Africa's problem is lack of schools and poor infrastructures. This cannot really apply to Africa. Lack of education is very easily replaced by superstition and religion. Lack of education is a big factor here, so we need to look at countries with similar level of educational infrastructures, such as China (100+) and Qatar (78).
IQ is one correlation that has been made relative to Religosity. Further studies reveal other correlations such as Poverty, which ties into your mention of Africa's problem (lack of schools and poor infrastructures). As you stated, "Lack of education is a big factor here".
Religiosity Highest in World's Poorest Nations
United States is among the rich countries that buck the trend
by Steve Crabtree
Page:
12
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Gallup surveys in 114 countries in 2009 show that religion continues to play an important role in many people's lives worldwide. The global median proportion of adults who say religion is an important part of their daily lives is 84%, unchanged from what Gallup has found in
other years. In 10 countries and areas, at least 98% say religion is important in their daily lives.
Each of the most religious countries is relatively poor, with a per-capita GDP below $5,000. This reflects the strong relationship between a country's socioeconomic status and the religiosity of its residents. In the world's poorest countries -- those with average per-capita incomes of $2,000 or lower -- the median proportion who say religion is important in their daily lives is 95%. In contrast, the median for the richest countries -- those with average per-capita incomes higher than $25,000 -- is 47%.
The United States is one of the rich countries that bucks the trend. About two-thirds of Americans -- 65% -- say religion is important in their daily lives. Among high-income countries, only Italians, Greeks, Singaporeans, and residents of the oil-rich Persian Gulf states are more likely to say religion is important.
Most high-income countries are further down the religiosity spectrum. In 10 countries, no more than 34% of residents say religion is an important part of their daily lives. Six of those are developed countries in Europe and Asia with per-capita incomes greater than $25,000.
In three of the four lower income countries on the list -- Estonia, Russia, and Belarus -- the Soviet government restricted religious expression for decades until the U.S.S.R.'s collapse in 1991. The final country is Vietnam, where the government also has a history of limiting religious practice.
Implications
Social scientists have put forth numerous possible explanations for the relationship between the religiosity of a population and its average income level.
One theory is that religion plays a more functional role in the world's poorest countries, helping many residents cope with a daily struggle to provide for themselves and their families. A previous Gallup analysis supports this idea, revealing that the relationship between religiosity and emotional wellbeing is stronger among poor countries than among those in the developed world.
http://www.gallup.com/poll/142727/religiosity-highest-world-poorest-nations.aspx
Since Religiosity has not yet been defined here, let us be clear we are talking about a sociologic term.
Religiosity, in its broadest sense, is a comprehensive
sociological term used to refer to the numerous aspects of religious activity, dedication, and
belief (religious doctrine). Another term that would work equally well, though is less often used, is
religiousness. In its narrowest sense, religiosity deals more with how religious a person is, and less with how a person is religious (in practicing certain
rituals, retelling certain stories, revering certain symbols, or accepting certain
doctrines about deities and
afterlife).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religiosity
Numerous studies have explored the different components of human religiosity (Brink, 1993; Hill & Hood 1999). What most have found is that there are multiple dimensions (they often employ
factor analysis). For instance, Cornwall, Albrecht, Cunningham and Pitcher (1986) identify six dimensions of religiosity based on the understanding that there are at least three components to religious behavior: knowing (cognition in the mind), feeling (affect to the spirit), and doing (behavior of the body). For each of these components of religiosity there were two cross classifications resulting in the six dimensions[
citation needed]:
- Cognition
- traditional orthodoxy
- particularistic orthodoxy
- Affect
- Behavior
- religious behavior
- religious participation
Other researchers have found different dimensions, ranging generally from four to twelve components. What most measures of religiosity find is that there is at least some distinction between religious doctrine, religious practice, and
spirituality.
For example[
original research?], one can accept the truthfulness of the
Bible (belief dimension), but never attend a church or even belong to an organized religion (practice dimension). Another example is an individual who does not hold orthodox
Christian doctrines (belief dimension), but does attend a
charismatic worship service (practice dimension) in order to develop his/her sense of oneness with the
divine (spirituality dimension).
An individual could disavow all doctrines associated with organized religions (belief dimension), not affiliate with an organized religion or attend religious services (practice dimension), and at the same time be strongly committed to a higher power and feel that the connection with that higher power is ultimately relevant (spirituality dimension). These are explanatory examples of the broadest dimensions of religiosity and that they may not be reflected in specific religiosity measures.
Most dimensions of religiosity are correlated, meaning people who often attend church services (practice dimension) are also likely to score highly on the belief and spirituality dimensions. But individuals do not have to score high on all dimensions or low on all dimensions; their scores can vary by dimension.
So, what is it that is at issue here? To an extant the following:
"The topic of
religiosity and intelligence pertains to relationships between
intelligence and
religiosity, the extent to which someone is
religious. A number of studies have been undertaken to examine these relationships, although other studies have explored religiosity to issues related to intelligence, such as educational level."
Intelligence is an umbrella term used to describe a property of the mind that encompasses many related abilities, such as the capacities to reason, to
plan, to solve problems, to think abstractly, to comprehend ideas, to use
language, and to learn. There are several ways to define intelligence. In some cases, intelligence may include traits such as
creativity,
personality,
character,
knowledge, or
wisdom. However, some psychologists prefer not to include these traits in the definition of intelligence.
[1][2]
Religiosity is a sociological term referring to degrees of religious behaviour, belief or
spirituality.
The measurement of religiosity is hampered by the difficulties involved in defining what is meant by the term. Numerous studies have explored the different components of religiosity, with most finding some distinction between religious beliefs/ doctrine, religious practice, and spirituality. Studies can measure religious practice by counting attendance at religious services, religious beliefs/ doctrine by asking a few doctrinal questions, while spirituality can be measured by asking respondents about their sense of oneness with the divine or through detailed standardized measurements. When religiosity is measured, it is important to specify which aspects of religiosity are referred to.
Why low IQ might correlate with religiosity
Commenting on some of the above studies in
The Daily Telegraph, Lynn said "Why should fewer academics believe in God than the general population? I believe it is simply a matter of the IQ. Academics have higher IQs than the general population. Several
Gallup poll studies of the general population have shown that those with higher IQs tend not to believe in God."
[6]
Even at the scale of the individual, IQ may not directly cause more disbelief in God. Dr David Hardman of London Metropolitan University says: "It is very difficult to conduct true experiments that would explicate a causal relationship between IQ and religious belief." On the other hand, he adds that other studies do correlate IQ with being willing or able to question beliefs.
[6] These proposed mechanisms (of skeptical thinking) are in line with a report from
Harvard University.
[9] Researchers found evidence suggesting that people believe in God more when they are using intuitive thinking methods rather than methods that are more rigorous and critical. In the study, people who reported using more intuitive thinking in life were also generally more likely to believe in God. The study controlled for personality differences and cognitive ability, suggesting the difference is in fact thinking styles - not simply IQ.
[9] In this case, that would mean IQ causes disbelief in God, not because of raw cognitive ability, but because it increases the odds of reflective thinking on the issue.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religiosity_and_intelligence