Political Divide Widens over Evolution Beliefs
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Devonyu/Thinkstock(WASHINGTON) — The theory of evolution — usually a hot-button issue — is destined to stay hot in the New Year.
A Pew Research Center poll found that 60 percent of Americans accept the Darwinian principle that the species have evolved.
However, a third of Pew respondents remain firm in their belief that “humans and other living things have existed in their present form since the beginning of time.”
While the overall numbers have not evolved, so to speak, over the years the differences between those who associate themselves with a political party have become more stark.
In 2009, 64 percent of Democrats and 54 percent of Republicans agreed with the theory of evolution. Now, the chasm has gotten much wider, with 67 percent of Democrats on the side of evolution compared to 43 percent of Republicans.
Pew believes that the new numbers reflect the shift in changing political attitudes as Democrats are tending to move more towards the left, while Republicans are heading in the other direction.
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