Indeed, as a Canadian, I see this as a somewhat hopeful sign that many of my fellow citizens don’t believe in human evolution, something that is taught as fact in almost every public school and post-secondary institution in Canada. But I need to add a caveat about this poll.
First, note the wording in the question that was posed to respondents:
Which of the following statements comes closest to your views?
a) Human beings have developed over millions of years from less advanced forms of life, but God guided this process.
b) Human beings have developed over millions of years from less advanced forms of life, but God had no part in this process.
c) God created human beings pretty much in their present form at one time within the last 10,000 years or so.
A 60% majority believed God created mankind in either its present form, or that God guided the process. Only 29% believed God had no part in the origin or development of mankind. As a Christian, I find these results both an encouragement and a challenge.
The challenge is in three parts. First, we need to persuade the 29% who reject the idea that there is a Creator of humankind to investigate the scientific veracity of what they have been led to believe. They have accepted someone else’s worldview disguised as science, which has led them to a belief in molecules-to-man evolution. We need to challenge them to dare to question the materialist high priests. They need to know that good science actually confirms a Creator.
The second part of the challenge relates to the 34% who responded positively to statement “a” above, who believe in a Creator, but because of evolutionary indoctrination, have compromised one faith (biblical Christianity) to accept another (theistic evolution). And indoctrinated we most certainly were. Growing up in Canada, I was assailed with evolutionary teaching from very early on in public school. I remember being told of a tiny dot (not much bigger than the one at the end of the sentence) “exploding” to produce all the matter in the universe. And then there was the stormy environment with lightning bolts flashing into the primordial soup until, voila! ... life appeared.
There is a third aspect to note abut this poll’s result. Even though 26% responded that they believe God created humans in the past 10,000 years ago (statement “c” in the poll), it leaves open the possibility that the respondents accept evolution, and that it could have occurred for animals and over millions of years. Thus, many of the 26% could be long-age evolutionists, but believe that God created humans distinct from animals.
We hope that future Canadian (and US) polls will be more specific in this regard, and then we will see how much lower that 26% figure will go. I am curious to know how many Canadians acknowledge that animals may have evolved—but not people.
It was not until early adulthood that I actually checked into the evidence being presented for evolution. This was a daunting task because I thought my faith in God was being challenged by facts of science. What I found was that the so-called “science of evolution” was only an interpretation of evidence by someone who assumed no Creator. The same evidence could be interpreted differently, with the assumption there was a Creator, and still be just as scientific. I found that it took a lot more faith on my part to believe in evolution. Christians need to know there is no good scientific or textual reason to reinterpret the Bible to accommodate evolution.
The pollsters suggested that feelings about faith and science remain unresolved and that Canadians are actually comfortable with not knowing much about the question of origins. I respectfully disagree with that conclusion. We all want answers. In the past, most public discussion in Canada about mankind’s arrival has been in the form of evolutionary story-telling. This story comes from those who assume no God, and it’s this evolutionary point of view that has left many Canadians doubting what they have been taught.
Issues of faith such as creation vs. evolution have not appeared in the Canadian news media to the extent they have in America. I believe that will change, and Canadian Christians need to get equipped with good answers to know how to deal with them. You need to know there are answers.
An excellent resource to help any family get equipped with a biblical worldview is the AiG magazine called Answers. Get a subscription today—you will find something interesting and informative for everyone.
How about getting answers by taking a field trip? Visit the Creation Museum near Cincinnati, Ohio (in Kentucky, actually) this year to see for yourself the evidence for biblical creation. Millions of Canadians, especially Ontario residents, can drive there in a day—the museum is about a 4 1/2 hour drive from the US/Canada border near Detroit. If you are in Western Canada this summer, I suggest dropping by the Big Valley Creation Science Museum. This recently opened creation museum is also full of powerful evidence for God’s creation.