If you don't believe in God or in the spirit of the universe, then you are most likely callous and manipulative, according to a new controversial study.
Atheists display more psychopathic traits than people who consider themselves religious. However, believers do not accept criticism and are less intelligent than their non-believing counterparts.
Religious people have been found to be more caring towards their fellow human beings, and the researchers believe their findings may help explain why women who tend to be more empathetic may also be more religious.
Researchers at Cape Western Reserve University in Ohio and Babson College in Massachusetts argue that the conflict between science and religion may have its origins in the structure of our brains. Brain scans and experiments show that the brain has two "networks" that are activated when we think - one analytical and critical, and the other social and emotional.
To believe in a supernatural god or in the spirit of the universe, people suppress the brain network that is used for analytical thinking and recruit empathic networks, scientists say.
In a series of eight experiments, the researchers examined the relationship between belief in God or in the spirit, with analyzes of analytical thinking and moral anxiety. In all eight experiments, they found religious people more consistent and more caring. They found that spiritual faith and empathy were positively associated with the frequency of prayer, meditation, and other spiritual or religious practices.
In contrast, there are some similarities between atheists and psychopaths in that they both lack empathy for others. "The typical psychopath shows a lack of emotional response to the pain and suffering of others," said the study's author.
The research is based on the hypothesis that the human brain has two opposite domains in constant voltage.
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