Belief in God declines with education?

[fallingblood]

There is a claim that I have heard a lot. The claim being that there is a direct correlation between education and atheism. As the higher education one has, the more likely they will become an atheist.

I think such a claim is bunk. A current study showed that there is not really a correlation between the two (A brief article about the study)

There are some correlations though, such as the more educated one is, the less they tend to read the Bible literally, or believe in a definite idea of God (as compared to believing in a higher power). In essence, what this study seems to support is that with higher education, one tends to develop a more mature religious attitude.

At the same time, there seems to be no actual reason for education to be in direct confrontation with theism. Even science does not directly challenge God's existence. So there is no reason for one to become an atheist after being educated.

Even looking at just ministers, or religious professors, both are very educated (for the most part) individuals. Yet, they tend to have a belief in God. Not to mention the thousands of individuals who are going into religious work in one way or another.

So, I believe that the idea that there is a correlation between education and atheism to be bunk.

[outhouse]

I found this, it seems to be a iittle more in depth the a blog

Religiosity and intelligence - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


Several Gallup poll studies of the general population have shown that those with higher IQs tend not to believe in God."[




Studies comparing religious belief and I.Q.

In 2008, intelligence researcher Helmuth Nyborg examined whether IQ relates to denomination and income, using representative data from the National Longitudinal Study of Youth, which includes intelligence tests on a representative selection of white American youth, where they have also replied to questions about religious belief. His results, published in the scientific journal Intelligence, demonstrated that Atheists scored an average of 1.95 IQ points higher than Agnostics, 3.82 points higher than Liberal persuasions, and 5.89 IQ points higher than Dogmatic persuasions.[4]

The relationship between countries' belief in a god and average Intelligence Quotient, measured by Lynn, Harvey & Nyborg.[5]


Nyborg also co-authored a study with Richard Lynn, emeritus professor of psychology at the University of Ulster, which compared religious belief and average national IQs in 137 countries.[5] The study analysed the issue from several viewpoints. Firstly, using data from a U.S. study of 6,825 adolescents, the authors found that atheists scored 6 IQ points higher than those adhering to a religion.
Secondly, the authors investigated the link between religiosity and intelligence on a country level. Among the sample of 137 countries, only 23 (17%) had more than 20% of atheists, which constituted “virtually all... higher IQ countries.” The authors reported a correlation of 0.60 between atheism rates and level of intelligence, which was determined to be “highly statistically significant”.

[Octavia156]

and what about those with a higher IQ than 110?

[outhouse]

I found this as well.


Demographics of atheism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

According to a study carried out by professor of sociology at Pitzer College, Phil Zuckerman "levels of religiosity and creationism tend to decline as income levels rise ..."

[shahz]

Rubbish, belief in God does not necessarily decline with education. Belief matures, changes, but it doesn't necessarily erode. It becomes more of an impersonal belief than a personal belief.

51% of scientists believe in a life force or God. Scientists and Belief - Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life

76% of MDs believe in God or a higher power. Survey: Most doctors believe in God, afterlife - Health - Health care - msnbc.com

It has a lot more to do with the culture of education than the education itself. Mathematicians are 2.5 more likely to believe in a God/spiritual being than biologists.

Some of the most brilliant minds believed in a higher being. Now I can attest that as education rises peoples belief in prayer, creationaism, etc decreases. But not God.

[dyanaprajna2011]

I don't really accept a correlation between education and atheism either. As fallingblood stated, with higher education, one is just as likely to become, for lack of a better word, more liberal in their religious thinking, but not necessarily reject it outright. I'll admit that there seems to be more atheists among the higher educated, and more theism in those less educated, but I don't believe that amount of education is the catalyst. Personal experience has just as much, if not more, to do with belief or non-belief in a deity than education. I think, ultimately, that there are a number of factors involved, in which education might be one. For example, I grew up in the Bible Belt, and have only a high school education, yet I'm, more or less, atheist. (I say more or less, because there is a belief that deities exist in Buddhism, but have no real power outside their own realm, and are not viewed the way that deities are traditionally seen in other religions).

[Shyanekh]

Originally Posted by fallingblood

So, I believe that the idea that there is a correlation between education and atheism to be bunk.

It's a difficult topic to properly study unfortunately especially considering there is no test of intelligence that is universally considered satisfactory. The IQ test for example is culturally dependent and tends to emphasize logical thinking over creative or intuitive thinking. It should follow then that those who live in the appropriate country and have the appropriate mentality (i.e. living in the west and inclined towards logical rather than intuitive thinking) will have a better shot at an IQ test.

I personally would suspect that those inclined towards logic and the sciences would lean more towards atheism/pantheism while those inclined towards intuition and the arts would lean more towards theism. Western society typically considers the former as being the more intelligent inclination, though this isn't necessarily the case as intelligence is a cultural concept rather than a constant.

[outhouse]

Originally Posted by Shyanekh

It's a difficult topic to properly study unfortunately especially considering there is no test of intelligence that is universally considered satisfactory. The IQ test for example is culturally dependent and tends to emphasize logical thinking over creative or intuitive thinking. It should follow then that those who live in the appropriate country and have the appropriate mentality (i.e. living in the west and inclined towards logical rather than intuitive thinking) will have a better shot at an IQ test.

I personally would suspect that those inclined towards logic and the sciences would lean more towards atheism/pantheism while those inclined towards intuition and the arts would lean more towards theism. Western society typically considers the former as being the more intelligent inclination, though this isn't necessarily the case as intelligence is a cultural concept rather than a constant.

Thats a very good take on it and true.



It is hard to judge

I have seen and posted test results of athism and intelligince, I wonder if there has ever been a studiy that show's the opposite, that theist tend to be more intelligent. So far that conclusion has never come up.

[dust1n]

What does an IQ test have to do with education?

[Shyanekh]

Originally Posted by outhouse

Thats a very good take on it and true.



It is hard to judge

I have seen and posted test results of athism and intelligince, I wonder if there has ever been a studiy that show's the opposite, that theist tend to be more intelligent. So far that conclusion has never come up.

Thanks

I remember reading somewhere that people who are good at framing arguments are more inclined to hold bizarre beliefs since they can think up creative ways to justify them. That would probably require a decent grasp of lateral thinking. Unfortunately I can't remember where I read it or how well studied the theory was