Religious people less intelligent than atheists?

[numan]

'
This study is superfluous; it is manifestly clear from oceans of evidence that religious people have lower IQ's than atheists.

Religious people have problems thinking, and their emotions are stupid and ignoble.

.

 

[percysunshine]

I was wondering when this would come up. There is a natural bias in the study, and some caveats;

'The study itself is careful and dispassionate, but the reaction from the atheist corner of the Internet has been predictable: If smarter people tend to be atheists, then atheism is probably “correct,” right?

No. Read the full study, which discusses several competing theories for why the negative correlation exists.'

How Not To Interpret That Religion and IQ Study | National Review Online

"Let’s say that the bottom half of the IQ distribution never questions the religion of their upbringing, while the top half is skeptical. Now, just among that skeptical top half, let’s say that 80 percent end up affirming their faith and remain religious, while the rest reject faith and become atheists.

Religion would seem to be the clear choice of smart people in this hypothetical example, but there would still be a positive correlation between IQ and atheism. The correlation exists not because smart people have necessarily rejected religion, but because religion is the default position for most of our society.

This same principle works in places where the default and iconoclastic beliefs are reversed. Japan, for example, has no tradition of monotheistic religion, but the few Japanese Christians tend to be much more educated than non-Christians in Japan."

Simply put, we can’t solve philosophical disputes by appealing to the higher average IQ of one side or the other.

 

[asterism]

While it makes sense that those who reject religion tend to be smarter than average, there are still a whole bunch of atheist idiots. Usually the more outspoken they are, the less intelligent they are with the exception of those who are quite intelligent but have severe emotional issues.

 

[daveman]

'

Religious people have problems thinking, and their emotions are stupid and ignoble.

.

You misspelled "progressives".

 

[numan]

Religious people have problems thinking, and their emotions are stupid and ignoble.

You misspelled "progressives".

See what I mean?

.

 

[daveman]

Religious people have problems thinking, and their emotions are stupid and ignoble.

You misspelled "progressives".

See what I mean?

.

I hate to be the one to break this to you, but "being a liberal" isn't a grand accomplishment. It doesn't give your opinions greater weight than those of others. And it doesn't merit the level of arrogance you display.

Sorry to have gutted your resume. Oh, well.

 

[daveman]

'
This study is superfluous; it is manifestly clear from oceans of evidence that religious people have lower IQ's than atheists.

Religious people have problems thinking, and their emotions are stupid and ignoble.

.

And what's astoundingly funny, your own sigline points out that you are not as intelligent as you pretend to be:

In the modern world, the stupid are cocksure, while the intelligent are full of doubts
---Bertrand Russell

 

[numan]

This study is superfluous; it is manifestly clear from oceans of evidence that religious people have lower IQ's than atheists.

Religious people have problems thinking, and their emotions are stupid and ignoble.

And what's astoundingly funny, your own sigline points out that you are not as intelligent as you pretend to be:

In the modern world, the stupid are cocksure, while the intelligent are full of doubts
---Bertrand Russell

It is philosophically astute to doubt that the Sun will rise tomorrow, but for practical purposes such doubt would be superfluous and a waste of time.

Similarly here.

Sphaerus, the Stoic, said to Ptolemy Philopator, king of Egypt: "A wise man always knows. He never holds mere opinions and so is never misled." The king had waxen pomegranates made and placed them in a bowl at a banquet. When Sphaerus took one of them, the king pounced and cried, "Aha! You see, you have given your assent to a misleading presentation." "Not at all," said Sphaerus, unperturbed. "I did not assent to the proposition that they were real pomegranates, but to the proposition that there was a reasonable probability that they were real pomegranates."
---Diogenes Laertius

.

 

[daveman]

This study is superfluous; it is manifestly clear from oceans of evidence that religious people have lower IQ's than atheists.

Religious people have problems thinking, and their emotions are stupid and ignoble.

And what's astoundingly funny, your own sigline points out that you are not as intelligent as you pretend to be:

In the modern world, the stupid are cocksure, while the intelligent are full of doubts
---Bertrand Russell

It is philosophically astute to doubt that the Sun will rise tomorrow, but for practical purposes such doubt would be superfluous and a waste of time.

Similarly here.

Sphaerus, the Stoic, said to Ptolemy Philopator, king of Egypt: "A wise man always knows. He never holds mere opinions and so is never misled." The king had waxen pomegranates made and placed them in a bowl at a banquet. When Sphaerus took one of them, the king pounced and cried, "Aha! You see, you have given your assent to a misleading presentation." "Not at all," said Sphaerus, unperturbed. "I did not assent to the proposition that they were real pomegranates, but to the proposition that there was a reasonable probability that they were real pomegranates."
---Diogenes Laertius

.

In other words, you're frantically backpedaling.

I'm curious...what is it about progressives that gives them a vastly overblown sense of self-worth? Most of you are too stupid to pour piss out of a boot -- after you've pissed in it.

Progressivism is the politics of the stupid and emotional. History proves this beyond all doubt.

But you can't be a progressive without completely ignoring history.

 

[Ernie S.]

'
This study is superfluous; it is manifestly clear from oceans of evidence that religious people have lower IQ's than atheists.

Religious people have problems thinking, and their emotions are stupid and ignoble.

.

Your atheism blows the credibility of your study out of the water, doesn't it?

 

[Metacrock]

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!

That's BS. that's what right wingers who have reduced Christianity to politics think. Christianity is not republican politics. Jesus never said "they will say to me Lord lord I voted republican and supported tax cuts. I will say I was seeking your vote and you voted democrat. I was asking for reduction in government spending and you voted or health care reform, ect ect."

no verse says "no other party given under haven by which we can be saved but the GOP."

Obama is obviously intelligent and it is well known he's a Christian. he says he is, and his Christian attitudes strike me as high on the discernment meter.

 

[Metacrock]

one thing I notice, they are not talking about the study. they are talking politics.

 

[Metacrock]

... 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.

yes a huge number of those studies have problems with bias. one of the major problem is the assumption that religion is primitive superstition and thus any from of a more sophisticated or liberal theology is screened out. So liberal theology types can have off scale IQ and they wont count it as intelligent religious people.

another bias is how they defined non religious.

 

[Metacrock]

And what's astoundingly funny, your own sigline points out that you are not as intelligent as you pretend to be:

In the modern world, the stupid are cocksure, while the intelligent are full of doubts
---Bertrand Russell

It is philosophically astute to doubt that the Sun will rise tomorrow, but for practical purposes such doubt would be superfluous and a waste of time.

Similarly here.

Sphaerus, the Stoic, said to Ptolemy Philopator, king of Egypt: "A wise man always knows. He never holds mere opinions and so is never misled." The king had waxen pomegranates made and placed them in a bowl at a banquet. When Sphaerus took one of them, the king pounced and cried, "Aha! You see, you have given your assent to a misleading presentation." "Not at all," said Sphaerus, unperturbed. "I did not assent to the proposition that they were real pomegranates, but to the proposition that there was a reasonable probability that they were real pomegranates."
---Diogenes Laertius

.

In other words, you're frantically backpedaling.

I'm curious...what is it about progressives that gives them a vastly overblown sense of self-worth? Most of you are too stupid to pour piss out of a boot -- after you've pissed in it.

Progressivism is the politics of the stupid and emotional. History proves this beyond all doubt.

But you can't be a progressive without completely ignoring history.

Ranting about politics in a thread on an empirical study is historical and emotional.

this thread needs focus. the IQ study has nothing to do with politics. calling people names becuase they agree with your politics is also hysterical and emotional.

 

[007]

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.

Yeah we know why you don't want there to be a God... HOMO... because when you die and find out there is, you're ass is going to get worse than rammed by your butt buddy, it's going to burn in HELL.

 

[Metacrock]

I was wondering when this would come up. There is a natural bias in the study, and some caveats;

'The study itself is careful and dispassionate, but the reaction from the atheist corner of the Internet has been predictable: If smarter people tend to be atheists, then atheism is probably “correct,” right?

No. Read the full study, which discusses several competing theories for why the negative correlation exists.'



"Let’s say that the bottom half of the IQ distribution never questions the religion of their upbringing, while the top half is skeptical. Now, just among that skeptical top half, let’s say that 80 percent end up affirming their faith and remain religious, while the rest reject faith and become atheists.

Religion would seem to be the clear choice of smart people in this hypothetical example, but there would still be a positive correlation between IQ and atheism. The correlation exists not because smart people have necessarily rejected religion, but because religion is the default position for most of our society.

This same principle works in places where the default and iconoclastic beliefs are reversed. Japan, for example, has no tradition of monotheistic religion, but the few Japanese Christians tend to be much more educated than non-Christians in Japan."

Simply put, we can’t solve philosophical disputes by appealing to the higher average IQ of one side or the other.

right on! those are great comments. atheists are not reading the study they are reading the head line and doing victory dances without understanding what the study really says. The three explains they gave make materialistic assumptions as to why the correlation but you can't really fault them for that. they could hardly make believer assumptions and claim to be scientific.

Still one they didn't give that suggests itself is that IQ tests dont' measure intelligence but motivation. Thus the studies that show atheists tend to have low self esteem would suggest that some atheists are motivated by their self esteem issues to excel intellectually. Just a theory.

 

[Metacrock]

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.

Yeah we know why you don't want there to be a God... HOMO... because when you die and find out there is, you're ass is going to get worse than rammed by your butt buddy, it's going to burn in HELL.

Ok you believe in God, great. then it should be easier to tell you about Jesus. The way to stay out of hell is to be born again. You are not because you are full of hate. Jesus said "they their fruit yu shall know them" he didn't say "by their voting record you shall know them." I wonder if you even like Jesus. I would think you consider him to sissy?

 

[Metacrock]

conservatism is a mental disorder.

what is this thing about little negative phrases. "meatcrock jumps out of basement windows." why don't you jump out of a 12 story window?

 

[numan]

one of the major problem is the assumption that religion is primitive superstition....

That is not an assumption; it is a matter of empirical fact -- confirmed by daily observation and by thousands of anthropological studies.

In general, religious beliefs lack even simple logic, let alone philosophical or scientific coherence.

.

 

[Metacrock]

one of the major problem is the assumption that religion is primitive superstition....

That is not an assumption; it is a matter of empirical fact -- confirmed by daily observation and by thousands of anthropological studies.

In general, religious beliefs lack even simple logic, let alone philosophical or scientific coherence.

.

Obviously you have never read works of any modern theologian. I down you understand the definition of superstition. you apparently think it's just synonym for religion. It's not. There could be atheistic superstitions.

you might try actually informing your reading instead of just reciting the atheist echo chamber.


Webster's defines superstition:

Definition of SUPERSTITION
1
a : a belief or practice resulting from ignorance, fear of the unknown, trust in magic or chance, or a false conception of causation
b : an irrational abject attitude of mind toward the supernatural, nature, or God resulting from superstition
2
: a notion maintained despite evidence to the contrary
See superstition defined for English-language learners »
See superstition defined for kids »

Notice: it does not say "any beilef in supernatural" it says "irrational attitude." So attitudes based upon reason are not superstition.

if you had ever read any theologian writing after the time of Schleiermacher (1830s) you would know that modern theology is rationalistic.