By Lisa C. Green
Lifeway News Office
NASHVILLE — Life didn’t just happen, most Americans say — and a surprising number of nonreligious people agree.
More than 4 in 10 of the nonreligious believe physics and humanity point to a creator, LifeWay Research finds. A third say human morality indicates a creator who defines right and wrong.
And although the nonreligious are less likely than other Americans to see evidence of a creator, they are more likely to agree (46 percent) than disagree (40 percent) with the statement: “Since the universe has organization, I think there is a creator who designed it.”
Traditional evidences for belief in a creator resonate with most Americans, including many of the nonreligious, said Ed Stetzer, executive director of Nashville-based LifeWay Research.
“People who seek to set out reasons to believe, often called apologetics, have historically framed their argument in similar ways,” Stetzer said. “The large number of nonreligious people agreeing with some of these arguments points us to a surprising openness to classic apologetic arguments. Or, put another way, even nonreligious people are open to the idea there is a creator.”
Not blind chance
Human life and a complex universe are powerful indicators of creation, Americans say. In a survey of 1,000 Americans, LifeWay Research found almost 8 in 10 (79 percent) believe the existence of human life means someone created it, while 72 percent think the organization of the universe shows a creator’s design.
“The infinitesimal odds that life arose by blind chance is a formidable argument,” said Mary Jo Sharp, assistant professor of apologetics at Houston Baptist University, and an author and speaker in the field.
Religious differences
Many atheists, agnostics, and those with no religious preference find the existence of human life to be a persuasive argument for a creator, with 43 percent agreeing: “The fact that we exist means someone created us.” However, a larger share (48 percent) disagrees.
The existence of good and evil is a less compelling argument for the nonreligious. More than half (53 percent) disagree with the statement: “Since people have morality, I think there is a creator who defines morality.” Nevertheless, a third of the nonreligious (33 percent) think human morals point to a creator who defines right and wrong.
Not surprisingly, Christians — particularly evangelicals — overwhelmingly say they see compelling proof of a creator. As evidence, 91 percent of Christians and 95 percent of evangelicals point to the existence of humanity, while 81 percent of Christians and 85 percent of evangelicals cite the structure of the universe.
Age gap
Although most American adults of all ages believe in a creator, a sharp uptick emerges at midlife. On every measure, Americans 45 and older are more likely to see evidence of a creator than those 18-44.
Younger Americans are also more likely than those 45 and older to believe human life may exist without a creator. Eighty-six percent of those 45 and older agree the presence of human beings points to a creator; only 1 in 10 disagrees. Among those 18-44, however, 72 percent believe human life is evidence of a creator and nearly a quarter (22 percent) disagree.
More than three-fourths of those 45 and older (77 percent) consider the orderliness of the universe to be a sign of a creator, a view held by two-thirds (66 percent) of those 18-44.
