Religious people are less intelligent than atheists, according to scientific studies

[Brooklyn]

Religious people are less intelligent than atheists, according to analysis of scores of scientific studies stretching back over decades.

Study found 'a reliable negative relation between intelligence and religiosity' in 53 out of 63 studies

A new review of 63 scientific studies stretching back over decades has concluded that religious people are less intelligent than non-believers.

A piece of University of Rochester analysis, led by Professor Miron Zuckerman, found “a reliable negative relation between intelligence and religiosity” in 53 out of 63 studies.

According to the study entitled, 'The Relation Between Intelligence and Religiosity: A Meta-Analysis and Some Proposed Explanations', published in the 'Personality and Social Psychology Review', even during early years the more intelligent a child is the more likely it would be to turn away from religion.

In old age above average intelligence people are less likely to believe, the researchers also found. One of the studies used in Zuckerman's paper was a life-long analysis of the beliefs of 1,500 gifted children with with IQs over 135.

The study began in 1921 and continues today. Even in extreme old age the subjects had much lower levels of religious belief than the average population. The review, which is the first systematic meta-analysis of the 63 studies conducted in between 1928 and 2012, showed that of the 63 studies, 53 showed a negative correlation between intelligence and religiosity, while 10 showed a positive one.

Only two studies showed significant positive correlations and significant negative correlations were seen in a total of 35 studies. The authors of the review looked at each study independently, taking into account the quality of data collection, the size of the sample and the analysis methods used.

The three psychologists carrying out the review defined intelligence as the “ability to reason, plan, solve problems, think abstractly, comprehend complex ideas, learn quickly, and learn from experience”. Religiosity is defined by the psychologists as involvement in some (or all) facets of religion.

According to the review, other factors - such as gender or education - did not make any difference to the correlation between intelligence and religious belief. The level of belief, or otherwise, did however vary dependent upon age with the correlation found to be weakest among the pre-college population.

The paper concludes that: "Most extant explanations (of a negative relation) share one central theme —the premise that religious beliefs are irrational, not anchored in science, not testable and, therefore, unappealing to intelligent people who 'know better'."

Criticisms of the conclusions include that the paper only deals with a definition of analytic intelligence and fails to consider newly identified forms of creative and emotional intelligence. The psychologists who carried out the review also sought to pre-empt the secularist interpretation of the findings by suggesting that more intelligent people are less likely to have religious beliefs as they associate themselves with ideas around personal control. "Intelligent people typically spend more time in school - a form of self-regulation that may yield long-term benefits," the researchers wrote.

"More intelligent people get higher level jobs (and better employment (and higher salary) may lead to higher self-esteem, and encourage personal control beliefs."


Source: Religious people are less intelligent than atheists, according to analysis of scores of scientific studies stretching back over decades - Science - News - The Independent

 

[Analogia Malenga]

it is well known kwamba...imani ikizidi uwezo wa kufikiri unapungua

 

[IGWE]

it is well known kwamba...imani ikizidi uwezo wa kufikiri unapungua

Huu ni ukweli ingawa ni mgumu kumeza mkuu,...check walokole na wavaa visuruali vifupi then you will understand what i mean.

 

[Analogia Malenga]

Huu ni ukweli ingawa ni mgumu kumeza mkuu,...check walokole na wavaa visuruali vifupi then you will understand what i mean.

nashukuru kwamba umenielewa...na kunipa mifano hai kabisa........ ni vema kuwa na facts na hakika katika dunia ya leo...... we should not depend on scriptures in understanding ethics ..... socrates

 

[Inside10]

it is well known kwamba...imani ikizidi uwezo wa kufikiri unapungua

Ustaadh Ponda

 

[Analogia Malenga]

Ustaadh Ponda

Mi simo

 

[Kikwajuni One]

it is well known kwamba...imani ikizidi uwezo wa kufikiri unapungua

Huko kutokuwa na dini,ndio dini yenyewe,dini maana ni mfumo wa maisha,sasa iweje mtu aseme hana dini.Hao wanaosema hawana dini,hawajuwa nini maana ya dini.Dini,maana yake ni mfumo wa maisha unaojichagulia,huko kusema huna dini ndio dini yenyewe.

 

[Kikwajuni One]

Watu wanashindwa kuelewa maana ya dini.Dini ni mfumo wa maisha unaojichagulia.Hata huyo anayesema hana,uko mfumo fulani wa maisha uliojichagulia,huo mfumo wa kusema hana dini,ndio dini yenyewe.

 

[malipula]

I think atheists are synonymous to communists..but i know many atheists who are not intelligent as well.How do you measure somebody"s intelligent anyway?

 

[mathcom]

Waache tu wajitetee hao wasiomtambua Mungu. Mungu anawaona vizuri tu na ameahidi kuwa atawanyooshea maisha yao ili wajione kwamba hivyo wanavyoamini nisawa ila siku ya hukumu hawatakua na pakukimbilia!!!

 

[Mwandwanga]

Huu ni ukweli ingawa ni mgumu kumeza mkuu,...check walokole na wavaa visuruali vifupi then you will understand what i mean.

Vice versa z Ukweli chief.

 

[Torch]

they're not happy anywhere..
hawa watu ni janga

 

[Good Guy]

Ahhh, the old age debate between science and the religion on who knows better! Atheists(mostly scientists) term religious people as of low intelligence since they're stagnant and won't change their methodology and minds even over logical things! Ilianzia tangu kwa kina Galileo ambapo waliadhibiwa na kuuwawa by the hand of the church just by claiming the Earth is not the centre of the universe and that its just a small part that rotates the sun and stuff.

I'm a scientist and i do believe in the existence of God, but i also believe he put forward a set of rules through which our universe operates, ila vitu kama kurelate lack of maybe rain with demons na kuanza kukemea and stuff au kupinga kwa nguvu zote evolution when there is proof everywhere on fossils collected na kusema science is demonic ni baadhi ya vitu vinavyosababisha kauli hizo. I think ni vyema kama dini zingekua zinapokea baadhi ya vitu positively na sio kupinga tu just because they're not in the holly books.

Another thing personally i never get ni demonic possession, really?

 

[malisoka]

Unajua unapozungumzia dini kwamba watu wanafuata dini are less intelligent tha what?

Mimi nafikiri ni vizuri kwenda mbali kidogo kuliko kukaa tu kwenye utafiti kama huu, lakini mimi ninasema hivi utafiti ni utafiti na tuangalie ukweli halisi katika maisha haya yetu toka Adamu mpaka sasa. Ukisema dini kwa harakaharaka ni Waislamu, Wakristo nk.


Kwa upande wa Wakristo si kweli kwamba watu wanaomfuta Mungu halafu wanakuwa chini kiakili kuliko wale amabo hawafuati dini au Mungu. Ndugu katika historia ya Ukristo kuna watu wengi sana ambao walikuwa wako juu kuliko watu wote kwa wakati huo kwa mfano Mfalme Solomonni, Mussa, Joshua na nk. Sitaki kufuata nyia hii kwa sababu inaweza kuwa kwaza baadhi ya watu.

kwa kifupi ndio hivyo kwa kudhibitisha hayo soma makala hii na utapima mwenyewe kwamba hata hapo kabla mpaka sasa tunatumia mawazo makubwa ya watu waliokuwa na dini zao na waliokuwa wanamwamini Mungu kikwelikweli na kwa namna moja au nyingine tunaishi katika dunia kwa sababu ya Mungu na hao ambao yeye mungu aliwapa uwezo wa kufanya yale Mungu aliyotaka wafanye huku wakumuamini Mungu. Kumbuka wansayansi ndiyo watu wenye akili kuliko wote kumbuka hilo.

NB: tafiti sinazohusu dini kwa ujumla zikifanyika ulaya na marekani zinaleta matokeo potofu na nia yao ni kufanya watu wasimuamini Mungu ila wafuata mambo ya dunia hii.



Ebu pitieni makala hii muone hawa religious people walivyo fanya mambo yao hapa duniani.



Belief in God

Is belief in the existence of God irrational? These days, many famous scientists are also strong proponents of atheism. However, in the past, and even today, many scientists believe that God exists and is responsible for what we see in nature. This is a small sampling of scientists who contributed to the development of modern science while believing in God. Although many people believe in a "God of the gaps", these scientists, and still others alive today, believe because of the evidence.

1. Nicholas Copernicus (1473-1543)
   Copernicus was the Polish astronomer who put forward the first mathematically based system of planets going around the sun. He attended various European universities, and became a Canon in the Catholic church in 1497. His new system was actually first presented in the Vatican gardens in 1533 before Pope Clement VII who approved, and urged Copernicus to publish it around this time. Copernicus was never under any threat of religious persecution - and was urged to publish both by Catholic Bishop Guise, Cardinal Schonberg, and the Protestant Professor George Rheticus. Copernicus referred sometimes to God in his works, and did not see his system as in conflict with the Bible.
2. Sir Francis Bacon (1561-1627)
   Bacon was a philosopher who is known for establishing the scientific method of inquiry based on experimentation and inductive reasoning. In De Interpretatione Naturae Prooemium, Bacon established his goals as being the discovery of truth, service to his country, and service to the church. Although his work was based upon experimentation and reasoning, he rejected atheism as being the result of insufficient depth of philosophy, stating, "It is true, that a little philosophy inclineth man's mind to atheism, but depth in philosophy bringeth men's minds about to religion; for while the mind of man looketh upon second causes scattered, it may sometimes rest in them, and go no further; but when it beholdeth the chain of them confederate, and linked together, it must needs fly to Providence and Deity." (Of Atheism)
3. Johannes Kepler (1571-1630)
   Kepler was a brilliant mathematician and astronomer. He did early work on light, and established the laws of planetary motion about the sun. He also came close to reaching the Newtonian concept of universal gravity - well before Newton was born! His introduction of the idea of force in astronomy changed it radically in a modern direction. Kepler was an extremely sincere and pious Lutheran, whose works on astronomy contain writings about how space and the heavenly bodies represent the Trinity. Kepler suffered no persecution for his open avowal of the sun-centered system, and, indeed, was allowed as a Protestant to stay in Catholic Graz as a Professor (1595-1600) when other Protestants had been expelled!
4. Galileo Galilei (1564-1642)
   Galileo is often remembered for his conflict with the Roman Catholic Church. His controversial work on the solar system was published in 1633. It had no proofs of a sun-centered system (Galileo's telescope discoveries did not indicate a moving earth) and his one "proof" based upon the tides was invalid. It ignored the correct elliptical orbits of planets published twenty five years earlier by Kepler. Since his work finished by putting the Pope's favorite argument in the mouth of the simpleton in the dialogue, the Pope (an old friend of Galileo's) was very offended. After the "trial" and being forbidden to teach the sun-centered system, Galileo did his most useful theoretical work, which was on dynamics. Galileo expressly said that the Bible cannot err, and saw his system as an alternate interpretation of the biblical texts.
5. Rene Descartes (1596-1650)
   Descartes was a French mathematician, scientist and philosopher who has been called the father of modern philosophy. His school studies made him dissatisfied with previous philosophy: He had a deep religious faith as a Roman Catholic, which he retained to his dying day, along with a resolute, passionate desire to discover the truth. At the age of 24 he had a dream, and felt the vocational call to seek to bring knowledge together in one system of thought. His system began by asking what could be known if all else were doubted - suggesting the famous "I think therefore I am". Actually, it is often forgotten that the next step for Descartes was to establish the near certainty of the existence of God - for only if God both exists and would not want us to be deceived by our experiences - can we trust our senses and logical thought processes. God is, therefore, central to his whole philosophy. What he really wanted to see was that his philosophy be adopted as standard Roman Catholic teaching. Rene Descartes and Francis Bacon (1561-1626) are generally regarded as the key figures in the development of scientific methodology. Both had systems in which God was important, and both seem more devout than the average for their era.
6. Blaise Pascal (1623-1662)
7. Pascal was a French mathematician, physicist, inventor, writer and theologian. In mathematics, he published a treatise on the subject of projective geometry and established the foundation for probability theory. Pascal invented a mechanical calculator, and established the principles of vacuums and the pressure of air. He was raised a Roman Catholic, but in 1654 had a religious vision of God, which turned the direction of his study from science to theology. Pascal began publishing a theological work, Lettres provinciales, in 1656. His most influential theological work, the Pensées ("Thoughts"), was a defense of Christianity, which was published after his death. The most famous concept from Pensées was Pascal's Wager. Pascal's last words were, "May God never abandon me."
8. Isaac Newton (1642-1727)
   In optics, mechanics, and mathematics, Newton was a figure of undisputed genius and innovation. In all his science (including chemistry) he saw mathematics and numbers as central. What is less well known is that he was devoutly religious and saw numbers as involved in understanding God's plan for history from the Bible. He did a considerable work on biblical numerology, and, though aspects of his beliefs were not orthodox, he thought theology was very important. In his system of physics, God was essential to the nature and absoluteness of space. In Principia he stated, "The most beautiful system of the sun, planets, and comets, could only proceed from the counsel and dominion of an intelligent and powerful Being."
9. Robert Boyle (1791-1867)
   One of the founders and key early members of the Royal Society, Boyle gave his name to "Boyle's Law" for gases, and also wrote an important work on chemistry. Encyclopedia Britannica says of him: "By his will he endowed a series of Boyle lectures, or sermons, which still continue, 'for proving the Christian religion against notorious infidels...' As a devout Protestant, Boyle took a special interest in promoting the Christian religion abroad, giving money to translate and publish the New Testament into Irish and Turkish. In 1690 he developed his theological views in The Christian Virtuoso, which he wrote to show that the study of nature was a central religious duty." Boyle wrote against atheists in his day (the notion that atheism is a modern invention is a myth), and was clearly much more devoutly Christian than the average in his era.
10. Michael Faraday (1791-1867)
    Michael Faraday was the son of a blacksmith who became one of the greatest scientists of the 19th century. His work on electricity and magnetism not only revolutionized physics, but led to much of our lifestyles today, which depends on them (including computers and telephone lines and, so, web sites). Faraday was a devoutly Christian member of the Sandemanians, which significantly influenced him and strongly affected the way in which he approached and interpreted nature. Originating from Presbyterians, the Sandemanians rejected the idea of state churches, and tried to go back to a New Testament type of Christianity.
11. Gregor Mendel (1822-1884)
    Mendel was the first to lay the mathematical foundations of genetics, in what came to be called "Mendelianism". He began his research in 1856 (three years before Darwin published his Origin of Species) in the garden of the Monastery in which he was a monk. Mendel was elected Abbot of his Monastery in 1868. His work remained comparatively unknown until the turn of the century, when a new generation of botanists began finding similar results and "rediscovered" him (though their ideas were not identical to his). An interesting point is that the 1860's was notable for formation of the X-Club, which was dedicated to lessening religious influences and propagating an image of "conflict" between science and religion. One sympathizer was Darwin's cousin Francis Galton, whose scientific interest was in genetics (a proponent of eugenics - selective breeding among humans to "improve" the stock). He was writing how the "priestly mind" was not conducive to science while, at around the same time, an Austrian monk was making the breakthrough in genetics. The rediscovery of the work of Mendel came too late to affect Galton's contribution.
12. William Thomson Kelvin (1824-1907)
    Kelvin was foremost among the small group of British scientists who helped to lay the foundations of modern physics. His work covered many areas of physics, and he was said to have more letters after his name than anyone else in the Commonwealth, since he received numerous honorary degrees from European Universities, which recognized the value of his work. He was a very committed Christian, who was certainly more religious than the average for his era. Interestingly, his fellow physicists George Gabriel Stokes (1819-1903) and James Clerk Maxwell (1831-1879) were also men of deep Christian commitment, in an era when many were nominal, apathetic, or anti-Christian. The Encyclopedia Britannica says "Maxwell is regarded by most modern physicists as the scientist of the 19th century who had the greatest influence on 20th century physics; he is ranked with Sir Isaac Newton and Albert Einstein for the fundamental nature of his contributions." Lord Kelvin was an Old Earth creationist, who estimated the Earth's age to be somewhere between 20 million and 100 million years, with an upper limit at 500 million years based on cooling rates (a low estimate due to his lack of knowledge about radiogenic heating).
13. Max Planck (1858-1947)
    Planck made many contributions to physics, but is best known for quantum theory, which revolutionized our understanding of the atomic and sub-atomic worlds. In his 1937 lecture "Religion and Naturwissenschaft," Planck expressed the view that God is everywhere present, and held that "the holiness of the unintelligible Godhead is conveyed by the holiness of symbols." Atheists, he thought, attach too much importance to what are merely symbols. Planck was a churchwarden from 1920 until his death, and believed in an almighty, all-knowing, beneficent God (though not necessarily a personal one). Both science and religion wage a "tireless battle against skepticism and dogmatism, against unbelief and superstition" with the goal "toward God!"
14. Albert Einstein (1879-1955)
    Einstein is probably the best known and most highly revered scientist of the twentieth century, and is associated with major revolutions in our thinking about time, gravity, and the conversion of matter to energy (E=mc[SUP]2[/SUP]). Although never coming to belief in a personal God, he recognized the impossibility of a non-created universe. The Encyclopedia Britannica says of him: "Firmly denying atheism, Einstein expressed a belief in "Spinoza's God who reveals himself in the harmony of what exists." This actually motivated his interest in science, as he once remarked to a young physicist: "I want to know how God created this world, I am not interested in this or that phenomenon, in the spectrum of this or that element. I want to know His thoughts, the rest are details." Einstein's famous epithet on the "uncertainty principle" was "God does not play dice" - and to him this was a real statement about a God in whom he believed. A famous saying of his was "Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind."

Source : postgiver | Narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

 

[Analogia Malenga]

Huko kutokuwa na dini,ndio dini yenyewe,dini maana ni mfumo wa maisha,sasa iweje mtu aseme hana dini.Hao wanaosema hawana dini,hawajuwa nini maana ya dini.Dini,maana yake ni mfumo wa maisha unaojichagulia,huko kusema huna dini ndio dini yenyewe.

Nadhani neno atheists hujaipata maana yake vizuri, atheists halina maana kuwa mtu asiye na dini. Nakubaliana na wewe hakuna mtu asiye na dini ila we katafute maana halisi ya atheists halafu ndo unijibu, mimi siwezi kukueleza maana ya atheists coz ni neno la kawaida la kiingereza.

 

[Mjuni Lwambo]

Huko kutokuwa na dini,ndio dini yenyewe,dini maana ni mfumo wa maisha,sasa iweje mtu aseme hana dini.Hao wanaosema hawana dini,hawajuwa nini maana ya dini.Dini,maana yake ni mfumo wa maisha unaojichagulia,huko kusema huna dini ndio dini yenyewe.

Mkuu, kuna utofauti fulani katika hicho unachosema, mfumo wa maisha unaweza usimaanishe dini.

 

[Mjuni Lwambo]

it is well known kwamba...imani ikizidi uwezo wa kufikiri unapungua

Mimi naungana na walio crititize, sababu inaweza kuchangiwa na ukweli kwamba wengi wanaojihusisha sana na masuala ya dini wanashindwa ku deal sana na masuala ya elimu, ndio maana utakuta kweli uwezo wa ku reason upo chini, Lakini ukikuta mtu wa dini alipata muda wa kuingia darasani pia, wanakuwa ma intelligent vilevile, mfano mapadre na maaskofu wa kikatoliki

 

[Ndebile]

hivi Yona alimezwa na samaki aina gani? Nilisikia baba anasema hata Mungu hamjuhi kama ni papa ama nyangumi na aliishia kutaja tu!..'Samaki mkubwa'!

 

[Nkwesa Makambo]

Ahhh, the old age debate between science and the religion on who knows better! Atheists(mostly scientists) term religious people as of low intelligence since they're stagnant and won't change their methodology and minds even over logical things! Ilianzia tangu kwa kina Galileo ambapo waliadhibiwa na kuuwawa by the hand of the church just by claiming the Earth is not the centre of the universe and that its just a small part that rotates the sun and stuff. I'm a scientist and i do believe in the existence of God, but i also believe he put forward a set of rules through which our universe operates, ila vitu kama kurelate lack of maybe rain with demons na kuanza kukemea and stuff au kupinga kwa nguvu zote evolution when there is proof everywhere on fossils collected na kusema science is demonic ni baadhi ya vitu vinavyosababisha kauli hizo. I think ni vyema kama dini zingekua zinapokea baadhi ya vitu positively na sio kupinga tu just because they're not in the holly books.Another thing personally i never get ni demonic possession, really?

Red: Zikowapi hizo ''collected proof of evolutions'' ? ina maana wewe kama ni mzazi nawe unawafundisha wanao kwamba binadam wametokana na evolution,kwamba hata wewe ni advanced SOKWE tu kutokana na evolutions?

Ndugu yangu mimi ni Theist, naamini katika evolution at micro level,na sio macro level kama waumini wa evolution wanavyotaka kutuaminisha, na amini evolutions katika species moja na si kwamba samaki anaweza kuwa tembo, au tutegemee baada ya miaka millioni moja kutokana na mabadiliko ya tabia nchi binadam wanaweza kubadilika na kuwa Twiga kwa kuwa joto litaongezeka na vyakula kuadimika kwani miti ya miiba itatawala ambayo hustahimili ukame,hivyo katika juhudi za binadam kuendana na ahali halisi shingo itarefuka na kuwa kama twiga tuwaonao leo au mfano wao,(ujinga huu mimi siwezi kumfundisha mwanangu, ama wanangu nawaambia ukweli, evolution hawaezi kuielewa kama inazungumziwa at macro level, wanatakiwa wakariri tu ili waweze kujibu maswali, SIO KWELI nao wanatakiwa kutafakari...

 

[Drifter]

Ukweli wa hoja hii unaishia pale ambapo jamii za "waumini" zinapomtenga Mungu na elimu kwa upana wake. Kwa muda mrefu sasa kumekuwepo na juhudi za nguvu sana toka kwa "viongozi wa kiroho" hasa wa imani zenye mlengo mkali (dini zote) kupiga vita elimu na matumizi ya akili katika masuala ya Mungu. Hii ndio imewafanya waumini wengi kuweka akili zao pembeni na kutegemea za hao viongozi wao kwa karibia kila jambo. Mimi huwa nahusisha suala hili na utapeli wa wazi kabisa kwani naamini kwa dhati kabisa kwamba elimu na uwezo wa kufikiri ni rasilimali na nyenzo muhimu sana tulizopewa na Mwenyenzi Mungu ili kutuwezesha kumfahamu yeye na ukuu wake kwa kiasi Kikubwa na ili tuweze kuendesha vyema maisha yetu katika dunia hii.

Hao wanaowasisitizia waumini kutotumia akili zao katika kumfuata Mungu lengo lao kuu ni kuwadhibiti watu hao wawe mazuzu ili wawachume kwa kila aina ya ulaghai kwa kuwaaminisha kwamba wao ndio wenye funguo ya kumfikia Mungu. Kwenye Ukristo utasikia wao ndio "wanaotumiwa sana na Mungu"; ndio "waliopakwa mafuta"; maombi yao ndiyo yanayosikilizwa na Mungu; wewe ukijaribu kumuendea Kristo na Mungu peke yako hutasikilizwa vizuri bila wao kuweka mkono wao!

Kinachonistaajabisha siku hizi, ni kuona watu haohao wanaodai Mungu haendewi kwa kutumia akili au elimu wanahangaika kutambulika kama wasomi wakuu wenye PhD, Doctorate na kwamba wamebobea katika fani za usomi. Aidha, wanataka kutambuliwa hivyo kila mahali pamoja na nyadhfa nyingine kibao: mheshimiwa, n.k.
Kwangu mimi mahubiri ya kweli yanatakiwa kusisitiza umuhimu wa kujenga akili na kuitumia kwa manufaa ya Mwenyenzi Mungu na jamii kwa ujumla.

Mfalme Suleiman katika vyote alimuomba Mungu ampe hekima. Hekima ndio mkusanyiko wote unaomjenga mtu kiakili na kibusara. Cha maana kama ilivyo kwa mengine, mtu asitumie uwezo wake kiakili kuwapuuza binadamu wenzake na hususan Mwenyenzi Mungu ambaye ndiye mmiliki wa maarifa yote. Dini zetu zimeshindwa kuliweka sawa suala hili.