Fundies "cure" autistic boy

[Elok]

Originally posted by Narz
People always want an easy cure.
Autism really is curable though. I spent my summer at the Option Institute where the founders, Barry Neil Kauffman and his wife cured their "incurable" son from Autism. He's now one of the teachers there and a really friendly and funny guy.
- Narz

Uh, no. Just plain wrong. Autism isn't one of those mental disorders caused by your parents playing the drums on your head when you're a baby. It has either a genetic component or a VERY deeply rooted environmental component, and hence can't be "cured." The individual you refer to either was misdiagnosed as an autistic, was mildly autistic(i.e. Asperger's Syndrome) and learned to cope and hide it like the rest of us, or is under the influence of some extremely powerful and heretofore unknown drugs. Severe cases of autism, like the boy in this case, can only be trained to communicate with the world through signals, and remain deeply uncomfortable with human society. This poor kid was probably wigging out like all hell with all those people crowding him. Wouldn't be surprised to learn that it was the fright that killed him. Manslaughter plain and simple.

[Odin]

Fundie should be sterilized, they don't deserve kids if they are going to treat them like that.

Autism is genetic, BTW. I am a High-functioning Autistuc (Asperger's Syndrome).

That priest should rot in a cell for the rest of his life!

Religion Must be Destroyed!!!

[Sava]

[Urban Ranger]

Originally posted by Japher
Whatever happened to true separation of church and state?

That would mean any religion cannot operate in the state.

[st_swithin]

Bad Religion!! BAD!!!!

[Geronimo]

Although autism can't yet be 'cured' it is possible for people with full blown cases of autism to adapt and cope so well that it is no longer even obvious that they are profoundly autistic. This is extremely rare however and seems to be a unique adaptation in each case. Probably the best known example of a person with full blown autisim adapting to such a degree is Temple Grandin who has a Phd and a successful career. Here's a couple links regarding her work and how her autisim effects her perception of the world.

http://www.grandin.com/ (mostly about her career)

http://www.grandin.com/inc/visual.thinking.html (mostly about the consequences of the autism)

[Narz]

Autism is curable, as is cancer and any other disease you set your mind to cure. You can tell me I'm wrong but my eyes don't lie. Order the book "Son Rise" from Amazon.

[Japher]

That would mean any religion cannot operate in the state.

works for me

[Buck Birdseed]

Originally posted by Elok
Wouldn't be surprised to learn that it was the fright that killed him.

Which is what they suspected immediately, but which the autopsy revealed to be utter bollocks since the cause of death was heavy pressure on the chest cavity.

[Elok]

I didn't say that it was the case, I was just saying the poor kid was probably freaking out.
While cancer can apparently be "fought," and delayed for a considerable period of time by maintaining a positive outlook, you can't beat it by sheer will power. Cancer is a cluster of cells growing too fast, ignoring the body's commands to stop, and optimism only helps your body fight it off some. Sunny thoughts can't actually destroy the tumor. That's what the chemo is there for.
Similarly, autism CANNOT be "cured" because it isn't a simple error in thinking, or even a complex one for that matter. Autism spectrum disorders affect the entire way you perceive and understand the world around you, and as such are hardwired into your consciousness. Suggesting that it can be cured by therapy makes no more sense than if you were to say that you can talk me out of color-blindness. Even if it were possible to do so, it would be practically impossible for this case, because true autistics of the kind the fundies were trying to cure(not aspies like me or Odin) have about the same social skills and language comprehension as a two- or three-year-old. In other words, they behave as though retarded, though they may actually have relatively high intelligence in non-verbal areas and be unable to express it. The therapist would have to shout, "Not talking bad! Talk more! Talk make mommy happy!" in the kid's face and hope he would understand. It just wouldn't work.
Looking at the link, Dr. Grandin seems to be a HFA or aspie(asperger's syndrome), again like me or Odin. She might be a slightly more serious case, but certainly she's not even as severe a case as Rain Man, let alone a full autistic.

[Chemical Ollie]

Originally posted by Narz
Autism is curable, as is cancer and any other disease you set your mind to cure. You can tell me I'm wrong but my eyes don't lie. Order the book "Son Rise" from Amazon.

Will that book cure cancer?

[Geronimo]

She would only ever be considered HFA after the fact given what she has accomplished. Certainly nobody would have dreamed of diagnosing her as high functioning autistic in her early childhood.

[Kuciwalker]

Originally posted by Narz
Autism is curable, as is cancer and any other disease you set your mind to cure. You can tell me I'm wrong but my eyes don't lie. Order the book "Son Rise" from Amazon.

Yes, believe in the power of your dreams, and anything is possible

[Proteus_MST]

In Germany our last Case of Exorcism was in 1976.
Victim was a 23 year old female Student of Education and Theology.
She suffered from Epilepsy and so her religious catholic Parens believed that she was possessed.
So they called two Priests of their town to carry out the great Exorcism (the Rituale Romanum) on their daughter and they did so (I don´t know if Anneliese Michel [which is the Name of the daughter]) participated in the Exorcism on her own free will or if she was forced by her Parents and the Priests.
The Result, however, as fatal.
The Priests carried out the Exorcism (I don´t know what eactly hey did) for several days (or even weeks, I don´t know exactly how long) till the day when she died of Malnutrition.

The Parents and Priests were found guilty of manslaughter and they all were put on a suspended sentence of 6 months (i.e. they weren´t even put in jail). I think (and hope) if such a Death by Exorscism would happen today all Participants would get a much higher sentence (fter all I talk about something whic happened back in 1976)
You can find religious pages in the Internet, where people think that the Parents and Priests of Anneliese Michel did nothing wrong and that the girl was realy possesed and in the end died out of her ree will, so that other people don´t have to sufffer from her Demons.

For example (but in German)

http://www.anneliese-michel.de.ms/

From this page (translated):

About 13 years after the second (Vatican) Council in the midst of germany a yong catholic girl underwent a terrible Martyrdom because of her demons and, in the end, sacrificed her own life, so that other people would be spared of the terrible fate of Damnation.
.
.
.
During her life Anneliese Michels was possessed from several Demons which became clear not befoe the last years of her life. So, after a long delay, Dr. Stangl, the Bishop of Würzburg, approved the Exorcism, i.e. the Prayer to drive the Demons out ans send out the Salvatorian Pater, Superior Arnld Rentz, who was Vicar of Rück-Schippppach at the time, to do so...
The Demons faked several diseases since her childhood which was the reason that at first nobody noticed or even suspected she was possessed. ...

The Article goes on with stating that it were the Demons wich prevented that she ate and so they were the ones glty of her eath ad not the Priests and hat she voluntarily unerwent exorcism, because she recognized on her own, that it were demons which causes her illnesses.
It also states, that this Exorcism is a clear proof of the Existence of Heaven and Hell and that it is a pity that there are to date so few Priests around to warn people of the Real existence of Lucifer.


Reminds me of Jack Chick
It´s really scary to read about the Opinions some people have

[Rogan Josh]

Originally posted by MrFun
Nah -- there are too many white fundamentalists focused on the evil people in the world called homosexuals.

I find it somewhat ironic that you believe it is OK to condemn 'fundys', but it is not OK for 'fundys' to condemn homosexuals.

Take for example:

Originally posted by Odin
Religion Must be Destroyed!!!

What would have been your reaction if this had said: 'Homosexuality Must be Destroyed!!!'??

Edit: Of course, I mean this in general terms. The 'priest' in this incident should go to prison.

People on this forum have a tendancy to make offensive links between religious people in general and weirdos like this guy. Look at the pedophile priest who was recently 'shanked' for example. Just because he was an evil man does not (and should not) imply anything about priests in general or about religious people in general. After all, he was also a homosexual - but no-one would dare link his homosexuality to his crimes....