Three times as many Americans believe in the virgin birth, as believe in evolution. Is science in trouble?

Popular opinion on these matters tend to be cyclical. It's on a conservative swing right now, but it'll go back. I don't see it as a threat to the scientific community as the people who don't believe in evolution wouldn't be scientists anyway. However, I don't think it bodes well for the general poplation that they are more inclined to accept religious dogma than actually consider the evidence in front of them.

I'm a little suspicious of the statistics you quoted. While I don't doubt that more people believe in the virgin brith than evolution, the numbers seem a bit extreme. I think further inquiry into the methodology of the study may be warrented...

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Bowser, while evolution has not been conclusively proven, there is a proponderance of evidence to support it, and none to suggest it does not occur. There is, however, no reliable evidence to support "intelligent design."

It is concerning. While ccyclical, trends liek this can cause legislstion and changes in school curricula which will further put our future generations behind other nations.

As a nation, we lack others in science and math. We are just not putting emphasis there. Our teachers are rarely equipped to teach it well and the students just not learning it. Add to the mix the ID/evolution debate and the fact that ignorant fools got evolution confused with all sorts of other aspects of biology and such and we do have a mess.

Science is pure and real, It will never go away, somewhere scientists will always exist But in America it may take a backburner to other facets of life for many decades to come.

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Bowser;

I must also chide you for a sweeping statement Evolution is well substantiated. While not proven in entirty, it has many well proven compenets and is the most likley explanation. To date, there are NO contradictions to the theorey. As for virgin birth, I can propose a dozen right now. 1) She was an unwed mother and made up the story because she was scared. 2)She was raped and did not want to admit it 3) Drugged or medicated and does not remember.... I can go on. There are valid possibilities that in this case cannot be tested but they toss reasonable doubt into the equation.

Many people need to believe in something, and that's not a problem for science. We can all guess some reasons for this. We live in a competitive world, sometimes the world seems cruel, there is racism, intolerance, injustice, hunger, misery. People find in religion some hope many times. And maybe that's why the opinions of religious people are so definitive, their hope of a better life depends on beliving and don't want to quit that.

But why does science (sometimes) seems to be in contradiction with religion? In science we learn to doubt about everything. Nothing is certain, we have to ask questions and admit we don't know anything. And while we investigate we never get to know the truth, we know only if something is more or less probable to happen. And that way of thinking, that uncertainty that rules the scientific method, is totally different of how a religion teaches, for example when it comes to the point of how things where made.

But is different when religion teaches how we should behave with others. Most people, religious or not, will agree that is good to treat our neighbour just as we would like to be treated. So science seems to contradict with the “historic” view that religion has about creation, but not its ethic or spiritual ideas, at least not always.

Sadly, many people have grown accustomed to not thinking. And I'm not talking about stupid people, just people that are too lazy to research something thoroughly and draw their own conclusions. Those people will adopt any pre-digested ideas, the easier the better.

I'm sorry if I offend any creationists, but from what I've read here, it seems that they're all repeating arguments that they've heard or read somewhere, without any analysis of the validity or reality of those "facts".

And another thing: at least in my country, which is predominantly Catholic, some of the darkest segments of the church have always worked to keep people ignorant and manageable.

That said, science is not in trouble as long as there are people willing to go beyond our current knowledge.

It is indeed a bit curious and worrisome. I've read numerous papers and heard from several sources that the "virgin" in "virgin birth" was likely a mistranslation; it should correctly have been "young woman."

Meanwhile, many who believe in creation by a supreme being ignore evidence such as Arhaeopteryx, the fossil proving the evolutionary link between dinosaurs and birds. They also claim radiometric dating is full of error, when in fact it is not. Radiometric dating does not, as is commonly believed, rely solely upon carbon-14, and neither is it affected by environmental pressures.

However, I also realize that there are many Christians who reconcile their religion with science (for example, believing that evolution is one of the mysterious ways in which God works). Not all Christians don't "believe" in evolution, but it is a bit worrisome that less than a third of the American population does.

As to your question regarding science being in danger--let's recall Galileo. The Catholic church placed him under house arrest and barred publication of his current and future works for his heretical beliefs that the sun did not, in fact, revolve around the earth...but today, a vast majority believe in a heliocentric solar system. (I say vast majority because there are, indeed, people that still believe in the geocentric model, usually because of Biblical teachings.)

Quoting Disraeli, there are liars, damned liars, and statistics. And American polls are statistics; you know, the same as claim 83% of Americans believe in UFOs piloted by Elvis while another 25% of us truly believe our parents are space aliens.

America was based on faith, freedom of religion was one of the founding principles. I wouldn't link lack of belief in evolution with religious dogma, as evolution has not been proven 100%. This is why scientists are so excited when skeletons are discovered that are even closer to modern man.

However, America has been producing fewer scientists and mathematicians for decades. Blame it on education -- including lack of respect for teachers and poor study habits -- not religion.

Science is not in trouble. The virgin birth of Jesus is true, whilst evolution has not been proved.