This report was prepared and published by Discovery Institute’s Center for Science and Culture, a non-profit, non-partisan educational and research organization. The Center’s mission is to advance the understanding that human beings and nature are the result of intelligent design rather than a blind and undirected process. We seek long-term scientific and cultural change through cutting-edge scientific research and scholarship; education and training of young leaders; communication to the general public; and advocacy of academic freedom and free speech for scientists, teachers, and students. For more information about the Center, visit www.discovery.org/id. FOR FREE RESOURCES ABOUT SCIENCE AND FAITH, VISIT WWW.SCIENCEANDGOD.ORG/RESOURCES. PUBLISHED NOVEMBER, 2016. © 2016 BY DISCOVERY INSTITUTE. DARWIN’S CORROSIVE IDEA The Impact of Evolution on Attitudes about Faith, Ethics, and Human Uniqueness John G. West, PhD* EXECUTIVE SUMMARY In his influential book Darwin’s Dangerous Idea, have asked about the impact of science on a person’s philosopher Daniel Dennett praised Darwinian religious faith typically have not explored the evolution for being a “universal acid” that dissolves impact of specific scientific ideas such as Darwinian traditional religious and moral beliefs.1 Evolution- evolution.5 ary biologist Richard Dawkins has similarly praised In order to gain insights into the impact of Darwin for making “it possible to be an intellect- specific scientific ideas on popular beliefs about ually fulfilled atheist.”2 Although numerous studies God and ethics, Discovery Institute conducted a have documented the influence of Darwinian nationwide survey of a representative sample of theory and other scientific ideas on the views of 3,664 American adults. The survey asked questions cultural elites,3 the impact of Darwin’s theory on about various scientific ideas and their impact on a the attitudes of the general public has been less person’s personal beliefs about God, human clear. While prominent atheists like Dawkins and uniqueness, and ethics. Because one of the main Dennett have claimed Darwin’s ideas (and science survey goals was to ascertain the impact of more generally) as a support for atheism and the evolutionary ideas on those who have lost their rejection of traditional ethics, others—such as religious faith, the survey sample included 1,146 Christian geneticist Francis Collins—have maintained that Darwinian biology is compatible with both religious faith and religious-based ethics.4 Until now, there has been little empirical data to quantify the impact of evolutionary ideas on the religious and ethical beliefs of the general population. While previous surveys have asked about people’s belief in evolution or their beliefs about other scientific ideas, most have not asked questions about how science has shaped a person’s religious beliefs or worldview. Those surveys that DARWIN’S CORROSIVE IDEA self-identified atheists and agnostics. Key findings of the survey include: • 67% of atheists and 35% of agnostics believe “the findings of science make the existence of God less probable.” • Nearly 7 in 10 atheists and more than 4 in 10 agnostics say that for them personally, unguided chemical evolution and Darwin’s mutation/natural selection mechanism have made the existence of God “less likely.” • More than 7 in 10 atheists and nearly 4 in “evolution shows that moral beliefs evolve 10 agnostics agree with evolutionary over time based on their survival value in biologist Richard Dawkins that “the various times and places.” universe we observe has precisely the properties we should expect if there is, at Data for this nationwide survey was collected bottom, no design, no purpose, no evil and from March 17-20, 2016 using SurveyMonkey no good, nothing but blind, pitiless Audience, a nationally representative panel of more indifference.” than 6 million people recruited from the 30+ million people who take SurveyMonkey surveys • By contrast, 6 in 10 theists and more than 2 each month. The SurveyMonkey platform has been in 10 agnostics say the existence in nature of utilized for public opinion surveys by NBC News, “many things that are exquisitely designed the Los Angeles Times, and other media and highly complex” has made the existence organizations. Survey respondents were randomly of God “more likely” for them personally. sampled from members of SurveyMonkey • 45% of Americans as a whole, 69% of Audience in the United States who are 18 years of atheists, and 60% of agnostics agree that age or older. More detailed information about the “evolution shows that human beings are not survey’s methodology is presented in Section 3. fundamentally different from other animals.” • 55% of Americans as a whole, 71% of atheists, and 68% of agnostics agree that 2 DARWIN’S CORROSIVE IDEA 1. THE IMPACT OF EVOLUTION AND OTHER SCIENTIFIC IDEAS ON BELIEF IN GOD “I don’t [believe in God] but I really want religious beliefs. However, Pew provided no to... I’m constantly struggling. But looking quantitative breakdown of the percentage of those right at the facts—evolution and science— abandoning their religious beliefs who cited either they’re saying, no there is none.” science in general or evolution in particular as 6 Kyle Simpson, age 27, interviewed by NPR. influencing their loss of faith. According to the new survey reported here, an The Pew Research Center reported earlier in overwhelming 67% of self-identified atheists and 2016 that “science” was frequently cited by respond- 35% of self-identified agnostics say “the findings of ents in one of its recent surveys as a reason they lost science make the existence of God less probable,” their religious beliefs: while 30% of atheists and 60% of agnostics say “the findings of science are neutral with regard to the About half of current religious “nones” who were raised in a religion (49%) indicate that a lack of belief led them to move away from religion. This includes many respondents who mention “science” as the reason they do not believe in religious teachings, including one who said “I’m a scientist now, and I don’t believe in miracles.”7 Another respondent to the same Pew survey identified “learning about evolution when I went away to college” as the reason for losing his or her DARWIN’S CORROSIVE IDEA existence of God.” Self-identified theists are evenly SCIENCE-RELATED IDEAS WITH THE MOST split between those who think “the findings of IMPACT ON THE LOSS OF BELIEF IN GOD science make the existence of God more probable” (48%) and those who think “the findings of science Which science-related ideas have had the biggest are neutral with regard to the existence of God” impact on the erosion of religious faith? Two ideas (48%).8 influenced the most people by far in their loss of In order to determine which specific ideas from faith: unguided chemical evolution and unguided science have influenced a person’s beliefs about the Darwinian evolution in biology. existence of God, respondents were given an inventory of eight science-related ideas often raised • 66% of atheists and 44% of agnostics said that in popular discussions of science and faith. They for them personally, the idea that “life began were then asked “for you personally, which of the from non-life through an unguided process following ideas have made the existence of God less of chemical evolution” has made the likely, more likely, or have had no impact on your existence of God “less likely.” belief in the existence of God.” Inventory items • 65% of atheists and 43% of agnostics said that included: for them personally, the idea that “all life • The universe began with the Big Bang nearly forms on Earth (including humans) were 14 billion years ago. produced by an unguided process of mutation and natural selection” has made the • Life began from non-life through an existence of God “less likely.” unguided process of chemical evolution. • All life forms on Earth (including humans) For atheists, the next most influential idea in making are descended from a single common the existence of God “less likely” is the evolutionary ancestor. claim that “all life forms on Earth (including humans) are descended from a single common All life forms on Earth (including humans) • ancestor.” Some 55% of atheists indicate that this were produced by an unguided process of idea has made the existence of God less likely for mutation and natural selection. them personally. • Nature is filled with disease and death. However, the survey shows that the Darwinian mechanism of unguided mutations and natural • Nature is filled with many things that are selection is far more influential when it comes to useless or poorly designed. questions about the existence of God than common • The laws of physics are fine-tuned to allow ancestry. Even 44% of atheists and 70% of agnostics life to develop in the universe. If they were say that the idea of common ancestry either has no the slightest bit different, life could not exist. impact on their belief in God or it makes the exist- ence of God more likely. • Nature is filled with many things that are Among self-identified theists, meanwhile, 39% exquisitely designed and highly complex. think universal common ancestry makes God more likely and another 65% say the claim has no impact 4 DARWIN’S CORROSIVE IDEA on their belief in God’s existence. the existence of God less likely for two-thirds of This does not mean that views about common atheists and more than 40% of agnostics. ancestry are unimportant. For example, they may play a role in shaping views about human unique- SCIENCE-RELATED IDEAS WITH THE MOST ness and the status of human morality (see Section POSITIVE IMPACT ON BELIEF IN GOD 2 of this report).