Who is more intelligent an ateist or a believer?

Question

Sorry for a spelling mistake.It is 'atheist' not 'ateist'

Answer 1

Statistically speaking, atheists tend to be more educated and intelligent.

Answer 2

Atheist imo, because they don't negate reason. Most believers negate all reason and there is nothing smart about that. Even Paul in their bible said to "prvoe all things," and this speaks of esoteric truths. Proving the truth in ones self through applying ones self and utilizing reason. I find nothing intelligent about reading the Adam/Eve story literally. It's completely insane and that goes along with the other stuff in the bible.

Even their own Church father said it, Early church father Origen state: “What man of sense will agree with the statement that the first, second and third days in which the evening is named and the morning, were without sun, moon and stars, and the first day without a heaven. What man is found such an idiot as to suppose that God planted trees in paradise in Eden, like a husbandman, and planted therein the tree of life, perceptible to the eyes and senses, which gave life to the eater thereof; and another tree which gave to the eater thereof a knowledge of good and evil? I believe that every man must hold these things for images, under which the hidden sense lies concealed” (Origen - Huet., Prigeniana, 167 Franck, p. 142).

Answer 3

I'm sorry, but the quality of half the answers here make me want to conclude that there is no difference in intelligence based on religious preference (or lack thereof). I think that it is possible for even the most intelligent Christian to lose faith and for the most intelligent atheist to find it, and so it goes with all religions. I believe that the people who are the most intelligent are those who have the best chance of being educated well. If that is Christians in one country, or atheists, buddhists, muslims, jews, hindus, or any other religious group that I haven't mentioned, then that's just who it is. Religion doesn't have an affect on intelligence, even if that's what people want you to believe.
Start trusting in your own intelligence, and learn for yourself, and stop worrying about whether or not your religion is going to make you look stupid or smarter.

Answer 4

Christians.
I am an atheist but am aware that because of the christian history most of the resources are still in their hands, and as a result they usually get access to the best education. They can also get money alot easily by threatening people with eternal damnation or a curse from God if they dont pay, where as atheist have to use more honest means. This usually doesnt pay as well. And education cost money
I mean that there are more intelligent christians than their are atheist. However I reckon that the most intelligent atheist will be smarter than the most intelligent devout christian

Answer 5

A believer as they know how to spell Atheist haha! Seriously, A believer in God is someone who has with all confidence and faith which could be for numerous of both spiritual, logical and scientific reasons, the atheist is probably someone who just hasn't found satisfaction in the concepts of God protrayed by those around him. He is still in search of the right concept or just hasn't found it. Millions and millions of people believe in God so they all can't be wrong. Even many famous and very intelligent scientists believe in God such as:

*Albert Einstein (1879-1955)

"I want to know how God created this world, I am not interested in this or that phenomenon, in the spectrum of this or that element. I want to know His thoughts, the rest are details."

and another famous saying of his was:

"Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind."

*Sir Fancis Bacon (1561-1627)

He stated that atheism as being the result of insufficient depth of philosophy, stating:

"It is true, that a little philosophy inclineth man’s mind to atheism, but depth in philosophy bringeth men's minds about to religion; for while the mind of man looketh upon second causes scattered, it may sometimes rest in them, and go no further..."

*Isaac Newton (1642-1727)
In Principia he stated, "The most beautiful system of the sun, planets, and comets, could only proceed from the counsel and dominion on an intelligent and powerful Being."

Many others..just a few mentioned here:

*Nicholas Copernicus (1473-1543)
*Johannes Kepler (1571-1630)
*Galileo Galilei (1564-1642)
*Rene Descartes (1596-1650)

So, Yes many believers are quite intelligent indeed.

Answer 6

Many believers are more intelligent because they have followed reasoning as far as it can go. At the end they realized that they had to take a leap of faith. In my case, Jesus was waiting on the other side. Reasoning can only take you as far as the beginning of all things. Beyond that its all faith based. Many great thinkers and Atheist choose to believe that they know that God doesn't exist and that humans are nothing but highly evolved germs. Yet this in itself is just a leap of faith based on incomplete understanding. The human mind cannot ever fully grasp the full wonder of creation. The good news is that you have the opportunity to spend eternity trying.

Answer 7

I don't think there is a connection between one's intelligence and whether or not one believes in a deity. Theists and atheists just have a different way of thinking, but that doesn't necessarily make one group smarter than the other. There are intelligent and dumb individuals on both sides.

Answer 8

If intelligence means integrating emotions with reason, a scientist who relies on reason for discovering the truth of anything is far more integrated, hence intelligent, than one who accepts the truth from ancient holy books, prophets, saviors, etc. Scientists, such as Einstein, may have nothing against the idea of god as a mysterious force of nature and of the universe. When you study and discover the way the universe operates, and you realize, like him, that the more you discover the more there is to further discover, one can feel awe for existence, life, and all that surrounds us. This respect and religious sense may make one feel small in front of the greatness and beauty of the universe and all its laws. That is a natural human emotion that can exist side by side and, in fact, nurture further curiosity and scientific intellectual investigation. That is how a well-integrated brain copes with emotion and intellect. An intellectually honest scientist, such as Einstein, never used the word “God” to explain anything, but as a mystery to be explained. After all, who comes closer to understanding the truth of anything, the person who follows reason or the one who abandons it. I do not identify myself as an atheist. That word implies that there is meaning in saying I don’t believe in a specific thing that does not exist. There are many specific things that people imagine, but that do not exist. It would be absurd to create a negative word to identify each one of them. Then we would have words like a-santaclaus, a-cinderella, a-thor, a-jupiter, a-moongod, and so on. I prefer to identify myself as pro-reason not atheist. If someone comes up with showing me the presence of God in a tangible way, I will use my reasoning ability to study and understand it, him or her, like you would with another animal species, or an alien. You don’t just believe without using your critical faculty.

Answer 9

We cant compare it with intelligence, its about using your mind! We can ask this like that, who uses his mind logically an atheist or a believer?
My answer is a believer, coming face to face with the fact takes more time and needs using our mind than running away from the truth.

Answer 10

What's the relationship between belief and religion?

What were/are the religious affiliations of:

Aristotle
Leonardo Da Vinci
Isaac Newton
Albert Einstein
Mahatma Ghandhi
Dali Llama
John Stewart
Bill Mahr

...it doesn't matter because what they contributed/contribute to the world has nothing to do with their religious affiliations.

Answer 11

All the great scientists of the world have been atheists.. but that just shows that they believed in the power of reason above all.. if god gives them an immutable sign of his presence, i don't think they'd still remain atheists..

Conclusion - More reasonable, yes.. but don't confuse intelligence and reason..