I use the word 'stupid' as defined by me. To me, stupid means unable to learn. Ignorant means without that particular set of facts, but willing to learn them when possible. So, the religious are both ignorant (they are unaware of some information) and stupid, because even if aware of certain facts, they won't accept those facts and simply rely on their beliefs/faith. The religious leaders are not stupid, they are much like trump in that they know what they are doing and why--fleecing the flock.
Yeah, stupid means unable to learn. But he doesn't know that. The thing is, stupidity is some sort of a mental handicap. When we genuinely think someone is stupid, we think they are not capable to understand what is going in their environment and so can't respond back accordingly. Ignorant is just lack of education and/or knowledge, information. Not being incapable of processing the simplest kind of information or knowledge.
However, willingness to be ignorant of something -in this case, willingness to refuse enlightenment- in order to maintain a situation, a position is not a sign of stupidity but a sign of having an agenda to your benefit/profit which is the opposite of stupidity. People choose to follow the easiest path to get the best rewards possible in life. Consciously or unconsciously, they make choices according to that circumstances.
In my opinion, most religious people are perfectly aware what is going on and they make a choice. And it is a simple choice considering we live in the 21st century and we don't need to rely on our wits to survive. I'm not just talking about organised religions either.
Just to make my position clear on this. I find it dangerous for secular world to see them as stupid, I think it is this part you misunderstand. It's dangerous to look down on a highly adaptive organic phenomena that is built on professional play of natural human weaknesses. Because first, it is a great underestimation and underevalutaion of their position and secondly, this is the collective drive and psychology that provide them most of the power they have. Because the stupid is not responsible for his actions. He is stupid. That makes them untouchable in a way. It's putting this people at some white place in a black and white world; creates a toxic delusion of religion as a safe, uncomplicated, familiar, clean world
in contrast to the real one. Creates a perception of a difficult, painful life out of religion. It paints the real world almost 'unnatural', an inhabitable place for humans.
When we look at the anti-vaccine people we say 'OK, moron. Go die and say hi to Darwin, who cares'. Because clearly these poeple are stupid? Yeah but most of them are not even religious. And there is a considerable amount of educated, secular people among them. Exactly like the Qanon group.
This has been bugging me for a long time. Since the last years of my twenties. I grew up in an anti-religous home and when I left that sheltered zone, I was surprised at the real world and real people. It was the university here, in that era. You have coincided people you normally wouldn't in your zone. (Not to mention the observations you can have on hundreds of students from every corner of the country -practically different dimension compared ot each other when you are full time RA. I sometimes think that was the real, unconsious reason why I wanted to do it, not for the field.)
Anyway, I have befriended people from very different backgrounds, far lower or higher than my chance has given me. I've watched some of them change dramatically in the last two decades.
In a nutshell, I didn't know religous people could live secular lives and make conscious choices to support that world vision. I didn't know how highly educated, high class secular people could make choices for themselves to support religous bigotry. I've known people for more than 20 years who came from the worst islamic ghettos and gone on to the extreme measures to defend the opposite world/lives while themselves stayed religious. I have seen quite a few friends shift from a secular sensible views to almost nazi like fascism against religous people. Eventually, I have moved from my starting point of 'stupidity' or even ignorance under certain circumstances. Because the world and the people in it are far more complicated than the 'the stupid vs the intelligent' point of view can include. Esp. when we all agree on that religion largely stands on brainwashing from childhood.
I don't have any answers. But on a funny note, I sometimes think one of the main reasons for the general difference in my opinions compared to the forum is the space between people you have in your country. We have to live on top of each other -not really, compared to yours- while you live far away from each other, as indiviudals, families or communities in big spaces, surrounded by huge spaces. That makes most of you more alienated to each other than we are to each other.
But on the other hand, we have speicfically visible differences and traits between the religous and the secular, while it would be far more difficult to observe these differences in the States.