"This Says The Bibble."

     After watching the recent episodes of the lovely podcast Christianity On The Spectrum, I've been thinking theologically about my autism and ADHD.      For those who might not know me, hi! My name is Maria, I am a transfem Christian with fairly severe ADHD and ASD2. Unfortunately, I don't have a lot of the coping mechanisms my disabled peers have. I was told for most of my life, right up until I moved out very recently, that my disability was something I just have to overcome and ignore. This isn't a claim that my family was abusive, quite the opposite. I know they just wanted to see me happy and successful. Not to mention, I always had food on the table and a roof over my head, and for that I am endlessly grateful.      However, as I got older and realized that this disability is a part of me, and I saw how my inability to meet basic standards of performance was hurting my family, I asked: Am I lesser in the eyes of God?    Do ...

     I'll note that I unfortunately don't have access to Joe Rigny's book, "The Sin of Empathy: Compassion and its Counterfeits." I do have a lot of experiences with empathy, and I've read some interviews with him and other men of faith, both for and against empathy. So I hope I'm coming in with a more educated perspective than, "I feel this way." Myself and Empathy     I n all theology, we're putting ourselves, our values, and who we are as people on the table. I think it's only fair that I explain a bit about myself.      My name is Maria. I am a 21 year old transgender autistic woman. I was born and raised a Quaker, English and American Christians who believe the Light of God exists equally within all people. I have what my girlfriend describes as "low-empathy autism": when it comes to other people's suffering, I don't feel much of anything. I often see beggars on the streets of my city, or deathbeds in the hospital, ...