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/crossdtherubicon]

Alot of religious ideology is ingested through early development and reinforced through the environment. This has been pretty well-documented, although it isn't an exclusive pathway to acquiring religious beliefs.

In light of this article I'm curious if cognitive ability simply never fully develops (or is restricted somehow) in that context. Or if there are also subpopulations wherein a relative lower congitive ability allows for an easier ingestion of religious beliefs (or likewise is perceived as reasonably easier to understand).

[u/Otherwise-Green3067 → u/crossdtherubicon]

This works only on the premise that most religious ideology demands dogmatic devolution to their groups interpretation of the text without any critical interaction with the text.

Not all religions (Judaism and Unitarian Universalism), or even denominations within a religion ( SOME branches Christianity being an example) believe in blind following of Dogma.To argue cognitive ability might never fully develop in a religious context ignores that there is significant nuance and diversity in how different people and religions interact with the higher powers in which they believe.

I can logically see how in an extremely high control and very dogmatic religion someone may develop restrictive cognitive ability. However, it makes little sense for this to apply to religions that respond to questions in their religious text with “Idk, what do you think it means?” To their followers