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People with higher IQ's less likely to believe in God

Magnificent_BastardMagnificent_Bastard
edited June 2008 in General
Ran across an interesting article on Fark a few days ago, didn't get around to posting it until today. The thread title says it all, it's a study that was done and the findings reported that those with higher IQ's are more likely to identify as athiest, and not believe in God.

http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=26&storycode=402381&c=1

What do you think?

Comments

  • Broken Lizard
    edited June 2008
    All my smart friends are athiest, the morons are god following bigots

    to sum it up

    i agree
  • Morro
    edited June 2008
    As much as I'd love to believe this, I think the correllation has more to do with economic background than anything else. Rich people get better education, and are also more likely to be atheists. But they both relate to the economic status, not each other so much.

    I don't think religious people are born stupider than anyone else, but they can be made stupider if they grow up in a restrictive enough enviornment.
  • IVTIVT
    edited June 2008
    I believe in God
    I'm working on my BSc
    Last time i checked, my IQ was 115~
    Is that considered "stupid"?
  • Magnificent_BastardMagnificent_Bastard
    edited June 2008
    IVT;31527 said:
    I believe in God
    I'm working on my BSc
    Last time i checked, my IQ was 115~
    Is that considered "stupid"?
    You are one person, and the data in the study was not obtained by just one person. Nor was it anecdotal evidence.

    Basically, what I think it all means is that people with a higher IQ are more likely to be skeptical about religion. Nothing points to people who believe in god as "stupid", but it's just that of the academic 'elite', for lack of a better term, more of them identify as athiest.
  • Broken Lizard
    edited June 2008
    IVT;31527 said:
    I believe in God
    well that's considered stupid
  • primexx
    edited June 2008
    There's been plenty of studies done on this, it's not actually causally related either way. It's a correlation which is the result of many underlying socio-economic (and very importantly educational) factors.

    And we've known about this correlation for quite a while now, so it's not exactly news.

    oh and the comments on that news article are pretty painful to read
  • Broken Lizard
    edited June 2008
    I hate it when people try to bullshit their way about how religion is so awesome lol
  • toast
    edited June 2008
    I believe that people with higher IQ tend to make their point of view relates to proven facts, rather than a something that unreal ( I myself am an atheist too, because "God did it" just can't satisfy my curiosity. )

    And I get so annoyed by that Campus for Christ group. If I tell them I am an atheist and I want to stay that way, what makes them think that 2 hours later is gonna change that. Unless it's a really hot chick that's doing the talking.....
  • primexx
    edited June 2008
    callonmeee;31535 said:

    People with higher IQ's are (some are taught to be... university does a good job of this) critical thinkers.
    by the time you learn how to think critically in university, it's usually too ingrained into you to fully get out of your system, even if you manage the extremely difficult (not to mention painful) task of realising that it's all bullshit. This is why quality secondary education is so important, and that's something that not everyone is privileged enough to receive.
  • Agentbob
    edited June 2008
    "Smart" people don't need someone to dictate what they can or can't do in their lives. Think about it; religion is just another tool to enforce a dogmatic society. It runs on fear that's based on the principles of heaven and hell. If you violate the 10 commandments, you suffer for all eternity. If you're getting your morals and ethics from a book, you need help. Why not do goods from your heart, rather than for some kind of reward (in this case, heaven)?
  • Morro
    edited June 2008
    Hmm. I wonder, on which side of the debate does the guy with the Richard Dawkins avatar fall? heh
  • Shi2
    edited June 2008
    I don't think I've done any reliable IQ tests in my life, but I hold a pretty strong atheist view. It's probably because of the environment I grew up in and how my parents are also atheists.

    I don't believe that people with higher IQs are less likely to believe in God since it is pretty difficult to strictly define what "God" is.
  • randomuser
    edited June 2008
    shi: the religious books of each religion outline what or who their god is, and I think that testifies to the OPs claim, that people are willing to believe in something they cant even metaphysically define...also, where is heaven? cause its not in the sky

    I think we are all aware of how bias IQ tests are. It's one thing to say atheists have higher IQ, I think its a braver claim to just proclaim atheists are smarter on average.

    If you can convince religious people to believe in something they have never seen or touched, well what else can you convince them to believe? This question has been repeated throughout violent discourses in history.

    I assess life on a risk / gain scenario. I personally would find it dangerous devoting my entire life to what could possibly be the religion that is wrong.

    I personally believe there is objective truth and facts in the world-- which to know all of would be impossible. Religion tries to make a claim on everything, unsubstantiated.

    One big difference between atheists and religious people. Atheists are open to the possibility they are wrong, give them proof of god. Religious people are terrified at the possibility of being wrong, and will do anything to convince themselves, and those they control otherwise.
  • imelting
    edited June 2008
    randomuser;31550 said:
    One big difference between atheists and religious people. Atheists are open to the possibility they are wrong, give them proof of god. Religious people are terrified at the possibility of being wrong, and will do anything to convince themselves, and those they control otherwise.
    amen
  • Lixie
    edited June 2008
    GOD HATES FAGS.
  • somebody
    edited June 2008
    IVT;31527 said:
    I believe in God
    I'm working on my BSc
    Last time i checked, my IQ was 115~
    Is that considered "stupid"?
    Being in university and working on BSc doesn't automatically entail you with the status of being 'smart' or high IQ (obviously you weren't smart enough to realize that yourself), considering that you are failing. I've seen plenty of idiotic people around and wonder why they are still in university, when its clearly not for them.
  • IVTIVT
    edited June 2008
    Lixie;31593 said:
    GOD HATES FAGS.
    Topeka is that way --->

    kthxbye
  • siuying
    edited June 2008
    this just sounds like another desperate professor trying to get his name plastered on the newspaper for doing some kind of outlandish research... i don't see how these two things can be related nor can i understand how he is able to conduct research on something as intangible as religion..

    when people choose to be willfully ignorant.. there's nothing to you can do to make them see what they need to see.. similar to how sometimes you can't communicate with stupid people.. it's not all because they're stupid to begin with.. but the fact that both of you run on different system of dispensing logic and reasoning..

    however.. i am willing to say this much.. religion at its origin was intended to bring goodwill to the world.. up until people began to see just how powerful it is as a weapon and decided to utilize it in that aspect.. so down to the bare basics.. i believe there are certain things we can learn from to make us a better person.. at the very least.. many still follow the "love thy neighbor" verbatim whether being religious or non-religious...

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