I see where they may be coming from, but based on personal experience, I don't think you can make a blanket statement like that. I know plenty of people who are devoutly religious as well as extremely intelligent, with doctorates and successful marriages of 35+ years, if we are going by some of the criteria in the article. My cousin, one of the most religious people I know (almost irritatingly so to me), just graduated with honors from the business school of a prominent, world-renowned university.

It's true, people who live in poverty and are less-educated are more likely to turn to religion, because they "need" it, as the study said. But that doesn't mean all who choose a religious life are less intelligent than atheists. That's like saying people who listen to hip-hop are less intelligent than those who listen to classical music. In some cases that's probably true, but not in all of them.

In the end, it may not be so much about religion as it is about societal and educational opportunities.