Who do you think is smarter, atheists or believers?

Question

Why?

Answer 1

Religion has a harsh negative correlation to IQ.

Answer 2

I believe that atheists are only smarter when it comes to the fact that they don't let something that has no proof take hold of there life. This is just what I think. There is nothing wrong with religious people. They have every right to think what they think just like me. I just find it hard to believe that a book passed down from many years is exactly how it was when it started.

Ever play the phone game in grade school? You know where you whisper something to someone and they whisper to the next person and you see if it is the same thing you started with when it gets to the last kid. Its never the same, someone who always here something different. That's how I feel about the bible its been changed and changed and changed.

Plus there is so much hypocritical stuff in the bible it isn't funny.

But both religious and atheists people have very smart people. I read an article years ago about a study done that something like 98% of the highest IQs in the world did not believe in a god. If I can find anything on it I will edit this post and add it.

Answer 3

Neither. Ultimately, our human imaginations are based entirely on our limited perceptions, as well as our own individual motivations. The so-called believers seem to think they know most of the answers, yet each group exists in conflict with other "believer" groups on the nature of god and the afterlife, and who ultimately is "right."

Atheists on the other hand, try to avoid this conflict by disavowing god, the general presence of a higher power, and the possibility of an afterlife. It's all about the material world for the atheist. This limited point of view does not often allow for certain, inexplicable experiences that we've all had, that the non-atheists might call "magical", "cosmic", or even "divine".

Ultimately, no human in this life can know all that there is to know about existence, our origins, this thing called god, and the afterlife. We have all heard stories, but we, as individulas won't really know the full extent of it until it is our time to know.

Answer 4

Neither is smarter than the other. It is not a question of brains. As an atheist that was once catholic, it is more like asking who is more gullible? To be good in any religion, you must question what you were taught. Be sure that it is what you believe. I questioned my way out of religion.

Answer 5

Well, what I don't understand is why we think there are only two categories - atheists and believers.

What about non-christian diests, etc? or people who acknowledge the existence of God, but are not Christians?

Well, in answer to your question, there are some very intelligent atheists, and there are some very intelligent Christians.

Furthermore, there are some really STUPID Christians, and there are some really STUPID atheists.

It's not a question of intelligence. It's a moral issue.

Christians realize they have no morality within themselves, so depend on God's .

Atheists have concluded that they have no morality problem and they think they are moral in spite of the facts that we lie, we cheat, we steal, we take God's name in vain, we have disobeyed our parents, etc, etc, etc.

To make matters worse, we are also all hypocrites, because when we lie, we don't like to be lied to - that's a double standard!

When we take something that isn't rightfully ours to take, we don't want someone else stealing anything from us, again, a double standard, which is what hypocracy is all about.

Like I said, the Christian acknowledges that "there is none righteous, no not one. All we like sheep have gone astray, we have each turned to his own ways", etc.

The atheist, in the meantime, having a conscience, and doing these very same things, excuse themselves rather than repent before God.

Like they say, "Christians aren't perfect, just forgiven."

And hey - let's face it - we ALL need forgiveness from God, and it's available to all. In fact, that's what makes a person a Christian - is when we acknowledge and repent of our sins and ask God to forgive us and be the Lord (boss) of our lives, realizing that we have not done a very good job being our OWN boss.

One additional thought: To those who think that you can not be intelligent to believe in God, what do you do with Albert Einstein or Albert Schweitzer, or so many others who have contributed much to society because of their intelligence and yet they actually believe that God exists!

Albert Einstein was once quoted saying, "The universe is like a giant jigsaw puzzle. There are many possible solutions, but only One fits all the facts." I suppose that according to the atheists, he was an idiot with a very low IQ? Hmmm. So much for THAT theory.

Answer 6

Smart-ness has nothing to do with beliefs or anything else, it depends on the person. Everyone is smart, no matter if you're athetist, christian, catholic, whatever. But some choose not to show it, no idea why. Now some religions fight other religions to find out who's the smarter one, and that's very pathetic and ignorant if you ask me. :D

Answer 7

Ones belief system does not determine how smart he/she is. Atheists question everything in their quest for the truth. Believers know that even if their faith is not 100% cconvincing, it is at least a pretty reliable means towards happiness. I don't think either is necessarily right or wrong. I think it all depends on what you value more - truth or happiness.

Answer 8

Ohhh, it's hard to tell (mostly because the atheist population is small, and young predominantly, and the Christian population is large and variable in age). I would say that atheists have a great potential to be smarter than Christians, but too many are just arrogant kids who spit out the words of smarter, more analytical atheists. For now, it is really to hard to tell.

Answer 9

Well my personal experience is that a lot of believers shut themselves off to everything but the religious experience; and, IMO that is not very bright because there is a lot out there to know and experience. That does not mean we need to know and experience everything, but a certain amount of knowing and experience is conductive to intelligence I believe.

I think believers limit themselves too much. I am not talking so much about physical limits as I am mental limits. Believers shut too many doors in their minds. Not good IMO.

Answer 10

A person is either born with intelligence or not born with intelligence, it has nothing to do with with any other factor.

Education does not equal intelligence

Common sense can not be taught.

Wisdom can not be taught.

Education is memorization, nothing else.

Some of the most intelligent people in history had little or no formal education. Abraham Lincoln is a perfect example.

Answer 11

Oh boy, will this cause conflict. Belief doesn't rely on intelligence. There's just as many religious geniuses as there are non-believing geniuses.

Also, if you're going to hide everyone that says "I believe believers are smarter," and leave the atheists be, what was the point in asking the question?