hello anyone here that has aspergers and is a christian?

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Hi United,

Yes, I'm a self-diagnosed Aspie and a Christian in a non conventional sense (what else would I say as an Aspie?)

I suppose I would fit into this category sort of...

anti-religious aspie believer here. and hello

Maybe you are Quaker...

hehe... never taken a look at what they believe in, but after doing a minimal amount of research, it seems there are quite a few different types of quakers. Seems like something I would need to look into, although from what I have read so far, it is a rather interesting possibility. Then again, the whole idea of another label stuck on me, or following any particular predetermined set of beliefs is about as appealing as listening to nails raking over a chalkboard.

I'm a Christian, too. Yes, I would like the PDF to read your life story.

You can also visit my blog
http://lammiuamy.blogspot.hk/

I've a ministry and support group for Aspies in Hong Kong.

I am a Christian and I believe that I do have aspergers. and that really helps me out a lot!In fact it is the reason I have accepted it. I know that God does not make mistakes, and so someway, somehow there is a reason for our awkwardness

I agree. We are just more unique than NT. Our uniqueness will not disappear even if we go to heaven. Such that we can serve Him better and fulfil His plan in ways that NT cannot do e.g. more compassion and acceptance for people that are different, social outcast, can celebrate differences more easily. Can respect differences in people.

Hey there. I'm Catholic. Look at my profile.

Hi, I'm new to this forum, and am not actually diagnosed with Aspergers, but since training as a teacher and seeing special needs kids I'm increasing convinced I fit right in the category. I think most who know me would never suspect I have AS: they just think I'm a bit of a one off and I'm sure some of that is because I have found love and acceptance in the church since I was converted as a teenager and that that has helped me relate to other people, which is not something that comes naturally to me. I'm more of a machines and animals person. Also as a woman my symptoms are possibly not standard either. Now I can't work out whether to go for a diagnosis and whether to tell anyone. It sounds stupid but I'm scared it will affect how people relate to me and most of the time I do a good enough job of looking normal on the outside that people don't see me as different. I'm scared it will affect my standing at school and at church and not sure what my family will make of it either. Any thoughts anyone? Not that I've worked out how to read replies on here yet, but I'm enough of a geek to be fairly confident I'll sort it.

Thank you for your great post. You said you were "converted" to the Catholic Faith? Tell me about that. I converted in my early 20s, and you might say I've gone "all the way" with that since I've been a Catholic priest for six years now.

First off, I do suggest you get a formal diagnosis. I did mine through Easter Seals. They have "scholarships" which cover the entire cost of the assessment. First they send you a form to fill out, and then you get an appointment scheduled two months or so afterward. The assessment is one-on-one with a therapist or social worker and usually takes two hours.

Most people today would never suspect I have Apserger's (now called ASD-1), but despite all the coping mechanisms we develop, the neurology persists, and I still have great difficulty. I haven't told too may people, only my closest friends. But I also make certain to tell them the positives of ASD-1. For example, I can tell you the day of the week for any date in the Gregorian Calendar (not with great speed, and with limited accuracy, but I guess I'm not Rain Man). Also, like you (I infer) I'm very intelligent and notice things that no one else does.

As a general rule, don't tell people at work. Tell only close friends and family. Most will say, "No you don't have Asperger's," and so me will say, "What is that?" But it's important to have people with whom you can share your deepest self.

thanks, Bachlover. By the way I love Bach too - have been trying to verbalise my response to music as part of some marriage counselling we've been having and realised there is something about the order and rationality of his harmonies that speaks to be of God being in control of everything.
I'm not a catholic though - I suppose I'd label myself charismatic Anglican if I had to give myself a label. The charismatic stuff cuts right across my aspie preferences, but is also where I encounter God at the deepest level, and where a lot of healing has come from.
Guess I do have to accept the extremely intelligent label - I have a PhD in theoretical astrophysics from one of the world's top universities.

I've just been looking at Easter Seals - looks like a US thing - I'm in the UK so not sure it applies here.

But thanks for the advice - I've only just realised how precisely the AS label fits me and haven't told anyone yet. I will share with my spiritual director when I next see her, and maybe one friend. Bizarrely I'm now thinking that the friend in question may well be Aspie too (well she is a nuclear physicist...) and suspect my husband may well be on the spectrum too, so need to tread very very carefully. A lot of my friends are theoretical physicists and I can see traits in several. 2 of my 3 kids probably as well, one doing final year of physics degree, other applying to study engineering / physics. I never could understand the 3rd as easily - maybe she is NT!

Anyway better stop baring my soul to a load of strangers and try to work out how to teach year 8s about photosynthesis tomorrow....

When you said "converted to the church" I was thinking Catholic. I suppose that's because I have Catholic on the brain all the time.

Where did you get your Ph.D? I started out my college career majoring in Physics at Princeton, until I realized I probably couldn't make a living doing that so I switched majors. (I wish I hadn't. I still love physics.)

There must be an equivalent of Easter Seals in the U.K. Perhaps you could call Easter Seals and ask them what the U.K. equivalent is.

JSBACHlover l love your moniker! I am a big fan and a born again Christian. I love the cantatas. Good to meet you both.

Just realised a week ago am aspie.

Nice. You usually don't find people who appreciate the cantatas. Welcome aboard the Aspie train.

Hi Beemared - good to hear from you too.

Cantatas are amazing - I was once fortunate enough to be asked to be part of a group of school girls singing the ripieno part in the St. Matthew Passion in the Albert Hall in London with the Bach Choir and we were allowed to sing all the cantatas as well. It was a life changing experience for me as a fairly new Christian. My daughter has also been a bach lover since she was a teenager - really doesn't fit in with what the church tends to offer young people for worship....

I'm really interested in how you all find being in the Church as AS people. I find there are some things that just come so naturally to me that others thing I'm super spiritual when it's really just how I'm wired. Things like loyalty and honesty and (possibly obsessive) hard work are just part of who I am, and I forgive people because Christ has forgiven me and can't understand why others find that hard. I don't think that makes me 'better' in any way, and there are lots of other areas in which I struggle hugely, but I do feel an odd one out. Whenever I try to share my struggles with people they tend to tell me I'm amazing and don't take them seriously. Do you have this problem too?

Really better go to work, but just thought I'd check in here first - so interesting to talk to others....

Bachlover, my phd is from Cambridge

Hi Bachlover

Thanks for the welcome My favourite is BWV140. I have a book with the English translations of all of them, but know a bit of German myself so I enjoy pitting my own understanding against the translator and often disagreeing. I was amazed when I first understood what Bach was writing , and also which writings he was chosing to use. There is a theme throughout and it is basically holiness teaching. It just stunned me. So I love to follow the readings when listening to my full collection by conductor Helmuth Rilling but I think I actually prefer the smaller collection by John Elliot Gardiner and the Monteverdi Choir with the English soloists despite them not having true German accents which annoys me a little (AS). The music moves me to tears every time.

Hi mrshennypenny

Wow really ! All of them? I heard the Matthew's Passion a few months ago at Durham Cathedral, performed by young university students and it was truly magnificent.



Yes!

I can't believe that I have found Christian, Bach loving aspies!



As it is all new to me (but answers many things in the past) I will have to think about that, but I have not been attending church for a long time due to being extremely sick with increased neuro problems and difficulty with noise and movement and also with having to sit very still during a sermon when my joints seize up if I sit upright and can't shuffle.

I have been marginalised from every church I tried to connect to because my sickness is taken as an excuse not to attend. The last one I found has a small womens Bible study in the house of a woman who has ME which I manage to attend as there are only 3 or 4 there but still find it very very hard as it is in a small room and we are asked to contribute. I don't know whether to share what I have discovered recently.

Spiritually I have found that I have been made reliant on the Lord alone to keep me going although I catch sermons on the net and do a lot of study myself including a theology course atm. I am writing an essay on Job atm and would absolutely love it if I am offered the chance of doing an honoury PhD. You can read it if you like.

I have found that I have expected much more of myself as far as obedience is concerned that others don't seem to share, although I edged towards being too judgemental perhaps in the past but I include myself in that and judge mysef fiercely. It made me seek for a more authentic experience than the one I was having and which others seemed happy with and found holiness teaching. I guess that being so astute in my observations made me see the faults of others that generally are not noticed especially when it comes to gossip. However like you I am not self righteous and God showed me just how little I had to be proud of and I had to eat the dust! Good to meet you both indeed!

ps also love Allegri's Miserere.