Autism=No more divine protection for USA?

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A few days ago, Suzanne Atanus--a candidate for the Republican nomination to
run for federal Representative/Congresswoman from Illinois--said that the recent
increasing prevalence of autism spectrum disorders and Alzheimer's disease was
God's punishment on the US of A for allowing gays and lesbians the same opportunity
to marry that heterosexuals take for granted.

According to the article, Ms. Atanus "...believes that autism and forms of dementia are punishments sent by God because of the growing support for marriage equality in the country and the prevalence of abortion."

She goes on to state that "I am a conservative Republican and I believe in God first. God is angry. We are provoking him with abortions and same-sex marriage and civil unions," she said. "Same-sex activity is going to increase AIDS. If it's in our military it will weaken our military. We need to respect God."

Don't Blame Autism or Dementia on God's Wrath--Linda Mastroianni

Autism and Dementia are God's Punishments for LGBT rights--Chicago GOP hopeful

GOP hopefuls from 9th district of Illinois differ on many issues--Chicago Daily Herald

I have to post three different links to this because I am that ticked off
at her incredibly callous beliefs about brain-related diseases and the
people who live with them.

I have opinions of my own about the relationship between divine judgment
and our society's treatment of gays and lesbians (especially the fraud and
injustice in how Canadians and Americans dealt with them on the one hand,
and our belated recognition that these wrongs have to be made right on the
other hand).

For her information, the events that precipitated my own bout with autism
spectrum disorder took place in 1964--when AIDS was another term
for helps, supports, or assistance.

Ms. Atanus, I offer you a standing invitation to come to Edmonton and
talk with me about my experiences with autism--one on one, conservative
evangelical Christian versus mainline Christian--if you have the ovaries, the
big-girl panties, to accept it.

I wonder if she like many before her have the nerve to invalidate the life experiences of those diagnosed with Autism/Aspergers or dementia.

If that was so, why do I have autism? My parents are proud Christians, yet, because of something they cannot stop, I was struck with autism?

Suuuuuurrrreeeee

There are some really dumb uneducated people holding power in the US. What baffles me is who votes for these idiots?

This woman holds no power, she's a nut who has repeatedly failed to get elected to any office whatsoever. She is irrelevant, except to the press, who use her to smear a political party they ideologically oppose.

People tend to oppose conservatives for precisely this kind of irrationality. It's not so different than Rick Perry praying for rain.

I don't believe autism is provoking divine wrath, but as a conservative Republican myself...well, I guess you can figure out my views on the rest of what she said. Sorry if I offend anyone, but I do have the right to my own beliefs.

If I am allowed to interject this thread with a bit of semi-relevant humor:



Replace "gays" with "autistics" or "persons with dementia" (or just about any minority, for that matter) and we may be a tad bit closer to the actual motives of The Powers That May Or May Not Be.

Your bout with autism? Was it something you had temporarily, then?

Your god has abandoned you.

ugh!

Wasn't Asperger's paper written or published in 1944?

I believe that the first proven death from AIDS in America was in 1959.

If two people in Massachusetts marry, why should this ceremony affect the neurological development of a newborn baby in Idaho?


The only plagues I read about in the Bible that were punishments from God were quick-moving deadly diseases that killed quickly, not life-long neurological disorders whose symptoms (mine, anyway) are mainly social-communication-empathy behavior.

This is the Christian god we are talking about here; the guilty and the punished have never quite matched up:

flood the whole world for the sins of a few
murder her only son for the sins of the world
murder the first born sons for the stubborness of the pharoah

What I meant was that if AIDS in America is a punishment for homosexuality, why did the first death from the disease happen fifty years BEFORE legalization of same-sex marriage?

If rising rates of Autism/Asperger's are punishments, also, why was it diagnosed sixty years BEFORE same-sex marriage?

If Autism/Asperger's is a punishment for homosexuality, why haven't all gay/lesbian people 'become' Autistic or Aspergian?

Why would this happen to newborn babies whose parents may not even know any gay/lesbian people, much less be supportive of their lifestyle?


Sylkat

Then why do most of the more destructive "acts of God" (i.e., natural disasters like hurricanes) hit the areas where homosexuality and abortion are strongly rejected?

WerewolfPoet, I'm thinking the same thing.

As a society, we offered our gay and lesbian neighbours the same opportunities to
make a living and get ahead in this world that we already offered their heterosexual
counterparts--provided that gays and lesbians lie to themselves, to us, and to God
about their sexual orientation. If a gay or lesbian should renounce that lie, our society
would retaliate by revoking that offer.
If the early course of the AIDS epidemic revealed anything, it revealed that lie for what it was.
But it also demonstrated that we are the guilty party for thrusting this choice upon them.
For this choice was a Hobson's choice: take the alternative we offer you (e.g. the horse closest
to the stable door), or we will not allow you to take anything.