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http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...cientific.html
Research found those with higher IQs more likely to dismiss religion
Another drawback to being religious, or at least Christian is losing out on top jobs
By DANIEL BATES
PUBLISHED: 17:52 EST, 16 August 2013 | UPDATED: 03:56 EST, 17 August 2013
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Atheists tend to be more intelligent than religious people, according to a US study.
Researchers found that those with high IQs had greater self-control and were able to do more for themselves - so did not need the benefits that religion provides.
They also have better self esteem and built more supportive relationships, the study authors said.
New evidence: A study has concluded that religious people are less intelligent than non-believers
New evidence: A study has concluded that religious people are less intelligent than non-believers
The conclusions were the result of a review of 63 scientific studies about religion and intelligence dating between 1928 and last year.
In 53 of these there was a ‘reliable negative relation between intelligence and religiosity’.
In just 10 was that relationship positive.
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Even among children, the more intelligent a child was the more probable it was that they would shun the church.
In old age the same trend persisted as well, the research showed.
The University of Rochester psychologists behind the study defined religion as involvement in some or all parts of a belief.
They defined intelligence as the ‘ability to reason, plan, solve problems, think abstractly, comprehend complex ideas, learn quickly, and learn from experience’.
In their conclusions, they said: ‘Most extant explanations (of a negative relation) 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’.
‘Intelligent people typically spend more time in school - a form of self-regulation that may yield long-term benefits.
‘More intelligent people getting higher level jobs and better employment and higher salary may lead to higher self-esteem, and encourage personal control beliefs.’
Study co-author Jordan Silberman, a graduate student of neuroeconomics at the University of Rochester, said: ‘Intelligence may lead to greater self-control ability, self-esteem, perceived control over life events, and supportive relationships, obviating some of the benefits that religion sometimes provides.’
Detailed: The research analysed 63 surveys comparing intelligence levels and religious beliefs between 1928 and 2012
Detailed: The research analysed 63 surveys comparing intelligence levels and religious beliefs between 1928 and 2012
Research from the UK last week showed another drawback to being religious, or at least Christian - you lose out in the race for top jobs.
Official figures show nearly one in four people who have no religious belief now live in homes headed by someone with a senior executive job or a place in one of the professions.
But well under a fifth of Christians are employed in the best-paid and most influential jobs or are married to someone who is, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
The last census, carried out in March 2011, showed a fall in the number of people that call themselves Christian in the UK.
Christian numbers in England and Wales, including children, fell by 4.1 million in a decade to 33.2 million.
However there was a 45 per cent rise over the same 10 years in numbers who say they have no religion, to 14.1 million.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...#ixzz4Lx5B5T2t
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Most atheists became such through critical thinking, a skill which is apparently elusive to us theists.
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There is no doubt that atheism is linked to intelligence. The best physicists, biologists, and cosmologists are atheists, and they have studied the relevant fields. The people who understand the most about our scientific picture of reality tend to be atheists. The more explanations they have the less they need a vacuous non-explanation such as God that doesn't account for its own existence.
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Book smart yes, socially intelligent, no. Most highly intelligent people in my opinion can be pretty antisocial. For example, aspies, savants ect..
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This is just from my own personal experiences, so I suppose you can take it with a grain of salt, but to me, atheists also have an advantage when it comes to intelligent exploration because they're not afraid to delve deep into certain topics that theists might find scary or potentially upsetting to their religion. For example, I was once on a long car trip with a friend, and to pass the time I thought I would have him listen to a lecture from Neil deGrasse Tyson (brilliant astrophysicist, one of my most favorite intellectuals of all time), and he got extremely upset and refused to allow me to play the recording because he didn't want anything that could potentially challenge his beliefs or give him the faintest idea of reconsideration on his philosophy.
I do disagree though that theists aren't as capable of great scientific achievement as atheists are, but what I'm saying is that atheists do have a clear advantage overall because they are not obstructed by psychological religious boundaries.
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Religiousness is basically feminine quality. As highly intelligent people are likely to also be male and hyper-masculine in brain orientation, I would actually argue it is their masculinity which makes them disregard gods.
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You don't need to be genius to "dismiss" dogmatic thoughts that have little to no sense at all. Average IQ is more than enough.
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Another, somewhat ironic thing I forgot to mention is my relationship with Pascal. To me, he is one of the greatest polymaths to ever grace western civilization, but his philosophical tail chasing argument - ie, Pascal's Wager, is one of the most frustrating things to argue when it comes to debating theists. (Which is not something I do often). Basically, whenever I find myself in a conversation with a deist about religion, any one of them that is even remotely educated on western philosophy will inevitably bring up this individual and proclaim he made a perfectly valid argument when stating that one had absolutely nothing to lose when choosing to practice a dogmatic religion. I myself am non-religious, and while I generally try to avoid getting into arguments when it comes to religion (I believe if any moderate, non-violent religion is helps an individual lead a happy and psychologically balanced life, they should be more than welcome to adhere to it) there are certain boundaries that theists cross sometimes, and the argument ends up going in circles until the debate ends up with "what could you possibly have to lose by believing?"
I usually don't respond and try to end the argument there. In the end though, I feel like submitting to a religion relinquishes the sense of wonder that the universe we live in is capable of spontaneously and selflessly engineering some truly divine (pardon the expression) wonders. And to me personally - a pale of existence that can do that completely autonomously is far more beautiful and poetic than any god, no matter how peaceful and loving, could ever hope to replicate.
Anyway, the point of this rant in the end was that creationists are certainly capable of intelligent thought, Pascal as an example. Even more so, they are sometimes capable of creating merry-go-round arguments that can be quite trying in patience.![]()
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The atheist is a fundamentalist, he has a belief: the non-existence of god, he has no doubt that god does not exist, even though it has not been possible to prove it, and it is impossible to make him doubt the contrary.
I do not see any difference between a religious and an atheist
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