A meta-analysis of 63 studies showed a significant negative association between intelligence and religiosity. The association was stronger for college students and the general population than for participants younger than college age; it was also stronger for religious beliefs than religious behavior. The whole article can be seen here. It doesn't surprise me.
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Thanks Unfortunately the study is way way to technical for me to consider wadding through even though the subject appears to be very interesting I'll wait for the documentary or the digest of the Readers Digest version Thanks again Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
The abstract is brief enough and simple enough for anyone to follow. (Readers Digest wouldn't touch it with a barge-pole.) The overview of studies is actually quite interesting, but the main reasons for the the finding are accurate enough. The more intelligent a child is, the more likely he or she is to question what adults say - on all subjects. On two matters, the tenets of their faith and the authority by which they discipline, adults are usually dogmatic; they won't explain or justify their assertions. The intelligent child will reject an unsupported assertion and delve for answers. The answers s/he can find independently on the subject of religion are contradictory and unsatisfactory. That child is also more likely to attend an institution of higher learning, where s/he is exposed to different modes of thought.
I did have a feeling that the study would follow what my thoughts are about intelligence and religion I do understand a serious study would be required to be writing in serious ' studiez ' language My reading habits now lean towards the popular versions of long winded studies which I mix with my current understanding I'm not dismissing serious studies which I contend are definitely required to be read if you wish to become a expert in any particular field I'm happy just to understand a little of everything and marvel at the people who understand much more than me Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
That's why they put the abstract on top. You can stop there, and go away with a pretty good idea of what the study is about and its main findings. What it doesn't give you is much of an idea how thorough or accurate or honest the study was. I quite liked this one, because it didn't set about testing the basic premise (correlation of religion and intelligence), but rather to compare 63 previous studies done on that premise. They included several that were seriously flawed an/or biased at inception. I found it quite a good overview of what's been done on the subject. (That doesn't mean I'm up for reading it again! Once - two years ago - was enough.)
people don't succeed by intelligence, people succeed by conformism. this also has to do with time/place. even if those around you are less intelligent but they are the majority, they will succeed and you will not because they will make sure you don't get support. and there are so many different types of intelligence too. a religionist may even know better but they choose to be dogmatic, hypocritical etc because it is to their advantage. people don't just do or uphold false, dishonest or inferior memes just because they are stupid, they do it because it's advantageous and their lower character allows for it. one can be highly intelligent and with very low/evil character. one can be highly intelligent and with high/good character. one can be average with high/good character and one can be stupid with low/evil character. And do you know what best unites people in their agendas and affinity/identification? their character, not their intelligence. people come in different varieties.
the secret is religious people aren't the only idiots though. darwinists can be ignorant too. animals are run by and controlled more by instinct than their own awareness and they are motivated to procreate to proliferate life. such as a gazelle will have offspring knowing that it could be eaten by a lion etc. this is because it's fertility is out of it's control. the fact is, that drive is just that, an evolutionary drive but not necessarily in your favor as people assume. they are only looking at it from one side. they are breeding future pawns of life. life is a dangerous, risky and competitive venture with no guarantees. just as a parasite enters the body to control or influence drives to do this or that, these drives are compelling, not always in your best interest. what difference does it make if your genes get passed on vs another? really? it doesn't. if anything, it may be a blessing in disguise, that your genes will not be part of the havoc of life. after all, it's the living who must keep trudging on, not the dead. think about it. what have you won? you got fooled to stay in the circus. lmao. there are no real winners or losers, ultimately, in the game of life. it all ends sooner or later.
Of course there are stupid atheists and smart theists. This isn't about being intelligent, it's about learning reasoning skills, something anyone can do.
