Religious People Are Less Intelligent Than Atheists, study states

Originally posted by Dreine
Too many times, the words 'religion' and 'spiritual' are used interchangeably... wrongly.

I was raised Christian, became bitter and hate-filled due to something in my personal life, then turned atheist. However, with my age and experience I now believe in God again, thanks to some personal revelations that I took the time and effort to sort out.
I admit I felt smarter... almost arrogantly so... when I said there was no God and that man had created the idea of God as the ultimate control system. I was very proud of myself for 'figuring it out'. But as I watch my children grow and see my parents age and fade, I've come to realize that my faith in a God... in a Creator... has come back with a vengeance. I am still no fan of organized religion... I believe that one's relationship with God is the most intimate relationship in one's life, and that what happens within is unique to each of us.

As far as my intellect is concerned, I could care less about what any study may say about me as long as I can rest my head at night knowing that my children, my wife, and my family are safe and that I have given them the best of all that I am with the help of a God who has never forgotten me, even when I have chosen to forsake him.

Just my experience.... YMMV, of course.

That's awesome.
I too had the same falling out and returning.
Well written post though man, and I agree.

Originally posted by JohnnyCanuck

Originally posted by Klassified
reply to post by swanne

 

I am a Christian turned atheist. Did I suddenly gain IQ points the day I decided Christianity is one of the grandest deceptions ever perpetrated on the world? Probably not.

And I guess Einstein wasn't so bright after all...

I would suggest that turning your back organised religion was an exercise of your IQ, and that Einstein was speaking in terms of acknowledging a higher power...not a culturally-based means of connecting with it.

Well said Johnny.
I don't think Christians, as a whole, are any less intelligent than anyone else on the planet. It's just that Christianity requires one to suspend their analytical and critical thinking skills when scrutinizing Christianity itself.
And the bible is used as the foundation for all truth, and therefore, the measuring stick everything else is compared to.
Not a good way to look at, or live life.

reply to post by swanne

This "study" basically just called my best friend "less intelligent".

No, it did nothing of the sort. I'm a religious person, and I'm not offended by this study at all because I understand it.

The study only looks at the group, not the individual. The study says nothing about your friend, only about the group he belongs to.

And it makes sense, the religious group is much much larger than the atheists group, we know that overall there are more stupid people than smart people, that is just a fact of life. So any larger group will most likely have a lower IQ than a smaller group. Now with atheists, it's not a random group...it consists of a lot of academics and scientific minded people...while the religious group is basically the general public.

But again, this says nothing about the individuals of the group. You can't use this study and grab an atheist at random and grab a religious person at random and say "the atheist is definitely more intelligent than the religious person". What you can say is that there is x% that the atheists is probably more intelligent than the religious person.

The most intelligent person in the world could be in the religious group and the dumbest person in the world could be an atheist, this study only makes a statement about the group.

Originally posted by AlienScience
The study says nothing about your friend, only about the group he belongs to.

You may be right. But then, to which group for instance do buddhists belong to? They are both atheist by definition and religious people. Technically... the people can't be divided into religious/atheist. By definition, some "atheist" scientists do believe in a higher scheme (may it be Quantum jitter, M-Theory), and thus they could fit the definition of "with Faith".

The purpose behind this study eludes me. What were the researchers trying to prove??

Well duh??

Doesn't this just go without saying?


Not sure how this is news to anyone really but thanks for posting anyway.

Originally posted by damwel
Just because you know an exception doesn't invalidate the study.

The study does appear to be invalid. Unless someone can give a complete breakdown of various religious beliefs, and control groups, and various spiritual beliefs. For example, there is a wealth of ancient information in the bible. But if its viewed in a fundamentalist way, its rather scarey book. Under the hood its a bit different. Most religions are much more metphorical than fundamental, some even toe into the gnostic, without being gnostic.

Saying this, would be like noting that most of the inner city mom's wear a certain brand from walmart. And then out of all the different tangents or streams they could guess on as theories and then study, (ie. gang warfare, poverty, stress levels in family, abuse levels in family due to socio economic factors, nutrition, lack of privacy and lack of opportunities and lack of good role models, etc etc) as to why their children were having poor grades, the study then concludes that the reason the children are having poor grades is that children of women wearing this brand name from walmart are less intelligent.

Originally posted by Klassified
It's just that Christianity requires one to suspend their analytical and critical thinking skills when scrutinizing Christianity itself.
And the bible is used as the foundation for all truth, and therefore, the measuring stick everything else is compared to.
Not a good way to look at, or live life.

Not absolutely true. In the past, maybe, but now?
Yes, there are still fanatics who still follow to the letter the Bible. However, with now the awakening of scientifical facts in the minds of everyone, the new generation of Christians, and even Jews, Buddhists, they are less stuck to one point of view (the Bible) and are definitively more open-minded. Now, parts of science explains faith and religions, and parts of religion and faith explains science. The ultimate goal of past scientists such as Galileo. And now, the new growing wave of religious or spiritual believers applies science and other truths in their search for truth.
And the new studies condemns them in favor for only atheist. Atheist too could be blamed of narrow-mindness. Many are, the same as many religious are narrow-minded. That isn't reason to discriminate one party over the other.

Originally posted by swanne

Originally posted by AlienScience
The study says nothing about your friend, only about the group he belongs to.

You may be right. But then, to which group for instance do buddhists belong to? They are both atheist by definition and religious people. Technically... the people can't be divided into religious/atheist. By definition, some "atheist" scientists do believe in a higher scheme (may it be Quantum jitter, M-Theory), and thus they could fit the definition of "with Faith".

The purpose behind this study eludes me. What were the researchers trying to prove??

Good point.
Perhaps they're trying to banish all forms of spirituality or faith. After all, moral laws kinda derives from spirituality, and proving that spirituality makes people less intelligent, then they condemn also moral laws, and it goes in their plans of making people more animalistic (because animals "don't have spirituality, but they're better than humans"-type philosophy that the Elite is trying to promote).

reply to post by swanne

The purpose behind this study eludes me. What were the researchers trying to prove??

Well, what is the purpose of scientific inquiry? To know. They dont need any more justifications, even for controversial studies. I dont see why there has to be any other purpose.

And for those who appear surprised by this, it is nothing new. There were many studies like this already, with similar conclusions, and also presented in popular media. It makes sense, because general population and more so lower socioeconomic classes tend to be more religious, while intelligentsia tends to be more atheist. There are exceptions, but that is the general trend.

reply to post by Maslo


Here, the direct effect of that studies are to make people assume that if you decide to consider Christianity or any other religions, you'll be labeled as "lazy-minded" and "stupid". To me this doesn't seem like a harmless scientific study. It seems like a direct attack. Yet, because it's labeled "science", it sweetens the pill, right?

Originally posted by swanne
reply to post by Maslo

 

Here, the direct effect of that studies are to make people assume that if you decide to consider Christianity or any other religions, you'll be labeled as "lazy-minded" and "stupid". To me this doesn't seem like a harmless scientific study. It seems like a direct attack. Yet, because it's labeled "science", it sweetens the pill, right?

I imagine this study will be used in whatever way those presenting it wish as far as it takes to promote their view... either against religious people and their 'close-mindedness', or for those wanting to paint the religious as victims.

Remain Calm and Carry On, as far as I'm concerned!

Originally posted by Dreine
I imagine this study will be used in whatever way those presenting it wish as far as it takes to promote their view... either against religious people and their 'close-mindedness', or for those wanting to paint the religious as victims.

Precisely.

reply to post by swanne

To which group for instance do buddhists belong to? They are both atheist by definition and religious people.

I live in a Buddhist-majority country, so I am qualified to answer this. Buddhists are very far from being atheists – they believe in gods, spirits, bodhisattvas, raksasas, pereteyas and other supernatural beings, and in practice their reverence for Buddha amounts to worship. They are most certainly religious people.

And they can be very stupid indeed, as well as vicious. Buddhist ethno-religious fundamentalism has all but destroyed society in my beautiful country.

The Face of Buddhist Terror

The Globalisation of Buddhist Hate

Burma's 'Bin Laden of Buddhism'

Sri Lankan Buddhist Extremists Attack Muslim Mosque

Bishop Warns of ‘Buddhist Taliban’ in Sri Lanka

Buddhist villagers burn Christian church in Cambodia

Buddhists move into restive southern Thailand

Buddhism v Islam in Asia: Fears of a new religious strife

reply to post by Astyanax


Wow, thanks for the info. I didn't know that... thanks for opening my eyes on the darker aspect of this religion.

In general, from my own experience, I've found both groups to have an equally stupid number of people. But "intelligence" was probably assessed in a biased way.

Atheists are religious too. They find faith in science, brands, celebrities, politicians whatever.

All the same to me. I'm not different I believe in science and find faith in myself.

About this study, I think it draws the wrong conclusion. Those who are intelligent get more involved into evolution.

I can't explain it better. I don't know how to describe it well.

Something else:

I think IQ is connected to mechanism, and EQ is connected to mentalism. People high in mechanism are rarely religious, while those scoring high on EQ would be more religious.

I would like scientists to look if there would indeed be connections or if this is false.