Godless creationists

This poll may be worth keeping in mind the next time someone attempts to equate creationism with Bible-thumping.

Forty-six percent of Americans believe in the creationist view that God created humans in their present form at one time within the last 10,000 years. The prevalence of this creationist view of the origin of humans is essentially unchanged from 30 years ago, when Gallup first asked the question. About a third of Americans believe that humans evolved, but with God’s guidance; 15% say humans evolved, but that God had no part in the process.

I don’t think it’s interesting that so many Americans believe God created Man within the last 10,000 years. That’s not news; the percentage apparently hasn’t changed since 1982. What is absolutely fascinating is the fact that at 25 percent, almost as many people who “attend church seldom or never” are young Earth creationists as the 26 percent who believe God had no part in human evolution.

As for my position, I believe God created Man, although I don’t pretend to know when or how. I think the question may even be something of a category error, since it’s conceptually possible that the creation of Man was the ensoulment of an existing animal form.