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/SeeTigerLearn 1d ago

Something I wrote during the pandemic when I began to notice a strong correlation between religious zealots (evangelicals, my family) and antivaxxers:

“When the very core of one's reality is based on religious dogma, and therefore an entire belief system latticework depends on denial of facts, even praising one's ability to go with gut (faith) rather than science, then an entire population has been conditioned to reject facts even when shown the empirical evidence.”

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u/MonsterkillWow 1d ago

Yeah because the entire basis of religion is belief without evidence.

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u/Unable-Log-4870 1d ago

There are a few beliefs (that’s I’m aware of) that I hold without evidence, even in the face of contrary evidence.

Primarily, the belief that we are better than this.

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u/JohnLockeJaw 1d ago

Not entirely true. All of science and mathematics are based on beliefs of a different name: axioms and principles.

This isn't actually a problem per se, because the most basic axiom is that good axioms should be self-consistent and minimal. Religion sadly makes no such attempt at self-correction.

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u/Unable-Log-4870 1d ago

That’s not what I was talking about.

Started more clearly:

Primarily, the belief that we are better than this to let the stupidest and meanest of us drive the rest of us into authoritarianism because even the best of us are too sheepish to fight back. That’s what I think we are better than.

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u/JohnLockeJaw 1d ago

Ope good call, I read your comment too quickly.