Why is it that on average people with higher IQs than average are less religious?

Question

Several studies on Americans focus on the beliefs of high-IQ individuals. In one study, 90% of the general population surveyed professed a distinct belief in a personal god and afterlife, while only 40% of the scientists with a BS surveyed did so, and only 10% of those considered "eminent."[4]. Another study found that mathematicians were just over 40%, biologists just under 30%, and physicists were barely over 20% likely to believe in God.[5]

Do you think religion stunts intelectual growth? Wouldn't that be a form of child abuse to subject young children to religion? Children can be taught moral values with out the help of religion, I was and I have an IQ of 160. Higher than my parents who were forced to attend church when they were children.

Answer 1

DO YOU HAVE IQ 160?????

and asking those below questions???? (just click his picture) Who are you kidding?????

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THE BELOW QUESTION WAS ANSWERED BEFORE SEEING YOUR OTHER QUESTIONS and what you all about!!!!!

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Cleaver people question more.

But I think one needs to go to the roots.

I know many people and VERY religious. I am sometimes STUNNED when they have a problem, or something to do, write exams, etc, and I have found they have such an easy way out: "As God wishes.. God already knows, God will provide..." etc..

I am often amused by it as often then they suffer and say "as God wanted".. its as if religion had totally brainwashed people (some religions/some people) and gave them something to blame, escape goat... It is an easy way out..

As Gary Player (Golf) one day said: it is amazing that the more you train the luckier you get..

Well, people who totally devote themselves to Church.. don't train and they just want to be lucky (and praying for things not doing anything about it).

More intelligent people again, take tasks in their own hands and face the world..

ps. The funniest to me is when the very religious people say: God know already what will happen so why must I worry, it will be what will be, as He wants.

ps2. I have no idea how come you have 160, but that is VERY GOOD. I trust that you use it to the best potential. I have only 131.


last: and I dont think it is a child abuse however the child should have a choice when it grows up. A lot of older generations blackmail younger generation because of the religion issues, it is something that will be under debate till the end

Answer 2

This is of course my own personal feeling but I find it interesting, never having seen these stats, that so many highly educated, intelligent people that work in areas such as mathematics, biology, and physics would brave the ridicule of their peers by professing a belief in a god and an afterlife. Religion as a search for truth can't stunt intelectual growth, but I believe parents, peers, and force-fed dogma can. Healthy agnosticism is the best route to go when you don't have cold hard facts at your disposal. I do find it fascinating that 11 of the 12 closest companions of Jesus were completely willing to go so far as to die horrible deaths in the comfortable and complete certainty that He was who He claimed to be. I'm a christian, my IQ is 166 - 172 depending on the test, and I wish you the best. Keep an open mind, do some real research, and ignore anyone that claims to have all the answers.

Answer 3

For someone so smart, I'm amazed that you don't know the answer. I'll lead you there. What do IQ test measure? True intellect? No, they measure how well you have retained certain types of information. If the test covers information on certain subjects and not on others, the results are not as accurate as they could be. So, the last time you took an IQ test, how did it test your biblical comprehension? That's what I thought.

So we Christians are able to continue learning about the bible while at the same time countering the arguments of atheist, agnostics, wiccans and so many other religions.

I see that you did read the bible. You obviously think very highly of yourself. It may be possible that you make the same mistake that many other do. Due to your "dual"education that you are superior to us. What you may want to consider is that many Christians did not grow up in the church. Many received a secular education first and then were smart enough to see the holes in it. We now study the bible.

Answer 4

I think you have your cause and effect mixed up.

As the scripture says: "when they are learned, they think they are wise and hearken not"

So, if that is the case, then education is a kind of child abuse because it tends to make people proud, closed minded, less in touch with there spiritual roots and the things that are really important.

No, I don't think education is a kind of child abuse.

The interesting thing is that 20% of physicists (who are immersed all day in a world of secular propoganda and who have studied the physics of the universe are likely to believe in God. That is fascinating.

I have no idea what my IQ is, and, along with most of the people on Yahoo Answers (and in the world) are not particularly interested in yours.

And finally, if you were taught high moral values then I maintain you have a religion. The word morals implies a recognition of "right" and "wrong". This value system must stem from some unproveable premise, whether it involves a diety or not, whether you call it a religion or not.

Child abuse! Please.

Answer 5

Having met children of fundamental Christians who had prodigious memories, could apply Bible verse to various situations and who were home schooled and advanced far beyond local public school kids, I have to say the thesis that religion stunts intellectual growth is probably false.

If we look to history, Charles Darwin enjoyed a religious upbringing, no stunting there. John Milton, John Stuart Mills and most others had a broad religious education. Hermann Hesse was trained for a while at a religious institution. Even if these intellectuals rejected their upbringing, they were apparently not stunted for having it.

If people who are rated as high-IQ seem to have less religious fervor, it is more likely they were raised without religious upbringing by parents who were secularly inclined and provided no such education. Or at best, they provided a lukewarm and uninvolved religious upbringing, "church-as-social-club" or simply attending Mass as a duty and not a deeply felt issue of faith. Thus these high IQ individuals grow up without strongly rooted beliefs.

Science for a while tried to prove materialism or "stuff just happens on its own." It was a blow to materialism when the Big Bang theory took hold, as the materialists preferred a theory that the universe simply always existed and had no finite beginning. A finite beginning begs something to light that fuse, for example, a Creator.

It is in vogue these days for scientists to reject any form of religion, and at most be agnostic (don't know if there is a God) or unwilling to believe in something that cannot be proved by scientific methods involving the senses. Many philosophers have argued whether sensory data is enough to prove or disprove existence or non-existence of God. So many scientists are educated to reject the idea of a Creator. Having no faith, they are willing to accept such teaching.

Finally, the argument that believing in God is associated with lower IQ is as specious as believing that the revolving door in a public building runs the escalators, because at 5pm when the building closes its doors the escalator also ceases to run. It may happen that in some sectors of society, people who have less opportunity or less desire to educate their children also tend to be more religiously observant culturally. In that case, you'd produce fewer scientists and mathematicians, not from a lower IQ (another false assumption) but because culturally, this sector of society simply does not influence their children to go on to be scientists and mathematicians,

Further more, schools in these areas probably do not offer the children more than a substandard education, ill-suited to preparing a student for higher education in the sciences, which are rigorous and competitive. Finally, education is expensive: an average state university four year degree, with room and board is about $50-60K per four years. Even with scholarships and loans, this is out of reach for many people.

Answer 6

What study was that? There are people in fields other than math & science with very high IQ's that believe in some religion. The heads of some of our most prestigious institutions are men and women of very high intelligence who profess a belief in some religion. Therefore your theory is seriously flawed. Also note if a scientist only has a BS degree he's lacking. Sorry... back to the drawing board. (I'm an agnostic)

Answer 7

First of all, an IQ test is a measure of how well a child can be expected to do at school. That's all it was designed to be. The man who originally developed the test was really concerned that it would later be used for other things because he knew that would not be a proper application of the results.

Secondly, the Bible warns us that being highly educated can be a stumbling block to faith. Think about it this way: I don't know alot about electricity. When I walk into a room and flick the light switch, I have no idea how, but the lights come on. I have absolute faith that can happen without understanding why. There are many things (a computer for instance) that I have faith will work with out understanding why. It's easy for me to have faith in an unseen God.

A highly educated person understands how many, many things work. They don't rely on faith in hardly anything in their lives. They know and understand things. So, it is very hard for them to not lean on their own understanding when it comes to God.

No, religion does not stunt intellectual growth. Exposing children to many experiences causes brain development. Keeping children from experiences stunts it. Both Christian and non-Christian parents are equally likely to parent either way.

Answer 8

Hey I completely understand the point here and have read some of the same studies that you have. I think this is a very good point it's just too bad people answering here are being too specific and not looking at the basic trend. Also ever notice the difference between close minded people and open minded people, almost always the more narrow the mind the more religious and the open minded person can appreciate the thought of religion and other theories./// I just read some other answers on here and almost every person is basing their argument on a specific family or situation. C'mon people do you not understand the question?! or statistics!

Answer 9

Interesting.

I think when you are easily led by others. You do what you are told, you reproduce, you are a D - E - student; you need to hear other's opinions before saying what you think - and what you think is what other lead you to think. You don't analyze or think things over - you are not necessarily low on IQ, but you dont use your brain very efficiently. It can be several reasons for this; boredom, fear, faith, carelessness and so on.

If you on the other side are interested, analyzing and reflecting on why things happen and such - you try to figure out things - try to make up your own mind and figure out pros and cons- you are an A - B student.

What is IQ? That is a question for you: Is IQ reflecting on life; weighing pros and cons (religion in this matter) Thinking over how reasonable faith is or is not? Or is IQ mathematical? Is it the ability to understand Darwin's law? Is IQ the ability to look to new things, not to need faith?

If a person decide on being an agnostic because of theese reflections he has done some thinking I guess. He has made up his own mind. That is intelligent, isn't it?

Answer 10

I think saying "stunts intellectual growth" is a bit strong. It does kind of take people away from learning and more over the reading about their religion, yes, but it's not like religious people are stupid. And, it's not child abuse. Some people choose to believe in religion and instill religion in their kids, while others don't really care that much. I guess we should just let parents choose what they want. You having a higher IQ then your parents is not deducted just from the fact that they went to church when they were younger.

Answer 11

actually i have a very high iq and have a very firm belief in god, but that in and of itself does not mean those with higher iq's are more intelligent than others. the iq tests only test a certain and specific area like academics, you've certainly known people who have little to no education who can take apart and repair an entire auto engine with no problem but ask a mathematician or psychiatrist to put install a light socket and they are completely stumped. if you think that religion stunts intellectual growth i think you maybe looking at it from a different angle....perhaps its the academic community who is forever looking for any answer other than god for answers are the ones who are truly narrow minded and stunted.....