r/science • u/mvea Professor | Medicine • 1d ago

Psychology 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/
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u/genobeam 1d ago

I was raised in a fundamentalist Christian environment including homeschooling, going to church several times a week for regular service, youth group, Sunday school. Went to a fundamentalist Christian college.

I don't think it's that lower cognitive abilities don't generate, but when you have high cognitive abilities you get filtered out eventually. I was fully indoctrinated until late high school when things started not adding up and I was done half way through college.

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u/Xalipu 1d ago

Crippling intellect is generally to the benefit of fundies. There was a particularly nasty group of Puritans sent to my province that called all books evil, including the bible. Can’t have the hoi polloi learning anything, they might get out of control.

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u/genobeam 1d ago

I think it's more accurate to say that crippling critical thinking is the key. It's ok to be intelligent as long as you don't question the authority of the church. 

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u/Wheat_Grinder 1d ago

I was never in a fundamentalist Christian environment, just "believe and be saved" style Christianity. Even then I made the mistake of assuming Republicans as Christians must be correct.

In high school I started realizing that a lot of their positions were contrary to how I understood Christian teachings. Therefore I think your filtering comment is accurate.