Nearly half of Canadians think creationism should be taught in schools: poll

This Dec. 10, 1999 file photo shows Michelangelo's fresco "La Creazione" ("The Creation") on the ceiling of the Vatican's Sistine Chapel. (AP Photo/Plinio Lepri)

A growing number of Canadians think that creationism should be taught in classrooms, and support is increasing the most among young people, according to a new poll.

Research Co. asked Canadians if they think creationism, defined in the poll as “the belief that the universe and life originated from specific acts of divine creation,” should be part of the school curriculum in their province.

Nearly half, 48 per cent, of respondents said creationism “definitely should” or “probably should” be taught. That’s up seven points from a similar survey conducted in April of last year.

More than a third of Canadians, 35 per cent, disagreed with creationism being taught to children and 18 per cent were not sure.

“The increase in support for discussing creationism in schools is being driven by Canadians aged 18-to-34 (58 per cent, +10),” Mario Canseco, president of Research Co. said, in a news release accompanying the data. “Fewer than half of their counterparts aged 35-to-54 (48 per cent, +4) and aged 55 and over (38 per cent, +5) favour this course of action.”

Support for teaching creationism was highest amongst Canadians of South Asian and Indigenous origin, 73 per cent and 57 per cent respectively. Less than half of Canadians of East Asian (45 per cent) or European origin (35 per cent) agreed with putting creationism on the curriculum.

On the provincial level, people in Ontario were the most likely to endorse teaching creationism, 54 per cent, and British Columbians were the least, at 41 per cent.

However, the poll found a far smaller proportion of Canadians believe in creationism itself.

Pollsters asked which of two statements represented respondents’ view regarding the origin of human beings on earth: “Human beings evolved from less advanced life forms over millions of years” or “God created human beings in their present form within the last 10,000 years.”

Under a quarter, 23 per cent, of Canadians said they believed God created mankind, and 61 per cent said they believe in evolution.

While more than half of Canadians aged 18-to-34 said they think creationism belongs in the classroom, 21 per cent said they actually believe in divine creation.

A similar trend appeared in the responses by ethnicity. While the majority of South Asian and Indigenous respondents agreed with creationism being taught, they were less likely than European and East Asian counterparts to believe in it.

According to the poll, 22 per cent of those with European, 21 per cent East Asian, 19 per cent Indigenous and 17 per cent South Asian origins believe God created humans.

The results are based on an online survey conducted between Oct. 24 and 26, among a representative sample of 1,002 adults in Canada and weighted according to census figures. The margin of error is +/- 3.1 per cent, 19 times out of 20, according to Research Co.