"Do you believe in God? Then you can't think critically," the researchers say. Are believers really "stupid" and atheists have the upper hand?
Believers vs. atheists
We in the Czech Republic don't deal with problems with faith very often. After all, we are also one of the most atheistic nations in the world. Perhaps that is why the non-believing part of society looks at those who believe in God as easily manipulated fools who cannot live "on their own" and so need an imaginary crutch. In the form of faith and God. Add to this (in the name of God and with fanatical references to the Bible) the promotion of concepts that are not very compatible with the modern world (persistent condemnation of gay/les relationships, opposition to abortion or family transformation, etc.), and it is clear that problems (and mutual hostility) are brewing. The situation is not helped by science, which is clear on many things (and those who cling to God are not exactly pleased by the related findings)...
Who is the "stupid" one here?
Since the relationship between reason and faith is indeed a difficult and somewhat controversial topic, it is not surprising that scientists have addressed it. Thus, Harvard psychologists have even investigated whether people who believe in God think differently from people who don't - focusing on the degree of intuition used. What did the research consist of? Surprisingly, in math problems. The result, then, probably won't come as much of a surprise: those who answered incorrectly (and also more intuitively) were more likely to be believers, while those who answered correctly had no faith - yes, they used reason.
Of course, the research in question did not investigate what exactly faith gives people, so a fierce debate soon broke out about faith and reason, the contours of which were quite clear: believers are stupid because they failed a math test. "People who don't think and are often wrong tend to believe in God," one of the authors of the research wrote directly in a blog post. While such generalizations certainly can't be applied universally - and there are undoubtedly many smart believers and not-so-smart non-believers running around the world - according to neuroscientist (and atheist) Sam Harris, research simply shows that atheists are more intelligent.
But whether we like it or not (depending on whether we are believers or not), the results of the Harvard study are in a way confirmed by other diverse data. For example, relatively recently, scientists have found that people suppress the analytical regions of their brains in order to believe in God. On the other hand, this research is not so black and white - and points to the fact that although believers suppress analytical thinking, they in turn engage more with the parts of the brain responsible for empathy. "When it comes to the question of belief, it can seem absurd from an analytical perspective," is how research leader Tony Jack sums up. "From what we know about the brain, however, both belief and belief in something supernatural involve pushing aside critical and analytical ways of thinking in order to better achieve higher social and emotional insight." So you could say that everything has its pros, but also its cons. But why do people believe in God at all?
Why do we believe in God?
While it might seem that belief (and of course it doesn't necessarily have to be in the Christian God, but other deities as well) has been associated with humanity since time immemorial, the opposite is true. According to experts at the University of California, once upon a time, in the early days of mankind, no one believed in any god. Thus, our evolutionary ancestors were pure atheists until (as if by deus ex machina...) religion appeared. But essentially as a kind of evolutionary mechanism for finding the cause of a particular effect. For humans have a natural tendency to believe in the "supernatural" whenever a situation becomes unpredictable and unexplainable. And belief in the explanation that someone somewhere is pulling the invisible strings of fate and can thus influence events is a universally human trait. But it has its "BUTs" - although belief in the supernatural has evolved with society, it did not initially take the form of "organized belief."
Let's believe
As society evolved, people adopted hunting, farming, and began to establish populated settlements. And it was at this point that organized religion began to emerge as a universal way to punish those in larger communities who transgressed in some way. Through the vigilant gods! Religion thus served as a de facto instrument of a certain "social control". How far this "control" has degenerated over time, let each person judge for himself.
Although at this point it might seem that belief in God does not make much sense in today's world (and this is indicated, for example, by the age structure of believers in the Czech Republic, among whom people over 50 years of age predominate), of course it cannot be completely condemned. In fact, motivations for belief can vary from social isolation (where belief in God can make some feel that they are "not alone") to serious illness (where belief can make one face all hardships with greater determination or reconciliation). In addition, faith in God is said to grow in situations that become uncontrollable - for example, during natural disasters. Indeed, the belief that "God has a plan" can help many people accept the consequences or gain at least partial control over events.
But the most important thing is that today no one forces us to believe, even in God, nor forbids us to do so. So let each person decide for himself what he believes. Ideally, of course, in such a way that this belief does not restrict others. Various actions in the name of God have been done before - and we know where it led...
