process, 2) Human beings have developed over millions of years from less advanced forms of life, but God had no part in this process, 3) God created human beings pretty much in their present form at one time within the last 10,000 years or so]?
|
Man developed, with God guiding
|
Man developed, but God had no part in process
|
God created man in
present form
|
Other/
No
opinion
|
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
|
2007 May 10-13
|
38
|
14
|
43
|
4
|
|
2006 May 8-11
|
36
|
13
|
46
|
5
|
|
2004 Nov 7-10
|
38
|
13
|
45
|
4
|
|
2001 Feb 19-21
|
37
|
12
|
45
|
5
|
|
1999 Aug 24-26
|
40
|
9
|
47
|
4
|
|
1997 Nov 6-9
|
39
|
10
|
44
|
7
|
|
1993 Jun
|
35
|
11
|
47
|
7
|
|
1982
|
38
|
9
|
44
|
9
|
Which of the following statements comes closest to your views on the origin and development of human beings - [ROTATED: human beings have evolved over millions of years from other forms of life and God guided this process, human beings have evolved over millions of years from other forms of life, but God had no part in this process, or God created human beings in their present form exactly the way the Bible describes it]?
|
Evolved, God guided
|
Evolved, God had
no part
|
God created man exactly how Bible describes it
|
Other
(vol.)
|
No
opinion
|
|
2005 Sep 8-11
|
31%
|
12
|
53
|
1
|
3
|
How much have you, personally, thought about these different explanations for how human beings came to exist on earth - a great deal, a moderate amount, not much, or not at all?
|
Great
deal
|
Moderate amount
|
Not
much
|
Not
at all
|
No
opinion
|
|
2005 Sep 8-11
|
41%
|
35
|
17
|
6
|
1
|
How much does it matter to you which of those theories is correct - a great deal, a moderate amount, not much, or not at all?
|
Great
deal
|
Moderate amount
|
Not
much
|
Not
at all
|
No
opinion
|
|
2005 Sep 8-11
|
40%
|
26
|
19
|
14
|
1
|
Which comes closer to your view about the relationship between science and religion - they generally agree with each other, they generally conflict with each other, or they are not related to each other in any meaningful way?
|
Agree with each other
|
Conflict with each other
|
Not related in a meaningful way
|
No
opinion
|
|
2005 Sep 8-11
|
24%
|
35
|
36
|
5
|
On a different subject, do you think each of the following explanations about the origin and development of life on earth should or should not be taught in public school science classes, or are you unsure? How about - [RANDOM ORDER]?
|
2005 Aug 8-11
|
Yes, should
|
No, should not
|
Unsure
|
No answer
|
|
Evolution
|
61%
|
20
|
19
|
*
|
|
Creationism
|
54%
|
22
|
23
|
1
|
|
Intelligent design
|
43%
|
21
|
35
|
1
|
How familiar would you say you are with each of the following explanations about the origin and development of life on earth - very familiar, somewhat familiar, not too familiar, or not at all familiar? How about - [RANDOM ORDER]?
|
2005 Aug 5-7
|
Very
familiar
|
Somewhat familiar
|
Not too familiar
|
Not at all familiar
|
No
opinion
|
|
Evolution
|
45%
|
37
|
10
|
7
|
1
|
|
Creationism
|
45%
|
29
|
15
|
9
|
2
|
|
Intelligent design
|
17%
|
28
|
27
|
25
|
3
|
For each of the following, please say whether you believe it is - [ROTATED: definitely true, probably true, probably false, (or) definitely false] as an explanation for the origin and development of life on earth? How about - [RANDOM ORDER]?
[COMBINED RESPONSES]
|
2005 Aug 5-7
|
Definitely true
|
Probably true
|
Probably false
|
Definitely false
|
Not familiar with
|
No
opinion
|
|
Creationism
|
29%
|
29
|
18
|
8
|
11
|
5
|
|
Evolution
|
20%
|
35
|
14
|
20
|
8
|
3
|
|
Intelligent design
|
8%
|
23
|
22
|
10
|
28
|
9
|
[SUMMARY TABLE]
|
2005 Aug 5-7
|
Definitely/
probably true
|
Definitely/
probably false
|
Not familiar/
no opinion
|
|
Creationism
|
58%
|
26
|
16
|
|
Evolution
|
55%
|
34
|
11
|
|
Intelligent design
|
31%
|
32
|
37
|
Next, as you may know, there are two major competing ideas on how human beings came to exist on earth.
If the public schools in your community taught the theory of evolution, -- that is, the idea that human beings evolved from other species of animals -- would you be upset, or not?
|
Yes, would
|
No, would not
|
No opinion
|
|
2005 Mar 21-23
|
34%
|
63
|
3
|
If the public schools in your community taught the theory of creationism -- that is, the idea that human beings were created by God in their present form and did not evolve from other species of animals -- would you be upset, or not?
|
Yes, would
|
No, would not
|
No opinion
|
|
2005 Mar 21-23
|
22%
|
76
|
2
|
[COMBINED RESPONSES]
|
2005 Mar 21-23
|
|
%
|
|
Not upset if either taught
|
45
|
|
Upset if evolution taught, but not creationism
|
30
|
|
Upset if creationism taught, but not evolution
|
18
|
|
Upset if both taught
|
4
|
|
No opinion
|
3
|
Just your opinion, do you think that Charles Darwin's theory of evolution is - [ROTATED: a scientific theory that has been well-supported by evidence, (or) just one of many theories and one that has not been well-supported by evidence], or don't you know enough about it to say?
|
Supported
by evidence
|
Not supported
by evidence
|
Don't know
enough to say
|
No
opinion
|
|
2004 Nov 7-10
|
35%
|
35
|
29
|
1
|
|
2001 Feb 19-21
|
35%
|
39
|
25
|
1
|
How informed would you say you are about the theory of evolution? Do you feel that you are very informed about the theory of evolution, somewhat informed, only a little informed, or not informed at all?
|
Very
informed
|
Somewhat informed
|
Not too informed
|
Not informed at all
|
No
opinion
|
|
2001 Feb 19-21
|
34%
|
47
|
11
|
6
|
2
|
How informed would you say you are about the theory of creationism? Do you feel that you are very informed about the theory of creationism, somewhat informed, only a little informed, or not informed at all?
|
Very
informed
|
Somewhat informed
|
Not too informed
|
Not informed at all
|
No
opinion
|
|
2001 Feb 19-21
|
40%
|
40
|
10
|
7
|
3
|
Would you say that you believe more in - [ROTATED: the theory of evolution (or) the theory of creationism] to explain the theory of the origin of human beings, or are you unsure? Do you lean more towards - [ROTATED: the theory of evolution (or) the theory of creationism]?
|
Theory of evolution
|
Lean toward evolution
|
Lean toward creationism
|
Theory of creationism
|
No
opinion
|
|
2001 Feb 19-21
|
28%
|
5
|
9
|
48
|
10
|
