??
I thought 108 was the average for an Asian country (Sth Korea?) - Australia was about 98 IIRC. Where do your stats come from?
As for IQ not being a measure of intelligence, then I would argue intelligence is just an arbitrary word itself. Somehow I don't think someone with profound mental retardation (IQ circa 25), is going to discover cold fusion.

I remember reading it the other day. I might be wrong.

In many regards it is arbitrary. A person's IQ score is indicative of their potential rather than an actual measure of what they know. Of course a person with an IQ of 25 isn't going to discover cold fusion. But as a measure of potential a person with an above average IQ, say 120, isn't necessarily using that intelligence.

Ridiculous study, some of the most intelligent people to have ever lived (and had access to the tools needed to showcase their intellect) have been religious. I mean hell, pretty much all of the "famous smart people", for want of a better term, have been religious. Galileo, Newton, Darwin were all religious, Einstein, although for most of his life was agnostic, by the end of it he was pantheistic, up until ~2008 Stephen Hawkin believed in God (M-theory eventually changed his belief). Religious views have absolutely nothing to do with intelligence. I mean hell, my IQ is 138 and I'm religious. I know IQ is hardly a good indicator of intelligence, but the fact that I'm acing computer science without killing myself with study kind of implies that I am a fair bit above average intelligence.
Religious views are built over the course of a lifetime, influenced by a person's experiences and interpretations, as well as either ignorance or understanding of particular facets of life. The dumbest person on earth is no different to the most brilliant mind to have ever existed when it comes to how their religious views are formed.

I am guessing you're doing first year computer science, not having read many research papers yet, because you're rather ignorant of the scientific method and basic statistics. Rather than cherry picking facts and a couple of people, you might want to look into the concept of 'average'.

It's not the size of your IQ, it's what you do with it.

Ridiculous post.

Studies suggest that on average religious people are less intelligent as measured by IQ (or other means) than non-religious people.
There are always outliers, that doesn't change anything.

You might find that in the past the great thinkers were more commonly religious, just because virtually everyone was religious for most periods in the past. In fact, for those times there was an abnormally high proportion of non-religious amongst the "great thinkers".

Calling a Pantheist like Einstein religious is highly debatable. His use of the word "God" was little more than a metaphor for the nature of the universe.
Darwin was not religious except when he was young. Was a self described Agnostic lacking belief in a god but not ruling it out.

Steven Hawking was religious and was de-converted by string theory?? My god.
No he was always an agnostic atheist. He just happened to claim that M-theory is a better explanation of the universe than religion. But they changed nothing of his agnostic views.



There are many different forms of intelligence which do not necessarily correlate.
Someone can be extremely logically intelligent with a high IQ and a computer science degree but be emotionally unintelligent enough to end up believing in flying spaghetti monsters if it suits their emotional needs/wants.

Edited by neanderthal: 15/8/2013 01:43:23 PM

The flying spaghetti monster does exist, just outside the realms of space and time.

Australia's average is 98
http://www.statisticbrain.com/countries-with-the-highest-lowest-average-iq/
http://www.iqtestforfree.net/average-IQ-by-country.html
http://www.sq.4mg.com/NationIQ.htm

Behead those who insult Flying Spaghetti Monster:twisted: =p~

Well called, GA.

AN IQ above 135 is 3 standard deviations above average and puts you in the top 2% of smartest minds on earth. Bottom line, stop taking online IQ tests because it's bollocks.

I was only part-kidding. The real question is this - does being religious or atheist help a person get the best out if themselves?

Is there a correlation at all?

Does it vary from faith to faith?

Now that's interesting, not your IQ size per se.

I already touched on this. It's only a measure of potential not your ability to apply that intelligence.

Edited by afromanGT: 15/8/2013 04:23:47 PM

Couldn't find another thread on religion (is there one?) so thought I'd put my religion question here..

So over the last few months I've been doing a bit of info-finding on religion. I'm going in pretty open-minded - I don't necessarily believe nor don't believe in a lot of religious stories, but I'm interested in the bible/church/etc and how they function, and how they view things. And at the end of my journey, I hope I'm in a better, more-informed position to make more judgements on things.

Anyway, a question for any religious types out there, or people who are able to talk about religion without just saying "zomg me be an atheist, evrythin else is st00pid":

What is the deal with the Trinity? What are the pros/cons/reasons for believing, or not believing, in it? I've been going to a Baptist church who believe in it, yet I have a mate who is Christodelphian and he says they don't believe in it. Anyone have a laymans terms view on what the trinity actually is (the best I've been described so far is three seperate people are NOT each other but are all god - and I've had the comparison of an egg shell, egg white & egg yolk all being an egg as the best example) and what it means to believe or not believe in the trinity?

The Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. They really want to confuse the fuck outa ya! I'm not here to steam roll my views onto others but I did go to a catholic primary school who also acknowledge the trinity. In the Bible Jesus talks to God, yet Jesus is the Son of God thus making him God also but there's this other thing called the Holy Ghost and tbh that's confusing enough. It's like the three stooges wouldn't be a funny without either Larry, Curly or Moe - as to the Holy trinity is not as divine and spiritual without The Son, The Father and the Holy Ghost...

"In nomine patris et filii et spiritus sancti"

The holy trinity is simply the belief in the three manifestations of god - God himself, His son, and the belief that there is god in all of us.

Christodelphians don't believe that Jesus is a manifestation of god and hence don't believe in the Trinity.

Yep, so that's about as far as my understanding has taken me before I posted.

So what is the effects of believing, or not believing, in the trinity? Why is it so divisional? Does it make beliefs/meanings of other events completely different?

Basically - why the need to divide opinion over something like this? That's basically where I'm at with my understanding of it.

EDIT: pretty much everyone/where I went to find info showed me this picture



I guess what I'm mostly confused/interested in is why it is such a divisional topic - why people do or don't believe in it, and what it means to do so

Edited by pv4: 4/11/2013 10:17:27 AM

Well that's your answer. Christianity is a bunch of differing opinions and translations of the Bible. Which is why there are so many different Christian sub-religions. All adhere to similar dogma but also understand or take statements from the bible in different context.

It's the standard 19th century Christianity division. A guy stars a belief and hand picks what he's going to believe in from the bible. See: 7th day adventists, Mormon, Jehova's Witness, etc.

You came to the wrong place.

The Trinity was invented to convince people of the divinity of Jesus.

It's a concept that's always been logically confusing to me, even when I was a Christian.

Just in general. Although I've only really looked at Christianity so far

I thought it had been well established that I am a former Christian, and my father is a lay-minister in the UCA.

The most interesting religion is Norse Mythology, IMO.

Seconded. Their tales are elaborate and fascinating.

Flying Spaghetti Monster yo.

-PB

Religion is for those who are too stupid to think for themselves.

Come the fuck at me EasternGlory

I don't know if you read my megabump, but I quite clearly asked for these types of opinions not to be included