Referring to my first post? It's a pretty straightforward analysis, and necessarily so. Not trying to convince theists of anything, so there's no reason to coddle.
Just wondering, what scientific analysis have you done to show that those who have particular beliefs, "... lack critical thinking skills and lack understanding methods and standards of rigor for evidence." Alternatively, figuring that you have done no research yourself, what psychological, anthropological, etc., studies can you cite -- that you have thoroughly read and agreed with -- that suggest that religious people "lack critical thinking skills."
Just wondering, because, y'know, we wouldn't want to go against the scientific method and all and pass baseless generalizations.
And, just because I feel like I can't say it enough, I'm not religious, so don't think that I'm just some Papist marauder looking to put Christ in your children's' classrooms.
But, just to not be unfair, I'll offer why I don't share that point of view. I majored in Theology at a Catholic College, and currently I am employed at a Catholic College. One that has serious academic gravitas and is well respected nationally, not just some silly snake handling fly by night operation someplace in the Blue Hills (although, if such a place exists, it may pay better). In this capacity, I have been
blessed (in the colloquial sense) to study under, know, graduate with, and (now) work for hundreds of gifted students, who have gone onto become doctors, lawyers, physicists, biologists, teachers, social scientists, theologians, philosophers, authors, and more. And while, of course, many had different belief systems and waivering levels of religiousness, being a Catholic College, a great many were very religious. When I think of, for instance, two of my best friends, who both now have their PhD's in a physical science (one in engineering from a good school, he also has a masters in Catholic Theology, where he wrote his masters thesis on something so mindnumbingly complex, I couldn't keep up with it) another in one of those biologies (admittedly, I am more of a soft-science guy and have trouble remembering one from the othr), both have
strong levels of faith belief, but both are also brilliant young scientists. Beyond this, some of my favorite professors, some of the most brilliant people I have ever met, happened to be clergy or personally very devout in religious matters. Did that jade how they taught English Literature, Hellenistic Philosophy, Russian History, music theory, or German (language)? Were they suddenly incapable of analyzing Shakespeare, Plato, Maimonides, Rousseau, Said, or others? If they go to mass on Sunday and receive communion, does that immediately purge themselves of whatever they know of Einstein or Bertrand Russell?
Given my experiences, it didn't, it shouldn't have, and if you think that it does, then that is disgustingly anti-scientific fundamentalism.
(edit: And I wouldn't consider the link up on page 3 or wherever about generally higher IQ by howver many points to be a thorough damnation of religious believers. That an atheistic person may be better educated is no surprise, us idiot theology kids used to joke when people inevitably asked us, "What are you going to do with that, become a priest?" and we'd say, "No, we'll become atheists." But to the point, that study, however accurate to the general levels of education amongst faithful and faithless, does nothing to suggest that one or the other 'lacks critical thinking skills.')