Healing of Asperger's

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I wanted to share a story that happened recently, pertinent to my Asperger's and my Christian faith.

The week before last I was at a big Christian gathering, where there were something like 3,000-4,000 people. It was a particularly charismatic type of event, the intensity of it wasn't for everyone, but the Holy Spirit was there in a big way, and I certainly felt and had some experiences of the Spirit coming on me in a way I'd never previously experienced.

There were sermons every morning and evening. During one of them they went on to talk about healing, and offer healing to those who felt called to go up for it.

At this point, with the opportunity for healing there, it crossed my mind to go up to be healed of my Asperger's, to see what would happen if I sought healing for it. I felt God speaking to me that there was no need for different reasons: because of the gifts and talents it has afforded me, because I know it isn't a total disability but also enabling in many ways, and above all of the uniqueness I have.

My minister who was present, had other ideas. Clearly not knowing much of anything about Asperger's, and believing I was a mentally ill and essentialy sick individual, he egged me on and harassed me and hounded me persistently until I went up to be healed - I felt I had no choice.

They announced and celebrated people who announced they were healed of various things - including one or two with congenital conditions and things they'd had since birth, while my minister was pointing out someone who'd been healed of cerebral palsy and schizophrenia as if my Asperger's was like those conditions. I however didn't find a difference (perhaps time will tell) after the healing session. Perhaps there's a lesson for the minister and others from my church that they can't interfere with my uniqueness and my personality. Perhaps what needs healed for me is my assertiveness in this type of situation?

That's my story. I wanted to ask if anyone else especially Christians had wondered about healing of their Asperger's, or even had been in this type of situation where they were hounded to seek healing for their Asperger's?

Hell, it MIGHT have worked,
by instilling a false sense of
confidence and triggering
some subconsious abilities.

But, this just helps underline
what quackery goes on, in the
name of God.

If you want spiritual healing,
join the Church of the Flying
Spaghetti Monster.

faith healing is fake. you're still you.


though you should be mad that someone would force something like that on you. not only that but also basically degrade you.

Your story makes me angry that people use the name Christian to describe themselves and then treat people the way those people treated you. No one should have forced or cajoled you into a faith healing! I don't come from a tradition that practices that sort of service and I dislike being manipulated in church by my faith so I probably never will belong to a tradition that practices faith healing. I think you are absolutely right in feeling affirmed by God for who you are the way you are as a person with an AS type personality.

I would say the evidence exists that faith plays a part in recovery, as proven by prayer circles, and that faith does help carry you through hard times.

There are people that can heal with lay of hands; this is usually a physical ailment, not a mental one. As far as I understand, it is similiar to Reiki. Reiki is real; you can feel it if you try. It's cool But Reiki is very slow improvements, and doesn't usually cause a change in personality.

Usually if they call people up to be healed in front of a crowd, it's often a fair bit fake. Most real faith healers heal quietly, and it does take a bit of time.


Besides, what would be really healed? I think I'd be scared to be normal. I guess god could heal your ability to deal with faces, and let you have skills to observe people and improve your social skills . . . maybe take away the need to tic/stim? I dunno. It just seems like AS traits are too complex to just "heal" because even if the brain defecit was removed, you'd still have to play catch up on social skills . . .

it's less the act of faith healing and more the person believing they're being healed that has the impact when there is some and it doesn't actually fix a problem, it's a placebo effect. sometimes it'll help boost immunity or give someone a stronger will to fight through something but nothing more than that. it's not the faith, it's not jesus, buddha, muhammed, vishnu, mithra, or whoever else people pick to worship...it's just the act that does it.


but in the end, it's nothing the "healer" does but rather just the person themselves that brings about any changes.

Meh faith healing is about as real as Xenu or Diametrics!

Hey Keeno, your a gift as you are. I guess we all need to be reminded of this fact. To liberate Christ from Christianity was for many years the only way I could authentically be myself as a Christian. However, as my faith matures, I found I am able to return to the church, but draw my nourishment from the contemplative tradition. I find the evangelical and charismatic worlds very nourishing on the outside, but when you question and challenge you get trouble. It's like they are saying, "if you dont take what WE say as gospel, you are not following Jesus." This is spiritual abuse, and sadly very common.

A wise monk once told me, Answers are like weapons to those who dont question.

Keep questioning and keep the faith and lets keep in touch

Much peace
Cx

Keeno, trouble with people like that is they have this real binary view of life - that its a war between the influences of God and the devil, which doesn't leave much room for neurodiversity or anything much outside of that little black and white battle. I'd just say take them with a huge grain of salt, they really don't get life, why we're here, the scope or breadth of creation as they'd put it, and sadly I think it keeps a lot of them from fully mentally developing.

lol, he thinks Aspergers is bad?

I wouldn't find life worth living if I was somebody else. Aspergers syndrome has given me a unique view on life, and I look at it as a gift, with difficulties in learning how to control it.

Yeah, there are bad parts to it, but there are bad parts to just about anything... The problem is learning to control those bad parts.

QFT

hey if it worked sign me up!
bur right now it's just
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTrYE4a1BmE[/youtube]

Run with that. Even if the faith healers were real, if God says you don't need to be healed, the healers won't have His power to change you. It's way cool that He told you that personally. It can be hard to get through someone's mental activity to be heard.

Would it be better for you to find a church with a more Christian minister? Sometimes other relationships in the current church make up for problems with the buck.