> You simply cannot say belief in religion is for stupid people.
> Millions of intelligent people are christian or muslim or whatever and
> a lot of intellectually challenged folks are atheists. The reality is
> no body knows why some people believe in religious things and others
> do not but intelligence has next to nothing to do with it. I know it
> is tempting to say that people who reject religion do so on the
> grounds of making an intelligent decision to reject superstition but
> it just isn't that simple.
It does seem paradoxical that people who are, one would suppose, intelligent enough to understand that there is no proof or body of evidence for the existence of God and other tenets of the monotheistic religions that hold water could still believe them. However, there are many reasons why people believe propositions besides their having sufficient proof or evidence. Or, as Pascal, another really smart Christian, wrote, "The heart has its reasons that reason is entirely unaware of."
I think the reason that many scientists are religious is that they enjoy the fellowship of their fellow believers, just like ordinary folks, and also enjoy the comfort of the idea that the Universe is governed and sustained by an infinitely intelligent and good divinity. I make it a principle not to get involved in these endless and unfruitful arguments between believers and non-believers, but my experience more than once, in discussing the non-theistic worldview of Buddhism with theistic believers, is that they respond along the lines of: "Oh, I could never feel comfortable living in a world that was not created by a God. It would be much too bleak." And these are by no means stupid people.
I would say that intelligent believers simply make a choice, conscious or not, not to push their skeptical rational activities into areas that would shake their faith. After all, we all have the ability to choose what to think about and what not to.
Jon Johanning // jjohanning at igc.org __________________________________ When I was a little boy, I had but a little wit, 'Tis a long time ago, and I have no more yet; Nor ever ever shall, until that I die, For the longer I live the more fool am I. -- Wit and Mirth, an Antidote against Melancholy (1684)