While there are plenty of intelligent individuals who believe in god, even some who claim to have found scientific evidence that backs their religion, there is no scientific evidence yet published to back religion in general. While many have searched for things such as Noah’s ark, there is no evidence that there was ever a giant flood, there is no evidence that there was ever a Noah’s ark. Yes, evidence may emerge, but we haven’t seen it yet.
This is why for many people, a belief in god boils down to nothing more than a gut feeling. A study has now found that this gut feeling may determine who goes to church every Sunday and who doesn’t. People who are more intuitive and make decisions based on these kinds of intangible factors are more likely to believe in God than the thinkers who ruminate over everyday choices.
The study suggests that this difference in thinking style can influence or even determine religious beliefs. According to study researcher Amitai Shenhav of Harvard University, “Some say we believe in God because our intuitions about how and why things happen lead us to see a divine purpose behind ordinary events that don’t have obvious human causes. This led us to ask whether the strength of an individual’s belief is influenced by how much they trust their natural intuitions versus stopping to reflect on those first instincts.”
Shenhav and his colleagues have finished a series of studies, starting with one that tested 882 American adults who were surveyed about their belief in God. The participants later took a 3 question math test with questions such as “A bat and a ball cost $1.10 in total. The bat costs $1 more than the ball. How much does the ball cost?”
The obvious answer would be 10 cents, because obviously it’s $1 less, right? Wrong. The thinker would get the correct answer: 5 cents. Those who came up with 10 cents were 1 ½ times more likely to believe in God than those who came up with 5.
According to Dr. David Rand of Harvard, this does not make one side better than the other, just different. However, your style of thinking affects how you believe.