Religion (or lack thereof) and Autism/Asperger's?

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Emotion deserves credit as well as it is studied in modern science as a necessary element to make most decision in life, as we are not even aware of our conscious decisions until shortly after we make them. Only those that have received brain trauma to the emotional centers of the brain and no longer experience emotions experience the full impact of this type of disability, where one can't make decisions as simple as what color socks to wear.

And for those that might attempt to draw the psychopath card, as an example of humans that make decisions without emotion, that is a myth, as psychopaths are motivated by emotion, but are measured as having shallow pro-social ones.

That tree of knowledge story early on in the bible, is an interesting analogy, to some of the potential pitfalls of Information Technology, at a rudimentary level, when the bible was first written, as the lessons in that book while some are unusual and outdated, have nuggets of truth that can be found in thousands of years of human observation and common sense lessons of existence/experience that were once passed down mostly in verbal tradition. It doesn't appear that humans have changed that much since then, more so the expanse of collective knowledge and culture resulting from it.

And incidentally, suicides are measured at the highest rates in countries measured as the most advanced per measures of health of society, and knowledge, where people are provided larger safety nets by government, and religion is no longer as necessary for social connection and survival, and having children is becoming more of an option. In countries like Japan where a virtual life has replaced the connection that a mate and children used to provide, for the masses, even higher rates. A place where the government is providing incentives for people to have children and people are found alone in apartments well after they are dead.

The bottom is, collective knowledge is impressive, but a portion of the world population may not be as smart as they believe they are in using the tools of long term survival. Evolution doesn't care. One might underestimate the benefit of organized religion across the globe, among those that are already evidenced as more likely to continue to reproduce.

I am none of the above. I believe in God, but I'm not religious. I haven't been to a church since I was 12. Religion is too constricting and too full of hatred and condemnation for me.

My opinion on religion is that it is a creation of man to control and/or comfort people. I have no interest in that.

If people want to be religious that's fine with me as long as they don't expect me to live by their religion too.

I take Science for what it's worth, a ever evolving state of theories and knowledge. Believing in God was a concious choice for me, based on instinctive, emotional and ethical feelings and frankly in opposition to logic. Lacking any direct evidence, I don't try to convince anyone else or debate about the exsistance of God.

I hate most religious people because of how narrow minded they are, but also I hate atheists because they seem to think of ALL religious people as stupid for even considering belief in God. Atheists always seem to be rich and never have experienced poverty, working crappy jobs, etc.

I've never seen so many sweeping generalisations made in so few sentences.

I wish that were true. I'm atheist and poor.

I'm an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, born and raised. I'm even going on a full time mission for the church in a few months.

However, knowing my disposition, I probably would have been agnostic if I weren't raised in the church. That doesn't mean I believe any less. I'm just skeptical of religion by default (my own included) and without additional insight, there's no hard evidence for or against God.

I'm an agnostic. I don't begrudge the faithful. I even have some judeo-christian values. I just don't get the believing in god aspect of it.

Buts its okay to not to understand how the world got here and how everything works, ill take that anyday above something written in a book that explains everything.

better to know nothing than believe in lies, thats how i see it.

It will be many years before if at all, we will ever understand everything. science is amazing, finding out theories until they can be proven or not and then make new ones.

its not hard to understand why people think something is the work of god when we arent smart enough, imagine cavemen seeing thunder and earthquakes, its no wonder they thought that was angry gods ?, but we know better today, as will we someday be able to explain much more, and it will be the same over again. what you dont understand often seems like magic. imagine going back in showing people a telephone, or a lighter. they will think its magic and that your a god, kinda puts things in perspective.

if people wanna believe in god and religion that goodluck with that. i just find i scary when religious people have high positions , like that sarah palin, believes that dinosaurs lived 2000 years ago, imagine a person like that being president :O that scares me a lot.

I know i have one life and then its over, im not gonna put restrictions on my life or people in anything without evidence.

Ill say this religious people should be happy that we dont go around knocking on their doors, telling them to ABANDON YOUR FAKE GOD!. Like they come to my home and tell me all sorts of crap, wanting me to convert and put restrictions on my life, that really pisses me off, keep your religion to yourself kindly. going and harassing other people, and often they have small kids with them, to get you to open the door.

Hi:

I consider myself an intellectually engaged agnostic.

To claim that 'there is or is not a god' is to commit a logical fallacy; specifically, an Appeal to Ignorance. In this case premises report that nothing is known or proved, and then a conclusion is drawn (that is, a lack of evidence is not evidence). I think there is good evidence at least that if god exists, then he is not as he is portrayed in the traditional Judeo-Christian context. However, if god does exist and he is who he is claimed to be, then I should not be worried about getting pitched into hell for mere disbelief or a simple: I don't know. I don't sweat it. That being said, I am not trying to debate the issue with anyone here. I am merely posting information in regard to the poll and ensuing thread.

LM

I don't identify with mainstream religion; although I was raised an Anglican Christian, I now reject Christianity and the notion of the Trinity. I now personally see myself as a 'Noahide'; a person that believes in the Creator and follows the 7 laws of Noah.- However, this status is only temporary as I hope to convert to Judaism once I reach adulthood.

The church that I attend (and am organist) has recently gotten a new minister. I cannot connect with him at all. I find myself avoiding him. He rubs me the wrong way. He gets his sermons off the internet, but yet he is paid to prepare his own sermons.

I also cannot set through sermons anymore (even with the last minister). I just can't focus on lecture/sermon types things. I leave after I am finished playing (before the sermon).

I am a Christian, but because of the new ministerial assignment, I don't feel very religious anymore. Or should I say---I don't feel very close to organized religion anymore. I feel closer to God in my own privacy.

Atheist (level 6 on the Dawkins scale).

I was raised very by very religious parents (father is a pastor, moved to be missionaries when I was . My parents were very involved in the pentecostal/charismatic movement. I sometimes had to attend 10+ church services a week. Tent revivals all summer long. Everyone was always yelling, singing loudly, speaking in tongues, "laying on hands" to pray for you. I hated every minute of it. My parents had me exorcised 3 times. In the pentecostal church, that involves being pulled up to the front of the church, surrounded by people who all press their hands on you, and then they shout at you, sometimes in real languages and sometimes in "tongues." Extremely traumatizing and I had nightmares for months. I had a panic attack everytime they did this which was "proof" that they had cast out the demon. I was "exorcised" of the demons that caused me to be shy, a loner, and to talk back to my parents.

I read the bible cover to cover 4 times before I was 10. That was when I consciously lost faith. There are so many contradictions, inaccuracies, and so much downright brutality. I have always been obsessed with science, and that showed me more and more how much nonsense there was in that book. I did attempt to recapture some faith as I grew up. I joined the Orthodox church and loved the history and ritual of the liturgies. However, I soon came to realize that I was there because I liked the form not the substance. Same with paganism. I like the ritual, the history, and marking the seasons, but no faith in any supernatural forces.

I lost faith along time ago, but seemed to have recently captured a little back with my own 'science' based exploration of it, in what I describe as synchronicity.

I am a skeptic of the 'highest order', but there were too many 'religious specific' coincidences in this experience to not consider a 'higher power' of some kind that connects us all together.

I have some acquaintances that have read it, and it changed there way of thinking. I am not sure you would see anything good out of it, but I came across this post that I had participated in before, and thought you might be interested in reading my take on it.

To be clear it is not an 'ego' based experience. I am just observing and reporting it, in narrative style.

I do not believe in 'magic' but I no longer believe in 'chaos' either. I'm pretty sure that is what most people look for in life. Some sense of order. There is potential greater peace of mind to be gained in that pursuit.

http://katiemiaaghogday.blogspot.com/20 ... leven.html