Why does believing in God make me less intelligent than you?

Question

It isn't really in the R&S that I get these vibes, but in real life.
Being atheist doesn't automatically make people more smart or stupid.
Being religious doesn't do that either.
Why do people think like that?
Yeah, I believe in God and Jesus Christ.
No, I'm not stupid. I've studied evolution probably just as much as the average atheist.

So what I'd like answered is:
If you are atheist, do you consider Christians (or other religious people ) inferior to you? More stupid? If yes, why? If not... why?

If you're religious... have you ever felt this way? Has your intelligence been insulted by a non-believer?

Answer 1

I like to think of myself as a Pantheist/Taoist/Pagan with a good scientific head on her shoulders. I don't think you are less intellegent for being a Christian.
However when people say the world is 6,000 years old that shows a lack of intellence. Luckily not all Christians believe this so I don't automatically think Christians are unintellegent. I wait to see what they think and what their views are.

Answer 2

I don't think believing in God or not is a catalyst for intelligence. Most people's belief system was almost hard-wired into their brains from going to church and Sunday school their complete life. This might not be the most popular answer, but I guess people say logic proves that the existence on God is less-likely than not. Well, I think it takes a lot to believe in God as well. I have no problem with non-believers, until they start insulting those that do believe. That is ridiculous.

Answer 3

I am a non-believer and I don't think that religious people are inferior or less intelligent at all. One of my very best friends growing up is a preacher's kid and he was WAAAAY smarter than I. I think the reason that non-believers sometimes come off that way is because they feel the need to constantly defend themselves from threats and elitist people in the church. I say, believe what you want...someone's gotta be right!

Answer 4

I don't know if there is an intellectual difference between an Atheist, a religious person, or a person who believes in God.

I don't know if intellect has any significance in a relationship with a Higher Power anyway.

People can think what they want about the people who do not believe as they believe.

Everyone is equal....smart or not smmarrtt.....insulted or not insulted......believe as you will, and let them believe as they wish to.

Answer 5

I'm an atheist. I don't feel religious people are inferior to me. It's just that some people ask not-so-nice questions, and I'm going to reply the same way. Most of the time, anyway.

Answer 6

First things first: there have been studies that prove that, GENERALLY SPEAKING, the more religious one is, the lower their IQ.

http://hypnosis.home.netcom.com/iq_vs_religiosity.htm

On to the personal side of your question. Personally, based solely on knowledge of a person having faith, I tend to draw the conclusion that they are less realistic than myself. I have met some people of faith that are rather well versed in their knowledge of science and mathematics, yet falter when they have to rationalize their belief in the unknown, with what has been scientifically proven. I have also dealt with some people who blatantly refuse to educate themselves to the workings of a natural world, instead clinging to their favorite old chestnut: "god did it".

I treat everyone as an individual. Regardless of faith, some people are smart, and some are idiots.

Answer 7

Believing in God makes you less intelligent than myself, because i am not conforming to a system of belief that has no valid evidence to back up its legitimacy. Should i believe what others tell me about religion? Why? Afterall i know that people lie so in the absence of evidence, i am just fooling myself to believe something i want to believe. And despite the fact that this is the most convincing answer post thus far, you will choose as the best answer one that will uphold your own personal beliefs and prejudices against atheists. And in my opinion this proves that you are in fact intellectually inferior than the average atheist.

Answer 8

I don't feel that Christians (or anyone who follows an organized religion) are stupid. Often I think the opposite. Many of them are intelligent and search very deeply trying to find meaning and relevance in their faith... I don't believe that all of them just blindly follow their religion. But the truth is that they are sheltered and can't see anything outside the realms of their cult... this "cult" mentality exists in all organized faiths. The fact that you said "has your intelligence been insulted by a 'non-believer'" shows this cult-ish mentality. What is a non-believer? What is that supposed to mean?

Answer 9

This is a recurring problem, regardless of what you believe or don't believe, because people inherently like to think that people who believe otherwise than they do MUST be less intelligent to think that way or believe that way; because if people who don't believe the same things you do and it's because they're idiots, that thereby validates you, your intelligence, and your beliefs (or lack thereof) in one fell swoop.

It's unwise to categorize people by their faith under the assumption of intelligence, or lack of intelligence, since there are plenty of people of quite capable intelligence in any given faith or non-faith. The squabble is in the small print, not in the intellectual capacity of the believer.

Answer 10

Atheists are like the color blind, they can't see rainbows. So they actually are less intelligent than believers. Unlike believers, atheists are incapable of using more than 10% of their brains. This phenomenon is normal and there is a reason for this. They are here to teach us lessons in compassion.