Over the years, after debating with theists on this and other forums and in person, I came to the conclusion that the religious people are not all the same.
Depending on their intelligence, they fall into one of the following categories:
50-85 IQ - severely retarded to slightly retarded people unable to distinguish what is real and what is not
Generally, these people do not understand the content of religious texts but they tend to remember
and cling on some passages that had been presented and explained to them by others.
This group is a breeding ground for extremists and terrorists.
86-110 IQ - below average to average intelligence, most likely college or university educated folks, these people understand
that most of the religious texts cannot be interpreted literally as these are historical texts and
should be interpreted in the context in which they were written. They tend to compartmentalize
their religious beliefs and their understanding of science and the world around them.
These people would most likely never hurt others in the name of the religion, but generally applaud and
cheer when others kill in the name of their religion. There are some atheists in this group but not too many.
111-135 IQ - above average intelligence. Highly educated people, some holding advanced degrees, they are masters of compartmentalization.
Less religious than the other groups, but still believe in God the creator. Pascal wagers are in this group.
This is a breeding ground for atheists as they analyze the religious texts, find inconsistencies, argue
with other religious people (often with limited success as the mental gaps are just too great).
You might find some hard core religious nuts in this group, but very few since it is very hard for
these people to reconcile religion with the reality around them. But they try despite the odds.
136+ IQ- these people are mostly atheists, most of them don't even think about God as it is not something even worth
thinking about. The question of religion is as clear as 2+2 or A8+F. They know there is no God, that God concept
was invented by people to help them understand the complex world. They see organized religions as political
and/or business entities.
So which group do you belong to?
The easiest way for a person with an average intelligence to become an atheist is to actually read the Bible, Quran and Talmud.
I can guarantee you, some of you will become atheists after reading the Bible alone, you won't have to read Quran. But I highly recommend you read all three.
Mostly false, because first, I had IQ tests when I was a child to let me pass a class or not, and guess what, I had 136+. Then, I was not raised all my life in religion. No one ever told me about that, ever ! I made all my conclusions alone. If you read the Bible, even beside the existance of God or not, all the commandements and such are so obvious that everyone should follow them naturally.
Also, if you're giving numbers about the US, this place is full of retards...
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