I Am An Atheist

So from what I've found, people who are autistic are more likely to be atheists.

http://www.scienceandreligiontoday.com/2011/09/26/why-are-high-functioning-autistics-more-likely-to-be-atheists-or-agnostics/comment-page-1/

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2039690/Atheism-autism-Controversial-new-study-points-link-two.html

I was actually diagnosed with Aspergers 3 years ago when I was 15, and at the time, I was only just beginning to question religion.

The doctor who diagnosed me stated to my parents that my IQ is above average intelligence.

Does this make sense considering that atheists also tend to rank higher in intelligence overall?

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IzzyBeth122

The condition is one that goes towards exercising the mind.
I think people who have Asperger's do everything cognitively so I think it would make sense to be able to think rationally about the topic of religion.

Opiate462

Well put... I've always had a thirst for knowledge I've got three bookshelves and still need more to hold the rest of my books..I had a college reading level in kindergarten and I was reading encyclopedias cover to cover by the time I was 4 years old...

IzzyBeth122

Yeah I'd say that's pretty damn impressive. Knowledge has always been something that frees people from religion.
I just wish I could say I've done as much reading as you have!

Opiate462

My mom taught autistic kids at my old grade school when i was 17 or so...she's the one that figured it out but I didn't get an official diagnosis till I was in my early twenties

Opiate462

Thanks... but that was the days before the Internet I still like to read my history books because history is my passion..but I don't read near as much as I used to or perhaps as much as I should... there is still something about a good book that is unlike anything else, the combination of the author's narrative combined with the reader's imagination in regards to the characters and environments

IzzyBeth122

I love history as well!
Words can be formed so well and move you and make you think of something you never have before. I've always been a reader so I understand exactly what you're talking about

Opiate462

That's why most people don't use the terms interchangeably anymore... in fact some are beginning to wonder if there should be a "spectrum" at all or if we should treat them as completely different conditions...I'm not sure how the current DSM treats them... it's similar to how you never hear the term ADD anymore...it's ADHD now... which I disagree with because I had ADD but I was never hyper

Opiate462

No...I'm horrible at it... I've gotten better as I've gotten older but still struggle with it... I am confused though, what is it you sort of doubt?... I'm not sure which of my posts you were referencing. .. and I didn't claim to be "amazingly smart"... if you're going to quote me please quote me verbatim... that's one of my pet peeves I don't like words being put in my mouth

Opiate462

You have to remember that although Asperger's was first documented in 1944 by Dr. Hans Asperger, the first scholarly paper in the United States wasn't written until 1981 by Lorna Wing... then you have to take into account the amount of time it takes to get into school's curriculum, for lack of a better term... and I'm sure that services and diagnoses for children on the spectrum were available in schools in bigger cities and probably the northern states before they were here in Mississippi where I went to grade school...

Opiate462

I just wanted to know what you doubted... it sounded like you doubted my claim of being an Aspie... I'm really not sure why you keep getting so offended everybody that has commented on this thread has been pretty respectful, seems to me

Opiate462

That's what I don't understand you get offended because you mistakenly thought I was telling you that you didn't know your own daughter but you can seem to know me well enough to call me a liar... if you knew anything about Asperger's syndrome you would know that they occupy the two extremes of the IQ scale they are going to be either a very high intelligence or very low...ok...take care