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Religious people are less intelligent

Silver Arrow

Proof.

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/mr-personality/201312/why-are-religious-people-generally-less-intelligent

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okay

inb4 people get confused about the concept of an average

Reply 3

joker12345

On average, yes. Makes sense IMO.

Reply 4

Chlorophile

Since when was "Psychology Today" a respected scientific journal?

Reply 5

Hickory Dickory

lol @ religious people!! Once you accept talking snake or a flying winged-horse, you will fall for anything.

Reply 6

Plantagenet Crown

Of course. Religious people tend to be outraged at this, but the facts speak for themselves. On average, they are less intelligent :yep:

Reply 7

Arkasia

Original post by Hickory Dickory

lol @ religious people!! Once you accept talking snake or a flying winged-horse, you will fall for anything.

Because all religions accept talking snakes and flying winged-horses. Good logic.

Reply 8

The Epicurean

I agree and disagree with the thread title. I agree that on average, religious people are less intelligent. But I don't think it has anything to do with being religious itself. Religion is largely in the default position for most people born in the world. So those who are brought up religious, accept everything they are told and are uninquisitive will remain religious. The same can be said of those brought up as atheists, but far fewer people are brought up atheist in the world and are merely a small minority.

The inquisitive are the ones who are intelligent and they question everything they have been told and don't just accept things as they are. Those inquisitive people may arrive at the answer that atheism or theism is the best answer to them. But those intelligent and inquisitive individuals who opt for religion have their average brought down due to religion being the default for a large majority of the world and many of them happen to be uninquisitive. Whereas those who opt for atheism find themselves in a group where only a small minority are raised with the belief and display a lack of inquisitiveness.

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 9

fs1

Original post by Plantagenet Crown

Of course. Religious people tend to be outraged at this, but the facts speak for themselves. On average, they are less intelligent :yep:

studies executed by the Nazis on euguenics and ideologies about superiority and intelligence being unique to one race were once upon a time "facts" and "averages". didn't make them 100% the truth. to believe otherwise is just rubbish.

Reply 10

HandmadeTurnip

Original post by fs1

I know the Nazis implemented laws based on their interest in eugenics but did they actually do any real research themselves?

In any case, the morality and purpose behind a study does not have any effect on its validity. The fact that the Nazis were profoundly evil does not change the fact that they made several important contributions to modern science and technology.

Also, why would one study not being "100% the truth" have any bearing on whether any other studies are?

Reply 11

Plantagenet Crown

Original post by fs1

The very definition of an average is that it isn't 100% true. But religious people are still less intelligent on average than non- religious folk

Reply 12

Silver Arrow

Original post by Chlorophile

Since when was "Psychology Today" a respected scientific journal?

It always has been.

Reply 13

Charzhino

Not surprising. From my own personal experience of the religious people I know, yes they are more willing to accept the supernatural including stories of ghosts/jinns/black magic without much critical thinking.

Bullcrap.

Oh dear, this again! :sigh:

Reply 16

Hickory Dickory

Original post by Arkasia

Because all religions accept talking snakes and flying winged-horses. Good logic.

I think you misunderstood me. I never claimed or implied that ALL religious people believe in talking snake and flying winged-horse, rather saying those who do believe in those things are gullible.

Reply 17

Hickory Dickory

We associate intelligence with the ability to employ critical reasoning faculties (as opposed to actually employing critical reasoning faculties). In that definition, many religious people can't be classified as less intelligent as a lot of them actually have the ABILITY to think critically. They show all the signs of being intelligent in all aspects of life, but when it comes to religion and god, they just shut down their critical faculties - for various reasons, the most common being the extreme brainwashing they get from a very early age.
And then some are just simply idiots.

Reply 18

GenialGermanGent

Probably true for the US, probably untrue for Europe. Anyhow, don't care, I am religious, intelligent, and more successful than the atheists/agnostics/stoics here will ever be (see sig). Critical thinking and faith are not mutually exclusive.

Reply 19

Hickory Dickory

Original post by TitanicTeutonicPhil

Probably true for the US, probably untrue for Europe. Anyhow, don't care, I am religious, intelligent, and more successful than the atheists/agnostics/stoics here will ever be (see sig).

I am religious, intelligent, and more successful than the atheists/agnostics/stoics here will ever be (see sig)

WTF kinda claim is that? Do you have direct line to all-seeing, all-knowing god or are you the god?

Critical thinking and faith are not mutually exclusive.

Faith is what you use to accept something when critical thinking leads you to the opposite direction. So yeah, if you can come to a conclusion using critical thinking, you wouldn't NEED faith. You need faith when critical thinking doesn't get you to your pre-subscribed conclusion.