Correlation between AS and religion/atheism or no?

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If it helps, I was once a believer in totem animals and currently believe in tulpas (not as existing to everyone, but to me alone.)

Off is not a TV channel, nor is bald a hair color.

As a from-birth atheist, though, I'd love to know what "set of values and belief system" I'm supposed to have- I guess I didn't get the memo.

Atheism as opposed to theism is the only one consistent with empiricism. It really NEEDS no argument. Not a shred of analytical or empirical evidence for a deity.
It's not so subtle that less intellectual people tend to not be driven by empiricism as opposed to emotions,
and that needs no apology- it simply is.

I never chose to be an atheist. I saw no evidence for claims posited and therefore CANNOT believe.

Aspies are known for being more logically-minded than NT's, and this correlates with neurological differences.

Well, one could lead to the other. Believing in an anthropomorphic God could be simpler, or something. I'd guess it's easier to conclude that lightning struck your house because God was in a bad mood, rather than because you deserved it or it happened for an elaborate reason.



If atheism is innate, how did so many people think up religion?

The early evolutionary advantage of animism, combined with that of obedience to authority, repeated for generations over several millenia.
Dawkins calls it a misfiring- the tendency for survival-based mechanisms to result in counterproductive and even dangerous practices when combined with a society as complex as humanity's.
We are all born atheist and the lucky few who are not indoctrinated early, as children, remain so.

i born and raised Mormon but i am not Mormon. i built my beliefs slowly and painstakingly out of bits and pieces that i liked. it works for me, it does not have to work for anyone else. i CHOSE my way. i think the most powerful faith is the one you choose. whether you choose it consciously or unconsciously. i was not born into my faith and i think that view is simplistic at best.

No I don't think there is a firm correlation, in fact you can just as well have ultra-orthodox on the spectrum.

This fallacy based on the idea that ASD people are more rational, but really this is fallacy in it own right. Even if some are, that doesn't preclude Cognitive dissonance.

Me personally I never believed, even if I partook in the ritual in early life. My break away from the ritual didn't take long. Eventually that was accepted that wasn't going to change,

The idea of atheism being the default position is an interesting question. Of course a religion itself is taught, but research does indicate there may be a neurological basis for this sort of superstitious thinking, suspending disbelief, etc.

It is important to note that this subjective, and creating part of the brain performs an important function in regulating the more rational/analytical side.

There is just differences in how and the extent it is used. Brain damaged individuals who are-missing this function they have huge difficulty making up their mind, as their thinking is like a run away train. Without subjective decisions you cannot break out of analytical thinking.

When a scientist writes a report they are choosing how to summarize and conclude, they have decided when to suspend the experiment, etc. It is not a purely logical and objective process, though they have to be reasonably objective in how they conduct themselves.

Those that think they are rational because the are invariably 'right', aren't because they have limited capability to levels of deductive thinking, and are absolutist, which in itself is not rational.

Of the people I have met on the spectrum only a small number show obvious aptitude for many layers of deductive thinking, In other words some are analytical, some are hyper-analytical, and some are not very analytical at all.

Those that are more schizotypal or schizoaffective that is much more related to the subjective side, it is just overriding. In it extreme form you have disorder thinking (such as word salad) where the thoughts have disjointed context, there isn't a train of thought and the overall meaning is not there. However there are at least some possible lateral references, and a hint of general context, if the though hadn't got mashed.

From my own observations, people can believe because they want to believe. In that they have have an emotional gap that is easily filled with religion or similar, where as atheism doesn't give them that ease they need. It is very easy if you don't have such personality to think it odd. But really it makes sense, we all have anxieties, it is not far fetched that for some people not having an stand in explanation for life hard to deal with, and it it also has to be something that the average person is capable of understanding.

Whether this is nature or nurture driving this is a very mixed picture. I would argue both.

I'm not implying that you are supposed to have any of my values at all. I was recognizing the fact that because you are Atheist, you have your values and I have my values.




Atheism is not innate, it is the reaction and consequence of choice. Religion was not "thought-up" like some guys in a bar. Could man invent "God?" Could man invent a "Non-God?"



Go out and find those ultimate answers. Why are you claiming that you never chose to be an Atheist, of course you did. You found something you agreed with and stuck with it.



In light of that statement, I beg to differ. If Atheism is truly consistent with you I would like to know those arguments. If you basing it off totally empirical data, look at science. Just because you cannot "see" an Atom does it mean it's not there? Think about it.

Best Regards,

Jake

I once was lost, but now I am found 'twas not grace, that saw me home.

ruveyn

Last edited by ruveyn on 20 Dec 2012, 11:23 am, edited 1 time in total.

There was three stages to atomic knowledge: reasonable hypothesis, theoretical proof, and actual detection. So yes you really don't have to see atoms to be able to detect them.

Religion doesn't pass the first stage, there would be so many other hypothesis that would have to eliminated to even consider that as a goer.

Regarding creation. if there is/was a creator, something created that or that is almost like saying there is nothing. It is circular.

However this has little to do with what people mean when they say the believe in god, or not.

What they are saying is there is or there isn't a reason to believe a God. Agnostics are hedging their bets because they don't want to deny spirituality for risk of losings out, but don't identify with other religion. Deists basically say that God isn't that bothered about religion and spirituality, but favours development, and reason.

There is no particular reason to believe in a creator, but if you believe in a creator, there is definitely no cause to be religious about it.

Imposed by society through peer pressure (imo), and if you are not part of the "In Crowd" at church because of your Aspie "Weirdness", you are less likely to be brainwashed by those around you.

Thus, Atheism -- as your default condition -- is never over-written by you in order to fit in with them.

What does atheism as a default actually mean though? Obviously people began turning to these sorts of explanations historically.

You could say the default might not thinking about it at all, I suppose this a type of Atheism, but if they are not expose to religion you couldn't really known if they were true Atheist or there was simply no impetus to consider their existence. You also don't know if they wouldn't be more inclined to superstitious belief without any influence being there.

Those that consider something coming before, that is not a totally unreasonable theory, it just has nothing to do with religious doctrine,

It is said that the first religion began when the first scoundrel met with the first fool.

hmmm "we all are born atheists". I wonder, aren't we born believing our parents are gods, or aren't we all born solipsists?

Those are some pretty serious claims. Do you have any evidence to back up those claims?
I wouldn't consider being Atheist lucky, it sounds more like a personal problem that needs to be addressed.


Best Regards,

Jake

I believe I was born Ignostic. As I was growing up I became exposed to Christian views to the extent that I kind of reluctantly started to believe them, though they never felt right or seemed to make sense. Now I'm Ignostic again. Organized religion doesn't feel right or make sense to me.

You're taking some members' atheism quite personally. Bad experience in your life?