<header class="header" id="yui_3_9_1_1_1376350689874_285" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 20px; overflow: hidden; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 16px;">[h=1]Religious people are less intelligent than atheists, study finds[/h]</header>
<cite class="byline vcard top-line" style="font-style: normal; font-size: inherit;">Rob Waugh <abbr style="border: 0px;">12 hours ago</abbr></cite>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.
[Backlash after Dawkins' Muslim jibe]
Previous studies have tended to assume that intelligent people simply “know better”, the researchers write - but the reasons may be more complex.
Famous atheist Richard Dawkins (ZUMA / Rex Features)
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.”
[Did Archaeologists Find a Piece of Jesus' Cross?]
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.
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<cite class="byline vcard top-line" style="font-style: normal; font-size: inherit;">Rob Waugh <abbr style="border: 0px;">12 hours ago</abbr></cite>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.
[Backlash after Dawkins' Muslim jibe]
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.”
[Did Archaeologists Find a Piece of Jesus' Cross?]
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.
A few other interesting studies on those smarty pants people
Why Intelligent People Drink More Alcohol
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog...010/why-intelligent-people-drink-more-alcohol
Intelligent people have 'unnatural' preferences and values that are novel in human evolution
http://phys.org/news186236813.html
Why Smart People (Generally) Have Less Sex
http://chrisyeh.blogspot.com/2008/09/why-smart-people-generally-have-less.html
Why Intelligent People Drink More Alcohol
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog...010/why-intelligent-people-drink-more-alcohol
Intelligent people have 'unnatural' preferences and values that are novel in human evolution
http://phys.org/news186236813.html
Why Smart People (Generally) Have Less Sex
http://chrisyeh.blogspot.com/2008/09/why-smart-people-generally-have-less.html
Makes sense. People with more liberal and secular views tend to be on the coasts/big cities where education is more valued. On the other hand, more conservative, Christian folks are in the heartland/mid-west where hard work is valued over education. Not sure if the correlation is more than cultural. Are you gonna tell me next that Europeans tend to be more educated and secular than most of Latin America? If so, that would be some study!
some places people are born where they don't have the option of college and being entrenched in liberal indoctrination and just have to go to work. In these places, people tend to believe in Jesus. Call it hope for a better future, call it ignorance, call it free from brainwash from the secular view of most educational institutions. Call it whatever you want because no one is right and no one is wrong.
some places people are born where they don't have the option of college and being entrenched in liberal indoctrination and just have to go to work. In these places, people tend to believe in Jesus. Call it hope for a better future, call it ignorance, call it free from brainwash from the secular view of most educational institutions. Call it whatever you want because no one is right and no one is wrong.
I don't know if this story is true, but I heard Benny Hinn came through my city a few years ago and did his "your healed" slap to the forehead of an old lady. She fell backwards and they forgot to catch her, and she broke her leg from the fall. When Hinn couldn't heal her broken leg and whatever else was wrong with her she sued his ass. I guess for false advertising...LOL
Of course. The closer you are to bigger cities determine your statistical advantage of achieving higher education. Average family income is higher the closer you get to cities. Higher incomes correlate directly to higher education. A lot more jobs, as a %, in smaller towns don't require degrees. Not sure what you're getting at with your question, but yes, people tend to be better educated closer to big cities.
