IQ vs Religion

Cinders That's interesting. Though I agree that it's in general. I've met some very intelligent religious people. I've also met some very dimwitted secularists. Of course, in general, I've met more dimwitted religious people. But I didn't think there was any correllation.

DrDevience There is a very high negative correlation. But yeah, there are always exceptions.

kateliness2 Oh, wow. This couldn't get more biased or stereotypical if I said that these numbers probably came from the deep south in a state where you can marry your sister. I'd love for you to meet my mother. She's a nephrologist with a master's in Political Science and Government. She is pro-life, pro-gay marriage and an independent, but usually ends up voting Democrat. Very religious Catholic. Maybe she'd set people like you straight.

DrDevience Like I said... there are always exceptions. Always. But that doesn't change the numbers.

kateliness2 I guess. But why did you put this up here? The only purpose I can see is to undermine the opinion of the religious folk.

DrDevience Ahhh so if solid statistics insult someone we shouldn't post them? Actually, I hoped to get people's takes on why they think this is true. I have my own theories, but wanted other folk's input. Unfortunately, that didn't happen. Instead, you are giving me 'I don't like this so therefore it must not be true'

kateliness2 Really. Solid statistics. Suddenly it's solid in one 'test'? By the way, how did they measure someone's percentage of religious importance? Sounds very scientific indeed.

DrDevience Kate. Look it up. It was not just one test. One of my favorite nerdy passtimes is tearing apart statistics. Yes, even when they support one of my pet theories. This one is solid and has been repeated with the same results numerous times. Now, if you want to debate the why of it, I'm all for it. That would be fun. But the validity of the data itself is what it is.

nuimdave kate, you started to debunk the test by citing an indivdual case, then moved onto the 'that was just one study' argument. neither worked so you moved onto the test itself. obviously the percentage is the person rating how much religion is imprtant to them on a scale of 1 to 10. im surprised you havent gone with the 'IQ isn't a solid measure of intelligence' argument which would be much easier (but only slightly less pointless)

TweenaCat Most people I know who are ignorant or unintelligent have described themselves as religious, but they often do things or believe things that are pretty unreligious. I think the thing is, that even if they are unethical people generally, stupid people will be more likely to: 1. Still be in the mindset of a child who doesn't want to say the wrong thing 2. Reason their parents (or whoever) have told them that God exists so He must 3. Never even have thought about their religion, but if they were baptised, or brought up religious, their automatic answer to "are you religious?" is "yes." 4. To have heard about God and just thought, "Well, no one can disprove it, so it must be true." However, these people are different from people who have thought about their religion and reasoned that it is true. My friend is religious, and she's more intelligent than a lot of my friends. I don't think it's true to say that religious people are more likely to be stupid, but rather that stupid people are more likely to call themselves religious. There's a difference. P.S. Kate: If your mum's pro-gay marriage, why is she a "religious Catholic?" Doesn't that mean she goes against papal infallibilty?

DrDevience Tweena - based on this graph alone, you give some most excellent arguments. Well done ;)

kateliness2 I honestly hate the way people go about religion on here. Religion decides what you believe on an afterlife and a deity. *It doesn't mean that my religion thinks for me* I consider myself a religious Catholic, because I have thought it through and believe in heaven and Jesus and what it teaches about those things. I disagree almost entirely with the way that it tries to sway people's views on political subjects. And am I not allowed to interpret my religion my own way? When I think of the Bible, I think of love and respect for everyone, not damnation of those who who don't conform to a certain mindset. (Which is why I am pro-gay rights Tweena, I'd think someone like you, who argues so advocated for gay rights on picks and forums could see that). I did go about saying things a bit, how do I put this, silly, up there. I had finals around that time and I was very busy, my mind was jumbled. What I was trying to get across is the point that I highlighted above - religion doesn't think for a person and religion doesn't make someone more unintelligent than if they were not religious. Intelligence is something that is decided and nurtured, not based things like on social status, political party, country of origin, or religion.

DrDevience Ahhh but you are going about this backwards. You are viewing it like what the numbers say is that religion makes people less intelligent. That is not the case... (well... ok... sometimes it is. HA!) But Kate, as far as saying things without first thinking them through... hell man, we've all done that ;) I hate to tell you how many times I've had to go back to a debate and eat crow.

kateliness2 I think I may be understanding this graph more now. Although, I must say, it depends on the order that they were given this information: If someone told me I had low IQ scores, I'd probably rate myself as higher on a scale of one-ten on how religious I was, to make up for my recent evaluation of intelligence or, better put, lack of intelligence ;) LOL!

DarkSarcasm I should've printed this out and slipped a copy into a few outgoing Christmas cards... ;)

SG1-090 it's really interesting. I guess it depends how people reason through religion. My physics teacher is highly religious and doesn't believe we evolved from apes, or whatever the scientific name for our pre-modern species was called. He just believes that God created physics and all the science that we discover in the universe. Most with the highest IQ's probably need factual evidence and would use science to determine what is possible and impossible where as a few would most likely take the intricate and actual exsistance of life to mean there must be a higher power or god.

blisslikethis i'm surprised that anyone finds this surprising. i'd say it's common sense that the more intelligent you are, the harder it is to accept something that has little or no basis in fact and is at times completely illogical. logic and reason go hand in hand with intelligence, while blind faith does not.

DrDevience ;)

Cara09 i agree with bliss, it makes sense that the more intelightn someone is the more they will question and want solid answeres based on facts, religion can't do that its all faith based. another thing is that it seems to me that this is based on the importance of religion, not actually being religious, which leads me to think that while many smart people may have a religion that they believe in they don't rely on it for all the answeres in life so they don't consider it as important as a less inteligent person would.

adavila kateliness2: When I think of the Bible, I think of love and respect for everyone, not damnation of those who who don't conform to a certain mindset. When I think of the Bible, I think in hate and damnation to anyone that goes against it. :p Im sorry but I had to comment on that even though it has little/nothing to do with the pic

AUSHEDGEHOG AHG MY BRAIN HURTS

Mousefang well i think that ppl who belive in god or juesus or who ever where raised that way to belive in it. Example: all through Billy's life he was taught that an apple is a carrot. and we all know that a carrot is orange and a carrot but Billy belives that a carrot is red and is round not orange and long. so trying to convince Billy that that carrot is actually an apple is going to be verry hard, even when the facts are TRUE and RIGHT. but i just get supper annoyed when religous ppl are all like " NO! evolution does not exict!! NO! NO! NO!" and no matter what you say evolution IS REAL AND IS TRUE! i am NOT stating that we evolved from upright primates but it IS a possibility and it IS a POSSIBILITY that god made us from using one of his ribs.

Vocaloidcode01 *clears throat* I have an I.Q. of 127, and I am an extremely firm Protestant Neo-Evangelist Christian.

Sappp Yes, and case studies are of course something to put against solid, scientific research.

Cinders @Vocaloidcode01 - Where did you get your IQ tested? I've been wondering, does it cost money? Where did you go, exactly, a psychiatrist/psychologist? Was it done for/at your school?