Gallup survey shows nearly one third of those interviewed believe in biblical creation - much to the disgust of Prof. Steve Jones!
On 13/9/95 The Daily Telegraph published
Part 2 of its annual survey of public attitudes to science, conducted by
Gallup. Asked which view gave the most accurate picture of the creation
of the universe, 39% chose `The Big Bang', 19% chose `There was no
act of creation - the universe always existed', while a surprising
29% chose `An act of creation by God, broadly as described in the book of
Genesis in the Bible'.
This latter finding was too much for the arch-evolutionist Professor Steve Jones (Professor of Genetics at University College London) - who once related each of the eight records he chose for a Desert Island Discs programme on BBC Radio 4 to some outstanding evolutionary memory from his scientific career, such is his love affair with evolution! In his fortnightly article on the same page as the survey report he declared himself startled, incredulous and depressed by this finding. He asked `Can it be true that 16 million Britons think that "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth" and "formed man of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life"? The language is wonderful, for so many to take it as the literal truth is depressing; a failure by science to explain how things work. The dispute over whether a Big Bang or a Big Cheese initiated the universe illustrates perfectly the uncertainty of science and the confidence of superstition.'
After discussing the recent `nasty problem' that some stars appear to be older than the universe itself, he comments `It could be something trivial. But it might be that the Big Bang will turn out to be a small flop; if the idea is simply wrong, we would be back to a state of dismal uncertainty about our origins.'
Concluding his article Prof. Jones writes. `Charles Darwin called his book, The Origin of Species, "one long argument". He knew nothing about the history of humankind although he made a compelling case that man had indeed evolved.' He then makes a surprisingly frank and significant admission which may dismay evolutionists but encourage creationists: `The evidence for human evolution is, in fact, still extraordinarily weak (I look forward to seeing that quoted out of context). There are no more fossils than would cover a decent-sized table and we know almost nothing about what propelled a hairy and rather stupid ape into a bald and mildly intellectual-human being. However, the fact of evolution in other animals is so well established and involves so many kinds of information - experiments, bones, fossils and genes - that I find it completely convincing. Man is an animal, therefore I believe that we, too, evolved.' (Prof. Jones appears to have forgotten that, in a BBC Radio 4 discussion of his 1992 Reith Lectures, he said `It is hard to know which we understand less, human evolution or animal evolution - we scarcely understand either of them and we can use one to obscure the other.' Apparently it is possible - if one has sufficient faith - to `scarcely understand' something, yet still regard it as `completely convincing'! Unless, of course, his understanding of animal evolution has improved quite dramatically since 1992, which seems unlikely.)
Professor Jones' article continues: `How it (evolution) happened is another problem. There is not a single statement in The Origin that is not disputed. That is enough to convince many who believe only in certainty that Darwin is wrong and Genesis right. If scientists disagree and believers do not, then surely believers must have won the argument. In fact, to any scientist. precisely the opposite is the case. Conviction kills the search for truth because it does away with argument altogether.' So now we know, Professor Jones objects to arriving at the ultimate truth on the grounds that it kills the search for it! Certainty is, to him, the ultimate scientific sin and `dismal uncertainty' a virtue. Apparently, he feels it is better to travel hopefully in the dark than ever to arrive in the light! (See The Bible 2 Timothy chapter 3 verse 7). Prof. Jones' honesty is commendable, his faith in evolution touching, but his closed-mindedness to Creation truly depressing.
Bernard A. Reeves (1995)
