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Has religion helped your autism?

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What religion do you practice?
Atheist 50%  50%  [ 18 ]
Buddhist 6%  6%  [ 2 ]
Christian 19%  19%  [ 7 ]
Jewish 8%  8%  [ 3 ]
Wiccan 3%  3%  [ 1 ]
Other: please describe. 14%  14%  [ 5 ]
Total votes : 36

Aharon
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25 Mar 2012, 8:15 am

I was wondering what religions are being practiced, and if you think your practice has helped you with your autism.


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WilliamWDelaney
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25 Mar 2012, 8:18 am

Becoming an atheist helped with my autism and depression immensely because it helped me realize that I took myself far more seriously than anyone else did, particularly the universe in general. Ironically, this realization helped me loosen up considerably and start behaving more like a normal human being.



ValentineWiggin
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25 Mar 2012, 8:20 am

Why is atheism listed?

I'm an atheist, and had no idea I was supposed to be "practicing" something.

I've never not been atheist, so I can't say whether it helped anything.


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WilliamWDelaney
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25 Mar 2012, 8:23 am

ValentineWiggin wrote:
Why is atheism listed?

I'm an atheist, and had no idea I was supposed to be "practicing" something.

I've never not been atheist, so I can't say whether it helped anything.
Do be patient with the religious and naive. A lot of younger religious people don't actually have a context for understanding the idea that atheists are "on the outside" of the religion issue. They often see atheism as just another religion, and this ignorance is pardonable in the young.



Lord_Gareth
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25 Mar 2012, 8:39 am

Define 'helped' in this context.


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ValentineWiggin
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25 Mar 2012, 8:47 am

WilliamWDelaney wrote:
ValentineWiggin wrote:
Why is atheism listed?

I'm an atheist, and had no idea I was supposed to be "practicing" something.

I've never not been atheist, so I can't say whether it helped anything.
Do be patient with the religious and naive. A lot of younger religious people don't actually have a context for understanding the idea that atheists are "on the outside" of the religion issue. They often see atheism as just another religion, and this ignorance is pardonable in the young.


Debatable.


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WilliamWDelaney
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25 Mar 2012, 8:54 am

ValentineWiggin wrote:
WilliamWDelaney wrote:
ValentineWiggin wrote:
Why is atheism listed?

I'm an atheist, and had no idea I was supposed to be "practicing" something.

I've never not been atheist, so I can't say whether it helped anything.
Do be patient with the religious and naive. A lot of younger religious people don't actually have a context for understanding the idea that atheists are "on the outside" of the religion issue. They often see atheism as just another religion, and this ignorance is pardonable in the young.


Debatable.
So is heliocentrism. Care for me to prove it?



aspi-rant
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25 Mar 2012, 8:55 am

ValentineWiggin wrote:
Why is atheism listed?

I'm an atheist, and had no idea I was supposed to be "practicing" something.

I've never not been atheist, so I can't say whether it helped anything.


+1



Aharon
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25 Mar 2012, 9:10 am

I listed atheist as an option because I want to see the entire spectrum of religious preference in poll takers, whether it is this, or that, or neither. I also see atheism as a choice not to practice a religion, which to me makes it different from someone who may be intellectually incapable of defining either. As to the "helped" part, I read in one of Temple Grandin's books that she wondered if buddhist meditation wasn't a form of autism; the chanting and the rocking... And that got me thinking about how a religion and it's practices may be therapeutic or provide a socially acceptable outlet to people with autism.


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ValentineWiggin
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25 Mar 2012, 12:28 pm

Aharon wrote:
I listed atheist as an option because I want to see the entire spectrum of religious preference in poll takers, whether it is this, or that, or neither. I also see atheism as a choice not to practice a religion, which to me makes it different from someone who may be intellectually incapable of defining either. As to the "helped" part, I read in one of Temple Grandin's books that she wondered if buddhist meditation wasn't a form of autism; the chanting and the rocking... And that got me thinking about how a religion and it's practices may be therapeutic or provide a socially acceptable outlet to people with autism.


~facepalm~


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of the human Heart, that very few Men, who have no Property, have any Judgment of their own.
They talk and vote as they are directed by Some Man of Property, who has attached their Minds
to his Interest."


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25 Mar 2012, 12:33 pm

ValentineWiggin wrote:
Aharon wrote:
I listed atheist as an option because I want to see the entire spectrum of religious preference in poll takers, whether it is this, or that, or neither. I also see atheism as a choice not to practice a religion, which to me makes it different from someone who may be intellectually incapable of defining either. As to the "helped" part, I read in one of Temple Grandin's books that she wondered if buddhist meditation wasn't a form of autism; the chanting and the rocking... And that got me thinking about how a religion and it's practices may be therapeutic or provide a socially acceptable outlet to people with autism.


~facepalm~


:lol: Im a christian in my opinon he hasnt helped my asperger syndrome because I like having the disorder its who I am im a proud Aspie who has friends of all faiths and people who have no religious beliefs what some one believes in or doesnt believe in really doesnt matter to me I care what I believe in thats just my views on the issue.



Aharon
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25 Mar 2012, 12:58 pm

I'm not exploring the spiritual aspects of it in this case. I'm more interested in the mechanics of the religion, and how those may or may not be emotionally and psychologically beneficial.


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25 Mar 2012, 1:55 pm

I'm already gullible to begin with, so being a Mormon didn't help my situation al all. In fact, being in any belief where someone more versed or ranking than you can tell you what you should and shouldn't be doing is a bad setup. Personal experience shows that people lie for just about any reason, and my biggest challenge in life has been finding out exactly when people are lying to me.



Beaux
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25 Mar 2012, 3:33 pm

WilliamWDelaney wrote:
Becoming an atheist helped with my autism and depression immensely because it helped me realize that I took myself far more seriously than anyone else did, particularly the universe in general. Ironically, this realization helped me loosen up considerably and start behaving more like a normal human being.


Pretty much this, except that no one else has learned to take me less seriously yet and I can't think of any way to really fix this. I took up philosophy instead which has made things much easier as I can now freely swap beliefs when I find better ones without feeling blasphemous! :P



Thom_Fuleri
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25 Mar 2012, 5:19 pm

I don't practice atheism. I do it perfectly. :)

It hasn't really "helped" my condition as I never really started being an atheist - I never had any faith to begin with. But it has helped me to develop my interest in human psychology and how memes like religion work. Not being lumbered with woolly concepts like free will and the soul lets you think more about how it all fits together. Turns out you don't need souls or free will - the mind is just plain weird even without them!



enrico_dandolo
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25 Mar 2012, 11:25 pm

I think it would be true to say I am an atheist, even though that is a simplified view, and even though it isn't really a religion either.

However, I can say that not being religious has helped me a lot, because if I were religious, I would most likely be catholic; and if I were catholic, I would have to go to church on Sundays and do all kinds of social activities, which would certainly cause me further anxiety.