Are education/intelligence and religion diametric opposed, as appears to be the case?

Question

I believe most studies support this.

jiloth7 - thank you for illustrating my argument so succinctly.

danni,

Touche. I added a word and failed to edit before posting. So, not necessarily an unintelligent question, just poor communication due to poor proof reading. You needn't be redundant with your edit.

Answer 1

There indeed have been many surveys of religious belief over the years. Intelligence is not easily definable, but there is an inverse relationship between levels of education and religious belief:
-The more educated, the more likely to be atheist, the less educated the more likely to be a believer.
-People of lower socio-economic status are more likely to be believers.
-People who live in the southern USA are more likely to be believers than in the northern ones.
-People in Western Europe, Canada and Japan are less likely to be believers than Americans.
+
There are also 2 spikes of belief by age. There is increased belief in the early years, peaking in adolescence, then declining from the 20's to the 60's. Then there tends to be another upward trend in belief as one approaches the later years. (and yes, I realize correlation does not equal causation, I am just reporting the results, you may draw your own conclusions)


EDIT
I think it reflects on the essence of religious belief, that I can get a thumbs down merely by reporting facts.

EDIT
read Regius Filius Deus below me.

I laughed so hard I almost peed. Yes, in fact Reg, I DO think think that if a Christian did such a study it would show that intelligence correlated to god belief. But they haven't done one, or they haven't published it. There are literally dozens of independent studies done over the last 75 years that I am referring to. That is how science works, even the soft sciences like anthropology...we don't base everything on just one study. It should be repeatable.

Answer 2

From the point of view of someone who has studied history, I would say that the reason that many people oppose Wicca and other Pagan religions is because many of the historical Pagan religions were competition for and resistant to the spread of Christianity. Christianity would not have spread as effectively as it did if it had not had government backing. It was only in collaboration with the government that the Christian church was able to force conversions on many different groups. This state-sponsored religion then served to prop up the government. NOW, in the present era, the systemized prejudices from this historical context have become a part of the religious context that produced the King James translation of the Bible and then by extension the more "conservative" or "traditional" Protestant denominations in the United States. Wiccans and Reconstructionist Pagans realize that we are members of minority religions. This is actually more likely to produce an attitude of understanding in that most of the adult members of these religions were originally from a differing religious background

Answer 3

Yes and No. The true religion based only on the Bible definitely is pro intelligence and education.

False religion as thousands are, do not want educated people with intelligence looking too close. Then people see how ridiculous some of the beliefs are. Nobody can truthfully say with a straight face that things like trinity, immortality of the soul, cross worship, hellfire torture and the like actually make sense. All of these things are not part of the true religion of the Bible. In fact, the Bible is against ALL these things. Any thinking person can realize this with little difficulty.

The hard part is seperating the truth from the false. Lies of false worship have been wrapped around Bible truth for centuries and you have to work to seperate it like week old dried food on a plate.

Answer 4

Yes this would be correct, however, generally I believe it is more tied to economics, for the most part the wealthier a country the better educational system in that country. The case if often made that only those will below average intelligence believe in God, I think that yes this is true, but look at the message of the Bible, "Blessed are the Poor", many wealthier people are worried by this message because they do not truly understand its meaning. While at the same time many poor people find strength in this message.

So yes you are correct, despite being religious I admit that there is an inverse variation between degree of intelligence and strength of religious beliefs. However, I think the economic issue is a larger one.

Answer 5

Some religions discourage education. I think this is a sign that the religion might have a flaw. The leaders are afraid that if someone learns how to learn and find answers to questions, they might find the flaws in the particular religion.

I have a strong faith and have always been encouraged to question and seek answers. Not all religion, or religious people, discourage education. In my experience with people in my religion, I have always been encouraged to be intelligent, ask questions, seek education, and search for answers rather than ever accept the word of someone else, even a highly respected teacher. I have always been told "Look it up for yourself and make sure what I am saying is true."

Answer 6

I believe a study focused on the difference between different reigions would have interesting results. I feel certain the Jewish religion encourages learning and more importantly, questioning. The result is that most Jews I know are intelligent and rational people. I can't speak for other religions except to say that any religion that discourages questioning and curiosity probably would tend to discourage education and intelligence.

Answer 7

Methinks there is just a wee bit of bias present in those studies. Don't you suppose that if those studies were conducted by Christians that there would be different findings? And why is intelligence such a primary concern? Do you mean to imply that those of supposedly less intelligence than you allege for yourself can not possibly have understood life properly? Furthermore, if the religious are of a lesser quality of intelligence, and if evolution is true, would you feel you were justified in practicing a form of social Darwinism upon them? Would you try stamp them out?

Isn't this the logical conclusion of natural selection? In order to benefit mankind and allow us to evolve to the next level, shouldn't such lessers be "selected out?" If this thinking does not repulse you, would you consider taking a place in the Fourth Reich? After all, the teachings of Darwin dovetail nicely with the teachings of Adolf Hitler, n'est ce pas?

Answer 8

Not really. Because you can find scholars in higher levels with faith in God. A point of this is the head of the human genome project (see February issue of National Geographic)
Also, if you look at the people with faith who have higher degrees in the sciences, you will find some examples of more faith.

Oh, and for those who make the stats of education level and money vs belief. If someone decides that the pursuit of riches is not what they want their life to be about, then of course they will not have a higher income. Those who desire higher incomes will have it, but, money does not equal happiness. And, why do you get more education if you are not interested in money? You don't. Although there are some who pursue higher degrees for greater knowledge, the main reward for that endevour is money.
Also, IQ tests have been questioned as valid. From one of the references I checked, you could also conclude that women are less intelligent than men, and we know that to be untrue.

Answer 9

Studies do show that there is a correlation between IQ/education and lack of religious beliefs. The majority of the scientists that claim they do believe in god tend to be deists. There is of course the occassional religious person who goes into the science field with the soul intention of trying to prove them wrong. These are the less credited of scientists mind you.

Answer 10

Your question makes me laugh! :o)

The "wisdumb" of mere men will never understand the true "wisdom" of God. How in the world could you believe the
statistics of an irresponsible unregenerated finite mind over the word of an Infinite God?

Do you actually believe that God who created the Heavens and the earth and the cosmos and everything that is in them would leave His word in the hands of dummies? To think that is to show how truly subjective your thinking is! Get a grip on reality. Man in his pathetic and boastful ignorance which they consider great knowledge - apart from God - are intellectual midgets compared to God. That is why the scripture says,

"For ye see your calling brethren how that not many wise men
AFTER THE FLESH, not many mighty, not many noble are called; But God has chosen the FOOLISH THINGS of the world to CONFOUND THE WISE, and God has chosen the WEAK THINGS of the world to confound the things which ARE MIGHTY, and BASE THINGS OF THE WORLD and THINGS WHICH ARE DESPISED hath God chosen; yea and
THINGS THAT ARE NOT to bring to nought things that are; that NO FLESH SHOULD GLORY IN HIS PRESENCE!"
I Corinthians 1:26-29

Notice the term "after the flesh" - that is the difference between true wisdom and false wisdom. I Corinthians 2:14 tells me that, "The natural (fleshly) man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to Him, NEITHER CAN HE KNOW THEM, because they are spiritually discerned."

Worldly wisdumb is passed from man to man - Godly wisdom
is passed from God to man so that they who think themselves
to be wise according to the thinking and understanding of this
world are really less intelligent than those who receive their instruction from God. God sees things different than puny mortals do, so the people who parade themselves around as knowing are in actuality those who know nothing accurately.

GOD ALONE IS THE SOURCE OF ALL TRUE WISDOM AND UNDERSTANDING. I will believe Him a trillion times before I will believe one man made statistic.