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The Biology Battle: Public Opinion and the Origins of Life

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 March 2009

Patricia K. Freeman  and
David J. Houston
Patricia K. Freeman
Affiliation:
University of Tennessee
David J. Houston*
Affiliation:
University of Tennessee
*
Address correspondence and reprint requests to: David J. Houston, Department of Political Science, 1001 McClung Tower, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996-0410. E-mail: [email protected]
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Abstract

Is the origins of life debate occurring in the United States an illustration of the culture wars? To address this question we examine attitudes toward evolution using data from the 2006 General Social Survey. Multinomial logistic regression models indicate that attitudes about whether humans today evolved from earlier species of life are more fully explained by orthodox Christian doctrine, not religious tradition, as the culture wars thesis suggests. However, an isomorphism between orthodox Christine doctrine and conservative political ideology has not occurred. While a liberal political ideology is strongly related to acceptance of evolution, these data suggest that only a certain group of political conservatives, those who accept orthodox Christian doctrine, reject evolution as sound scientific theory. Additionally, respondents who “don't know” if evolution is “true” or “false” differ from both the believers and skeptics in that they appear to lack the exposure to either science or orthodox Christian doctrine that would give them clear guidance about what to think in regards to evolution.

Type
Articles
Information
Politics and Religion , Volume 2 , Issue 1 , April 2009 , pp. 54 - 75
Copyright
Copyright © Religion and Politics Section of the American Political Science Association 2009

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