Prelude to a longer post about Autism

[azekeil]

Question: How many people who have some amount of autism hold some sort of religious belief?

Care to go into any detail about what you believe in, or why you don't?

Comments

[mashead.livejournal.com]

I am not autistic but if its any help one of my friends who is has asperger's syndrome whom is very intelligent, very literal, and has a very practical and scententfic mind (obvousely a common list of adjectives for someone with asperger's). He is what is a think is called Fundamentalist and truely belives that the bible is the litreal truth. The last time he was talking about it he was explaining his reason for how Adam's (as in adam and eve, i have forgotten then name) son could live for 500 years.
I think this is quite and odd comdination so I just thought you might be intrested.

[azekeil.livejournal.com]

Thanks. Not that I want to judge by age, but as I doubt there's much else you can give me as a yardstick, would you mind telling me how old he is?

Cheers :)

[gerald_duck]

It might also be interesting to know what their early upbringing was like.

I'm no expert on ASDs, but I thought one of the symptoms was an inability to empathise with the utility of lying. This implies that if someone with such a condition is brought up in a devout family, they will largely fail to contemplate the possibility that it's not true.

[flannelcat.livejournal.com]

As far as I can see it the idea is that if an autistic were to say "I had lunch at 1pm", when they really had it at noon, then why not "2pm" or "6pm" or "Lunch in the bathroom" - it takes you into infinite possbilties. So it's better to not do it at all.

Have a glance at "The curious incident of the dead dog in the afternoon" (I think it's called.)

And I'll talk to sme of my more comunicative students when I go into work tommorrow. I know one of them is always talking about the bible, but I think he's from a heavily Christian family, and might not have doubted what he was told. Not sure what his syndrome is though.

Possibly an Autistic might be the MOST devout person for a religion, because of that lack of doubt...

An intersting one, though.

[mashead.livejournal.com]

He was about 13 when he expressed this view, and I don't know if it has changed since I haven't seen him for quite a while. His parents were both born again christains and he was brought up a Christain, although I think the very literal view of Christainity was his own view rather than his parents. I know his sisters (one older one younger) weren't as religous so I don't think his belif was purely his parents influence.

[stuartl.livejournal.com]

I'm a born again atheist, as you probably know. I believe that the bible is a fable-like story (perhaps some parts based on real happenings) that's evolved over the years into a variety of religions.

As to reasons, it just makes more sense to me for there not to be a God than for there to be one. I can't see the logic in a superior being.

:)