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

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Actually, you've completely misunderstood me, but I can see why now as I read what I wrote--it was sloppy. But the bit about Fox News was an unnecessary jab--Fox News is entertainment for people with bad taste, in my opinion.

I should have said some atheists, because it isn't all of them.

You see, for as long as I've been an atheist, theology and myth and the historical significance of it all have fascinated me. What does it say about the human psyche that so many people buy into it all? How did we evolve consciousness, how do we think about what lies beyond the limits of our knowledge? You know, big questions that philosophers and religious people alike have been trying to answer for centuries. You could say it's a recurring special interest of mine

And along the way, I've read some reasonably arguments for religious/spiritual faith and science operating in two entirely separate, non-overlapping territories. Now, I still don't buy into religion myself, but it would be hypocritical of me to roundly denounce all religion simply because it doesn't work for me as a worldview or catchall for what can't be known. I'm me, and others live in their own separate worlds that are completely different from mine, with a completely different set of experiences and knowledge and terrors. And they interface with the world in ways that will always be mysterious to me. We're all in the same boat--or separate boats, as the case may be--alone on the ocean charting our own paths to death and whatever lies beyond, even if it is nothing. And the nothingness dogs us. Religious beliefs are seductive and not everyone wants to give them up and stare into the abyss.

My point is that there will always be something science hasn't figured out yet, something that lies beyond our reach both as individuals and as a species. As Wittgenstein put it, what can be said is in the realm of science, in descriptions of the natural world. But when everything has been said, there is still world left over--the mystical, which is the realm of philosophy and religion. Neither can be proved or disproved. Maybe I'm wrong, but the blanket scorn some atheists seem to have for religion is unnecessary and if it's based in materialism then it's uninformed, too. Religion needs to stay out of scientific descriptions of the world and vice versa.

Which is why I say critical thinking skills should be pushed rather than trying to make religious people feel stupid for their beliefs. Educating people makes them better consumers of everything: personal philosophy, food, pharmaceuticals, cars, politics, etc. I wasn't suggesting that schools discuss religion at all--again, that would be violating the territorial agreement. My social skills are pretty bad, but even I know that insulting someone's deeply held beliefs isn't the most effective way to reach someone or their children. If religious people think science threatens them, they'll try to protect their children from it and that's counterproductive.

But my thoughts on religion have been changing since my AS diagnosis and my attempts at explanation are probably muddy.

I am DEEPLY bothered by organized religion. But I like to believe in something, so I consider myself spiritual.

Don't hate on me for saying this, but most organized religious groups have corrupted information that they either don't want to or just can't see is wrong. I had a deep argument over a few select topics at a church one time, topics such as celebrating Christ's birth and the actual day of his birth (celebrated because of the roman tradition of the sun on the week of the winter solstice), the Sabbath being on Saturday not Sunday etc.

What I don't get, is how all these different christians give different ideas on what christianity is, who are bad christians and good christians. All it is, is the belief that jesus is the son of god. Simple as that, there's no right type of christianity or good or bad. It annoys me when people go "it's a relationship!" and "this band of christians are all jerks, but we are the real ones!"
It's all got the same theme to it, the belief that jesus is the son of god, he died and came back to life.
Don't over complicate things especially when them things don't actually matter and won't make a hint of difference to the world as a whole.

When I was a child, my parents used to take me to church. The main idea I got was that this life is just an illusion and that if you lead a good life, you'll enter heaven when you die. It was like death was a highly placed ideal. This made me feel very morbid about life, and so I never really accept the idea's of church. After puberty, I was Atheist, but after I graduated high school, I realized I wasn't smart enough to know whether god existed or not, so I became agnostic.

Last edited by takemitsu on 05 Jul 2010, 10:44 am, edited 1 time in total.

It is not the dark ages, schools don't need to be taught creationist ideas. And reintroducing that would just make education go backwards, not forwards. If a science teacher does not believe the theories he/she's teaching, why is he/she teaching them?
I don't see why creationists have to play the victim all the time, and think everyone's out to get them. Maybe if you didn't be so obnoxious about your beliefs people wouldn't have a go at you for them. Whether you like it or not, the majority of the western world now accept evolution as fact and no amount of protesting will make enough difference since you are quite a small minority.

Well said.

Agnostic here... I was raised as a Christian, and I do not in any way denounce the Christian faith. However, I don't believe that after all these thousands of years, and many many cultures and languages translated, the Bible could still state anything even close to what it originally said. I believe that the universe is way too perfect to be an accident, and I believe there's some sort of explanation that we aren't capable of comprehending. A superior intelligence created or caused it. I just don't know if I'm comfortable just settling that it was "God", or could the whole thing be a scientific experiment in an adjacent solar system with a superior level of development? I believe in living by the Ten Commandments, and I believe there is probably more to learn after our earthly lives. But again, I'm not so narrow-minded as to just accept what other humans think it might be.

Charles

It depends on what your definition of 'agnostic' is. People have very different opinions of what it is.

Technically I'm an agnostic theist, whatever that would be considered poll-wise.

I'm atheist.

I think I became atheist because of this, mixed with the fact I'm neither not baptised nor never had lessons of religion. I also feel that monotheist religions aren't very interesting when compared to Greek/Roman/Egyptian/Norse paganism.

I feel that there are some things that science can explain and others that can only be explained via a religious text of your choosing. I don't believe in organized religion of any sort, and I don't believe that science is the answer to everything. So what would that make me?

I couldn't really vote for any of the options...except perhaps agnostic...I guess

My spiritual beliefs are stronger and I believe there is a God who is not so loving and forgiving as some religions preach.

Religions are simply clubs that people join...in my opinion.

I believe in God and that's all. I don't have to join a religion/club to do so.

Jesus, Mary & Joseph, I'm rather dubious about and I feel the same about all the bible stories.

I was raised by a devout Roman Catholic. This religion has men & women who never marry, engage in intercourse or raise families, (pedophiles that so many of them are) and yet give advice on how this must be done. Huh?

According to the bible, we all came from Adam & Eve who only had two sons...Huh? Unless, of course I've missed something, which wouldn't be unusual for me...I'm pretty sure this would mean we are all the product of incest.

Religions are the bane of human existence as far as I'm concerned. How many religious wars full of hate, suffering and death have to take place before people wise up to it.

I don't judge people on their religious beliefs and I don't usually get into religious discussions.

I don't push the way I feel on any one and I don't take too kindly when people try and push their religious beliefs on me...each to their own.

Adam and Eve had way more then Cane and Abel.
They had lots of other brothers and sisters. They just weren't all named.

Sure...see how I always manage to miss things?

But...who were the other people, not related to them, that they were all able to pro-create with?

And that is where what you said becomes true again...they were incest lol.

here is a video of the pastor of my church totally pwning evolution, note his humorous sarcasm in the first couple minutes:[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7qhB6oqyjY[/youtube]