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30 November 2009, 11:02More Russians support creational theory than Darwin's evolution theory - poll
Moscow, November 30, Interfax - As many as 44% of Russians support the creationist theory compared to 35% believing in Charles Darwin's evolution theory, a poll of 1,600 respondents conducted by the VTsIOM public opinion research center in 140 Russian communities on November 20-21 has found.
In particular, Darwin's evolution theory is supported by 55% of residents of Moscow and St. Petersburg, 54% of atheists, and 45% of highly educated respondents, while creationism by 50% of rural residents, 48% of people believing in God, and 50% of undereducated people.
The poll has shown that most Russians do not absolutely share either the creationism or Darwin's evolution theory postulates. As many as 63% of those polled acknowledge Darwin's idea of permanent development of the living world and natural selection and 71% are convinced that the Earth's age is at least several billion years.
At the same time, 48% of Russians are inclined to believe that man was created by God, 49% that the world was originally perfect and has become more chaotic with time, and 62% that all major changes on the Earth have been caused by global disasters, one of them being the Deluge.
Darwinists and creationists radically disagree only about the origin of man, with 77% of the former believing that homo sapiens and apes have the same ancestors and 86% of the latter convinced of man's divine creation. Also 58% of creationists believe in the original perfection of the world, while Darwinists' opinions on this matter are split (43% each).
As for the other postulates, 77% of evolution theory supporters and 52% of creationists acknowledge the existence of natural selection, 57% of Darwinists and 69% of creationists believe in the world's changing under the influence of global disasters, and 80% of Darwinists and 67% of creationists that the Earth has existed for billions of years.
Similarly, many religious people and atheists acknowledge that the world is developing permanently according to the natural selection rules (61% and 75% respectively), that global disasters, particularly the Deluge, influence the Earth (64% and 49%), and that the Earth is billions years old (72% and 74%).
At the same time, 52% of believers share the idea that man was created by God, while 55% of atheists think man and the apes have common ancestors. Also 48% of atheists believe that the world was originally in a chaotic state, while 51% of believers hold the opposite view.
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