Religious people are less intelligent than non-believers

Source

Religious people are less intelligent than non-believers, according to a new review of 63 scientific studies stretching back over decades.

A team led by Miron Zuckerman of the University of Rochester found “a reliable negative relation between intelligence and religiosity” in 53 out of 63 studies. Even in extreme old age, intelligent people are less likely to believe, the researchers found - and the reasons why people with high IQs shun religion may not be as simple as previously thought.

Previous studies have tended to assume that intelligent people simply “know better”, the researchers write - but the reasons may be more complex.

For instance, intelligent people are more likely to be married, and more likely to be successful in life - and this may mean they “need” religion less.

The studies used in Zuckerman's paper included a life-long analysis of the beliefs of a group of 1,500 gifted children - those with IQs over 135 - in a study which began in 1921 and continues today.

First and foremost, this is not my opinion, this is an article that has basis in scientific studies.

Secondly, as an atheist, I am not to sure how to take this article.

The term 'intelligence' is quite a subjective word. Atheists could be more open minded to learning new things and much more open to subjects as they do not contradict the 'words' of their God.

Also, I know plenty of religious people that can hold their own in in depth conversations about scientific subjects. I think the science completely contradicts the religion they believe in, and I believe religion is a way of explaining the world before we had science, but, hey, to each their own.

Anyway I thought I would bring it here just for the discussion aspect of the subject...

Any thoughts?

Pred...

reply to post by predator0187


I wouldn't say less intelligent. There are plenty of religious people, including a very good buddy of mine, who both believe in a god and are thoroughly, thoroughly capable of applying their knowledge and experience in amazing ways.

So no, I don't agree with the article.

well ive had this discussion for the day. atheists are generally more adhered to scientific knowledge. and i guess Religious people are generally less adhered to knowing scientific facts than the average atheist would. so it would be expected that religious ppl would perform lower in a scientific test of intelligence. how would the atheists do if they were tested on religious knowledge? but there's nothing that says u cant be a scientist and a believer at the same time. that's the group they shouldve pit against the atheist group. i bet ud find that those outperform the atheists.



“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” ― Albert Einstein

reply to post by predator0187


This is a statistic not a rule and should be thought of in that fashion, Often intelligence is worked out by IQ which itself is a flawed system using knowledge and programmed thought process tests.
Did you know the head of the Human Genome project is a Christian whom found his faith late in life, Also these statistics may vary by nation and region so should be revised to include region.
This is not a finding, this is a statistical analysis, Often those more willing to be less scrupulous are less likely to believe in god so there lower scruples make them more financially successful but what of there real quality's as people, boy you have started a debate here.
I will just stand and watch for now.

Richard Dawkins is an outspoken atheist, I neither like nor trust that guy he makes my skin crawl.

So how did they make sure to separate "what was learned over time", experience, from actual cognitive ability to determine x from y?

Seems unreasonable.

I am going to have to say scientists that do studies like this have less credibility than scientists who say things that make sense.

I am not religious btw.
I just realize this information is way outta context and being misrepresented.

reply to post by predator0187


Thoughts? I think you just opened up pandora's box

I have been IQ tested at 137 and while that's certainly not "Genius" it's considered to be well above average and fits into one of the control groups used in the study. While I'm not "religious" per say, I am a theist. The worlds history is full of brilliant, extremely intelligent people who believe in a higher power.

This study might not be taking different factors into account such as social status, cultural influences, etc. For instance I would imagine that more affluent people in the U.K are also more likely to score well on IQ tests due to better education and upbringing as well as belonging to the category of atheists as a result of the recent swell in atheism in that country, as compared to say, the bible belt in the U.S.

A link to the paper would be nice so we could verify the integrity of the control groups and the methods used to determine such a link (if any exists).

It depends on the situation and the topic!

That's a surprise to me, I have yet to find a more dim specimen than your garden variety leftist atheist militant; the ubiquitous sort that seem to infest every crevice of social media.

Maybe they found an as yet un-discovered brand of elite Godless types?

Or more likely, its another example of empty-headed leftists informing the great unwashed that they are like, totally way smarter than us & stuff.

Oh BullSh*t! My IQ tested at 156 +/- 4 points. I believe in God and think Darwinism is false.

Originally posted by DarthMuerte
Oh BullSh*t! My IQ tested at 156 +/- 4 points. I believe in God and think Darwinism is false.

The majority of the atheist people I have met are thick as two short planks, they tend to be good with numbers but less artistic though this is not a general rule, just those I have met but most of them think there may be a spirit so are they really atheists or just agnostics.

I don't know if I would say the religious are less intelligent. Though I would certainly believe them to be more gullible. If you believe God "planted" dinosaur bones to test your faith and the world is only around 5,000 years old it doesn't necessarily mean you're not intelligent but ignorant and misinformed certainly apply.

reply to post by DarthMuerte


Darwinism is flawed, certainly. I wouldn't call it false outright. It just needs work. It's definitely a lot better than using the all-powerful cop-out that "The lord works in mysterious ways", which is little more than a poetic way of saying, "The hell if I know, therefore God".

But I still don't agree with the article.

The wisdom of men is foolishness, and the wisdom of God is foolishness to men.

The statement of the article posed by the OP is merely evidence to that fact.

That being said, there is a huge difference between "religious people" and true Spirit-led believers in Jesus Christ (though, I notice, the OP did not touch necessarily specifically on Christianity, but this is most definitely implied as many "atheists" become interested in the morals of either Satanism, or Buddhism, or the like).

I agree with the title. People spend too much time reading that book , they need to think about other stuff.

There is a huge difference between 'religious' people and 'spiritual' people.

I mean c'mon lets all be honest here, organized religion is a scam. They have ungodly (like that pun? ) amounts of money while there is starving people in the world? If they had followed the words of their true leader, Christ, this could and never would have happened.

Religion has been taken over by money and power. That's all it is.

You can still believe in a higher power, which does not have to be a god, and that would not make you religious.

Pred...

I can see how that is possible. When you just believe in faith, you kind of stop looking for facts. So that could be the case.
Im sure there are tons of religious people just as smart as people who dont have a religion, those are forward thinking people ( the ones that dont handle snakes and "faith heal":lol).

reply to post by predator0187


I think that by defining "religious" people, as those who put their faith in something outside of themselves, as opposed to those who take matters into their own hand, the OP headline makes a little more sense.

When people are thinking for themselves and employing problem solving skills, working out the puzzles of their lives, these people have more flexible and open minds, therefore intelligence.

Those who, when confronted with challenges to their survival, and don't problem solve but pray, tend to have more static minds that are waiting for answers to be given to them or problems to solved for them, rather than finding answers on their own.

Certainly people who revere a supreme being and enjoy religious ritual and scripture for solace can be and are just as intelligent as those who don't.

In my very simply put opinion.

reply to post by predator0187


My suggestion is to take it with a grain of salt

Most of these things are rigged and the data is usually colored by some off percpetion

take the bell curve studies


What funny is everyone got upset and no one looked at the data..


The trick would be to look at the information and find out what habits asian parents had that black parents did not
Same for mixed, white trash, injun, latina, and ectra

None thought to ask

hey like dude does culture and what they like do on like a daily basis affect like what the do..


Same here

The ones who have a more secular education spend more time with secular things
that equate to sucess


It would be much more interesting to see WHY those spikes are their


Either way I will behave.. good find and thank you for not being an atheistic arse whole...

Always get the numbers otherwise it is opinion

The only correlation I've been able to come up with to explain 'intelligence' is the trait of curiosity.

While there are many highly educated people that may be curious about certain subjects and still maintain a corraled-off area of their brain that is religious, I think with many it's simply a fealty to family beliefs and traditions. I think you'd be hard put to find a scientist or other highly educated person who thought prayer was really going to work in any given situation, any more than a rabbit's foot is good luck or sending a list to Santa Claus will get you what you want for Christmas.

I haven't found that religious people have much curiosity about the world at all; they seem satisfied with being told what to 'believe' by others and seem uninterested in questioning those early trainings.

Originally posted by Tylerdurden1
I can see how that is possible. When you just believe in faith, you kind of stop looking for facts. So that could be the case.
Im sure there are tons of religious people just as smart as people who dont have a religion, those are forward thinking people ( the ones that dont handle snakes and "faith heal":lol

).

edit on 12-8-2013 by Tylerdurden1 because: (no reason given)

Absolutely and completely wrong.

If you had ever had faith, you'd know that the more faith you have, the more facts you seek.

You speak of what you know nothing about.