working on change in core features of autism - is it worth the effort?

Both before and after my later in life diagnosis of autism, I’ve experienced serious personal attacks from people in my immediate circle, especially from certain family members who have always supported the actions of bullies throughout my life, from childhood - such people have always regarded me as “dysfunctional” since childhood in some way, and have always used post-Vatican II Catholic Social Teaching to justify and excuse their abusive and bullying behaviour, regardless of my being raised an only child of “dysfunctional” parents (due to my parents own histories of the same or similar kinds of emotional abuse) or my being openly gay (and therefore too vocal for their liking) which is why I became a traditional Catholic - such people now believe that my diagnosis of autism now means that anything I have to say, feel, express or believe about anything on any given issue, because it now gives them the absolute right to automatically dismiss and invalidate anything I say as being “wrong” because it is deemed on a common sense basis that “I do not understand that I am wrong by default” and should just “sit down and stay quiet” because I should be “seen and not heard” and I therefore do not have any right to make any comments on any issues, because my points are deemed useless, therefore I do not have any right to form, have nor express any opinions nor make any comments on any issues, because I am deemed to be coming from an incorrect, malicious, intellectually dishonest, hypocritical standpoint of dysfunction and they alone are the real “experts” in everything 

Both before and after my later in life diagnosis of autism, I’ve experienced serious personal attacks from people in my immediate circle, especially from certain family members who have always supported the actions of bullies throughout my life, from childhood - such people have always regarded me as “dysfunctional” since childhood in some way, and have always used post-Vatican II Catholic Social Teaching to justify and excuse their abusive and bullying behaviour, regardless of my being raised an only child of “dysfunctional” parents (due to my parents own histories of the same or similar kinds of emotional abuse) or my being openly gay (and therefore too vocal for their liking) which is why I became a traditional Catholic - such people now believe that my diagnosis of autism now means that anything I have to say, feel, express or believe about anything on any given issue, because it now gives them the absolute right to automatically dismiss and invalidate anything I say as being “wrong” because it is deemed on a common sense basis that “I do not understand that I am wrong by default” and should just “sit down and stay quiet” because I should be “seen and not heard” and I therefore do not have any right to make any comments on any issues, because my points are deemed useless, therefore I do not have any right to form, have nor express any opinions nor make any comments on any issues, because I am deemed to be coming from an incorrect, malicious, intellectually dishonest, hypocritical standpoint of dysfunction and they alone are the real “experts” in everything 

I have come to the conclusion that, just because an opinion is held by a majority of poeple, it does not mean they are right. Too often I have been told there is something "wrong" with me just because I am not like them. As time has gone on I have been more confident in myself and can keep my own options. That does not mean I have to force them on others. That would be hypocritical. I just don't feel put down by others whobtalk nonsense.

Sorry to hear that. Do you have people at your church who care about and value you?

Having been in that position of always being wrong, I really feel for you, it's hard to ignore when it's from people who should care for you and about you and for whom you care about. I think although it's hard, it's made me a stronger person and more able to stand up for myself and what I believe and the principles I hold. I try and avoid being confrontational about it, but I can be when I need to be, mostly though I use cognitive ineterview style of questions to help me understand another's viewpoint whilst not giving up my own. I can't say that it leads to less confrontation exactly, but it does put the conversation on a different footing, one thats often less hostile and more inquisitive.