Religion and Aspies

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My family and I are mostly agnostic with tentative Christian leanings. We're pretty sure there's a higher power and that there's a possibility that they may care about us, but we don't believe they would make a bunch of petty, hypocritical, rules and put them in a book.

(And if i offended someone with that last comment I do apologize, but that's how we feel.)

I am an agnostic atheist and really respect people like you and your family who admit they do not know for sure. How would you describe your beliefs? I mean do you agree with more liberal or more conservative Christianity?

Whether it is temporary or permanent I do not know: used to be excited about my faith and find energy in it. Years ago while I was at work in a store a lady's grandchild, I forget if boy or girl, asked how come I was so happy with everybody; I answered that Jesus helps me with that. Now, that seems like someone else said that. Last couple years faith, God, Jesus, feel empty, nothing there, nobody home.
The Bible and even other religious or spiritual books are now just ink spots on paper, nothing more.

And I look at myself being that way and think, that ain't right, something is wrong, very wrong. And yet I am at the same time content with the situation.
Odd.
And then I look at those contradictory attitudes and once again think, something is seriously warped here. Or maybe I've just bought in to what society has sold about how attitudes "SHOULD" be and the thing isn't that disastrous after all?

I don't know what I am for sure right now, just don't know.
At least don't know beyond that I'm frustrated, that is.

I used to be a pretty conservative Christian. I agree it can feel like another person.

Perhaps in a way it goes deeper than feeling like and turns out to actually be that you are now another person.

Perhaps not the same thing exactly but still connected to it, pushing two decades ago now my physical health collapsed bigtime. I won't go in to the details any deeper than multiple neurological, endocrine, and musculoskeletal things are happening. I know that has affected that intangible part of what makes me who I am. Don't know that I can technically define in detail how, but I'm pretty sure a long time observer would see changes.

It seems expected to me that when such a thing, a crisis, a loss, happens, as well as your body and psyche being affected your soul and spirit would take what could be called collateral damage.

To what degree they might be damaged, to what degree they might be salvageable, who can say for certain.

Funny thing is that in the fall I started going to church again here in our little county seat farm burg of population 8,300 and a few, after a number of years not going anywhere. Not entirely sure why. I just felt drawn to give it a try and give one specific place a try.

Something seeming odd to me is that even with my current feelings I started going to what people often call Sunday School and this little place of 42 members simply calls Adult Education, and speaking up - even with my own beliefs the mess they are, people have commented on my insights and observations.
I add that to the list of current oddities in my life.

And it goes right back to what you said, feels like someone else giving that input, not me.

Who am I? What am I right now?
Don't know.
Or do I know and not see it?
Don't know that either.

That means religion could've never taken root. If everyone is born atheist how would religion start? If religion is spread through people lying how can the first religious person be lied to since there is no religion what can be lied about to him. Unless ofcourse one would use religion for personal power. But that wouldn't work, since if everyone was an born an atheist why would they believe someone telling them about God? How can you establish authority over one with religion if they don't believe in that religion because they are born an atheist?

Last edited by Yo El on 01 Apr 2017, 4:09 am, edited 1 time in total.

and there comes another paradox - if we are not born liars, how did the first liar come to do it? And if we are not born gullible, how was that first lie believed?

I edited my post hang on. Also I think you misinterpeted what I wrote I wasn't talking about liars but about how the first person where religion was started couldn't be lied to about religion because everyone around him was born an atheist. Making jmn's statement flawed because by his model religion could've never even started. Unless ofcourse one were to use religion for personal gain, but I don't see how Christianity and Judaism fit in that model since Hebrew religion was the first religion that acknoweldged people's equality saying it was everyone's task to rule over this earth. Which was a revolutionary idea in it's time.

Last edited by Yo El on 01 Apr 2017, 4:19 am, edited 3 times in total.

Okay. But it is 04:13 in the morning here and I might, might, maybe, finally be getting able to fall asleep. I can't guarantee I'll be here in more than the next 30 seconds.

It depends on what definition of atheist you use. Most atheists say anyone who lacks a belief in god is an atheist. I personally would say a baby is an atheist because they do not believe in god. I would say they get their belief through society and parent influence. I would not consider religion lying. I think parents try to raise children similar to them and think their personal religion would be good for their child.

God actually tells parents to "Teach these [certain] things to your children" (Deuteronomy 6:7 & 11:19), but many parents teach their children many different things (such as sectarian religion) God had never intended for anyone to be taught. In any case...

To say a newborn lacks belief in God is speculative because we have no way to ask the newborn about that. Personally, I am inclined to believe we are born with an awareness that is either nurtured or altered as life continues on...and I believe I have experienced some of each.

I personally say they are atheists because they lack the ability to make the desicion. They do not have the mental capacity to think about god.

That doesnt make any sense.

How can you either reject, or embrace, a concept that you "dont have the mental capacity to understand" in the first place?

An atheist is someone who "believes that god does not exist", not "someone who never got around to deciding whether god exists or not".

If you dont have the capacity to think about god then you cant acquire the belief that god does not exist, any more than you can acquire the belief that god does exist.

Do you believe you can prove either of those thoughts? I do not know how soon babies begin making conscious decisions or choices between options, but even possibly having a lack of awareness or knowledge (the simple ignorance of not knowing something) in relation to options does not automatically mean there is no ability to make a decision or choice. Also, the possibility of "the mental capacity to think about God" is part of why some people believe babies are silenced for a while at birth lest they "spill the beans" with descriptions, details and reports of from where they have just come.

Atheism is a lack of belief in god. There are agnostic and gnostic atheists. A baby could be considered an agnostic atheist because it lacks a belief.

Babies are really dumb, trust me.

We are born innocent with no need for gods, it's only adults who seem to require religion.

The burden of proof lies with you on this, it's agreed that babies cannot talk and have no knowledge of language due to all babies being unable to talk.
Also, if we can communicate from birth then why do we lose it and have to learn languages again?
What language would a baby speak?

Which religion is a child born with?

Do the god's all fight each other to indoctrinate each child?

What system is in place to check that each baby has the correct religion assigned pre-birth?