Well, this should start a few conversations. Turns out researchers from the University of Rochester found…
“a reliable negative relation between intelligence and religiosity” in 53 out of 63 studies.”
According to the findings, as intelligent people age, they’re less likely to be a believer in the supernatural, dispelling the notion that people turn to deities as they get older.
The paper, published in the academic journal Personality and Social Psychology Review, said “Most extant explanations (of a negative relation) share one central theme—the premise that religious beliefs are irrational, not anchored in science, not testable and, therefore, unappealing to intelligent people who “know better.”
The answer may, however, be more complex. Intelligent people may simply be able to provide themselves with the psychological benefits offered by religion – such as “self-regulation and self-enhancement”, because they are more likely to be successful, and have stable lives.
This study adds an interesting insight into the marriages of nonreligious people:
“Last, more intelligent people are more likely to get and stay married (greater attachment), though for intelligent people, that too comes later in life. We therefore suggest that as intelligent people move from young adulthood to adulthood and then to middle age, the benefits of intelligence may continue to accrue.”
Fascinating read.
