IQ and Faith

Today, I read an article that claimed that there was a negative correlation between IQ and religious beliefs. The paper seemed ‘academic’ enough to be believable, but these days, who can be sure?

Could it be true that religious people are indeed generally less intelligent? The authors offered three compelling explanations:

1.    Intelligent people are generally more analytical and data-driven. Most formal religions are generally the antithesis. They are empirically questionable. Their claims often contradict scientific evidence. Of course, they will claim—and with justification—that they are to be understood as allegory; some sort of metaphorical Grimm’s fairy story. Do intelligent people go in for that sort of thing? Faith and science, despite some philosophers claims to the otherwise (there are always fors and againsts) , are not always comfortable bedfellows.

2.    Intelligent people generally do not conform. In so doing, they set themselves apart in a small minority that ranks reason over faith. Smarter people are usually a little less accepting. They ask questions. In so doing, they are a minority in todays world where even social media becomes prophetic. Against this is the statistic that shows that religious adherence is rapidly declining. The extent to which this is a ‘problem’ depends on the cultural and national values people follow.

3.    The interesting thing is the both intelligence and religiosity are “functionally equivalent”. They both fulfill a similar psychological role.

Now that appears to contradict the first two points. Humans will seek meaning in life. Both views provide them with a comprehensive framework with which to interpret our world.

We all know about the conflict between them. Both sides have their apologists who seek to dull the line between them. Indeed, there are occasions when they do seem to gel. Some people reject the opposite view outright. This is self defeating. Science seeks to find answers. So does religion. One bases their views on research and investigation: the other on ‘philosophy’, and, dare I say it, fiction.

The study claims that IQ predicts which one you are most likely to follow.

The three explanations above assume that IQ influences religiosity; not vice-versa. This seems a valid point. IQ levels remain stable throughout life; religiosity waxes and wanes for a variety of reasons. Does a child bought up religious stay that way? Not always.

Perhaps the psychological make up of a child determines whether they will change from a person whose parents brought the up in the faith to a position where life experience, reading, questioning--whatever—makes them change.

Some are born with the propensity to show higher levels of intellectual curiosity. Perhaps they are artistically sensitive. Perhaps they are, by nature, non conformist. Anyone with children will know how true that is, and how much grief it causes particularly to a family founded in faith.

Psychology tells us that IQ has a positive correlation with interest and activities that question and develop. A child who accepts all without question simply may not be thinking—much. The search for different ideas, knowledge, insight, curiosity: these are inherent in us all but the level to which we follow those instincts varies. That variation has been shown to be a function of IQ: the more intelligent the child, the higher the IQ.

Studies show that book worms and questioners are less likely to turn to religion. They will consider it, but many will reject it as a satisfactory (to them) system by which to and think live.

Take the issue of uncertainty. Ambiguity. None of us lies to be uncertain? Not true. Uncertainty is simply asking: “what is round the next corner in my journey”. People open to new ideas have a far greater capacity for open mindedness and uncertainty.

Religious people see things as clearly defined: right and wrong, black and white. They find uncertainty uncomfortable and reject it in favour of ‘faith’.

While IQ may be one explanation, personality is another and equally valid. Both are inter related. Numerous studies show the link between personality and religious acceptance. It does not require a University study to prove that openness to new ideas is negatively correlated with faith: particularly with extremist views and/or fundamentalism.

This is not to say that a person with an enquiring mind is not spiritual. Spirituality is not the same things as religiosity. Peoples emotional appreciation of religion is negatively related to the more ‘rational’ or ‘intellectual’ aspects of an enquiring mind. The artist. The musician. The poet. These people tend to show a far wider and more open appreciation of the spiritual than the faithful follower of a facet of a sometimes fanatical faith.

It is also possible that those who are more open are usually better able to understand and tolerate those who choose religion. It does not always work in reverse.

So what do we end up with? A little uncertainty perhaps. IQ and personality are both factors in determining which path a child will follow as he grows. A person can have a high IQ and an open personality and be happy within a selected faith. There are millions of religious people who are smart. No one suggests that a person of faith cannot be intelligent.

All that the studies show us is that religiosity or non religiosity are at least in part determined by IQ, personality traits and the values into which we are born. Some choose to take matters further and question such values. We have clever believers and dumb scientists: and dumb believers and clever scientists.

While a higher IQ may influence some people to reject religion, the reverse is also true. Ultimately, we are all individuals. To label someone who is different to yourself as a lesser human being is to do just that.