Not Just the Adults – Secular Kids’ IQs also Higher

With all the hoopla surrounding a quiz question apparently formulated by an Ohio State University grad student asking whether Atheists were smarter than Christians, why has Corporate Media focused on right-wing outrage rather than doing their jobs in exploring the facts behind this question, which is based on the textbook for the psychology course citing scientific studies?

Not one major news outlet has brought attention to the fact that peer-reviewed studies have been ongoing and consistently show the IQs of Atheist to be higher than those of Christians.

Mainstream news sources could also note studies showing children raised in parochial schools have difficulty interpreting fact from fiction (which makes sense, many would argue, when an Iron Age book – which repeatedly references unicorns and states the earth is flat, stationary and rests on pillars – is taught as truth).

Instead, Corporate Media reporters have pulled the “discrimination” card over this quiz question, but what is discriminatory about citing evidence?

And why not note that although the better educated are more likely to ask questions, thereby cultivating critical thinking skills and a secular mindset, which Christians could develop as well?

The discussion could also focus more on the fact that this is good, solid evidence one can take into consideration when voting for taxpayer money going to voucher schools, many of which are not only unregulated but parochial in nature.

There are many aspects this story could instead concentrate on, but the sooner we recognize this is symptomatic of Corporate Media bias toward the religious right Republican viewpoint, the sooner we can encourage more balanced reporting.

Since six mega-corporations control 80% of our primetime news, and corporations rely on lax environmental controls, low taxes and anti-union policies by the Republican Party, Corporate Media now slants to the right end of the political spectrum.

This is likely why news stories, rather than educating and enlightening people for the betterment of society, now often just feed into the “culture wars.” However, the airwaves “belong to the people,” and by neglecting these types of questions, the public is not being served.

In noticing the relevant questions Corporate Media fails to touch on, we can be motivated to work toward stopping media consolidation and breaking up big media. Only then will we have an informed public and perhaps raise the intelligence quotients of everyone, not just Atheists.

IQ Studies

Average intelligence predicts atheism rates across 137 nations http://www.sciencedirect.com/...

The relationship between intelligence and multiple domains of religious belief: Evidence from a large adult US sample http://www.sciencedirect.com/...

The Relation Between Intelligence and Religiosity A Meta-Analysis and Some Proposed Explanations http://psr.sagepub.com/...

Is it smart to believe in God? The relationship of religiosity with education and intelligence http://pepsic.bvsalud.org/...

Why People Believe Weird Things http://books.google.com/...

Judgments About Fact and Fiction by Children From Religious and Nonreligious Backgrounds http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/...

Biblical references

Unicorns: KJV: Job. 39:9-10; Psalm 22:21, 29:6, 92:10; Isaiah 34:7; Num. 23:22, 24:8; Deut. 33:17

Flat Earth: Job 38:13; Isaiah 11:12; Rev. 7:1

Stationary Earth: Eccles. 1:5; Psalms 93:1, 96:10, 104:5; Joshua 10:12; 1 Chron. 16:30

Earth Resting On Pillars: I Sam. 2:8; Job 9:6, 38:4

Media Consolidation

http://www.freepress.net/...

MediaMatters.org

http://www.newswatch.org/...

Legislative Voting Records

Votesmart.org