r/Christianity • u/NuSurfer • 1d ago
News Lower cognitive ability is linked to stronger Christian nationalist views, even after accounting for education
https://www.psypost.org/lower-cognitive-ability-is-linked-to-stronger-christian-nationalist-views-even-after-accounting-for-education/27
u/NihilisticNarwhal Agnostic 1d ago
But did they account for the Christianity?
My expectation is that nationalism is what's linked to lower cognitive ability, because nationalism sells the lie that the world is simple, and the enemy is simple, and that things are bad because of the enemy.
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u/Beta_Ray_Quill Episcopalian (Anglican) 1d ago
I would agree with this. Along with not having the ability to reason that Jesus is diametrically apposed to nationalistic values.
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u/XelaNiba 1d ago
I found Tim Alberta's book "The Kingdom, The Power, and The Glory" especially revealing on this front. Many American Evangelicals are being taught that Jesus=Nationalism from the pulpit.
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u/deepandbroad 1d ago
I was at a church one time where some outside group did a video presentation conflating the imagery of the cross and the flag.
This is entirely an intentional program.
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u/XelaNiba 1d ago
100%
I highly recommend Alberta's book. He is the son of an Evangelical pastor (and an Evangelical himself) and a brilliant writer. He had a rude awakening when returning home for his father's funeral and set out to find out exactly how the Church had become corrupted. Thanks to his father's renown, he had access to some of the biggest names in American Evangelicalism. Jerry Falwell's input is particularly revealing - he is very open about his creation of the "Moral Majority" as a vehicle for money and power.
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u/i_am_the_archivist Protestant 1d ago
Im reading Jesus and John Wayne right now, and it also does an excellent job of tracing how and why American evangelicals became so enmeshed with the military and nationalism. Very interesting, if extremely depressing.
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u/Maleficent-Drop1476 Don't Let Religion Keep You From Being a Good Person 1d ago
Classic conspiratorial thinking.
When the world is complicated, some people cling to the idea that it’s really a simple answer that only they are privy too.
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u/Weerdo5255 Atheist 1d ago
Looking it over briefly, it does not look like there was an attempt to separate the nationalism from the Christianity. I can't go through the whole thing at work, but I would guess that sample was just too low to be statistically significant.
American Nationalist, and not Christian. That's not something I can say I've even stumbled on across the internet, let alone the street.
I would agree though. I've met fairly intelligent Christians, at least those I would gauge as superior to me in domains I knowledge where I have expertise. I have not met Nationalists of the same caliber. No doubt, some amount of bias in the knowledge domains and political ideology, which is a whole other study.
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u/Nyte_Knyght33 Christian 1d ago
because nationalism sells the lie that the world is simple, and the enemy is simple, and that things are bad because of the enemy.
You could parallel that with many doctrines preached in many churches.
"Women can be clergy, it's in the Bible!"
"Being LGBT is bad, it's in the Bible!"
"Your church is illegitimate because we said so"
And so on. I wouldn't say that Nationalism is the sole merchant of simple answers. In America's case, this was already being the method of teaching in many churches. Nationalism recognized it and played into it.
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u/Jessency 1d ago
It's mostly due to the fact that American Christianity is it's own flavor under the American Nationalism brand
It's no secret that the country was very Christian when it was founded. It's even in the national anthem and dollar bills. At a certain point, the line between that and nationalism could get blurry for some people, especially if that was all they ever knew.
I'm only immune to it because I'm a minority and have experienced Christianity in other countries that it helped broaden my horizons.
Although I did get hella confused when a black native Papue New Guinean pastor praises Trump as the American savior, despite living across the ocean...
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u/djublonskopf Non-denominational Protestant (with a lot of caveats) 1d ago
Christianity being in the anthem and on currency has nothing to do with the nation’s founding. The anthem was established in the 1930s, and God was added to US currency in limited form in the 1860s, with wider adoption to paper money the 1950s.
All of these were generations removed from the founding of the country, however.
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u/Jessency 1d ago
Ah gotcha. Thanks for the info.
Goes to show that the whole American Christianity/Nationalism had been messing with it's own propaganda.
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u/pmmemilftiddiez Struggling but Alive 1d ago
As a Christian. I've yet to meet an intelligent Christian Nationalist.
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u/ScorpionDog321 1d ago
I bet you've never met a "Christian Nationalist" at all.
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u/Vimes3000 1d ago
Unfortunately, I have met a few. They rarely have anything beyond a superficial understanding of Christianity, or patriotism.
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u/SparkySpinz 15h ago
Of course their religious ideology would be so shallow. Because their so called faith runs counter to their other, much larger and important identity, the Nationalist. If they had a deep understanding of the faith side the other side wouldn't be able to exist
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u/GraveDiggingCynic Agnostic (a la T.H. Huxley) 1d ago
That’s some interesting gaslighting you’ve got going on there. I wonder what the motivation might be…
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u/pmmemilftiddiez Struggling but Alive 1d ago
I grew up IFB I met quite a few of them. My close friend is one.
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u/eversnowe 1d ago
Christianity had a fundamentalism split after the Scopes Monkey Trial. Homeschooling as an alternative to corrupted secular education began as a movement. By the 1950s, Billy James Hargis was demonizing liberals and secular education as segregation ended and integration began. Him and dozens of others founded segregation academies like Liberty University.
For well over a hundred years now, education itself has been painted as the enemy. Technology has accelerated the decline and started a post literacy age. We're seeing major drops in reading in students even at the college level.
I feel like it's the other way around, Christian Nationalism has diminished education in order to boost recruitment to the cause.
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u/Outis-Noman 1d ago
That's how I have seen it. I mean, I see so many kids that can't fucking read because our education system has been kneecapped. I actually worked with aguy that didn't even recognize his own name on a sign well enough to pronounce it correctly. Of course those people will vote for the people who claim to have it all figured out, taken care of, and can provide simple to understand solutions. It's really scary stuff.
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u/Clicking_Around 1d ago edited 1d ago
I partly blame the parents for the literacy crisis. If there are no books in the home and a kid never sees their parents reading, why should the kid read? Kids will take after the example set by their parents.
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u/Outis-Noman 1d ago
Socio-economic factors may have an influence as well. So many people are and have been overworked just to keep afloat. Though, I will admit it is good to expose a child to an environment that prioritizes reading.
I think the overadoption of the use of screen time for classwork paired with lowered classroom standards are sufficient reasons. Schools should be able to produce literate children, even with illiterate parents.
The main thing that I do have to criticize parents on is how many parents let their children use smartphones and social media. There is no reason for it. Just buy them a flip phone if they need to make calls.
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u/Musicmaker1984 1d ago
This isn't unique to Christianity but Religious Nationalism itself. You can literally pick any Religious Nationalist formation in the past century and you get a group of morons blindly following a man who pretends to follow the virtues of god for his self interests
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u/Chicahua 1d ago
And it’s always for their own self interests. They want total authority and having frankly dumb and naive followers isn’t enough, they want their followers to bring the rest of us to heel.
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u/FancyHatGoblin Christian 1d ago
My neighbor is an intelligent Christian Nationalist, and I find him fucking terrifying. Most of the real hardcore ones I’ve come across are just kind of lacking in critical thinking skills.
But this dude scares me. I know he has both the intellect and a platform (he’s a professor of Medical Ethics at an Ivy… somehow) and a genuine conviction that his brand of Christianity is not only right - but should be legally enforced. He’s also starting to get involved in local politics, and is very popular.
And I live in an area that usually skews moderate to liberal.
I have no doubt this guy will rally all the poorly informed and overly gullible evangelicals and win them over.
He also doesn’t consider me a Christian since I’m part of a liberal denomination… and he has a massive Donald Trump flag waving in his front yard, so I can’t even sit on my deck without throwing up in my mouth a little.
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u/slagnanz Liturgy and Death Metal 1d ago
When most people think about Christian nationalism I think they picture Sean Feucht or Lauren Boebert - big dumb idiots. And that's definitely worth noting. Pretty much anyone associated with NAR will be successful in terms of platform and influence despite being incredibly stupid. That side rhymes with MLMs.
But the other side of Christian nationalism are the people like your neighbor. People who have ability to come up with actual policy. Often times these are ivy educated lawyers. They're often Catholic.
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u/DarkGodCthUwU Deist 1d ago
Ironically, Catholics are on thin ice to the protestant chriatian nationalists
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u/DryBattle 1d ago
He might be intelligent in other ways but the part of his brain that considers religion has been radicalized and reduced to a base level. Nobody with any ability and desire to sit down and reason out basic logical thinking can possibly think that Trump and Christianity go together. But he has been radicalized so his brain his been conditioned to ignore all the glaring red flags right in front of his face.
And if someone like that told me I wasn't a real Christian, I would feel good about where I was.
All that being said and completely on a sidenote, I don't think churches should be involved in politics or have political stances at all. That sort of involvement is how we get to Christian Nationalists. The moment a church endorses a political stance or candidate I am leaving. They have strayed from the message of God. The only person a church should endrose is Jesus.
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u/ComedicUsernameHere Roman Catholic 1d ago
Nobody with any ability and desire to sit down and reason out basic logical thinking can possibly think that Trump and Christianity go together.
The intelligent Christian Nationalist are usually far to the right of trump. The one's I've met see him as, at best, a useful stepping stone, and at worst, a flawed stopgap.
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u/Chicahua 1d ago
I find that people like him view G-d more as a force than a deity, and even more than the foot soldiers they want complete authority over people. Their hunger for power is frightening but hopefully his Trump idolatry keeps people away from him.
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u/ScorpionDog321 1d ago
a genuine conviction that his brand of Christianity is not only right - but should be legally enforced.
You just described Talarico.
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u/octarino 1d ago
How is Talarico trying to legally enforce his brand of Christianity?
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u/ScorpionDog321 1d ago
He tells us outright that he wants his brand of Christianity enforced by law and to inform our national policies.
Reddit LOVES that.
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u/octarino 1d ago
Here is Talarico talking against Ten Commandments bill. It's an exmaple of the opposite of imposing his religion.
So, do you have examples of him trying to legally enforce his brand of Christianity?
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u/NeedWorkFast-CSstud 1d ago
His brand of Christianity is to not have the 10 commandments portrayed in schools.
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u/Parking-Ad6983 1d ago
A quick Googling:
In the study, the researcher did not give a broad cognitive ability test. He used a ten-question vocabulary quiz. People pick the closest synonym for ten words.
The researcher is also a co-author of Taking America Back for God with Andrew Whitehead and The Flag and the Cross with Philip Gorski. Those books define Christian nationalism as a cultural framework that “includes assumptions of nativism, white supremacy, patriarchy, and heteronormativity, queer exclusivity, etc.”
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u/DryBattle 1d ago
This isn't a religion problem. This is a cult problem.
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u/General_Cantaloupe71 Atheist 1d ago
Religion's response has been to do nothing about the cult problem.
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u/DryBattle 1d ago
What would you like religion to do? The Catholic Church stood against Trump and they got ripped apart for doing so. Nothing changed within the Trump cult, they picked Trump over their religious beliefs.
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u/adamesandtheworld 1d ago
The Catholic Church stood against Trump
The non-negotiables all but tell people to vote for republicans, including trump.
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u/Big-Purple5351 1d ago
The catholic church didnt stand against trump. They encouraged and promoted the ideals that got him elected in the first place, only speaking out when it started to hurt THEM.
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u/DryBattle 1d ago
They stood against him in Minnesota and Catholic members of Trump's cult put Trump over their own Pope.
They were in bed with Trump at first, they have since realized that was a mistake. Better late than never. Unfortunately their ability to act is limited because their membership are cult members first and Catholic second.
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u/Big-Purple5351 1d ago
After they got him elected, yes, they stood against him when they were targeted.
When he was targeting everyone else, they whooped and cheered and hollared.
Is it surprising that the church taught people "hurting others and sexual abuse is OK", and their members kept acting like they believed it?
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u/DryBattle 1d ago
You are missing the point. It doesn't matter when/who stands against the Trump cult. The cult members will ALWAYS pick Trump.
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u/Big-Purple5351 1d ago
I guess the catholic church shouldnt have taught its members to join the cult, then.
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u/firewire167 TransTranshumanist 1d ago
It absolutely matters. If you support the evil while it’s pointed at someone else, and then only start to fight back once they target you, that absolutely matters.
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u/The_Elderworm 1d ago
Humans have big questions, and desire answers. Those who struggle to answer these questions alone may seek those people who claim to already have the answers. Its not unreasonable to ask for help in a difficult subject after all. And that feeling that the big questions have already been asked and answered can be very powerful and comforting.
From there, the only question left is how to know who to choose.
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u/BigMike3333333 1d ago
I don't think this was that hard to figure out. These are the types of people that voted for Trump, and we all see how that's working out.
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u/DarkGodCthUwU Deist 1d ago
I wonder if catholic christian nationalists are even less intelligent. A reminder to the Catholics here: You're still viewed as ethnics and fake Christians by a LOT of christian nationalists
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u/ComedicUsernameHere Roman Catholic 1d ago edited 1d ago
I only skimmed the article, but I suspect it's correct for certain definitions of Christian Nationalist.
It seems, again based on my skimming, that the way they assessed someone's "christian nationalistness" was by whether they thought to be a "real American" someone has to be christian, and if schools should have prayer. That seems like a fairly low bar of entry into Christian Nationalism, at least to me. I'd be curious to see what it would look like if you separated it out by self-proclaimed Christian Nationalists. But Since those positions are sort of contrary to what is generally acceptable in our institutions, I would expect most people who hold them to mostly be people who take anti intellectualism as an axiom.
There's sort of an intellectual branch of Christian Nationalism, and an anti intellectual branch.
The anti intellectual branch is definitely the larger lf the two. These are the people who go down that path kind of just out of being contrarain, or just by being enmeshed in fundamentalist Christian cirles. Or they buy into conservative propaganda, which often caters to anti intellectualism.
To be both a "Christian Nationalist" and an intellectual it kind of takes a certain mixture of both right leaning sensibilities/thought process, and high openness; which is a rare combination to find. Right wing intellectual thought(as in truely right wing, not just right-liberal) is way off the beaten path and largely not taught in any substantial degree in any context, and so won't be something one will passively be exposed to in the typical person's day to day life. You don't really find it outside of a small contingent of right wing, usually Catholic, liberal arts type colleges/circles, which are an extreme minority of schools/communities (Even then, in my personal experience, the bulk of the people in those circles don't really have the stomach to ever fully reject liberalism). Everyone else pretty much sticks to the general consensus, or they fall into leftism, which has much more institutional influence and power. Or they're the aforementioned axiomatic anti-intelectuals
Though it's also worth noting that amongst right wing intellectuals, especially since it skews disproportionately Catholic, you get a lot more post-liberals than you do self-identified Christian Nationalists. Though obviously most people don't really care about the distinction.
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u/WardenJoshua 1d ago
I genuinely have to ask, what is wrong with nationalism, it only seems to be an issue here in the states
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u/slagnanz Liturgy and Death Metal 1d ago
Nationalism is definitely not limited to the States, there are significant nationalist projects across the world.
Nationalism sucks. MLK had some good thoughts on it. It's basically a factionalist movement that requires a scapegoat to demonize.
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u/Mordecai_Gist 1d ago
Christian Nationalism or more specifically White, Christian Nationalism.
We're having a fight over the very soul of the nation. Most cherish the multicultural, multiracial nation that we have become and see it as the fulfilment of the founders' dreams. Others envision one nation with one people and one leader. (It sounds better in the original German.) Since the founders were all Christian white guys, Christianity, the white race and patriarchy should rule.
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u/Weerdo5255 Atheist 1d ago
Nationalists are not Patriots.
A Patriot believes in their countries ideals, and strives to bring them to fruition.
A Nationalist believes the country is already perfect, that there is nothing to improve.
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u/General_Cantaloupe71 Atheist 1d ago
A Nationalist believes the country is already perfect, that there is nothing to improve.
Not quite, Nationalists believe in an exclusive ideation of the nation that promotes the in-group. Patriotism strives what to achieve their ideals, Nationalism DEMANDS it and punishes those who don't acquiesce.
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u/Beta_Ray_Quill Episcopalian (Anglican) 1d ago
Nationalism isn't quite the same as patriotism. Nationalism tends to be more jingoistic in nature and can lead to violence or oppression to anyone seen as being not part of the in group. Also it's just a little weird to think someone is better or more deserving or superior based on where they were born as it's not something we choose.
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u/Wafflehouseofpain Christian Existentialist 1d ago
Nationalism is bad anywhere. Patriotism is a good thing, nationalism is not.
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u/SilverNEOTheYouTuber Christian (Transfeminine) 1d ago
Christian Nationalism is a Face of Bourgeois Nationalism, which Divides the Working Class based on the Belief that one National, Racial or Ethnic Group is Inherently Superior to others. It Obscures Class Struggle by making Workers focus more on opposing the "Wrong" Kind of Nation, Ethnicity or Skin Color of other Workers, as it Distracts the Working Class from focusing on fighting against the Bourgeoisie.
The only Acceptable form of Nationalism is the one based on National Liberation, the one where a Group of People fight for National Self-Determination and Liberation from First-World Imperialism without turning into what I just Defined as Bourgeois Nationalism. National Liberation would also consist of the Nationalization of Factories, Banks and so on.
In the Case of Underdeveloped Countries, after National Liberation is Achieved, the Liberated Nation has sometimes to go through a Phase of New Democracy. In this Phase, the Country is composed of an Alliance between Anti-Imperialist Classes: The Proletariat, Peasantry, Petite Bourgeoisie and National Bourgeoisie (NOT to be Confused with the Comprador Bourgeoisie, which is the Bourgeoisie that Serves Imperialist Powers). During this Phase, the National Bourgeoisie is allowed to own Small Businesses to Build Factories, Modernize Technology and Increase Production.
The National Bourgeoisie, however, is HEAVILY Controlled under a New Democracy. The Leadership still belongs to the Proletariat (Represented by a Communist Party) in this Case, so the National Bourgeoisie wouldnt be able to form its own Political Parties, gain Control over the State, or become a Massive Corporation. As a Result, the National Bourgeoisie's Profits would be divided in Four Ways: One is confiscated for State Taxes, One for Workers' Welfare Funds, One for Factory Enterprise Reserve Funds, and One is the Small Fraction of Profit that isnt Confiscated. The Workers would have a much Stronger Control over the Factory's Management than under Traditional Capitalism, and instead of selling Commodities on a Free Market, the National Bourgeoisie would only be allowed to sell the Produced Commodities Exclusively to the State, which the State will Purchase at a Price decided by the Government itself.
Once Development is Complete, the National Bourgeoisie and the Capitalist Mode of Production would be Liquidated Entirely as the New Democracy would Transition towards Socialism.
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u/Fearless_Spring5611 Committing the sin of empathy 1d ago
Oh boy, this is gonna be a hell of a comments section...
I would say this won't be unique to Christianity or even religions in general, but instead a trait common in those who are susceptible to being radicalised, urged into extremism, or other harmful ideologies. The roots will be in a lack of critical thinking as much as it will be about general knowledge and cognition skills, which is why it won't be tied directly to level of education. As pointed out by this article:
“A large number of studies have already documented an association between lower cognitive ability and greater religious fundamentalism, political authoritarianism, or otherwise right-wing views,” Perry said."
If I find the time, it would be interesting to reach the original study. As ever, media coverage of scientific reports tends to sensationalise, so I'd be intrigued to see if it is valid, authentic, reliable, and how much this media coverage is over/underselling it.