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Can a person with autism be transformed?

Clintos said:
Joel Olsteen I believe, believes heaven is now and that it is on earth, and that there is no hell. I personally believe in the end times and or going to heaven when I die. But that there is a chance I will burn in hellfire if I sin.
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The entire concept of hellfire to me seems positively psychopathic. A person is born into a world that is very, very far from perfect, they have limits to what they can realistically achieve whilst here (for example, they may suffer from schizophrenia, or struggle with an addiction), tragedy surrounds us whilst we are here, we make the best of a bad situation, and then, after all we go through, we end up in hell - for an eternity, no less - simply because we didn't convert to the "true" religion, were less than perfect, made mistakes, and generally behaved in accordance with who God apparently made us to be.

I mean, what the... Is this just? Fair? Right? No, no, and NO!
 
It's like laying the Guilt on Aspies. "Why aren't you like this? Why do you fail to be what we expect of you?"

The answer is of course that we are just imperfect humans with imperfect brains. We're not Evil.
 
Every year for Yorkshire Cos Play, or Comic Con, I transform into Batman or Superman, week before last I went as He Man... That's about my limit of transformation, although when I'm in a mood I could be mistaken for a cross between the Incredible Hulk and a certain Irish cross dresser.
 
Of course the mind can be transformed. You make choices in every single instant and your body and brain respond accordingly. Conversely, actions occur to you and then you make a choice as to how to react. You can transform your mind and train your thought processes in a direction of your choice and your life and body will follow.

Autism is not a "thing". My autism isn't something that wanders round of its own accord, ambling down the road, popping to the shops. My autism isn't something that I can feed, or send away when required. Autism is a collection of observations about how someone behaves. But behavior is a choice.

So it's not about "accepting my autism", it is about;

1. Looking at who I am. How I respond, how I shape the world around me.
2. Making a conscious decision around which parts I like and which parts I find uncomfortable.
3. Embracing and appreciating the good bits.
4. Working on the parts that need improvement.

The autism is irrelevant, it doesn't define me. I'm the only one qualified to define me.
 
The transformation that the Bible speaks of, is the work of God in a person to change them so that the Holy Spirit can live in them. It is by grace which means that it is perfomed by God and not man - all man has to do is to pray for the fulfillment of that desire he has inside, to be pure, and to find the 'something' inside that he longs for - union with the divine which is the untilmate in joining with another being.

The longing is there because we are not born as sinners - we are born innocent, but here comes a day in everyones life, when they decide to rebel - probably against their parent, about the age of 4. Tests with young kids have shown that his is the age when they will deliberately start to lie.

But because the child has turned away at that point, from finding God, they open up a place for satan to rule them and he will fill their minds with negative thoughts about God until they no longer believe He exists. Most very young kids will believe in God till then when anger comes into it.

Jesus came into the world to put this right - the Bible says He came to save us from sin. Now this is one place where those on the spectrum score if they believe that. It is a real salvation from sin. It is sin that prevents the Holy Spirit from taking up His rightful place in us so that He can guide and lead us in the ways of truth.

The church has on the whole rejected this teaching and says that it happens gradually but no-one can stand and say yes they have been transformed this way - the ones who have said that they were transformed and pure in heart and their minds transformed and who have written many books about it- have generally been persecuted. If you have reached perfection, then you will show up the sinning leaders of the church for what they are - professors without truth.

John Wesley taught this and other great preachers.

Yes an aspie can also be transformed but imo they still retain the neurological problems unless they are healed from them, but now they can have perfect peace and joy despite their problems and hear Christ speak directly to them and have that hole inside filled.
 
Clintos said:
I would like to be truly born again and feel that I am cursed. But I feel that there must be a way out. I can accept that say for example, a person can not grow another arm. But when it comes to the wiring in the brain, I feel strongly that it can be changed. If I am wrong then I would feel devastated.
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If you're serious about becoming born again all you have to do is pray to Jesus tell him you're a sinner and ask him to forgive you ask him to come into your heart and mean it or otherwise it won't work and believe me it will change your life it did mine and when you get saved you become a new creature in Christ some people on here probably won't believe me and think I'm nuts and that's okay I'm just trying to be a help hope it was helpful God bless
 
we don't need to accept anything we don't like about ourselves. if we don't like our position in life, then we need to be willing to do the work to change that thing or at least transcend that thing if we can't outright change it.
 
Be transformed into something I'm not instead of other people transforming into allowing me to be myself?
No way.
 
Clintos said:
In the Bible it says in Romans 12:2, that the mind can be transformed. Does anyone not accept their autism like me and want to be changed?

Or is it best to accept autism, and embrace it, because it is who we are?
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Friend, my answer will not be the definitive one, yet it is one I live by.

Just because you are autistic, and just because you have been taught a certain faith, does not mean you should change anything about you, yet you have every right to do so, if you so please. The bible tells us the golden rule, do unto others as you would have them do unto you, and it speaks of free will as well. Now, I do not claim to be a Jehovah's Witness, I do not claim to know anything about the bible, but I am Christian, and I do know that you have a right to any belief, you have a right to do anything you see fit, you have a right to think how you want.

I live with a belief that yes, it is good to believe in God, but it is also good to be aware that I was not born like everyone else; I was born autistic. But, does that make my human being any different? Does that make my soul any less human?

If one eye is hazel, and the other is blue, can you still see color? Of course, I always say.

So what if I have an "inside out" brain, like some people might say? I still got two arms, two legs, a shirt and pants and I look just like a human, don't I?

To admit you are human is a privilege. To be human is a right. - Me
 
For what seemed like the longest time, I almost felt like God creating me with Autism just gave me too many bad qualities that people just seemed to dislike, even telling myself that the behavior that the bible says that people display when they are possessed by demons is basically almost exactly like a meltdown that one of us would go through.

Though, now that I have found this site a few months back and that I have started going to a new Church, and now knowing that there is people like me who have gone through something like I did has now convinced me that I am not a curse, my Autism isn't a curse, and that God and Jesus doesn't see me or my autism as such. It's... Very relaxing, I guess you can say, I don't know exactly how to say it in a way that would make sense. It's a feeling that is too complex for anybody to explain, really.

I guess what I am trying to say that I feel loved, and it did help me in understanding why God created me the way he did, and have realized that the good traits that God has given me just by simply creating me with autism is because those traits that I have (I am smart, funny, and caring) can help me do what God wants me to do. However, I still haven't figured out exactly how to use those traits to my advantage and God's advantage.
 
I think the original reference refers to a spiritual transformation, not physical. Autism isn't a spiritual condition, but a mental one which at its base somewhere is based on physical differences in the brain development. One can still be spiritually transformed but it won't cure or change the autism. At least not on this side of life.
 
The Bible is 100% true. God has worked in my life and changed me for the better. I think that when the Bible talks about being transformed and being made a new creation, it is referring to when you become a believer. When you believe that Jesus is real and he died for your sins, and you repent of your sins and follow Him, you are made new. Galations 2:20 says this, "I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."

Correct me if I'm wrong, but if I remember correctly...When you repent of your sins and follow God, he works in you to make you more like Him; loving and pure. (and a bunch of other amazing attributes). So, for me, I became more loving. I didn't tease other kids as much. I was nicer to other people. I became a better person. However, my autism did not go away. If you follow God and he takes away your social deficits, then great! But each person is different, and everyone's fate is different. I hope that you follow Jesus and see how fulfilling it is to follow him.
 
inkfingers said:
When you repent of your sins and follow God, he works in you to make you more like Him; loving and pure. (and a bunch of other amazing attributes).
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The Apostle John wrote of Jesus' followers,

"Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is." 1John 3:2 NKJV
 
God can heal us in every way, including mental health.

That said, that "healing" may come in different forms. It might be as simple as creating new habits. God may use any instrument to touch us, including this forum. There's no limit to what God can do.

That said, I think it's important to thank God for creating us as we are, and to love ourselves for who we are. Not saying we need to define ourselves based on mental health and/or labels, but to accept ourselves as we are. This includes our strengths and weaknesses. Then, we can lift that up to God so that He may heal us and strengthen us to overcome our struggles.
 
asperagus said:
God can heal us in every way, including mental health.

That said, that "healing" may come in different forms. It might be as simple as creating new habits. God may use any instrument to touch us, including this forum. There's no limit to what God can do.

That said, I think it's important to thank God for creating us as we are, and to love ourselves for who we are. Not saying we need to define ourselves based on mental health and/or labels, but to accept ourselves as we are. This includes our strengths and weaknesses. Then, we can lift that up to God so that He may heal us and strengthen us to overcome our struggles.
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I agree with you. Even though I see my autism as a large part of my identity, I know it doesn't define me completely.
 
Of course you can be transformed by the renewing of your mind!

But remember, Paul was the most powerful apostle, and he had some kind of disability or chronic pain condition he called the thorn in his side.

Also he said (paraphrase) "Oh wretched man that I am. The thing I want to do, I don't do. The thing I don't want to do, that's what I do."

The renewing of your mind is a lifelong journey, and the best way to accelerate that is to read your bible, and fellowship with bible believing Christians as much as possible.

I know a schizophrenic guy at my church, and he told me that i should read my bible daily, and that if on a day even if my mind is elsewhere, and i don't remember what i read, it will be beneficial because subconsciously, I'm still getting the Word of God and forming a habit.

When I first became a Christian in my late 20s/ early 30s, in order to understand the bible and learn the stories, I read bible stories and watched Christian programs meant for children (TBN Smile Of A Child channel is the bestest!)

Just get into the Word and slowly but surely you will see a change. You'll start making more and more Christian decisions. I've even had dreams where I make Christian decisions and even sometimes pray in my dreams!

You'll mess up all the time. You might even shoplift or cuss someone out, but the urge to repent and make it right will be there lightning quick. And if you let the Spirit guide you, you will make it right, and it'll be harder to tempt you to do it the next time.

Have you ever repented of your sins and asked Jesus into your heart, to guide you as Lord of your life? That's the first step.
 
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