Why are atheists substantially smarter than religious people?

Question

I'd like to hear your input.

http://kspark.kaist.ac.kr/Jesus/Intelligence%20&%20religion.htm

OK. Why are atheists, generally, on average, substantially smarter than religious people? Sorry I had to rephrase this.

Answer 1

Hmm. I don't know about "substantially smarter." It depends on how you want to rate intelligence -- which is a very subjective thing. I've actually been arguing religion by e-mail with a Catholic guy who took exception to something I said here on Y!A. I'm positive this guy's smarter than I am in many ways. Perhaps religious people just don't employ critical thinking as effectively as atheists. Even then, if you were raised as an atheist you wouldn't have to think very critically relative to your upbringing. I don't know, I think this is a thorny issue. I think there is something very different between religious minds and atheistic minds, but I hesitate to name that difference.

Answer 2

Einstein would be turning in his grave at suggestions that he was anything other than an atheist!! His quote "God does not play dice" has been used SO many times (incorrectly) to "prove" this point. He was actually suggesting that quantum uncertainty as proposed by Schroedinger and Heisenberg was rather inelegant. Nothing more.

About the question tho. Designed to get hackles raised presumably!!? I get your meaning though.
Taking a leap of faith REQUIRES no intelligence of any kind, but understanding the detail of how nature really works does. A thorough and intelligent analysis of the available (verifiable) evidence will generally lead a smart person towards atheism. For these reasons, what we traditionally define as intelligence predisposes us to atheism. It is, however, no guarantee. There are plenty of smart religious people who simply do not believe the evidence they see because they don't want to...and there are plenty of stupid atheists too.

It is the REASONS for those beliefs which I think show more about a persons intelligence. I just happen to have a big issue with most religious answers.....they're always vague, and never based on observable evidence. I'd agree that most creationist certainly appear to be fantasists with poor reasoning skills, however that doesn't necessarily make them "stupid".

Cheers!

Answer 3

I didn't check all the references, and sorry to say but that looks like a fairly low budget site. I could have put that up over the lunch hour using the office server. For all we know, that data could be falsified (but not necessarily).

If that data is true, there is loads of room for error in the data gathering and processing.

I also have to point out that although there is a general correlation between IQ and university performance, simply having a BSc does not make you a genius or even necessarily smart. How do I know? I'm in a BSc program, and some of the people in my classes make Pamela Anderson look like Da Vinci in a wig.

Generalizing based on potentially flawed studies such as this says more about you than anything else. Are you going to tell me next that you support the Rushton studies showing that black people have inherently lower IQ's?

I bet Colin Powell or Condi Rice would love to hear your thoughts on that...

Bottom line is that data can be tortured to give any result. I have actually head that more and more scientists are becoming to realize a higher power. Perhaps these people were raised to focus on science and *taught* that religion was a waste of time if you want to get ahead. That doesn't mean they chose that ideation, and perhaps some are now coming around. Working in the science field once only allowed for narrow personal views back then if you were to be accepted.

This article clearly states that the "younger scientists" are becoming more inclined towards religion.

http://www.livescience.com/history/070629_religious_scientists.html

Answer 4

The studies you cite aren't completely reliable because of several reasons:

1. Just because Christians don't become scientists as often as atheists do, doesn't mean Christians aren't as smart. Doctors and other highly technical fields are OFTEN Christians. If the test group were doctors, it might appear that Christians are smarter than atheists.

2. The test groups themselves were usually too small to get a true sampling.

3. There is no information on the validity of the actual tests, which could have contained bias (especially any test given before about 2000 - like most of those cited in your reference).

4. The test with probably the most validity (simply because of its test group size) MIGHT be the Gallup poll, and when allowing for variances the results of that test are fairly equal.

5. It doesn't appear that ANY of the studies allowed for multiple intelligences. If you don't know what that means, you can research Howard Gardner.

I think if we are honest, we would say that we know atheists and Christians that are brilliant, and some of both that aren't quite as bright. That is, IF we are honest.

I am.

Answer 5

First off, define "smart". I'm not religious, nor am I atheist but I've known both and can see no relevance to either being smarter than the other. Even where intelligence or logic comes into play. People are people with their own POVs (points of view). Met some pretty "smart" religious folk who are amazingly intelligent in every regard except that of spirituality. Met some strong atheists more spirtual than religious folk only they can't see it because they associate spirituality with having to belong to a religion. There is a qualitative difference between religion and spirituality. The same with wisdom and intelligence. Again, have known some of the most brilliant minds ever in both categories you mention but didn't have the common sense to shelter themselves from self-destruction. They chose to rely on science or religion and neither understood what either was about.

Answer 6

Who says they are? If you would look back into history and see that the major players in the advancements made by man, you will find people who believed in God. Einstein, for example, stated "God does not play dice..."; Newton's work were begun as a way for him to better understanding the universe God had created. One can go on and on listing people who would fit the bill. As I have argued before, does being a member of Mensa (the high IQ group) disqualify me from being a Christian; and visa versa?

Using the logic displayed by some of the answers I have read from non-Christians, I could argue that those who have not believed in God have done more harm to the world that all religions combined. Just in the 20th century Hitler, Stalin, Pol-Pot, Ho Chi Mein (sp) as well as the Chinese and North Korean Communists, Idi Ammin, etc, etc, etc killed how many millions of people just because. Were they substantially smarter than the Christians they killed?

You can also ask have the "progressives" of the past 50 years brought our world into a better place to live then it was prior to say 1950? Most older people would say no, and I would agree. I was born in 1954 so that makes me old enough to remember being able to play outside till dark without my parents wondering and worrying about my safety; when TV shows didn't have cuss word and sexuality remained behind closed doors; when movies didn't celebrate death and destruction or sexual conquests; where crimes were not the norm, but the exception to the rule; where, finally, a perfect stranger could give a boy of 7 a ride home and the parents not have to worry about something happening. (I'm noy saying things didn't happen, but they were rare.)

Now that Christianity has been delegated to the dump, are we really better off than before?

Answer 7

Mr. X, Einstein was agnostic.

Last Ent Wife, my I.Q. is 150. What's yours?

And to answer the Asker''s question. A person's belief certainly doesn't dictate whether or not they have high intelligence. I'm pretty sure not every single atheist and every single religious person were surveyed and used to make that article.

Answer 8

I don't think so. Atheists too follow some set code of conduct to be honest , just , acceptable in human society , be in peace & security so that no problem they have to face only b coz of being atheists. someone from them frames such codes of conduct purely on logic, reasoning & common sense & careful analysis intelligently. That is itself a religion irrespective of whether they declare it to be so or not. So, there is no escape from being religious whether man made or God made or Godmen made or frauds made in guise of Godmen but it does exist everywhere with large number of followers. Main aim is to keep the whole world most peacefu & orderly as much as possible, the aim of all religions. Of course, atheists do not accept everything by mere blind faith rather, they accept sets of codes of conduct by their own thorough analysis(b coz of having no faith in any religion), they're , naturally, more careful & smart, in general , undoubtedly, if they have very good characters. They're most neutral & unbiased.

Answer 9

you are assuming people that get a degree are smarter than those that do not. Very elitist of you.

So you assume that people that go to college and get a degree are smarter than those that do not. Even more, you think those that get a degree in science are smarter than those who get a degree in business/arts/etc. Not sure if you have been to college, but if you don't drink yourself silly...you can get a degree in just about anything...college is a big business now and low graduation rates are not appealing for future tuition payers. People who assume that intelligence is measured on if you go to college or not annoy me.

And for the record, I have a degree from one of the top engineering schools in the country. And I know many people who are more intelligent then some of the people I shared a class with.

Answer 10

Because atheists are capable of independent thought.

They can think without having to get their ideas from a 2000 year old book written by goat herders.