Acceptance of evolution in the [[United States]] varies from to survey to survey, but acceptance in the United States is lesser than in most other countries.
==Origins debate==
The origins debate is the age-old conflict of ideas about how the [[Earth]] was formed and [[life]] came into being.
It also concerns the timing and process whereby the various kinds of [[animals]] and [[plants]] came into being, and
how human beings appeared on the [[Earth]].
===Major views===
Most people throughout [[history]] have ascribed origins to a [[first cause]] - [[God]] or various [[gods]]. Materialist views, i.e. that our creation happened due to natural circumstances, have also been put forth in this debate, some as early as [[ancient Greece]].
[[Judaism]] and [[Christianity]] posit that "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth." ([[Genesis]] 1:1) Then He created plants ([[Genesis]] 1:11-13), animals ([[Genesis]] 1:20-23), and finally people (Genesis 1:26-27). Other major religions have similar creation stories.
[[Materialism|Materialistic]] views are many and various.
The prevailing contemporary view in the natural [[science|sciences]] (i.e., [[astronomy]], [[geology]] and [[biology]]) among those who hold to a materialist [[worldview]] is that the [[Big Bang]] theory explains cosmic origins and the [[Theory of Evolution]] (in this case necessarily including [[abiogenesis]]) explains the emergence of plants, animals and people.
[[Teleology|Teleological]] views of origins recognize purpose and therefore design in nature and are not in general in conflict with [[science]]; rather they are in conflict with any [[worldview]] that posits that no references to a creator, purpose, or design is necessary.
There is considerable debate over whether there is any viable middle ground between the materialist views and the [[creationism|creationist]] views. Some would hold, though, that a viable middle position could be found if both sides recognized how miraculous any theory of creation is, whether it is perfect conditions for development or a Prime Mover such as God.
A 2001 Gallup poll showed that 37% of Americans believed that human beings "evolved" in a process guided by God, 45% believed God created human beings in roughly their present form, and 12% believed a process of natural selection over millions of years developed humans completely independent of God. <ref>[http://www.unl.edu/rhames/courses/current/creation/evol-poll.htm] </ref>
<!-- If anyone can find a more recent poll, that would be good. This data is 7 years old. -->
== Acceptance ==