User:Malokai92/Intellect

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/2111174/Intelligent-people-%27less-likely-to-believe-in-God%27.html

If you choose to ignore this, please go head.

The 3 arguments are: "Linking religious belief and intelligence in this way could reflect a dangerous trend, developing a simplistic characterisation of religion as primitive, which - while we are trying to deal with very complex issues of religious and cultural pluralism - is perhaps not the most helpful response."

Dr Alistair McFadyen, senior lecturer in Christian theology at Leeds University, said the conclusion had "a slight tinge of Western cultural imperialism as well as an anti-religious sentiment".

Dr David Hardman, principal lecturer in learning development at London Metropolitan University, said: "It is very difficult to conduct true experiments that would explicate a causal relationship between IQ and religious belief. Nonetheless, there is evidence from other domains that higher levels of intelligence are associated with a greater ability - or perhaps willingness - to question and overturn strongly felt institutions."

The arguments simplified:
 * 1) Religion is already under heavy doubt, this idea would only make this worse.
 * 2) Primitive is the same as stupid, which religion is not.
 * 3) Western cultural imperialism says intelligence means not believing in God.
 * 4) This idea is anti-religious.
 * 5) People with higher IQ often have revolutionary ideas, and shun established ideas such as religion.
 * 6) Too hard to find a simple connection between intelligence and religion.

What is interesting is that they only show arguments against this question. Also, these arguments are heavily biased, all implying how the idea as heretical. Also mentioned, people with high IQs don't like institutions, which is slightly stereotypical. There is a defensive ring behind that argument. To me, those arguments seem very vague on the exact reason why intelligence does not reflect disbelief in religion.

So here's where it gets good. This will sound rough and sketchy, since I'm condensing the idea down to basic rational. I know I am an intelligent person, no pride or ego. To this, I don't believe in God. I often question much of the world and all those unanswerable questions. My conclusion has been that religion was created. It's fantastic story is actually a myth; stories. The Bible is a myth about the existence of God from which Christianity is based on. It is not palpable. It is a convenient truth compared to the other one: There is nothing after death. If that is the way it is, there is nothing that can be done about it. For this is the reason the idea of religion arose.

I also have a conflict with myself. The perfect definition for this is "doublethink." While I know (Not believe, but truly know) God does not exist, there is the wish that he does exist. For if he does exist, maybe I could somehow say in the back of my mind I did believe in him and go to Heaven. Since I don't believe, I would go to Hell, since I don't believe in God. Here's the interesting part, if you do believe in God, then you will go to Heaven, and then I will know this to be true, and I would rather be in Hell to find this answer, then to be in Heaven without searching for it. On the other side, if I just believed in God, I wouldn't have to look for the answer, life would be simpler, and I would go to Heaven in the end.

The reason people with higher intelligence don't believe in God: They analyze and think about it, and eventually conclude that you can either to accept a convenient solution created by the human race, or choose not to, and look for your own solution. Even now, I doubt myself, because this is my own solution, to which I will find no answer. Therefore, religion is the solution without an answer. After all, all we know is that we know nothing.

And this is why intelligent people are less likely to believe in God.