Intuitive? Try God
God is related to decision-making style, with those who rely more heavily on intuition reporting higher rates of belief, while those who are more reflective tilt toward atheism. By linking religious belief to intuition, the study supports the idea that there is something in the cognitive makeup of humans that promotes belief in a higher power. For example, the natural tendency that people have to see a purpose behind random events, or the need to reduce uncertainty in their lives — as well as the anxiety it causes — may promote a belief in God. The work, conducted by researchers in Harvard’s Psychology Department, found that cognitive style was an important indicator of religious belief. They also found that faith is unrelated to factors such as intelligence, education, income, and political orientation. They did, however, find that more intuitive people reported an increase in religious faith over the course of their lives,...