I had to google who Karen Armstrong was. Why would I believe or trust anything someone who believes in gods says?

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/authors/834/karen-armstrong/

There is a direct correlation between the degree of intelligence and the degree of education and atheism, and conversely there is a correlation between those who are relatively uneducated with have average intelligence and who believe in gods.

It is irrelevant if the word 'believe' has changed its meaning. We are speaking in order to convey meaning today, and therefore we are using words according to what they mean today.

No, God is not a symbol for something else. The word very specifically means beings who are immortal and who grant prayers to human beings. Nobody believes in science. Science is about measurable evidence.