Is there a negative correlation between intelligence and belief in God?

Question

In September 1999, Scientific American published figures showing that while 90% of the general American public believes in a personal God and an afterlife, only 40% of scientists who are BS-degree-only holders so believe and only 10% of scientists regarded as eminent believe in a personal God or an afterlife.

In a 1998 survey of more than 500 members of the National Academy of Scientists, it was found that 72% were atheists, 21% were agnostics and 7% believed in God. A very similar breakdown was found in relation to belief in an afterlife.

Answer 1

Good. I appreciate good data. I can check this out and see whether I can verify it.

If this is true then, there is certainly a negative correlation between success at science and belief in God. Does it say the same about intelligence, that's hard to say. One could assume that it takes more intelligence to succeed at science compared to those who succeed in other walks of life, but I'm not sure I've seen the data. To succeed at science you certainly need to be focused and dedicated, maybe that's what correlates negatively with a belief in God. Stop to think about it. If you DON'T believe in God then you really have reason to succeed at science because there is nothing else out there for you in life and there is no afterlife. Maybe that is why there is a negative correlation.

Answer 2

About 1/3 of the Nobel Prize winners have been practicing Jews. Since they represent .02% of the population, I think this answers your questions.

The 1998 survey has no validity by itself. It would have to be compared to a similar survey of the general population. It may be that these numbers represent a higher belief.

Also, questions like this can be tainted by the nature of the question. For example, what is a personal G-d? And what sort of afterlife are you talking about?

Answer 3

Remember that the secular colleges and universities are staffed mainly by atheists. So the people who come out of those institutions will come away with the atheist mindset. So it is wrong to correlate intelligence with a university degree. We know that degrees are given to the thoughtful and the arrogant, the shy and the bold, the moral and the debased.

If 7% of the scientists DO believe in God, what does that say about your argument? These people may have believed in God throughout their university years, holding firmly to their faith; or they saw the delusions practiced by their professors and turned from atheism to faith; or became Christians after leaving university. There are too many factors to plainly correlate intelligence with belief in God. The study you cited merely gives us the ratio of people in a given field who were or were not religious. It does not touch on their intelligence per se.

Answer 4

There IS a correlation between ignorance and superstition, but ignorance is not the same thing as intelligence. Ignorance is the lack of knowledge, and knowledge may be acquired via education and/or experience. Thus, a person could be highly intelligent, but ignorant. I know some fundie Christians who are very intelligent, but they have closed their minds to accepting any information that seemingly contradicts their religious beliefs.

I'm not familiar with the Scientific American article cited, but it seems to suggest a correlation between higher education and lack of religious belief. I suppose it could be argued that a more intelligent person would stand a better chance of becoming highly educated though.

Answer 5

As an sensible man or woman, I do observe that lots of my friends do have hassle believing in a deity, and it relatively is as a results of fact of two issues i will pinpoint the 1st is that frequently those all of us is questioners, and with issues like faith, particularly situations it relatively is tricky to decipher and determine solutions from among all your components. the 2d, i've got self belief, is that the assumption of no longer being on top of issues is something tricky to understand, fairly with information that would not *look* to characteristic up, or maybe though it may, or would possibly no longer, they'd see signs and indicators of this information against a Deity, yet won't be able to the two use faith to accurately disclaim it as far as technology of basic understanding, in any different case they have not have been given any absolute information that their Deity is powerful. of direction, i'm a Christian, and with some commentary, i've got observed there are a number of 'sensible' people who do have self belief in God, and that i ask them why. They frequently say that in case you look at all the information, it makes basically as lots experience as the rest. I even began analyzing this piece of text cloth stated as 'A Case For Christ' which analyzes all the information that tutor or deny what we hit upon out approximately Christ. a fascinating examine, in case you're as much because it. did you be responsive to Ghandi mentioned 'i've got analyzed each and every factor of Christianity, and found it to be one hundred% authentic'? He then persisted to assert 'the rationalization i'm no longer a Christian is as a results of Christians,' This shows yet another factor to which you will have an interest. To be honest, sensible human beings (myself lined) hate it while the persons around us act greater advantageous (although we can be the main substantial perpetraitors). And this, regrettably, is how a reliable majority of the Christian international operates. this maychronic off the sensible to boot...

Answer 6

I would say that a heightened intelligence is more likely to allow for rational and independent decision making, and it is therefore likely that intelligent people will tend to move away from religious belief.

That being said, there is no doubt that intelligent people can be believers. This has been explained by ex-believers as a sort of "compartmentalisation" process, in which supporting evidence is accepted and contradictory evidence is rejected.

Answer 7

Apparently the Christians believe that intelligence and knowledge are alternatives to faith, and that their 'opinion' of intelligent is just as valid as scientific valuation methods. Bravo, Christians. Way to develop cop out theory after cop out theory in your unrelenting path to self-delusion. Good show.

Seriously, is there an Atheist, Pagan, Pantheist, Agnostic or follower of an Eastern religion here that doesn't look at the silly little Christians as an entertainingly stupid happenstance? I'll admit I do. They just amuse me with their ignorance--it's like watching one of those movies produced by SNL.

Answer 8

Yes, there is.
The studies you mention relate to scientific education, which is not the same thing as intelligence. But other studies have been conducted that have found a negative correlation between intelligence and religious belief.

Answer 9

Many scientist believe in God as super power and not a person. Example: Einstein. Isaaq Newton thought of trinity as embaraasing and was disgusted by it. He was avid Bible reader but rejected the trinity.

Answer 10

So what you are telling me is that there is a correlation between education and a belief in God?

Intelligence and educations are two different things. I have met uneducated people who were open minded and brilliant. I have also met highly educated people who were closed minded and dumb as a box of rocks.

Angel P says it best.

Love and blessings Don