Autism Spectrum Disorders and religious belief

[Odin2005]

I posted this in the Asperger's/PPP group, but I also posted it here to get more responses.

Another thread got me wondering about the religious demographics of people on the autism spectrum like myself. I would expect that there are a far higher number of Atheists, Deists, Pantheists, Wiccans and Neo-Pagans, and Buddhists, basically belief systems that either reject the notion of a higher power, are apathetic about it, or convince of it in an impersonal force.

I've never been able to believe in a personal god. Even before I became an Atheist I thought of God in essentially Deist terms. I am baffled by the notion of a personal god for the same reason I am baffled by people, say, getting mad and yelling at a device that has quit working, as if it had ill-will towards the angry person. It's as if people are projecting our human folk psychology (something us autistics are notoriously bad at) on the physical world.

[gratefultobelib]

1. I have no answer for you, but I hope my amazing autistic grandson turns out

as well as you obviously have! He's 6 now and making good progress.

[Odin2005]

2. Good for your grandson!

:)

[gratefultobelib]

3. Well, I just can't resist this!

<a href="" target="_blank"><img src="" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

P.S. Sorry this is so big; it took me 30 minutes to do!

[xfundy]

5. He looks like a handful!

Hope he and you both had a wonderful holiday!*

* Another shot in the 'war on xmas'!

[Odin2005]

6. AWWW! What a cute kid!

:D

[xfundy]

4. Jesus is my Personal Shopper!

I've yelled at, blamed, kicked and even hammered appliances, etc that went out of their way to disappoint me, especially when I've had deadlines. I've begged the little bastards, too, all to no avail.

You guys have great mental strengths that science is only just beginning to TRY to understand, and if the fundies have their way, your type as well as mine will once again be referred to as "demon possessed" or some other such nonsense, like in the "good ol' days" fundies always talk about.

I was once an atheist (after escaping an upbringing of unquestioning belief), but finally realized I had as much ACTUAL proof for that stance as the religious nuts have for theirs. I decided I am agnostic, and anyone who believes or doesn't is, in my opinion, lying if they say they aren't agnostic as well.

Of course, your milage may vary.

[Odin2005]

7. I've had some crazy nut ask me if a had a soul.

Then again she was some truly psychotic mix of Evangelical Christian and New Age woo woo and seemed to be frightened of anyone knowledgeable about science and technology.

[lazarus]

15. you do realize

that agnostic describes the style of belief, not the belief or lack thereof, don't you? Most atheist have no belief, hence the saying "I do not believe there is a god." Compare and contrast to "I believe there is no god," a position that some take, but by no means all. Any lack of positive believe in a deity is atheism. Agnosticism simply means you don't believe there is any way to know for sure. Gnosis is Greek for knowledge. You're an atheist if you don't believe in a god. It doesn't take a belief that there isn't a god.

Welcome back.

[Thirtieschild]

8. My 8-year-old Aspie grandson puts his faith in science

His mother (my daughter) is a passionate Catholic convert, teaches him all of it, and he questions all of it. You may have seen my message that when his Sunday School teacher asked who was the first man, he said "I know you want me to say Adam but it was really Austrolopithicus."

I enjoy your posts and try to learn from them.

[Odin2005]

9. I love all your posts about your grandson!

Smart kid! Sounds JUST like me when I was 8yo. :)

[aquart]

13. Australopithecus is not exactly a man.

You might want to steer him towards homo erectus and even that is only current theory, subject to change.

[Odin2005]

16. But they were our ancestors.

So the kid's not wrong. :)

[Ozymanithrax]

10. I have a son with Aspbergers syndrom...

He is about as unreligious as you can get, and an agnostic. But he grew up in a family that never went to religous services.

He doses like Dungeons & Dragons, though. That is almost a religous belief. (I know, because I am deeply adicted to it myself.)

[Odin2005]

11. Correction: Asperger's, no B.

:hi:

[Common Sense Party]

12. My son has no religious faith that I can discern.

He believes in Mom and Dad.

He's 16, doesn't speak and never will, will never fall in love or marry, and may never even hold a job.

As long as he keeps believing in us, he'll do fine.

We'll keep believing in a personal God, no matter what.

[sakabatou]

14. I'm an autistic atheist

[rd_kent]

17. Kick

[TZ]

18. Interesting question

I've started to think that religious beliefs have to do with the structure of the brain (ie a antheist scientist becomes a much more religious person after a stroke...the damage forced them to use different area of the brain). I don't know enough about Autism to speculate but its possible that differing brain chemistry could make them less religious.

[Meshuga]

19. I only know one young man with Asperger's

And I don't know much about autism to comment much. He is about 17 and a very bright kid who has a future in science. He goes to a Jewish Orthodox high school because it is a good school that accommodates him and he (unlike his parents) thinks it is important to follow some Jewish practice (like following Kashrut, for instance). However, that doesn't say much about his beliefs in a deity. So your question is interesting given that you point out that autistics are notoriously bad at projecting human folk psychology on the physical world.

I wonder what he thinks but I would assume that his parents (who don't believe in a personal God) have some influence as well.

[caitxrawks]

20. i think you would be...correct!

I have Asperger's, and some of my fellow aspie friends were discussing this very thing a few months ago. (I'm a member of an ASD group on another site.) It REALLY does seem like the majority of people with autism tend to be more on the nonreligious side. I wish someone would do a scientific study on this shizz, because now that you're talking about it on a totally different site, it has me thinking that there must be something to it.

I also find the very idea of a god absurd. While I remain agnostic (because ya just never know) and an atheist at the same time (because I don't believe in any gods), I just can't wrap my brain around the concept of a higher power. It pisses me off when people say "Oh, just pray and you'll believe!" Um...nah. Hasn't worked for 21 years now, why should it all of a sudden "happen"?

I like to believe that those of us with autism are higher on the evolution scale than religious folks ;D Hehehehe.

[Odin2005]

21. Yep, I'm just baffled by the "you just gotta have FAITH!!!" nonsense.

What also ticks me off is this notion that spirituality requires belief in God or a supernatural realm or force. I've had experiences that can be called "spiritual", I'm just not compelled to put the label "God" on it or think it's some supernatural experience. Indeed, IMO labeling such experiences debases them, going right back to what I said about imposing folk psychology on the physical world. IMO the Cosmos itself is sacred, no need for a god.

That's something I like about Buddhists, "god" is irrelevant.

[rrneck]

22. Interesting.

The practice of religion (aside from faith or spirituality or whatever) is a communal experience. I guess those that have difficulty with communal experiences would have trouble in the practice of religion for that reason.

I may be a bit of a asperger myself. I am unable to "see into" people and interpersonal relationships always feel like uncharted waters to me. Parties are exhausting. And I have no personal use for organized religion, although I can see how it could offer social cohesion for groups of people.

But I can't speak with any authority on the subject. Just thinking out loud.