# Atheists: Do you believe you are an atheist because you are smart? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 25, 2019, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-do-you-believe-you-are-an-atheist-because-you-are-smart/839238 "2019-08-25T23:48:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2019, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-do-you-believe-you-are-an-atheist-because-you-are-smart/839238/41 "2019-08-26T14:12:48Z")
My atheism was the easiest kind because I was raised in a Young Earth Creationist sect (Southern Baptists) which takes a special kind of stupid to believe. I was already disbeliving the claims of my religious leaders in the first grade. ---
**Author:** ![Razncain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9d8465/32.png) [@Razncain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Razncain)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2019, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-do-you-believe-you-are-an-atheist-because-you-are-smart/839238/42 "2019-08-26T14:16:39Z")
I don’t think I had to be smart to understand most of the atheistic arguments. I did have to set my emotions aside, along with not using wishful thinking; not being persuaded with the power of suggestion, or relying heavily on anecdotes, peer pressure, and not letting others pull your strings and having them get away with using the same fallacious argument over and over. Doubt and questioning is a good thing, it’s at the heart of scientific inquiry along with falsifiability built into it. Religion in a nutshell is just giving reverence to nonsense. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2019, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-do-you-believe-you-are-an-atheist-because-you-are-smart/839238/43 "2019-08-26T17:23:38Z")
Moderating: this could be made into a debate but as is it is just asking for personal opinions. Moved to IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2019, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-do-you-believe-you-are-an-atheist-because-you-are-smart/839238/44 "2019-08-26T17:27:44Z")
I don’t think I’m all that smart, just skeptical. I need proof rather than blind faith. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2019, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-do-you-believe-you-are-an-atheist-because-you-are-smart/839238/45 "2019-08-26T18:08:26Z")
No. I’m sure my path to atheism was made easier by my grandfather being an atheist (though not loud about it,) my parents not being religious at all, and me not having a spiritual bone in my body. I went to Hebrew School for five years, believed in God by default, but became an atheist when I read the introduction to the Bible that gave the information on when it was actually written - and not by Moses. That’s more exposure to information than brains. Atheism just means lack of god belief, and that can be for smart reasons or for dumb ones. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2019, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-do-you-believe-you-are-an-atheist-because-you-are-smart/839238/46 "2019-08-26T18:32:55Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > No. Religion is _obvious_ nonsense, it doesn’t take much intelligence to see through it. It only takes the willingness to do so. Yeah this. I’ve seen far too much evidence that organized religion is a social engineering tool as opposed to a commonly shared experience. I’ve seen zero evidence of a megaconsciousness that is both aware of and responsible for our existence. Looks pretty simply like a massive and ancient lie to me. Alternatively, if there IS a megaconsciousness that is both aware of and responsible for our existence, there is zero evidence it gives a flying screw whether or not we are aware of, and worship, it. So no, I’m not an atheist because I’m smart. I’m an atheist because I’m not gullible. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2019, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-do-you-believe-you-are-an-atheist-because-you-are-smart/839238/47 "2019-08-26T18:34:18Z")
I did a presentation a while back of coming to a personal relationship with God, and for many it starts from questioning, then challenging and then casting off of the gods of one’s parents, elders and religion and then standing in faith. It is not intelligence\*, but the ability to stand up against authority, even the authority of a god, that allows one free choice which could include atheism, or seeking their own god. - While intelligence may be helpful, it is not needed for this, a simple question of ‘What does god need with a starship?’ does not require much intelligence but could be enough to cast off a god. However religious pressure can be very high, and many have failed at this point (questioning) by accepting what should have been a unacceptable answer. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2019, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-do-you-believe-you-are-an-atheist-because-you-are-smart/839238/48 "2019-08-26T19:11:09Z")
Whatever it is that religion’s doing in humans, I very much doubt that it’s got to do directly with intelligence. Plus which, there are certainly intelligent religious people, and stupid atheists. So I think it would not be intelligent of me to believe that atheism, mine or anybody else’s, is caused by intelligence. ---
**Author:** ![swampspruce](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampspruce/32/261_2.png) [@swampspruce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampspruce)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2019, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-do-you-believe-you-are-an-atheist-because-you-are-smart/839238/49 "2019-08-26T19:15:09Z")
Yes. But only enough to realize how much I don’t know. I’m smart enough to know it’ll rain today, but not wise enough to carry an umbrella. ---
**Author:** ![Nawth\_Chucka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c57346/32.png) [@Nawth\_Chucka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nawth_Chucka)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2019, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-do-you-believe-you-are-an-atheist-because-you-are-smart/839238/50 "2019-08-26T19:44:42Z")
I’m an atheist b/c of critical thinking; does that fit the idea of ‘smart’, OP? ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2019, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-do-you-believe-you-are-an-atheist-because-you-are-smart/839238/51 "2019-08-26T19:55:27Z")
> [@RitterSport](#): > > No, I was just brought up without any religion. > [@kayaker](#): > > Pretty much this. I was born atheist. Yeah, I’m another in that category. Hard atheist parents who had only entirely atheist friends and essentially irreligious, non-church-going( by the time I was in their life ), cultural-Christians-at-best grandparents. My one experience being exposed to a devout person close to me when I was very young and the ease with which she instilled a brief period of doubt in me suggests I was credulous enough when young that I could have easily swung the other way. At least for a time. Like others I’ve known people I’d regard as smarter than me that were firm believers, so I really don’t think intelligence per se is the primary answer. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2019, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-do-you-believe-you-are-an-atheist-because-you-are-smart/839238/52 "2019-08-26T19:59:45Z")
> [@Scumpup](#): > > Thanks both to those who answered the question as asked and those who told me some long stuff. Any thoughts on the matter? ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2019, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-do-you-believe-you-are-an-atheist-because-you-are-smart/839238/53 "2019-08-26T20:00:27Z")
> [@Tamerlane](#): > > Yeah, I’m another in that category. Hard atheist parents who had only entirely atheist friends and essentially irreligious, non-church-going( by the time I was in their life ), cultural-Christians-at-best grandparents. My one experience being exposed to a devout person close to me when I was very young and the ease with which she instilled a brief period of doubt in me suggests I was credulous enough when young that I could have easily swung the other way. At least for a time. > > Like others I’ve known people I’d regard as smarter than me that were firm believers, so I really don’t think intelligence per se is the primary answer. Yeah, I wish I could claim that I reasoned my way to this, questioning the dogma that was drilled into me by my parents and using my impressive critical thinking skills to start from first principles and arrive at atheism, resisting the pull of familial ties and peer reinforcement. But, I was born with no faith and it was never imparted to me, so I imagine I’ll die that way, too. I’d like imagine I’m not as impressionable as I was when I was a kid. I’d like to think that I’d arrive here if I were born into a religious household, but who knows? ---
**Author:** ![Ashtura](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ashtura/32/2963_2.png) [@Ashtura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ashtura)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2019, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-do-you-believe-you-are-an-atheist-because-you-are-smart/839238/54 "2019-08-26T20:32:00Z")
No. I grew up highly religious and didn’t start to have doubts until I was around 25. I may have had more life experience, but I don’t think I was any more intelligent at 25, than, say, 19, which was the peak of my religiosity. I’m not dumb by any means, but there are certainly quite a few religious people that are smarter than me. ---
**Author:** ![begbert2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/begbert2/32/3357_2.png) [@begbert2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/begbert2)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2019, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-do-you-believe-you-are-an-atheist-because-you-are-smart/839238/55 "2019-08-26T21:39:57Z")
Honestly, probably not. After all my sister is very nearly as intelligent as I am and is a devout Mormon. My dad is also quite smart and also Mormon. There are also myriad other smart people I know who hew to religion. Intelligence isn’t a _bar_ to believing silly things, by any measure. On the other foot, were I less smart I doubtlessly _would_ be religious, because my intelligence has doubtlessly fed into my critical thinking, my cynicism, and the fact that quite early on I noticed that adults aren’t always reliable sources of information. The last is important - my parents and the leaders at the church they took me to did their darnedest to indoctrinate me, and had I not been able to let the various strange assertions of fact wash over me I doubtlessly would have gone down the route the rest of my family did. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2019, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-do-you-believe-you-are-an-atheist-because-you-are-smart/839238/56 "2019-08-26T21:49:09Z")
Nope, although I’m as smart as the next guy, I guess. I didn’t grow up in a religious home, and other than being forced to go with my mother when I was very young, I never set foot in a church until I was in college and dated a catholic. My first wife was devout catholic and I was coerced into attending “for the children”. My second wife has been a lapsed catholic for about 50 years and has no truck with it or any other organized church. Atheist? I guess so, except they have too many rules. I prefer the term “free-thinker”. ---
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2019, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-do-you-believe-you-are-an-atheist-because-you-are-smart/839238/57 "2019-08-26T21:59:28Z")
No, not because I’m smart, because I’m not particularly. I was dragged to church from the age of maybe 5 until I left the house for college. I have a distinct memory as a child of being in church, and looking around in disbelief at all the adults surrounding me that actually believed that stuff. I still have that reaction on a regular basis. ---
**Author:** ![begbert2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/begbert2/32/3357_2.png) [@begbert2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/begbert2)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2019, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-do-you-believe-you-are-an-atheist-because-you-are-smart/839238/58 "2019-08-26T22:02:56Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Atheist? I guess so, except they have too many rules. Heh. ---
**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2019, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-do-you-believe-you-are-an-atheist-because-you-are-smart/839238/59 "2019-08-27T03:36:03Z")
> [@Hari\_Seldon](#): > > Pretty well describes me. Actually I had a year and a half bar mitzah instruction, but it wasn’t really religious, just learning the Hebrew prayers and after the ceremony I walked and never looked back. This. At age 13 my religious school tried to teach me that the earth was ~5,000 years old while my 8th-grade science teacher said the earth was 4.53 billion years old. The earth couldn’t be both 5,000 and 4.53 billion years old so I knew somebody was lying… and it didn’t take me long to figure out who was. While many deeply religious people are ignorant of scientific facts that doesn’t mean they aren’t smart people, or that atheists are by definition smarter…they’re just more knowledgeable. ---
**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2019, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-do-you-believe-you-are-an-atheist-because-you-are-smart/839238/60 "2019-08-27T04:35:53Z")
Critical thinking is not hard, anyone can do it. So it’s just not a question of smarts. In fact, the whole idea of so-and-so being smart and therefore more likely to be correct about something, or an idea in itself being smart, lead to all kinds of fallacious thinking. We’d be much better off assuming everyone is dumb and all of our reasoning is suspect. If we had thought that way from day one, we would probably have found the scientific method much sooner and would probably be busy flying to other worlds by now. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-do-you-believe-you-are-an-atheist-because-you-are-smart/839238.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-do-you-believe-you-are-an-atheist-because-you-are-smart/839238.md?page=4)