Responses from Gallup Polls

Every three years for the past 38 years, Gallup Polls has conducted a national U.S. survey asking this question: 'Which of the following statements comes closest to your views on the origin and development of human beings?' with these three choices for answers:

1. Human beings have developed over millions of year from less advance forms of life, but God guided this process
2. Human beings have developed over millions of years from less advance forms of life, but God had no part in this process
3. God created human beings pretty much in their present form at one time within the last 10,000 years or so

Here's a summary of responses from the most recent poll:

• 40% said there were NO people before Adam; God created (#3)
• 33% said there WERE people before Adam; God created or guided (#1)
• 22% said there WERE people before Adam; God had no part in it (#2)
• 48% with no college education, and 23% with college degree, said there were NO people before Adam (#3)
• 56% of Protestants and 34% of Catholics said there were NO people before Adam (#3)
• 68% of people who attend church every week said there were NO people before Adam (#3)
• The chart below shows how American beliefs on this issue have changed over the years. The statistical trends coincide with the increasing numbers of Americans saying they have no religious identification.

Statistics show the battle line

The battle line between church and science can be seen with greater clarity on the Big Bang issue than on most issues because here we have data to show the kind and number of people on each side.

Most people in the younger generations are not really aware of either the issue or the battle. They just know that there's some kind of basic conflict between church and science ... that they're on the side of science ... and that the Bible cannot be trusted as a book of truth.