Well, uh... Like a lot of people here, I think I have the same problems with church attendance that stem from the social aspect of it all. I do very well in Anglican-style churches because I like the structure (prayer book, hymn numbers listed, you always know what's going to happen next) and the quiet hymn style of singing (I have sensory issues like you wouldn't believe), but I disagree with enough points of their theology that I couldn't make it my home church.
My Aspie obsession is - and has been for 5 or 6 years now - learning languages. And apparently I'm good at it. I decided when I was 14 that God wouldn't have given me that obsession/gift if he didn't intend for me to use it, and next year I'm going to Bible college with a focus on Biblical languages.
Although it's not strictly an AS thing, my SID (Sensory Integration Disorder) plays a big part in my life, what I do and don't do. Part of this, I think, has effected my learning languages thing.
You see, a common problem which makes it difficult for normal people to learn languages is that the brain (I'm told) automatically processes sounds into familiar patterns. That's why people hearing a foreign language often "hear" words in their own language which simply aren't there. Because of my SID, my brain doesn't do that. I just hear a whole lot of sounds, there's nothing trying to make it immediately comprehensible.
I think that has helped me learning languages. Other wannabe polyglots have to find a way to cut through this not-so-helpful habit of the brain to get into the language - I'm there already. Because my brain doesn't process sensory input normally, I can 'hear' sounds than most peoples brains automatically filter out as 'not part of my language'. It's hard to explain how this works if you're not used to dealing with language-learners.
I could go on for ages about languages and how sensory integration issues have helped me in attempts to learn languages, but I probably shouldn't. I'll just finish up with one other point where I think having AS has maybe helped me in my walk with God.
Through Bible study, I've come to a number of conclusions that maybe run contrary to what mainstream society or even mainstream church expects, some with outward results (okay, it's headcovering, mostly). But I think, because I'm already different anyway, and don't fit in always because of the AS, what's another thing to make me different?
I think it's an AS thing to look at stuff objectively, and factually, and not get bogged down with the emotional implications of, say... a theological or doctrinal issue. My father and I can read a passage and say, "Oh, well, we need to stop doing [sth] because it's un-Biblical." and stop doing it. My mother, an NT, often can't implement these changes because she's too attached to whatever it is, she can't let go of the emotions to look at things rationally. I'm not saying we don't have emotions - you guys know that's not true - but I think people with AS can look at things rationally and logically better than a lot of NTs can.
] Also, check out my blogpost on Perfectionism.
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I know that isn't what you meant. It just hit me funny. Welcome to CF's ASD forum.
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