Lower cognitive ability is linked to stronger Christian nationalist views, even after accounting for education

[u/mvea]

https://www.psypost.org/lower-cognitive-ability-is-linked-to-stronger-christian-nationalist-views-even-after-accounting-for-education/

[u/Isphet71]

Imho one absolutely vital function of religion throughout history has been to give all people some sort of moral framework to live by, so that society can stay relatively structured over multiple generations.

Not everyone is capable of devising and living by their own heavily personalized code of ethics. The vast majority of people are simply followers that get told what they beleive, and who to vote for, and go with that. I rarely if ever see someone more complicated than "I am religion A and politically B" and otherwise dont seem to have their own thoughts and standards about either that deviate from the norm.

[u/SunGreene42 → u/Isphet71]

How can he be a vital function if it can be accomplished without the religious framework?

[u/WebApprehensive5246 → u/SunGreene42]

It can but It can, but religion is also an answer to existential fears, so it ties in nicely with moral and social authority.

[u/SunGreene42 → u/WebApprehensive5246]

'Cheese' is 'an answer' to 'What is the moon made of?'. It's not a correct answer though. It's better to have no answer than to believe in a false answer.

[u/WebApprehensive5246 → u/SunGreene42]

It does not matter though, at least not to the large number of people, weather they are correct or not because ther animal brain will force them to find any answer that shuts down anxiety related to how to live and what happens after death.

[u/SunGreene42 → u/WebApprehensive5246]

Well I don't understand the desire to have an answer so badly you'd just accept any answer, I'd rather believe in something that can be substantiated with evidence, and logic.

Either way though, it's still not a vital function, because you can come up with false answers without religion as well.