Toadfish Monastery

Open Water => Serious Discussion => Spirituality => Topic started by: Aggie on March 24, 2011, 12:16:31 PM

Title: Belief in Creationism: Canadians vs. Americans
Post by: Aggie on March 24, 2011, 12:16:31 PM
This explains a few things:

QuoteWhen asked if humans evolved through natural selection, 58 per cent of surveyed Canadians answered affirmatively compared to only 16 per cent of Americans.

When asked if humans evolved with help from divine guidance, 19 per cent of Canadians agreed compared to 38 per cent of Americans.

Finally, when asked if humans were created by God in the last 10,000 years, 14 per cent of Canadians agreed while 40 per cent of Americans said yes.

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/blogs/dailybrew/americans-far-more-likely-canadians-believe-creationism-20110323-174823-536.html



Please do check out the charts for the EKOS poll referred to in the article - there's some interesting things in there:
http://beta.images.theglobeandmail.com/archive/01256/Look_through_chart_1256611a.pdf
Title: Re: Belief in Creationism: Canadians vs. Americans
Post by: Sibling Zono (anon1mat0) on March 24, 2011, 01:15:01 PM
If Canada weren't so cold* I'd move there in an instant. You people are as reasonable as the stereotype. ;)

*my wife wouldn't move to a cold place
Title: Re: Belief in Creationism: Canadians vs. Americans
Post by: Scriblerus the Philosophe on March 24, 2011, 04:49:31 PM
I love people so, so much. I have (and am wearing) a Viva la Evolucion shirt, which I catch a hilarious amount of crap for, so I'm not at all surprised by the numbers.
(http://www.fashiontravesty.com/images/shirts/bt-vivalaevolucion.jpg)
Title: Re: Belief in Creationism: Canadians vs. Americans
Post by: Griffin NoName on March 24, 2011, 05:04:15 PM
Wonder what the figures for the UK would be - significantly different I expect.
Title: Re: Belief in Creationism: Canadians vs. Americans
Post by: Aggie on March 24, 2011, 05:12:47 PM
Quote from: Sibling Zono (anon1mat0) on March 24, 2011, 01:15:01 PM
If Canada weren't so cold* I'd move there in an instant. You people are as reasonable as the stereotype. ;)

*my wife wouldn't move to a cold place

We ain't all taddy - we've still got some real rednecks out here.  Urban populations tend to be a little more urbane.  I love some of the poll results regarding priorities for governance, which are definitely Canadian (the religious issues are basically non-issues).  Spending money on things that actually need money based on evidence is y'know, actually more important than cutting taxes; having a leader that is knowledgeable and understanding is 2.5x more important than (the show of) decency and morality...  crazy stuff!  Or perhaps we're cynical enough to know that the prospect of getting a decent, moral politician is nearly impossible. ;)
Title: Re: Belief in Creationism: Canadians vs. Americans
Post by: Sibling Zono (anon1mat0) on March 24, 2011, 05:41:13 PM
No place is perfect, but it seems some places are better than other in certain aspects. I'll keep the no snow zone, and you keep the reasonable...
;) :P :mrgreen:
Title: Re: Belief in Creationism: Canadians vs. Americans
Post by: Aggie on March 25, 2011, 01:46:47 AM
I will admit that there's 3 feet of snow on the ground where I'm at, and the wolves are down from the mountains because of the hard winter.

no gators, though


I'm moving back to a reasonable snow zone, to heck with these accursed flatlands.  3 months of proper winter is enough for me, and I miss the 40C summer weather.
Title: Re: Belief in Creationism: Canadians vs. Americans
Post by: Sibling Zono (anon1mat0) on March 25, 2011, 05:48:39 PM
I somehow suspect wolves are worse than gators, although I don't think they go into the cities, do they? (because gators do live in the canals...)
Title: Re: Belief in Creationism: Canadians vs. Americans
Post by: Opsa on March 25, 2011, 05:51:17 PM
Pretty wolf photo! (And I love that t-shirt, Scrib. I gave it to my sister's beau, who wears it with pride.)

Canandians are more cool than Americans for the most part, and not just because they have all that snow. I know a good number of people, including myself, who fantasize about moving there just because the general intellect and politics seem so much more reasonable than here in the States.

I recently read a review of Michael Palin's book Halfway to Hollywood (http://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/books/book-world-michael-palins-halfway-to-hollywood-is-a-diary-worth-digging-in-to/2011/02/28/ABQEJuw_story.html) where he describes us as "America — land of the free and the armed and the crazy". A bit generalized perhaps, but unfortunately not far enough from accurate to be comfortable.

Of course, there are crazy people and sane people everywhere. Just my luck- I'd move to Canada only to find the Canadian branch of the Ku Klux Klan living next door. I'd prefer wolves.

I think there is a difference between what's known as "Creationism" and people who just believe that God created the world without being obnoxious about it.

Title: Re: Belief in Creationism: Canadians vs. Americans
Post by: ivor on March 25, 2011, 06:54:48 PM
Creationism is a verified fact because Canadian's are spawn of Satan... :mrgreen:
Title: Re: Belief in Creationism: Canadians vs. Americans
Post by: Scriblerus the Philosophe on March 26, 2011, 05:53:02 AM
Hmph, well, Twain did say he'd prefer hell for the conversation... ;D

I think I've kind of fallen in love with us as the "land of the free and the armed and the crazy". It can be the only reason I've decided I love LA.
Title: Re: Belief in Creationism: Canadians vs. Americans
Post by: Lindorm on March 26, 2011, 04:37:35 PM
Quote from: Opsa on March 25, 2011, 05:51:17 PM


I think there is a difference between what's known as "Creationism" and people who just believe that God created the world without being obnoxious about it.



That quote pretty much sums up my feelings, too. Well put, Opsa!