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morning_after
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26 Feb 2008, 12:53 pm

Mikomi wrote:
I'm a Buddhist, so I think being born with AS could be a form of Karma. Ultimately, there's a science to the autism spectrum though.

Not to offend, but it seems many Christians believe that God has given them some challenge for a greater purpose. I suppose as long as this gets them through it, it's not a negative thing. I only have issues when religion inhibits common sense and the advancing of medical science.


I just wanted to say that I am a Christian.

The bible speaks of God making people all sorts of ways, basically. Some are given the gift of healing, others the gift of teaching, etc.

I have to question, is AS REALLY a dysfunction of the brain? If so, why is it that AS people have strengths that NTs don't?

I tend to believe that God allowed me to be AS mainly because we are made to give glory to him. I do not believe we could do this if we were all given the same personality and all experienced the same challenges. If we did, humanity would be very bland and incredibly boring.

I also really don't believe that AS people are inferior to NT people at all. We're just different.

But when an NT Christian tries to control my mind, I do tell them to shove it. God can let me know himself. He doesn't need other people to speak for him.



Betzalel
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26 Feb 2008, 1:22 pm

Count me in the religious category. I am a Christian, I beleive Jesus is the Messiah. but I identify more with Judaism than I do with most main stream Churches. I believe Hebraic Thought is essential to understanding the bible and that the bible can tell you quite a bit about how the world works and about the Human condition in general. It's not the anti-intelectual book most people claim it to be. It is very deep and very inspired. But in order to really understand it you have to go back to the roots it came from and listen to the sages and understand Hebraic thought and what was really going on. then when you have understood the "Old testament" you can go into the "new testament" and really see whats going on in a much fuller way. It doesnt detract from the gospel message at all but makes it much more alive and gives you understanding.

I think the biggest failing of the modern church (and really every church since the romans hijacked the church)
is having people turn their brains off, discarding anything jewish at all in thought about the bible, looking at it all from a gentile perspective and reading the bible backwards and using verses as if they stand alone. They stopped reading it as if it was a normal book and made up their own rules for reading the bible and ended up with a big bloody mess that can be at times way too shallow.



morning_after
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26 Feb 2008, 1:28 pm

Betzalel wrote:
Count me in the religious category. I am a Christian, I beleive Jesus is the Messiah. but I identify more with Judaism than I do with most main stream Churches. I believe Hebraic Thought is essential to understanding the bible and that the bible can tell you quite a bit about how the world works and about the Human condition in general. It's not the anti-intelectual book most people claim it to be. It is very deep and very inspired. But in order to really understand it you have to go back to the roots it came from and listen to the sages and understand Hebraic thought and what was really going on. then when you have understood the "Old testament" you can go into the "new testament" and really see whats going on in a much fuller way. It doesnt detract from the gospel message at all but makes it much more alive and gives you understanding.

I think the biggest failing of the modern church (and really every church since the romans hijacked the church)
is having people turn their brains off, discarding anything jewish at all in thought about the bible, looking at it all from a gentile perspective and reading the bible backwards and using verses as if they stand alone. They stopped reading it as if it was a normal book and made up their own rules for reading the bible and ended up with a big bloody mess that can be at times way too shallow.


I have to agree. And I don't think that taking it legalistically or out of context of ANY kind does anyone any good.



m91
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26 Feb 2008, 4:07 pm

I'm Agnostic.


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EvilKimEvil
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26 Feb 2008, 4:14 pm

Bekkles wrote:
Why do so many AS revolt against the idea that their condition is based in the brain, and is caused by brain dysfunction? Why do they think that it could not possibly be caused by chemical imabalances? That it can't be corrected?

The research is fairly new I suppose, so maybe people just haven't caught on. But I wonder how any AS could say that they just are that way, without any real, science-based reason.


Brain dysfunction is an abstract, man-made, subjective concept, while brain physiology is concrete and easily observed. There is no black and white definition of brain dysfunction.

We can use scientific methodology to discover patterns, such as differences in brain physiology. Empirical evidence may show us that these differences are correlated with certain patterns of behavior. Whether or not we call these differences dysfunction is subjective.

One can be an atheist scientist and believe that the brain differences found in autistics are simply differences, as opposed to dysfunction. There is are a great variety of opinions between the atheist who sees autism as a disease and the religious person who rejects science and embraces autism. In other words, I see no correlation between religiosity and perception of autism.

For example, I do not reject the idea that AS is neurological, or "based in the brain". However, I think it is a neurological difference, with advantages and disadvantages, and therefore should not be classified as a dysfunction. It could be caused by a chemical balance different from that which is found in the general population. Whether or not that unique chemical balance should be called an imbalance is a separate question, a matter of opinion. I believe it is possible that a way to "correct" AS may exist, as it is possible that this "cure" will never exist. And I am essentially an atheist.



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26 Feb 2008, 10:44 pm

I'm an agnostic atheist. No, those are not mutually exclusive. My AS is due almost entirely to the genetic lottery. I'm fine with that.


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886
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27 Feb 2008, 12:00 am

I'm highly atheist.

I wish there was a religion where you don't know, and don't care, and don't want to know, or care.

Agnostic is too "well...maybe..." for me.


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xyzyxx
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27 Feb 2008, 11:42 am

Betzalel wrote:
Count me in the religious category. I am a Christian, I beleive Jesus is the Messiah. but I identify more with Judaism than I do with most main stream Churches.
Does that mean you might identify yourself as a Messianic jew?



Betzalel
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27 Feb 2008, 12:07 pm

Yes actually. but I'm not Jewish but I do study Torah. http://www.bac2torah.com is a good place that describes most of what I believe. the Messiah 101 link is the interesting bit on that site.

But I also listen to a lot of orthodox sources as well. I find Jewish bible commentary fascinating much more so than
stuff that comes out of the main stream church.

I don't think i really fit into any category but I guess Messianic Judaism would be the closest fitting box you could put me in.



morning_after
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27 Feb 2008, 6:09 pm

Betzalel wrote:
Yes actually. but I'm not Jewish but I do study Torah. http://www.bac2torah.com is a good place that describes most of what I believe. the Messiah 101 link is the interesting bit on that site.

But I also listen to a lot of orthodox sources as well. I find Jewish bible commentary fascinating much more so than
stuff that comes out of the main stream church.

I don't think i really fit into any category but I guess Messianic Judaism would be the closest fitting box you could put me in.


I guess I'm somewhat in the same vien. I have found that the mainstream churches prefer not to give any historical context, but have found that the bible is the most meaningful when I learn a little bit about the original context of the stories.



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27 Feb 2008, 10:48 pm

886 wrote:
I'm highly atheist.

I wish there was a religion where you don't know, and don't care, and don't want to know, or care.

Agnostic is too "well...maybe..." for me.


'Atheist' is a statement of belief. 'Agnostic' is a statement of epistemology. Agnosticism doesn't say "well..maybe..." as such. An agnostic merely states that the existence of god isn't an issue that can be settled by evidence, and so isn't a question that is worth worrying about. The word is often used as to represent a middle position between atheism and theism, but that is simply incorrect. For example, I am an agnostic atheist. I do not actively believe in any god, and am thus an atheist. I also do not claim that there is any way in which the existence of an omnipotent god can be proven or disproven, and am thus agnostic.

By the same token, there are agnostic theists. Agnosis is quite a separate matter from (a)theism.


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englishwolf
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28 Feb 2008, 1:23 pm

Not religious but don't consider myself atheist either.
I don't want to sound nasty or against anything, or even upset anyone but I see myself as anti-religious. I believe everyone has a right to exist and to believe whatever they want, and my philosophy is live and let live. I may disagree with people over beliefs but I still respect those people and their beliefs.
Anyway, in my opinion AS is part of a genetic lottery which I won/lost (I prefer won, i think!) due to having more genetic tickets for the prize draw (If anyone can decipher that!).


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28 Feb 2008, 1:25 pm

Atheist beyond Atheist. Not to offend, but even if God were to materialize before me in all his glory...I'd spit in his face.


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djoek
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28 Feb 2008, 4:42 pm

I'm very much an atheist.

I can't understand why people believe in something they don't even know exists. I mean come on, how do you know god exists, and even if he exists why would you devote your life to him/her. Even so, the bible was written over 2000 years ago, how on earth can you believe anything it says.

My mind just rejects it. The only religion I have is Logic!



slowmutant
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28 Feb 2008, 8:31 pm

This extreme fear/hatred/distrust of psychiatrists is kind of like an alcoholic insisting that he avoid rehab. Or the junkie insisting that he doesn't have a problem while teetering on the brink of OD.

Psychiatry isn't an exact science, no, but then again science is not an exact science. What do the scientologists here on WP suggest in lieu of medical attention? I want to know.



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28 Feb 2008, 8:36 pm

Nope.

I believe in God but see no point in doing the religious stuff because it will inferred with my academics that come first.


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