Do you think religious people are less intelligent?

I think they are, in a way. A more intelligent person will question things like religious belief, and a less intelligent person would be more likely to blindly accept it. Less and less people are religious now, because we are better educated and science in finding real explanations to things. To me, believing in something that has no evidence is very stupid.

I googled it:

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Do you agree or disagree? Why?

No I don't. I think people who judge other people's intelligence by their religious beliefs or lack there of are though...

I don't think they are less intelligent, they just let emotion blind them.

No I don't. I think people who judge other people's intelligence by their religious beliefs or lack there of are though...

Pirate700

This sums up my thoughts pretty well.

[QUOTE="Pirate700"]

No I don't. I think people who judge other people's intelligence by their religious beliefs or lack there of are though...

This sums up my thoughts pretty well.

I'm agnostic but I'm pretty sure there are a hell of a lot of religious people who are 100x more intelligent than I am. Intelligence can be measured in different ways anyways. There are many different types of "smart".

I'm agnostic but I'm pretty sure there are a hell of a lot of religious people who are 100x more intelligent than I am. Intelligence can be measured in different ways anyways. There are many different types of "smart".

SpartanMSU

Yeah that's why I said "in a way". They would be overall less intelligent on average. The links I posted say they have a lower IQ

No. Not at all. Like athiests, religious people run the gamut from being exceptionally intelligent (just look at people like Thomas Aquinas) to pretty intelligent to average to dumb.

However, I do think that in religous debates, athiests to tend to make the better much arguments. But that doesn't have to do so much with intelligence than it does that their position is much more conducive to logical arguments.

No. Not at all. Like other groups, religious people run the gamut from being exceptionally intelligent (just look at people like Thomas Aquinas) to pretty intelligent to average to dumb.

However, I do think that in religous debates, athiests to tend to make the better much arguments. But that doesn't have to do so much with intelligence than it does that their position is much more conducive to logical arguments.

GreySeal9

If they are just as intelligent, why are they less logical?

No. There are intelligent religious people and intelligent atheists, as there are stupid religious people and stupid atheists.

Yes.

To an extent, it's a requirement.

I doubt it to be honest, maybe less logical or maybe their bigger on assuming things but not less intelligent.

I acually saw a study that showed that people in cults were actually more intelligent, the same might be true of mainstream religions.

some people on here might find this extrememly offensiveTH1Sx1SxSPARTA

[QUOTE="GreySeal9"]

No. Not at all. Like other groups, religious people run the gamut from being exceptionally intelligent (just look at people like Thomas Aquinas) to pretty intelligent to average to dumb.

However, I do think that in religous debates, athiests to tend to make the better much arguments. But that doesn't have to do so much with intelligence than it does that their position is much more conducive to logical arguments.

Alacoque72

If they are just as intelligent, why are they less logical?

Because logic/=/intelligence.

They are two different things. They can go hand in hand, but they are not the same thing.

Also, some religious people admit that their positions are not logical, but they still believe them anyway for other less logical reasons. This doesn't mean that there are not a logical thinker on different topics.

I think they are, in a way. A more intelligent person will question things like religious belief, and a less intelligent person would be more likely to blindly accept it. Less and less people are religious now, because we are better educated and science in finding real explanations to things. To me, believing in something that has no evidence is very stupid.

I googled it:

1

2

3

Do you agree or disagree? Why?

Alacoque72

P.S.. just because somebody is religious doesn't mean they reject science.

I read thought the first study. It claims that there's a correlation between people becoming more intelligent and less religious.....maybe

I would guess there's a third variable, the quality of life. Religion used to be all people had, life sucked and it was a fight to survive, but not anymore in developed countries. U can see evidence for this in really poor, uneducated countries being more religious, I would guess it's (and to be blunt) because their lives suck.

Case example could be Vietnam and Japan. They both have the same major religion of Buddhism, but Vietnam is much stricter in belief. Why? My guess is because Japan has a high quality of life.

Same can been seen in religiosity of Christian countries, the poorer Christian counties like in Eastern Europe are much more religious than the west. Althought I'm not even sure if that's correct because Spain is very religious yet has high happiness levels and moderately good levels of life quality.

No I don't. I think people who judge other people's intelligence by their religious beliefs or lack there of are though...

Pirate700

Another thing... it's only recently that there have been so many athiests. Not that long ago, and throughout history, the vast majority of the world was religious... including people with high IQ's.

No. Not at all. Like athiests, religious people run the gamut from being exceptionally intelligent (just look at people like Thomas Aquinas) to pretty intelligent to average to dumb.

However, I do think that in religous debates, athiests to tend to make the better much arguments. But that doesn't have to do so much with intelligence than it does that their position is much more conducive to logical arguments.

GreySeal9

Completely disagree. You are assuming that religious people just blindly accept their religion. Many religious people have had battles with their faith and have questioned it all many times.

BMD004

[QUOTE="GreySeal9"]

No. Not at all. Like other groups, religious people run the gamut from being exceptionally intelligent (just look at people like Thomas Aquinas) to pretty intelligent to average to dumb.

However, I do think that in religous debates, athiests to tend to make the better much arguments. But that doesn't have to do so much with intelligence than it does that their position is much more conducive to logical arguments.

Alacoque72

If they are just as intelligent, why are they less logical?

Another thing... it's only recently that there have been so many athiests. Not that long ago, and throughout history, the vast majority of the world was religious... including people with high IQ's.

BMD004

[QUOTE="Alacoque72"]

[QUOTE="GreySeal9"]

No. Not at all. Like other groups, religious people run the gamut from being exceptionally intelligent (just look at people like Thomas Aquinas) to pretty intelligent to average to dumb.

However, I do think that in religous debates, athiests to tend to make the better much arguments. But that doesn't have to do so much with intelligence than it does that their position is much more conducive to logical arguments.

BMD004

If they are just as intelligent, why are they less logical?

Yes, this is pretty much what I'm saying.

Another thing... it's only recently that there have been so many athiests. Not that long ago, and throughout history, the vast majority of the world was religious... including people with high IQ's.

BMD004

But there was less understanding of the world back then

Another thing... it's only recently that there have been so many athiests. Not that long ago, and throughout history, the vast majority of the world was religious... including people with high IQ's.

BMD004

Good point. I think following a certain religion has more to do with cultural influences, personal experiances and upbringing.

[QUOTE="Alacoque72"]

[QUOTE="GreySeal9"]

No. Not at all. Like other groups, religious people run the gamut from being exceptionally intelligent (just look at people like Thomas Aquinas) to pretty intelligent to average to dumb.

However, I do think that in religous debates, athiests to tend to make the better much arguments. But that doesn't have to do so much with intelligence than it does that their position is much more conducive to logical arguments.

BMD004

If they are just as intelligent, why are they less logical?

[QUOTE="BMD004"]

Completely disagree. You are assuming that religious people just blindly accept their religion. Many religious people have had battles with their faith and have questioned it all many times.

jaydough

[QUOTE="BMD004"]

Another thing... it's only recently that there have been so many athiests. Not that long ago, and throughout history, the vast majority of the world was religious... including people with high IQ's.

Alacoque72

But there was less understanding of the world back then

That is true, but less understanding of the world back in the day doesn't have anything to with intelligence. They simply didn't have the tools to understand the world the way we do now.

[QUOTE="BMD004"]

Another thing... it's only recently that there have been so many athiests. Not that long ago, and throughout history, the vast majority of the world was religious... including people with high IQ's.

jaydough

[QUOTE="BMD004"]

Another thing... it's only recently that there have been so many athiests. Not that long ago, and throughout history, the vast majority of the world was religious... including people with high IQ's.

Alacoque72

But there was less understanding of the world back then

[QUOTE="jaydough"]

[QUOTE="BMD004"]

Completely disagree. You are assuming that religious people just blindly accept their religion. Many religious people have had battles with their faith and have questioned it all many times.

BMD004

[QUOTE="BMD004"]

[QUOTE="Alacoque72"]

If they are just as intelligent, why are they less logical?

LJS9502_basic

[QUOTE="jaydough"]

[QUOTE="BMD004"]

Completely disagree. You are assuming that religious people just blindly accept their religion. Many religious people have had battles with their faith and have questioned it all many times.

BMD004

"Show me," you say. I lead you to my garage. You look inside and see a ladder, empty paint cans, an old tricycle--but no dragon.

"Where's the dragon?" you ask.

"Oh, she's right here," I reply, waving vaguely. "I neglected to mention that she's an invisible dragon."

You propose spreading flour on the floor of the garage to capture the dragon's footprints.

"Good idea," I say, "but this dragon floats in the air."

Then you'll use an infrared sensor to detect the invisible fire.

"Good idea, but the invisible fire is also heatless."

You'll spray-paint the dragon and make her visible.

"Good idea, but she's an incorporeal dragon and the paint won't stick."

And so on. I counter every physical test you propose with a special explanation of why it won't work.

Now, if you think about this, and conclude that there is, infact, a dragon in my garage, then you are an idiot.

but how can you possibly make a logical concrete argument about the existance of God?

BMD004

[QUOTE="Alacoque72"]

[QUOTE="BMD004"]

Another thing... it's only recently that there have been so many athiests. Not that long ago, and throughout history, the vast majority of the world was religious... including people with high IQ's.

BMD004

But there was less understanding of the world back then

I'd say it's 50/50. If you didn't learn math until you were like 25, you're going to suck at it for a while

No. There are intelligent religious people and intelligent atheists, as there are stupid religious people and stupid atheists.DJ-Lafleur

[QUOTE="LJS9502_basic"][QUOTE="BMD004"]The people aren't less logical... their arguments are. That is because you can't logically explain a super-natural being.

BMD004

Yeah, I've never really heard an argument for the existence of God that I would call logical.

That's not to say that it can't be true of course. God might very well exist, but I definitely don't believe the position is logical, atleast not in the case of the God proposed by major religions.

[QUOTE="LJS9502_basic"][QUOTE="BMD004"]The people aren't less logical... their arguments are. That is because you can't logically explain a super-natural being.

BMD004

No, but I think people who misuse statistics are.Mafiree

You can use statistics to prove anything!

85% of all people know that ;)

[QUOTE="jaydough"]

[QUOTE="BMD004"]

Another thing... it's only recently that there have been so many athiests. Not that long ago, and throughout history, the vast majority of the world was religious... including people with high IQ's.

BMD004

Just a hundred years ago, it was illegal to teach evolution in schoolsTennessee schools.

In fact, there are still some states where public schools teach creationism as a viable theory.

[QUOTE="BMD004"]

[QUOTE="jaydough"] Which makes them less intelligent, because they've actually thought about it and still believe it.

jaydough

"Show me," you say. I lead you to my garage. You look inside and see a ladder, empty paint cans, an old tricycle--but no dragon.

"Where's the dragon?" you ask.

"Oh, she's right here," I reply, waving vaguely. "I neglected to mention that she's an invisible dragon."

You propose spreading flour on the floor of the garage to capture the dragon's footprints.

"Good idea," I say, "but this dragon floats in the air."

Then you'll use an infrared sensor to detect the invisible fire.

"Good idea, but the invisible fire is also heatless."

You'll spray-paint the dragon and make her visible.

"Good idea, but she's an incorporeal dragon and the paint won't stick."

And so on. I counter every physical test you propose with a special explanation of why it won't work.

Now, if you think about this, and conclude that there is, infact, a dragon in my garage, then you are an idiot.

I can't tell you how many times athiests have said "I don't believe in God, but I believe in aliens... there's just GOT to be aliens out there, I just know it".