[View the story "Richard Dawkins" on Storify ]Richard Dawkins Storified by The Stream · Wed, Jun 27 2012 12:06:36
The latest data from
Gallup says roughly the same number of Americans believe in the theory of creationism as they did in the 80s.
Forty-six percent of Americans believe in the creationist view that God created humans in their present form at one time within the last 10,000 years. The prevalence of this creationist view of the origin of humans is essentially unchanged from 30 years ago, when Gallup first asked the question. About a third of Americans believe that humans evolved, but with God's guidance; 15% say humans evolved, but that God had no part in the process.
This comes as Richard Dawkins' (
@RichardDawkins ) latest book,
The Magic of Reality , is released in paperback on June 21. In it, he laments on space, time, reality and myth in an attempt to answer some of the biggest questions about our existence on earth.
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In a 2008
interview , Dawkins said, "The truth is enthralling, it's beautiful, it's elegant and so it's such a shame that children miss out on that".
The Magic of Reality for iPad by Richard Dawkins - trailertransworldvideos
The Darwinist theory of evolution vs. the traditionally faith-based theory of creationism remains a controversial topic in many parts of the world, particularly the debate over which theory to teach in schools.
Sleep time I got school in the morning :-) Going to try a little intro to evolution... http://pic.twitter.com/rtmkMwcPMusicIsMyAnswer
There is no shortage of people voicing their opinion on whether science should trump religion:
This is one reason why I despise religion. It will stop at NOTHING to prevent our nation's children from having a real education. and I quote: Carrier said, "We try to stay away from all those things that might confuse our children."I don't give a rat's ass whether you believe in evolution or not, that's your PROBLEM. But to use lies and and to stretch the truth in order to avoid believing in it is not only STUPID, it presents the world with a picture of our children as ignorant, believing in the absurd. And the saddest thing of all is that religion has missed the chance to merge with evolution.. there is nothing which precludes evolution from being a tool of the gods except the church's insistence that it cannot be the way things are. Does the bible say that god created living creatures in their final forms? Anywhere? Does it say that the creation of living creatures has ended? anywhere? NO. There is nothing at all in the bible which, without creative interpretation, contradicts the concepts of evolution. "And sociologists invent words that mean 'Industrial disease." ~SupertrampRoger Golden
The difference between evolutionary theory and creationism is that the later doesn't require thought.Simon Beard
They don't teach about Jesus in school because it offends some people. Well the theory of Evolution offended me. I know who created life.Emily Elizabeth
Wake up, #Atheist ! [#Atheism #Atheists #Evolution #Creationism #Darwin #El7ad] http://pic.twitter.com/hGcJnB4VKhalid Asiri
Some feel that the two theories converge:
Creationism is evolution in a long about way. It takes awhile to paint a picture but in the end it was your creation.AJ Sayies
Creationism simply pushes the problem of how things began beyond the Earth. It doesn't resolve it.Empowerment4Us
Dawkins, however, maintains a strict policy of not debating creationists, the reason for which he outlined back in 2007:
a television station wanted to stage a debate between me and a prominent creationist called, I think, Duane P Gish. I telephoned Stephen Gould for advice. He was friendly and decisive: "Don't do it." The point is not, he said, whether or not you would 'win' the debate. Winning is not what the creationists realistically aspire to. For them, it is sufficient that the debate happens at all. They need the publicity. We don't.
New Atheism , which Dawkins advocates, is defined as, "Intolerance of ignorance, myth and superstition; disregard for the tolerance of religion. Indoctrination of logic, reason and the advancement of a naturalistic worldview."
Richard Dawkins called on atheists and agnostics to “ridicule and show contempt” for the religious and their doctrines, and I think this is a fantastic idea; they should start on the streets of Saudi Arabia or Egypt. Let’s pray for those, “without the Spirit” who do “not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit” (1 Cor. 2:14) while shaking a defiant fist at God. For, “It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Hebrews 10:31) and I don’t hope it for anyone.Erol Senses
New atheism may have become very vocal in supporting secularism and freedom of religion like zealots but at least we aren't burning people.Timothy Smith
A video posted Monday on Dawkins' website, his
Foundation for Reason and Science , slams religious theories about Heaven and Hell and promotes life after death from an atheistic, scientific perspective:
Afterlifethethinkingatheist
So, u r spending eternity in a place u can't describe with a being u can't imagine & u find that a comfort! #EmperorsNewClothes #atheismCrispy Sea
What of innocents who die before they're able to believe in your heaven or your god? Are they automatically sentenced to your hell #AtheismAbsolon
You don't need to believe in Hell, to believe that evil exists. That's one of the tough bits of atheism, not having an external guarantor..Anna Hedge
I wager that the vast majority of the religious are religious because they fear hell, not because they love god. #atheism #teamjesus #jesusMarco the Atheist
Atheism is not a choice. Circumstances turn u into one.Aanchal
This South Park-style animation recreates one of the most memorable moments at a Dawkins lecture, in which he claims, "We could all be wrong".
Richard Dawkins - "What if you're wrong?" South Parktubeloob
