Thread: Religion and education.

#I just thought it would be cool to test how religion correlates to education. in a small way, on here.


Just pick the option that best fits you(this is not an argument for agnosticism). Dont lie now. :wink:

I believe you failed by introducing a flawed premise. I've seen many religious people hold adequate degree's in varying areas of life. Yet I've found it obvious in my years that a piece of paper and a title does not bestow one with ultimate wisdom. You can train a monkey, but they'll still be monkey's.

That said, a highschool student could be more intelligent than a post-grad. Depending on how you define intelligence. Some go through college just memorizing book information and never really growing in any other area.

Originally Posted by Jeremyhfht

I believe you failed by introducing a flawed premise. I've seen many religious people hold adequate degree's in varying areas of life. Yet I've found it obvious in my years that a piece of paper and a title does not bestow one with ultimate wisdom. You can train a monkey, but they'll still be monkey's.

That said, a highschool student could be more intelligent than a post-grad. Depending on how you define intelligence. Some go through college just memorizing book information and never really growing in any other area.

Failures sales talk man! Failures sales talk.

Originally Posted by GhostofMaxwell

Failures sales talk man! Failures sales talk.

My 'reasonable degree' was insufficient to allow me to interpret this response.

Which word are you having problems with in particular?

No seriously, my grammar is lazy.

That is sales talk of a failure, man.

Originally Posted by GhostofMaxwell

No seriously, my grammar is lazy.
That is sales talk of a failure, man.

Meaning 1: that kind of talk will lead you into failure. You'll sell yourself the idea of failing.
Meaning 2: that is just putting a positive gloss on what is in essence a failure. You are just papering over the cracks.
Meaning 3: That is is promoting the idea that failure is a good thing. You seem to be trying to sell failure.
Meaning 4: ????

Do you see the problem?

Originally Posted by Ophiolite

Originally Posted by GhostofMaxwell

No seriously, my grammar is lazy.
That is sales talk of a failure, man.

Meaning 1: that kind of talk will lead you into failure. You'll sell yourself the idea of failing.
Meaning 2: that is just putting a positive gloss on what is in essence a failure. You are just papering over the cracks.
Meaning 3: That is is promoting the idea that failure is a good thing. You seem to be trying to sell failure.
Meaning 4: ????

Do you see the problem?

Ah not if I mean to imply all of the above to a degree.


Was you ever told to sell youself at an interview? This would be a classic advert for that, if it could convince an employer of course.

The point was to test if their was a correlation, there is no assertion that correlation is causality. I dont want to go that deep.

I believe it has been established by many studies that religiosity and education are inversely correlated. The inverse correlation is especially strong in science.

I believe it has been established by many studies that religiosity and education are inversely correlated. The inverse correlation is especially strong in science.

Yes, but you can never get too much data. Even though this is hardly controlled conditions.


Also there are many scientist(even on this board) , that still insist in assuming there is no correlation in either of those situations.

Personally I don’t think you should try to find a link between ‘intelligence’ and religion. Religion is more an emotional business than a something to be considered intelligent or stupid. It is in ones personality to believe or not. The only reason why I could think that education could be involved in religiousness is because school is as well a social/emotional process as a learning process.

So you cant see at all why tellu7ng people to believe the world was created in 6 days and evolution is laughable(to name but a few ), is diametrically opposed to gaining an orthodox education?

I think most people have come to their senses when it comes to the creation part of the bible. Besides there is more to religion than just the bible. There is even more to Christianity then just the bible. You’ll have to look further than that. If you look to WHY people are religious or believe in God you’ll see social and emotional reasons. And stupid or smart people are everywhere in both religion as outside it.

Originally Posted by Exclusive

And stupid or smart people are everywhere in both religion as outside it.

But to what ratio? Is there an exact equality? Science is about asking these kind of questions , rather than assuming everything is equal and independent from one or two anecdotal recollections.

Originally Posted by GhostofMaxwell

Science is about asking these kind of questions , rather than assuming everything is equal and independent from one or two anecdotal recollections.

You're right about that of course. What I wanted to say is the I BELIEVE that being religious has nothing to do with you’re intelligence but MORE PROBABLY with the state of your emotional mind. And I base those believes to what I have experienced myself. I’m not saying I am absolutely right, maybe I’m absolutely wrong.

Just thinking: It is somewhat human to want an explanation for most of the things we see. That’s how both science and religion began: trying to explain why something happens. Some people will be absolutely scared if they should believe that everything, death, illness or whatever is just a random happening. They want to believe there is a bigger something that has control of those things. Some believe it is God who does this. Others seek for more natural causes. Would you consider one more intelligent than the other? It all depends on what you are WILLING to believe. It depends on you’re experiences. Have you ever been to a church? Even as a not believer you can have this feeling of being whole. It is nice just to listen to the choir and feel good, you there are no musts.

Originally Posted by Exclusive

You're right about that of course. What I wanted to say is the I BELIEVE that being religious has nothing to do with you’re intelligence but MORE PROBABLY with the state of your emotional mind.

Again, I believe there are many studies showing an inverse correlation between religion and intelligence and between religion and education. I can dig around in the university database to find some examples if people are really interested.

Just thinking: It is somewhat human to want an explanation for most of the things we see. That’s how both science and religion began: trying to explain why something happens. Some people will be absolutely scared if they should believe that everything, death, illness or whatever is just a random happening. They want to believe there is a bigger something that has control of those things. Some believe it is God who does this. Others seek for more natural causes. Would you consider one more intelligent than the other?

Yes. It seems to me that an intelligent, educated person should be able to realize that something isn't any more or less likely to be true simply because they find it emotionally appealing or unappealing. Rejecting or accepting an idea simply because you like/don't like it, rather than because of what reason or evidence indicates, has got to be one of the stupidest things a person can do. So, yeah, I would consider someone who does that to be less intelligent.

I've not yet graduated highschool and I've been an atheist since the 6th grade.

Education has something to do with a reduction of faith, obviously, do to the fact that education thrives on logic and questioning your surroundings. Religion relies on ignorance and labels it "God."