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Religious people are less intelligent than atheists
#41
RE: Religious people are less intelligent than atheists
(December 13, 2017 at 12:15 pm)vulcanlogician Wrote:
(December 12, 2017 at 4:48 pm)mh.brewer Wrote: Also, I'm not sure why it matters.

I'm not sure either. I can't speak for anyone else, but I didn't become an atheist because "theists are dumb." I am an atheist because theists are wrong. Besides that, my real beef with theistic culture is that it creates an atmosphere which eschews critical thinking. To me, a discussion with a person of average intelligence who employs critical thought is going to be way more fruitful than a discussion with a genius who clings fast to prejudices and dogmas.

Atheists tend to be white males with a college education. Verses theist people are much more diverse. That may be why atheists have higher IQ's than the rest of the general population.

(December 13, 2017 at 12:25 pm)pool the matey Wrote:
(December 13, 2017 at 11:48 am)Catholic_Lady Wrote: I actually remember learning that men had the highest IQ scores but also the lowest IQ scores. Kinda interesting.

Intelligence is not a gendered trait 😂

Men seem to be the freaks on both ends of the intelligence spectrum lol.
"Of course, everyone will claim they respect someone who tries to speak the truth, but in reality, this is a rare quality. Most respect those who speak truths they agree with, and their respect for the speaking only extends as far as their realm of personal agreement. It is less common, almost to the point of becoming a saintly virtue, that someone truly respects and loves the truth seeker, even when their conclusions differ wildly." 

-walsh
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#42
RE: Religious people are less intelligent than atheists
(December 13, 2017 at 1:25 pm)Catholic_Lady Wrote:
(December 13, 2017 at 12:25 pm)pool the matey Wrote: Intelligence is not a gendered trait 😂

Men seem to be the freaks on both ends of the intelligence spectrum lol.

Don't forget that we often think with two different brains. (wink wink)
Being told you're delusional does not necessarily mean you're mental. 
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#43
RE: Religious people are less intelligent than atheists
Some demographics:

http://www.pewforum.org/religious-landsc...y/atheist/
"Of course, everyone will claim they respect someone who tries to speak the truth, but in reality, this is a rare quality. Most respect those who speak truths they agree with, and their respect for the speaking only extends as far as their realm of personal agreement. It is less common, almost to the point of becoming a saintly virtue, that someone truly respects and loves the truth seeker, even when their conclusions differ wildly." 

-walsh
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#44
RE: Religious people are less intelligent than atheists
(December 13, 2017 at 1:56 pm)Catholic_Lady Wrote: Some demographics:

http://www.pewforum.org/religious-landsc...y/atheist/

Neat stats.  I found it kinda funny that 2% of polled atheists say they believe in god and are absolutely certain.  Maybe they misunderstood the question? Lol.
In every country and every age, the priest had been hostile to Liberty.
- Thomas Jefferson
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#45
RE: Religious people are less intelligent than atheists
(December 13, 2017 at 1:56 pm)Catholic_Lady Wrote: Some demographics:

http://www.pewforum.org/religious-landsc...y/atheist/

Scroll down a bit in the link to "Belief in God among Atheists.". Apparently, 2% of atheists are "absolutely certain" that God exists. WTF?

Edit: Ninja'd by F&F
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#46
RE: Religious people are less intelligent than atheists
(December 13, 2017 at 2:00 pm)FatAndFaithless Wrote:
(December 13, 2017 at 1:56 pm)Catholic_Lady Wrote: Some demographics:

http://www.pewforum.org/religious-landsc...y/atheist/

Neat stats.  I found it kinda funny that 2% of polled atheists say they believe in god and are absolutely certain.  Maybe they misunderstood the question? Lol.

Yeah I'm pretty sure that's error. Every stat has some error from people not reading it correctly or whatever I guess...
"Of course, everyone will claim they respect someone who tries to speak the truth, but in reality, this is a rare quality. Most respect those who speak truths they agree with, and their respect for the speaking only extends as far as their realm of personal agreement. It is less common, almost to the point of becoming a saintly virtue, that someone truly respects and loves the truth seeker, even when their conclusions differ wildly." 

-walsh
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#47
RE: Religious people are less intelligent than atheists
(December 13, 2017 at 2:00 pm)FatAndFaithless Wrote:
(December 13, 2017 at 1:56 pm)Catholic_Lady Wrote: Some demographics:

http://www.pewforum.org/religious-landsc...y/atheist/

Neat stats.  I found it kinda funny that 2% of polled atheists say they believe in god and are absolutely certain.  Maybe they misunderstood the question? Lol.

Bet they called Rik.
Being told you're delusional does not necessarily mean you're mental. 
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#48
RE: Religious people are less intelligent than atheists
(December 13, 2017 at 1:25 pm)Catholic_Lady Wrote:
(December 13, 2017 at 12:15 pm)vulcanlogician Wrote: I'm not sure either. I can't speak for anyone else, but I didn't become an atheist because "theists are dumb." I am an atheist because theists are wrong. Besides that, my real beef with theistic culture is that it creates an atmosphere which eschews critical thinking. To me, a discussion with a person of average intelligence who employs critical thought is going to be way more fruitful than a discussion with a genius who clings fast to prejudices and dogmas.

Atheists tend to be white males with a college education. Verses theist people are much more diverse. That may be why atheists have higher IQ's than the rest of the general population.

(December 13, 2017 at 12:25 pm)pool the matey Wrote: Intelligence is not a gendered trait 😂

Men seem to be the freaks on both ends of the intelligence spectrum lol.

I would be wary of any of these types of studies, and look closely at the facts, they are based on.   They can easily be interpreted to often say what one wants.  

Most of these studies show that the average intelligence of both atheist and theists is quite shockingly average.  If there is one that edges out the other, it is by a couple of points, and doesn't really mean anything (even if technically accurate to say that one is higher).  And you will similarly find some studies which favor the theists, which is why you really need to know they why.  Most of the time, it is little more than a provocative title.
It is said that an argument is what convinces reasonable men and a proof is what it takes to convince even an unreasonable man.  - Alexander Vilenkin
If I am shown my error, I will be the first to throw my books into the fire.  - Martin Luther
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#49
RE: Religious people are less intelligent than atheists
Regarding the op and the various comments that it has generated, perhaps it would have been more effective to leave the labels on the sidelines and to  make the observation that people differ in terms of intellectual ability and to inquire about why this is so. 

P.S. To my knowledge, there has been no uniform consensus among psychologists, psychometricians, etc., about what intelligence actually is.  Do the various concepts of intelligence, which have been defined by humanity, actually have universal validity and merit?











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#50
RE: Religious people are less intelligent than atheists
To me the whole discussion is moot; I am more interested in what is actually demonstrably true rather than dick waving from any perspective.
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