From: mam@jcnpc.cmhnet.org (Mike A. McAngus)
Subject: Re: iq<->religion: connection?
Organization: Homebrew Virtual Reality Labs
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL6]
Date: Sun, 27 Dec 1992 16:46:24 GMT

Stephen Doe (sdoe@nmsu.edu) wrote:
: In article <1992Dec25.162355.8674@prime.mdata.fi> iikkap@mits.mdata.fi (Iikka
 Paavolainen) writes:
: >In article <Stafford-221292170738@stafford.winona.msus.edu> Stafford@Vax2.Wi
nona.MSUS.EDU (John Stafford) writes:
: >>Consistent in my experience, too.  However, I do find among some of the
: >>brightest (and intellectually brave) a compelling interest in
: >>transcendental consciousness or the idea of a greater 'mind' but not
: >>the conventional notion of a god.
: >
: >Environment, personality and idealistics are also important factors, 
: >but not as important is logical intelligence. You can also find atheists
: >among the dumbest people.
: 
: One question:  How do you know they are not as important?
: 
: I don't know, but I'm starting to suspect you people are seeing what
: you'd like to see.  I have NOT seen this correlation, in my own
: personal interactions with intelligent people (or "logical
: intelligent" people, if you prefer.)  No one has provided a citation
: to any sort of study yet that would confirm OR deny the alleged
: correlation.  All I've seen are arguments like "Well, within my circle
: of friends, I've observed a correlation between intelligence and lack
: of belief."  I believe Onar then responded with, "Well, in MY circle,
: most everyone with IQ>125 is Christian," to which Iikka responds by
: saying that he ought to raise the cutoff to an IQ of 160.  
: 
: The fact that I have pointed this out has earned accusations of
: "emotional attachment" to Christianity by Iikka.  I responded by
: saying that my emotional attachment is only to decent intellectual
: standards, which in Iikka's mind somehow confirms the correlation he
: is trying to show.  (Ironically, he does not seem to mind that he may
: have an "emotional attachment" to the idea that atheists are more
: intelligent than theists.)
:
: My friends, if a Christian came here and said, "On the basis of my 8
: intelligent friends, who are all Christians, I conclude that
: Christians in general are more intelligent that atheists," you'd flame
: said Christians to ashes.  You'd certainly ask for more hard evidence
: of such an assertion.  Yet I get flamed by the likes of Iikka, for
: daring to question such questionable methodology.  I'm sorry if it
: upsets you, but I have no intention of holding my fellow atheists to
: standards less rigorous than the standards I would apply to Christians
: making equivalently outrageous statements.  If you have good, solid,
: statistically significant data in support of your position, then let's
: have it Iikka!  Otherwise don't waste my time.
:
: SD
:
Well, you and I are attacking hir (I don't know the gender of Iikka) conception
of intellectual suOCperiority. I do note that Iikka's arguments are getting 
less rational as the debate continues.
-- 
Mike McAngus 			 | As if I needed Another time consuming hobby.
(mam@jcnpc.cmhnet.org)		 | 
The Truth is still the Truth	 | This Post exploits illiterates.
Even if you choose to ignore it. | 
Xref: sparky alt.atheism:24661 talk.religion.misc:24838 alt.pagan:14727