A lot of you atheists / agnostics....

[electric_sheep]

Hey now, let's not let statistics, research, or critical thinking cloud the issue any further!

[LikeCharlotte]

There is no debating the faithful. I knew this already but I thought I'd give it a shot. As far as I am concerned we are talking about trolls, unicorns or Santa Claus. I'm still an atheist and I always will be. I wont be returning to this discussion. Have fun!

[The Collector]

You're right LikeCharlotte, logic just bounces off religious types. The funnest bit is where they expect to get respect for believing in fairy stories. And then tell us we're going to Hell and wonder why we find them annoying.

[Enema]

You obviously haven't been in my neighborhood lately....

 

I've been a Christian since 4 years of age, I have a degree and make 7 figures yearly.....I know hundreds of like minded, (and Hearted) individuals, that's the only statistic I need...

 

Hahahaha... I bet your degree wasn't in statistics.

 

"I'm a Christian and I know people like me, so all Christians must be like me!"

 

Here's a well referenced Wiki page about religiosity and education: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religiosity_and_intelligence

 

In short: The more intelligent / educated you are, the less likely you are to believe in god.

 

Also, everyone is a millionaire tough guy on the internet.

[Lovelybird]

Conversely, societies where life is precarious, marked by poverty, corruption, sickness, low education and unemployment, are societies marked by high degrees of religiosity.

Jewish is a race that are quite smart and rich, I think everyone admit that. Do you ever connect these with their connection with God?

 

Then analyse the religion distributing in the world. You would see which area is richer and more advanced than others. Then study the religion behind this area, you would see how much a peticular relligion contribute their success. but many people don't appreciate what God did for them, and get all credits for themselves

 

As for the poor and uneducated people more found in church, I know churches do often reach out to poors, uneducated people whom societies don't pay much attention to, churches help them and bring good news to them, not only materially help them, but also spiritually. Poor and uneducated people are people who had less forture than you, they may be born in poor family and didn't get chance to go to school, that doesn't mean they are lesser than you. In fact, it is good thing that churches have poor and uneducated people, that means churches embrace all people, don't have much partiality like the world does. In church, there are all kind of people, highly educated, uneducated, highly respected, poor, highly talented, common ones, extremely rebellious ones but later submitted to God's love, 'good girl and boy' since their birth. Those who get high education also were saved are really really lucky ones, weren't caught up in their prideness

 

You should real visit a church, and learn some more, there are many people in church are much richer and hold higher position and smarter than you:p, and you just cannot sing "I am smarter, I am smarter" anymore

 

It is strange and wonderful way of God, humble ones can know God. If you cannot get through your prideness, you cannot know God

 

How sad that would be when people only meet calamity, then call out to God even in their whole life they don't believe in Him. Did you heard the story in 911? many atheists called out to God. Are you so big that you don't need God at all? but when everyone faces something so much bigger than themselves, they wish God exists. I hope people here don't wait until late

[Enema]

Jewish is a race that are quite smart and rich, I think everyone admit that. Do you ever connect these with their connection with God?

 

It's stupid to suggest that a whole race is smart and rich. Once again, you post something with nothing to back it up.

 

Could you say the whole of the US is smart and rich? No. Individuals possess those qualities, not an entire race. It just so happens that the dumbest and/or poorest individuals of every race gravitates towards religion.

 

Poor people desperately want a god to save them from poverty. Dumb people don't know any better.

[Lovelybird]

It's stupid to suggest that a whole race is smart and rich. Once again, you post something with nothing to back it up.

 

Could you say the whole of the US is smart and rich? No. Individuals possess those qualities, not an entire race.

 

It just happens that the dumbest and/or poorest of every race gravitates towards religion.

 

Poor people desperately want a god to save them from poverty. Dumb people don't know any better.

according to this post, you are indeed 'smarter'

[disgracian]

This is totally ABSURD!PROVE IT! I want statistics

This from the same person who, when the same is asked of him, repeatedly declares he's not wasting any more time with us and refuses to oblige. You really are such a hypocrite sometimes.

 

Cheers,

D.

[disgracian]

Jewish is a race that are quite smart and rich, I think everyone admit that. Do you ever connect these with their connection with God?

They believe in a different god to you. They also don't believe in Jesus. They are also not that smart. The average IQ of Israel is only 90.

 

Cheers,

D.

[Moose]

This from the same person who, when the same is asked of him, repeatedly declares he's not wasting any more time with us and refuses to oblige. You really are such a hypocrite sometimes.

 

Cheers,

D.

Isn't you that always says; "The burden of proof is on the person who claimed it." That said, it's you who are being hypocrital...All I ask is that they follow YOUR lead and provide at least a link like you did in your following post:

They believe in a different god to you. They also don't believe in Jesus. They are also not that smart. The average IQ of Israel is only 90.

[Lovelybird]

They believe in a different god to you. They also don't believe in Jesus. They are also not that smart. The average IQ of Israel is only 90.

 

Cheers,

D.

we have same father God. They are still waiting their savior, and didn't know Jesus is the one. Their prophets prophecied about their savor, and Jesus Lord fit all of these prophecies

 

If their IQ is low, that further explained that own intelligence has nothing to do with their prosperity (for the obedient ones), God blessed them so can they prosper

[disgracian]

Isn't you that always says; "The burden of proof is on the person who claimed it."

That is true, but you don't seem to want to accept that when it is you making the claim.

That said, it's you who are being hypocrital

Clearly you don't know the meaning of the word.

All I ask is that they follow YOUR lead and provide at least a link like you did in your following post:

Why ask of others what you're not willing to do yourself? Well, we know the reason why.

 

Cheers,

D.

[spookie]

Back to the original topic, I'm an atheist. I used to judge religious people for their blind stupidity but now I realize I believe in tons of stupid s!ht too so that's hypocritical.

 

I bet LS is statistically-significantly less-religious than the US average. LS-ers tend to use their brains more than average...

[Rooster_DAR]

I don't think religious people are less intelligent at all, I used to be religious.

 

I just the the indoctrination of god into most cultures is a very powerful, and to break that trend of thinking is difficult. Perhaps it could be referred to as cultured brainwashing?

[electric_sheep]

Jewish is a race that are quite smart and rich, I think everyone admit that. Do you ever connect these with their connection with God?

 

Most Jews I know are atheists.

[FleshNBones]

It just so happens that the dumbest and/or poorest individuals of every race gravitates towards religion.

 

Poor people desperately want a god to save them from poverty. Dumb people don't know any better.

I think people in need generally seek God.

Can you guess what my need is?

 

You can't call me stupid or impoverished.

[Lovelybird]

LS-ers tend to use their brains more than average...

use their brain to do self-destructive things and not-make-sense-at-all things?

[disgracian]

You can't call me stupid or impoverished.

Nobody here is calling you impoverished.

 

Cheers,

D.

[Taramere]

Pride is worse enemy for person to grow, and highly educated person easily have that pride attitude, not all, but quite some. It doesn't appear to me that if a person has high education, he is wise in his personal lives, nor appears she is wise in her dating or marriage lives.

 

Sometimes you can tell if a person's life will have how much hardship ahead just based on how much pride and loftyness she or he has, how much they choose to blind to truth

 

I agree in part, Lovelybird.....but you see, it's also about experiencing life first hand.

 

I can remember being warned as a child not to touch nettles, because they would sting me. I looked at my parents, grabbing a whole bunch of nettles as I did so. Naturally I got no sympathy, and I didn't expect to. It wasn't that I didn't believe them when they said it would hurt - but I guessed (correctly) that it wouldn't be a serious kind of hurt, and I wanted to know for myself what it felt like.

 

That's the curiosity that, perhaps, very religious people deplore. Not just religious people, actually, but others whose temperaments are very about issuing and following rules about how life should be lived. As an agnostic, I don't see it as my role to try to persuade others into holding an agnostic perspective. All I can really say is this is why I feel as I feel, and why I prefer to find my own path and philosophy rather than following ones that other people prepared earlier. Naturally I'm influenced by various philosophies and doctrines, but I don't like to be dictated to by them to the extent that my life doesn't feel like my own. Not because I think my way is better. Far from it. I have got myself into some messes as a result of not following other people's words of wisdom - but at least they felt like my mistakes, and at least it feels like my life.

 

That's what people forget, or fail to understand, when they say "I told you so. You should have listened to me." People have the right to experience the ups and downs of life first hand. To make their own mistakes and learn from them. Not everyone is temperamentally suited to this mindset that life is something you get through by following the rules as best as you can in the hope that there will be a better afterlife.

[ed-205]

I think I'm the only (out of the broom closet) pagan on here. It's a solitary practice for sure...

 

I used to work with a guy who was a Pagan, and I found his beliefs quite fascinating, really.

I, myself, follow the Christian philosophy, although I don't subscribe to any particular sect. I do not have an ounce of "religion" in me, but I *am* sustained by my gift of faith, and I have experienced many things that I would find difficult to explain to anyone who doesn't understand the difference.

[primed7]

It's stupid to suggest that a whole race is smart and rich. Once again, you post something with nothing to back it up.

 

Could you say the whole of the US is smart and rich? No. Individuals possess those qualities, not an entire race. It just so happens that the dumbest and/or poorest individuals of every race gravitates towards religion.

 

Poor people desperately want a god to save them from poverty. Dumb people don't know any better.

 

I find that comment to be incredibly offensive and ignorant on your part. How can such a 'critical thinker' make such generalisations? EVERY DUMB AND POOR person in EVERY race moves towards religion? Now please, even you don't believe that.

 

I'm in an environment where I interact with many doctors who are believers and no, they are not poor nor dumb. They've studied science, and YET they still believe.

 

Everyone professes to be smarter that's why they don't believe but then believing has to do with your heart, it doesn't mean one is less capable of using their brains to its max. gosh.

 

There have been avid atheists who have converted to Christianity or other religions (perhaps they lost their minds) and likewise, believers who have become atheists.

 

The point of this post is that people not make such huge assumptions about those they know nothing about.

 

thank you and good day

[The Collector]

I'm in an environment where I interact with many doctors who are believers and no, they are not poor nor dumb. They've studied science, and YET they still believe.

 

They are the exceptions that prove the rule. Most scientists are not religious, most doctors tend not to be Creationist.

[Enema]

I find that comment to be incredibly offensive and ignorant on your part. How can such a 'critical thinker' make such generalisations? EVERY DUMB AND POOR person in EVERY race moves towards religion? Now please, even you don't believe that.

 

Mistake 1: I didn't say "EVERY" dumb and poor person.

 

I'm in an environment where I interact with many doctors who are believers and no, they are not poor nor dumb. They've studied science, and YET they still believe.

Mistake 2: Assuming that because you know people that are "smart" believers, then they all must be!

 

Everyone professes to be smarter that's why they don't believe but then believing has to do with your heart, it doesn't mean one is less capable of using their brains to its max. gosh.

Mistake 3: Basic comprehension error. I didn't say believing makes you less capable of using your brain. I said that the less capable you are of using your brain, the more likely you are to believe.

 

 

The point of this post is that people not make such huge assumptions about those they know nothing about.

Mistake 4: Thinking I was making an assumption rather than quoting from the numerous studies that link intelligence with non-belief.

 

I'm sure your upcoming peer reviewed study will completely change our minds, but until you publish it I'll have to go with what we know.

 

 

thank you and good day

No no, thank you for proving the studies right. You make a lot of basic mistakes here... and you're a believer.

[primed7]

These things are such a waste of time I need to beat myself up for even getting involved. Thanks for clarifying and adding more insults:-) Jolly.