Do aspies tend to be atheists?

[loudatheist101]

Yep, been there, done that. It makes internal sense. God bless you.

The world view you were given in government school is that of scientific materialism, which you have described well. When you get out of school and into the real world you will find that there are things that aren't accounted for by that world view. They have to rely on "faith" to cover the holes. If praying to God heals people, it must be power of suggestion, coincidence or some scientific principle we don't understand yet. If a child gets a recurring visitation from something evil every night for no apparent reason, it must be an over-active imagination or insanity. If someone says they hear God and come up with accurate predictions, it must be coincidence or an extremely brilliant subconscious -- or some scientific principle we don't understand yet.

So which world view has fewer holes in it that hae to patched with "faith?" Check out a church some time for the other side of the story.

No, its called public school, hence science. Stop being anti science.


http://www.newsweek.com/id/165678/output/print

 

[loudatheist101]

I've never heard of there being a correlation between Asperger and atheism. Then again, I don't know anyone with (confirmed) Asperger Syndrome aside from myself--and I just so happen to be atheist. As far as following common sense, yes common sense tells me that everything comes from somewhere. However, it does not tell me that this "somewhere" must be an intelligent designer. It tells me that if something is completely intangible, then there is no reason to presume that it truly exists at all.

Actually common sense has no say in anything at the quantum level of physics. The argument for a Prime Mover is based on the scientific foundation of Newtonian physics and its earlier predecessors — the idea that a body at rest will remain at rest unless acted upon by an outside source. However, while Newton's ideas survive in physics since they conveniently and easily describe the movement of objects at the human (that is, not cosmic or atomic) level, they no longer represent the most accurate and truthful representations of the physical universe. Some scientists feel that the development of the laws of thermodynamics in the 19th century and quantum physics in the 20th century have weakened a purely scientific expression of the cosmological argument.

Modern physics has many examples of bodies being moved without any moving body, seriously undermining the first premise of the Prime Mover argument, that every object in motion must be moved by another object in motion. The Big Bang theory states that it is the point in which all dimensions came into being, the start of both space and time. Then, the question "What was there before the universe?" makes no sense; the concept of "before" becomes meaningless when considering a situation without time, and thus the concepts of cause and effects so necessary to the cosmological argument no longer apply. This has been put forward by Stephen Hawking, who said that asking what occurred before the Big Bang is like asking what is north of the North Pole.

However, the uncertainty principle still allows for virtual particle pairs to appear and annihilate; this is the so-called vacuum energy. And supposing a pair of particles came into being with enough energy, a big bang-type effect might be produced (there may need to be a CP violation in there, as well). Hence, a multitude of universes, from nothingness. It sure is beyond common sense, but then again, human common sense by itself with no basis has had an awful track record. We are better to simply look at the evidence and ignore our common sense.

Also about atheism and aspergers, I think aspies tend to be intellectuals, and think on their own, than in a group or religion. Which is good, because its a fact people are dumber in groups.

 

[Prince Lilac]

Never said anything about quantum physics; I'm talking about common sense on a basic human level--the kind of thing that most people tend to go by without any special sort of knowledge. If I say there's an invisible howler monkey on my head, most aren't inclined to believe me because it seems illogical and there is no tangible evidence to the contrary. Likewise, if I see a cup laying on the counter, I'm going to wonder how it got there rather than just assuming it popped up out of nowhere. That's common sense and that's what I'm talking about. Don't know if that explained my post better or not...hopefully so. :/

 

[Timuchin]

Never said anything about quantum physics; I'm talking about common sense on a basic human level--the kind of thing that most people tend to go by without any special sort of knowledge. If I say there's an invisible howler monkey on my head, most aren't inclined to believe me because it seems illogical and there is no tangible evidence to the contrary. Likewise, if I see a cup laying on the counter, I'm going to wonder how it got there rather than just assuming it popped up out of nowhere. That's common sense and that's what I'm talking about. Don't know if that explained my post better or not...hopefully so. :/

Yes, we Aspergers are more concrete than Normals. I was a programmer for an insurance company years ago. I didn't like it because it was dealing with imaginary money. Yes, we had to "balance" the books, but it was still imaginary. But being a diesel mechanic didn't pay the bills.

We have to get used to tracking invisible things by their effects. I'm sure there are bacteria and viruses all over my head -- by faith. I've seen dozens of people healed or improved of diseases that coincided with my praying for them -- whether they knew about it or not. You haven't, so there's no reason for you to believe it.

 

[DoubtingThomas29]

I was thinking about this for a while and this seems like a good place to put it, it has to do with Plato's cave from philosophy.

You can't prove everything that you are going to believe there is an element of faith to beliefs and I say that as an atheist. We are all like cavemen trapped in a cave and we are looking at shadows on the walls of the caves cast by a camp fire and we are trying to understand what the shadows are in the cave. The more information we get on how things really are, the more we have to be aware of how limited human knowledge really is, and frankly how much of it is really simply a conjecture that no one really knows for certain how it really goes. I sincerely believe whether you are convinced there is no God, or convinced there is a God, or convinced it is better to reserve judgment, that is a matter of faith.

May you never be confounded!

 

[Sabertooth]

I was thinking about this for a while and this seems like a good place to put it, it has to do with Plato's cave from philosophy.

You can't prove everything that you are going to believe there is an element of faith to beliefs and I say that as an atheist. We are all like cavemen trapped in a cave and we are looking at shadows on the walls of the caves cast by a camp fire and we are trying to understand what the shadows are in the cave. The more information we get on how things really are, the more we have to be aware of how limited human knowledge really is, and frankly how much of it is really simply a conjecture that no one really knows for certain how it really goes. I sincerely believe whether you are convinced there is no God, or convinced there is a God, or convinced it is better to reserve judgment, that is a matter of faith.

May you never be confounded!

To carry this a step further, the more your "faith" lines up with reality, the better it is.

Newton's laws lined up with much of reality, but couldn't account for variations in Mercury's orbit like Einstein's later theories did.

In the same way, the philosophy of Mechanism is consistent with so much of the natural universe, but is at a loss when confronted with demonstrations of the supernatural, such as miracles.

Like Einstein's theories, the philosophy of Vitalism allows for the mechanistic model while accepting the existence of the supernatural, as well.

I am an electronic technician and somewhat of a physics phreak myself, so I am accustomed to the fair reliability of physical laws.

The only difference in these two views is that Mechanists believe the universe to be a closed, self-sustaining system, while Vitalists hold that those processes are initiated from outside that system. Both acknowledge the basic mechanic(ity?) of our existing universe.

 

[DoubtingThomas29]

Hey there thanks for responding, you know whatI honestly haven'tread the thread and would probably only derail it here. This sort of stuff is more like for the philosophy section under the society board.

But how about those psychic detectives that solve crimes, you ever see one of those on TV? Pretty spooky:o

I think there could be a natural explanation though, like what I don't know butI got a feeling there is a natural explanation.

 

[LovebirdsFlying]

As a (probable) Aspie, I will admit I have trouble with the concept of "Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so." Adults phrase the same thing in the hymn, "You ask me how I know He lives? He lives within my heart."

So does my deceased grandmother, but that doesn't make her alive for everyone else. I don't like the idea of taking anything as fact just because someone told me. I'm not going to trust that the Bible says this or means that, because I hear it from the pulpit.

I know Jesus loves me because I have seen, felt, and experienced His love.

 

[Timuchin]

But how about those psychic detectives that solve crimes, you ever see one of those on TV? Pretty spooky.

I think there could be a natural explanation though, like what I don't know but I got a feeling there is a natural explanation.

One major problem with that source of information is that it comes from Hollywood. Entertainment first, accuracy take the hindmost. That's the most likely natural explanation.

I know first hand Christian prophets who are accurate in their predictions. I got rich in investing simply by obeying God the Holy Spirit in what to buy & sell. I get what's called "word of knowledge" from the Holy Spirit.

 

[teejayinau]

I'm a Evangelical Christian diagnosed with AS. Also I know of a couple of other guys on the spectrum who are Christians (one is a devout Catholic, another attends a conservative Baptist church).

 

[Lady_Firehawk]

I was Christian for the better part of 15 years, but recently left the fold for reasons too numerous to detail in full-- I think my autistic traits played a large role in that, though. This came through most particularly when I read the Bible and teased it apart and saw a lot of contradictions within what was professed to be the inerrant word of God; praying for the guidance of the Holy Spirit availed nothing and really only served to confuse me even more. If we're supposed to interpret the Bible while guided by the Holy Spirit, then why doesn't EVERYBODY who reads the Bible with said guidance come up with exactly the same interpretation?

There was so much to it all that merely confused and bewildered me even more when I tried to examine it more closely... and not being able to tell 'God's presence' from my own brain messing with me certainly didn't help, either. Having very few filters by which to sort and understand various internal and external stimuli really messed me over in that area as well. I can hardly even tell what direction sounds are coming from much of the time, or figure out where my own emotions are coming from, or know when I'm actually hungry versus having a stomach ache, or just in general know what signals my body and mind are sending me... asking my already borked internal algorithm to sort out things of God on TOP of all that was just far too much and very nearly led to a catastrophic nervous breakdown. At least my senses could give me, with a fair degree of reliability, something that I could at least know was THERE...

 

[Sabertooth]

... If we're supposed to interpret the Bible while guided by the Holy Spirit, then why doesn't EVERYBODY who reads the Bible with said guidance come up with exactly the same interpretation...?

Because we all start at different places AND have different baggage, but Biblical Christianity is convergent.

"Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure." 1John 3:2, 3

 

[Lilo]

I always wondered this. Every person with aspergers I know is an atheist!

Is it coincidence that aspies tend to be atheists? .

My younger brother has Aspergers, and he is a Christian.
I think perhaps it is because he takes everything literally, so when he was told bible stories as a young child, he believed them to be true and didn't decide on his own if he thought they were true or not.

 

[Sabertooth]

"I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." Jesus (Mark 10:15 & Luke 18:17).

 

[gracechick]

My younger brother has Aspergers, and he is a Christian.
I think perhaps it is because he takes everything literally, so when he was told bible stories as a young child, he believed them to be true and didn't decide on his own if he thought they were true or not.

Well there are many people who the world deems "normal" that take all those stories quite seriously.

 

[gracechick]

Lady Firehawk I see you are now pagan if you are not a Christian any longer, because of your inability to judge and decipher the Bible and beliefs yourself how did you find peace in another world religion then?

 

[gracechick]

One major problem with that source of information is that it comes from Hollywood. Entertainment first, accuracy take the hindmost. That's the most likely natural explanation.

I know first hand Christian prophets who are accurate in their predictions. I got rich in investing simply by obeying God the Holy Spirit in what to buy & sell. I get what's called "word of knowledge" from the Holy Spirit.

Interesting Timuchin as I have similiar gifts. How have you used them within the Church?

 

[Lena75]

My son is low-moderate functioning autistic and he loves Veggie Tales, so I hope with the help of the messages from the videos and our Christian beliefs, he will stick to Christianity.

 

[Lady_Firehawk]

Lady Firehawk I see you are now pagan if you are not a Christian any longer, because of your inability to judge and decipher the Bible and beliefs yourself how did you find peace in another world religion then?

In a nutshell? I don't have to obsess over Getting It Exactly Right, and in my particular case that was one of the single most destructive aspects of Christianity. I'm sure that sounds like a cop-out to some people, but meh.

Also, it's really more of a transitional state; I'm probably going to end up full-on atheist in the end.

Because we all start at different places AND have different baggage, but Biblical Christianity is convergent.

"Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure." 1John 3:2, 3

That doesn't help. It was precisely that LACK of convergence that I was pointing out.

 

[dayhiker]

I know of quite a few Apies that are Christians, including myself. There are a few things about about Christianity that fit aspie traits, like systematic theology.

But over the years as I've meditated on God and His creation I've come to apperachiate the diversity of the creation and thus understrand that God didn't want a people that was monolithic. Men like monolithic structures in society because then can control and ambitous men can climb the ladder to control more people. Thus I see the reformation and the diversity we now have in Christianity in worship and interpretation of the Bible as a good thing. God is the author of freedom. Nts can be who they are and us ASpies can be who we are. God love all and doesn't as us to be a cookie cutter people. This I feel is part of what jesus was speaking out against when he talked about the traditions of men not being God's will.

dayhiker