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rayznack · Aug 12, 2013

The study finds negative correlation between intelligence and faith. One can easily find agreement w/ the correlation from this site alone. I note how intelligence is defined by psychologists in the article.

I'm sure we can all figure out the religious poster who couldn't follow abstract thinking, perform thought experiments or use analogy, and was often criticized for being 'dumb'!

Out of 63 studies, 53 showed a negative correlation between intelligence and religiosity, while 10 showed a positive one. Significant negative correlations were seen in 35 studies, whereas only two studies showed significant positive correlations.

The three psychologists have defined intelligence as the "ability to reason, plan, solve problems, think abstractly, comprehend complex ideas, learn quickly, and learn from experience". In the various studies being examined, analytic intelligence has been measured in many different ways, including GPA (grade point average), UEE (university entrance exams), Mensa membership, and Intelligence Quotient (IQ) tests among others.

Religiosity is defined as involvement in some (or all) facets of religion, which includes belief in the supernatural, offering gifts to this supernatural, and performing rituals affirming their beliefs. Other signs of religiosity were measured using surveys, church attendance, and membership of religious organizations.

The article gives reasons why intelligent people tend to be more religious, but I believe the stupidity I've witnessed is from a 'dumbing effect' caused by religious fanaticism.

http://www.dailynewscrunch.com/news/sci ... and-faith/

Andyba · Aug 13, 2013

rayznack wrote:The article gives reasons why intelligent people tend to be more religious

I have read the article and somhow missed it. Can you post a quote from the article that provides reason to why intelligent people tend to be more religious?

Jonkers · Aug 13, 2013

I too must have missed it when I scanned the article that Rayznack has posted (I clicked on the link and read it quickly). If anything, it says that religious people are not so intelligent, which gives support to the perception that I've always had.

However, religious people might yet have the last laugh :

--- Aug 13, 2013 ---

rayznack · Aug 13, 2013

I meant religious people are less intelligent, and the article gives reasons why more intelligent people tend to be less religious in adulthood.

Anyway, here's a world IQ map:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/e ... -World.png

There's strong correlation between IQ and wealth. Richard Lynn co-authored an interesting book titled "IQ and Wealth of Nations" which showed IQ results from 185 nations. In addition to the above correlation, he hypothesizes (at least in videos I've watched) that people from colder climates have higher IQ than those from warmer regions due to cold weather's selective pressure for intelligence.

If there is a comprehensive world religiosity map, it would be interesting to see how well it corresponds to the world IQ map. What I could find is the following:

http://geocurrents.info/wp-content/uplo ... 24x757.jpg

No real surprises if we believe the meta-analysis correlation.

FlyingDutchman · Aug 14, 2013

I believe in God that's why I donot understand the study. :-)

After reading the study, one of the things that made my eyes widen, is that when your IQ is below 70, you are officially severly intellectually challenged (or whatever the PC term is), the study shows that whole countries are severly intellectually challenged.

As a personal interpretation, I think the study shows more the negative effect of incest than religion.
Concerning the influence of religion, I think that's more important during childhood, during the making of the brain. Adults becoming atheists donot become more intelligent all of a sudden.

In many cases religion is a drug. It surpresses the fear created by itself. And druggies are champions in self-justification...

rayznack · Aug 15, 2013

As a personal interpretation, I think the study shows more the negative effect of incest than religion.
Concerning the influence of religion, I think that's more important during childhood, during the making of the brain. Adults becoming atheists donot become more intelligent all of a sudden.

An interesting thing about intelligence I read, is that, in adulthood, you reach your 'true IQ'. So, if you were overeducated as a child, that higher IQ begins to wane in later years and your IQ lowers to where it actually is.

It's food-for-thought for people who believe all population groups can be calibrated to equal intelligence w/ just earlier or more intense schooling, etc.

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Meta-analysis Checks Correlation Between Intelligence, Faith

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