Excellent news – a manuscript of mine regarding
the supposed impact of IQ on belief in God has just been accepted for publication in
the Catholic Social Science Review! See below for the abstract.
Are
Highly Theistic Countries Dumber?
Critiquing the Intelligence-Religiosity Nexus Theory
Abstract
Recent research suggests that higher-IQ countries have
significantly more atheists, supposedly because higher intelligence confers a greater
ability to apprehend the assumed irrationality of theistic belief. In this quantitative study, an alternative explanation is offered
to explain the apparent relationship between intelligence and theism. It is
theorized that higher education in free societies brings greater exposure to,
and eases the acceptance of, such unconventional views as atheism. This
exposure, in and of itself, augments the likelihood that one will reject belief
in God. In addition, it is argued on the basis of the Christian ascetic
tradition that materialism also produces higher levels of disbelief. OLS
regression analysis of 99 countries confirms both theories, while revealing no
evidence of an inverse link between intelligence and theism. Findings also show
that disbelief is significantly lower in countries that are traditionally Roman
Catholic, as well as in those that have not experienced communist rule.
