Are smarter people less religious?

Question

I don't want you to tell me how smart you are and how you still believe in god, I'm looking for stats or real figures that can prove or disprove the above statement.

Thanks!

Ignacio

Answer 1

Here's how this is gonna go. People will post links to all kinds of sites which offer data establishing that non-religious people are in fact "smarter." A bunch of religious people will complain about the question, and then it will get deleted. Just so everybody knows!

Obviously, if grown adults in the 21st century believed in things like transsubstantiation or the Virgin Birth outside of the context of religion, they'd (rightly) be considered lunatics and imbeciles. Religion is a category of thought in which many otherwise intelligent people agree to "suspend disbelief."

Incidentally "fireball226" once again gets my vote for best unintentional comic relief.

And P.S. - Somebody always has to bring up Einstein in this connection, but here's the thing. Einstein was NOT "religious." He didn't believe in Jesus or any other ridiculous dogma that would insult the intelligence of an unprogrammed 8 year old. His statements about God are quite patently of the "mystical" or metaphysical type. He would never have agreed that just because "spiritual" phenomena are trans-rational, spirituality must consist in forcing oneself to believe irrational things. "I believe in Spinoza's God, Who reveals Himself in the lawful harmony of the world, not in a God Who concerns Himself with the fate and the doings of mankind." Contrast that with the savage superstition of the typical benighted Christian peasant.

Answer 2

Einstein believed in God from a young age, but later lost his faith. I'm a Christian, and I understand what faith is, thus I see both sides of an argument, not one side l ike most negative, hateful, extremely biased opinionated people have. I also grew up in an Athiest/Agnostic family. I have researched this topic, quite deep.

It is true that Einstein did not believe in a personal God, but was particuarly upset by people who publically anounced him to be an Athiest.

Isaac Newton was a monk in the Anglican church. He once said that "Atheism is so senseless and odious to mankind that it never had many professors". He also believed in God, and is arguably the smartest man in western history.

Through my learnings of the church, I can give you some insights to what Christianity (and some other religions) is about:
"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen" - Heb.11:1. ("Things not seen...").
“Whoever does not accept the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it” - Mark 10:13-16. ("Like a child...").

I think there is also a direct correlation between wealthy countries and athiesm vs 3rd world and religion. Religious people are taught to be happy without material wealth while wealthy countries are less religious because basically, they spend money on **** they don't need. Ah ha, the harsh realities of life.

My personal opinion is that, all religion is a pathway to enlightenment. Also, you have to consider that sometime in history we didn't have any religion, thus there became a need for it? That is the question I will leave with you. I personally believe you will find piece of mind in religion, but you will not find it to the same degree in the world.

I also think that Einsteins wording is littered with religious doctrine, for example; “There are two ways to live: you can live as if nothing is a miracle; you can live as if everything is a miracle". Christians, believe in destiny and God's plan for each individual. i.e. everything happens for a reason.

Life is about exploration, enjoy.

Answer 3

While I don't have any actual figures, this is from my own PERSONAL experience:

In our school's Gifted Program (those who scored at a 128 or higher IQ score, which is, incidentally not a WHOLE intelligence), while in school, the majority of the kids are Christian. Upon graduating, the majority of them were still RELIGIOUS, however the amount of those who identified themselves as Christian went down by around half. Some are Atheists, however, though NONE that I knew of identified themselves as Atheist while IN school.

This was in a small town (5,000 people) in the middle of the United States.

Also, the incidence of those identifying themselves as Christian went down the further said students got from their "hometown". For those who moved out of the state, the majority had left the Christian religion and were either Atheist, Agnostic, or identified with other non-Abrahamic religions.

Another point to make, the majority of those who graduate ARE Christian, however, there seems to be, as stated before with the Gifted kids, a direct correlation to leaving the hometown or state and the number of people who are no longer Christian or of the Abrahamic religions (Jewish, Christian, or Muslim). Since very few of the non-Gifted kids left the state, a majority of the "normal" (if you will) kids still identify themselves with the Abrahamic religions (mostly Christianity).

Answer 4

Most of the greatest minds the world has known have been believers in God. A few examples would be Einstein, Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, most of the famous composers, etc etc. Up until just the last half century or so, Almost all of the inventions, discoveries etc were by people of belief and faith. The vast majority of the world's population believes in God. Even the majority of people who are not practising faith still believe in God. If you look at the decline in belief that has taken place over the last quarter century or so and also look at the moral decline in popular culture, I think it is evident that belief and faith has been a large part of the glue that has held the culture and society together for so long. Things are now in a rapid decay, especially in western culture so if that's a result of higher IQ......God help us! No, less religious people are not smarter, they just like to think they are in order to justify their independence from the ways of God.

Answer 5

Finding unbiased stats is nigh on impossible. I do know that many smart people attend chuch. Unfortuately, many of them are there for business, not religious reasons.

I'm no Marxist, but I think he had a point when he said that "religion is the opiate of the masses."
Anyway, a belief in a god serves to keep people obedient to those who want to control them.

Stats? Hmm. Interesting question, but how to get honest answers is the problem.

Answer 6

Three quarters of the members of the National Academy of Sciences "doubt or disbelieve" in a personal God, according to a survey. This is a mirror image of the outside world, where 85% of people believe in a theistic religion. (source: Wikipedia)

I would think that the average intelligence in the NAoS would be somewhat higher than the general population.

Answer 7

well, I am kind of person look at these things with strange idea.
As God love those who have no belly , and our prophet ( pbuh) said , we are people not eat until we are hungry and if we eat we would not fill our stomach.
If you fill your stomach with food , you lacks amount of your intelligent.That because the blood did not reach into your brain being busy in analysis your food.

the prophet (pbuh) said the believer are Witty.
The true believer see form the light of Allah ,so he is smart.
the intelligent is the one who work for the life-after and the lazy the one who just make wishes.As the person who die will take nothing with him expect his deeds.
I couldn't prove or disprove this statement but it sound to me that you mean that the religious waste their time in religion .mmmmmmmmm people waste their time in a lot of think

Anyway./
I believe that intelligent is gift from God and a person should thanks Allah for it. Allah grant those who believe and those who gain knowledge

Answer 8

Not at all,the smart ones are for the most part the leaders of religious institutions, It takes smart people to lead people into believing something that may not be true, I do not see to many smart people on welfare, most people are like sheep, and it takes a smart person to pen them properly, and that is exactly what the smart people do in religion.

Answer 9

isnt religion a group of people that believe in the same thing,i dont understand how you can clarify that(stats or real figures)//prove or disprove intelligance that comes from education i would say smarter people are spiritual and religious certainly would sound so

Answer 10

While in college I found it both ways....many PHD professors were Christians or very Catholic and I'd say the other half were atheist. Now most doctors I have befriended enough to find out their religious stance I have found to be Christians. Interesting question!