90% of Americans believe in god; half reject evolution
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17879317/site/newsweek/
NEWSWEEK Poll: 90% Believe in God The latest NEWSWEEK poll shows that 91 percent of American adults =
surveyed believe in God=97and nearly half reject the theory of =
evolution. Also, Americans on John Edwards and the Senate’s goal for =
troop withdrawal WEB EXCLUSIVE By Brian Braiker Updated: 3:04 p.m. ET March 31, 2007
March 30, 2007 - A belief in God and an identification with an =
organized religion are widespread throughout the country, according =
to the latest NEWSWEEK poll. Nine in 10 (91 percent) of American =
adults say they believe in God and almost as many (87 percent) say =
they identify with a specific religion. Christians far outnumber =
members of any other faith in the country, with 82 percent of the =
poll=92s respondents identifying themselves as such. Another 5 percent =
say they follow a non-Christian faith, such as Judaism or Islam. =
Nearly half (48 percent) of the public rejects the scientific theory =
of evolution; one-third (34 percent) of college graduates say they =
accept the Biblical account of creation as fact. Seventy-three =
percent of Evangelical Protestants say they believe that God created =
humans in their present form within the last 10,000 years; 39 percent =
of non-Evangelical Protestants and 41 percent of Catholics agree with =
that view.
Although one in ten (10 percent) of Americans identify themselves as =
having “no religion,” only six percent said they don=92t believe in a =
God at all. Just 3 percent of the public self-identifies as atheist, =
suggesting that the term may carry some stigma. Still, the poll =
suggests that the public=92s tolerance of this small minority has =
increased in recent years. Nearly half (47 percent) of the =
respondents felt the country is more accepting of atheists today that =
it used to be and slightly more (49 percent) reported personally =
knowing an atheist. Those numbers are higher among respondents under =
30 years old, 62 percent of whom report knowing an atheist (compared =
to just 43 percent of those 50 and older). Sixty-one percent of the =
under-30 cohort view society as more accepting of atheists (compared =
to 40 percent of the Americans 50 and older).
Still, it is unlikely that a political candidate would serve him or =
herself well by declaring their atheism. Six in ten (62 percent) =
registered voters say they would not vote for a candidate who is an =
atheist. Majorities of each major party =97 78 percent of Repulicans =
and 60 percent of Democrats =97 rule out such an option. Just under =
half (45 percent) of registered independents would not vote for an =
atheist. Still more than a third (36 percent) of Americans think the =
influence of organized religion on American politics has increased in =
recent years. But the public is still split over whether religion has =
too much (32 percent) or too little (31 percent) influence on =
American politics. Democrats tend to fall in the “too much” camp (42 =
percent of them, as opposed to 29 percent who see too little =
influence) as Republicans take the opposite view (42 percent too =
little; 14 percent too much). In the poll, 68 percent of respondents =
said they believed someone could be moral and an atheist, compared to =
26 percent who said it was not possible.
The NEWSWEEK poll also asked respondents about recent developments in =
national politics. This week the Senate joined the U.S. House of =
Representatives in passing legislation along party lines that =
included a “goal” for troop withdrawal by next March. A majority (57 =
percent) of Americans support the legislation. The president=92s =
approval ratings remain at just 33 percent, up just three points from =
his all-time low in the NEWSWEEK poll earlier this month. Two-thirds =
(66 percent) of the respondents were dissatisfied with the direction =
the country is headed in and Bush=92s rating for his handling of the =
war in Iraq (28 percent) continues to be lower than his handling of =
terrorism (45 percent) and the economy (41 percent).
Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards, who recently =
announced that his wife’s cancer has returned, is a popular figure, =
with 41 percent of Americans saying they have a generally favorable =
view of him (27 percent have an unfavorable view). And most (56 =
percent) think the former senator should remain in the race despite =
his wife’s medical situation. Very few (12 percent) suspect that he =
is using Elizabeth=92s illness to his political advantage. Seventy-two =
percent feel that staying in the race was something the Edwards =
family genuinely saw as the right thing to do and half (51 percent) =
think it will put Edwards more in touch with the concerns of average =
Americans (41 percent don=92t). Indeed, just 11 percent of Americans =
think his wife=92s health would be enough of a distraction to keep =
Edwards from his duties were he to be elected next year (64 percent =
think her illness would be at least “somewhat” distracting).
The poll also found limited voter demand for former Vice President Al =
Gore to toss his hat into the ring. Despite a spate of publicity =
around his involvement in the Academy Award-winning documentary “An =
Inconvenient Truth,” only a third (33 percent) of registered voters =
want to see him run again while a majority (56 percent) would not. =
Still, about half (49 percent) say there is at least some chance they =
would vote for Gore if he were on the ballot next year (a quarter, 24 =
percent, say there would be a “good chance” he would get their vote). =
Nearly half of registered Democrats (47 percent) want him to run, 39 =
percent do not and 14 percent are undecided.
The NEWSWEEK Poll, conducted March 28-March 29, has a margin of error =
of plus or minus 4 percentage points for questions based on all =
registered voters and plus or minus 6 percentage points for results =
based on registered Republicans and Republican leaners. In conducting =
the poll, Princeton Survey Research Associates International =
interviewed 1,004 adults aged 18 and older.