Religious people less intelligent than atheists?

[Luddly Neddite]

Religious People Are Less Intelligent Than Atheists, Concludes New Study

A review of 63 scientific studies dating back to 1928 has concluded that religious people are less intelligent than non-believers.

Only 10 of the 63 studies showed a positive correlation between intelligence and religiosity.

The paper, entitled The Relation Between Intelligence and Religiosity: A Meta-Analysis and Some Proposed Explanations, was led by Professor Miron Zuckerman of the University of Rochester, and was published in the academic journal Personality and Social Psychology Review on 6 August. ...

... Zuckerman’s team studied decades worth of analysis, noting many atheism and intellect studies “share one central theme – the premise that religious beliefs are irrational, not anchored in science, not testable, and therefore unappealing to intelligent people who ‘know better’.”

...Religiosity is defined as involvement in some (or all) facets of religion, which includes belief in the supernatural, offering gifts to this supernatural, and performing rituals affirming their beliefs.

Before you use the lame excuse that it was published in HuffPo (as opposed to dredge, blaze, etc), note that it was first published in Sage:

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“Intelligent people typically spend more time in school—a form of self-regulation that may yield long-term benefits… More intelligent people get higher level jobs [which] may lead to higher self-esteem, and encourage personal control beliefs… more intelligent people are more likely to get and stay married… though for intelligent people, that too comes later in life. We therefore suggest that as intelligent people move from young adulthood to adulthood and then to middle age, the benefits of intelligence may continue to accrue.”

Whatever, it still seems a little too pat, too easy.

But, well worth reading the entire article.

 

[Sherry]

I think that's very rude to infer that Obama is not intelligent just because he's a Christian.

 

[hoosier88]

An interesting study. We'll probably have to wait for n in both sets to get closer to even - or @ least the same order of magnitude - before we can sample the populations & hope to get representative sample data sets.

If I understand the sampling correctly, on the atheist side they're oversampling people with university degrees, graduate degrees & so on, while the religious side probably over-presents people with less formal education than the first set. It's a sampling quibble, but it's important to anticipate & correct any sampling bias so that the results aren't false artifacts of the methodology. & so that we can have more confidence in the results of the studies.

 

[Duped]

They are too stupid to acknowledge creation

 

[Agent.Tom]

... Zuckerman’s team [noted that] many atheism and intellect studies “share ... the premise that religious beliefs are irrational ... and ... intelligent people know better.”

prem·ise
a basis, stated or assumed, on which reasoning proceeds.

I was going to suggest that many of the studies were biased in the first place, but your quote already admits it. So thanks for pointing it out and saving me the trouble of suggesting it and then having to "prove it."

 

[Luddly Neddite]

I think that's very rude to infer that Obama is not intelligent just because he's a Christian.

You're lying. You don't think its rude at all. But, ignoring your lame ass attempt at sarcasm ...

I have often written that, IMO, its horrifying that any, some, many, most world leaders are getting advice from an imaginary creature.

 

[Luddly Neddite]

... Zuckerman’s team [noted that] many atheism and intellect studies “share ... the premise that religious beliefs are irrational ... and ... intelligent people know better.”

prem·ise
a basis, stated or assumed, on which reasoning proceeds.

I was going to suggest that many of the studies were biased in the first place, but your quote already admits it. So thanks for pointing it out and saving me the trouble of suggesting it and then having to "prove it."

But, of course this started with a bias.

If it had been conducted among, say, fundies like Westboro, the end result would reflect their lack of education and intelligence. This was conducted by an intellectual entity ...

 

[dilloduck]

... Zuckerman’s team [noted that] many atheism and intellect studies “share ... the premise that religious beliefs are irrational ... and ... intelligent people know better.”

prem·ise
a basis, stated or assumed, on which reasoning proceeds.

I was going to suggest that many of the studies were biased in the first place, but your quote already admits it. So thanks for pointing it out and saving me the trouble of suggesting it and then having to "prove it."

But, of course this started with a bias.

If it had been conducted among, say, fundies like Westboro, the end result would reflect their lack of education and intelligence. This was conducted by an intellectual entity ...

You are a truly spiritual being, Mr. Neddite.

 

[Duped]

I think that's very rude to infer that Obama is not intelligent just because he's a Christian.

I understand your inference, but Obama is clearly not a Christian; he does not believe that Jesus Christ is the only way to salvation, and he endorses homosexuality - even gay marriage which is an impossibility as marriage is made in Heaven, and homosexuality is an Obamanation. It is not what you say; it is what you do that defines you.

Obama claimed to be a Christian for votes!

 

[BreezeWood]

I think that's very rude to infer that Obama is not intelligent just because he's a Christian.

I understand your inference, but Obama is clearly not a Christian; .....

Obama claimed to be a Christian for votes!

- since they voted for him, doesn't that (clearly) validate the OP.

 

[Avatar4321]

A study done by atheists prove they are smarter. Color me shocked.

I've never had to do a study to determine whether I was smarter than someone else. It's never really been a concern. There are people who are smarter than me. There are people who are not as smart. And you know what, I can learn from every one of them.

Of course, I also don't presume that having a degree indicates you are intelligent.

 

[wavingrl]

fascinating I'm sure.

shrug--I know a good many people who would disagree--what would they know. Some have doctorates in theology.

just ridiculous---absolutely ridiculous --

over in 'the liberal forum' as I call it--I hear things like---'should I enroll my child in a preschool affialiated with a church?'---the fear is that the child might be exposed to creationism. A nurse/spouse of a doctor posted this---she did enroll the child in that preschool---but is compensating as best she can.

shrug--if that is what you believe---live accordingly.

the glorious age of technology.

 

[Sherry]

I think that's very rude to infer that Obama is not intelligent just because he's a Christian.

You're lying. You don't think its rude at all. But, ignoring your lame ass attempt at sarcasm ...

I have often written that, IMO, its horrifying that any, some, many, most world leaders are getting advice from an imaginary creature.

No, I'm being sarcastic with the truth. I don't have to agree with Obama's political policies to defend him as a Christian, and I wasn't going to pass up the opportunity to point out the hypocrisy of those who are pro Obama, yet anti Christian...you brought it on yourself, sweetie. Now where the fuck is rdean, so I can rub this shit in his face too.

 

[rdean]

Thoughtful and intelligent aren't the same thing. Thoughtful people look at those who say the world is only thousands of years old and say, "Really"???? Even intelligent people can be indoctrinated into believing such nonsense.

 

[Sherry]

Bwahaha...right on cue.

 

[daveman]

... Zuckerman’s team [noted that] many atheism and intellect studies “share ... the premise that religious beliefs are irrational ... and ... intelligent people know better.”

prem·ise
a basis, stated or assumed, on which reasoning proceeds.

I was going to suggest that many of the studies were biased in the first place, but your quote already admits it. So thanks for pointing it out and saving me the trouble of suggesting it and then having to "prove it."

Imagine that -- progressive "science" that starts out with the conclusion then finds data to fit it.

 

[wavingrl]

Stephen Hawkings is about the only atheist that I would respect. Might be others.

so sick and tired of all of this.

 

[Avatar4321]

Thoughtful and intelligent aren't the same thing. Thoughtful people look at those who say the world is only thousands of years old and say, "Really"???? Even intelligent people can be indoctrinated into believing such nonsense.

Actually, a thoughtfor person would realize that there is no way we can accurate determine the age of the earth because we, by necessity of being unable to travel through time, have got to rely on the assumption that the laws of nature work the same way now as they did in the past. And while that's likely a safe assumption, it's an assumption nonetheless and one that cannot be proven or disproven because of the nature of time.

But you are right that intelligent people can be indoctrinated to believe nonsense. Look at progressivism.

 

[Metacrock]

The study has some flaws, which may be important. They raise big concerns. First of all it does not say "religious people are less intelligent than Atheists." It never says that. It only says unbeliever and higher IQ is correlated more strongly than belief and higher IQ. It's not a causal statement, they don't say "because they are not as smart."

Secondly, major caution, they let this guy named Kenazawa do some of the statistical analysis in factoring out bias statistically; Kenazawa is no one to factor out bias. He was fired form Psychology today blog for making racist statements and he was disciplined by London school of economics for the same reason. That ties to his bias agaisnt religious people becuase he buys Barbor's thing about the savana theory so he thinks atheists are genetically superior.Atheist watch.

another concern there's a good chance that the overall data used is biased. Moreover, there are big questions weather or not IQ tests really measure intelligence. I am doing a big article on this study, I've the whole study and I'm critiquing it on Monday.

 

[Chuckt]

I have a degree.

Some of my professors wore clothes in college that looked 20 years old.

Even the non-religious haven't been able to solve all of the world's problems.

Atheism isn't the default. Agnosticism is. To lump agnostics in with Atheists is wrong.