This nifty graphic is pretty cool, even if you’re not a biology dork who sees it and thinks “Ooooh, it’s like a heat map for gene expression! Yay!” …Or something along those lines. (Click image for larger, readable version) While nifty, remember this type of visual shows correlation, not causation. Religiosity doesn’t necessarily cause poverty, lower IQ, and increase crime. If I had to make a hypothesis, I would say it’s likely that education or the lack thereof is the real driving force behind these things, including religious belief.

Regardless, this does nicely illustrate one thing: Religious belief doesn’t necessarily lead to a better, safer, happier world. The next time someone claims that theists are morally superior and that all of our societal ills are caused by godless heathens, show them this nice little chart.