Hmmm . . . I haven't yet read this article and probably won't till later this evening, but as soon as I saw it I thought of Nairaland and the controversy it would stir up here.

My initial thoughts from just reading the title was . . . How did they measure Intelligence and is their definition of Intelligence solid?


anyway here it is. . .
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/religious-people-are-less-intelligent-than-atheists-analysis-of-over-63-scientific-studies-stretching-back-over-decades-concludes-8758046.html

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.

atheist crap to make themselves feel better about their empty soul. its one of those 'blow some smoke up an atheist butt articles' yeah like intelligence can be quantified. intelligence is an ambiguous entity.

I don't know if calling this researcers dumb will do. To come up with the conclusion below smarks not just of a unique breed of ignorance, but also, a conspicous contempt for religion.
....
From the site.
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'." 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."

obadiah777: atheist crap to make themselves feel better about their empty soul. its one of those 'blow some smoke up an atheist butt articles' yeah like intelligence can be quantified. intelligence is an ambiguous entity.

I'mon Lord Obadiah, you know that intelligence can be measured using several types of tests and metrics.
Infact, nairaland religious section is one of those metrics.
Look at Nigeria. Does it appear to you that intelligent life exists in that country?

This just puts scientific validation to what has been known for ages.

Religious belief = Faith =irrationality = cognitive desonance= stupidity.

Religion flourishes when people know less and have less control of their lives.

Religious people are ones who choose or are molded to be passive observers of the dynamics of existence, with a misguided reliance on extraneous forces and powers to navigate oceans of life.

Intelligent nonreligious people, on the other hand, choose to be active participants in the very dynamics of existence.

How intelligent can anyone who believes that
1+1+1=1 be?

plaetton:

I'mon Lord Obadiah, you know that intelligence can be measured using several types of tests and metrics.
Infact, nairaland religious section is one of those metrics.
Look at Nigeria. Does it appear to you that intelligent life exists in that country?

Noooooooooooooooo!
Absolutely none!

plaetton: This just puts scientific validation to what has been known for ages.

Religious belief = Faith =irrationality = cognitive desonance= stupidity.

Religion flourishes when people know less and have less control of their lives.

Religious people are ones who choose or are molded to be passive observers of the dynamics of existence, with a misguided reliance on extraneous forces and powers to navigate oceans of life.

Intelligent nonreligious people, on the other hand, choose to be active participants in the very dynamics of existence.

How intelligent can anyone who believes that
1+1+1=1 be?

Even without confirming the authenticity of the report, nor, analyzing it yourself you have to agree.
Plaetton, now tell me the difference between you and the theists you perceive to be gullible?

Reyginus: Even without confirming the authenticity of the report, nor, analyzing it yourself you have to agree.
Plaetton, now tell me the difference between you and the theists you perceive to be gullible?

My point is that the information, from whatever source, is not a new one. It is something that I have concluded very very long ago.

plaetton:

My point is that the information, from whatever source, is not a new one. It is something that I have concluded very very long ago.

Intetesting.
You have anything to say about the research?

plaetton: This just puts scientific validation to what has been known for ages.

Religious belief = Faith =irrationality = cognitive desonance= stupidity.

Religion flourishes when people know less and have less control of their lives.

Religious people are ones who choose or are molded to be passive observers of the dynamics of existence, with a misguided reliance on extraneous forces and powers to navigate oceans of life.

Intelligent nonreligious people, on the other hand, choose to be active participants in the very dynamics of existence.

How intelligent can anyone who believes that
1+1+1=1 be?

So 1 + 1 = 2 is intelligent, huh. I hope you know that runs contrary to the Law of Identity by which 1 + 1 = 1 + 1 and nothing else. Or maybe when I think that Athena the goddess of reason sprung out of a whimsical Zeus, I should think of how atheism was birthed in ages of deep religiosity. But someone is deep in his mire of truth, nothing would shake him otherwise except that which he owns but inadvertently denies.

The short answer is Yes. But that answer can be very misleading, so a longer answer is necessary. And I must place the caveat that we’re talking of a type of intelligence that can be measured using certain accepted metrics.

Intelligent people are less likely to search for answers in unexplained phenomena and choose to accept only that which can be explained rationally. To be sure, the most intelligent person in the world could well be a religious person and the dumbest could well be an atheist. But once we get into numbers, you will find a far higher proportion of intelligent atheists than religious folk. You can, in fact, see corroborating facts here on Nairaland. But to give a specific example, pick up any tape of Pastor Chris Oyakhilome’s. After watching, there’s a likelihood you will conclude that it’s so glaring the man is a con-artist that anyone has to be as dumb as a bottle not to see it. It may be the case that many, possibly most, of his followers are dumb, but you find a few of them who are not.

Now, why do some people question convention and some don’t? (I’m not implying that all religious people are unquestioning.) I think the answer lies in intellectual curiosity and exposure. No matter how intelligent you are, if you lack intellectual curiosity or exposure, you are unlikely to question received “truths”. For example, my friend’s wife studied a science course in one of Nigeria’s first generation universities and graduated first class. She holds a management job in an oil company and has done well for herself. This lady believes that if don’t give 10% of your cash to your church a devourer will come after you. She also believes that anyone who does not “accept Christ” will be burned forever in a fire. I have been able to learn things about her background and I found that childhood was home-school-church. University was SU-lecture-SU-lecture. She never left her comfort zones, never seriously read philosophy or radical literature, never had any of those earth-shattering experiences that force some to ask serious questions and abandon religion and others to bind the devil for causing them to doubt, “renew” their faith and pray harder.

You find intelligent religious people who have got some exposure. They are the ones most likely to be selective in what they swallow from their religion and reject some widely accepted doctrines; they are more likely to emphasise personal spirituality over congregational worship and pastoral guidance. Again, we’re talking numbers – there are religious fanatics who have got exposure and read widely. You can say they never really opened up their minds and took wholly to heart the admonition of the biology teacher who told them it was the devil who put evolution in Darwin’s mind. But that would be subjective.

And there is also to be considered the fact that atheism is becoming a fad – in some places. I mean, there was a time when getting a tattoo set you apart as an anti-establishment person. Not anymore. Every danfo driver, bored housewife, runs girl or high school kid with extra bucks is getting one. Atheism is going that way already. Shelley was expelled from Oxford just 200 years ago for doing atheism. Back then, only a few radicals and “ne’er-do-wells” openly identified with atheism and they were usually, like Shelley, very intelligent and slightly crazy. All that has changed. Not in Nigeria, yet, though – we’re still a long way from logicboy’s golden future time when the senate president would, like Nick Clegg, declare himself an atheist and an average Nollywood actor, artisan and Lagos alaye boy will tattoo the A word on his arm.

Uyi Iredia:

So 1 + 1 = 2 is intelligent, huh. I hope you know that runs contrary to the Law of Identity by which 1 + 1 = 1 + 1 and nothing else. Or maybe when I think that Athena the goddess of reason sprung out of a whimsical Zeus, I should think of how atheism was birthed in ages of deep religiosity. But someone is deep in his mire of truth, nothing would shake him otherwise except that which he owns but inadvertently denies.

Bullsheit

Studies and tests have been done by the scientists and the results have been the same....non religious more likely to be intelligent tha religious peeps.

Give up.

MyJoe: The short answer is Yes. But that answer can be very misleading, so a longer answer is necessary. And I must place the caveat that we’re talking of a type of intelligence that can be measured using certain accepted metrics.

Intelligent people are less likely to search for answers in unexplained phenomena and choose to accept only that which can be explained rationally. To be sure, the most intelligent person in the world could well be a religious person and the dumbest could well be an atheist. But once we get into numbers, you will find a far higher proportion of intelligent atheists than religious folk. You can, in fact, see corroborating facts here on Nairaland. But to give a specific example, pick up any tape of Pastor Chris Oyakhilome’s. After watching, there’s a likelihood you will conclude that it’s so glaring the man is a con-artist that anyone has to be as dumb as a bottle not to see it. It may be the case that many, possibly most, of his followers are dumb, but you find a few of them who are not.

Now, why do some people question convention and some don’t? (I’m not implying that all religious people are unquestioning.) I think the answer lies in intellectual curiosity and exposure. No matter how intelligent you are, if you lack intellectual curiosity or exposure, you are unlikely to question received “truths”. For example, my friend’s wife studied a science course in one of Nigeria’s first generation universities and graduated first class. She holds a management job in an oil company and has done well for herself. This lady believes that if don’t give 10% of your cash to your church a devourer will come after you. She also believes that anyone who does not “accept Christ” will be burned forever in a fire. I have been able to learn things about her background and I found that childhood was home-school-church. University was SU-lecture-SU-lecture. She never left her comfort zones, never seriously read philosophy or radical literature, never had any of those earth-shattering experiences that force some to ask serious questions and abandon religion and others to bind the devil for causing them to doubt, “renew” their faith and pray harder.

You find intelligent religious people who have got some exposure. They are the ones most likely to be selective in what they swallow from their religion and reject some widely accepted doctrines; they are more likely to emphasise personal spirituality over congregational worship and pastoral guidance. Again, we’re talking numbers – there are religious fanatics who have got exposure and read widely. You can say they never really opened up their minds and took wholly to heart the admonition of the biology teacher who told them it was the devil who put evolution in Darwin’s mind. But that would be subjective.

And there is also to be considered the fact that atheism is becoming a fad – in some places. I mean, there was a time when getting a tattoo set you apart as an anti-establishment person. Not anymore. Every danfo driver, bored housewife, runs girl or high school kid with extra bucks is getting one. Atheism is going that way already. Shelley was expelled from Oxford just 200 years ago for doing atheism. Back then, only a few radicals and “ne’er-do-wells” openly identified with atheism and they were usually, like Shelley, very intelligent and slightly crazy. All that has changed. Not in Nigeria, yet, though – we’re still a long way from logicboy’s golden future time when the senate president would, like Nick Clegg, declare himself an atheist and an average Nollywood actor, artisan and Lagos alaye boy will tattoo the A word on his arm.

Great piece.

Reyginus: I don't know if calling this researcers dumb will do. To come up with the conclusion below smarks not just of a unique breed of ignorance, but also, a conspicous contempt for religion.
....
From the site.
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'." 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."

Please educate me? How does it show contempt for religion?