November 28, 2010
-
Are Atheists More Intelligent?
I just read an article about how Atheists are running a campaign against Christmas and are telling people to “celebrate reason.” Here is the link: Link
I have noticed that a certain group of Atheists always talk about reason and almost hold themselves as being smarter than Christians.
Are Atheists more intelligent?
Comments (168)
I fail to see the correlation.
@RockstarJuice: I concur.
I know some atheists who are brilliant, and others who are idiots. Just like every other group that’s ever been or ever will be.
generally, yes.
Of course atheists are more intelligent than everyone else. Just ask them, they will tell you.
Are you fucking kidding me, Christmas is awesome atheist or not.
I’m pretty sure “atheists” is the plural of atheist. Just sayin. lol
You’re missing an s. Also, atheist shouldn’t be capitalized.
No, I don’t think we’re more intelligent solely because we’re atheists. I just think religion makes smart people do stupid things and act certain ways that they normally wouldn’t.
@saintvi - exactly.
this “campaign against christmas” is stupid though.
I like the errors. The “campaign against Christmas” is really dumb. Everybody should just learn to chill.
I have a feeling this post will cause an uproar. I think to be intelligent any person would have to be well educated. I know some Christians that refuse to take certain science classes because it teaches evolution. Considering evolution is a scientifically accepted theory and those Christians are refusing to learn about it (they don’t have to agree with it) then those specific Christians will be less educated. Not that they are necessarily less intelligent, everyone should just be willing to be educated on everything. Whether or not they believe in it.
As an atheist I don’t see myself as more intelligent than a Christian. I have a friend that is a born again Christian and I know I won’t be a well educated person unless I understand other religions – So I’ve been asking her questions. Whether or not I believe in those answers are irrelevant. The point is to be more educated overall. If you refuse to educate yourself on something you don’t believe then yes, you are less intelligent. But that goes for ALL people of ALL religions.
An atheist that refuses to understand the basic principles of other religions is less intelligent than one that does know things about other religions. They are both atheists, one is still more intelligent than the other because they are more educated.
I think generalizing smarter people in different categories oversimplifies things, as there are morons within Athiests and intelligent beings who are Christians, as opposed to the initial comparison. Being an atheist gives one unlimited freedom and a true open-minded perspective because whatever you approach in life, you aren’t approaching with any baggage from any sort of religious dogma. You aren’t weighted down and influenced by a firm, structured, argueably repressive set of beliefs.
Christianity in itself bans worldliness, sinfulness, and anything pagan (which is essentially the rest of the world).
Children who want to learn more about how something operates are told over-simplified fundamentalist stories about how the world came into creation. Instead of using one’s own agency to solve your problems, which requires critical thinking, many Christians view some problems as something ‘God will take care of’. Giving yourself up to a higher power involves alot of thoughtlessnes because all your actions and thoughts revolve around one central concept: to serve God. Not to create a life of your own.
I think athiests statistically have higher IQ’s than Christians, generally.
But I also have very many Christian friends who are intelligent and still choose to believe in God in some way.
Oh and I love Christmas!! Who cares if I’m atheist – the christmas songs, the snow, the love, the PRESENTS. ITS AWESOME.
I’ll just leave this here.
@RockstarJuiceNStarburst - Agreed
@TheThinkingPerson - It does especially if they are wrapped in it too much. Luckily I escape that and I’m a Christian.
Aren’t they forgetting that Christmas is also about spending time with the family and being thankful for what you have? And spreading holiday cheer to others that need it? They don’t have to get rid of the holiday or stop celebrating it. Christmas has become almost non religious in the last couple of years, from what I’ve seen.
Yes. But I’m biased.
There’s a lot of traditional scientists who failed to find explanations for things… Atheists would be surprised to count how many there were.
lol no. just bitter post-docs. lmao.
More intelligent than Christians? More intelligent than the population in general? Beats the heck out of my. I guess we’d have to give everyone IQ tests to find out. Not that it really matters who is more intelligent to me.
Im atheist and I LOVE Christmas season.
Anyways, I think in general atheists just believe they have more common sense. And think about it, if your child told you their their puppy, which got hit by a car and put to sleep three days ago, came back from the dead you’d assume that it was a dream, or the kid had an over-active imagination. I’m sure that just like any group, atheists have their brilliant population and their not-so-brilliant population. Take me for example: I know I’m not the brightest crayon when it comes to books or history. But in general I have more common sense. And from what I see in the workplace and in school I can assume I have more responsibility and respect. It’s just a toss up.
@Uek - jingle bells, jingle bells
Some are smart… some are idiots. Either way, I don’t think it’s fair that they’re campaigning against Christmas. If they wanna celebrate reason so bad, then by all means, celebrate it. Let the Christians celebrate their own holiday. They say that they’re sick of Christians shoving their beliefs down others’ throats yet they try to do the same. Why don’t we all campaign against hypocrisy instead? Oh wait, we’re so fond of being hypocrites that we’d rather campaign FOR it. The people who are responsible for this ad are just a few examples of idiotic atheists. It just so happens that they’re living under the delusion of being smarter than everyone else. The real smart atheists are those who stand firm in their beliefs without having to prove their point. Same is true with Christians. The really smart ones wouldn’t shove their beliefs down others’ throats just to prove they’re right. Smart people accept others regardless of their beliefs because they have open minds.
Atheists may be intelligent as the world measures intelligence, but the wisdom of the gospel of Christ is veiled to those who are perishing.
@Megan@revelife - Ahahaha XD
There are geniuses and idiots sprinkled pretty evenly amongst Christians and atheists alike, I would say!
I’d have to say religious leaders are pretty intelligent, if so many people still believe in the invisible man in the sky. Who will punish you if you’re bad. And he can see everything you do, and if you don’t follow the fundamental rules he set down then you are doomed to suffer. FOREVER.
But I jest.
naah. they just think they are because they don’t have any faith and apparently that’s ‘logical’ and ‘practical’. religious beliefs don’t make anyone more or less smart, it’s their open-mindedness and the way they think.
and I don’t get why atheists always attack Christianity if they don’t believe in a God at all. there are many people who believe in God but not in Jesus Christ. the word ‘God’ is an idea of a higher power but is just used to describe Jesus Christ. so it’s stupid for atheists to lose faith in the idea of God as a whole because one religion’s concept didn’t suit them..
@ShimmerBodyCream - batman smells
It’s human nature for us to consider ourselves more intelligent than those we disagree with. If we didn’t think ourselves smarter than those we strongly disagree with, at least in our area of conflict, we would be forced to accept the possiblity that they’re right. I’ve met only a few people who are open minded enough to accept the possiblity that those they strongly disagree with might be right and they wrong. I suppose in this both atheist and Christian are equally at fault.
@Megan@revelife - That was my first thought, Megan!
Of course.
How reasonable (or intelligent) is it to launch an advertising campaign against those who can’t (or won’t) be reasoned with?
Having said that, I do think that there are some very intelligent atheists out there. My experience on Xanga leads me to believe they are also some of the most emotional and irrational people I’ve ever encountered. This may be why they’re so eager to prop themselves up in this area.
Lol…….stereotyping are we?
Depends on the person. I know people who practice religion who also … think? And I know some people who dont practice religion who don’t think and are just lazy. I do think that there are people out there who accept religion because they afraid of exploring the possibilites outside of that space. I think it’s sad but I think as long as that it their choice and they dont push it on anyone else then whatever.
Atheism requires faith in ingrained stupidity. What good is a 300 IQ if you’re stuck on stupid?
@tsh44 - This was a good answer!
I agree.
i never thought of religious people as unintelligent…maybe a little close-minded sometimes, but aren’t atheists the same in that sense?
Statistically, agnostics and atheists are more educated. However, that doesn’t mean that ALL atheists are more intelligent… every group has its morons.
i don’t think intelligence correlates with your religious preferences, or lack thereof.
I think that..
they’re more open minded, maybe.
I wouldn’t say that they’re more intelligent, though.
Many of them think they are smart, but they’re really just proving the validity of Psalms 14:1. They will also learn how wrong they are on that great and terrible day too.
I personally believe that we are all dumb fucks, wandering in the darkness. Arguing who is less blind among the blind is foolish. Reason and intellect can only go so far in this messed up, huge world that science, reason, and common sense tell us only a small portion about. Thank God that He sent a nightlight.
they’re just as close minded as those who practice a religion simply because they refuse to consider the fact that there is a superior being out there.
i’ll tell you what, dan, i think this question is stupid. i really do. and i’ve never said that to any of your questions.
my dad is catholic and he is very intelligent, as are my uncles, aunts, cousins, and grandparents. i knew atheists in high school that were ignorant and stupid. i’ve also seen ignorant catholics and very intelligent atheists. i don’t know why that billboard was absolutely necessary, but i’m catholic and will continue celebrating the birth of jesus every year as christmas continues to become more and more commercial… but that’s a whole other issue entirely.
Intelligence and atheism have no direct correlation. With so many different meanings of intelligence, how could they? I’ve met people who were geniuses, in certain areas. yet in others, have no clue. Also, on the education front, I’ve known 4 year-old children who qualify for Mensa, which is determined by ones intelligence, how much education does this 4 year old actually have? The belief that intelligence and education are somehow related is a complete fallacy.
Determine intelligence based on individuals, not groups. There are atheists who are smart, some who are dumb, some Christians who are smart, some who are dumb, etc. It goes on.
But I think agnostic people are smarter. ;]
No they are not. There are people who are gifted with intelligence who are atheists, and there are people who are gifted with intelligence in every other belief system. The same goes for there are many people who are not gifted with a high reasoning ability. Many Christians are deep thinkers and have the ability to give a complex argument about their belief (I am Christian myself) and I pray everyday that god will me understanding. That doesn’t mean I’ll always be the smartest little chick out there, it just means I’m trying. So are many other Christians. I don’t know if you can label someone’s intelligence based on the beliefs they possess.
i’ve never considered religion to be connected with the intelligence of a person.
In the end it doesn’t matter, an atheist can be smart as they want in worldly matters, but a Christian has faith not by their own intelligence, but because God has revealed Jesus his son to them. I can speak an atheist blue in the face about Christ, but unless God has chosen them out of the world, I can not reveal what God has blinded from the person. Hence the verse, For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. (1 Corinthians 1:18) It was by God’s glory that he would create such a stumbling block to the wise, come on, a man gets arrested and hangs on a cross, and claims to be God, and he would rule over everything. It is foolish to the world, unless as John 6:44 says -
No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day.
Look at the rest of 1 Corinthians –
For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.
The Greeks, who were the “wise” of the day, could not comprehend such foolishness, but it is to God’s glory that someone believes, for no one can say I choose to follow Christ, but they should say, God reveal Christ to me, and I followed by the heart’s desire he put in me.
Christians should know their Bible, and their theology, so that they can quite speaking atheists blue in the face about God, using even thing in their arsenal, instead, share the world, be in obedience to Christ, and move on, realizing only by God’s will, someone will believe.
If Christmas is so stupid,why does it bother them? If something is stupid,a smart person ignores it don’t they….hummmmm…..
The outspoken atheists on Xanga often seem to be more informed on many topics. But I’ve met a lot of daft ones too. Maybe those ones just know when to keep their mouths shut.
I’m pretty sure the average IQ of both is relatively the same.
Many of the brilliant fathers of science were strong Christians, but there were atheists too.
well … i mean pagans had it first, they were just celebrating winter solstice. they had the whole yule log, the tree, the whole shebang. christians just incorporated the holiday to make it more popular at the time (politics). i guess said pagans were paying homage to some set of gods or other, but i just see it as celebrating winter, lighting up what is otherwise the darkest, coldest and hardest part of the year, at least for me. i was raised christian but i kind of see it as just another myth now. but can’t we all believe in good will towards men and all that jazz anyway? believe in humanity instead of deity?
anyways, your questions are always trick ones. of course there are intelligent atheists, intelligent christians, and really dumb ones in every group. all people are people.
i’m atheist and i think atheists should shut their mouths and let christians do their thing. and everyone else for that matter.
I definately don’t think they are more intelligent or less intelligent than the rest of us. But I have noticed one thing…they are excellent debaters when it comes to religion (s). They almost a must for them to survive what they see as needless onslaughts. Many know Bible Scripture more than Christians. Knowledge of both sides pro/con of an argument is practically a necessity. Many of the athiests and agnostics have pointed out the errors in my knowledge of their position and I have learned a lot. Did it change my mind? No…but I can at least respect their opinions and because of that,,,we can talk without walls.
Statistically, Atheism has a higher percentage of its constituents being from a higher education background than most religions.Â
If education correlates to greater intelligence, then Atheists tend to be smarter
Meh. We have to operationally define intelligence for this. I think atheists, while generally more logical, are lacking in emotional intelligence as opposed to religious folk… I don’t know. I almost wanna nerd it up and construct some sort o’ experiment to test this.
The only survey with an IQ test scores to ask that question said no. the average atheist tested at 103. in other words average
Does it really matter in the grand scheme of things?
You only have to look at some of the stupid things atheists like Richard Dawkins say to realise that they are not that good at thinking! This campaign to persuade people to believe in nothing – all it will do is to promote an interest in Christianity that wasn’t there before. The kindest thing you can say is that the atheists appear to be thick! Interestingly a leader of a church recently said the last thing we want to do is to shut them up because their campaigns produce more interest and more opporunities to share the gospel than we’ve had for a long time. They won’t convince anyone who doesn’t share their views as their arguments are totally irrelevant to the issue.
yesssssssssssssss
believe in fact not fiction
@school_geek_oddball - Agreed
@bronze_for_gold - I’m sorry, but the end of that sentence makes absolutely no sense in the context of its own beginning…
Atheists = Grinches.
@kenedwards5 - I’d reply to that, but I think we both know where that would go.
I’ll just let this link do the talking for me.
@TheThinkingPerson - what they all have in common: you come from nowhere and you are going nowehere. While you’re here there is no logical point in anything you do as you are a random selection of molecules. Logically there can be no objective morality as each person is dancing to his DNA. Actually there is no point whatsoever except have as good a time as you can and try not to be as miserable as some of those you see on the media.
OK, so ‘someone’ didn’t get that bike for Christmas. Don’t take it out on us!
@Megan@revelife - Yeah, true, and they should know.
Didn’t you already do this post a few months ago?
@Megan@revelife - LOL – so I’ve had my differences with you before, but that one made me laugh.
@Uek - Robin runs away …
@PervyPenguin - lol, I agree!!!
@Gaijinsays - rotfl That explains their wrath towards the holiday!
@TrekkieECH - Thanks
@xpcabocy - [citation needed] … lol. But seriously, what statistics are you referencing?
atheism and intelligence have no relevance. religious and non-religious people alike can be intelligent alike.
I feel like the average IQ of atheists is higher, but this is because they pull from a smaller demographic. Christianity isn’t supposed to be a religion just for the intelligent, it’s meant to be for everyone–including the dull. This factor alone would dilute the “Christian” IQ enough to support my argument. Of course there would also be unintelligent atheists, theoretically, but I feel like most of these end up being agnostics instead. The intellectual capacity necessary to understand many of the atheist arguments against the existence of a god or gods would tend to be higher, as many of these theories are far more complex than “God loves you”; those who lack the intelligence to fully understand these arguments but would be inclined to turn from religion anyway become agnostics. This isn’t meant to claim that there are not intelligent agnostics, either; only that their demographic suffers the same fate of Christians: being bundled with the dim-witted.
I also would like to say that we all know there are stupid people and smart people on either side of the fence, but that’s not what the OP is asking: he wants to know if there is a trend, a pattern. Claiming that you’ve met both intelligent atheists and stupid atheists is missing the point almost entirely.
Oh GOD, Atheists just want attention. At least those poor Christians believe they are doing something good… They just don’t know anything about their own psychology…
I think there’s a big difference between knowledge and wisdom. Without the latter, the former will only get you into trouble.
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.
For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
(Psa 111:10, 1Co 1:18-25)
Peace
You can have as high a IQ as anyone else, but the moment you start slandering another group of people and making blanket generalizations about them, your just as dumb and ignorant as the rest of us.
I find it quite unbelievable to not believe in anything at all. It’s just depressing. This life is really depressing. If this life is the only thing you believe in… I have questions. What more is there to life? What makes your time here worth it? Life is super, super short. You can’t live forever… if life is so short, why is it so hard to have the chance, the slightest bit of hope, that there is something more out there? I don’t think I could ever live a life like that. Not that it’s wrong, but it’s just really, really depressing. But, that’s just personal opinion.
People are intelligent and unintelligent alike, I find it pointless to try and correlate with certain types of people because you will always have those of their groups.
That being said, why rally against Christmas? Every single Atheist was probably raised with Christmas, and they just celebrate it as a time for family, giving, and being together. Why try to demolish that? There’s no REASON in that. Or LOGIC. It’s just shameless promotion of atheism and demolition of religion. We should celebrate reason every day. Don’t destroy the holidays as we have come to enjoy them.
@needtobreathe22 - it’s not depressing. It’s refreshing.
It’s about ignorance, not intelligence.
Atheists and Christians are probably the same intellectually.. there’s plenty of smart ones and dumb ones to pick from both groups!
I am an athiest but don’t necessarily believe the whole story of Christmas is a myth. (There is at least one reference to Jesus outside of the Bible - in a writing by Josephus) That’s not what Christianity is based on, anyway. It’s the resurrection that it’s based on, and the part I consider a myth. So I don’t celebrate Easter. However, I do celebrate the whole Christmas season because I see it as a time to set aside for family and friends, to get together, exchange gifts, etc. Ideally we don’t need to set aside a time for this, that we can be this way all year long. But we don’t live in an ideal world, and sometimes it’s just difficult to find time to get together – especially big families. And though I’m not really celebrating for the following reason, I like the season because I know the days will start getting longer. I really don’t like it getting dark out at 5:00 (or earlier, depending on your location). As for intelligence? I think it depends on who we are talking about. There are intelligent Christians and intelligent athiests. Just as there are idiot Christians and idiot athiests. One person’s reason may be another person’s myth. Christians believe the Bible is a factual statement of history. Because of this belief, I don’t question their intelligence. I don’t think it’s fair to equate beliefs/faith with intelligence. To Christians, it IS reasonable to believe in an all-powerful being and it is unfathomable how an athiest can NOT believe.
Not at all. I’ve seen smart and super STUPID on both sides of the fence.
no.
On average, yes. You shouldn’t make generalizations about individual people given this information, but as a group, liberals and atheists score higher on IQ tests than conservatives and those who subscribe to religion. Here is my source:
http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/news/faith/2010/02/lse_study_liberalism_atheism_r.htmlWhether you accept IQ as an indicator of intelligence obviously determines whether you accept this as proof. I also found evidence that a person’s educational level and salary are correlated with atheism too (warning: this article comes down strongly on the side that religion is wrong and atheism is correct):http://www.useless-knowledge.com/1234/feb/article156.htmlOf course, just because someone is more intelligent doesn’t mean that they are correct on every issue. In fact, I would argue that the most intelligent people are the ones that are most open to the idea that they could be wrong about everything they’ve ever known. I’ll end with a Socrates quote: “I know nothing except the fact of my ignorance.”
Depends on the athiest. Religion has nothing to do with someone’s intellegence. Its a belief.
I can see how an athiest would see themselves “smarter”, as they look for concrete evidence most of the time. Thats not a bad thing, but it also shows that they don’t share the same opinion on faith and commitment to a higher being. Thats all really. Once someone accepts a religion into thier life, it is not concrete, but a commitment. However, same could be said for some religious folk, you don’t think they would see themselves in some better light either? It depends on the person really. One thing I have learned though, is that not all, but there are a lot of rude people out there who don’t respect boundaries, people’s beliefs and truley LIKE to be rude and inconsiderate. It is NEVER appropriate to call someone stupid or any other infedelity due to thier religious beliefs. People are NOT thier religon and religion is NOT the people who follow it.
I don’t think religion (or lack there of) has anything to do with how intelligent one is…
Anyway. What’s the point in campaigning against Christmas? It’s not like everyone who celebrates it is celebrating the birth of Christ. Even as a Christian, that’s not why I celebrate it…
oh dear, no. i am an atheist but i wouldn’t consider myself smarter than any christian. and…i don’t see the correlation between the two. i mean you could just not bring an christmas tree in
and celebrate reason all by yourself ^^
did you know that Jesus wasn’t even born on December 25th? he was actually born in the fall at some point. so what’s the point of atheists campaigning against Christmas?
obviously this proves that atheists and Christian’s are both equally ignorant.
Hardly.
There are many brilliant non-atheists: Francis Schaeffer, William Lane Craig, Allister McGrath, Alvin Plantiga, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Keith Ward..just to name a handful.Â
And the ones I listed were professing “born again” Christians. There are more still that are deists, idealists, or at the very least agnostics.
Here is a wonderful, thrilling, thought-provoking lecture I just finished listening to by Keith Ward given at Gresham College on quantum physics and its philosophical implications: I charge any strict materialist (and by that, I mean deconstructionist or naturalist) to consider his charges. It’s truly astounding.
http://www.gresham.ac.uk/event.asp?PageId=4&EventId=679
Who cares if they’re intelligent. People who campaign against Christmas are mean, and that’s all that matters.
I don’t think that you can generalize about atheists any more than you can generalize about any other group. To be offensive for a second, you’re always going to have Asian kids who suck at math, or Irish guys who hate booze.
However, I was recently reading about a survey (wait, here it is) that pointed out that when it comes to religious knowledge, atheists, on average, actually know MORE about religion than the followers of those religions. Which is ironic, I think.
No. I see nothing that would suggest such.
-an atheist who attends church
I don’t know if they are more intelligent, but I do find many atheists to be more knowledgeable about religion, than most religious zealots themselves.
I like the idea of celebrating reason, but they don’t need to campaign against Christmas. For many people nowadays, Christmas is just a time to get together with family and share presents. We don’t really have to bring religion into it.
“Are Atheists more intelligent?”
Keep in mind that many of the great ideas formulated throughout history were inspirations of God. Â The only idea that was an inspiration of atheism was communism, and we all know that was a terrible idea.
@SherylM - @sassypenguin - I agree with these two. They make excellent points.
@TrekkieECH -
Gallup Poll
http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/2009-01-29-faith-state-survey_N.htm
in comparison to most educated
http://www.statemaster.com/graph/edu_bes_edu_ind-education-best-educated-index
Notice how the more educated states are not so high on the Religious list?
The Journal: Intelligence
Intelligence, Volume 37, Issue 1, January 2009, Pages 11-15
Higher Intelligence and Religion aid in developing social networks and connection.
If all other things equal. The people who categorize themselves as religious, gain an advantage over those not religious in terms of social support.
If all other things equal. The people who are intelligence, gain an advantage over those not intelligence in terms of social
support.
Generally, if one is not intelligent, they can make up for the lack in social advantage by participating in a religion and vice versa.
These things are not mutually exclusive.
If Atheism were organized like a religion with gatherings and such, then Intelligent Atheists would probably gain the same benefits as an Intelligent Theist.
Atheists are definitely more intelligent, in my opinion. But of course I’d say that.
At christmas time I celebrate the spirit of giving, family, and Santa Clause…the dear old man. But certainly not the birth of christ or the reason campaign.
@purethallium - Either that or super charismatic.
They are not smarter, but they certainly are less consciously ignorant about Christianity. The issue comes from their inherent need to rip faith from people (the ones who do).
Also, the Bible never said anything about Jesus being born in December. In fact, much of the birth story points to late spring, early summer. And there weren’t three wise men or kings. But whatever.
@TrekkieECH - a couple of others here eloquently stated what I tried to convey in just a few words. That while athiests may be considered intelligent, as those who are in the world measure intelligence, they lack the wisdom that only comes from God. The good news of Jesus Christ is hidden to those who are spiritually dead.
Peace.
Atheists who go around making like they’re so much more intelligent than theists give all atheists a bad name.
On average, atheists are more intelligent and educated.
But that’s just on average. I know Christians who are brilliant, including my sister who is in law school.
I know some Atheists who are hyper intelligent and some Religious folk who are also bright as buttons. Sure I know more of the fore, but I just know more non-religious people in general so I can’t say!
Anyway, you’re making assumptions from your own persona beliefs about what Atheists think, and you seem to be twisting things to get a reaction, so I condemn this post.
I do not believe what spirituality, or wheather we believe in anything or not, has anything to do with our intellegence.
To be statistically fair, I think it’s pretty even. This is an especially difficult question because the Judeo-Christian tradition is predominately Caucasian and represents the main sector of the world’s societal upper echelon in both financial standing and sociopolitical power, which in case would allow them more access to education and research. Still, Atheism is a movement generally deeply rooted in societies that have modernized and have stabilized middle-class lifestyles. So, between these two groups, it would make sense, at least from a sociopolitical and economic sense, for them to be high contenders for what people call the “highest intelligence.” Still, we should draw a distinct line between that which we call true intelligence and simply accessible education. We should also take note of the fact that while true Atheism is one of the smallest groups in society, Christianity is the largest. This difference in numbers affects first-hand accounts of intelligence since we, as individuals, are constantly more likely to run into ‘smart’ Christians that the fewer ‘smart’ Atheists.
There was a study done by Harvard that measured the general IQ (which is NOT a proven method to measure intelligence) amongst differing religions. It found that Atheists are actually the highest, whether or not there is a correlation, that is up to debate. The findings are, however, extremely interesting.
Still, I think we should take note that, for ‘true’ religion, intelligence isn’t really that important. For that being the case, then why should any of this really matter for religious people?
I find that a lot of Atheists (not all of course) are a little deluded in their thinking. Philosophically speaking, “God” or some concept of “God” (does not have to be sentient) should be the only thing that which is to be perfect and truly infinite, from this, if one claims that God does not exist, then one innately claims that there is nothing ‘perfect’ nor truly infinite. From this claim, there is an inherent assumption that humans, since we know God cannot simply exist, will someday unlock all the truths of the universe since “God” should be the only truly unexplainable thing. From this, I feel there is an underlying assumption by Atheism to hold not necessarily their own knowledge, but rather, the whole humanity’s capacity to be greater than religious peoples would hold it since, in religion, the hierarchy usually is that God is infinite and humanity is finite.
No, atheists are not more intelligent. Choosing to believe in the Creator of the universe could only expand your knowledge. I believe you are as intelligent as what you seek.
@sassypenguin - What do you mean by the term “more educated?”
What idiot campaigns against Christmas? -_-
I’ve never campaigned again Christmas. When people ask what I celebrate, I say “Festivus, it’s for the rest of us” (ie, the non-Christians and non-Jews). Oddly enough, I choose to celebrate Festivus the same way many choose to celebrate Christmas- by spending as much time as possible with my family and the people I love the most. And by possibly overindulging in my desire to spoil them with gifts every year. Sounds like this group of atheists is out to spoil the Holiday spirit. They should just jump on the Festivus bandwagon and stop being party poopers.
@school_geek_oddball - Amen!
intelligence doesn’t come from what you believe…
it comes from what you eat – lol.
What about those athiests that refure to
learn the intelligent design theory? Hmmm? Look it up, there’s actual
scientific evidence supporting our side of the theory too. Betcha
didn’t know! NOW who’s less educated?
how can you even post this? of course atheists will say they’re smarter but some of the smartest people i know, professors, doctors, etc. are all Christians. There are way too many gaps in evolution which most atheists would be able to acknowlege if they actually studied it.
Not always. But just as John Paul II said “unbridled capitalism is no better than unbridled communism” (something to that effect), holier-than-thous on either side of the spectrum are just as bad. Besides, if both sides want the actual truth, almost all Christmas traditions are pagan and Jesus was actually born in October. So neither side is 100% right.
Way to start a flame war over nothing. There’s a difference between fact and belief. Theologians appear to suffer some cognitive defficiencies in that regard – destinguishing between fact and belief. Because they’re world view is based on a belief, which they have convinced themselves is a fact.
Statistically, by the agreed-upon measure of intelligence, in today’s world, based on facts gathered in scientific studies – Atheists are, on average, more intelligent. Whether this is because they have consciously formed an opinion about existence based on the most current data available, or whether its because those clinging to faith have opted to shut out knowledge in favor of comfort has not been studied. But studies do show, that people in positions that require a superior intelligence are a higher concentration of Atheists than the average laborer, and conversely, those born with lesser intelligence were more likely to embrace religion than those born with higher intelligence.
If it suits the status quo to change the definition of “intelligence” to make them feel better about themselves, they should do that rather than whining about it. Just like they changed the definition of “winner” and “special” in the self-esteem movement.
I agree with most people who’ve commented here that there are intelligent people in both groups and there are some people that are not smart in both groups. Everyone will be wrong every once in a while. You can’t judge someone to be stupid because of their beliefs.
It’s already been demonstrated and proven, this is one of many studies.
http://thenewcivilrightsmovement.com/men-liberal-atheist-monogamous-you-probably-are-smarter-too/news/2010/02/27/8338
Also, as it shows here and in many other places there is an inverse correlation between intelligence and religious belief, which basically means the more intelligent you are the LESS likely you are to believe.
http://www.freethoughtpedia.com/wiki/Atheists_are_smarter
So the short answer is yes.
I’m an atheist and I think this is just retarded. But at least it’s something to combat all the Jesus billboards I see everywhere.
@AncoraImparo - Charisma seems more likely.
And for no reason at all I recall a joke someone told me…
How do you get a nun pregnant?Dress her up as an altar boy.
Maybe, but they still lack wisdom.
Some of the most intelligent people I know are also the most foolish.
This argument is often quoted, but only as the result of a fraction of religious people that quote “this is so because the bible said so,” and often quoting things that seem magical or scientifically improbable.
If one tries to convince you there is a man who will turn water into wine, simply by concentrating, you would laugh.
If this is Jesus, then it is fact. The only proof needed as “its in the bible.”
Intelligence is the ability to express an understanding of the subject matter as close to the facts as possible. Facts are evidence [proved] and the meaning of them are assigned by humans. The validity of them are decided by emotion. This is why theists out-number atheists – it’s what you feel that’s important. Religion is a philosophy tailored to emotion, which is why it rings true for so many.
The problem is that religion is a rigid philosophy. The people who find themselves part of a life that is not scripted by the bible, can end up as atheists, probably out of anger that the life they grew into became a fallacy.
I’m an atheist because religion drew first blood, by propagating a set way of life that everyone should lead. As a child you take these things seriously. You believe what your parents say, and your surroundings become your assumptions. You know, the assumption that you’ll come home to two parents every day, because that’s how life’s supposed to be.
I think that we all need an anchor in this life, as it can get pretty chaotic. Theists have God, atheists have science. They both have the ultimate rock to lean on, and like it or not they lean on each other a lot more than they’d like to admit.
Are atheists more intelligent? Well, no more than a theist.
Yes.
It would be unreasonable to assume that a human being is more or less intelligent based on their philosophical basis.
Intelligent people think and do stupid things too.
Seriously?
The question has no relevance pertaining to intelligence. But Perhaps, it is a great controversial question. By the comments most agree there is no basis for the question. But, look at all of it’s accomplishment. The debates throughout this list of comments offer a variety of opinions and views that are relevant and hold great value. I say look at the comments and learn the importance of not only the Xangan users but as well the influence to post opinions and views. I have learned from this comment list. Have you?
I’m an athiest and even I won’t say something that idiotic. We are all evenly spread out, some just have different perspectives and opinions on religion and whatnot. I think those Athiests are just very close-minded about the possibilities that someone else out there might be right about God.
@beebizzle - Even considering what we may learn from others view points and opinions. A question is just a question. A debate is to learn.
I think it’s stupid if you wholehearted believe in God/creationism. But I also think it’s stupid to completely shun the idea. To be an intelligent person is to be a person who is skeptical, yet curious. A person who won’t believe something until it is proven by science, but will not disbelieve it if it has not yet been proven.
With that being said, being agnostic is probably best
A person who does not believe in the existence of God until he is proven to be real.
maybe what they’re trying to say is that they don’t have any beliefs in there way, just logic.
@ToMarilyn - that’s a bit harsh. so you’re stupid if you 100% believe in God?
I don’t think the ability to use logic and reason requires a higher level of intelligence. I don’t think the message they are trying to spread is that atheists are smarter than everyone else.
It depends on who does the measuring of intelligence and on what makes a person smart.
There are stupid people in every bunch. As a Pagan I’ve known some morons in my group as well. It happens. You either ignore them or tell them off. Although it’s probably better to tell them off so they learn from their mistakes.
And I really don’t understand why they would do something like this. They want their beliefs to be respected yet they go and do this. I’m fine with Atheists, Christians, Muslims whatever. But when you start acting high and mighty like that, no one is going to take your side. You’re not spreading “truth”, you’re being a know-it-all asshole.
I think people who blindly adhere to something without questioning it are cheating themselves. That goes for any religion. Whaddaya think?
@Lost_In_Reverie - But if you read that you noticed that atheists know less than Christians about Christianity. That should not be surprising but everyone I had seen talking about this survey seemed to think atheists had greater knowledge about the faith of Christians than Christians did and that was the opposite of what this survey showed. Making me think that a lot atheists have issues with reading for comprehension
1. You can’t really generalize people like that. Someone’s religion does not make them smarter or dumber than anyone else.
2. I am atheist, and I love Christmas. Ironic, yes. But to me, it’s more than just a Christian holiday. It’s a fantastic time of year when people gather with family and friends, spend time with each other, eat good food, etc. I love giving people gifts, it just makes me feel good to make someone happy. People just seem to be happier this time of year!
3. I wholeheartedly respect other religions. I will listen to any side of any view. I respect anyone who can stand up for what they believe in, regardless of whether or not I agree with what they believe in. Just because I’m atheist, doesn’t mean that I have to spoil Christmas for everyone else who celebrates it! It’s not fair. You never hear of Christians trying to take away Hanukkah or something. People just need to get over themselves, honestly.
4. Just because someone doesn’t like something, doesn’t mean they have the authority to take it away from others who enjoy it. If someone doesn’t like chocolate ice-cream and they start a campaign against it, are stores going to stop selling chocolate ice-cream to please one small group of people? Of course not! If you don’t like it, ignore it.
Overall yes I do believe so, and I am speaking from an ex Catholic/Christian, once an atheist and now agnostic standpoint….
@Xo_THElizzikur_oX - hah I have heard of Christians trying to take away Voodoo from Voodoo believers though
Edit: and to answer your last part… as I recall it’s Christians who have trouble looking away from things that upset them… i.e abortion, gays…..
I know some brilliant Atheists AND Christians. There are also some pretty stupid people who are both. I mean, religion doesn’t have to get in the way of reason. But I hate arguing against people who say, “If you can’t explain why it happens, it must be because of God.” If you’re using God as a substitute for the scientific method, you are doing it wrong.
A majority of the more vocal ones certainly believe themselves to be. Especially around here.
What a person believes has no bearing on their intelligence either way. Nor does gullibility.
@Megan@revelife - LOL!!!
@Opposite_Way - but isn’t questioning your beliefs seeking out something? Choosing to just believe in something without seeking out proof of it being real is foolish. You’re putting yourself in a little box.
I don’t believe this latest campaigns denotes intelligence but it does show they have faith – faith in their own belief system. I don’t think it will gain any converts from those who believe in God but possibly annoy some.
@Grampa_David - I mean more educated. Go to school. Learn things and understand. An Atheist cannot be more intelligent when they don’t even know what the other person’s beliefs are or how they work. Same with Christians.
Know things
whether you believe in them or not. School does matter to me, I can tell by your screen name that you must be older, and not bashing people who haven’t went to school – but I see education in terms of schooling. Learn all that you can and you will be educated and intelligent.
@vintaqexobeauty - Um, I don’t see it but I know you tagged me in your comment and that bothers me a bit. First of all I’ll start with this part of your comment “NOW who’s less educated?” – I never said I was more educated. I simply said for anyone to be more intelligent than the next person they need to be more educated. Now, “Betcha didn’t know!” - no, you’re right I didn’t know. I also did claim to know. Still where is your link or proof? Next, “What about those athiests that refure [refuse] to learn the intelligent design theory?” – Yes those atheists would be less intelligent than someone who was well educated in ALL beliefs. All humans have the capability to be more intelligent than each other, my point was that the level of intelligence is determined by the level of education. The atheists that try to argue there is no god without knowing anything about their counterparts beliefs would be less intelligent than others. To even have a legitimate argument you must understand (be educated) on both sides of the subject, then come up with your own opinion based on deductive reasoning. So for you (or I) to be intelligent and educated we must know and understand others’ beliefs and how their religions work to even have a standing argument. I hope you realize that in no way am I arguing whether or not there is a god here. You are correct in thinking I don’t know much about most religions but I never said I did, in fact, I might have even said I was trying to learn more from my friends so I could be more educated on the subject. I don’t know if I actually put that in there but I meant to. Think before you make comments. I was very rational in my comment and made the deduction that anyone can be more intelligent than another with the proper education.
@petiteme_x - ”as I recall it’s Christians who have trouble looking away from things that upset them… i.e abortion, gays…..
“
i very much agree, i myself am pro-choice and 100% for homosexual, bisexual, & transgender rights… but, this whole anti-christmas thing has also sort of proven that sometimes, atheists have trouble looking away from things that upset them, too. everyone does; its human nature.
i’m just saying i don’t really see the point in us trying to take away christmas. its not only about christians, but about kids as well (i mean, the whole santa claus deal and whatnot). i have a friend from china who is buddhist, and she even celebrates christmas!
i’m just saying, at some point in every disagreement, one group is going to have to be “the bigger person” and just let it go, you know? and i’m not saying that atheists are always ”the bigger person” or that christians are always “the bigger person” because every situation is different, but SOMEONE needs to just step up and say “you know what? lets just not argue about this one, you guys!”
lets just all hold hands and be friends
@Xo_THElizzikur_oX - I honestly don’t think Christians are able to let go lol. Just in my opinion but I get what you’re saying( I was just responding to the part about not letting things go). And I think (what I said above) because I used to be an atheist but if someone wasn’t I never furthered the discussion…. but the people I know who did believe in God kept going on about it
Like enough already… respect my beliefs 
(but again just from my experience) ;P
HAH…. I wish but that will never happen. In some people’s minds there needs to be someone who is right and someone who is wrong
so silly.
No…They just have a different viewpoint.
I doubt it. Just because you have an extremely strong belief in science that you don’t believe there is a God, doesn’t call for correlation. There’s always room for a science background and being a christian.
@beebizzle - In theory – yes. It’s stupid to 100% believe in anything that can’t be backed up by science. Yes it’s harsh, but it’s logical thinking. I’m not saying that you should shun the idea at all, it’s fine to believe in it 99% of the time…but you should never believe 100% until there’s evidence suggesting that whatever you’re believing in is real. It’s idealistic to say “but to have faith, one should devote 100%…if there’s doubt, there’s no faith.” But this is a question of “intelligence,” and every intelligent person knows that one should remain skeptical, whether 99% or 1%, if there is no hard evidence. The same goes for believing, 99% to 1%. Never 0%, never 100%, unless it is proven.
No. Average intelligence is about the same. Athiests, however, think they are smarter.
@ToMarilyn - lol right. so when God comes down, which I promise it will probably be his last time, he’s not gonna look for the people who put 99% of their faith in Him. and i’m sure it’s gonna look real good when you’re like “oh my gosh He IS real!! I BELIEVE!” unacceptable. anywho, you can call me stupid if you want…i 100% believe in God and i put all of my faith into him. and i have all the proof i need, my proof just doesn’t make sense to people like you. i guess you probably never believed in santa clause either. sad.
@beebizzle - No dear, Santa isn’t real
I gave my opinion, you responded to it with a question and I responded with an answer. I never attacked you so you shouldn’t attack me. I think I’ve already made my point here.
@ToMarilyn - you did attack me. maybe not personally, but you did. you called me stupid and unintelligent for having 100% faith in God. have a great day
@beebizzle - Again, no dear. I started my (original) sentence with “I think it’s stupid to…” Not “It is stupid to…” Just the phrase “I think” already means that it was an opinion and that I understood that it is not something everyone would agree with. I was simply replying to the question the poster asked, which was “Are atheists more intelligent?” My answer was no, and that devout Christians were no more intelligent neither. They have equal intelligence in the sense that they refuse to compromise the ideas that God does/does not exist and rather take one side.
So I do apologize for saying that it is stupid to think one way or the other, what I really meant was that it isn’t intelligent.
@ToMarilyn - “So I do apologize for saying that it is stupid to think one way or the other, what I really meant was that it isn’t intelligent.” lol, that’s kind of like saying hey, you’re not ugly…you’re just not attractive. =D
Yes, unless they waste their time answering this question and trying to explain why to the xtian dolts who are, by their very nation, incapable of grasping logic.
@school_geek_oddball - agreed.
@SKANLYN - Well, I am a Christian who happend to agree with @school_geek_oddball ‘s comment which happens to be very resonable. You know what I think a good measure of stupidity is? Buying into stereoypes. Which as one can see in the comments on this post, is something some Atheists (including yourself) and some Christains do.
generalizing is a very dangerous thing children :/
Atheist groups tend to unintentionally embarrass themselves a lot due to all of the obnoxious shit they pull. (This is coming from a fellow atheist)
If they want a holiday to celebrate reason, then that’s great, but there is no reason to interfere with other religions. That’s just ridiculous.
@sas07 - thank you, I’m glad you agree. I’m Christian too, by the way.
@beebizzle - Exactly, they don’t mean the same thing. Not being attractive doesn’t mean you’re ugly, it just means you’re average. Not being intelligent doesn’t mean you’re stupid, either. Which was my point that neither Atheists nor devout Christians were “intelligent” (in the logical sense) since they either believe too deeply in something that has not yet proven or shun something completely that has yet to be disproven. I’m taking a neutral stance on the subject, and I don’t understand why you’re attacking me as if I were taking one side (the opposing side, apparently), I’m not.
Perhaps I should’ve just said “Atheists are no smarter than Christians” without elaborating on why.
I don’t really think you’re reacting to my comments in a very mature/intellectual way, which no offense proves my point. If I read a comment that I felt was attacking me indirectly but wasn’t referring to me, I probably would’ve just ignored it because a) People have their own opinions. If this person is stupid, then let them be. I don’t have to prove myself. b) Who cares? It’s the internet
There will always be people who feel differently than you, some voice their opinions and some don’t. What is it that you’re trying to prove? Furthermore, it had bothered you to the point where you had to dedicate a blog to it? Why waste your time with someone like me? If you find me stupid, then simply ignore me and laugh it off.
I’m not responding to you because I find you stupid or because I want to argue with you. I’m just trying to explain myself and hopefully help you understand what I mean by all this.
Religion has nothing to do with intelligence.
ONLY a fool says in his heart there is no God
Psalm 14:1-3 The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds, there is none that does good. The LORD looks down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there are any that act wisely, that seek after God. They have all gone astray, they are all alike corrupt; there is none that does good, no, not one.
Very soon peoples eyes will be open to the coming disaster. I read the back of the book and I now the ending. And its not good.
I know quoting scripture piss people off but deal with it.
Philip. 2:9-11
Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: [10] That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; [11] And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
EVERYONE will confess. That includes so called atheists.