Are Atheists More Intelligent Than Religious People?
A new study that is expected to ignite controversy hypothesized that atheists are generally smarter than religious people. Three researchers from University of Rochester and Northeastern University thought so by statistically analyzing the combined results of 63 scientific studies on the matter.
The meta-analysis found that the association with either religiosity or atheism was strongest among university students because that's a time when people are exposed to different ideas and beliefs. It said that "intelligent students are more likely to embrace atheism as a form of non-conformity."
This is often caused by "the self-exploration that typifies emerging adulthood and that is often observed in students" as "the separation from home and the exposure to a context that encourages questioning may allow intelligence to impact religious beliefs."
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It went on to suggest that age is a major factor in a person's religiosity, giving the idea that as a person gets older, he/she is more reliant on emotional attachments. "Religious beliefs can help manage the terror of one's impending death," researchers Miron Zuckerman, Jordan Silberman and Judith A. Hall said.
The researchers solidified their argument by stating that more intelligent people tend to have higher-level jobs and self-esteem which "encourages control of personal beliefs." They also cited IQ sub-tests as the main determinants of intelligence of the 63 studies they used as bases.
The meta-analysis conforms to another study last year by Case Western Reserve University and Babson College in Cleveland which also carried the same unsavory description for Christians as being less smart. But it wasn't kind to atheists either who were noted for their lack of empathy and for their conformity with psychopaths.
"From what we understand about the brain, the leap of faith to belief in the supernatural amounts to pushing aside the critical/analytical way of thinking to help us achieve greater social and emotional insight," said the research team's leader, Professor Tony Jack.
