In a surprising result, a majority of 1,482 physicians polled by HCD Research and the Louis Finkelstein Institute for Religious and Social Studies rejected strict Darwinism.

Strict Darwinism in the survey was given the following definition: "Humans evolved naturally with no supernatural involvement—no divinity played any role." Only 38 percent of the physicians polled accepted that belief. Other types of evolutionary explanations that can take into consideration a Creator received more support by a margin of 42 percent to 38 percent.

The same poll revealed 65 percent of doctors, or almost two thirds of those surveyed, believed intelligent design should be allowed or required to be taught in schools alongside the teaching of evolution. In fact, although the intelligent design explanation is quite recent, a third of the doctors polled favored it over evolution.

"Of course most doctors are skeptical of Darwinism," said Dr. Robert Cihak, M.D., former president of the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons and a medical columnist for JewishWorldReview.com. "An eye surgeon knows the astonishing intricacies of human vision intimately, so the vague, just-so stories about eye evolution don't fool him. And the eye is just one of the countless organs and interdependent systems in the body that defy Darwinian explanation" (Discovery Institute, "Nearly Two-Thirds of Doctors Skeptical of Darwin's Theory of Evolution," May 31).

In another survey of 1,100 physicians taken by the same research firm and institute in December 2004, it was found that 74 percent of doctors believed miracles occurred in the past and 73 percent believe that miracles occur today. Further, almost half (46 percent) indicated belief that prayer is very important in their own lives and two-thirds encourage their patients to pray.