Have you ever met an atheist that did not believe themselves to be smarter than everyone else?

Question

Here is the question... If you do not believe in God, then that is your choice. But is it because of your arrogance and pride that you haunt the religion and spirituality boards rather than stick to your fairy tale part of the boards?

I was wondering... If an atheist were to fall in the forrest and there were no people there to hear him scream would he actually have fallen?

Answer 1

I am an atheist. I do not consider myself smart by any means, I don't consider myself dumb either. I didn't finish college, but I know enough about what I do to maintain a decent salary, and that's all I care about. I express my ideas and what I believe on Y!A, but I try my best to not belittle anyone, although sometimes people say things that make me angry, and I say something demeaning about them.

Answer 2

Have you ever met a christian that did not believe themselves to be smarter than everyone else?
Here is the question... If you do believe in God, then that is your choice. But is it because of your arrogance and pride that you haunt the religion and spirituality boards rather than stick to your fairy tale part of the boards?

I was wondering... If an christian were to fall in the forrest and there were no people there to hear him scream would he actually have fallen?

congratulations your living proof that your belief system does absolutely nothing to change the way people act. you are a wonderful example of the fallacy of christian doctrine.

Answer 3

I've met several Atheists who do not think they are smarter than everyone else. I know, at times, it's hard to see that on the net, in places like this, but I guess it's easy to just place what emotion you think they are feeling at the time. Sarcasm, hatred, arrogance... Especially when you know you are speaking to someone who disagrees with your belief. You assume they either hate you because of your belief or that they look down on you. That's not always the case though. And sometimes, well, half the time, it's not the Atheist who is acting arrogant.

I'm not sure why people are so quick to lay blame on "them" (them = anyone who seems to be opposite you). I guess it's easier than stopping and looking to see if maybe it was how the individual first acted. Instead look only at the reaction of "them".

Answer 4

Not smarter, but perhaps better trained in and concerned about using logical and evidence-based ideas. There is no correlation between logic and intelligence. There are many smart people in the world who are also superstitious. Personally, I consider religion to be superstition used to cope with the anxiety of living and dying.

And by the way, the analogy to trees falling in the forest refers to sound. The tree may still have fallen, but because by their nature sound waves bear a great deal of resemblance to any air waves, some consider them present only if they are detectable. The idea that the proverbial tree made no sound was possible if the resulting air waves were not detected. An atheist, being a human and assumedly not deaf, would be heard by himself, meaning he would have made a detected sound. And both he and the tree would have in fact fallen.

Answer 5

Many religious people can be arrogant to people who are 'sinners'. I used to believe in God but Christianity is clearly a religion based on the principles of a group of 2000 year old men, not the word of God. Most intelligent people see this quite easily tbh and the whole concept of God is very loose. Its just what man uses to explain the things he doesn't understand, such as what happens when you die. I mean what evidence do we have of a heaven?? Its just a comforting thing to believe in, rather than something that is in anyway likely.

i apoligise if i offend anyone but these are my views, and i have as much right to have them as you.

Answer 6

Oh get a life - I'm not wasn't my time talking to a person that believes in a mythical being called "God"

And for the record - yes Atheists generally are more intelligent than Religious people - they GENERALLY are more educated and are willing to question things. Having said that there are some very intelligent Religious people - those are the ones that accept people's beliefs for what they are

You, however, do not fall into this category

Answer 7

Not smarter than everyone... according to test results, I'm just smarter than 999 of 1,000. Statistically, that would include around 800 Christians out of every 1,000 people. It's funny that you should bring this up, though. I recently did some research into the matter. There are about 40 studies, conducted over the past 80 years, that reveal a statistically significant NEGATIVE correlation between intelligence and religiosity. In plainer language, they found that the more intelligent a person is, the LESS likely he is to be religious.

We're not entitled to conclude causality from these data, but there are three possibilities:

1.Considering religion important lowers measured IQ (unlikely, since IQ is substantially genetic whereas belief is not).

2.The causality is via other factors not considered, such as socio-economic conditions, cultural history, or physical environment (definitely possible).

3.Having a higher measured IQ lowers your likelihood of considering religion important (most likely).

If you think about it, this makes a lot of sense. Intelligence tests mainly provide an indication of reasoning ability and problem solving ability... 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 writings that were in conflict with dogma, such as Greek philosophical, medical and mathematical knowledge... all the good stuff... which led directly to the Dark Ages.

Just to illustrate the point, here's what Martin Luther, the 'father' of protestantism, had to say about it:

"Reason must be deluded, blinded, and destroyed. Faith must trample underfoot all reason, sense, and understanding, and whatever it sees must be put out of sight and ... know nothing but the word of God." ~ Martin Luther

"Reason is the greatest enemy that faith has; it never comes to the aid of spiritual things, but -- more frequently than not -- struggles against the divine Word, treating with contempt all that emanates from God." ~ Martin Luther

"There is on earth among all dangers no more dangerous thing than a richly endowed and adroit reason... Reason must be deluded, blinded, and destroyed." ~ Martin Luther

"Reason should be destroyed in all Christians." ~ Martin Luther

Christianity is essentially a criminal business enterprise... in fact, it is the world's longest running and most successful Multi-Level Marketing (MLM) scam. The product they are selling is 'salvation'... and the 'pay plan' doesn't kick in until after you're dead. What a racket! FORTUNATELY, it only works on those who are gullible enough, and sufficiently lacking in critical thinking skills, to fall for it. UNfortunately, THAT accounts for about 75% of the population of the USA. (There are a lot more people who DON'T know how to think properly than there are people who DO know how to think properly.) That is why there are a lot more religious people in the USA than there are 'Free-thinkers'... including Atheists. Also, Christians are generally too dense to realize that proselytizing (spreading the 'good news') is a key element of the Christian MLM MARKETING PLAN, which was instituted after Christianity lost the political power that had previously allowed them to simply torture and kill anybody who did not comply. Now, they attempt to just pester people to death, through persistent obliviousness and obnoxiousness. If you stop to think about it, you will realize that Christians are very much like the Borg, on Star Trek Next Generation: "You will be assimilated. Resistance is futile." I would not be surprised to learn that thoughts of Christianity provided the 'creative spark' for the Borg concept.

Interestingly, statistics on supernatural beliefs count the USA on a par with backward, developing Third World nations, rather than among modern, advanced industrial powers.

********************

"Selling eternal life is an unbeatable business, with no customers ever asking for their money back after the goods are not delivered." ~ Victor J. Stenger

"Businesses may come and go, but religion will last forever, for in no other endeavor does the consumer blame himself for product failure."  ~ Harvard Lampoon, "Doon" (paraphrase)

http://www.answers.com/topic/religiosity-and-intelligence
http://www.huppi.com/kangaroo/L-thinkingchristians.htm

Answer 8

That's very rich coming from a believer who's religion has perpetrated outrageous carnage and barbarism in the name of its so-called God over the last 2000 years.

The arrogance shown by religious zealots such as yourself, is the reason why non-believers have problems with you.

However, you are probably American, so that goes a long way to explaining your attitude.

Answer 9

Atheists don't think they are smarter than everyone else... they simply act like it and let all the believers climb out and prove them right.

By the way, forest has 1 r. Oh look, there I go thinking I'm smarter than you.

What exactly are "your fairy tale part of the boards?"

Answer 10

God writes a lot of comedy... the trouble is, he's stuck with so many bad actors who don't know how to play funny.
-- Garrison Keillor

God is a comedian playing to an audience too afraid to laugh.
-- Voltaire

I have never made but one prayer to God, a very short one: 'O Lord, make my enemies ridiculous.' And God granted it.
-- Voltaire

When did I realize I was God? Well, I was praying and I suddenly realized I was talking to myself.
-- Peter OToole

It may be that our role on this planet is not to worship God, but to create him.
-- Arthur C. Clarke

Answer 11

Erm well I do not consider myself religious, so i guess that means i fall into atheist category. I actually don't believe im much smarter than most people. I just don't believe in any religions.