Why do atheists claim to be more intelligent than theists?

Answer 1

I've heard that claim on the part of both sides. Some people think that saying they're intelligent also makes them right, so they make it a part of their argument. I wish they'd stop, because intelligence doesn't equal correctness when it comes to personal beliefs.

Answer 2

Atheist are less ignorant, not more intelligent. They like to know what is all around them and can not accept a god as the cause of everything. That's why they have the tendency to look beyond the religious boundaries and gain more and unbiased knowledge.

Answer 3

I have never actually heard an atheist say he/she is smarter than a theist, but in my opinion, atheist and theist alike are pretty stupid the majority of the time.

Answer 4

No of direction no longer, generalizations like that in the process no way paintings. There are some fairly clever theists and a few fairly dumb atheists. although, there is something no longer suitable approximately accepting baseless assertions approximately super-beings. EDIT at first some human beings did take the declare. 2nd, i do no longer say that each and all of the time in any respect.

Answer 5

I've never encountered an atheist who has claimed this. I think you may be inferring this because they talk down to theists. Theists talk down to them too, so I really don't see any difference at all in their opinions of themselves.

Answer 6

Its not a claim... its a result of statistical analysis of polls and studies. 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.

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"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

Also, there's good reason to think that atheists are more moral and ethical than Christians. Christians make up about 75% of the US population and 75% of the US prison population. No big surprise there.

Atheists, on the other hand, make up about 10% of the US population... but they make up only 0.2% of the US prison population. Now, isn't THAT a surprise? That means that atheists are FIFTY (50) times LESS LIKELY to be incarcerated than Christians. Pretty strange, huh, for a group that has no god-given guiding moral principals?

I can think of only two possibilities that might reasonably be said to account for this discrepancy:

1. Atheists are of a higher ethical and moral caliber than Christians, and thus are less prone to do the same kinds of nasty things that land so many Christians in the slammer;

OR,

2. Atheists are, overall, a lot smarter than Christians and thus, they are less likely to get caught in the course of their transgressions.

It's GOT to be one or the other... take your pick.

Answer 7

That's a good question. Intelligence has nothing to do with religious beliefs.

Answer 8

Come to the dark side... We have cookies.

If you were suddenly transported into a world where everyone believed in the toothfairy through adulthood, wouldn't you feel just a TAD more intelligent than them?

Answer 9

Because they are. Anyone believing in old religious texts of the past have their heads filled with old, stale thoughtforms, which interfer with their capability of logic thought.

Atheists think clearly and use more of their intelligence capabilities. Try it sometime.

Answer 10

Because theism requires blind faith, atheism is disbelief in the existence of a deity based on lack of tangible evidence.