I work with and use statistics extensively, so I found this article very informative. Gallup is a very trusted source and I saw no evidence of author bias. The results mirror my general knowledge of the subject.

On one hand, the statistics are interesting. On the other hand, the question should be a curiosity and in no way "an important issue" in a presidential campaign. Painting it as important seems like pandering to the rapture right. Evolution is a matter of science, and should be framed in terms of evidence. Focusing entirely on "beliefs" suggests bias in the polling and reporting. It is the science of evolution, not the theory of evolution. Also, I do not answer my telephone for polls.

This is a fascinating glimpse at the mysterious realm of the American mind where scientific and religious buzzword dogmas meet in confusion. I quibble with Gallup's poll wording, "evolution, that is, the idea that human beings developed over millions of years from less advanced forms of life." That's triumphalism! Who can show that those ancestors were less advanced? I also quibble with the headline. Maybe it should also mention "Majority of Churchgoers".

The story is decent reporting on their poll. My quibbles, which are not insignificant, are with Gallup's poll itself. First, we should not be asking about "belief" in evolution. Evolution has been scientifically proven and is proven in research every day. Maybe the term should be "acceptance," but not "belief." Do you "believe" that you have a cardiovascular system? Well, maybe some people have to look at that as belief, as they don't see it, but science is science and it is there and it is provable. Next, lay people, the Gallup pollers included, do not understand the scientific definition of the term "theory." In science, a question (hypothesis) that can be studied and is proven over and over again as a result of research done ... More »

I am not sure if I trust their sample, "These results are based on telephone interviews with a randomly selected national sample of 1,007 adults". This is a very small sample. It would be more enlightening if the samples were regional.