Evolution or Creationism? Find Out Where Protestant Pastors Stand

American pastors overwhelmingly believe that Adam and Eve were very literal people and that evolution was not the tool that God used to create mankind. This notion -- that Protestant leaders take the bible's creation story literally -- was reinforced in a recent study by LifeWay Research.

When asked to agree or disagree with the statement, "I believe Adam and Eve were literal people," the results were strong to say the least. The vast majority -- 74 percent -- strongly agreed that Adam and Eve existed, with an additional 8 percent selecting that they "somewhat agree" with the statement. Overall, only 17 percent disagreed; one percent was unsure.

On the evolution indicator, which explored whether God used evolution to create humans, 73 percent of the Christian leaders polled indicated that they do not believe he did, with only 12 percent agreeing that it was God's chosen creation method. Four percent of respondents indicated that they aren't sure where they stand on the matter.

The Blaze previously reported on the doubts that some have had regarding whether Adam and Eve existed. These questions have caused some Christians to embrace evolution, while viewing the biblical creation story as something more rooted in literature than reality.

But for pastors, this stance is rare, according to the survey. "...Protestant pastors are overwhelmingly Creationists and believe in a literal Adam and Eve," explained Ed Stetzer, president of LifeWay Research.

In 2010, Gallup data showed that 40 percent of the nation embraces the notion that God created man in his current form, with only 16 percent claiming that God played no part in the process of creation. So, regardless of the growing levels of doubt, even among believers, more people -- especially Protestant leaders -- embrace Creationism than they do evolutionary theory.

When it comes to the earth's age, though, there is some disagreement among pastors. When presented with the statement, "I believe the earth is approximately 6,000 years old," the results were evenly divided. While 34 percent of pastors strongly disagree with this notion, an additional 30 percent strongly agreed; nine percent fell into the "somewhat disagree" category, while 16 percent "somewhat agrees."

You can read the rest of the results on the LifeWay web site.