Evolution in America: Why Are We So Far Behind?

"Thus, from the war of nature, from famine and death, the most exalted object which we are capable of conceiving, namely, the production of the higher animals, directly follows. There is grandeur in this view of life, with its several powers, having been originally breathed into a few forms or into one; and that, whilst this planet has gone cycling on according to the fixed law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been, and are being, evolved."

These words were published by Charles Darwin in 1859 in his book The Origin of Species. There, Darwin laid out a new theory of human development, one in which we developed from primitive life forms – tiny, single cell organisms – into the intelligent beings that exist today, over millions and millions of years. This theory also introduced us to a new family – our evolutionary cousins, like the chimpanzee. It placed man’s existence in a natural setting and gave us more humble origins than perhaps we were used to.

In the 150 years since Darwin first published his book on evolution, mountains of evidence have been found supporting his theory. Geology and astronomy have shown that the Earth is some 4.5 billion years old. Physics has discovered that the universe is between 13 and 15 billion years old. Anthropologists and Paleontologists have discovered transition fossils that illustrate how species have evolved. And DNA and genetics have developed to the point where we have mapped the human genome, and can compare it to other species. I mentioned our cousin, the chimpanzee; a recent study has shown that human and chimpanzee DNA are 99.4% similar in the most critical areas. They are, indeed, our evolutionary relatives.

It is an amazing feat, what science has accomplished in enhancing our understanding of the incredible world in which we live. One cannot help but be in awe when hearing the age of the world, let alone the universe, and comparing it with the short time we are given to be on the planet.

Unfortunately, in spite of the evidence, there are a large number of people who would rather fight the scientific accomplishments we have achieved than accept a wider understanding. In the United States, several recent polls have shown that between 40% and 50% of Americans flatly reject evolution. By comparison, between 70% and 80% of people in Denmark, Sweden, France and Japan accept evolution as fact. In fact, out of 34 countries polled, the United States ranked 2nd to last in belief in evolution coming just ahead of Turkey.

So what is rotten in America? The problem, to put it plainly, is the Bible -- or, rather, an interpretation of the Bible that is particularly prevalent in the United States. First of all, let me make it clear: I am not against being religious, or believing in God. I’m not against the Bible itself. What I am against, strongly, is the idea that the Bible should be read 100% literally.

Let me further illustrate how big of a problem this is: in the 100% literal interpretation of the bible, the Earth was created in literally six days (God rested on the seventh), and mankind – as a species – is literally 10,000 years old. This idea is commonly referred to as Creationism.

However, we know, through science, that the human race is somewhere around 200,000 years old. We know the Earth and everything on it was not created in 144 hours. We have discovered these theories through science: the same science that has proved to work time and time again. It is the same science that has given us the electricity that powers our computers and lights, the vaccinations that help fight diseases, the principles behind broadband Internet connections, and so much more. Science goes where the evidence goes. Sometimes it gets things wrong, but that is okay. The nature of science is such that it can admit mistakes, correct itself, and still be credible.

The Bible does not talk about science. At all. At approximately 775,000 words. It is a long book, but not so long that it could encompass all we know about science, and teach about the Word of God. The Bible doesn’t talk about DNA, or pulsars, or the ionosphere, or bacteria. It says nothing of extrasolar planets, viruses, or electricity. It doesn’t have to; it’s not a science book, and it isn’t meant to be one. To read it as such is to miss the point of many of the lessons it does teach.

Nonetheless, in several polls conducted by Gallup, CBS, and other credible sources, between 44% and 46% of Americans polled believe the literal interpretation of the bible – that the human race was placed on Earth, by God, 10,000 years ago -- a direct contradiction of every available shred of evidence. Worse, 65% of people polled by CBS favored teaching Creationism alongside evolution in schools. Over a 1/3 – 37% -- favored teaching Creationism instead of evolution!

I have often heard, from people trying to find middle ground, that we should teach both ideas. After all, we live in a democracy. If the people want creationism, we should allow them to teach it. And I agree: but not in a science class.

Science is not democratic. Science attempts to understand world as the evidence shows that it is – not portraying the world as we might want it to be. The simple fact that an alternate idea exists or is popular does not make that idea science. We don’t demand that we teach views that the Earth is flat, and that the Earth is round. We don’t demand that we teach views that the Earth revolves around the sun, and that the sun revolves around the Earth. If there is serious scientific controversy over a theory, it is valid to teach that controversy, within the confines of science. The question with regards to evolution is twofold: are there serious scientific disagreements over the basic element of the theory, and is creationism a valid scientific alternative?

The answer to both of those questions is a resounding NO!

There are many intelligent people in the world who are religious; there are many intelligent people in the world who believe in God. That is not what this is about. What it is about is having a reasonable view of religion; tempering one’s view of the Bible, and one’s spirituality, with what we, as a species, have learned about the world through centuries of careful observation and experimentation. It is about making spirituality work with the facts that surround us.

Over the tens of thousands of years we have existed, human belief about God and spirituality has evolved as our knowledge of the universe has evolved. When Nicholas Copernicus showed that the Earth revolves around the sun, it shattered a long-held belief about our place in the universe – a place that, at the time, was supported by the Bible. People didn’t want to believe that the Earth was not the center of the universe. It was humbling; it made our species suddenly seem less special, less important. But the evidence is inescapable. Now it is common sense that the Earth revolves around the sun.

And people still believe in God.

Evolution is the same. We learned something new about the universe – God’s universe, if you believe that – and it isn’t quite like we originally thought. But the evidence is inescapable. As rational beings, we owe it to ourselves to examine the world truthfully and honestly. The vastness of the universe, the amazing complexity of evolution, and the progression of the human race from a single cell to the complex creatures that exist today, can instill a profound respect for the universe – and maybe, too, for that which created it.