Intelligence and Religious Belief

[paulpatter]

paulpatter:

I never said there should be a law against either one, and as long as their misuse negative affects only the user then I really don't care.

I was only kidding. I'm sorry it didn't come across that way.

All the best.

[Jason]

Well there are only 2 types of people. THose that like Neil Diamond and those that don't.

Well that's what I heard.

I thought there were 10 - those who understand binary and those who don't.

[yesucan2]

I thought there were 10 - those who understand binary and those who don't.

cute.

[Mansquatch]

Duuuuhh, I's doesn't know what writin is goin on here. Why's I tryin to read the bright bocks in front of me I jest read my bible most days. Gess I just pray for youre soles

[JackNimble]

"The world," a poster on another message board has just announced, "is comprised of two classes of people: intelligent men without religion, and religious men without intelligence."

In partial response, I again offer

http://mormonscholarstestify.org/

Obviously, much more could be said (e.g. "Alvin Plantinga," "Dante Alighieri," "Francis Collins," "T. S. Eliot," "Thomas Aquinas," "Sir Isaac Newton," "William Lane Craig," "N. T. Wright," "Richard Swinburne," "Keith Ward," etc., etc., etc., etc.). But http://mormonscholarstestify.org/ will do for now.

If it is then said that intelligence, properly defined, is shown in the very rejection of religion, and that being religious is ipso facto proof that one lacks real intelligence, I reply with

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_true_Scotsman

I seem to recall a little youtube show about God and Mr. Hitchens. Is that what they mean by "intelligent men without religion"? If so, call me a box of rocks.

[maupayman]

"The world," a poster on another message board has just announced, "is comprised of two classes of people: intelligent men without religion, and religious men without intelligence."

In partial response, I again offer

http://mormonscholarstestify.org/

Obviously, much more could be said (e.g. "Alvin Plantinga," "Dante Alighieri," "Francis Collins," "T. S. Eliot," "Thomas Aquinas," "Sir Isaac Newton," "William Lane Craig," "N. T. Wright," "Richard Swinburne," "Keith Ward," etc., etc., etc., etc.). But http://mormonscholarstestify.org/ will do for now.

If it is then said that intelligence, properly defined, is shown in the very rejection of religion, and that being religious is ipso facto proof that one lacks real intelligence, I reply with

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_true_Scotsman

Hey Daniel, thanks for posting this. I was interested to read your testimony, in fact I would say that I found it inspiring. You are a great writer. While I don't agree with all your views expressed regarding the church's views, I found your entry on that site to be a reasonable and uplifting view of life and the world. The one thing I have noticed, from your testimony and other on the site, along with meeting and discussing testimony with Richard Bushman, is that the testimonies of mormon scholars are vastly different than what one would hear in a fast and testimony meeting. While you outline that your beliefs are tennable, given current evidence, there appears to far less certainty expressed from LDS scholars. I don't see many claiming they "know" the church is true through the spirit etc. So, while the claim you are addressing in the OP is ridiculous, I would say that the most intelligent mormons testimonies seem to be quite different than most members testimonies, from my experience in the church.