Monday, July 24, 2017
American Religious People Now Evenly Split Between Young-Earth Creation and God-Guided Evolution
A new Gallup poll shows that the 4/5ths of Americans who are religious are now evenly split - 38% to 38% - over whether God created the universe pretty much the way it is within the last 10,000 years, or whether God created the universe a long time ago and has guided evolution since then.
For decades, most religious Americans took the "young earth" creationist position. That support has dropped in the last few years. The contrasting "theistic evolution" position has risen somewhat.
At the same time, the belief in a wholly secular evolution has doubled to nearly a fifth of all Americans.
Theistic evolution has been the majority opinion among the most educated religious people for decades. Most college-educated religious Americans accept that there is no conflict between creation and evolution. It may be that what we are seeing reflects the fact that more religious people are getting a college education.
This is also good news for all centrists, who lament the polarization of much of our culture by false dichotomies. May we all be more willing to consider the middle position.
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I have observed that many well educated people who are critical thinkers in other areas do not allow this concept in their religious belief. Questioning a long held or taught belief in areas such as young-earth creation would be a unthinkable questioning of faith. Dr. Mathney taught us to always ask "why", and to have sound reasons for your opinion.
The "middle position " is worth considering when the discussion is arbitrary.
It would seem to me ,however, there are some topics that would lend to taking a position for or against.
Naming the spectrum is always a crucial task. Aristotle's mark of a correctly drawn spectrum is a medium between an excess and a deficiency. I see the two extreme options in the creation/evolution spectrum as representing an excess and a deficiency of divine will. There are, of course, other ways of framing the issue.
I would agree, many dilemmas are best served with reason however, the argument for " creation " by the Deity is limited by what is presented in the book of Genesis, which is very narrow. Therefore,I would not fault one for holding that position or the other for rejecting the veracity of the Genesis account. I have to say, those who always and only insist a centrist position can and often are polarizing. There are some absolutes.
Baxter Black, cowboy, poet, and former large animal veterinarian tackled this weighty issue in his poem “Cowboy Time.” It is, I think, a true testimony to the sovereignty of God. (See last stanza)
https://www.scrapbook.com/poems/doc/25783.html
Oh, that is a good one. Wise fellow, Baxter Black.
Well, we all agree then, God is the Sovereign!!
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