"Curing Autism", this bothers me

[NB79]

I am firmly in the ASD 1 category. If I could "cure" my autism and it was something within my means to do so, I'd do it in a heartbeat. I'd happily erase 40 points of IQ to be rid of it. Autism has given me nothing but rejection and exclusion my entire life. There is no benefit to it.

I am where I am despite autism.

You speak my mind, and i think i also have other 'conditions' and worse autism, autism has felt like a curse if i want to be honest.

 

[NB79]

I have no problem with a group praying over a willing autist; they will prove to be effective or ineffective. If God wants to make an autistic person into an NT person, no doubt he can do it. However, IMO, it is probably praying against the Lord’s will. I believe that the Lord knit us together in our mother’s womb; we’re not liable to convince him he made a mistake. Likewise, never heard of the Lord changing a person’s sex. For every unusual idea, it seems there’s a ‘Christian’ group that carries it to a ridiculous extreme.

It is tempting to think of Paul as autistic, for the reasons mentioned. He kept his interest collection very tight and focused. His writing encompasses the known and unknown universe, but is meticulously reasonable.

I have to wonder about Jeremiah. He was so very logical, and kept making the mistake of thinking that people are logical; makes me think of me. But, he operated according to his beliefs, come hell or high water; you know how single minded those autists can be. He was also very open to God’s method of communication, not doubting at all. Of course, in the end it doesn’t matter if he could be labeled autistic; he was created for his job and you were created for yours.

We live in a fallen world, i wouldn't say all of autism is 'sickness' but for me a lot of its traits could be not God.design.

 

[Crossbreed]

...but for me a lot of its traits could be not [God's design].

That would be true for severe co-morbid conditions.

 

[Captain Jigglypuff]

I still hate the idea of “curing autism.” My entire life I was told that certain things about me was wrong and could never be accepted by society and I was expected to change everything about myself just to please everyone else while I became miserable because I knew this change would actually be bad for me because it wasn’t really who I was. Why am I the one that needs to change when it is society itself that needs to do it when it comes to accepting autism as a disability that you can adapt to and to stop allowing people to say and do ableist stuff about autism and never be corrected or told that it is wrong to treat those with it as if they are nothing but nuisances that the world would be better off not having? I was constantly told that I couldn’t do or never do things just because I had autism and it would always Make me unable to do things like everyone else. The media is constantly getting away with being ableist towards people with autism and spreading misinformation about it and I am sick and tired of it. You don’t see people saying that people with diabetes aren’t normal and are burdens and need to be cured or kids actively ignoring a deaf kid just because they think the kid is “weird” because they used their hands to communicate because they can’t hear and don’t talk because they are nonverbal. So why is it acceptable to act this way when it comes to autism? I’m not the true problem and I don’t need to be cured because there is absolutely nothing wrong with me being autistic.

 

[Masaniello]

It reminds me of the search for a cure for homosexuality. As I'm both gay and autistic, I would be so cured I'd resemble a piece of bacon.

 

[Levitat0r]

I'm watching a documentary on conspiracy theories (American based) from here in Canada

Twice in the documentary I've heard comments from Christian groups in the United States about curing Autism, this really bothers me... As an active Christian, I have never heard such a suggestion within my church tradition, and doesn't medical science say there isn't a cure for it anyway?

A couple years ago I did meet one Christian lady here who I had a conversation with, and ask me if I wanted to be cured of Autism? I think you probably know my answer...

Is this kind of thinking a "thing" in some Christian communities? I'm not liking that at all, I know my church and denomination isn't that way

I'll tell you my Biblical view on autism. Firstly, the Bible says that man leads a collective existence right where it says that the church forms a many-membered body of Christ, with some an arm, others a leg, a nose, a mouth, etc. Then it goes and reaffirms the collective aspect when it's an angry groupthink lynchmob which successfully clamours for the execution of Jesus. So, personally, given that I live under a manner of forced individualism called autism, I like to think I'm not even a man. I'm something else, and I'm not subject to the most terrible and central sin of the New Testament; mob mentality. You'll notice that it's such a major problem that even though it's at the center of the New Testament, it's never even mentioned in mainstream Christian doctrine. Everyone knows they're guilty of it, and it's everyone's guilty secret, except to the extent that the Bible beats you over the head with it.

Then, the Bible goes on to say things like "God's foolishness is greater than man's wisdom", and that the the one who is greatest in the kingdom of heaven is "like this child", and then Jesus pulls a kid out of the crowd as an example. Ok, well, then, at this point I'm feeling pretty good about being an introvert who is a fool about how it is that people get so mixed up in large groups that they murder people. I don't need to be smart about that, other than to protect myself from their malice, except I don't need to do that either, because I have God. I really enjoy being mentally about twenty-something. I like video games, I like Star Trek, and Star Wars, and The Hobbit. I don't care if it's embarrassing or humiliating.

Incidentally, I was horribly abused by people in authority and they did me one huge favor. They set me free to try my hand at performing music for a crowd because I live in the utter confidence that I can never, ever humiliate myself musically as much as they have humiliated themselves morally.

 

[Rachie]

I found very odd going on the Saddleback for Christanity website and seeing they are offering healing for ADD and not ASD, what is that about, strange or what. My church basically just support managing autism.

 

[Ronald Zeeman]

Happy to be agnostic. Must admit some entity is working hard to convince me pick sides.

 

[Rachie]

I found very odd going on the Saddleback for Christanity website and seeing they are offering healing for ADD and not ASD, what is that about, strange or what. My church basically just support managing autism.

The wording I believe has changed for ADD healing. Hopefully they are revising this. It seemed to provide no healing for ASD but for ADD. I tend to not support this as worded. Perhaps could be bowing to pressure.
I stumbled on them as I used to do a church support group for people with chronic conditions in real time in my area and found it good but it stopped. I was looking to see if anything like that exisited online. Saddleback do support groups for people chronic conditions and also Autism. I am not sure if i fit the chronic conditions defintions even though I have a lot of chronic conditions a lot of them came from my primary conditions which is mental health. What would you say.

They have now though changed the wording I noticed.
Designed for the parents of children diagnosed with ADD/ADHD. The group is currently on hold, but you can reach out to the ministry contact for questions and support.

Oh my... I went too fast.
The wording was still there. I was just hopeful.

Designed to provide a faith-based Support Group for adults with ADD and Asperger's, parents of children with ADD, and their family members. Offered for those seeking support, resources and information about living with and healing from ADD. Meets online and in person at Lake Forest. For more details about meeting days/times and to reserve a place in the group, please reach out to the ministry contact.

 

[Outdated]

The wording I believe has changed for ADD healing.

about living with and healing from ADD

In Australia those words would land them in court. And rightfully so.

 

[NB79]

I believe autism can't be cured because is not an illness, is a way of being made by God, BUT, usually there is 'complications' who knows why, and people get those 'bad traits' and 'comorbids', sort of like @Crossbreed believes, lets be real things that complicate your life so much shouldn't be natural, and could be classified as some illness or condition or even spiritual problem.

 

[NB79]

In Australia those words would land them in court. And rightfully so.

I hate when governments try to regulate everything, like if they know it all and following today 'ideologies' that could end badly.

 

[Ronald Zeeman]

In quality control they use the statement you cannot control what you can don't measure. Maybe in our community a more fitting statement should be you cannot fix what you don't diagnose.