All autistic kids are atheists, and atheism is form of autism, says association head *UPDATED*

[Rob H.]

Last edited Tue Apr 23, 2013, 10:11 AM - Edit history (1)

From a Turkish newspaper:

All autistic kids are atheists, and atheism is form of autism, says association head

ADANA

The head of Adana’s Health and Education Association for Autistic Children, sociologist Fehmi Kaya, recently caused a stir when he claimed all autistic children were “atheists due to a lack of a section of faith in their brains,” while adding that atheism was a form of autism, according to research.

“Autistic children do not know believing in God because they do not have a section of faith in their brains,” Kaya said, according to daily Milliyet.

-snip-

“They need to develop feelings and learn to form empathy with others. They need to understand why normal people do what they do. As a result of that, they would need to understand that there is a creator, to whom the people pray to and believe in; and they need to understand and internalize that. That way a section of faith can be formed in their brains,” Kaya was quoted as saying.

Autistic children were atheists from birth without being aware of it, Kaya said, adding, “Research says atheism and autistic children are linked. Researchers in the USA and Canada say that atheism is a different form of autism.”

Smell that? That's the distinct smell of 100% pure bullshit. (Also, it requires belief in a creator to be one of the "normal people" who has empathy for others? Fuck that guy.)

All emphases added by yours truly.

Edited 4/23 to UPDATE:

Likening of autistic kids to atheists causes fury

ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News

-snip-

Kaya said development came in layers and that as autistic children developed further socially and mentally, a dimension of faith would also be developed.

“I meant that they were disabled, in a way, like a hearing disability, because they are not aware of why people believe. I did not say that all autistic people are atheists,” Kaya said, adding that faith would “normally” exist in kids.

-snip-

When asked whether or not the houses aimed at turning autistic children into believers, a Culture House official confirmed the matter, but Kaya denied such objectives.

“Every child understands when you tell him or her to fear God, but an autistic child will not,” Kaya told the Daily News. “Once he starts to develop normally, belief will come in time. We do not have the idea of creating a section for faith in their brains.”

This guy just doesn't know when to stop digging. He denies he's trying to turn autistic children into believers, then turns around and confirms that's exactly what he hopes to accomplish. And if "being normal" means believing in a supreme being, I'll be happily "abnormal" for the rest of my life, thanks.

[Dan Ken]

1. Kind of amazing how the believers make stuff up

And claim they know about science.

No wonder science has been held back for the last 2000 years, with stuff like this coming out of the mouths of believers who survived.

[deucemagnet]

2. I see that your brain lacks a section of faith.

I'm afraid that it will have to come out.

[backscatter712]

3. MY BRAIN HURTS TOO!

[sakabatou]

4. BS here too

Grew up Jewish for almost half of my current life-span.

[stevebreeze]

22. this beggs the question did you stop being Jewish or growing up?

[EvolveOrConvolve]

23. Um, what's that supposed to mean?

Could you elaborate?

[sakabatou]

24. O.o

[stevebreeze]

25. meant as a humorous misreading of the post..nothing more.

[dimbear]

5. Lemme get the theories together. Atheism comes from autism, autism comes from vaccines,

so there must be vaccinations that produce atheism. That would be worth some research.



*smiley added reluctantly

[onager]

6. I think I found his "researcher."

Razib Khan, writing in Discover magazine two years ago.

I put this phrase into Google: "Researchers in the USA and Canada say that atheism is a different form of autism.” Other than Rob H's OP above, not much came up except for a link to Khan's articles.

You'll be amazed to learn than Khan's articles are his own speculations in a popular magazine, not so much "research."

Of his own religious beliefs, Khan says: Note: I am a libertarian-leaning atheist, in case anyone cares.

Articles:

Atheism as mental deviance By Razib Khan - September 18, 2011

http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/gnxp/2011/09/atheism-as-mental-deviance/

What atheism and autism may have in common By Razib Khan - September 19, 2011

http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/gnxp/2011/09/what-atheism-and-autism-may-have-in-common/

[Curmudgeoness]

7. Atheism as mental deviance????

Oh lordy, lordy. Now we are mental deviants, at least to this guy. Let's just hope that none of the MSM or squak show hosts find this "research".

BTW, I categorically deny that I am a mental deviant, or that I am autistic. I just think.

[TxDemChem]

8. I say we empathize just fine, thank you

What a joke. I'd like to see this research. In fact, I'd like to peer review it. Not my field, but I think I'd bring a certain amount of, how do you say, common sense, into the picture. What jerks!

[defacto7]

9. From the same method of deduction....

-French fries are fried.
-Bacon is fried.

Therefore....

-French fries are bacon.

Another stupid idea is that even if you use his logic, it could also mean that those who are autistic are not as susceptible to magical thinking and myth belief as the rest of the population. This is good! Belief in myth could be an aberration of the brains adaptation to querying the unknowns of life which the autistic are spared.

I don't believe this but it's another way to look at this guys false logic.

[Warren Stupidity]

13. Bacon and French fries are accidental properties of a common substance.

In the divine fryolator bacon transforms into fries, and fries into bacon. The Holy Lard is the key to this miracle.

[defacto7]

18. Ha..

[progressoid]

10. Why would the intelligent designer leave that out of our brains?

[DetlefK]

11. He knew, you would become an atheist, so he made you an atheist.

[Warren Stupidity]

14. No he knew you would be autistic so he made you an atheist.

[progressoid]

16. Ah, good old predestination.

[cantbeserious]

26. Maybe Because He Does Not Exist

eom

[DetlefK]

12. Simple experiment: Raise normal kids without any religious indoctrination ...

... and without lies about Santa/Tooth-Fairy and see if they develop belief in some higher power on their own.

Let's see if religion is "natural" and "normal".

[Warren Stupidity]

15. Unfortunately that is nearly impossible.

Religious indoctrination is pervasive.

[Stuckinthebush]

19. Done

They don't. They think the concept of a higher power is silly.

[Taverner]

17. Ahhh...it's back to "they don't have souls" again....

Predictable

[Warren DeMontague]

20. Funny, I look at a lot of ritualized religious behavior, and I think "OCD"

Sort of like, well, one day during a drought the Priest was wearing a purple sock and dancing the rumba and it rained, now EVERYONE MUST WEAR PURPLE SOCKS WHILE DANCING THE RUMBA THE LORD HATH SPOKEN

[LostOne4Ever]

21. Yet

Yet the controversy over there is that he insulted autistic kids by comparing them to us rather the vice versa. The whole country is backwards if you ask me.

[dorkulon]

27. Amazing thing is this is controversial as an insult to autistic kids, not atheists.

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/autistic-children-not-atheists-go-directly-to-heaven-foundation-head--.aspx?pageID=238&nID=45580&NewsCatID=341

“Someone with very basic religious knowledge knows that there is a concept called ‘pubescent intelligence.’ In other words, the condition that the mind reaches a determined level is sought. All these children will directly go to heaven, according to the Islamic faith,” the head of the Anatolia Autism Foundation, Burhan Özfatura, said during a partnership protocol between the association and Aegean University in İzmir.

Get it? Nothing about this guy calling atheism "a form of autism"--that's just fine. It's the horrible idea that these kids might be atheists and therefore condemned to hell. Fuck.