The last census reckoned 75% of the British population is Christian, Jewish
or Muslim. I imagine that hasn't changed all that much in the past five
years. I also imagine that somewhere between 30% and 90% of the set
comprising all British Christians, Jews and Muslims believe (before and
after breakfast): that a god created the earth and its denizens one way or
another; and that living organisms on earth have evolved. 

What do these folk answer to the Ipsos MORI question? Each has its
attractions. The first may misrepresent evolution but at least it's
pro-evolution. The second may misrepresent creationism but at least it's
pro-creation (pardon the pun). And the third's got a god intervening in the
design of living things, as, perhaps, some of our group believe.

And look at that - the questioner is after all only asking for the one that
'best describes' their belief. It doesn't have to fit. Let's not get
finicky.

--
Q1 I am going to read out three different theories or explanations about the
origin and development of life on earth. Can you tell me which of the
following theories best describes your view?

   1. The "evolution theory" says that human kind has developed over
millions of years from less advanced forms of life. God had no part in this
process.
   2. The "creationism theory" says that God created human kind pretty much
in his/her present form at one time within the last 10,000 years.
   3. The "intelligent design theory" says that certain features of living
things are best explained by the intervention of a supernatural being, e.g.
God.
--

If the group described above makes up a big chunk (maybe half or more?) of
the population, and they are dispersed in roughly equal measures between the
three options (and 'don't know') by dint of questionnaire design, and the
outcome can be latched onto by Horizon and the BBC to make
attention-grabbing programmes and headlines about a gullible public
deserting evolution for ID, you've got to ask whether the questionnaire was
inept or ingenious.

The gloss on the Ipsos MORI web page for the survey says it was 'looking at
beliefs among the British public on how life started _in_ earth' [my emph.
See http://www.mori.com/polls/2006/bbc-horizon.shtml]. It's obvious. The
questionnaire designer is a closet panspermist bent on division and
conquest. The moral panic around ID that celeb scientists are happily
stirring with their commissioned podcasts is just a small part of that
panspermist's cunning plan to bring us all around to his way of thinking,
err, I mean the truth. Come back Fred Hoyle. All is forgiven.

Chris

________________________________

	From: psci-com: on public engagement with science
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Richard Ellam
	Sent: 15 November 2006 11:47
	To: [log in to unmask]
	Subject: Re: [PSCI-COM] are scientists using unscientific data to
attack unscientific 'intelligent design'?
	
	


	Hi All

	I'm sorry, but I don't see what the fuss is about. The Horizon
survey is clearly designed to sort responses into two camps: those who think
that god had a hand in the creation of the world and those who don't. 

	This is the surely the crux of the argument about 'Creationism vs
Evolution' - do we subscribe to an entirely natural account of the origin of
the Universe, or do we subscribe to one which has supernatural elements?

	The 'Theistic Evolution' position seems to me to be pretty untenable
as I understand it - essentially it sees god's role in creation as lighting
the blue touch paper and retiring, about 13.5 bn years ago. Surely this is
not, even in principle, testable and therefore is unscientific? 

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