# Evolution and the American South? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 4, 2017, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evolution-and-the-american-south/781359 "2017-03-04T03:10:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2017, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evolution-and-the-american-south/781359/21 "2017-03-04T19:26:44Z")
The OP reminds me of a certain type of political activist who loudly shames others for stereotyping, then himself/herself promptly stereotypes large groups of people with a broad brush. Like the joke, _“There are two types of people I cannot stand: Those who are prejudiced, and the Dutch.”_ ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2017, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evolution-and-the-american-south/781359/22 "2017-03-04T19:31:16Z")
> [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](#): > > evolutionists (here referred to as ‘Evil-lutionists’) don’t have a very long shelf life. They get killed or converted? ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2017, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evolution-and-the-american-south/781359/23 "2017-03-04T20:10:20Z")
IME mostly they learn to shut up lest they be shunned and stared at wherever they go. And once they’ve made the switch to silence, nobody else of like mind will ever notice them. So they remain in place, but are invisible. Happens in most political or religious monocultures; the minorities are much less visible than their actual numbers. ---
**Author:** ![Weisshund](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ba8739/32.png) [@Weisshund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weisshund)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2017, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evolution-and-the-american-south/781359/24 "2017-03-04T20:51:08Z")
> [@Nadnerb](#): > > Does anybody in the American South accept evolution? You know Darwin’s theory of evolution. Is this some kind of stupid trick question? The year is 2017, America is a highly mobile society Most households own at least 1 automobile if not more The nation is now traversed by numerous local and national highways People go live where they want to, or where work etc takes them. Many of your “American South” were probably from New York, or New Jersey, or Michigan, or Montana, or where ever. Oh and yes, people from the south have even gone to and lived in Alaska So, there is no “Good Old” 1830 south with slaves and plantations and what ever else BS you have dancing in your idiotic mind. So exactly what kind of stereotypical Good Old Boys, inbred, sister humping, what ever fantasy did you smoke up today huh? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2017, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evolution-and-the-american-south/781359/25 "2017-03-04T21:47:06Z")
> [@Weisshund](#): > > The year is 2017, America is a highly mobile society > [@](#): > > Most households own at least 1 automobile if not more > [@](#): > > The nation is now traversed by numerous local and national highways > [@](#): > > So, there is no “Good Old” 1830 south with slaves and plantations One could even say it’s – evolfed? Wait, _evolsed?_ Dangit, I can _get_ this. ---
**Author:** ![P-man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/p-man/32/3606_2.png) [@P-man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/P-man)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2017, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evolution-and-the-american-south/781359/26 "2017-03-04T22:01:12Z")
My 82 year old NC born, Tennessee parents have no problem with evolution. Neither went to college, and they don’t vote Republican. ---
**Author:** ![Lee\_Q](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/aeb1de/32.png) [@Lee\_Q](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lee_Q)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2017, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evolution-and-the-american-south/781359/27 "2017-03-04T23:01:41Z")
> [@MEBuckner](#): > > Heck, we even got universities down here! > > Some of 'em ain’t even Bible colleges, _or_ cosmetology schools. Look at you, with your hifalutin’ words! I don’t know what part of the South YOU claim to be from, but 'round here they’re called BEAUTY schools. :dubious: “Cosmetology school” is for your fancy cousin who thought she was too good for this podunk and moved off to the big city\*. \*e.g. Tulsa. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2017, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evolution-and-the-american-south/781359/28 "2017-03-05T01:53:51Z")
> [@MEBuckner](#): > > Some of 'em ain’t even Bible colleges Now don’t go slandering Bible colleges. I’m sure Oxford’s a damn fine school, and the Sorbonne seems to have a reasonably nice arts program. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2017, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evolution-and-the-american-south/781359/29 "2017-03-05T02:43:06Z")
> [@derleth](#): > > now don’t go slandering bible colleges. I’m sure oxford’s a damn fine school, and the sorbonne seems to have a reasonably nice arts program. 😃 😃 😃 words ---
**Author:** ![Dereknocue67](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6de8d8/32.png) [@Dereknocue67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dereknocue67)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2017, 10:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evolution-and-the-american-south/781359/30 "2017-03-05T10:35:32Z")
Virginia. Almost everyone I know accepts evolution. The ones who do not simply prove it doesn’t always work. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2017, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evolution-and-the-american-south/781359/31 "2017-03-05T11:26:09Z")
> [@Wendell\_Wagner](#): > > I can’t find any website with the exact statistics, but polls have been taken in recent years that show that, yes, a smaller proportion of people in the southern U.S. believe in evolution than in other parts of the country… Data here, the second bar chart, acceptance of evolution by state: > **[Acceptance of evolution vs. religiosity in the U.S.](https://whyevolutionistrue.com/2013/04/07/acceptance-of-evolution-vs-religiosity-in-the-u-s/)** > > This Thursday I'm giving a talk at Oakland University in Michigan on the evidence for evolution and the reason why Americans reject it. Drop by if you live in the area, and I'll be glad to sign copies It runs from around 30% to around 65% by state, obviously negatively correlated with no so much just “South” but Bible Belt. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2017, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evolution-and-the-american-south/781359/32 "2017-03-05T14:27:40Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > What on earth are you thinking, to ask such a question? > [@LSLGuy](#): > > So which [decade](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=813420) 's attitudes are we discussing? 🙂 _:backs slowly out of thread_ ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2017, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evolution-and-the-american-south/781359/33 "2017-03-05T15:01:34Z")
Riemann, that’s only true if we define “the Bible Belt” in an unexpected way. The picture linked below from the Wikipedia article on the Bible Belt shows how it’s usually defined. It’s pretty clearly limited to what is usually thought of as the South: [![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c2/BibleBelt.png) ](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c2/BibleBelt.png) Note though that that area misses a significant proportion of the portion of the U.S. where the belief in evolution is smallest. Also, the Bible Belt is usually considered to be where evangelical Protestants live. In the usual definition, the Bible Belt doesn’t include Utah, North Dakota, Idaho, Wyoming, South Dakota, Montana, or Kansas, all of which have large proportion of people who don’t believe in evolution. I thought perhaps that adding states with large proportion of Mormons would cover those states. (And, incidentally, whatever you think of Mormons or evangelical Protestants, Mormons are not generally considered to be evangelical Protestants): > **[Top 10 states with the most Mormons - UtahValley360](https://utahvalley360.com/2015/07/13/top-10-states-mormons/)** > > If you’re like most people, you’d probably guess that Utah has a higher percentage of LDS people than any other state. And you’d be right. But members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints live all over the world and across the United... But that’s not quite right either. Yes, Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana have large proportions of Mormons, but North Dakota, South Dakota, and Kansas don’t. Religious belief and belief in evolution are correlated, but the term “the Bible Belt” in the way it’s usually used doesn’t explain things either. We need a new term covering most of the South (although not the Mid-Atlantic) and most of the West that isn’t on the Pacific Coast. Actually, if you want to be even more specific, drop the area around big cities like Atlanta, Dallas, and Houston. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2017, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evolution-and-the-american-south/781359/34 "2017-03-05T15:10:12Z")
> [@Wendell\_Wagner](#): > > Riemann, that’s only true if we define “the Bible Belt” in an unexpected way. The picture linked below from the Wikipedia article on the Bible Belt shows how it’s usually defined. It’s pretty clearly limited to what is usually thought of as the South… Thanks, that betrays my ignorance of what “Bible Belt” means (I wasn’t born here). I rather imagined a curved belt that encompassed not just the south-east but much more of the lateral center of the U.S. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2017, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evolution-and-the-american-south/781359/35 "2017-03-05T23:39:30Z")
C’mon, folks, don’t be playing tricks on the new guy. The answer is no. Nobody in the American South accepts evolution. You’ve heard of the Mason-Dixon line? That’s a force field that strains out non-believers. They keep north of the line where they belong and can’t bother the decent people. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2017, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evolution-and-the-american-south/781359/36 "2017-03-06T02:08:47Z")
> [@Wendell\_Wagner](#): > > Actually, if you want to be even more specific, drop the area around big cities like Atlanta, Dallas, and Houston. Oh, no… the Dallas area is smack-dab in the Bible Belt. People freaking ask you where you go to church, get up in your shit about religious belief, and just make all sorts of assumptions about religion and what-not here. I mean, the Southern Baptist Convention is headquartered here, and has their annual convention here! Doesn’t get any more crazy than that. Wasn’t and isn’t that way in Houston at all. I’d draw that Bible Belt diagram as going just north of the Houston area, but not including it. Dallas, on the other hand might be less Baptist/evangelical than the surrounding benighted boondocks, but only very slightly so. ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2017, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evolution-and-the-american-south/781359/37 "2017-03-06T04:10:49Z")
> [@bump](#): > > Oh, no… the Dallas area is smack-dab in the Bible Belt. People freaking ask you where you go to church, get up in your shit about religious belief, and just make all sorts of assumptions about religion and what-not here. I mean, the Southern Baptist Convention is headquartered here, and has their annual convention here! Doesn’t get any more crazy than that. > > Wasn’t and isn’t that way in Houston at all. I’d draw that Bible Belt diagram as going just north of the Houston area, but not including it. Dallas, on the other hand might be less Baptist/evangelical than the surrounding benighted boondocks, but only very slightly so. The [headquarters](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Baptist_Convention#Organization) of the Southern Baptist Convention is in Nashville, Tennessee. Some [major seminaries](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dallas#Religion) are in Dallas however. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2017, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evolution-and-the-american-south/781359/38 "2017-03-06T15:28:26Z")
> [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](#): > > The [headquarters](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Baptist_Convention#Organization) of the Southern Baptist Convention is in Nashville, Tennessee. Some [major seminaries](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dallas#Religion) are in Dallas however. Maybe I’m thinking of the Texas Baptist Convention. Either way, it’s a haven for whack-job conservative Christians. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2017, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evolution-and-the-american-south/781359/39 "2017-03-06T22:31:20Z")
> [@Nadnerb](#): > > Does anybody in the American South accept evolution? You know Darwin’s theory of evolution. Ever read the Cornerstone Speech by Confederate Vice President Alexander Stephens? He had read Darwin’s “Origin of Species” as was quite prepared to use it as evidence that blacks were descended from an inferior strain of primates. ---
**Author:** ![Nadnerb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ee7513/32.png) [@Nadnerb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nadnerb)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2017, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evolution-and-the-american-south/781359/40 "2017-03-06T23:03:37Z")
> [@bump](#): > > Oh, no… the Dallas area is smack-dab in the Bible Belt. People freaking ask you where you go to church, get up in your shit about religious belief, and just make all sorts of assumptions about religion and what-not here. I mean, the Southern Baptist Convention is headquartered here, and has their annual convention here! Doesn’t get any more crazy than that. > > Wasn’t and isn’t that way in Houston at all. I’d draw that Bible Belt diagram as going just north of the Houston area, but not including it. Dallas, on the other hand might be less Baptist/evangelical than the surrounding benighted boondocks, but only very slightly so. Actually Dallas is a cosmopolitan city, and it isn’t quite like the rest of Texas. It’s quite diverse and Democrats and not Republicans dominate the politics of Dallas. And somebody did cite an excellent reference called the Religious Landscape Study from the Pew Research Forum, and it did provide statistics for the Dallas metro area and the statistics were quite surprising. Most folks in the Dallas area actually accept evolution. And I’ll cite the statistics momentarily. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evolution-and-the-american-south/781359.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evolution-and-the-american-south/781359.md?page=3)