• The General Mental Health Forum is now a Read Only Forum. As we had two large areas making it difficult for many to find, we decided to combine the Mental Health & the Recovery sections of the forum into Mental Health & Recovery as a whole. Physical Health still remains as it's own area within the entire Recovery area.

    If you are having struggles, need support in a particular area that you aren't finding a specific recovery area forum, you may find the General Struggles forum a great place to post. Any any that is related to emotions, self-esteem, insomnia, anger, relationship dynamics due to mental health and recovery and other issues that don't fit better in another forum would be examples of topics that might go there.

    If you have spiritual issues related to a mental health and recovery issue, please use the Recovery Related Spiritual Advice forum. This forum is designed to be like Christian Advice, only for recovery type of issues. Recovery being like a family in many ways, allows us to support one another together. May you be blessed today and each day.

    Kristen.NewCreation and FreeinChrist

Does autism affect your relationship with God?

GodLovesCats

Well-Known Member
Mar 16, 2019
7,401
1,328
47
Florida
✟117,917.00
Country
United States
Faith
Protestant
Marital Status
Single
Do you feel your symptoms of ASD (anywhere on the spectrum) affect how your relationship is with the Holy One? Do you have doubts about being a Christian because of your uncontrollable demands for logic as we see it and all sentences having a literal interpretation?
 
  • Friendly
Reactions: Cimorene

Cimorene

Well-Known Member
Supporter
Jan 7, 2016
6,262
6,018
Toronto
✟246,655.00
Country
Canada
Faith
Methodist
Marital Status
Private
My sister has Asperger's. She's doing extremely well in life, she's in med school at a top school now. But yes I think it's a barrier to her faith.

She does believe in God bc our family believes in God. She went to church growing up bc it's what we did. She doesn't have a literal interpretation of scripture bc our family doesn't. I think it would be MUCH harder for her if we were fundamentalists who took scripture literally instead of a lot of it as allegorical.
 
  • Useful
Reactions: Tom 1
Upvote 0

Sabertooth

Repartee Animal: Quipping the Saints!
Supporter
Jul 25, 2005
10,491
7,061
62
Wisconsin
Visit site
✟952,359.00
Country
United States
Faith
Charismatic
Marital Status
Married
Politics
US-Others
Do you feel your symptoms of ASD (anywhere on the spectrum) affect how your relationship is with the Holy One?
No. God speaks Autism; He knows how to communicate effectively with me.
Do you have doubts about being a Christian because of your uncontrollable demands for logic as we see it...?
No. Not only am I autistic, I am [Mensa/Intertel] gifted. Before I met Jesus, it became clear to me that my logic & intelligence were finite/mortal and, no matter how impressive my mental gymnastics might appear to others, they can't meet even my most basic spiritual needs. They're handy for what they were designed for, but I needed [Someone] higher to satisfy my spirit.

Enter Jesus, His Plan of Salvation* and His Holy Spirit. I still don't know all of the answers, but I am confident that the One living inside of me does.
...and all sentences having a literal interpretation?
The Holy Spirit communicates on a number of levels at the same time, overriding that tendency.

"For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow;..." Hebrews 4:12 NIV

*Read in other languages...
 
Upvote 0

NothingIsImpossible

Well-Known Member
May 22, 2015
5,615
3,254
✟274,922.00
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Married
Depends on your place in the spectrum. And by that I mean for some it can cause them stress or things along those lines because for any number of reasons. In my case I am supposedly on the autism scale and I know I tend to overthink alot of things and I also tend to not read the bible because I get bored easily sometimes since I know it already (not that I am perfect of course). None the less I believe God understands our issues and realizes not everyone has the same walk.

For example someone with really bad down syndrome may not fully grasp being a "christian", but God knows there heart is in it. I mean I can't see God turning someone down in heaven because they couldn't really understand the concept of being a christian.
 
Upvote 0

Tolworth John

Well-Known Member
Supporter
Mar 10, 2017
8,278
4,680
68
Tolworth
✟369,559.00
Country
United Kingdom
Faith
Non-Denom
Marital Status
Married
Do you feel your symptoms of ASD (anywhere on the spectrum) affect how your relationship is with the Holy One? Do you have doubts about being a Christian because of your uncontrollable demands for logic as we see it and all sentences having a literal interpretation?

Does being left handed or having red hair or being tall, small, fat, or thin have any bearing on ones relationship with Jesus?

Yes a mental disability can affect ones understanding of salvation, but it does not prevent anyone from understanding their need of a saviour and of their acceptance of Jesus.

There is nothing wrong with having doubts/questions, only the nonchristian is without them as they donot believe in Jesus.
 
Upvote 0

Sabertooth

Repartee Animal: Quipping the Saints!
Supporter
Jul 25, 2005
10,491
7,061
62
Wisconsin
Visit site
✟952,359.00
Country
United States
Faith
Charismatic
Marital Status
Married
Politics
US-Others
Yes a mental disability can affect ones understanding of salvation,...
In its basic form, autism is a social disability, not a mental one. That is, we don't intuitively recognize society's unwritten rules.

"Dyssocial" means that we still want to connect with others. We are just klutzy at it.

Cognitive dysfunction (and other mental disabilities) are just complications that can happen on top of that. (They are from a secondary injury.)
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Darkhorse
Upvote 0

Tolworth John

Well-Known Member
Supporter
Mar 10, 2017
8,278
4,680
68
Tolworth
✟369,559.00
Country
United Kingdom
Faith
Non-Denom
Marital Status
Married
In its basic form, autism is a social disability, not a mental one. That is, we don't intuitively recognize society's unwritten rules.

"Dyssocial" means that we still want to connect with others. We are just klutzy at it.

Cognitive dysfunction (and other mental disabilities) are just complications that can happen on top of that. (They are from a secondary injury.)

I'm no expert. I just know that the young man in our fellowship with autism loves Jesus.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Darkhorse
Upvote 0
This site stays free and accessible to all because of donations from people like you.
Consider making a one-time or monthly donation. We appreciate your support!
- Dan Doughty and Team Christian Forums

GodLovesCats

Well-Known Member
Mar 16, 2019
7,401
1,328
47
Florida
✟117,917.00
Country
United States
Faith
Protestant
Marital Status
Single
Yes it severely affected me, that other Christians have shunned me and not included me in things. But now I know I am aspie, I understand why.

What does that have to do with your ability to love Jesus?
 
Upvote 0

Aleph.beth

Member
Jul 12, 2019
24
17
aberdeen
✟10,825.00
Country
United Kingdom
Faith
Non-Denom
Marital Status
Married
your ability to love Jesus?

If with ASD one is also alexithymic it can mean that one's ability to love Jesus is not impaired, but the ability to know love is impaired. So when people talk about knowing that the Spirit is present, the power of the Lord is moving etc. Then you feel nothing and have no idea what folks are getting so excited about.

I agree about being klutzy - but with Jesus that is not too hard since I don't really heard from Jesus.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Augustinosia
Upvote 0

Aleph.beth

Member
Jul 12, 2019
24
17
aberdeen
✟10,825.00
Country
United Kingdom
Faith
Non-Denom
Marital Status
Married
Do you feel your symptoms of ASD (anywhere on the spectrum) affect how your relationship is with the Holy One?

Yes in the sense that when people talk of feeling the love of the father I do not know from experience what they are talking about. When they talk of knowing God/Jesus/Spirit as an ever present comfort - I am equally blank. (Note - this might have more to do with alexithymia than ASD)

Do you have doubts about being a Christian because of your uncontrollable demands for logic as we see it and all sentences having a literal interpretation?

For me the demand for literal-ism does not affect my relationship. I am OK with allegory, simile metaphor and I love the paradoxes that we see in scripture.
 
Upvote 0
This site stays free and accessible to all because of donations from people like you.
Consider making a one-time or monthly donation. We appreciate your support!
- Dan Doughty and Team Christian Forums
Dec 8, 2011
902
531
✟120,714.00
Country
United Kingdom
Faith
Baptist
Marital Status
Married
Yes it severely affected me, that other Christians have shunned me and not included me in things. But now I know I am aspie, I understand why.
That is very sad. Since Christian Aspies are part of the body of the church, they need to be included in the fellowship of the church just like any other Christian. Do these other Christians also know you're an Aspie and has their attitude and understanding changed?

Gillian
 
  • Like
Reactions: bmjackson
Upvote 0

bmjackson

Newbie
Supporter
Aug 10, 2007
979
325
UK
✟293,276.00
Country
United Kingdom
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Single
That is very sad. Since Christian Aspies are part of the body of the church, they need to be included in the fellowship of the church just like any other Christian. Do these other Christians also know you're an Aspie and has their attitude and understanding changed?

Gillian

Most don't know but with the ones who do it makes no difference. The pastor knew and he did not support me when I was bullied.
 
Upvote 0

Sabertooth

Repartee Animal: Quipping the Saints!
Supporter
Jul 25, 2005
10,491
7,061
62
Wisconsin
Visit site
✟952,359.00
Country
United States
Faith
Charismatic
Marital Status
Married
Politics
US-Others
Most don't know but with the ones who do it makes no difference. The pastor knew and he did not support me when I was bullied.
I wouldn't accept that as being the position of the whole Church. I have seen that kind and kept looking until I found a better fit.
 
  • Like
Reactions: bmjackson
Upvote 0
This site stays free and accessible to all because of donations from people like you.
Consider making a one-time or monthly donation. We appreciate your support!
- Dan Doughty and Team Christian Forums

bmjackson

Newbie
Supporter
Aug 10, 2007
979
325
UK
✟293,276.00
Country
United Kingdom
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Single
Thanks I left the church and am trying out a new one where I think it will be much better. The pastor seems sympathetic and supportive. I don't agree with some of their ways - ecumenical, and the sermons in my last church were very good - expository - but I am not going to get one where everything is swimmingly.
 
Upvote 0