Christians Have Small Brains!!

    And now we have it….born again Christians have smaller brains than other members of the population. So says a recent article in USA Today, based on a study at Duke University.
    But you might want to read the fine print. The study involved the difference in size of the hippocampus region of the brain, not generally viewed as a major contributor to intelligence (if at all). Most Scientists view the cerebral cortex, and it’s related partner, the corpus collosum, as contributing most to general intelligence, as well as the number of inter-connective tissues that support inner brain communication. The hippocampus region does contribute to how short term memory is converted to long-term memory as well as matters of spatial navigation. But the implication of most news reports on this study is that born-again Christians are just not as smart as the average “normal” person.
    I have always had concerns with any study that differentiates “born-again Christians” from the rest of the population in that the term is usually defined so broadly that it is meaningless to those of us who understand Jesus’ meaning of the term. And it seems that most who do these studies have an axe to grind with Biblical Christianity and are eager to accentuate any negatives that can be found.
    I, no doubt, am not as smart as many non-Christians. Then again, I’m not as dumb as many of them, either! In reality, it can be demonstrated that some of the most intelligent and influential people who have ever lived have been committed Christians with a genuine born-again experience. But in all honesty, while I believe God wants us to think through the claims of the Bible, and taking the step of faith to follow Him is not devoid of intellectual consideration, it ultimately is not as much a matter of intelligence as it is a matter of trust. Trust in the God who has revealed Himself in nature, in our consciences, in the Scriptures, and through through Jesus Christ. There are certainly a lot of smart people who refuse to believe. Often, it is their unwillingness to trust in anything other than their own intellect that is their downfall.
    I might have a smaller hypocampus than others. In some ways, I would suspect that is the case (many scientists believe that stress affects the hypocampus). Maybe having become followers of Christ, and having a personal relationship with the God of this universe, has eased some of the stress of life and thoughts of the afterlife. I’m good with that.
    Or maybe I’m just not as smart.