The Kind-Hearted Smart Aleck

I find it funny that I wrote a blog last night concerning Rush Limbaugh's comments on how a person can't "intellectually" both believe in God and global warming. I then made note that there's really nothing "intellectual" about religious beliefs in any context, so I found his statement to be humorous on multiple fronts. Then today I read about a recent study which made the following finding(s): "Are religious people less intelligent than atheists? That's the provocative conclusion of a new review of 63 studies of intelligence and religion that span the past century. The meta-analysis showed that in 53 of the studies, conducted between 1928 and 2012, there was an inverse relation between religiosity -- having religious beliefs, or performing religious rituals -- and intelligence. That is, on average, non-believers scored higher than religious people on intelligence tests." The scientists and researchers most frequently said the reason ...

A study conducted by the International Humanist and Ethical Union (IHEU) just recently reported that atheists and other religious skeptics are often times not treated equally in societies around the world. This is especially the case in some Islamic countries, where such individuals can be put to death. While the punishment may not be nearly as severe in some European countries and the United States, such individuals are still often times not treated equally. As the report states: "...In Greece and Russia, the Orthodox Church is fiercely protected from criticism and is given pride of place on state occasions, while Britain bishops of the Church of England have automatic seats in the upper house of parliament. While freedom of religion and speech is protected in the United States, the report said, a social and political climate prevails 'in which atheists and the non-religious are made to feel like lesser Americans.' In at least seven U.S. states, constitutional pro...