Does autism lead to atheism?

[biased]

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/psyched/201205/does-autism-lead-atheism

and let the poo flinging begin!

but seriously, I've noticed most hardlined scientific materialists and empiricists to exhibit many features of autistists/aspergers. Let the debate begin, I'll support the article's position. Anyone care to blast me?

 

[Shermana]

Most Atheists I've met seem to display some kind of Autism or Asperger syndrome, just sayin.....

At the very least, in my experiences, they tend to be very emotionally stunted.

 

[LuisDantas]

It might be. It does make some sense, although it would be naive to believe that it is a _main_ cause of Atheism.

 

[psychoslice]

Well if it is true that autism lead to atheism, well at least there is one good thing about being autistic.

 

[Quiddity]

Baldness and a belly do the same. Oh wait, never mind, I exhibit both and I'm not atheist.

 

[LuisDantas]

There are many, in fact. Temple Grandim (sp?) is a supported of neurodiversity IIRC, and I believe that it is because she realized that.

 

[LuisDantas]

Baldness and a belly do the same. Oh wait, never mind, I exhibit both and I'm not atheist.

You must have missed the memo.

 

[dyanaprajna2011]

I don't really buy it. While yes, I'm both autistic and an atheist (although, more properly, I'm a non-theist/transtheist), I know many autistic people who believe in god, such as my daughter and my brother-in-law. I think atheism might be more prevalent in autistic people, but I would stop short of saying that autism leads one to atheism.

One of the issues is that, due to the emotional stuntedness of autistic people, they tend to be more analytical and rational, and such empirical mindset does lead one toward atheism. But this isn't always the case.

 

[danieldemol]

The only autistic person I know is a Baha'i, however off such a small sample size I wouldn't be game to draw any statistically based conclusions.

 

[LuisDantas]

Hmm, isn't belief in God often strongly supported by social interactions?

That might be part of the reason for the claimed relationship.

 

[philbo]

Most Atheists I've met seem to display some kind of Autism or Asperger syndrome, just sayin.....

At the very least, in my experiences, they tend to be very emotionally stunted.

If we're going with anecdote, I know a great many emotionally perfectly normal atheists. Not sure how that helps, though.

Hmm, isn't belief in God often strongly supported by social interactions?

That might be part of the reason for the claimed relationship.

Not so much that autism causes atheism, but it protects against theistic social indoctrination? Makes sense.

 

[Revoltingest]

Sounds plausible to me.

 

[LuisDantas]

Not so much that autism causes atheism, but it protects against theistic social indoctrination? Makes sense.

Yes, that is what I was wondering. It does seem plausible at least.

 

[Penumbra]

I wouldn't be surprised about a statistical correlation between people on the autistic spectrum and atheists. Especially looking back over the known history of religions, it seems that much of theism is based on personalizing impersonal things. Animists often represented things like rivers and mountains as having a personality, and polytheistic religions often associated various goddesses and gods with the various archetypes of their world. Monotheists, in my view, anthropomorphize the universe.

If humans tend to humanize things they encounter, and try to interpret non-human things as though they act in human ways, I wouldn't be surprised if people with less developed social understanding are less likely to interpret the world in that way.

But, a correlation doesn't imply significant overlap. Many autistic people are not atheists, and many atheists are not autistic. As far as I can tell personally, I know several atheists but few or no people on the autistic spectrum.

 

[1137]

Most Atheists I've met seem to display some kind of Autism or Asperger syndrome, just sayin.....

At the very least, in my experiences, they tend to be very emotionally stunted.

Guided by logic rather than emotion... I'm failing to see the insult in your insult.

 

[Riverwolf]

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/psyched/201205/does-autism-lead-atheism

and let the poo flinging begin!

but seriously, I've noticed most hardlined scientific materialists and empiricists to exhibit many features of autistists/aspergers. Let the debate begin, I'll support the article's position. Anyone care to blast me?

I'm an aspie, but I'm not an atheist.

 

[Riverwolf]

Well if it is true that autism lead to atheism, well at least there is one good thing about being autistic.

Just one? I wouldn't give up my condition for anything.

 

[psychoslice]

Just one? I wouldn't give up my condition for anything.

Well you know what I meant, and good on ya for saying so.

 

[dyanaprajna2011]

Just one? I wouldn't give up my condition for anything.

I lean both ways. Sometimes, I like it, but other times, I hate it. I don't think I could ever fully enjoy being autistic.

 

[fantome profane]

Doesn't surprise me at all, nor does it insult me. Although I am not yet fully convinced of the validity of this research it seems quite plausible to me.

A major component of most religions is the social aspect. An aspect that would not draw in people with autism or asperger's. And related to that social aspect inevitably comes some degree of "groupthink". And I really don't mean that as an insult, but it is inevitable in any social situation, and not always a bad thing. But that kind of "groupthink" is something that people with autism would be incapable of, or if you prefer, immune from.