I hear atheists saying that there are more intelligent atheists than theists, where are they getting this?

Question

Because I would really like to see the site. One with independent research.
Now when they tell me they know more intelligent atheists then theists what I think of is people who are self-glorified. They consider themselves intelligent but it has no real basis. Because most atheists reasoning I have heard is flawed and think that alot of theists are stupid, superstitous people. You'll find no more than in the general poplulation.

Answer 1

http://kspark.kaist.ac.kr/Jesus/Intelligence%20&%20religion.htm

It's not saying there are more intelligent atheists than theists..it is saying that atheists are, in general, more intelligent than theists.

Answer 2

Science, logic, reason, and critical thought have long been regarded (by religious people) as the enemies of religion. Considering that those are the tools of highly intelligent people, it should not come as a huge shock to learn that intelligence (or lack of it) has some connection to religious belief. In fact, there are over 40 studies, conducted over the past 80 years or so, that reveal a statistically significant NEGATIVE CORRELATION between intelligence and religiosity. In plainer language, that means that they found that the more intelligent a person is, the LESS likely that person is to be religious... or, conversely, the LESS intelligent a person is, the MORE likely that person is to be religious.

If you think about it, those findings make a lot of sense. Intelligence tests mainly provide an indication of reasoning ability and problem solving ability... logic, reason and critical thought. These are the very qualities that see through religion, and recognize it for what it is; i.e., religion cannot survive the glaring light of reason and critical thought. This was well understood by important figures in religious history. This is why the early church destroyed all the 'tainted' (non-canonical) writings, which were in conflict with dogma... Greek philosophy, medicine, mathematics, astronomy, engineering... all the good stuff. By this means, Christianity dragged humanity directly into the Dark Ages.

Just do a google search on: +religiosity +intelligence

Here are a few of the results you will find.

http://www.answers.com/topic/religiosity-and-intelligence

http://www.halfsigma.com/2006/06/religion_and_in.html

http://www.halfsigma.com/2006/06/religious_peopl.html

http://www.huppi.com/kangaroo/L-thinkingchristians.htm

http://www.useless-knowledge.com/1234/nov/article270.html

http://www.americanatheist.org/smr99/T2/zindler.html

http://www.reference.com/browse/wiki/Religiousness_and_intelligence

Answer 3

Sorry buddy, but there is a strong correlation between sound understanding of science and intelligence. (Entire spectrum of intelligence). And a correlation between scientific ability and atheism. Put the two together and you get a higher average IQ (and scores on all the other various tests) for atheists.

Atheistic reasoning is really, really not flawed.

As for the source, I have it in hard copy. If I see an internet site with it, I will edit it in.

Finally, most atheists don't think that you are superstitious - not the ones that make atheists the clever group anyway.

And no, if I recall correctly the various measures of intelligence where NOT self assessed in any way. :)

Yes, I know this link is a wiki article. What is important is the places it links and refers to on the matter:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religiosity_and_intelligence

Answer 4

That's only because they've never matched wits with a Theologian, someone with 20 years continued educational schooling.

People forget that a major in college is only 20% of your total time, which mens Religion is only 20% of your studies.

The rest of it is science, philosophy, history, foregin language. Some theologians can hold their own with Stephen Hawkings!

I hold my own with a lot of the true reasonable ones, not the Zealots and there are Atheist Zealots who like to believe, for example, Big Bang and Darwin are FACTS of life and refuse to believe otherwise.

They do have some problems with me because I've been published since the age of 16 (In Sky and Telescope Magazine) and have been published on a regular basis and often reasearch 2,000 word non fiction articles at 7 libraires and take home reams of research papers from books and magazines that go back to the 1700s.

I owned a set of Harvard Classics, which includes Origin of the Species.

I was schooled in Cinema Theater

I gradauted from school in tube electronics at the age of 12.

They have a difficult time with me, because I lead them to the Paradoxes of their own belief system, which is the best I can do. A stalemate.

Their own belief system is quite clear. They are a RANDOM ACCIDENT.

My new favorite quote line is that Christians believe Mommy and Daddy made you with intent, and you believe the rubber broke.

That is the essential difference.

Intellegent design vs. freak accident

My other favorite line is they are a Monkey's Nephew.

That's THEIR family tree. Mom, Dad, Gramma, Grammpa and the Ape who made all of them!

They believe MASS that ALWAYS WAS AND ALWAYS WILL BE in the universe (so says Science, it's a law the conservation of MAss and Engergy) got together and went BANG and after it cooled some chemicals got together and boom, MAGICALLY made them!

Yet to this day Scinece can't put Amino Acids into a test tube and make even a simple virus.

Answer 5

I'm not an atheist... but did you ever stop to think that maybe other people look on your beliefs the same way you look on an atheists? That you consider yourself intelligent.. but have no real basis. That your reasoning is flawed. That you also can't show that theists are more intelligent than atheists.

I don't know anything about you. You may be an genius.. but you do seem to have the same problem as most people, myself included, tend to have. The "every view but my own is wrong" attitude.

Answer 6

I am an atheist. The IQ test I took in third grade at Summit Elementary placed me in the 130's. Somewhere around 100 is average. I was also identified as gifted in all tested subjects while in school, and had a 4.0 average for much of my childhood and teen years. I recently took an online IQ test, and scored similarly, again in the 130's. Evident enough? Both of my parents are also intelligent people, with my mom's IQ in the 140-150's, and my dad's a little below mine. They are agnostics with atheistic leanings. I imagine that many theists are intelligent as well, but it is a recognized fact that most atheists are highly intelligent and educated people, at least those who live in countries where theism is predominant.

Answer 7

Atheists think their smarter than than theists because than theists because most of the atheists did a lot of research about God. At the end of the research they can to the logical conclusion that there is no God. Compared to theists many who never crack the bible and only go to Church out of habit and you know I'm not making this up.

Answer 8

Just look at the numbers:

"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.". Another study found that mathematicians were just over 40%, biologists just under 30%, and physicists were barely over 20% likely to believe in God."

Look at me. My IQ's 143+, and I am an atheist.

Answer 9

It's based on studies of advanced college degrees - atheists versus theists. It's a fact that there's a positive correlation (small, but it's there) between lack of religiosity and a higher education. What this means is up to the interpreter, as in most studies.

Answer 10

Using whatever method you would use to determine who is the most intelligent person in the world there would be only one, so a pretty good argument could be made that in very general terms one group has some number of more intelligent persons than in any other group.

Answer 11

No faith is smarter than any other faith. Faith doesn't lend knowledge, it lends "wisdom". As far as that goes, I do feel that atheists are wiser, in general, as we have decided that faith is incorrect after a time of contemplation, and after learning the facts. A large amount of religious people (I don't mean all, because some have heard the facts, and weighed the situation, and still believe it), simply believe in whatever faith they choose because it's tradition to their society and family, without ever learning about it fully. A fine example would be "Christians" who have never read the bible.

So, faith lends not knowledge, but may reduce wisdom.