Creationist Bigot News - Creationists are Much More Likely to be Racist, Homophobic and Violent

Disbelief in Human Evolution Linked to Greater Prejudice and Racism | UMass Amherst

According to a paper published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology recently, people who reject the idea of human evolution are significantly more likely to be racist, homophobic, intolerant of other political opinions and supportive of political violence. This was true, not only of the USA, where the tendencies were especially marked, but also in Eastern Europe, Israel and Islamic countries.

A psychology study in 2022 found that people who accept evolution as a fact are more tolerant, more inclusive and less racist than those who believe in creationism* What are some of the reasons this could be true? The study you mentioned points to an interesting correlation between acceptance of evolution and certain social attitudes such as tolerance, inclusivity, and reduced racism. Here are some reasons why this correlation might exist:

1. Scientific Worldview and Critical Thinking
   • Education and Skepticism: Acceptance of evolution often correlates with a higher level of scientific education and critical thinking skills. People who embrace scientific explanations may be more likely to apply critical thinking to social issues, leading to more progressive and inclusive attitudes.
   • Questioning Authority: Those who accept evolution may be more inclined to question traditional authority and dogma, including outdated or discriminatory social norms.
2. Understanding of Human Unity and Diversity
   • Shared Ancestry: Evolution emphasizes the common ancestry of all humans, which can foster a sense of shared identity and diminish the importance of racial and ethnic distinctions.
   • Biological Diversity: Understanding evolution involves appreciating the genetic and environmental factors that contribute to diversity, which can lead to a greater acceptance of individual differences.
3. Religious Beliefs and Social Attitudes
   • Religious Conservatism: Creationist beliefs are often associated with more conservative religious views, which may include traditional or exclusionary social attitudes.
   • Moral Authority: Religious texts and interpretations that support creationism may also uphold hierarchical and patriarchal structures, which can contribute to less inclusive attitudes.
4. Openness to New Ideas
   • Intellectual Curiosity: Acceptance of evolution is often linked with openness to new ideas and willingness to update one's beliefs based on evidence. This openness can extend to social attitudes, making individuals more tolerant and inclusive.
   • Adaptability: People who accept evolution may also value adaptability and change, both in biological and social contexts, which can translate to more progressive views on social issues.
5. Secularism and Humanism
   • Secular Values: Those who accept evolution may lean towards secular or humanist values, which prioritize human rights, equality, and social justice over religious or traditional doctrines.
   • Ethical Frameworks: Secular ethical frameworks often emphasize universal human rights and equality, which can lead to more inclusive and anti-racist attitudes.
6. Cultural and Social Influences
   • Educational and Social Environment: People who accept evolution may be influenced by educational and social environments that promote critical thinking, diversity, and inclusivity.
   • Media and Information Sources: They might also consume media and information from sources that advocate for science, equality, and progressive social values, reinforcing tolerant and inclusive attitudes.

While these reasons provide a plausible explanation for the correlation found in the study, it is important to note that correlation does not imply causation. The relationship between acceptance of evolution and social attitudes is likely complex and influenced by multiple factors, including education, culture, and personal experiences.

This was the finding of four Massachusetts University Amherst (MUA) Psychologists, who, according to information supplied by MUA:

A disbelief in human evolution was associated with higher levels of prejudice, racist attitudes and support of discriminatory behavior against Blacks, immigrants and the LGBTQ community in the U.S., according to University of Massachusetts Amherst research published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.

Similarly, across the globe – in 19 Eastern European countries, 25 Muslim countries and in Israel – low belief in evolution was linked to higher biases within a person’s group, prejudicial attitudes toward people in different groups and less support for conflict resolution.

The findings supported the hypothesis of lead author Stylianos Syropoulos, a Ph.D. candidate in the War and Peace Lab of senior author Bernhard Leidner, associate professor of social psychology. They collaborated with co-first author Uri Lifshin at Reichman University in Israel and co-authors Jeff Greenberg and Dylan Horner at the University of Arizona in Tucson. The researchers theorized that belief in evolution would tend to increase people’s identification with all humanity, due to the common ancestry, and would lead to less prejudicial attitudes.

People who perceive themselves as more similar to animals are also people who tend to have more pro-social or positive attitudes toward outgroup members or people from stigmatized and marginalized backgrounds. In this investigation, we were interested in examining whether belief in evolution would also act in a similar way, because it would reinforce this belief that we are more similar to animals.

Stylianos Syropoulos, first author
War and Peace Lab. University of Massachusetts Amherst.

In eight studies involving different areas of the world, the researchers analyzed data from the American General Social Survey (GSS), the Pew Research Center and three online crowdsourced samples. In testing their hypothesis about the associations of different levels of belief in evolution, they accounted for education, political ideology, religiosity, cultural identity and scientific knowledge.

We found the same results each time, which is basically that believing in evolution relates to less prejudice, regardless of the group you’re in, and controlling for all of these alternative explanations.

Stylianos Syropoulos.

For example, religious beliefs, like political ideology, were measured separately from a belief or disbelief in evolution, the researchers note.

Regardless of whether one considers religion an important part of their life, belief in evolution relates to less prejudice independently from belief, or lack thereof, in God or any particular religion

Stylianos Syropoulos.

This whole effect and pattern seems to be present in all major political systems. It’s very much a human phenomenon, no matter where you are in the world.

Associate Professor Bernhard Leidner, senior author
Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences
University of Massachusetts Amherst.

The researchers note that Darwin’s 19th century theory of evolution has been cited to perpetrate racism, prejudice and homophobia, in part through the phrase, “survival of the fittest,” used to describe the process of natural selection.

There have been theoretical accounts that predict the opposite of what we found, so it was exciting for us to show that this actually is not the case, that the opposite is true and that belief in evolution seems to have pretty positive effects.

Associate Professor Bernhard Leidner.

The U.S.-based study involved data from 1993, 1994, 2000, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016 and 2018 – the years the GSS surveyed Americans about their beliefs in evolution, as well as measures of attitudes toward immigrants, Blacks, affirmative action, LGBTQ people and other social matters.

The data analysis showed unfailingly

that the disbelief in human evolution is the driving factor and most consistent predictor of prejudice in comparison to other relevant constructs

the paper states.

In the Israel-based study, people with a higher belief in evolution were more likely to support peace among Palestinians, Arabs and Jews. In the study involving countries in the Islamic world, belief in evolution was associated with less prejudice toward Christians and Jews. And in the study based in Eastern Europe, where Orthodox Christians are the majority, a belief in evolution was linked with less prejudice toward gypsies, Jews and Muslims.

Syropoulos posits that a belief in evolution may expand people’s “moral circle,” leading to a sense that “we have more in common than things that are different.”

The findings also suggest that “teaching evolution seems to have side effects that might make for a better or more harmonious society,” Leidner adds.

The next step, the researchers say, is to investigate how evolution is taught in the classroom and work toward developing models to study and strengthen the positive effects.

Sadly, the team's paper is behind an expensive paywall, however, the abstract is freely available :

Abstract
The current investigation tested if people’s basic belief in the notion that human beings have developed from other animals (i.e., belief in evolution) can predict human-to-human prejudice and intergroup hostility. Using data from the American General Social Survey and Pew Research Center (Studies 1–4), and from three online samples (Studies 5, 7, 8) we tested this hypothesis across 45 countries, in diverse populations and religious settings, across time, in nationally representative data (N = 60,703), and with more comprehensive measures in online crowdsourced data (N = 2,846). Supporting the hypothesis, low belief in human evolution was associated with higher levels of prejudice, racist attitudes, and support for discriminatory behaviors against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ), Blacks, and immigrants in the United States (Study 1), with higher ingroup biases, prejudicial attitudes toward outgroups, and less support for conflict resolution in samples collected from 19 Eastern European countries (Study 2), 25 Muslim countries (Study 3), and Israel (Study 4). Further, among Americans, lower belief in evolution was associated with greater prejudice and militaristic attitudes toward political outgroups (Study 5). Finally, perceived similarity to animals (a construct distinct from belief in evolution, Study 6) partially mediated the link between belief in evolution and prejudice (Studies 7 and 8), even when controlling for religious beliefs, political views, and other demographic variables, and were also observed for nondominant groups (i.e., religious and racial minorities). Overall, these findings highlight the importance of belief in human evolution as a potentially key individual-difference variable predicting racism and prejudice. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved) As mentioned above, the team are now to investigate the best way to teach evolution in schools in order to encourage the development of a kinder, more tolerant and inclusive, less prejudiced and hateful, divided society such as that now being produced by teaching unfortune children that they did not evolve but are the special creation of magic, and therefore in some way superior to other animals and those created with the 'wrong' beliefs.

Syropoulos, Stylianos; Lifshin, Uri; Greenberg, Jeff; Horner, Dylan E.; Leidner, Bernhard
Bigotry and the human–animal divide: (Dis)belief in human evolution and bigoted attitudes across different cultures.
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Vol 123(6), Dec 2022, 1264-1292.

© 2024 American Psychological Association.
Reprinted under the terms of s60 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

Probably more so with creationism than in any other Christian cult, the dissociation between the supposed teachings of a god of love, tolerance, forgiveness, humility and compassion who values honesty and personal integrity, is most stark. As anyone who tries to engage creationists in the social media will quickly discover, creationists are nothing if not dishonest and ready to self-licence an abandonment of the prohibition on false witnessing when it suits them. They will go to almost any length to avoid an honest appraisal of the evidence and can be the most vindictive of people when their arguments are shown to be wrong. Having been the victim of spiteful campaigns of lies, racist abuse and harassment in the social media, I was not in the least surprised to read of this connection between creationism and the more hateful antisocial attitudes and behaviour.

When Francis Collins said of creationists that they were bankrupt both in their theology and their science, he should have added morality to the list.

Religion provides excuses for people who need excuses.
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