Autism in the church, again
Another post I read added at least two more thoughts to the discussion, but I still feel that it is a tough matter, that can’t be discerned from afar.
1. “If our children cannot find acceptance and tolerance in church, where would they ever find these? If they are not welcome in their Father’s house, where else would they be?”
2. “Allegedly, Adam had not only been disruptive, but violent as well. But you know what? My son can be that way, too. And given what we know of our son, given what we have learned from our years of living with and loving him, I still feel that he should NEVER ever be deprived of his chance to worship”
The first of these points is right on, and should be wholeheartedly supported. The second has serious issues. At the base of it is “Your right to extend your arm stops where it meets my face.” Somewhere between these two positions, a middle ground has to be found autistic people should be welcome in the church, and they frequently are not, but that doesn’t mean you should go over the top to the other side either. I note that the posts I saw that were most outraged about the church were made by people who claim to have autistic children themselves. Do they hold the position because they have more intimate knowledge of autism, or because they are a member of the set themselves? I am not trying to argue ad homiem, but am trying to see through all of the issues involved.
Additional thoughts
What if a naturalist came and charged that true worship should be done naked as Adam and Eve did? How about a holy roller in a catholic church? Where is the line between authentic enthusiastic worship and distraction to other people’s attempts to do so in their own way?
Love Love Love. All should be in love, but unfortunately, we’ve got Earth, Earth, Earth, so it’s a little tricky.