“….if the existence of supernatural entities like gods, karma, and ancestor spirits is never questioned by adults in the community, the existence of such entities will be unquestioningly accepted by children.
“Other information, however, is explicitly asserted. Such information is associated with certain sources. A child might note that science teachers make surprising claims about the origin of human beings, for instance, while their parents do not. Furthermore, the tentative status of this information is sometimes explicitly marked; people will assert that they "believe in evolution."
“When faced with this kind of asserted information, one can occasionally evaluate its truth directly. But in some domains, including much of science, direct evaluation is difficult or impossible. Few of us are qualified to assess claims about the merits of string theory, the role in mercury in the etiology of autism, or the existence of repressed memories. So rather than evaluating the asserted claim itself, we instead evaluate the claim's source. If the source is deemed trustworthy, people will believe the claim, often without really understanding it.”
Just what is it that students having completed their education, are lacking? Here are some specific skills, and a look at what this deficit translates to in everyday governmental and personal applications:
· The ability to infer from known factual data, a likely conclusion or outcome: FACT- A hurricane will be arriving in a few days. Therefore, use available public transportation to evacuate areas of potential flooding.
· The ability to critically evaluate complex data to select an explanation best fitting the observations: EXAMPLE: Global Warming is occurring, will cause great harm, caused by humans, can be fixed vs. NOT occurring, NOT causing great damage, NOT caused by people, NOT fixable.
· The ability to evaluate complex explanations to select most probable: EXAMPLE Man developed as a result of biological, evolutionary processes; man developed at the hands of an “Intelligent Designer.”
· The ability to develop “Decision Tables,” or contingency planning, to allow for unexpected consequences: EXAMPLE: Planning for Iraq war projects military will be welcomed as liberators; no “Plan B” is ever developed to deal with an insurgency, or civil war.
One of the best measurements we have of the strength of American’s belief in evolution vs. creationism comes from repeated studies by repeated studies from the Pew Research Institute.
“A narrow majority of the public (54% in a recent Pew poll) believes that scientists are generally in agreement about evolution. But fewer believe there is strong scientific evidence in support of evolution. A December 2004 Newsweek survey found just 45% saying evolution was both widely accepted in the scientific community and well supported by evidence, and the same number in a 2005 Harris Interactive survey agreed that "Darwin's theory of evolution is proven by fossil discoveries" (48% disagree). A 2004 Gallup poll registered even fewer (35%) saying Darwin's theory of evolution has been "well-supported by evidence." This question also offered respondents the choice of saying they don't know enough about the issue, an option that 30% selected.
These same polls reveal sufficient doubt in evolution that a majority of American adults feel that creationism/Intelligent Design should accompany the teaching of evolution as a possible alternative explanation for man’s origin.
Poll questions have typically asked if creationism should be taught along with evolution, and majorities ranging from 57% to 68% say that it should. Questions have been asked about removing evolution from the curriculum, but only a minority of the public favors this step. And questions that ask if creationism should be taught instead of evolution have found only 33%-40% in favor.
All of us ultimately grow up with a world view. By the time we reach adulthood we all have perspectives on such things as political affiliation, sexual orientation, and among other things, the nature of what is knowable and what can never be. For some, there are questions which are not answerable by man; for others, the use of the methods of science, reason, and logic can ultimately solve all problems.
A tragic illustration of this dichotomy of views, is the yet to be solved mystery of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). While medical research has produced gradually declining rates, a definitive solution awaits continuing effort. When asked to explain the cause of this infant killer, from the devout, one can expect, “It’s God’s will.” Others, holding a scientific view of the world, will, if having specific knowledge, discuss the found causes, and if not, refer the questioner to appropriate sources for information.
Commitment to religious faith, and conservatism have much in common. A rich study of political conservatives reveals:
Historically, conservatism [and religious faith have] an ideological belief system [which embodies] many things, including the desire for order and stability, preference for gradual rather than revolutionary change (if any), adherence to preexisting social norms, idealization of authority figures, punishment of deviants, and endorsement of social and economic inequality
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