Is there a connection between (low) IQ and religious faith?

Question

I've met a few very intelligent religious people, but all of them has a sort of personalized constantly evolving faith which they can discuss, defend, and change (and not one of them is at all evangelical). Most of the christians i've been expossed to display both a low (approximately <115 IQ) intelligence and a scary sort of "willfull ignorance". It's that attitude of outright refusal to acknowledge or consider outside ideas or information if it conflicts with a baseless doctrine that seems to me the most dangerous aspect of most religious people.
Just something that I worry about. Anyone else have thoughts? I hope no one decides to dismiss this out of hand because the find it insulting, that would make you exactly the type of individual i'm talking about, so I guess at that point you should take insult. ; )

Thanks for the feedback so far. I want to point the people who responded that they are christians with high IQs to the begining of my post and ask if that comparitivly healthy considered personal faith applies to you.
I also want to share my opinion that having personal spiritual beliefs is fine, I do. But, I think we'd all be better off if we related to others as "practical athiests" and just tried to be good people.

Answer 1

There is a negative correlation between intelligence and religious belief.

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

No doubt some people will claim that's not true, but provide no evidence whatsoever, or not understand anecdotal evidence is meaningless.

Answer 2

i almost got offended, until i read the first statement in your explanation. i have an iq of 137, and yes, my faith is constantly ''evolving.'' the apostle paul wrote of what you mention as ''moving from faith to faith.'' there are different levels, and different experiences. if we are to attain full spiritual maturity, we must access these levels.

i don't think it's fair to say that <115 is low. 68% of the world's population falls between 85 and 115.

the problem with most churches is that they are steeped in tradition. there are things the bible says about creation that very very few christians realize. the earth is more than 6000 years old. the bible says that we are in the SECOND creation, and a new one will come after us. i'm assuming that's the misinformation you're speaking of. that teaching is a stumbling block that causes many people to reject the bible. it's the result of bad theology... and by the way, i can give you half a dozen reasons why evolutionism is every bit as dogmatic as any religion...

hopefully... hopefully... i'll remember this question later on. right now though, my brain is running on empty. i haven't slept for about 36 hours. if you keep this question up, and i remember to answer it, i'll come back and explain a few things. right now though, i'm just not functioning properly.

Answer 3

There are CLAIMS that there is a connection between low IQ and religiosity. The problem with those tests is that they use a very small group (out of all of them I've seen, the largest tested a group of 500 people). In order to get accurate statistics, one would have to test people all over the world, both in the country and in the city, of all education levels, and all ages.

No, it's not insulting, but I call THAT willful ignorance.

And 115 is above average.

Answer 4

"Most of the christians i've been expossed to display both a low (approximately <115 IQ) intelligence and a scary sort of "willfull ignorance". Interesting theory, but now you should take a good statistically-valid sample and test the theory.

While you are at it, would you also say that most people you meet on the street, w.o knowing their religious thought, are of lower IQ than you are?

Answer 5

I know plenty of "intelligent" religious people. I guess it depends on who you spend your time around. Actually I find that most atheists base their beliefs on the word of a few scientists when they themselves have not even attempted to analyze any of the evidence, they let so called "geniuses" do the analyzing for them. When usually the so called geniuses refuse to consider the fact that it is impossible to be 100% sure that there is no God as its impossible to examine 100% of all possible evidence. Therefore the statement that you know for sure that there is no God is illogical. So indirectly I guess you could say that a fair share of the people with high IQ's are not religious, but not because they are being logical. But to say there's a connection between low IQ and religious faith wouldn't be a good statement either. Rather a connection between high IQ and lack of religious faith would be a better statement.

Answer 6

greater sensible human beings can comprehend illusions that misinform much less sensible human beings. faith is (and continuously has been) based on metaphysical illusions, so the researchers' findings are not all that remarkable. yet there are cleverer illusions those days than faith. the main complicated ones to penetrate are people who're presently promoted by the mass media as "technology." the phantasm of racial equality is a stable occasion: a super number of liberals have been deceived by that one. Drshorty wrote: "Many comparable study have tried to teach that black absolutely everyone seems to be far less sensible than white human beings, as an occasion." those study did no longer "attempt" to teach something specifically. They got down to ascertain what the fact is in regard to racial adjustments in IQ, and that they succeeded in figuring out the main correct traits. Dr. Arthur Jensen's fashionable article, "How plenty will we strengthen IQ and Scholastic success," revealed contained in the Harvard academic overview in 1969, cites dozens of such study... all of them peer reviewed contained in the main ideal scientific vogue. you will hit upon the checklist contained in the object's bibliography. apart from, those study are supported twelve months after twelve months, in each extreme college and school contained in america, as each and every time without fail the races line up in terms of IQ contained in the precise same order. First come the two the Whites or the Asians, with the different of those working a special 2d place. far in the back of in 0.33 place come the Mestizos, the "Hispanics" of Mexico, Puerto Rico, and significant/South united statesa.. And in the back of them, affirming the rear, are the Blacks - ineffective final, each and every time. And it incredibly isn't any longer correct which attempt you %.. it incredibly is a Mensa IQ attempt, or a Stanford Binet. it incredibly is the SAT, or the ACT, or the Stanford 9TA. it incredibly is the Air stress Officer's Qualifying attempt (AFOQT) or the Armed centers Vocational flair Battery (ASVAB). a similar race order consequences even with which attempt is used. particular races DO have decrease IQs than particular others; it incredibly is, the properly known for one race is below the properly known for yet another. it incredibly is real. it incredibly isn't any longer bigotry. it incredibly is lack of know-how while somebody publicizes that there are not any racial adjustments in intelligence. The scientific documents proves in any different case.

Answer 7

http://www.godandscience.org/apologetics/sciencefaith.html


You might have been hanging out with the wrong sort of religious people.

I am a Christian and have found that I have learned much from atheists and agnostics.

True, I cannot prove that there is a God. I cannot prove that Jesus died for my sins.
I can't prove that what the Bible says is true.
I could be wrong about everything that I believe.

I believe that some of the Biblical stories are allegorical. (Daniel and the lion's den, Jonah & The whale, to name a few).

I am willing to look at whatever one can show to me and give it due consideration.

After all, we are here to learn, aren't we?

Thanks for your respectful question. I appreciate that you did not call names and that you remained calm about this.
I have seen intense fits of anger from those posing much the same question as you did.

Have a great afternoon.

Answer 8

Is an IQ of 115 "low"? I cannot see that there is any correpondence whatever between IQ and religious belief. Isaac Newton (among others) was a religious man.

Answer 9

YES There is a significant connection between IQ and religion. Examine the evidence for yourself in the link provided.

There have been dozens of studies done. The results prove that people of faith are generally LESS intelligent than atheists.

Of course there are exceptions... But if your IQ is truly 131, I'd say you're an atheist waiting to happen!

Answer 10

In my family, I have the highest IQ, and I am the only one who questioned the family religion and found it wanting, so I became an atheist. My oldest sister is an imbecile and insults me outrageously if I say anything that makes her doubt her ignorant brand of Christianity. I cannot speak in terms of large groups, but I see that there is a tendency for people of lower IQ to take things on faith, because they lack the capability to think deeply about them.

Answer 11

That's up in the air, but there is a connection between education and religion. The less educated you are, the more likely you are to be religious.

But your education affects your IQ. All people have a potential IQ, but if you don't get good education during your childhood, you never develop your full IQ. It's kind of like if you plant a flower seed, but never water it. That seed can still become a flower, but it needs certain things in order to grow.

So, I suppose there is a correlation between low IQ and religion.