According to a Gallup poll conducted in May of 2014, majority of Americans believe in the Abrahamic creation story over the Theory of Evolution proposed by Charles Darwin. Around 42% of those surveyed believe in the Creationist Principle, that mankind was created by a celestial force often referred to by modern religions as the Almighty or God. Nineteen percent of survey-takers, on the other hand, believe that the human race originated from a primitive single-celled organism which later evolved into several complex organisms including humans. This theory is popularly known as the Theory of Evolution.
Aside from believing in the Creationist Principle, majority of those surveyed also believe that mankind was only created 10,000 years ago versus a much longer period spanning millions of years that comprise the Evolutionary Process. In the same survey, only 31 percent of survey recipients believe in a hybrid of the two polarizing theories where mankind's journey from primitive life forms was guided by a celestial power. This theory is also known as the Theory of Intelligent Design.
According to the same survey, only 69% of committed churchgoers who attend mass at least once a week believe that human beings were created in its present state by a divine force. Meanwhile, only 1 out of 100 devoted churchgoers believe in the Theory of Evolution.
The recent poll results showed an increase in believers of the Creationist stance. When compared to a similar survey conducted in 1999, the 2014 results show a 50% increase in believers of the Creation story.
The survey comes as a response to an investigative report released in March of this year that showed that nearly $1 billion dollars of public funds are used to fund schools that teach creationism. A recent report by Washington, DC-based journalist Stephanie Simon further expressed that these schools also seek to discredit scientific principles altogether.
The survey was conducted by US-based research center, Gallup, to exactly 1,028 American recipients.