New Pew Poll Shows Republicans, Evangelicals Least Likely to Accept Evolution

A new Pew research poll on the “Public’s Views on Human Evolution” was released presenting data that backs up what many political and religious scholars have suspected for some time: that white Evangelical Republicans (particularly older ones) constitute the group that most rejects the basic scientific principle of human evolution via natural selection.

The results are simultaneously unbelievable and yet quite typical, or at the very least, expected.

While only 33% of adult Americans still don’t accept human evolution via natural selection, opting instead to believe that “humans and other living things have existed in their present form since the beginning of time”, THAT NUMBER NEARLY DOUBLES TO 64% among white evangelical protestants(!) AND, of those white evangelical protestants that did accept evolution, half of them said that a “supreme being guided [the] process.” As a point of comparison, a majority of Catholics (both white, 68%, and Hispanic, 53%) accept human evolution.

But what is truly disturbing is the continued religio-political marriage between the Republican party and white Evangelicals (the most fundamentalist of whom are spearheading the even more conservative Tea Party movements). While a majority of Independents (65%) and Democrats (67%) accept evolution as the origin of humankind, A MAJORITY OF REPUBLICANS NOW REJECT EVOLUTION – with 48% of Republicans saying that humans “existed in present from since the beginning”, and only 43% of Republicans accepting evolution. And incredulously, unlike trends in nearly every other demographic where science and science education appear to (finally!) be taking root and acceptance of human evolution is increasing, THE PERCENTAGE OF REPUBLICANS ACCEPTING EVOLUTION IS ACTUALLY DOWN 11%(!!) over the past four years, from 54% in 2009 to 43% in 2013.

No wonder many think the Republican party is out of touch. Statistically, Republicans are actually getting DUMBER scientifically! Then again, look at the recent major Republican political candidates and their religious views. Good grief!

Also of note in the survey:

• Men accept evolution more than women (65% to 55%).
• Not surprisingly, college graduates accept evolution far more than those with a high school or less education (72% to 51%).
• And again not surprisingly, younger demographics consistently accept evolution more than their older counterparts, with 68% of those ages 18-29 accepting evolution, roughly 60% of those ages 30-64, but only 49% of those 65 and older accepting evolution. This is likely due to a number of factors, including an increased acceptance of science and scientific principles among high school and college students, the rise of the Internet and the availability of credible information about evolution – information that is not always taught by parents and pastors, and it is also likely a reflection of the increasing rejection of traditional religious institutions by younger generations.

In sum, we now have hard data to support what many of us have observed for some time now: a correlation between older generations, white Evangelicals, the Republican party, and a rejection of one of the basic principles of science, namely human evolution via natural selection.

We can take hope, however, that among both Christian and non-religious groups alike, there is an overall increase in the acceptance of human evolution via natural selection, and that those still rejecting evolution appear to be limited to groups that are lesser educated, Evangelical, and of older ages. Again, this is likely due to an increased acceptance of science and scientific principles among younger generations, the Internet’s ability to provide increasingly credible information about evolution and information demonstrating the fallacies (both scientific and religious) of Creationism, and the increasingly pervasive stigma that Creationism is associated with old, white, conservative, Evangelical Republicans who are out of touch with science, reality, and the majority of the people.

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UPDATE: I had the wrong URL in the initial link to the Pew study. It now correctly links to the study.

Happy Winter Solstice 2013

Happy Winter Solstice 2013!

However you celebrate this winter astronomical phenomenon, may you enjoy a great longest night of the year (for us “Northerners”), and a prosperous year ahead as each new day grows longer.

More: http://www.theguardian.com/culture/gallery/2013/dec/21/winter-solstice-stonehenge-in-pictures

Phil Robertson: Making the Church of Christ Proud

Phil Robertson: making the Church of Christ proud.

So let me get this straight (no pun intended):

One Church of Christ University, Pepperdine, has one of their law school professors, Richard Peterson, become the poster child of the “Yes on 8” campaign to ban same-sex marriage, and then after the school tries to claim they don’t take sides on political issues, watches their law school Dean, Ken Starr, lead the legal appeal after Prop 8 was struck down by the courts…

and now…

Phil Robertson, who attends the White’s Ferry Road Church of Christ in West Monroe, LA, and whose son, Willie, attended another Church of Christ University, Harding, makes graphic comments condemning gays in God’s name.

Can we honestly say we did NOT see this coming???

UPDATE: Duck Dynasty’s Phil Robertson Suspended Indefinitely after Anti-Gay Remarks

Phil Robertson. Photo by Karolina Wojtasik/A&E.

A&E has indefinitely suspended Duck Dynasty’s Phil Robertson after his anti-gay remarks.

Good for A&E. Bigoted Christian fundamentalism does not belong in the public realm.

“A&E has placed Duck Dynasty patriarch Phil Robertson on indefinite hiatus following anti-gay remarks he made in a recent profile in GQ.”

A&E issued the following statement:

“We are extremely disappointed to have read Phil Robertson’s comments in GQ, which are based on his own personal beliefs and are not reflected in the series Duck Dynasty,” A&E said in a statement. “His personal views in no way reflect those of A+E Networks, who have always been strong supporters and champions of the LGBT community. The network has placed Phil under hiatus from filming indefinitely.”

Good. Bigotry has no place on TV, or in Christianity for that matter.

As I said earlier, they know the show is on the decline, and they have enough speaking engagements lined up in the conservative Christian community to make plenty of money and sustain their business for years to come.

“It seems that the Duck Dynasty folks have finally reached that point that Tim Tebow reached when he realized that he was approaching the final days of his “day job”, and he decided to leverage what was left of his popularity into one final evangelistic appeal before his time on the public stage was done. I believe that’s exactly what Robertson meant when he said: “Let’s face it. Three, four, five years, we’re out of here,” Robertson told GQ. “You know what I’m saying? It’s a TV show. This thing ain’t gonna last forever. No way.”

The sooner, the better.

Right on cue, here come the anti-gay comments from Duck Dynasty

Proud Rednecks. Proud Christians. Proud Southerners. Proud Bible quotin’, gun totin’, pro-Jesus, anti-gay redencks.

If this is describes you, then here are your role models.

Phil Robertson’s anti-gay comments are receiving backlash from the LGBT community. (L-R) Willie Robertson, Phil Robertson and Si Robertson attend the A+E Networks 2012 on May 9, 2012. (Andy Kropa/WireImage) | Andy Kropa via Getty Images

We’ve seen that as the Duck Dynasty folks become more popular nationally, their fundamentalist religious beliefs are coming more to the forefront.

From their Restoration Heritage Church of Christ roots at Harding University, to their upcoming involvement in a fundamentalist Christian propaganda film, and now, right on cue, here come the (explicit) anti-gay remarks in an interview with GQ.

Comments include gems such as:

“It seems like, to me, a vagina — as a man — would be more desirable than a man’s anus,” [Phil] Robertson told GQ.

“That’s just me. I’m just thinking: There’s more there! She’s got more to offer. I mean, come on, dudes! You know what I’m saying?

But hey, sin: It’s not logical, my man. It’s just not logical.”

and

“Start with homosexual behavior and just morph out from there. Bestiality, sleeping around with this woman and that woman and that woman and those men. Don’t be deceived. Neither the adulterers, the idolaters, the male prostitutes, the homosexual offenders, the greedy, the drunkards, the slanderers, the swindlers — they won’t inherit the kingdom of God. Don’t deceive yourself. It’s not right.”

and

“We never, ever judge someone on who’s going to heaven, hell. That’s the Almighty’s job,” Robertson told GQ. “We just love ‘em, give ‘em the good news about Jesus – whether they’re homosexuals, drunks, terrorists. We let God sort ‘em out later.”

Yes. “Homosexuals, drunks, terrorists.” All equal threats to your well-being.

I shake my head.

It seems that the Duck Dynasty folks have finally reached that point that Tim Tebow reached when he realized that he was approaching the final days of his “day job”, and he decided to leverage what was left of his popularity into one final evangelistic appeal before his time on the public stage was done. I believe that’s exactly what Robertson meant when he said:

“Let’s face it. Three, four, five years, we’re out of here,” Robertson told GQ. “You know what I’m saying? It’s a TV show. This thing ain’t gonna last forever. No way.”

Duck Dynasty: The Tim Tebow of Rednecks.

For more:

HuffPo: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/18/duck-dynasty-phil-robertson-gay_n_4465564.html

GQ: http://www.gq.com/entertainment/television/201401/duck-dynasty-phil-robertson?currentPage=1

CBS: http://houston.cbslocal.com/2013/12/18/duck-dynasty-star-a-vagina-is-more-desirable-than-a-mans-anus/

Episode 5 of Bible Secrets Revealed – “Mysterious Prophecies” – Airs Tonight, Dec 18 at 10/9c

Don’t miss episode 5 of the six-part series “Bible Secrets Revealed” on History.

The fifth installment, entitled “Mysterious Prophecies“, debuts Wednesday, Dec 18, 2013 at 10/9c .

The episode explores:

“Biblical prophecies are said to be messages and warnings sent from God, but what do they really foretell? Can they be decoded and used to predict mankind’s future?”

(The answer to the last part is, of course, no, but we’ll look at the nature of biblical prophecy and why misconceptions of prophecy are so prevalent in society.)

This will be followed by an encore airing of episode 4, “The Forbidden Scriptures”, at 11/10c.

If you missed the first four episodes, you can watch them for free online at History‘s “Bible Secrets Revealed” website.

And as a special Christmas gift: I’m pleased to announce that History has scheduled a Bible Secrets Revealed marathon for Christmas Day, Dec. 25. History will replay each of the episodes in order beginning with “Lost in Translation” at 5pm/4c, and the marathon will climax with the premier of episode 6 “Sex and the Scriptures” at 10/9c. The entire series will then re-air beginning at 11p/10c and continuing overnight in case you missed one of the episodes.

The Christmas Day #BibleSecretsRevealed marathon @HISTORY begins @ 5/4c & climaxes w/ the premier of Ep. 6 "Sex and the Scriptures" @ 10/9c.

— Robert R. “Dr. Bob” Cargill (@xkv8r) December 11, 2013

So spend this Christmas with friends, family, food, and Bible Secrets Revealed on History. You’ll be glad you did.

Remember to tweet your feedback with the hashtag #BibleSecretsRevealed.

(This has become a lot of fun, as many of the show’s participants (and critics) are live tweeting the episodes, and the many clever tweets have proven to be quite fun. Don’t miss out on your chance to ask questions and make comments with the over 1.3 million people who watch the show each Wednesday night.)

And send your questions to Bible History Daily, where I’ll be answering some of them and providing more in depth explanations of the material covered in the show.

The Muslim “Last Supper” (and a word on the color of Jesus)

I love this HuffPo Religion story by Yasmine Hafiz.

Any time we can bridge cross-cultural gaps using food, holidays, and classical works of art, it’s always a win.

Ali told The Huffington Post, “For this year’s photo, we wanted to do something that, in its own humble way, aimed to bridge the gap between Eastern and Western cultural and religious norms. We looked up the painting, assigned each person a character, and meticulously tried to mimic the image, while also making it our own.”

And by the way, Megyn Kelley, if you wanted to see something a little closer to what Jesus probably looked like, it’s likely a whole lot closer to this photo (with the darker faces and features) than what is commonly depicted in the “alabaster faces that are strewn across Da Vinci’s original work.”

The Muslim Last Supper. Photo by Atif Ateeq. Link: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/16/muslim-last-supper-photo_n_4455289.html

Important article on the Bible’s distaste of multiculturalism by Dr. Hector Avalos

My Iowa State colleague, Dr. Hector Avalos, has written an article at Bible and Interpretation entitled, “In Praise of The Evil Kings: Latino Ethnic Identity and Biblical Scholarship“, that I encourage everyone to read.

The article addresses the problem of multiculturalism in the Bible, and the disparity between the Bible’s view of multiculturalism and traditional biblical scholarship’s portrayal of the Bible’s view of it.

The article challenges the notion that the prophets were somehow in favor of ethnic and religious pluralism, for while they certainly called on Israel to care for the widows and the orphans, they reserved many of their fiercest condemnations for those who would, in fact, marry foreign peoples or worship foreign gods.

Give it a read.

Good luck on your final exams

And please study for your Mythology of Otherworldly Journeys final. I don’t want to hear a bunch of canons going off during the test.

Westboro Baptist Church Could Learn A Thing or Two from Ted Cruz

You know, because FUNERALS are the most tactful venues to stage a protest.

Take a lesson Westboro Baptist Church. You’ve got nothing on Ted Cruz.