OK So this is elitist at best, but here’s the rub. Religion is a stupid thing. It doesn’t take brains to believe in stupid things. It DOES take brains to QUESTION stupid things, and then to identify them as stupid.
A study published in the journal “Intelligence” shows the smarter a person is, the less likely they are to believe in God.Ulster University Psychology Professor Richard Lynn found a large percentage of people with a high IQ considered themselves to be atheists.His survey of the Royal Society found that just over three percent believed in God. That compares to nearly 69 percent of Britain’s general population who are believers.During the 20th century, as intelligence levels rose, religious belief in 137 developed nations declined. Critics dismiss Lynn’s research as too simplistic.
You just got pwned, phreedum.
JCC
Really? This makes a “huge” difference? … Only in the addled mind of a believer. Most xians don’t even give a damn about your buybull mythology.
Here’s another recent survey that you guys might find interesting:
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0608/11268.html
Apparently, most folks in this country are pretty flexible in their beliefs. And it’s mostly based on the stuff that makes them feel good, like going to Heaven . Perhaps that shouldn’t be surprising, but it’s a nice reminder when it seems like all we ever hear from are the fundamentalists.
The Authority:
In one version of the folk tale Cinderella, the protagonist gets her name because she is repeatedly forced to retrieve an entire bowl of grain that has been thrown into the ashes of a fireplace. In another version, she is named so simply because she is forced to sit in the ash pit when she has completed her chores.
In either case, it’s still a story about a fairy godmother.
I’m still new here, but just in case you can’t tell from my comment: I’m an atheist. And I happen to have a “high” IQ (in the 130s), HOWEVER:
I don’t think it’s so much a lack of “intelligence” as it is the lack of critical thinking. Anyone — barring some major mental or physical disability — can become a critical thinker: I really believe that.
Our education system has supremely failed to prepare students to be critical thinkers — something I think every student is capable of on some level. I also believe that critical thinking is what separates the “intelligent” from the “masses.” Nothing elitist about it; to be a critical thinker is to be free of mind control (which is basically where most people exist — dependent on perceived authorities and conforming to established norms).
I also think that if you can think critically, you will eventually come to the conclusion there is no god.
Our education system is more and more based on rote memorization, knowledge of facts, and adherence to one or two theories of history / science / culture. Add to that our lemming-like focus on church, fitting in, being on the “winning” team, and being patriotic, and you’ve got a recipe for a bunch of lost potential.
After I got my law degree, I determined that the best thing I can do for the improvement of society is to become a teacher and learn the public school system inside out, so that I can then be part of reforming it.
We’ll see how that goes. I’ve got some 30 years of work ahead of me. And then some!
So if it takes brains to question stupid things, why are there so called “Atheists” who not only refuse to question judaism and zionism, but venomously defend judaism and zionism against criticism from Atheists and preach the racist tenets of judaism?
Clearly, people like these have no business being part of American Atheists, as this violates the Aims & Principles of American Atheists Inc and this flawed mentality should be the subject of criticism of the organization.
I agree, Compostme. Unfortunately, it’s just not natural for so many to level any kind of critical thinking on all areas. We have to get to a point in society where thinking critically about everything, inside and out, no matter how uncomfortable it makes us, is the norm. And like most other important things, if the parents aren’t willing to do their jobs and instill that, it’s up to the schools.
I’ve yet to hear of a grade school that goes anywhere near teaching formal logical logic and fallacies as part of their curriculum or as an elective. I’d suggest that the root cause of that is religion. Questioning is “bad” for them — they can’t take it.
SecularMan,
Those who have read my posts over the years know that I am as hard on the jews and especially the zionists, jew and xian, as anyone else. I have of course been branded as antisemitic and racist but neither label bothers me in the least.
Alexatheist,
Insults from the deluded shouldn’t bother any of us. However, these deluded people who embrace and defend elements of mythology and religious extremism and attack secular freethinkers who expose and criticize faith based racism, ethnic cleansing, apartheid, etc should NEVER be representing atheists or atheist organizations while claiming to be the face and voice of atheism.
This would be like a self described “Muslim Atheist” being the spokesperson of American Atheists and on the board of American Atheists who, on behalf of the organization, proclaims that Islam is a race and that anyone who criticizes the Taliban, Saudia Arabia, or Islam is an “anti-Semite” guilty of “Hate Speech”. And this person then ironically stating “It DOES take brains to QUESTION stupid things, and then to identify them as stupid.” while refusing to ask those questions and attacking those who ask those questions that threatens his religious identity, while the organization he represents sits back and does nothing.
SecularMan and Alex
I agree with your last posts. I wish Alex would reconsider his racism against blacks. His racism against blacks appears irrational to me and taints his posts to this blog.
Alex. Wa sup w’dat?
Twelve years of working and living in and near Durham, NC (37.8% black) is whats up wit’ dat.
Comment from: alexatheist
Hmmm…hardly. Anyone with a superior power would have debated the issue instead of relying on an obvious error…
I agree with What and I’m sure many others. There is no excuse for racism.
As humorous as racial humor may be, racism just isn’t funny, not even tolerable.
Condemning a demographic group based on geographic descent or morphology because of some negative stereotypes, that may be very true of some, is just not rational.
There are many, obvious negative stereotypes of “blacks” in America just like there are negative aspects
and stereotypes of whites in America, ranging from the white trash rednecks, the neo-nazi skinheads, … the list goes on and on, with the categories being vast and specific, a luxury “blacks” don’t have in the USA, being lumped into one, crude blanket category identified only by the color of their skin.
I wouldn’t claim that some southern drawl mumbling white trash bumpkin thief from Alabama who cooks meth in his trailer with the rebel flag on the side is the definition of “white” or an excuse for having animosity toward “whites”.
I don’t see condemning people who are black while claiming that any negative behavior is a result of their skin color being any different than a jew condemning the goyim or the non-jew Palestinians claiming that any negative behavior is a result of not being a jew and being a gentile/goy.
Ebonics is just as ridiculous as many southern “white” dialects. In fact the two are probably linked. But neither are representative of the vast amount of people who have the same or similar skin color or descent as those who butcher the English language.
Ah, thank Y’all mat ugree, that folks ought not to be messed with cause of how sum folks may talk funny. We should be fixin tuh fat the babble banger varmints who are forsin gawd on y’all and messin with yur rats.
Thats wut I reckon.
Comment from: compostme
This is a very noble choice…
However, I believe you’ll soon learn that our educational system is dumbed down by design.
http://www.eagleforum.org/educate/marc_tucker/
Good luck…fight the good fight. It’s refreshing to find someone who’s willing to place others well being ahead of their own…
‘Secularman’:
Oh, yeah, Hetman, your chubby for Israel’s showing.
Look in a mirror. Practice what you ‘preach’.
Hypocrite.
Islam isn’t a race. Jewish is.
Here’s your definition:
1. A local geographic or global human population distinguished as a more or less distinct group by genetically transmitted physical characteristics.
2. A group of people united or classified together on the basis of common history, nationality, or geographic distribution: the German race.
3. A genealogical line; a lineage.
4. Humans considered as a group.
All 4…wow.
I’m surprised that David puts up w/your presence, ‘Freethinker’.
Evidence:
I’d suggest you read the whole paper, not just quote the parts you like.
There’s no mention of where this study was done, how many people involved, demographics, etc.
No, it’s not the religion that helped contribute, it was the person.
Smallpox blankets.
Indiscriminate slaughter of buffalo.
Introduction of syphilis.
Slavery.
Go look up the Goan Inquisition while you’re @ it.
KA
Really? I don’t see how SecularMan was being hypocritical.
Alex
I just returned from a week long visit to Cary, NC. That was my first visit to the Raleigh/Durham area. There sure are a lot of chain-smok’n ignorant white folk living there. Beautiful area though.
KA, you must be longing to show the world just how immature and foolish you are.
If its not childish name calling, its baseless accusations, or red herrings, or cursing, or using the “I know you are but what am I” routine.
You are not only embarrassing yourself but others with your juvenile & irrational behavior and lack of knowledge KA.
Lets try to make it simple for you KA, a religion is NOT a race. If a religion preaches that it is a race, that does NOT make it true.
And if a religion is made up of numerous races, they all do NOT then belong to another religious race.
Example: Judaism preaches that it is a race, based on myth based racist beliefs. Like the rest of judaism, this is a false and incorrect faith based belief.
Jews, those who believe in judaism, are comprised of Europeans, Sub-Saharan Africans, North Africans, Middle Eastern Arabs, Persians, Hispanics, and Asians… all separate and different races. None of them are from a local geographic area, none of them are united by a common history, none of them are united by nationality, none are united by geographic distribution, none of them are united by a common culture, their lineage is no more common than all others of the human species and share more of a common lineage with those of different religions in their areas.
You failed again. BAM! You should feel pretty stupid, but don’t feel alone though, Dave Silverman fails at realizing these facts as well. Unless you have gotten used to being intellectually thrashed, or just love to be embarrassed and exposed for being dim you should just keep your delusions to yourself.
Cary is the least representative area of the Triangle and is known both for its Stepford wives/soccer moms and its majority northeastern population (Cary is an acronym of “Containment Area for Relocated Yankees”). Everyone who lives in this area takes the piss with Cary.
You should have come to Chapel Hill to see what a town with the highest per capita population of PhDs looks like.
Alex
Yes. That’s what a cab driver told me.
Really? Even more than Los Alamos? My kind’a town.
Alex
What’s up with smoking in NC? Everywhere I went there were smokers.
I am reminded of the “Gangs of new york”.Nobody accused anyone of being messed up because they were white. It was just a dysfunctional white culture ,which also makes its way into every race to some extent.
I think I better clarify that ,It was a criminal culture where the majority of the people just happen to be white.
There is little question that exposure to a scientific education reduces the likelihood that a person will believe in God, and does so in a more or less linear fashion (about 10% of the general population are atheists/agnostics, 40% of doctors, 60% of research scientists, and 93% of National Academy members).
SecularMAN!:
So, you wear a cape? A mask? Big black ‘S’ on your chest?
I just gave you the definition of race from the dictionary. The Jews fit the bill. Like the Germans. Or the Irish. Even though both stem from the same sources.
Very monochromatic. False dichotomy. It can be BOTH.
Of course, your religion won’t allow that.
You sound just like phreddy or jcc. “I WIN! I WIN!” Regardless of being proven wrong.
You argue like a theist.
What:
Trust me, he’s a raving anti-Semite. I’ve dealt w/him before. David’s deleted his posts in the past. SM’s just cleaned his act up lately.
KA is right in regard to Jews, SM. You’re forming, as KA pointed out, a false dichotemy, which is a logical fallacy, which is a rather poor thing to be using in an a discussion you want to claim to be winning.
What makes a “race” a race is a common set of genetic characteristics brough about by breeding isolation. Period. And there is a part of the Jewish population that fits that characteristic.
Cynic
My family was “isolated” in a small town that produced almost nothing but french, polish and blackfoot offspring. A new race is born?
I think Secularman makes some valid points concerning jewish claims to race.
The disctinction from one “race” to another is and must be drawn along arbitrary lines. That isn’t to say that they “don’t exist” though. Your argument trends dangerously toward Loki’s Wager, which is a fallacy (look it up). More importantly, it’s a dead ringer for a slippery slope fallacy, where you take an argument and twist it to extremes in an attempt to make it look silly.
Jews, as a whole, are prone to certain diseases (such as Tay-Sachs) to degrees that others are not, and vice versa, just as blacks, as a whole, tend to be more prone to certain diseases (such as sickle cell anemia).
Again, the distinction between species and race and family are arbitrary and a matter of degree. It’s not just something observed, it’s demanded by evolution that it happen.
Here’s an example of how much your intelligence has done for you…
[..has helped you.]
How apropos!
I have to laugh at myself for that one.