I once encountered a story about a couple who were devout Christians, and also active in preaching Christianity, who ended up having a severely autistic son. This created endless stress and heartache both for himself and his parents. Over time this made them question many aspects of religion. They could accept that God allowed physical disabilities to exist, but had difficulty in accepting how God could allow severe mental health conditions and severe cases of autism to exist. Explanations put forward by church officials were just unconvincing.
As faith and trust in God and Christianity waned the parents turned to studying medicine and genetics. Eventually they abandoned religion altogether and embraced science. They strongly believed that if genes responsible for autism and mental health conditions could be identitied and corrected using gene therapy then it should be carried out. Gene therapy was just the next stage on the road of medicine from organ transplants.
Unfortunately the situation with their son turned so bad it was unbearable. Now a young adult he was severely depressed and hated himself. Following a very difficult mutual decision his life was ended at Dignitas. A blood sample has been saved for use in genetic research in the future.
The parents are now staunch atheists who believe that religious people and organisations opposed to genetic modification of humans are immoral and corrupt when it has the potential to end much human suffering.
Have any parents abandoned religion because of a child with ASD?
