Where are the studies that correlate religious belief and intelligence?

Question

I asked a question the other day about why people think religion or lack of is a barometer for intelligence and several answers were that a "study had been done that proved" that 1) atheists were more intelligent than believers or 2) that believers were more intelligent than atheists.

I've looked online and through several databases like Lexis-Nexus and can't find an actual study correlating the two directly or inversely. I've found articles from people who drew conclusions from studies they've read about based on religiosity and education but not any actual studies on intelligence and religiosity. So, if you know of a study, can please direct me to it? I'd like to read it.

Thanks!

"Personal experience" is not an acceptable method of discovery in social science. In my experience, my parents are similarly educated and intelligent. One is Protestent one is Atheist, so in my personal experience, the proof is not in the pudding, it's in systematic scientific inquiry.

Eri, that's not a study on intelligence and religiosity. It's a study on how many scientists are religious. Intelligence does not equal scientist. There are people who are highly intelligent that are not scientists. Thanks for trying, but I've found dozens of studies based on education. I'd like to see one on intelligence itself. Thanks.

Clout, thanks for the links. The first one is to a blog with no means to verify this person's data set, what his data set is based on, or even where he got his information. "Some guy on the Net" doesn't have any credibility, particularly since the study can't be replicated based on what he's presented. The second one is, again, a study based on religion and education where conclusions on intelligence are drawn based on education. The third link didn't work, but I'll check later. Thank you.

Answer 1

There are NONE!

I have been searching for two years.

Big statements are made -- all hot air.

Answer 2

If a scientist did a study and found that all Christians are morons, do you think that he would publish his findings at the risk of destroying his career based on the fallout? I doubt you will find such a study, but I do think you have an excelent point. Why don't you do your own study? I would love to see the results. I can tell you my personal experience that the dumbest people I've known have also been the most religious. However, I know one family that is extremely religious and also intelligent. Two of the stupidest people I've ever met where athiests. This is a very interesting subject.

Answer 3

I don't think there has ever been a valid study done to determine if Christians are more or less intelligent than athiests.

If there have been studies at all, I think they've probably been commissioned by the two warring sides, so the studies initiated by the Christians claim Christians in general have a higher intelligence, and studies initiated by athiests find the opposite to be "true".

I don't think intelligence and faith can automatically cancel each other out, which appears to be what each side is claiming. There are certainly brilliant people who are athiests, but there have been quite a few intelligent people who have been Christians, too.

Answer 4

Without saying that a study proved 'this', I will just say that from my experience it seems that religious people are a lot close minded than people who are not religious. This leaves non-religious people open to new ideas and thoughts without thinking that the new idea is ungodly. So maybe it is true that non-religious people are more intelligent than religious ones. That would also include athiests.

Answer 5

you're making a normal, comprehensible mistake - all learn practice that a thought in faith, no longer god, correlates with decrease intelligence. Jefferson replaced right into a deist yet disliked all religions. virtually all scientists pre-twentieth century have been deists of one variety or yet another yet no longer inevitably non secular. additionally, the learn you quote are frequently from the U. S. the place maximum atheist mom and dad are extra effective knowledgeable than the common individual and are extra probable to have atheist youngsters, and extra effective knowledgeable mom and dad correlates with bigger intelligence of their infants. non secular faith ability, by using definition, which you're prepared to have self assurance something no longer in basic terms with out info, yet even in the face of info to the choice. it quite is the choice of what we degree as quickly as we habit an IQ attempt. So a non secular strategies-set praises and rewards habit that rankings poorly on an IQ attempt. maybe it is the IQ attempt that's incorrect :)

Answer 6

You will always find what you're looking for. If you want to dis-prove any correlation between IQ and religion, you will find studies that conclude there is no correlation.

If you want to prove a link between IQ and religion, you will find folks who interpret the same data to conclude differently.

http://w-uh.com/posts/031226a-religion_vs_IQ.html
http://kspark.kaist.ac.kr/Jesus/Intelligence%20&%20religion.htm
http://www.gallup-international.com/survey15.htm

Those studies and surveys either show or are interpreted to show a negative correlation between intelligence and religious tendencies.

Just like the bible - people will twist it to suit whatever purpose they choose.

I think there's something more important that needs to be studied - the difference between Religion and FAITH.

People who have FAITH may have it without the benefit or assistance of any religious affiliation. I'd like to see a study that correlates a person's
FAITH to their IQ.
Good Luck!

Answer 7

"It does not take many words to speak the truth."
- Chief Joseph

I think the truth here is that no such study has been done by any reputable agency.

I find that the more intelligence a person has and the more life experience, the more likely they are to accept the existence of a higher power and the less likely they are to disparage another's beliefs.

Answer 8

sometimes, the proof is in the pudding.

have you ever heard G. Dumbya Bush try to string words together, making a sentence, and then string sentences together, to try and make a speech?? he's quite religious, a religious leader of sorts.

did you hear religious leaders, right after 9/11, blaming the attacks on the World Trade Center on gays and prostitutes??

sometimes the proof is in the pudding -- right in front of you -- when they show you how lacking in intelligence they are.

Answer 9

Plenty of geniuses have been religious. Newton, Galileo and I am sure if you look in the fields of modern science, art, architecture, math you will find people who are very intelligent.
Its really sad that people use labels of belief to determine intelligence. I guess a a group humans have really not come that far after all.

Answer 10

Common sense says we don't need a test to know that their are equally intelligent people on both ends.

I'm not sure why anyone would feel compelled to make either argument with any amount of sincerity.