Wrong Planet and religion.

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Something that's been on my mind lately is that I've seen various threads discussing whether atheism is more common among autistic people, yet I have to say that out of all the forums I've ever been on, I have come across far more religious people here.

You would think that if such claims were true, then Wrong Planet would show a higher percentage of agnostics and atheists.

Granted, I realise that Wrong Planet does not accurately represent the entirety of the autistic community, and of course not everyone here is autistic. Still, it's something I think about.

Perhaps it's more the case that there aren't more religious people, but they are just more vocal about it? Or maybe it's the fact that people do have a habit of changing the topic of conversation in threads here?

For instance, I once made a thread on sensory issues, and someone replied saying that I needed Jesus.

This was odd because I failed to see what Jesus had to do with anything I said in my original post.

Maybe it's to do with the age difference? There does seem to be a lot of variety here with people from all over the World making accounts, and there are a lot of older members here I've noticed.

Whilst I run the risk of being considered ageist, I think it is important to note that religion is often associated with older generations typically. Not that I'm saying that young people can't be religious, because of course they can.

However, anecdotally speaking I have noticed that a fair few people my age are usually either atheists, agnostic, or spiritual in some manner but don't follow an organised religion. This is often the case with the other forums I visit, with Buddhism and a less traditional take on Christianity following in a close second and third.

Of course, this would be highly dependent on what country you live in because you are going to have a different experience living in the UK when compared to say, Saudi Arabia.

Even in the UK you have places and families that are more religious than others.

Also, I have noticed that there are a considerable amount of Trump supporters here. Most of the forums I have visited are fairly Anti-Trump and usually only have one or two major diehard Trump fans, but here there are entire threads dedicated to praising Trump.

I'm not saying that it's a bad thing that there seems to be a significant amount of religious people here, even though I'm an atheist I don't mind people having different beliefs so long as they don't use those beliefs to justify hatred.

Whilst I'm not a great fan of the amount of Trump threads, since I do not agree with him at all politically, I understand that not everyone is going to share my opinions.

I do have to wonder if this has anything to do with the socioeconomic status of those on Wrong Planet, and it would be interesting to see if there's any correlation since Trump often talks about the working classes and employment as far as I understand.

Or maybe I'm just talking nonsense. Yes, I realise that a slight or significant correlation does not necessarily mean that everyone in that group will follow such patterns, so I am being careful not to stereotype, but it does seem likely that there is probably something of a connection there. Hmm.

Another thought, this is one of the few forums I have been on that has a "Politics, Philosophy, and Religion" section. Perhaps this is a factor?

Or maybe a lot of people here happen to have religion as their special interest? Then again, you don't have to be religious to have that as a special interest, they could be really into Greek myth and religion but not necessarily believe it.

Eh, I'm probably giving this topic too much thought. Much like I do with almost everything.

I'm not sure about the ratio of theists vs. atheists among people with ASD or the same ratio particular specifically to this forum.

I am new to this forum but I have to say I absolutely love the fact that topics such as politics, religion etc are allowed to be discussed and debated civilly.

I'm a member of a different forum that has nothing to do with Autism and up until the 2016 election, discussions were pretty broad on a variety of topics. After the election the hammer of martial law came down and it feels more like sitting in a circle playing duck duck grey duck (or duck duck goose where I'm from) in preschool rather than adults conversing as adults. It's very much a shame. I was a member of that particular forum for close to a decade and with thousands and thousands of posts. I was never banned by the mods once or even warned since I pride myself at not getting into any personal attack flame wars with people I may disagree with. I agree to disagree and move on.

So....I'm again so happy to see people talking with each other even if they don't agree with each other to exchange differing viewpoints.

You live in England.

WP is American based, and is at least half populated by Americans.

So you are going to get Bible Belt (Midwest and Southern) US folks that you don't get in England. And you're gonna get samples of the large minority of Americans who support Trump on an American dominated site that you wouldn't get on a UK dominated site, or on a west European dominated site.

As a UK member, I have to admit that I've always associated the amount of religious discussion here with the prevalence of US members. I suppose that shows a kind of cultural prejudice really; my impression has always been that religion is a more prominent aspect of public life in the US than it is here in the UK. I don't mean that there is necessarily a big difference in the proportion of believers or their degree of faith; more that, in the UK, one's political and religious views are generally considered a quite private, personal thing, and any kind of evangelism is very likely to be seen as impolite and intrusive. I've actually found it rather annoying that, if I find someone to have an in depth discussion about religion or politics with at a social gathering, it's not uncommon to be shushed, as if it's considered impossible to do that without spoiling the decorum.

I find the open discussion of religion here rather refreshing as, although I've always been agnostic myself, I still find it a fascinating topic and I enjoy learning about other people's beliefs. Likewise the discussions about US politics; I think it's good to temper what I read in the media with the opinions of the citizens who live there, whichever side of the debate they might be on. I have always liked WP for the variety of topics (and humour!) that are discussed here compared to many other autism sites. I don't feel that there is any reason for the condition itself to dominate every single discussion as it often does on other autism forums, as being autistic might incline us to take an interest in different topics and to discuss them in different ways than I experience IRL.

I'm a US resident, and an agnostic atheist.

I would say there are slightly more atheists on WP than nonatheists.

The percentage of atheists seems higher amongst European residents than amongst North Americans (although the majority of the latter are still atheists.

I would say there are more Trump detractors than Trump supporters---though the supporters are a very strong minority.

I sense there are slightly more people of a liberal bent than those of a conservative bent----though, again, conservatives are a strong minority.

There are, actually quite a few European conservatives here.

I've been a Lutheran for 16 years, but I also incorporate elements of other faiths into my belief system, such as Buddhism, Reconstructionist Judaism, and Bahai. So there's a syncretic mix to my faith.


Politically, I am center to center-right.

Interestingly, to me at least, Boston University's School of Medicine did an actual Peer Reviewed Study
On this Wrong Planet Website's "Philosophy, Politics, and Religion Forum" Back in the Height of the
Wrong Planet Days of Militant Atheism where there was even a 'Strident Atheist' Club in Sub-Group
Label among the Religion Special Interest Folks on the Wrong Planet then. Fascinating that was for
me at least, as i for one do not exclude any opinion of Life no matter how much I disagree as one will
learn the most in Potential from what they totally disagree with too. This is a Big Secret now of all
My Success as empirically measured tool, yes, too.

Actually what the study noted then is there were only actually 26 Percent of Folks who identified
as actually Labeling themselves Atheist then. A Similar, so-called 'Neurotypical' Forum on another
Website Scored 17 Percent as one will usually find Higher rates of both Libertarian thinking and
so-called Atheism online in a Greater Metaphor of 'Left Brain Thinking Folks' who don't live fully as
Much now in the 'Aesthete Sistine Chapel Way' of Connecting all that is Life as Holy and Sacred Full of
Meaning and Purpose where in this way as is the case online in Places like the Wrong Planet some folks
will come up with their own common binds and bonds of life otherwise at core definition of what Religion
even is as what gets us through Life in a River of Meaning and Purpose in Holy and Sacred ways out of the
More Misery Loves Suffering ways of what otherwise may look like a Random Soup of Life is not a Beach but
'the other place' more often sadly too.

I'm not much one for lies. I do my own Research and I use what works for me. I Easily Find God now in/as Everything
All as Duh, I both Literally and Metaphorically Label all that is God Now all That is Seen Felt Sensed and Known now too
and Beyond that too. True, I can and will call 'it' a 'Blue Turtle' If i wanna name all that is that 'it' too. But considering
Most folks don't understand what the Hell 'that' 'is' or what the Heaven Seeking and Finding/Co-Creating all of
Existence Holy Sacred Full of Meaning and Purpose All in Life from Dark through Light, is, I Just say God and
in my case at least, I Write my own Personal Bible at 6 Million Words of Long Form Poetry and do a Public
Dance that is my Way of Religion and Singing A Long Form Poem of Poetry that Truly in both Essence and
Form Both Literally and Metaphorically Make my Life a Kingdom of Heaven on Earth Within through all
Around.

And Hell no, this ain't no Gift alone; this takes continuous Work 'allone' as a Great Work of Loving all that
is existence. Grace to me is an Organic Physical Balance of Emotional Spiritual Regulation and Integration of
Spiritual All Natural Senses too. And yes, 9600 Miles of Public Dance, in the Same 5 Years of Singing in
Writing A 6 Million Word Long Form Poem Bible Has and Does Verily Bring A
Peace and Harmony of Loving Life to me as a Foundation of Grace
and Love and the Will and Strength that Naturally Evolves up
from Love and Grace.

Other than that SMiLES and Have a Nice Day;
This ALL works for me, at least, oh so
Good as Life's A Beach to me Now..

Additionally, My Doctors Suggest I have lifted myself out
of the Autism Spectrum in some Social Ways by doing this; like Public Dance; but duh;
Yeah, Still Got the Perseverance Going on all the way up, with the Special Interest Thingies for Sure too, hehe..

http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/do ... 1&type=pdf

Someone else's example:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VH-8pJrDIsU

^^^

Ha! what you all mad about Bro.
Step out of the box and live if you will.
Or read the Research; one or the other.

Hi, I was looking to discuss this as I recently became a Christian and have been diagnosed with Aspergers. I hadn't used this forum/website for a while but rather than post elsewhere I thought I'd check here. If it matters I suppose I'm a Wrong Planet user? I am from England and was diagnosed last year. I became a Christian on the 11th of July.