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Any proof that atheists are more rational?
Posted on: December 18, 2009 - 10:55pm
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Any proof that atheists are more rational?
Any studies measuring the rationality of atheists as opposed to theists?
I'm looking for actual studies, not anecdotes or blog posts.
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While I'm on the subject, might as well up the anty and include Swedes/Danes compared to Americans.
Well, I once did this study in grad school in which I interviewed 2,123 people and asked them questions designed to determine their rationality. 100% of the theists answered irrationally. 89.5% of the atheists answered rationally. (Please note how I reversed the meaning of the numbers in my conclusion. I'm somewhat proud of that innovation.)
The questionaire was quite simple:
1. Are you an atheist? (Yes/No)
2. Do you believe in god? (Yes/No)
The analysis was tedious, and quite fraught with many statistical pitfalls, but at last I arrived at my objectively legitimate and very handy conclusions.
Otherwise, I've not heard anything. Why do you ask?
"Yes, I seriously believe that consciousness is a product of a natural process. I find that the neuroscientists, psychologists, and philosophers who proceed from that premise are the ones who are actually making useful contributions to our understanding of the mind." - PZ Myers
So 10.5% of atheists believe in God?
Hey, now. I have two complaints about this.
First, however petty, it's "ante." I'm usually not a grammar nazi, which is what grammar nazis always say.
Second, that wouldn't be a fair comparison. The educational systems are significantly different in Europe and in the US. Over the last several decades, the US has declined in quality, due to inadequate funding and general contention between those who want a real education and are willing to make other people pay for it, and those who aren't.
Plus, Americans are fat, egotistical, and lazy. Oh, and stupid.
I'm using me as one Standard US Citizen. So I'm probably skewing it in a way that makes Americans look good. Damned good.
"Yes, I seriously believe that consciousness is a product of a natural process. I find that the neuroscientists, psychologists, and philosophers who proceed from that premise are the ones who are actually making useful contributions to our understanding of the mind." - PZ Myers
Naw. 5 answered "Angelina Jolie." 6 answered, "How the hell should I know?" The rest all left it blank. If you're going to be rational, you might as well be absolutely sure about it, so leaving it blank was considered irrational.
[edit addendum]
By "the rest," I mean the other 10 atheists who answered irrationally. Sorry for any confusion.
[edit addendum addendum]
Sorry about being silly. I've just had a good day. We just finished watching Young Sherlock Holmes in preparation for going to Robert Downey Jr.'s role on the big screen next week. I've had several excellent beers. And I've been helping my wife plot the rise of her undead army. (I get to design and operate the zombiepult.)
You started this thread with an excellent question, one in which I am interested, and hope to see honest and sincere answers. I'll get out and stop polluting it with silliness.
"Yes, I seriously believe that consciousness is a product of a natural process. I find that the neuroscientists, psychologists, and philosophers who proceed from that premise are the ones who are actually making useful contributions to our understanding of the mind." - PZ Myers
Or they don't believe in god by aren't atheists.
Can you be more specific about what you're looking for? I'll search the journal archives.
My first thought is that you'd be looking for a specific problem solving task that's been done by atheists and theists, but I don't think that's a good approach. The going hypothesis is that the "irrational thinking" done by theists is compartmentalized, probably due to cognitive distortion of a specific core belief (or beliefs). In other words, we wouldn't expect to find that atheists are "more rational" across the board. Instead, we'd expect to see irrational behaviors and conclusions associated with specific beliefs, while behaviors and conclusions not connected with those beliefs would conform to the statistical norms.
In other words, I don't think such a study exists, because I don't think atheists are inherently "more rational" than theists. Instead, we should expect to find that in comparing specific theist (false) beliefs about the nature of reality with atheist (true) beliefs about the nature of reality, atheists would reach more functional and accurate conclusions when asked to problem solve.
To put one more thorn in your side, I don't think you should be comparing theism to atheism. The issue isn't religious belief, but faith-based belief applied to specific problems. Atheism doesn't necessarily equal rationalism, and theism doesn't necessarily equal any particular irrationality. (The only thing we can be sure of is that the God-belief itself is externally irrational, but we can't even be sure that they aren't just ignorant, and are making rational decisions based on false information.)
But then, you still don't get what I claim about what faith based thinking does, so I wouldn't have expected you to realize these limitations of your question.
Atheism isn't a lot like religion at all. Unless by "religion" you mean "not religion". --Ciarin
http://hambydammit.wordpress.com/
Books about atheism
I doubt you will find any studies on this subject at all, never mind with useful results. Given the difficulty of deciding what "rationality" is, and the sheer range of depth of belief and non-belief, any such study would have monumental sampling biases.
Since you're smart enough and educated enough to know this, I suspect you have your +3 Sword of Straw-men Obliteration out and are on the hunt.
Yes I know
"Alison, since faith defies reality checks it can be used to justify the unjustifiable.
"
I never mentioned your claims here, this is for my thoughts, not yours.
If you two ever get married, I'd like to be an usher. The lulz would sustain me for the rest of my life.
Enlightened Atheist, Gaming God.
So, do you have anything to say about my response to your question?
Atheism isn't a lot like religion at all. Unless by "religion" you mean "not religion". --Ciarin
http://hambydammit.wordpress.com/
Books about atheism
Which response?
1] That there isn't any real study about it
2]or that in specific beliefs about reality, atheists will do better,
3]or that I shouldn't compare atheism to theism and then circles back to the second one?
The first one would certianly pose a problem in citing studies, the second one does sound like a suggestion to post studies testing this and the last one is reduntent seeing as I AM comparing atheists to theists and Swedes to Danes to Americans.
Anyway, let's not do this now pumpkin, I have a headache.