This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Once again, 42 percent of Americans remain creationists, believing that "God created humans in their present form 10,000 years ago" (Gallup poll, June 3).
For those people who may think that scientists, educators, and secularists rail against straw men only: That's a lot of hay.
Also horrific, but less obvious: Only 19 percent of Americans accept human evolution, scientifically defined.
Granted, another 31 percent believe in "God-guided" evolution.
But don't be fooled. "God-guided" evolution is no more scientific evolution than "God-guided" falling is gravity. Both are magic. The term represents a disingenuous attempt to steal some respectability for Biblical myths via obfuscation.
Better news is that the percentage of people who do accept scientific human evolution has doubled since 2000. That figure had held steady for decades at about 9 percent before starting to rise steadily since. And the percentage of people who accept creationism is the lowest, and who accept scientific human evolution is the highest, among the educated and the young.
There is hope of creating a brave new world of informed people. Unfortunately, religion remains an obstacle, so it may take six decades instead of only six days.
Gregory A. Clark, Ph.D.
Salt Lake City