We are told the true test of genuine intelligence is the ability to hold two conflicting views in the mind simultaneously and give equal weight to both. i.e., if you believe a man named Jesus was the personification of God and crucified on a cross, then you also have to hold open in your mind the possibility of the opposite; particularly in view of the lack of objective evidence or actual eyewitness accounts.
The words on printed paper we now rely on as the foundation stone of a BELIEF system, where allegedly written down on paper approximately 350 years after the event; and then shamelessly plagiarized by three other authors? Who allegedly embellished and or revised the account; so that the central character in the greatest story ever told, could fulfil all the predicted characteristics and magical abilities of the foretold Messiah?
Similarly, if the account of evolution were true and had its beginnings in mysteriously magically appearing single celled organisms. There'd be quite massive coke deposits to look at in the remaining undisturbed mantle. Even in the absence of this critical central evidence; it could be true, even though it is as likely as a whirlwind whipping through a junk yard and creating a fully functional and flyable 747.
Well, it could happen if you simply had enough time.
Of course we also confront the very real possibility that neither the endlessly quarrelling creationists and their alter egos, the atheists are right; or as far from the truth as our most primitive cousins, with their fairy tale or mythological explanations of all things not actually understood? Rhrosty.

In four words - what a pathetic rant.

I've no idea who told you this, Rhosty...

>>We are told the true test of genuine intelligence is the ability to hold two conflicting views in the mind simultaneously and give equal weight to both<<

...but it was most likely someone who was trying to justify not being able to make up their mind.

Whether true or not, though, you give a bad example.

>>...if you believe a man named Jesus was the personification of God and crucified on a cross, then you also have to hold open in your mind the possibility of the opposite<<

"Believing" something, and "holding open in your mind" something else, are not conflicting views.

Believing opposites would be considered to be the acceptance of conflicting views, but of course that is logically impossible, and anyone who both believes and not-believes the same thing would be considered unbalanced.

"Holding open in your mind" both as possibilities is on the other hand logically acceptable, being a definition of someone unable to make up their mind. However, whether being unable to reach a conclusion is invariably a sign of true intelligence, I beg leave to doubt.

Perhaps the quote Rhrosty was looking for might've been....

"It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it".

- Aristotle

Greek critic, philosopher, physicist, & zoologist (384 BC - 322 BC

42 is a nonsense answer to the meaning of life as the author of "The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy" intended. A semimythical humanoid God known as Jesus is also a nonsense answer to the meaning of life. Some of us face the fact that life has no meaning apart from the meaning that we give it. Others, like the author of the article, find meaning in fairy tales. One of the objectives of the Global Atheist Convention was to make an effort to see that the valuable minds of our young people are not filled with nonsense like Creationism instead of learning to think critically on the basis of evidence. The GAC was picketted by both Muslims and Christians some of whom who apparently believed in the existence of a nasty Supreme Fascist who would condemn all atheists and those who didn't subscribe to their particular mumbojumbo to hell. Hell and other supernatural locales and entities are creations of the human mind which has also occasionally exhibited reason.

Sensible Christians and Muslims went about their business while their more intolerant fellows picketted the GAC. Across the street from the GAC was the Crown Casino where gullible people in some cases were pissing away the family sustenance. There were no pickets there. IMHO the atheists were exhibiting much more moral and reasonable behaviour than the casino patrons.

We really do need to plaster over some peoples navels.

All the time they are spending contemplating on the things, is sending far too many mad.