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CelticWhisper
Butterfly
Joined: Jun 30, 2008
Posts: 10
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 Posted: Tue Nov 03, 2009 12:42 pm Post subject: People with AS predisposed to religious thought? |
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I've been thinking a lot about what makes people religious on the level of influences in their daily lives and it occurred to me that people with AS may be inclined toward religion. I know that in my case, I never feel like I'm ever really, truly alone. It's quite distressing, really - I always feel like I'm performing, like I have an audience or am being watched. I'm not sure if that's my AS or something totally unrelated, but if so, I realized that some people may interpret that "invisible watcher" as the presence of a god of some kind.
I also think that it may be part of what contributed to my progression to atheism. There were times when I felt so much like I was performing for something or someone that it was all I could do to hold my sanity about me. Rationalism and focused, pointed critical thought have helped a bit. The feeling is still there but I feel more able to block it or short-circuit it in my brain somehow. The fact that it's still there, though, lurking beneath the measures I take to suppress it may well spur others to view it as, again, a divine presence.
How about it? Am I way off base here or is there something to this little theory of mine? |
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ruveyn
Phoenix
Joined: Sep 22, 2008
Age: 73
Posts: 4795
Location: New Jersey
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| Posted: Tue Nov 03, 2009 3:11 pm Post subject: Re: People with AS predisposed to religious thought? |
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| CelticWhisper wrote: | I've been thinking a lot about what makes people religious on the level of influences in their daily lives and it occurred to me that people with AS may be inclined toward religion. I know that in my case, I never feel like I'm ever really, truly alone. It's quite distressing, really - I always feel like I'm performing, like I have an audience or am being watched. I'm not sure if that's my AS or something totally unrelated, but if so, I realized that some people may interpret that "invisible watcher" as the presence of a god of some kind.
I also think that it may be part of what contributed to my progression to atheism. There were times when I felt so much like I was performing for something or someone that it was all I could do to hold my sanity about me. Rationalism and focused, pointed critical thought have helped a bit. The feeling is still there but I feel more able to block it or short-circuit it in my brain somehow. The fact that it's still there, though, lurking beneath the measures I take to suppress it may well spur others to view it as, again, a divine presence.
How about it? Am I way off base here or is there something to this little theory of mine? |
You are the Watcher.
ruveyn |
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DentArthurDent
Well I did warn you!
Joined: Jul 27, 2008
Age: 44
Posts: 1873
Location: Australia
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| Posted: Tue Nov 03, 2009 4:08 pm Post subject: |
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I dunno, from the previous polls on PPR we are pretty much split down the middle when it comes to belief / non belief, mind you at present the religious camp does seem to be stacking the PPR branch of WP and some of the more vocal atheists have either tapered off or been banned.
Its possible aspergers folk who would like to be gregarious but fail miserably at it (myself included) might be drawn into religion because these groups tend to be very accepting, this happened to me for a few short months and it was really nice having this large group whom were very inviting. Unfortunately I could not reconcile my logic with their belief in god and jesus, shame because for a short while I had some fun and felt relaxed.
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psychointegrator
Tufted Titmouse
Joined: Oct 09, 2009
Age: 34
Posts: 27
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| Posted: Tue Nov 03, 2009 4:33 pm Post subject: Re: People with AS predisposed to religious thought? |
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| CelticWhisper wrote: | | I've been thinking a lot about what makes people religious on the level of influences in their daily lives and it occurred to me that people with AS may be inclined toward religion. |
The three people I know locally that have AS are atheist.
Son of a! I forgot to edit this earlier.
All 3 are atheist and they lack religion (i.e. not delusional).
Last edited by psychointegrator on Wed Nov 04, 2009 4:34 am; edited 1 time in total |
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X_Parasite
Phoenix
Joined: Nov 29, 2006
Age: 19
Posts: 712
Location: Right here.
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| Posted: Tue Nov 03, 2009 4:40 pm Post subject: |
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I lack the ability to accept something as fact without totally conclusive evidence.
I don't even take the world around me as fact; my senses could be deceiving me, my subconscious could be altering it, I could be in the Matrix, etc.. Rather, I take things as likely. The world around me is likely how I'm seeing it right now, while the existence of any sort of god seems very unlikely. |
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Letum
Deinonychus
Joined: Jan 21, 2007
Age: 22
Posts: 320
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| Posted: Tue Nov 03, 2009 5:32 pm Post subject: |
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| X_Parasite wrote: | | The world around me is likely how I'm seeing it right now |
Given your justified doubt, what gives you assess to the knowledge of what is likely the case and what isn't?
There is nothing at all to suggest that naive ideas about what is real are more or less likely than exotic ones.
You can't escape doubt that easily. |
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EC
Sea Gull
Joined: Jul 24, 2009
Posts: 203
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| Posted: Tue Nov 03, 2009 5:40 pm Post subject: |
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Either way, I find it hilarious that someone with a handicap would believe in God! Battered wife syndrome anyone?  |
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X_Parasite
Phoenix
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Age: 19
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Location: Right here.
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| Posted: Tue Nov 03, 2009 6:05 pm Post subject: |
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| Letum wrote: | Given your justified doubt, what gives you assess to the knowledge of what is likely the case and what isn't?
There is nothing at all to suggest that naive ideas about what is real are more or less likely than exotic ones.
You can't escape doubt that easily. |
Occam's Razor.
I assume that my eyes aren't lying, that my subconscious isn't modifying the data, and that I'm not in the Matrix because I have no reason to think that any of those things are true. It's very likely that the world that I see is just as I see it.
If it's not, then let this incredibly consistent illusion continue. |
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MussoliniBismarck
Yellow-bellied Woodpecker
Joined: Oct 12, 2009
Age: 18
Posts: 57
Location: Jefferson State
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| Posted: Tue Nov 03, 2009 8:10 pm Post subject: |
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| EC wrote: | | Either way, I find it hilarious that someone with a handicap would believe in God! Battered wife syndrome anyone? |
Asperger's is a handicap? How so? |
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Letum
Deinonychus
Joined: Jan 21, 2007
Age: 22
Posts: 320
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| Posted: Tue Nov 03, 2009 8:13 pm Post subject: |
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Occam's Razor may be a useful tool to decide what idea is more practical to believe, but it doesn't bestow truth or even likelihood.
Just because it is simple and intuitive, doesn't mean it is more likely than the complex and counter-intuitive; why should it?
Besides, wouldn't Occam's Razor suggest that you just have experiences and that's the end of the story; no real world?
That explanation of the world has a far, far smaller multitude of entities than a world filled with real atoms, stars and the rest of the universe.
O's Razor is no proof of likelihood.
| Quote: | | It's very likely that the world that I see is just as I see it. |
Again, where do you get the idea that a naive, intuitive view of the world is more likely?
Why assume that I assume that your eyes aren't lying?
Why start with assumptions at all! It's not a good way to learn. If I went in to a classroom full of assumptions that I had absolutely no evidence for, I would soon have them changed.
You have no evidence that your eyes have ever told you the truth.
You can't even give them the benefit of the doubt (a risky business in it's self) because you know that your eyes have lied to you in the past. |
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Tim_Tex
Bunnies!!!
Joined: Jul 03, 2004
Age: 29
Posts: 30852
Location: To Be Determined
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| Posted: Tue Nov 03, 2009 8:25 pm Post subject: |
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I don't know if there is a link between AS and religion (or lack thereof), but I have heard that those who are atheist are so because everything can be explained logically.
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If he caught him, there wouldn't be any more Road Runner. You wouldn't like that, would you? |
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MussoliniBismarck
Yellow-bellied Woodpecker
Joined: Oct 12, 2009
Age: 18
Posts: 57
Location: Jefferson State
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| Posted: Tue Nov 03, 2009 8:45 pm Post subject: |
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| Tim, that's why I am personally an atheist, but I don't claim that everything can explained. Just that any supposed god and holy text are bunk. |
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protest_the_hero
He alone, who owns the youth, gains the future.
Joined: Nov 15, 2008
Age: 170
Posts: 1039
Location: Ottawa, Ont.
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| Posted: Tue Nov 03, 2009 8:59 pm Post subject: |
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I'm a firm believer in reason over faith.
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Awesomelyglorious
Destroyer of worlds, reaver of souls
Joined: Dec 18, 2005
Posts: 8449
Location: Omnipresent
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| Posted: Tue Nov 03, 2009 9:53 pm Post subject: |
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| MussoliniBismarck wrote: | | Asperger's is a handicap? How so? |
Um.... it reduces our social ability to a significant degree? Is social ability an actual ability? Sure, that's why RPGs sometimes have a charisma stat!
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Awesomelyglorious
Destroyer of worlds, reaver of souls
Joined: Dec 18, 2005
Posts: 8449
Location: Omnipresent
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| Posted: Tue Nov 03, 2009 9:54 pm Post subject: |
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| protest_the_hero wrote: | | I'm a firm believer in reason over faith. |
So, you have faith in reason, but no faith in faith? 
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Destroying reality since the end of time. |
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