There were remarkably few athiests on the Western Front during...

There were remarkably few athiests on the Western Front during such conflicts as the battle of the Somme - that is a fact borne out by historical investigation.

Their belief system or otherwise had little to do with intelligence or their lack thereof.

The Intelligence / God argument is really a furphy and has little validity ... imo.

It is far more valid to ask questions such as "did life on earth begin accidentally or was there a Divine hand at work?" "How does one axplain the amazing harmony and balance and diversity of life on this planet?" What about the so-called near death or 'death experiences' of people that have been carefully documented? What about cases of miraculous healing and allegedly 'answered prayer'?

Such investigations might yield a more profitable and interesting discussion than the "religion is for cretins" line of thought.