Atheists are Smarter?

[amorphous_constellation]

What is a trend in thought, an idea that gains or looses popularity?

Sure.

 

[Sunstone]

If it were true, I'm not sure why it would be disconcerting. There could be a tendency for the folks with very high IQs to favor the color blue and it would matter about the same for everybody else.

Maslow mentions in a footnote somewhere a study done of self-actualizing people that found they tended to agree about aesthetics to a much greater extent than non-self actualizing people.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

I don't know. I've known some very intelligent religious people, and I've known some downright stupid non-religious people. But then again, IQ tests are so meaningless that even an undergrad psychology course will be upfront about them serving no real practical purpose. I wouldn't put much faith in them, because they are really nothing more than a way for a certain group to pat themselves on the back, such as the "stupid women's cafeteria round table" club.

I don't know, do high iq people actually have trends in thought?

There are, but there are many and do not equally apply. Someone with a high IQ will be more likely to ask questions and question authority, but they may also just go along with it. Some smart people are known for making it known they are the smartest person in the room and have an intellectual superiority complex, some smart people downplay their intelligence to better fit in. Sometimes those with a high IQ have difficulties socializing, sometimes they don't. Many are night owls, many are not. A stereotyped trait is being more likely to experiment with drugs, but some avoid them like the plague.

 

[Quintessence]

Has someone mentioned that correlations do not equate to causations yet? No? Well, I mention it now.

I seriously, seriously doubt that acceptance or rejection of the gods by itself has any causative impact on someone's intelligence. I have very, very little doubt that there are a bucketload of confounding factors that are the ones that are actually responsible for the correlation. Such as level of education. Socioeconomic status. Courses of study where one was a college student. The specific religion under which said god-belief was proposed. Cultural factors, especially that of the churches the person attended. Personality attributes such as agreeableness or openness to experience. I can probably keep going...

 

[StarryNightshade]

Has someone mentioned that correlations do not equate to causations yet? No? Well, I mention it now.

I seriously, seriously doubt that acceptance or rejection of the gods by itself has any causative impact on someone's intelligence. I have very, very little doubt that there are a bucketload of confounding factors that are the ones that are actually responsible for the correlation. Such as level of education. Socioeconomic status. Courses of study where one was a college student. The specific religion under which said god-belief was proposed. Cultural factors, especially that of the churches the person attended. Personality attributes such as agreeableness or openness to experience. I can probably keep going...

^ 100x this. :clap

There are way too many factors at play to even consider whether one believes in God or not to be in any way an indicator of one's intelligence.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

I know many atheist that do not have high IQ's that I would not call even bright.

Now the study does have merit though, because religion leaves open the possibility to close ones mind, and or promote fanaticism retarding ones ability to see reality clearly.

The study has zero merit because the things you mention have nothing to do with IQ. I used to be a hardcore Bible Thumping Baptist, but that did not lower my IQ any (it is high). It just means I grew up in a Conservative area, was born to a Conservative family, and the close mindedness was the only thing I knew at the time.

 

[Revoltingest]

The study has zero merit because the things you mention have nothing to do with IQ. I used to be a hardcore Bible Thumping Baptist, but that did not lower my IQ any (it is high). It just means I grew up in a Conservative area, was born to a Conservative family, and the close mindedness was the only thing I knew at the time.

Bear in mind that the claim of higher IQ (which I doubt anyway) is only about a trend,
& a slight one at that. It wouldn't reflect upon any individuals, which is what you're
addressing, I presume.
Suppose it were conclusively proven that atheists had a 2 point higher IQ....or that
theists had a 2 point higher IQ. It wouldn't be any skin off either of our noses, since
we are all individuals with far far greater variability than this miniscule difference.
And our smarts relative to others would be no different after the study than before.

 

[columbus]

Has someone mentioned that correlations do not equate to causations yet? No? Well, I mention it now.

I seriously, seriously doubt that acceptance or rejection of the gods by itself has any causative impact on someone's intelligence. I have very, very little doubt that there are a bucketload of confounding factors that are the ones that are actually responsible for the correlation. Such as level of education. Socioeconomic status. Courses of study where one was a college student. The specific religion under which said god-belief was proposed. Cultural factors, especially that of the churches the person attended. Personality attributes such as agreeableness or openness to experience. I can probably keep going...

Fruballed for predicting almost exactly what I was going to post.
:bow:
Tom

 

[Shadow Wolf]

Bear in mind that the claim of higher IQ (which I doubt anyway) is only about a trend,
& a slight one at that. It wouldn't reflect upon any individuals, which is what you're
addressing, I presume.
Suppose it were conclusively proven that atheists had a 2 point higher IQ....or that
theists had a 2 point higher IQ. It wouldn't be any skin off either of our noses, since
we are all individuals with far far greater variability than this miniscule difference.
And our smarts relative to others would be no different after the study than before.

I'm addressing that there is no way to conclude, from the study, that atheists have higher IQs because there are far too many individual factors and social influences that play into it. I was only using my own situation as an example of how this study grossly over simplifies everything involved with it, from what an IQ means, social influences of religion and IQ, and misses the most basic of undergrad science that Quintessence pointed out, and that is correlation does not mean causation. I was a very close minded anti-evolution, anti-gay, anti-living far-far-far right Conservative, not because I have a lower IQ, but because it was literally the only thing I knew as I was hardly exposed to anything outside of that. That environmental influence, obviously, played a much stronger part in my religiousness then than did IQ, as is probably the case for a significant portion of those who are religious. It's how a person was brought up, it's how their culture is, and there is no reason to assume this person has a lower IQ because they turned out religious.

 

[Revoltingest]

No argument here.

 

[Yerda]

I'm addressing that there is no way to conclude, from the study, that atheists have higher IQs because there are far too many individual factors and social influences that play into it.

Even if we could, who cares?

 

[Tiapan]

I don't think you need an IQ test to see that atheists have greater reasoning powers, simply read the replies in this forum.

Cheers

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

I don't think you need an IQ test to see that atheists have greater reasoning powers, simply read the replies in this forum.

There's an inaccurate and unhelpful generalization if there ever was one.

 

[Gnostic Seeker]

I pretty much agree with those who have said the less literalist Abrahamics would probably make better comparisons.

 

[Sees]

Edit:This studies are done on abrahamic religions so other people shouldn't be concerned.I have a fear of abrahamic god and this is a part of my effort to prove abrahamic god deosn't exist to punish me.

Didn't see anybody address the fear of the Abrahamic God part. I think it's actually quite common and programmed into the traditions' "systems" in a way. It also influences the outright rejection of religion and spirituality by some and the more immature, meaner, aggressive, persistent "lashing outs" at theism, religion, etc. Fear, uncertainty/doubt, ignorance often initiating attack and ridicule.

Eventually you get comfortable enough that your actual disbelief in that version of God, religious system, etc. suffices as is and you need not look for continuous affirmation/security blankets.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

I pretty much agree with those who have said the less literalist Abrahamics would probably make better comparisons.

It would still be anecdotal because there would still be no way to say it is definitely a lower IQ that makes someone a literalistic. Not unless you accounted for a number of other factors in a study, in which cultural traditions and expectations would probably still have a stronger correlation than IQ. You may find there is a stronger trend of having a lower IQs in a literalist group, however the education a person receives also plays a part.

 

[Revoltingest]

I don't think you need an IQ test to see that atheists have greater reasoning powers, simply read the replies in this forum.

I just did a quick perusal to check this out.
Currently, we heathens are about 15 points down.
Rats!

 

[Yerda]

I don't think you need an IQ test to see that atheists have greater reasoning powers, simply read the replies in this forum.

Cheers

All atheists or just on average?

Have you considered that what you have called "greater reasoning powers" is a product of bias?

 

[Yerda]

Maslow mentions in a footnote somewhere a study done of self-actualizing people that found they tended to agree about aesthetics to a much greater extent than non-self actualizing people.

What is a self-actualising person?

 

[Bunyip]

While it's true that we have higher IQs (my own is near 70),
we know this can be intimidating, so many of us purposely
make bone headed posts just so we'll appear flawed, &
therefore friendlier, less threatening, & more accessible.

Awesome!