Republicans Get Dumber: New Poll Shows Even More Of Them Reject Science

Author: Stephen D. Foster Jr. January 2, 2014 5:21 am

 

 

 

Republicans and Democrats are now divided by more than the usual political issues. A new poll shows that even more Republicans deny science than we thought. Human Evolution image cc 2008 by Tkgd2007 and modified by Elisabeth Parker (2012).

Republicans and Democrats are now divided by more than the usual political issues. According to a new survey, belief in scientific evidence is now a major difference

Republicans are even more anti-science than four years ago, new poll reveals.

Science is supported by facts and evidence, yet it’s these very facts and evidence that a majority of Republicans now deny and reject. A new Pew Research Poll asked Democratic, Republican, and Independent voters their views on biological evolution. The good news is that most Americans stand with scientific fact. The bad news is that one party doesn’t. Apparently, GOP voters have opted to ditch intelligence in favor of religious dogma.
According to the poll, 67 percent of Democrats acknowledge that all living things on Earth evolved over time. That’s up by three points from a 2009 poll. 65 percent of Independents also agree that evolution is a real process supported by scientific evidence. On the flip side, Republican support for evolution science has reversed. In 2009, 54 percent of Republicans believed in evolution. Four years later, that number now stands at 43 percent. More Republicans now reject evolution than support it. Apparently, stupidity has become a Republican value as the party shifts further to the extreme right-wing.
Here’s an image comparing the 2009 and 2013 polls via MSNBC.

Graphic comparing the 2009 and 2013 polls and showing a political divide over science from MSNBC.

Republicans have waged ideological warfare against science over the last four years in favor of religious dogma.

Over the last four years, Republicans have waged a constant assault on science in our schools. The GOP has introduced anti-science bills in states across the nation in an effort to force science teachers to focus more on religious views instead of facts and evidence. To conservatives, the planet is only 6,000 years old and God created all living things in their present form. But the fossil record and other scientific research proves otherwise. Meanwhile, there is zero scientific evidence to support creationism.
In addition to biological science, conservatives are assaulting climate science and reproductive science as well. Even as the oceans are rising due to well-documented ice cap melt and more extreme weather is being recorded, Republicans continue to deny that climate change is real. In response to climate science, the GOP wants to censor it in schools. The only solution they offer to the climate disaster afflicting our planet is to ignore it and pray. Republicans also have a problem with reproductive science. They would have students believe that women have magic vaginas that can prevent pregnancy if they are raped. And they certainly don’t want students learning how to protect themselves if they choose to have sex. Hence, the anti-comprehensive sex education stance that has failed miserably.

The GOP’s war on science is hurting our education system and world status.

With this anti-science strain running rampant among Republicans, it’s a miracle that America’s science scores haven’t dropped. Oh, wait. They have.
NBC News reports that American teens scored below the international average in science. In fact, American students placed 21st in the world. Compared to four years ago in 2009, that’s a drop of four places. That’s right. In the same period of time in which more conservatives have decided to reject science, America has gone from 17th in the world to 21st. That’s a travesty.
On another note, three states boosted their participation in the testing to get more data. Massachusetts and Connecticut are Democratic-controlled states. Florida is controlled by Republicans. Can you guess which states scored higher? Let’s allow NBC to explain:

“Average scores from Massachusetts rose above the international average in all three subject areas. Connecticut students scored on average near the global average in math and higher than the global average in science and reading. Florida students on average scored below the global average in math and science and near the global average in reading…”

Republicans are dragging America down while the rest of the world soars past us. And it will only get worse as the GOP continues their war on science. The international community doesn’t care about how well students know the biblical story of creation. Religious dogma isn’t going to help a nation compete in this more interconnected world. If America wants to be the top dog, we have to be better and that means we have to accept scientific evidence and keep religion out of the classroom. Without science, we wouldn’t live in the advanced society we enjoy today. Only science offers us a way to move forward and make it even better. Religious faith can be a good thing, but forcing it upon others is unhealthy and teaching it in place of science will only hold us back. We need science, and we need to be good at it. If we reject it like Republicans have, the world will leave America behind. In other words, America will no longer be seen as a leader. We’ll be a laughingstock.