The results for Republicans were 58 percent creationist, 31 percent “God guided,” and 5 percent total natural evolution.

That’s not too surprising a result.

Democrats? 41 percent, 32 percent, and 19 percent.

If you’d never seen the poll, would you have called that 41 percent number? Or to be more accurate, 73 percent of Democrats think God had at least something to do with our existence.

When I first saw one of these polls, it surprised the hell out of me. But obviously this trend has been almost flat for as far back as Gallup has asked the question. It’s reasonable to think the curves are flat even further back.

Almost half of the country thinks, or more accurately professes, that the Earth is only 10,000 years old. 46 percent of college graduates! And yet, we manage to construct a pretty decent scientific civilization.

What’s up with that?

That’s what needs thinking about. This and other pieces of information I’ve gathered show me how amazingly compartmentalized human thinking can be. Is this important in a democracy?

The number of homeschooled kids in this country has gone from something like 2 percent of all students in 1999 to 3 percent in 2007.

You may need to rework your theories to explain the numbers in the poll. Take another look at the numbers under “education level.” Hell, look again at the political party numbers.

If you’re going to represent the Age of Reason, start thinking.

Oddly, creationism had very little to do with them.

I have very little trouble thinking of many more poisonous ideas being taught to our children in our schools and universities other than the foolish myth of a 10,000 year old Earth.

I’ve been looking at the past few threads. It’s funny the ideas that raise your hackles here, and the ones you just let go by.

Creationism is flourishing due entirely to the efforts of “your side”, Tom. And the comparison of the two graphs really shows that we have “your side” to thank for what’s becoming known as the “Age of Unreason”.

May it be only a little dark age.

Don’t look at me. Your side runs the education system.

The irrational belief that the ideal form of society is servitude to a powerful centralized authority has done a hell of a lot more damage in this world than the irrational belief that the world is only 10,000 years old.

And then they turn around and claim a belief in something for which there is NO evidence. None whatsoever. Not a shred.

Now, take that mind and see what other beliefs it has. Can you trust them to have reason or rationality? Of course not, and that’s exactly what one sees. Rather simplistic folks willing to say they believe what sounds good while disregarding the evidence.

Thinking what is easy rather than using the mind God gave them, they spend their time justifying faulty beliefs rather than examining what is behind those beliefs, following that path wherever it leads. Because THAT isn’t easy.

The right is living in an age of extremism all across the board.