True or false: atheists and agnostics . . .?

Question

1. have, on average, higher IQs than believers of a Divine Being.

2A. have no chance of being elected to a high political office unless they lie about their lack of belief;

2B. if your answer to "2A" is "Yes," do you think its fair to vote against an atheist or agnostic because of his/her lack of belief, and why;

3. are, in general, just as ethical and moral as believers.


I'm curious how people answer the above. Try putting aside what your particular beliefs are.

ndmagicm: I wasn't talking about "quality" of public service, question 2 is about electability. Big difference.

Answer 1

Just a quick anser to 2A-Bernie Sanders the United States Senator from Vermont is an avowed atheist.

Answer 2

1. I don't know. (I haven't seen good evidence either way, and I think making either claim is premature. I've seen data demonstrating a correlation between atheism and education level, but that doesn't necessarily relate to IQ.)

2A. Very little chance, but I don't want to say none.
2B. No, I don't think it's fair to vote on someone based on their religious beliefs unless those beliefs are significant in making policy decision.

3. Yes.

For the record, I'm an atheist.

Answer 3

1) That is what the numbers say; but, correlation does not imply causation.

2A) Not in this country at this time, no.

2B) N/A (but no, it's not 'fair')

3) Just as? I think that's an understatement. When's the last time someone died in the name of "no god"?

Answer 4

1. Can't speculate on that one--have no concrete data.

2A. Agree.

2B. Belief system shouldn't matter unless it's Nazism or something like that.

3. No evidence--but probably so.

Answer 5

1) True
2) False
3) Religion is a non factor in public service. It has never been shown that being religious or not makes any difference in regards to the quality of your public service.
4) True

Answer 6

1. yes
2a. yes, except for some local offices
2b. no
3 . yes absolutely. probably more moral.