Thus, the recent Danish study showing atheists have, on average, about 6 points higher IQ than theists means little to me, although it means more to some.
Helmuth Nyborg is the same guy whose previous study landed him in a shitstorm, when he talked about males having a higher IQ than females on average:
- "Sex-related differences in general intelligence g, brain size, and social status", Personality and Individual Differences, 39(3):497-509, August 2005
Lots of other studies have purported to show that atheism and IQ have a positive direct correlation. Whether or not the results are true, I have no doubt that future generations will get progressively more stupid on average. This is why.
Aside from IQ, it is certain that science education and religious belief are inversely correlated. Repeated studies have shown that fewer than 50% of scientists believe in God, that more than 60% are atheists and agnostics, and that belief in God among "elite scientists" (NAS Members) is a mere 7%. 95% of NAS biologists are either atheists or agnostics. See:
While this may be true for scientists and god-belief, more vague measures of things like "spirituality" are not so well correlated. I commented some on another recent study involving professors and "spirituality" measures a while back, in which 80% of respondents called themselves "spiritual" -- even 22% of atheist scientists!
I don't necessarily believe that IQ and religion have a logical relationship that always holds true, but I do agree that education and religious belief are inversely correlated, as this is borne out by numerous studies. The methodology of scientific thinking is anathema to religious thinking. The one demands evidence and withholds committed belief until it arises, while the other threatens and prods one into commitment of belief before evidence is presented.
PS: My thoughts on the idea that religion will ever be eliminated by science. (In short: "no.")
