The USA is the most technologically advanced nations on earth, but for historical reasons, of all the advanced capitalist countries, it is the society where religious prejudice is most deeply rooted. Here are some disturbing statistics, partly from a 2004 CBS News Poll, a 2004 Gallup poll, and a Gallup poll of U.S. teenagers.
- 81% of U.S. teenagers think that God controlled or influenced the origin of humans. (Gallup)
- 65% of Americans think that we should teach both creationism and evolution in schools. (CBS)
- 55% believe that "God created humans in present form." (CBS)
- 45% believe that the world is less than 10,000 years old. (Gallup)
- 37% think that we should teach just creationism in schools, including 60% of evangelical Christians. (CBS)
- 36% believe in telepathy.
- 35% say that evolution is well supported by the evidence. (Gallup)
- 35% say that evolution is not well supported by the evidence. (Gallup)
- 25% believe in astrology.
- 25% think the sun goes around the Earth.
- 13% think that Joan of Arc was Noah's wife.
- Only 13% of Americans accept the standard scientific account of evolution, without a god's involvement. (CBS)
These statistics show that despite all the amazing advances of science, in the dark recesses of the human mind lies a pile of accumulated garbage left over from prehistory. It will require a great social revolution to begin to clear the poisonous fumes of superstition from the collective psyche and finally to create a genuinely human consciousness that is not enslaved to ghosts and spirits. Only when we begin to create a paradise in this world will men and women cease to long for a life beyond the grave.
