Christianity and AS

[Sammysnake]

Hi, does anyone know anything about how someone with AS might have a different from NTs experience or understanding of the Holy Spirit? If so, would you mind if I send you a message about it? Cheers, Sam

[chris54]

If you have something to say just say it.

[Tally]

Sometimes there are issues that a person would prefer only to discuss with a very small number of people. It's quite OK to post asking for someone who would prefer to discuss this privately

[chris54]

Sorry if I sounded a bit abrupt, what I mean is give us some sort of an idea of where your coming from. If I sent you my view and opinions you may agree but you may also find them very offensive.

Edited May 3, 2010 by chris54

[justine1]

Your post is a little vague.However I can say my son who is six with AS has a good understanding of the bible and really believes strongly in God,I am not someone who pushes the religion onto my kids in the sense we dont read the bible everyday and I believe prayer is a private matter so encourage this with all my kids.He likes going to church cause its quiet but he battles the last 15min to keep still.My eldest NT,has even more understanding but he challenges the bible more he has always had plenty of questions about every aspect,he loves science the big bang evolution etc and finds it hard to incoporate this into his christian beliefs but he does believe in God at the moment.

[Sammysnake]

Didn't mean to offend anyone by asking about messaging, I just thought it would be a topic that wouldn't really relate to most people and it would be easier to discuss with one or two people who might know what I meant by my question. If someone doesn't know what I mean by 'experiencing the Holy Spirit' then they are not going to be able to help me anyway, even if they want to. I thought if I could find someone who did know and then messaged them off forum I would avoid confusing anyone or offending them or having to triple explain everything I say. Obviously that hasn't worked as simply asking the question has annoyed someone. It's an important issue for me at the moment as it's upsetting my daughter. I don't know how to help her through it or who to ask for advice. I thought it was worth me asking on here thinking that either someone who knew what I meant would reply or I would get no responses. Feel free Mods to lock the thread if you think it's not suitable for the site.

[Tally]

There's absolutely nothing wrong with the thread

 

I hope someone is able to help you.

[Kathryn]

Hi Sammysnake,

 

I don't think you've upset anybody, and I don't think the thread is a problem but I get what you're saying. People pm each other all the time about stuff they don't want to discuss on forum, so that's OK.

 

I think I can relate to this, (though that doesn't mean I have the answers!) so if you want to pm me - feel free. Don't expect a terribly coherent response at this time of night though!

 

K x

[Suze]

Have you approached someone from a local church who could help you with this?.....or used a childs bible from the library, it may speak in terms your child can understand more, iyswim.....my kids have all attended a Cof E primary school and there has always been a close connection with the church.The vicar there is lovely with the kids and has a great way of explaining stuff to them.Could you find someone like this in your community?...don,t know if that advice has helped or not , was,nt too sure what you were after.But I have had experience of a ghost type thing and my vicar helped me with this as I was seriously freaked out .

[Sammysnake]

Thanks all for your replies - Kathryn I've sent you a long and rambling response (sorry!!). Thanks Suze for the ideas - Beth is a committed Christian (her own decision) and is fine with what she reads in the Bible, it's the experiential side of her relationship with God that is the issue and which is occassionally 'freaking her out' at the moment. We have lots of very supportive Christian friends but none of them with experience of AS and I think this is one of those areas where the language I'm speaking and the experiences I have are totally different to Beth's so I was trying to find someone who could relate more to what she is thinking/feeling. Thanks for your willingness to help

Edited May 4, 2010 by Kathryn

[chris54]

Hi Sam, sorry for the misunderstanding.

I read your opening post as you looking to find someone to preach to and not asking for help.

[Chris P]

Hi, does anyone know anything about how someone with AS might have a different from NTs experience or understanding of the Holy Spirit? If so, would you mind if I send you a message about it? Cheers, Sam

 

Hi, I don't think anyone has done much research on such differences, but I'm a theology teacher and church minister, and if I can help I'll be glad to.

[Sammysnake]

Hi Sam, sorry for the misunderstanding.

I read your opening post as you looking to find someone to preach to and not asking for help.

 

Chris54, I'm so sorry. I've just reread my own post and can now see absolutely how it could have sounded like that. I didn't say anything about it being to answer a genuine question for my daughter . Usually I'm a rambler and my posts go on forever. This time I tried to be way too succinct and it didn't work. Well, two page essays from me for now on

 

Kathryn has given me a very helpful response which has put things into perspective and given me some tangible strategies to use in our situation. Cheers.

Edited May 4, 2010 by Sammysnake

[Karen A]

Hi.

There is a book called ''Spirituality and the Autism Spectrum

Of Falling Sparrows''

By Abe Isanon published by JKP.

It includes some helpful accounts of how people with ASD experience their faith.We are christians and I found it very interesting.

Karen.

 

[Sammysnake]

Thanks for that Karen and to everyone who's messaged me. My niece is getting baptised on Sunday so we'll be visiting her church which is less charismatic than ours. It'll be interesting to see what her response is there and if she's more comfortable....

[Kathryn]

Hope the service goes well and your daughter enjoys it. Is it a baby niece who's being baptised?

 

K x

[Sammysnake]

Hi Kathryn, it was my 22 year old niece (she has learning difficulties and is about 10 years old developmentally). She said that she'd been brought up as a Christian but wasn't bothered about God when she went away to college (she spent four years at the Star College in Gloucester - a boarding arts college for young people with various disabilities). After she moved back home she began going to church again and it was then she decided she actually wanted to live as a Christian and God became real to her. She was really brave and spoke very well despite being very nervous - we were very proud of her!

 

Beth was absolutely fine. She read her book through most of the service which was very stand up, sing a song, sit down, listen to the bloke speak etc. Very different from our church and she took very little notice of what was happening other than the bits when her cousin was involved.

[Jannih]

Beth was absolutely fine. She read her book through most of the service which was very stand up, sing a song, sit down, listen to the bloke speak etc. Very different from our church and she took very little notice of what was happening other than the bits when her cousin was involved.

 

Beth obviously responds well to the church services, where they have the "hymn & prayer sandwich."

It's understandable that someone with an ASD would feel happpier with a church meeting that has a semblance of order.