Irenaeus, Siteadmin, Check users, oversight, Administrators
351,940
edits
Changes
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
Line 277:
Line 277: + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
→Criticism of atheism and the atheist community
*[[Atheism and economics]]
*[[Atheism and economics]]
== Atheism and education ==
''See also:'' [[Religion and education]] and [[Atheist indoctrination|Atheistic indoctrination and education]] and [[Atheism and intelligence]] and [[Atheism and academia]] and [[Atheism and academic performance]]
In the [[United States]], religious belief is positively correlated to education; a scholarly study published in an academic journal titled the ''Review of Religious Research'' demonstrated that increased education is correlated with belief in God and that "education positively affects religious participation, devotional activities, and emphasizing the importance of religion in daily life."<ref>Multiple references:
* Schwadel, Philip (2011). [http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs13644-011-0007-4 "The effects of education on Americans’ religious practices, beliefs, and affiliations" [abstract].] ''Review of Religious Research'' 53:2. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s13644-011-0007-4 DOI:10.1007/s13644-011-0007-4]. "(2) [E]ducation positively affects religious participation, devotional activities, and emphasizing the importance of religion in daily life; (3) education positively affects switching religious affiliations, particularly to a mainline Protestant denomination, but not disaffiliation; (4) education is positively associated with questioning the role of religion in secular society but not with support for curbing the public opinions of religious leaders; and (5) the effects of education on religious beliefs and participation vary across religious traditions. Education does influence Americans’ religious beliefs and activities, but the effects of education on religion are complex." Abstract retrieved from link.springer.com, July 16, 2014.
*{{cite web|title="Study: more educated tend to be more religious, by some measures"|author=Jim Kavanagh|date=11 August 2011|publisher=CNN|url=http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2011/08/11/study-more-educated-tend-to-be-more-religious-by-some-measures/|quote=‘With more years of education, you aren’t relatively more likely to say, “I don’t believe in God,”’ he said. ‘But you are relatively more likely to say, “I believe in a higher power.”’}} Retrieved July 17, 2014. See [[CNN]].
*{{cite web|author=Daily Mail reporter|title="The more education people receive, the more religious they become?"|date=12 August 2011|publisher=Daily Mail|url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2025166/The-education-people-receive-religious-become.html|quote=By analyzing data from a large national survey, sociologist Philip Schwadel of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln found that people tend to become more religious—by certain definitions—as they further their education. The survey also qualified what concept of God or a 'higher power' individuals held, as well as whether they had any doubts. Mr Schwadel said that: 'With more years of education, you aren’t relatively more likely to say, "I don’t believe in God," but you are relatively more likely to say, "I believe in a higher power."'}} Retrieved July 17, 2014. See [[Daily Mail]].
*{{cite web|author=Winkler, Amanda|title="More is more when it comes to education and religion", study says|date=13 August 2011|publisher=The Christian Post|url=http://www.christianpost.com/news/who-is-more-religious-53865/|quote=Sociologist Philip Schwadel from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) studied this phenomenon. He discovered that people today tend to become more religious as they further their education.}} Retrieved July 17, 2014.</ref>
One of the reasons education is positively correlated with belief in God in the United States is that the [[demography|demographics]] of people attending higher education has shifted due to more women and southerners attending higher education (these two groups are more likely to be [[theism|theists]]. See: [[Atheism and women]]).<ref>Bosmin, Barry (February 17, 2011). [http://www.scienceandreligiontoday.com/2011/02/17/why-do-we-believe-that-higher-education-leads-to-atheism-if-it-doesnt/ "Why do we believe that higher education leads to atheism if it doesn’t?"] Science + religion Today. Retrieved on July 27, 2014.</ref>
Stijn Ruiter, senior researcher at the [[Netherlands]] Institute for the Study of Crime and Law Enforcement, and Frank van Tubergen, a professor of [[sociology]] in [[Utrecht]], analyzed 'religious participation' in 60 countries. Their research found no effect of education, but instead indicated that social/economic insecurity and the environment people grow up in have a significant impact.<ref>Multiple references:
*Vlasblom, Dirk (October 22, 2009). [http://vorige.nrc.nl/international/Features/article2394314.ece/Insecurity_not_education_determines_church_attendance "Insecurity not education determines church attendance"]. nrc.nl. Retrieved on September 9, 2014.
*Field, Clive (February 21, 2010). [http://www.researchconnections.org/icpsrweb/PHDCN/biblio/studies/4531/resources/98255?collection=DATA&sortBy=1 "Religious attendance in cross-national perspective"]. British Religion in Numbers, University of Manchester. Retreived on September 9, 2014.
*Ruiter, Stijn and van Tubergen, Frank (November 2009). "Religious attendance in cross-national perspective: a multilevel analysis of 60 countries". ''American Journal of Sociology'', vol. 115, no. 3, pp. 863-95.</ref>
For more information, please see:
*[[Atheist indoctrination]]
*[[Religiosity and the growing use of vouchers and homeschooling]]
=== Atheism in academia ===
[[File:Alister McGrath.jpg|right|thumb|175px|[[Alister McGrath]] ]]
''See also:'' [[Atheism and academia]]
In 2001, the atheist and [[Philosophy|philosopher]] Quentin Smith declared:
{{cquote|[[Naturalism|Naturalists]] [atheists] passively watched as realist versions of [[theism]] … began to sweep through the philosophical community, until today perhaps one-quarter or one-third of philosophy professors are theists, with most being orthodox Christians…. God is not 'dead' in academia; he returned to life in the 1960's and is now alive and well in his last academic stronghold, philosophy departments."<ref>Craig, William Lane (2012).[http://www.reasonablefaith.org/theistic-critiques-of-atheism "Theistic critiques of atheism"]. Reasonable Faith. Retrieved on July 26, 2014. Unabridged version of article published 2007. See [[William Lane Craig]].</ref>}}
In 2004, Professor [[Alister McGrath]], professor of historical theology at Wycliffe Hall, [[Oxford University]] declared, "The golden age of atheism is over."<ref>Stewart, Marilyn (August 10, 2004). [http://www.sbcbaptistpress.org/bpnews.asp?ID=18837 "Nobts’ Oxford Study Program spans notable lectures & historical sites"]. Baptist Press. Retrieved on July 26, 2014.</ref>
For more information please see:
*[[Atheist indoctrination|Atheistic indoctrination and education]]
*[[Religion and education]]
== Atheism and intelligence ==
[[File:Howard gardner.jpg|thumbnail|205px|right|[[Howard Gardner]] developed the [[theory of multiple intelligences]]. ]]
''See also:'' [[Atheism and intelligence]] and [[Atheism and the theory of multiple intelligences|Atheism and Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences]] and [[Causes of atheism]]
Within various countries, standardized [[intelligence testing|intelligence test]] (IQ) scores related to the issue of atheists/[[agnosticism|agnostics]] vs. [[theism|theists]] intelligence scores yield conflicting results.<ref>[http://www.doxa.ws/other/smarter.html "Who is smarter; are atheists smarter than Christians? An examination of studies"] (2007). Doxa: Christian Thought in the 21st Century. Retrieved on October 29, 2014.</ref><ref>[http://www.randalolson.com/2014/08/24/the-myth-of-the-smarter-atheist/ The myth of the smarter Atheist] by Randy Olson, Posted on August 24, 2014</ref> Part of the problem is that social scientists use variant [[Definition of atheism|definitions of atheism]].<ref>Multiple references:
*Briggs, Dr. William M. (2013). [http://www.strangenotions.com/atheists-higher-iqs/ "Do atheists really have higher IQs than believers?"] Strange Notions. Retrieved on October 29, 2014.
*Wright, Bradley (January 26, 2012). [http://www.patheos.com/blogs/blackwhiteandgray/2012/01/how-many-americans-are-atheists-fewer-than-you-might-think/ "How many Americans are atheists? Fewer than you might think"]. Black, White and Gray. Retrieved on October 29, 2014.</ref> See also: [[Atheism, intelligence and the General Social Survey]]
However, within individuals, families and societies irreligion/religion can have an effect on intelligence - especially over time (See: [[Atheism and intelligence]]).
=== Flynn effect on intelligence: Secular/religious countries ===
The Flynn effect is the significant and long-sustained increase intelligence test scores measured in many parts of the world from roughly 1930 to the present.<ref name=R2000>Raven, John (2000). [http://eyeonsociety.co.uk/resources/RPMChangeAndStability.pdf "The Raven's Progressive Matrices: Change and stability over culture and time"]. ''Cognitive Psychology'', vol. 41, pp. 1-48. {{doi|10.1006/cogp.1999.0735}}. Retrieved on October 29, 2014.</ref> In some secular, economically developed countries, the Flynn effect has ceased and their scores on standardized intelligence tests are falling.<ref>Multiple references:
*Singh, Gunjan (July 31, 2010). [http://www.examiner.com/article/how-the-world-s-iq-is-decline "How the world's IQ is in decline"]. Examiner.com. Retrieved on October 26, 2014.
*Lynn, Richard and Vanhanen, Tatu (2006). ''IQ and Global Inequality'' (Augusta, GA: Washington Summit Publishers). ISBN 1-59368-025-2
*Hally, Thomas (aft. 2010). [http://www.academia.edu/1203173/The_Rise_and_Fall_of_the_World_1_ "The Rise and Fall of the World's IQ"]. Academia.edu. Retrieved on October 26, 2014.
*Hunter, Philip (March 21, 2012). [http://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/science-and-technology/intelligence-quotient-james-flynn "Received wisdom: Average IQ is falling in Britain and beyond, explains Philip Hunter"]. ''Prospect'', April 2012. Retrieved from Prospect Magazine website on October 26, 2014.</ref> However, the Flynn effect is continuing in developing countries which tend to be more religious (see: [[Intelligence trends in religious countries and secular countries]]).
=== Intelligence trends: Secular countries and religious countries ===
See: [[Intelligence trends in religious countries and secular countries]]
=== Atheism and the theory of multiple intelligences ===
See: [[Atheism and the theory of multiple intelligences|Atheism and the theory of multiple intelligences]]
[[Howard Gardner]] at [[Harvard University]] developed the [[theory of multiple intelligences]] which has identified various distinct intelligences: interpersonal, intrapersonal, visual–spatial, verbal–linguistic, logical–mathematical, musical–rhythmic, bodily–kinesthetic, and naturalistic.<ref>Lane, Carla. [http://www.tecweb.org/styles/gardner.html "Multiple Intelligences"]. Excerpt from "The Distance Learning Technology Resource Guide". Retrieved from The Education Coalition website on October 26, 2014.</ref> Gardner later suggested that [[moral intelligence]] may merit being included in his multiple intelligence model.<ref>Smith, Mark K. (2002, 2008). [http://infed.org/mobi/howard-gardner-multiple-intelligences-and-education/ "Howard Gardner and multiple intelligences"]. The Encyclopedia of Informal Education. Retrieved on October 26, 2014.</ref>
For information related to atheism and various forms of intelligence, please see:
* [[Atheism and the theory of multiple intelligences]]
*[[Atheism and intelligence]]
== Claims about the conditionality of atheism and atheists' attitudes towards death ==
''See also:'' [[Atheists doubting the validity of atheism]]
Hannah More wrote: "[T]he mind, which knows not where to fly, flies to God. In agony, nature is no Atheist. The soul is drawn to God by a sort of natural impulse; not always, perhaps by an emotion of piety; but from a feeling conviction, that every other refuge is 'a refuge of lies'."<ref>More, Hannah (1815). [http://archive.org/details/anessayoncharac00moregoog ''An Essay on the Character and Practical Writings of St. Paul''], 5th ed., vol. 2 (London: T. Cadell and W. Davies), p. 234. Retrieved from Internet Archive, July 16, 2014.</ref>
== Criticism of atheism and the atheist community ==
== Criticism of atheism and the atheist community ==