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AlbusSeverus
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08 Sep 2011, 1:13 am

I do not know of where the whole asking Jesus into your heart thing came about. I have never found it in the Bible.



1000Knives
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08 Sep 2011, 1:31 am

I am. I'm diagnosed NVLD (nonverbal learning disorder), and only suspect Aspergers. The person evaluating me basically said they just didn't want to label me Aspergers as they felt it was too strong (I also thought there was ulterior motives for their decision too, but another story entirely.) From what I understand, NVLD basically like, "works" a lot like Aspergers.

For me, I was raised in it. I'm 20 now. I was in church since like age 3, went to Christian school from preschool til 6th grade. But, I was raised in a Independent Fundamentalist Baptist background. I saw hypocrisy, as it was very legalistic there, and it got to the point where my mom would offer me like 20-30 dollars if I just went to church once, and I'd refuse. Alot was from the people, the kids and severe disenchantment with the leaders, not as much from theological problems, but I did drift around theologically for a long while (basically becoming agnostic) until God gave me a big wakeup call.

As far as religion goes, be patient with him, all the people might be tough. Some denominations, there's very much a touchy feely social aspect that'll just weird him out. You know, random people will want to hug him and stuff. That's sorta the denomination I'm in now, I'm not very much on the same social wavelength as everyone else there. Other problem too, he's going to find himself confused fast. I did. What a lot of people just "take" for theology, I think Aspergers/NVLD people will think through exponentially more than the average person. Isaac Newton for example, didn't believe in the Trinity, but he still loved God and Jesus Christ, just he didn't find the Trinity logical and inline with his understanding of Scripture. Stuff like that could happen with your son, and I think that could be much more damaging to him than Richard Dawkins or something ever could be.

The reason I say this, in part, a person went to my church, he was a socially awkward dude, though. So he started going to my church, and became a very committed Christian. However, my youth pastor, well... What's the kindest way to put this? Let's just say he's... most of the time less mature than the youth there. Anyway, his former girlfriend was at the church, and because of his awkwardness, etc, people gossiped about him a lot. But the youth pastor and him got into an argument (not over a theological issue, though) and the youth pastor didn't take criticism very well, so it didn't end too well for my friend. Almost overnight, now a self proclaimed atheist. However, this same person witnessed healings of people in the church. Atheism for him was basically illogical, after having seen God work, but he chose it anyway, just because his emotions were hurt and other outside non-theological things.

With logical/whatever, stuff, again, prayer, but if he's willing to actually debate, debate with him. My friend that's a diagnosed Aspergers (he's atheist/agnostic), me and him argue literally every single day, sometimes about religion, but it's cool. We very rarely get mad at each other over it, and though my friend (and obviously I, too) are stubborn, if we find ourselves wrong, we'll generally concede. We're interested in finding the truth and gaining knowledge, whatever the conclusion is. If your son is this way, well, get smart, haha. He probably won't mind having a discussion with you and debating you, maybe he'll even debate you for hours at a time about it. Just be respectful toward him and not pass judgement too quickly. Instead of making it "you'll go to hell!" just simply answer his train of thoughts and give him more to think about, a civilized discussion about his issues. If he's up to it, and he's just a super duper stubborn atheist somehow or another, but it's not an issue he's been conditioned to feel bad about, you could possibly just strike up a religious conversation anywhere and just talk to him about it for 2 hours at a time.

Logic is key to dealing with Aspergers, though, I think. In my life, most of my decisions are based around a logic thought process, and it's hard for me to balance my feelings and logic. I've done things in my life that were "logical" but wrong just because of the emotional havoc that I most of the time ignored and didn't feel until later. Then again, it's helpful, too, as I tend to actually think through why most things occur or need to occur, which most people do not do, which is why most people buy the things they buy, spend time they way they do, etc, and I see it all and can often make much more efficient decisions.

Again, do pray, though, God actually does do stuff even now. God bless.



ruveyn
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08 Sep 2011, 9:19 am

AlbusSeverus wrote:
I do not know of where the whole asking Jesus into your heart thing came about. I have never found it in the Bible.


A derivative of Paul's perversion of what Jesus was teaching. Paul completely gutted what Jesus taught and turned it on its head.

ruveyn



ValentineWiggin
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08 Sep 2011, 11:06 am

Kraichgauer wrote:
As our country is a country of freedom shielding laws, rather than of religious dogma, I support full civil rights for homosexuals, including marriage.

-Bill, otherwise known as Kraichgauer


When did all this happen? :? :lol:


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Kraichgauer
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08 Sep 2011, 12:13 pm

ValentineWiggin wrote:
Kraichgauer wrote:
As our country is a country of freedom shielding laws, rather than of religious dogma, I support full civil rights for homosexuals, including marriage.

-Bill, otherwise known as Kraichgauer


When did all this happen? :? :lol:


It hasn't - - yet. But it should. Because we should be a land of laws, rather than dogma.

-Bill, otherwise known as Kraichgauer



CaptainTrips222
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08 Sep 2011, 2:30 pm

Kraichgauer wrote:
ValentineWiggin wrote:
Kraichgauer wrote:
As our country is a country of freedom shielding laws, rather than of religious dogma, I support full civil rights for homosexuals, including marriage.

-Bill, otherwise known as Kraichgauer


When did all this happen? :? :lol:


It hasn't - - yet. But it should. Because we should be a land of laws, rather than dogma.

-Bill, otherwise known as Kraichgauer


That was the idea when we started out. At least in the minds of our founding fathers. I guess nothing lasts forever.



N0tYetDeadFred
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12 Sep 2011, 11:45 am

I am technically, but I don't like what it implies.

In the 1970s "born again" described Jimmy Carter, or Bob Dylan. Now it means Stephen Baldwin, or Kirk Cameron, or Pat Robertson. I definitely do not belong in the second group. I think I remember Bono commenting on this, and saying that he used phrases like "rebirth" or "new birth" instead because of how it is now perceived.



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30 Oct 2012, 4:30 pm

Show him a movie of Christ and his teachings. He will get to see Him when He was walking among us.



MarketAndChurch
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30 Oct 2012, 11:04 pm

Former born-again Christian. I would not have survived high school had it not been for my belief in Christ, and the love of other born-again Christians who helped me through it.


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31 Oct 2012, 3:15 am

I'm a Born Again Christian and I also seem to straddle the line between aspie and NT. I see no point in not having faith and to me Christianity makes the most sense out of the world's religions because it does not put the focus on the believer but rather on God. All other religions require the seeker to become worthy of salvation (or moving to a higher level of consciousness.) In Christianity, you can never be worthy of salvation and nothing you can do will ever change that. Thus, the work of salvation had to be done for you by God. This goes against the grain of how humans see the world as we always want to accomplish something. By taking the sense of accomplishment away, it goes against human nature and thus is not as likely to come from man.

If I am wrong, I lose nothing. For if there is nothing higher than man then life itself is irrelevant and man no more important in the cosmic scheme of things than an ant that gets stepped on by someone walking on a sidewalk. If an asteroid were to wipe all life off the Earth, then that would be irrelevant too. So really, whether I have a false hope or no hope the ultimate outcome is the same. However, if I am right, then I have much to look forward to. I'd rather live with hope than with a sense of inevitable nonexistence. Were I to be an atheist, I would have put a gun to my head and pulled the trigger years ago. It wouldn't matter anyway.


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