When it comes to the factors that may affect your intelligence, we first think of the environment, education, genetics, etc. But have you ever thought about less-mentioned factors like religion?
I heard someone claiming the other day that a specific religion has the highest IQ. Although the claim was not supported by any scientific fact or source, I couldn’t stop thinking about what he said.
Can religion and your beliefs actually affect your IQ? Which religion has the highest IQ, and what does that mean exactly?
I had so many questions and needed clarification. That’s when I started gathering information on the connection between religion and intelligence. If you are curious about whether or not fundamental beliefs could affect your intelligence or if comparing each religion’s IQ level is the right way to find that out, you have come to the right place.
In today’s blog, we are going to discuss what religion has the highest IQ and find the link between IQ and religion through it. By the end of this article, all your questions on this topic will be answered. Keep reading!
What Religion Has The Highest IQ?
Helmuth Nyborg and Richard Lynn conducted a massive study to determine whether IQ is connected to religion. One of the things they realized was that atheists’ average IQ was six points higher than others.
You probably expected this answer to be enough, right? But the answer to this question is the beginning of thousands of other questions that tend to tickle our minds.
Why Are Atheists Smarter Than Non-atheists?
Of course, we can argue about how studies like this were taken, but let’s assume that this test is entirely accurate and what they indicated was the truth: atheists are more brilliant than non-atheists, and there is a difference in IQ in these two groups.
Now, a fundamental question arises: Is this because people who have high IQ scores understand both claims of Christianity (or other religions that believe in God) and atheism, and thanks to their investigative minds, they can see things more clearly? Are they atheists because they are smart enough to know God doesn’t exist?
Or, is there something else correlated to intelligence that could be why they don’t accept the existence of God? Is intelligence what leads people to atheism, or is there something else that comes along with a sense of cleverness that does that?
Here are some very notable facts you should keep in mind before answering these questions:
- Some studies claimed that prime analytical thought lowers the chances of one being religious, and it could also, in some cases, increase your intrinsic religiosity.
- The result of every research only applies to the population. We are talking about a group of people and not specific individuals. Research like this is being conducted daily to give us an idea of which group is more intelligent on average.
- So many bright and intelligent people simply do not accept the existence of God because they don’t want to be accused of being naive.
See, intelligent people always rely on facts and science. So, it is a little hard for them to admit there might be another side of this story that science can’t explain. So, they stay in their safe zone before even trying to understand what believers say.
- The difference between people who believe in God and those who don’t is not about intelligence. It is about the environment in which you grew up and what you have been exposed to as a child and an adult.
Atheism And IQ: Correlation Link Or Causation?
So many people mistake correlation for causation. For instance, we can talk about religious ideology. Believers claim a divine force created the universe and controls all of us. They are constantly accused of not being smart enough to see the shreds of evidence that deny the existence of God, which requires less intelligence from the average person to hold their religious beliefs.
A study from 2016 demonstrated the average need for cognition is lower when one holds to the most prominent religion of a society. When most members of the community accept your beliefs, there is less of a need to develop one’s crystal intelligence to justify your beliefs.
How Could Religious People Be Smarter Than Atheists?
It has been proven that intrinsic religiosity has a positive connection to self-control. Since intrinsically religious people have been shown to have more self-control if they willingly choose to believe in God and not just because more than half of the world considered this a popular idea, but because they sincerely believe so, they are in a position that requires more analytical and intellectual thinking to prove to themselves what they believe in. Therefore, self-motivated religious people are indeed very brilliant.
Why, in some nations, do atheists exhibit higher levels of analytical thinking?
Most people with low IQs just accept whatever the majority of people believe in. They just go with the flow without ever asking where it is taking them. So, when the belief in the existence of God is what we consider normal and usual comes on, these people just simply accept it.
Those with high IQ analyze and investigate the idea before accepting it.
FAQ
Are Religious People Less Intelligent?
The answer is no. Religious people are not less intelligent. Some large-scale studies have been conducted throughout history that showed human intelligence is normative, and based on some minor research, we tried to find the link between intelligence and fundamental beliefs and religious faith, but there was no connection.
Last Words
In this article, we discussed a challenging question about which religion has the highest IQ, and little did we know there were thousands of other questions hidden deep inside the heart of this question.
Religion is a very vast topic to speak about, and when it comes to IQ, it gets even more complex. Based on different research that has been conducted throughout history, it has been said that atheists are more innovative than believers in God.
We discussed how the relationship between IQ and intelligence is not causative, and there are indeed brilliant people from all the other religions.
So, remember, believing in God won’t make you smart or stupid, and even though the studies showed atheists get higher scores on IQ tests, a fundamental belief won’t shape your IQ.
