Why many Americans still think Darwin was wrong, yet the British don't | Hacker News Reader

Why many Americans still think Darwin was wrong, yet the British don't

theconversation.com

7 pointsdomofutu9 comments

Explanation in one image:

Percentage of Population “Absolutely Certain” God Exists in Europe vs US https://www.reddit.com/r/MapPorn/comments/uq721h/percentage_...

United States population is mentally 50-100 years behind Europe.

A a Christian I don't agree with your conflation of belief in God and rejection of evolution. America does seem to tend towards fundamentalism but that may be wrong. If you want. The bible to be the unerring word of God then you have to embrace that stuff. I don't and anyone who has studied the bible properly will tell you it is such a mix of faith (if course), politics and wishful thinking it is crazy to do so.

As you must understand, bible is free to interpret because Christianity is based on faith and guidance from magical entities, and cultural tradition, not reality based facts. "Studied the bible properly" is completely subjective statement.

If you "pray and live the truth of Christ and follow his guidance", The Christ does not guide everyone to the same place. If he did, he might be real. I think it's your unconscious urges speaking, but if you believe in God that's not how you think.

In any way, there is strong correlation: https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2019/02/06/how-highl...

By "Studied the bible properly" I mean understanding who may or may not have actually written any part of it, or edited it, when it was likely to have been written, the social and political environment in which it was written which shaped it's content, and the context in which the canon of books were later chosen from those available.

Otherwise you seem to characterise my faith without knowing me at all and then treating that as an Aunt Sally. Unsurprisingly I am unmoved!

This was not about you.

My point is that Aunt Sally is a Christian just like you, and you are not better or more correct Christian.

Your methodology is more valid from historic perspective, not from religious perspective. Jesus can speak directly to people and their heart. Jesus can guide peoples understanding to be better than what the bible, history, or paleontology says.

> 64% of Americans accept that “humans and other living things have evolved over time”

> 73% of Britons are fine with the idea that they share a common ancestor with chimpanzees.

TL;DR: basic education in the UK is oriented towards what are known, colloquially, as “facts”.

Mostly. Don’t get me started on Brexit, what constitutes a celebrity, or the origins of the word for the elemental metal designated with the symbol Al.

I read the article as saying the opposite: "They reject [evolution] because it threatens their identity. This creates a context where education alone can’t overcome deeply held convictions."

TFA suggests that the British seek compromise, and were therefore able to adapt to new information. As you note, it's not entirely clear that this remains true. I think Americans are proud of their refusal to compromise, and believe it is responsible for America's economic success. It sounds like some British are inclined to agree.

Funny thing about refusing to compromise with the facts… you always end up finding out you were wrong.

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