This is an interesting graphic which represents the results of a Gallup poll on teenagers’ views about evolution, intelligent design, creationism, etc. It was reported in the context of a Nature article about intelligent design.

I’m not sure the results themselves are so meaningful. Kids aren’t stupid. They know there is controversy over this issue, and I imagine lots of them are stuck between what they hear at school, what they hear at home, what they hear at church, and what the popular media tells them. I think we should give kids credit for being genuinely confused. This country has a genuine hang-up about creationism v. evolution because of the unique place of Christianity in our culture. It’s not so simple as ‘here’s one view that’s supported by scientific fact, and here’s one that isn’t.’ I think that’s why intelligent design is gaining traction - in a way it solves the cultural dilemma. We CAN believe in evolution without giving up our spirituality in the name of science.

I think it’s also important to look what the poll asked these kids. For instance, the second question asks kids to choose between, basically, all God, some God, or no God. That’s a lousy choice. If I read that question, I might think, well, I don’t want to say no God, because I don’t really know what God is, and I don’t want to say all God, because I know there are a lot of people going around saying that view is stupid. In the last question too - it’s all good and well to show that there is a correlation between education and belief in Darwin’s theories, but who says it’s causal? What are the other characteristics of people who happen to have higher levels of education that might influence the question? For instance, people who live on the coasts tend to be better educated - maybe the divide is a geographic one not an education-related one.

I just take these studies with such a grain of salt. I also think this one is a fascinating insight into one of the hardest issues in our culture.