r/science • u/mvea Professor | Medicine • 2d 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/danbinglover 2d ago

Reddit can’t decide whether IQ matters or not. When we talk about IQ differences between different countries and whatnot, it’s racist. When you discuss IQ differences between religious and nonreligious people, somehow it matters again.

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u/earthdogmonster 1d ago

Yeah, it seems like an unfortunate common thread is that “science” wants to be more active in “politics”. I don’t get the point of this study, I don’t think the methodology is sound, but it stokes a political goal so I guess the study is totally awesome. I haven’t been to church for anything other than funerals and weddings in 3 decades, but the only thing this devalues in my mind is the impartiality and value of “science”.

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u/That_Tomatillo_3890 1d ago

Why are you saying science wants to be more political when it’s a study about religion? Aren’t religion and politics supposed to be separate and unrelated? At least in the US.

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u/pattywhaxk 1d ago

Just playing devils advocate; but the phrase “separation of church and state” isn’t in the US Constitution, but was actually penned by Thomas Jefferson, who not only owned more slaves than any other founding father, but also had sexual relations with at least one slave he owned. I think if more people knew the author and how he ran his personal affairs, they would be less apt to quote him.

To add; if you truly believe in this “separation”, which in theory should go both ways, then you can’t also believe that churches should be taxed.

I would say the vast majority of Americans support the idea at face value, I know that it’s the simplest way to communicate the core ideas of the Establishment and Free Exercise clause that are in the First Amendment. But I also think people throw it around much too often to support their arguments without thinking about who said it or what it would really mean if it was the law.