--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The US is also unusual in the enormous…" description: "\"The US is also unusual in the enormous scale of religious fundamentalism. The impact on understanding of the world is extraordinary. In national polls ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/450/noam-chomsky-42_ancestor_the-us-is-also-unusual-in-the-enormous-s_3022268.jpg" --- # The US is also unusual in the enormous scale of religious… ![“The US is also unusual in the enormous scale of religious fundamentalism. The impact on understanding of the world is extraordinary. In national polls almost half of those surveyed have reported that they believe that God created humans in their present form 10,000 years ago (or less) and that man…” quote by Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/450/noam-chomsky-42_ancestor_the-us-is-also-unusual-in-the-enormous-s_3022268.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/450/noam-chomsky-42_ancestor_the-us-is-also-unusual-in-the-enormous-s_3022268.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/450/noam-chomsky-42_ancestor_the-us-is-also-unusual-in-the-enormous-s_3022268.jpg) > “The US is also unusual in the enormous scale of religious fundamentalism. The impact on understanding of the world is extraordinary. In national polls almost half of those surveyed have reported that they believe that God created humans in their present form 10,000 years ago (or less) and that man shares no common ancestor with the ape. There are similar beliefs about the Second Coming.” [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Widespread religious fundamentalism shapes worldviews, with many rejecting scientific origins and believing literal creation myths. **In simple terms:** Fundamentalist beliefs dominate many people's views. Key Takeaway Challenge misconceptions with evidence. Themes religion science education Mood critical inquisitive Type analytical educational When to use this quote - school curricula - public debates - media literacy - policy making Key Concepts cognitive bias cultural influence Questions to Reflect On - How can education address these myths? - What role does media play in shaping belief? A Different Perspective Deeply held beliefs resist change. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ancestor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ancestor/) [Apes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/apes/) [Belief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/belief/) [Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) [Common](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/common/) [Enormous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enormous/) [Extraordinary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/extraordinary/) [Form](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/form/) [Fundamentalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fundamentalism/) [Fundamentalism Impact](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fundamentalism-impact-4898570/) [God Created](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god-created/) [Half](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/half/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Impact](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impact/) [Learning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learning/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Polls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/polls/) [Religious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious/) [Religious fundamentalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious-fundamentalism/) [Scales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scales/) [Second Coming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/second-coming-317547/) [Share](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/share/) [Similar Beliefs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/similar-beliefs-2269649/) [Understanding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/understanding/) [Unusual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unusual/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) [Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years/) [Years ago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years-ago/) ## Related quotes > [People will find some ways of identifying themselves, becoming associated with others, taking part in something. 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And yet, the unfortunate reality is, it is the humans that discriminate each other on the grounds of imaginary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/discriminations-suit-animals-not-humans-and-yet-the-unfortunate/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [I really don't want to offend anybody, but I find all forms of religious fundamentalism frightening.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cody-fern/i-really-don-t-want-to-offend-anybody-but-i-find-all-forms-of/) [Cody Fern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cody-fern/) > [In other words, I’m against cheating, greed, cruelty, racism, imperialism, religious fundamentalism, treason, and the seemingly limitless capacity for hypocrisy shown by Bush and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viggo-mortensen/in-other-words-i-m-against-cheating-greed-cruelty-racism-imperialism/) [Viggo Mortensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viggo-mortensen/) > [“When a person irrationally and quite pathologically sticks to the creeds of his scriptures too much, it can turn even a great human being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/when-a-person-irrationally-and-quite-pathologically-sticks-to-the/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) ## More by Noam Chomsky > [The costs of the Bush-Obama wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now estimated to run as high as $4.4 trillion - a major victory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-costs-of-the-bush-obama-wars-in-iraq-and-afghanistan-are-now/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [If you believe in democracy, why shouldn't you know what the government is doing?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/if-you-believe-in-democracy-why-shouldn-t-you-know-what-the/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [It’s a shameful moment for U.S. media when it insists on being subservient to the grotesque propaganda agencies of a violent, aggressive state.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/it-s-a-shameful-moment-for-u-s-media-when-it-insists-on-being/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [There are questions as to whether it should even exist. 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Just because I say it doesn't make it true. So check it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-first-thing-you-ought-to-do-is-verify-what-i-present-just-because/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [ I wrote an article about the marine landing \[in Haiti\] right away, but barely mentioned the oil, because my article would come out two… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/i-wrote-an-article-about-the-marine-landing-in-haiti-right-away-but/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [American society is now remarkably atomized. Political organizations have collapsed. In fact, it seems like even bowling leagues are collapsing. The left has a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/american-society-is-now-remarkably-atomized-political-organizations/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Discovery is the ability to be puzzled by simple things. Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/discovery-is-the-ability-to-be-puzzled-by-simple-things-noam-chomsky/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [There's an interesting book about that called The Third Reich and the Ivory Tower, written by Stephen H. Norwood. 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You can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/there-s-plenty-to-criticize-about-the-mass-media-but-they-are-the/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [The 50,000 Korean mercenaries we had in Vietnam were professional killers and just massacred people outright. And the American army did plenty of that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-50-000-korean-mercenaries-we-had-in-vietnam-were-professional/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) [Explore all 2,129 Noam Chomsky quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) ## More Ancestor quotes > [A lot of indigenous cultures are deeply involved in working with ancestor spirits, elemental spirits, and demons. Many of these cultures feel that, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-pinchbeck/a-lot-of-indigenous-cultures-are-deeply-involved-in-working-with/) [Daniel Pinchbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-pinchbeck/) > [Food binds us to our roots as strongly as any song or poem. Many of us have learned more about our ancestors in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-thomas/food-binds-us-to-our-roots-as-strongly-as-any-song-or-poem-many-of-us/) [Anna Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-thomas/) > [Whereas our ancestors (not of choice) were the first successful cultivators of the wilds of America, we their descendants feel ourselves entitled to participate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-allen/whereas-our-ancestors-not-of-choice-were-the-first-successful/) [Richard Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-allen/) > [Going where no man has gone before is more difficult than it sounds. 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