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This article caught my eye this morning and I couldn't help but agree somewhat. The only thing I disagree with it is that not all self-professed atheists are super intelligent, successful, or married but then the article wasn't addressing the regular Joe-Blow out there that feels this way about religion.
I have to include myself in this last category as I'm not overly successful (I did have a great career in the service but was only a low ranker) and I did run my own business (but didn't make a lot of money), I was dead average in school, and though I do need a little more education, I'm not gung ho about going back for more education. But despite not being in the category given in the article, I do fit in with about thirty percent of the people who don't believe there is a higher power out there and don't want or need a 'religion' to tell me how to run my life or how to think.
It's hard enough obeying the laws our government imposes on us without adding totally out of date ones written by men in books (Bible, Koran, Qur'an, Book of Mormons, etc.) meant to guide, bully, or just order people to follow. These religious rules were written by men in power to force the people to behave a certain way, even if it wasn't necessarily in the people's best interest. It was just how things were back then.
But in this supposedly enlightened age, people apparently still feel the need to be told what to do and thus religion is able to continue leading them by the nose anyway they want to. How sad. But the brighter lights among us know better that what we do with our lives is governed solely by us and us alone...not some unseen power outside ourselves.
What do you think about this article?
Religious people are less intelligent than atheists, study finds
by Rob Waugh 5 hours ago Yahoo! News
Religious people are less intelligent than non-believers, according to a new review of 63 scientific studies stretching back over decades.
A team led by Miron Zuckerman of the University of Rochester found “a reliable negative relation between intelligence and religiosity” in 53 out of 63 studies. Even in extreme old age, intelligent people are less likely to believe, the researchers found - and the reasons why people with high IQs shun religion may not be as simple as previously thought.
Previous studies have tended to assume that intelligent people simply “know better”, the researchers write - but the reasons may be more complex.
For instance, intelligent people are more likely to be married, and more likely to be successful in life - and this may mean they “need” religion less.
The studies used in Zuckerman's paper included a life-long analysis of the beliefs of a group of 1,500 gifted children - those with IQs over 135 - in a study which began in 1921 and continues today.
Even at 75 to 91 years of age, the children from Lewis Terman’s study scored lower for religiosity than the general population - contrary to the widely held belief that people turn to God as they age. The researchers noted that data was lacking about religious attitudes in old age and say, “Additional research is needed to resolve this issue.”
As early as 1958, Michael Argyle concluded, “Although intelligent children grasp religious concepts earlier, they are also the first to doubt the truth of religion, and intelligent students are much less likely to accept orthodox beliefs, and rather less likely to have pro-religious attitudes.”
A 1916 study quoted in Zuckerman’s paper (Leuba) found that, “58% of randomly selected scientists in the United States expressed disbelief in, or doubt regarding the existence of God; this proportion rose to nearly 70% for the most eminent scientists.”
The paper, published in the academic journal Personality and Social Psychology Review, 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.”
The answer may, however, be more complex. Intelligent people may simply be able to provide themselves with the psychological benefits offered by religion - such as “self-regulation and self-enhancement,” because they are more likely to be successful, and have stable lives.
“Intelligent people typically spend more time in school—a form of self-regulation that may yield long-term benefits,” the researchers write. “More intelligent people get higher level jobs (and better employment (and higher salary) may lead to higher self-esteem, and encourage personal control beliefs.”
“Last, more intelligent people are more likely to get and stay married (greater attachment), 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.”
The researchers suggest that further research on the “function” of religion may reveal more.
“People possessing the functions that religion provides are likely to adopt atheism, people lacking these very functions (e.g., the poor, the helpless) are likely to adopt theism,” the researchers wrote.
I have to include myself in this last category as I'm not overly successful (I did have a great career in the service but was only a low ranker) and I did run my own business (but didn't make a lot of money), I was dead average in school, and though I do need a little more education, I'm not gung ho about going back for more education. But despite not being in the category given in the article, I do fit in with about thirty percent of the people who don't believe there is a higher power out there and don't want or need a 'religion' to tell me how to run my life or how to think.
It's hard enough obeying the laws our government imposes on us without adding totally out of date ones written by men in books (Bible, Koran, Qur'an, Book of Mormons, etc.) meant to guide, bully, or just order people to follow. These religious rules were written by men in power to force the people to behave a certain way, even if it wasn't necessarily in the people's best interest. It was just how things were back then.
But in this supposedly enlightened age, people apparently still feel the need to be told what to do and thus religion is able to continue leading them by the nose anyway they want to. How sad. But the brighter lights among us know better that what we do with our lives is governed solely by us and us alone...not some unseen power outside ourselves.
What do you think about this article?
Religious people are less intelligent than atheists, study finds
by Rob Waugh 5 hours ago Yahoo! News
Religious people are less intelligent than non-believers, according to a new review of 63 scientific studies stretching back over decades.
A team led by Miron Zuckerman of the University of Rochester found “a reliable negative relation between intelligence and religiosity” in 53 out of 63 studies. Even in extreme old age, intelligent people are less likely to believe, the researchers found - and the reasons why people with high IQs shun religion may not be as simple as previously thought.
Previous studies have tended to assume that intelligent people simply “know better”, the researchers write - but the reasons may be more complex.
For instance, intelligent people are more likely to be married, and more likely to be successful in life - and this may mean they “need” religion less.
The studies used in Zuckerman's paper included a life-long analysis of the beliefs of a group of 1,500 gifted children - those with IQs over 135 - in a study which began in 1921 and continues today.
Even at 75 to 91 years of age, the children from Lewis Terman’s study scored lower for religiosity than the general population - contrary to the widely held belief that people turn to God as they age. The researchers noted that data was lacking about religious attitudes in old age and say, “Additional research is needed to resolve this issue.”
As early as 1958, Michael Argyle concluded, “Although intelligent children grasp religious concepts earlier, they are also the first to doubt the truth of religion, and intelligent students are much less likely to accept orthodox beliefs, and rather less likely to have pro-religious attitudes.”
A 1916 study quoted in Zuckerman’s paper (Leuba) found that, “58% of randomly selected scientists in the United States expressed disbelief in, or doubt regarding the existence of God; this proportion rose to nearly 70% for the most eminent scientists.”
The paper, published in the academic journal Personality and Social Psychology Review, 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.”
The answer may, however, be more complex. Intelligent people may simply be able to provide themselves with the psychological benefits offered by religion - such as “self-regulation and self-enhancement,” because they are more likely to be successful, and have stable lives.
“Intelligent people typically spend more time in school—a form of self-regulation that may yield long-term benefits,” the researchers write. “More intelligent people get higher level jobs (and better employment (and higher salary) may lead to higher self-esteem, and encourage personal control beliefs.”
“Last, more intelligent people are more likely to get and stay married (greater attachment), 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.”
The researchers suggest that further research on the “function” of religion may reveal more.
“People possessing the functions that religion provides are likely to adopt atheism, people lacking these very functions (e.g., the poor, the helpless) are likely to adopt theism,” the researchers wrote.
No flaming please. We all have our beliefs and this is just mine. A lively discussion on the subject is welcome but no cursing, calling names, or other childish behavior will be tolerated. Your thoughtless remarks will be deleted.
© 2013 - 2024 ulyferal
Comments8
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It's not really all that surprising. But let me add the way I view this through my own experience:
As a person who grew up in an extremely conservative and dogmatic half-evangelical/half-catholic family, I understand the issues and barriers that dogmatic religious people have to go through. They willfully ignore scientific literature (most are afraid that even reading about topics like cosmology and evolution is a Satanic doorway meant to lead you to hell). They willfully close their minds to alternate viewpoints, and therefore never get the benefit of learning through critical thought. In fact, they are taught to never be a true skeptic - they will consistently be skeptical of non-religious viewpoints despite the evidence, and will consistently accept religious viewpoints regardless of the absence of evidence (faith!). And lastly, they constantly struggle and spend an enormous amount of brain-power trying to resolve conflicting evidence about their faithful view vs. the evidence to the contrary, as opposed to using that brain-power to learn something useful.
So if one measure intelligence as an accumulation of knowledge across broad topics, and good decision-making capabilities, then religious folks (especially those stuck in very dogmatic religious sects) are at a distinct disadvantage.
As a person who grew up in an extremely conservative and dogmatic half-evangelical/half-catholic family, I understand the issues and barriers that dogmatic religious people have to go through. They willfully ignore scientific literature (most are afraid that even reading about topics like cosmology and evolution is a Satanic doorway meant to lead you to hell). They willfully close their minds to alternate viewpoints, and therefore never get the benefit of learning through critical thought. In fact, they are taught to never be a true skeptic - they will consistently be skeptical of non-religious viewpoints despite the evidence, and will consistently accept religious viewpoints regardless of the absence of evidence (faith!). And lastly, they constantly struggle and spend an enormous amount of brain-power trying to resolve conflicting evidence about their faithful view vs. the evidence to the contrary, as opposed to using that brain-power to learn something useful.
So if one measure intelligence as an accumulation of knowledge across broad topics, and good decision-making capabilities, then religious folks (especially those stuck in very dogmatic religious sects) are at a distinct disadvantage.