Hello, like-minded people.

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For all intensive purposes, my name is Kristian. It's just a pseudonym, but I like it because it's androgynous and non-threatening. I'm a 20-year-old male. I was diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome when I was very young.

I don't usually use the term "aspie" to describe myself. I don't think it flows off the tongue very well. But if that's the word you use to describe me, I will not be offended.

I live in Utah. I was raised Mormon, but since I moved out, I've switched to secular pantheism. I am really interested in existential philosophy, and I'm always open to striking up an interesting discourse about the existence (or nonexistence) of God, the afterlife, or the extrasensory. As long as we can remain civil about it.

I am a member of a subculture that calls itself the "Furry Fandom". It gets a bad rep for some of it's promiscuity, but at it's heart is a group of fun and eccentric people. What this means for me is I have sort of an alter-ego, or a character that I use to represent myself. This character is a border collie. You can check out my avatar for a better idea. I live in a house with 3 other "furries", so it never gets old.

If I was to describe one of my hobbies as an "obsession", it would probably be music. I tend to listen to songs 3 or 4 times in a row. Once just to hear it, a few times more to dissect it in my head (paying close attention to the bass, or the treble, or the vocals... whatevs), and again so I can see how those pieces fit together in an arrangement. My favorite bands are Radiohead, The Smiths, Joy Division, Neutral Milk Hotel, Arcade Fire, and The Beatles. I play the ukulele, the guitar (poorly), and the piano. On a good day, I can play most of the music I listen to by ear.

I work at a movie theater. I'm also a big fan of film. Wes Anderson is my favorite director, and The Royal Tenenbaums is my favorite movie.

I studied English for a year, then I switched to web development for my second year of college. I'm on my third year, and I'm learning Javascript. It's a hoot. I studied English because it's the topic I'm most interested in studying, but I switched because it isn't what I want to do as a career. Maybe someday, years from now, I will return to school for an English degree.

Other things: Doctor Who, Coffee, Breaking Bad, Les Miserables, Kurt Vonnegut, Almost Famous, Arrested Development, Final Fantasy VI, Bob Dylan, Community, ginger ale, and so on and so forth.

I can be a windbag. This is obvious to you, because you made it this far.

I am here because I have a lot of experience with the struggles that come with Asperger's, and I think I might have some friendly advice for people seeking help. The "syndrome" is a gift and a burden, but mostly it's a gift. It's great that there is a community for like-minded people like us.

Also, I'm here because I really like to talk. Sup?

What's "secular pantheism"?

I know pantheism means the belief in multiple gods. How do you secularize it and why do you believe in multiple gods?

<--- Practitioner of Robinism, that is, he believes in the preservation and protection of all things Robin.
<--- Robinist and proud of it.

Pantheism does not mean the belief in "multiple Gods". That's polytheism. Pantheism is the belief in an all-encompassing, non-anthropomorphic God. In other words, the universe and everything inside of it is "God". I do not believe that God is a person, but a concept, or a property. I believe in God in the same way I believe in gravity, if that makes any sense.

For example, you know how the earth is just the appropriate distance from the sun that it neither freezes nor burns, and is therefore able to sustain life? That's an example of "God". As far as a "creator" goes, I am the creator. Or, rather, I am my creator, and you are your creator. Everything we see we are actively giving essence to in our minds. In other words, every fraction of a second we "recreate" the universe around us in our own minds.

It's secular because I don't attend church or worship a deity.

Richard Dawkins once called Pantheism "Sexy Atheism". That's probably not true for every pantheist, but it's true for me. In more conventional terms, I'm an agnostic atheist with a few new-age influences.

The Wikipedia article probably does a better job explaining it than I do. It's pretty interesting, and probably worth a read.

The only true currency in this bankrupt world is what we share with someone else when we're uncool.

Welcome to WP!

No big. A lot of pantheists are inspired by Hinduism. George Harrison does strike me as a pantheist.

I'm a pantheist too!! Some of my favorite people who held pantheistic ideals are Alan Watts, Carl Sagan, Albert Einstein, Neil deGrasse Tyson, etc etc etc! What a coincidence! And nice to meet you!!

Hey, awesome! Alan Watts is a favorite of mine as well. He gives me frisson.

I hold to some pantheistic ideas as well. My highly intelligent brother (who is a science whiz until recently an atheist) has told me that when you get to the extreme top of physics and chemistry, it doesn't make sense with a "God" but not the God of any religion. Matches up well with the unusual experiences I have had in my life. I found my biggest influence to be the Tao Te Ching (or Dao De Ching). Even with the difficulties in translation from classical Chinese, it flows like a river to me and makes perfect sense in every way.

Hi & Welcome,
Nice intro post. Am sure you will find good conversation here among fellow Aspies. I learned something too, not knowing what Pantheism was.