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The More People Know Darwin, The Less They Want Him

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2373382/posts



The More They Know Darwin, The Less They Want Darwin-Only
Indoctrination


Evolution News & Views ^ | October 27, 2009 | Anika Smith

Posted on 29. october 2009 3:34:50 by GodGunsGuts

The More They Know Darwin, The Less They Want Darwin-Only
Indoctrination

According to an international poll released by the British Council,
the majority of Americans — 60% — support teaching alternatives to
evolution in the science classroom. The percentage is the same for
Britons, despite the fact that both countries have been inundated with
pro-Darwin media coverage in this super-mega Darwin Year.

Of course, the British media reporting this are chagrined. Britain is
the birthplace of Charles Darwin and his theory of evolution, and the
official-sounding British Council, the UK group behind the “Darwin
Now” campaign that commissioned the Ipsos MORI poll, have spent
precious resources educating the world about Darwin. Now some believe
the poll shows that efforts by Darwinist organizations aren't working.

Head of the British Council’s Darwin Now program Fern Elsdon-Baker
said, “Overall these results may reflect the need for a more
sophisticated approach to teaching and communicating how science works
as a process.”

While Darwin’s apologists might try to explain the poll numbers as an
example of ignorance influencing people’s beliefs, the numbers
themselves suggest a different picture.

Across the board, most respondents from the ten countries polled
thought that “other perspectives on the origins of species” “such as
intelligent design and creationism” should be taught in science
class*. When the poll is weighted to include only those respondents
who have heard of Charles Darwin and know something about his theory
of evolution, the percentage supporting alternate theories increases,
from 60% to 66% in Britain and 60% to 64% in the U.S.

The correlation appears again when we consider which countries have
more knowledge of Darwin’s theory. The highest numbers of those in
support of alternative theories in the classroom correspond to the
highest numbers of those familiar with Charles Darwin — 60% in
Britain, 65% in Mexico, 61% in China, 66% in Russia, and 60% in the
U.S. It appears that the more people know about Darwin’s theory, the
more they want to see alternatives in science class.

The basic truth is that most people want evolution to have to compete
for its place of dominance in their schools. Interestingly, the U.S.
was the only nation with significant knowledge of Darwin where
respondents chose the option “theories about the origins of species
and development of life on earth should not be taught in science
lessons at all.” 14% chose that, compared with 3% in Britain.

*This takes both those who select "other perspectives" only and those
who select "other perspectives" together with "evolutionary theories."
It should be noted that Discovery Institute opposes efforts to mandate
teaching alternative theories in the science classroom — we'd rather
have the whole picture of evolution, the scientific arguments both for
and against the theory, presented instead.

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