If you had any doubt before, recent Gallup Polls conducted in the U.S. provide ample evidence that knowledge has nothing to do with knowing and an awful lot to do with politics. In an article published today on the Gallup web site, we learn that a majority of Republicans (68%) do not believe in evolution. Indeed, it would appear that if a Republican candidate were to confess a belief in evolution, he would effectively be committing political suicide. But more interesting (from a nouspique perspective) are the numbers referenced to church attendance.
74% of weekly church-goers do not believe in evolution. That pretty much clears up the big mystery of why your typical North American has no use for church. It might be helpful for Gallup to conduct another poll to yield findings on a slightly different issue: to what extent do more conservative denominations hurt those denominations which endorse the use of brains by creating a general bias against all churches?
Oh yes—and Jesus was not a Republican—just in case you were wondering.