Published on 12, July, 2020
Is there anybody out there who feels they so much want to fit in with everyone else but struggles to at church. Does your church open and understand your autism. What can we do to change struggles we have in a busy church environment? Autism christian bible study groups etc? I am thinking at random. What are your thoughts and what are your struggles?
For me the hardest part was always when they tea abd coffee afterwards and I was always the one left out. This has happened in several different churches.
There's also the issue of institutional ableism. A lot of theology is based on the idea that humans are broken and God will fix them, but it also says that desease and siffering are a result of the Fall, and most Christians I know would include any kind of disability in this. Churches often see disabled people as something for God to fix. And then if they pray and you don't become miraculously healed then it's because you don't have enough faith, or the right kind of faith.
Honestly, if people believe prayer really works, why don't they spend more time praying for things that really matter like equal rights or fixing the state of the NHS.
I would like my physical disability fixing, although i accept this might not be in this life. But I do not see my autism as a disability. In fact when we are all changed, I would not be surprised if the result was closer to autistic than NT!
I know some churches are like you say, but it is a result of a poor understanding of scripture. Did Paul not have enough faith to heal Timothy's stomach that he advised him to take a little wine? Or the helper he had to leave behind sick? So it should not be expected that everyone one prays for will be instantly healed.
God does care about people being treated unfairly, there is much in the Bible about this, which many Christians do sadly seem to miss somehow. I do pray for the sort of things you mention, as do many Christians I know. But yes, we are all flawed and many of us get it wrong and this does have bad results like putting people off.
AuTriker said: In fact when we are all changed, I would not be surprised if the result was closer to autistic than NT!
I will treasure this saying, it is such a blessing to me! Also I totally agree with you, I think it might be. I often read the Bible and then look at many NT Christians and the things they focus on and talk about and feel like they might have missed the point of a lot of it