Is there a link beween atheism/agnosticism and Asperger's?

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I was wondering if that has to do with autism, or, is it just a myth?
well, I was thinking of the high probability, but after visiting this forum, and reading all these threads, I have put this to doubt, and think that it has nothing to do with it.

I have found that the stereotype of aspies being logically cold are not always the case, in fact, not all aspies seem to fit the logical thinking type.

Not that sure if this is the right place to post this though.

Thoughts?

I actually believe it depends on what religion or practice falls upon the person with autism.

You can open yourself up to what the world has given you or you can shut yourself from it. We in the west only know of Christianity, and people don't seem to take it serious. I would imagine the same is true for some people of the east. Christianity is our only exposure, and much has been done at attempting to discredit it. Typically the divide between science and religion is a strong one in the minds of many.


My belief. Correct me if I'm wrong.

I might be wrong, but I see aspies as desiring a definite framework that gives structure to relating to the world. For some that is logic. For some it is religion. For some it is science. Once that framework is set it can be very hard to change. Just depends on the person, their temperament, their background, what they have been exposed to in life, etc.

Z

There are two aspects to this. One has been described above, that religion is an organized explanation of the world, and aspies desire that. The other is that religion is generally spread through social means, and if you are more independent-minded, you are more likely to make up your own mind about things. I fit in the latter group.

Honestly, my best bet is it's no more likely either way. While all that people say about it might be true, there's also that little thing about people with AS tending to cling to familiarity.

Frontal lobes, perseveration, and all that.

Logic doesn’t have much to do with it as logical thinking is largely compartmentalized. I don’t agree with atheists who think religious people should have to put their god under a microscope.

That being said I tend to put more truth value on things that are orderly / parsimonious and this may be an autistic trait. Most religions just seem way too whimsical / superfluous to me for me to be able to put any trust in them.

I suppose some people could say it's the order vs chaos standpoint. Certain religions imply rules and order, and people with AS or autism do in some cases prefer routine or ritual. Having said that though, it doesn't necessarily work in all cases, because to me the thinking of a person with AS isn't the same as a so called normal person, whether the brain function is at a higher level in the AS person, or the perception is different. Also, there could be an obsessive side to it as well, and whatever beliefs people have may become an obsession (as I believe Raggy has).

Anyway, if I'm rambling.....

I find it very difficult to understand how many people, AS or otherwise, think. Scientific thinking proceeds from evidence that is reliable and reproduceable. Religious thinking seems to depend almost exclusively on authority and hearsay. I never had any religious training so, even as a small child could never make sense of religion. I had some scientific training in a good high school and in some college engineering courses so my world seems to work nicely for me in those directions. I don't know if that has anything to do with AS.

I don't think there is really a link between AS and atheism, but there does seem to be a link between AS and more unorthodox belief systems.

I think that autisics and aspies think more outside the box and may look beyond whatever religion they were brought up with.

To OP:

The confusion is probably to do with the misuse of the word logical for analytical.

Aspies tend to be analytical and spot patterns quite well (see Temple Grandin and Baron-Cohen research for more about that.)

Analytical way of thinking can be naturally gained. Logic and logical thinking has to be learned and actively pursued in any thought task. And it is something all too many people default on (religious and atheists alike.)

I sometimes wonder if people want to find links to make their lives easier as in who to instantly dismiss.

There is no link.

Not all auties have the same look either. Another very stupid assumption I've heard is that in order to have autism you must be an ugly duckling.

Good point, yes, probably there lies the confusion, which commonly aspies are said to have a logical mind, but rather an analytical mind.

Well, the thing that made me wonder about it actually was the claim that most aspies are left-brained while things related to religion are considered to be right-brained, so I thought of the conexion, depending if a person is more left-brained than right-brained.

I also wondered if an autistic (classical autism) person, depending on the spectrum, from high to low functioning, would be able to make sense of what is teached in religion.

While asperger's syndrome may influence how we practice our chosen faith, however I think our choice of religion or no religion is fairly independent of autism.

there is as much of a link as there is to aspie males having large penises.