To speak or not to speak?

[AtheistCreed]

lolwutwut

It's possible man. Keep people religious and stupid so they keep buying potato chips and prefer to see Miley Cyrus naked than a scientist.

We need to buy more science pron.

In all seriousness though, the average person is lacking due to public education being sub-par, we're in a complacent society of sheep.

Conspiracy or not, the fact remains that if we removed dogma and had a more progressive free-thinking society, we would be years ahead of our current selves.

I could be wrong, but it seems like a logical outcome.

Stupidity and religious belief are not correlated.

No (I'm not implying they are inherently correlated), but combining lack of a proper educational foundation with the dogmatic sheep mentality of religion and you have a recipe for a society that is complacent with knowing only enough to fit into their small corner of the world.

I am not one to speak in generalities, but for all intents and purposes:

Take for instance the typical uneducated Southern Baptist (this is not to imply that all Southern Baptists are uneducated, ofc), he has never traveled the world and believes that all Muslims are terrorists and spawns of satan... Perhaps even that Obama is the Anti-Christ.... He cannot be convinced otherwise because a threat against his worldview is met with hostility and strong rejection.

Closed minds, educated only in basic maths, American history, basic American politics, and basic biology/chemistry... a household opposed to the teachings of evolution in public schools... Where can that individual possibly go?

The following quote comes to mind:

"Religion is regarded by the common people as true, by the wise as false, and by rulers as useful." — attributed to Seneca the Younger, ca. 3 BCE - 65 CE

Rulers throughout history have used religion and stifling of thought as a means of control, why should today be any different?