Another study wasting money stating the obvious?

[vetran]

"Die Religion ... ist das Opium des Volkes"?

[Paddy]

I strongly know that you are wrong

Who for example?

[SueEllen]

I strongly suspect that the intelligent clergy are not believers and use their position to control the populous and gain financially.

Realist

[d000hg]

Oh dear, poor proggy has no understanding of statistical generalisation or the fact that while studies suggesting the average believer has a handful less iq points than the average atheist may be entirely correct, that this doesn't mean proggy is a good couple of standard deviations away.

We did this whole topic a while back anyway, SB (I think, unless it was sas) posted a link suggesting religious people had an IQ 5 points lower than non-religious people.

And anyone who knows anything about statistics understands the danger of inferring cause and effect. So that rules out proggy of course.

[d000hg]

I strongly suspect that the intelligent clergy are not believers and use their position to control the populous and gain financially.

If you want to control the population and become rich, you really don't want to work for the church. Maybe in the old days. Better off in politics or green energy PR.

[NotAllThere]

So, intelligence predisposes you to atheism - the more intelligent you are, the more likely you are to be an atheist. However, if you are intelligent you'll also understand that this has no bearing whatsoever on the validity of atheism.

It also doesn't mean that if you're an atheist you're not as thick as pigtulip. And it doesn't preclude highly intelligent people from being religious.

But if atheism gives you a smug feeling of self-satisfaction and superiority in your otherwise worthless, meaningless and insignificant existence, go for it.

[d000hg]

Intelligence isn't a god-given (ha!) gift but something that can be developed and nurtured, especially during school years. Most schools are non-religious. So people who have more schooling are statistically more intelligent and statistically more likely to have been taught to be atheists, just as how centuries ago the opposite may have been true.

And yes I'm just playing devil's (ha!) advocate here before anyone gets frothing at the mouth.

[Paddy]

If you want to control the population and become rich, you really don't want to work for the church. Maybe in the old days. Better off in politics or green energy PR.

The Queen is the Head of State and head of the Church of England. Church leaders are in the House of Lords. Very rich.

Numerous Middle East and African countries run by Islam. Very rich

Israel a jewish state because god gave them the land, well off with US money.

[d000hg]

The Queen is the Head of State and head of the Church of England. Church leaders are in the House of Lords. Very rich.

Numerous Middle East and African countries run by Islam. Very rich

So you're suggesting a smart clergyman could become queen?

[eek]

So you're suggesting a smart clergyman could become queen?

no but if you are in the right place at the right time your son could be see The Elizabeth Files » The Bisley Boy