Side Effects and Dangers of Having a High IQ

By Akhmad Zamroni

Having a child who is highly intelligent—and especially a child who is gifted (a genius)—is certainly a joy. It is a miracle that not everyone or every family is blessed with. Intelligent and gifted children can achieve many phenomenal accomplishments, which can elevate their parents and families to the pinnacle of pride.

However, it’s important to note that highly intelligent—and especially super-intelligent—children can also bring unexpected and dangerous side effects. What are these side effects? The latest research on intelligent and super-intelligent children, as well as the life stories of highly intelligent and genius figures, shows that extraordinary intelligence tends to lead its possessors toward skepticism and a lack of faith in the existence of God.

Currently, in line with improving nutritional standards, advances in medical and information technology, and the increasing number of interethnic and interracial marriages, a significant number of Indonesian children possess high levels of intelligence; some are even considered geniuses or near-geniuses. This means that if the education and guidance (especially religious instruction) provided to them is flawed or inappropriate, a tragic humanitarian and religious disaster could occur: upon reaching adulthood, they may stray into becoming people who doubt or even disbelieve in the existence of God.

For the record, several groups or communities of agnostics (who doubt the existence of God) and atheists (who do not believe in the existence of God at all) have already been established (covertly) in Indonesia. They are primarily active and engage in discussions through social media on the Internet (especially Facebook). One such community, for example, is Indonesian Atheists (IA), which consists of atheists and agnostics in Indonesia. According to Wikipedia, the Indonesian Atheists community currently has approximately 1,400 members.

There is also an anonymous community comprising agnostics and atheists, as well as religious individuals who are liberal and moderate. They do not dare to reveal the community’s name, but they refer to themselves as “Free Thinkers” (people who think freely and independently). There is also a discussion forum and community called ABAM, an acronym for “You Ask, Atheists Answer,” whose moderators or administrators are atheists. Just like Indonesian Atheists, Free Thinkers and ABAM are also highly active on social media (primarily Facebook). 

Multiple Intelligences (https://nsd.co.id/posts/teori-kecerdasan-majemuk.html/)

According to one NGO activist, the number of agnostics and atheists in Indonesia is currently estimated to be around 10,000 to 15,000 people. That is only an estimate of those organized within communities (organizations), while there are likely many more scattered outside these groups who are not affiliated with any community.

It should also be noted that many members of Indonesian Atheists and Free Thinkers, as well as ABAM activists, are young people under the age of 40. The founder of Indonesian Atheists, a man named Karl Karnadi, is a 35-year-old man; when he founded Indonesian Atheists on October 1, 2008, he was only about 24 years old.

The members of Indonesian Atheists and Free Thinkers, as well as the leaders of ABAM, were originally young people who believed in the existence of God. Before becoming agnostics and atheists, they adhered to established religions (Islam, Christianity, Catholicism, and so on) and practiced their faiths devoutly according to their respective religious teachings.

To date, the exact intellectual quotient (IQ) levels of the members of Indonesian Atheists and Free Thinker, as well as the ABAM mentors, remain unknown. However, based on online discussions, they are reportedly intelligent, critical-thinking young people who enjoy reading books (especially on science, politics, and philosophy).

Thus, at first glance, it can also be observed that the emergence of these agnostic and atheist communities is linked to the intelligence levels of their members. In other words, the members of these communities have become agnostics and atheists, to a greater or lesser extent, because they are influenced or shaped by their own intelligence.

The phenomenon of high intelligence—which can lead a person toward agnosticism and atheism on the one hand—and the emergence of agnostic and atheist communities in Indonesia on the other hand naturally cause concern among many circles. Indonesian society, which is generally religious and still regards religion as the primary guide for life, views agnostic and atheist attitudes as a disgrace that must be avoided and shunned because they constitute a grave sin.

From the perspective of national life and governance, agnosticism and atheism are also (considered) to be contrary to the state’s founding principles, Pancasila, and the 1945 Constitution. Both Pancasila and the 1945 Constitution state that the Indonesian state is based on belief in the One and Only God. This implies that every Indonesian citizen is obligated to believe in the existence of the Almighty and Creator God and to adhere to one of the religions recognized in Indonesia.

 

References

·        https://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Einstein

·        https://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indonesian_Atheists

·        https://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Hawking

·        https://kumparan.com/kumparansains/benarkah-ateis-lebih-cerdas-dari-orang-beragama

·        https://sains.kompas.com/read/2017/07/10/160700123/terungkap.alasan.orang.cerdas.cenderung.jadi.ateis?page=all

·        https://tekno.tempo.co/read/504083/orang-cerdas-cenderung-jadi-ateis/full&view=ok

·        https://www.merdeka.com/dunia/penelitian-sebut-ateis-lebih-cerdas-ketimbang-orang-beragama.html

·        https://www.merdeka.com/khas/kami-tidak-percaya-tuhan-dalan-wujud-apapun-komunitas-ateis-5.html

·        https://www.merdeka.com/khas/kumpulan-penolak-tuhan-komunitas-ateis-2.html

·       1https://www.merdeka.com/khas/tanpa-tuhan-di-negeri-beriman-komunitas-ateis-4.html

·        https://www.suara.com/news/2019/07/10/080500/mereka-hidup-tanpa-tuhan-pengakuan-orang-orang-ateis-di-indonesia