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Post by Lydia on Jul 28, 2011 13:46:19 GMT -5
If you have an interest, are you able to participate in church/temple/other activities?
I have a REALLY hard time at church... so many people, so loud, people want to talk to me... it's tough.
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Post by pensieve on Jul 28, 2011 19:52:45 GMT -5
A few years ago I was having a hard time and went back to church. My mum was going to a new church and I found it hard to make new friends all over again. Previously I had been going to a church for 11 years and in that time got to know the people around my age. I think my mum goes back there sometimes. These day her boyfriend and her just go to a small home group.
I still believe in God but I have the complication of being really into science, the type the church rejects.
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Post by verdandi on Jul 28, 2011 20:11:17 GMT -5
I haven't been in a church since I checked out a Unitarian church while with my ex - that was 1991? 1992?
Before that, it was my maternal grandfather's funeral in 1988.
I actually attended church a lot when I was a child on account of my mother requiring it. Being both hyperactive and autistic made it a bit of an adventure every time - I certainly did not love being in church. I used to take books with me to read during the service, but I wasn't able to get away with that very often.
I used to be a lot more religious than I am now, but I'm not particularly anti-religious, either.
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Post by pensieve on Jul 28, 2011 20:28:09 GMT -5
I used to throw toy cars down the aisle or flip them on the chair. Other times I would draw. I recall many times I fell asleep at church, so many time in fact that my mum bought a pillow and blanket for me.
Pentecostal churches are a bit more laid back about what bored children can get away with.
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Post by verdandi on Jul 28, 2011 21:56:58 GMT -5
Yeah, my mother was a Methodist. Seemed a bit more strict.
Incidentally, when they told me that the Communion was the body and blood of Jesus, it freaked me out. I thought those little bits of bread were literally pieces of human bone. I got over that with the "blood" as it was clearly grape juice when I actually drank it, but it took much longer for me to trust those little "wafers" (they were not like Catholic communion wafers at all).
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Post by Lydia on Jul 29, 2011 10:45:30 GMT -5
Speaking of childhood church experiences, when I was 2-3-4 I would have meltdowns because I wanted to "go swimming" in the water where they did the baptisms (they did immersion where we went, so it was a big thing of water).
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Post by pensieve on Jul 29, 2011 19:24:30 GMT -5
I had meltdowns because I was scared of people drowning in the baptism baths. I wonder if my fear of water came from there? My mum was actually baptised when she was pregnant with me so I felt the need to not get baptised. The good thing about not going to church is that no one can harass me to get baptised. They were relentless. I had more social pressure going to church than anywhere else. They were always urging me to give a testimony or read scriptures out loud when we used to...I don't even remember what it was called. Give thanks?
In the first church I went to communion wasn't allowed for kids. I had a similar amount of confusion about the body and blood of Christ.
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Post by tamsin on Jul 30, 2011 2:44:56 GMT -5
The last time I went to Church with my family I was 6 and I remember making an ice cream sundae with the other kids. I have gone to Church a few times over the years, but I always felt really awkward. The seats were uncomfortable, I was expected to sing along, and there were always too many people and it was really distracting 'cause whenever someone would move closer to me I would try to move away from them and if I couldn't it really bugged me. I really want to go back to Church but I don't know how I can handle it. And most of the Churchs I see are affiliated with a certain type of Christian (Baptist, Medothist, etc). It's hard to find a nondenominational Church. I wonder if there are such things as "autism friendly" Churches?
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Post by Lydia on Jul 30, 2011 16:57:53 GMT -5
There are no ASD-friendly churches around here. There is one service for autistic children about an hour away (of course it's for children, right?), but that's it. You could do some Googling to see what's in your area. I warn you, though, that most services/things aimed at people with autism are aimed at people who are the very lowest functioning, and you may feel even more out of place there than at a regular service.
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Post by pensieve on Jul 31, 2011 18:27:47 GMT -5
The most dreaded part of Church was after all the singing the speaker would say 'Now, let's turn around and greet one and other.' I would purposely just shake hands with someone I knew. Strangers always asked for hugs.
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Post by Lydia on Aug 1, 2011 9:50:12 GMT -5
Ahhh, I know, pensieve. Me, I just sit down and stare at the floor!
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