The Panda’s Thumb reproduces a speech by James Downard which argues that it is not lack of intelligence that explains why people (religious believers, atheists, and probably everyone) believe things that aren’t supported by evidence or even have evidence against them. I had to skim parts of it, but hope to return to it, as it looks insightful.
Anyone who has previously been a young-earth creationist will probably acknowledge that they weren’t stupid at the time, and that their change in viewpoint was not a result of a sudden increase in intelligence.
It seems clear that the issue is not the amount of evidence or a person’s IQ but other factors entirely. And Downard’s speech seems to explore those factors in helpful ways, and so I look forward to giving it a more careful reading soon, but wanted to share it now so others may also have a chance to do so.
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