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Know About Knowledge

  • Posted on February 4, 2010

Growing up spiritually constantly reveals mistakes made from ignorance. Revelations affect one’s existing knowledge. If there is no spiritual maturing process going on, acquired knowledge is mainly used for regurgitation and/or is kept covert for gaining power. It doesn’t change the being of an individual. He may think he possesses an education, but in reality it’s him who is being possessed (controlled) by it.

When there is a spiritual maturing process happening, the one whom it’s happening to cannot remain unchanged. Knowledge begins to have a metamorphic effect if the person will take hold of it for thinking how to use it for God’s will being done through him. One’s conscience is limited by the knowledge he has of the bible. The less knowledge a saved person has of the bible, the more other knowledge dangerously puffs up his pride.

In the minds of false Christians, knowledge of the bible can be a weapon of attack used on non-believers. They act like god and think it’s their job to change others to be like them.

A true Christian minds his own business and knows that the things to ‘fix’ are not external.¹ Good works (e.g., feeding the hungry) and bad works (e.g., lying) are not always dependable indicators of whether or not someone is saved, because what is seen can be temporary and/or manipulated.

When God tells us we can know others by their fruit, He is referring a person’s overall disposition. We all have different moods that change like the weather, but each of us have characters that remain generally consistent. We live with our own unique and delicate ecosystem. Some are barren like a dry desert where life isn’t as easy to spot. Others are like a lush rain forest that’s noisy with life.

Anybody can work on looking like a good person to others. That’s something controllable. If it wasn’t so, we wouldn’t have social services, therapy groups, psychologists, etc. What we can’t control is what’s inside the heart. We’re all born in sin. That’s why there is such a high failure rate to permanently rehabilitate criminals, addicts, etc. Just because one addiction may end (e.g., alcohol) does not mean it couldn’t have been replaced by another dependency (e.g., AA).

Only when the dependency becomes solely upon God is there a successful change to the being of an individual.

An example how education has become a god is when people refuse to accept others the way they are and think that others should be like them. Non-Christians complain about Christians proselytizing, but yet they can’t see how they’re doing the same thing by acting like the world would be a better place without Christians. Neurotypicals want to change Aspies, but yet they can’t see how much of their traits annoy Aspies.

The definition of worship is to serve. If education wasn’t worshipped, people would stop being servants to it. Knowledge per se isn’t bad. It becomes corrupt in the minds of those whose hearts are proud.

I’m beginning to suspect it’s because of pride that I was trying so hard to keep up with editing my posts whenever I noticed improvements were in order. A voracious thinker is bound to encounter a lot more changes in perception of theories than someone who doesn’t analyze material to the same level of intensity, especially when under the influence of the Holy Spirit.

A wise man admits being capable of making mistakes, but it’s foolish to be fanatically trying to be flawless to please those who think they’re already flawless.

The fruit of fool who thinks he knows himself is seen by how he looks down upon others as being inferior to himself. No matter how educated or how much knowledge any of us hold, we’re all idiots in the eyes of our creator. Thinking that we can compare ourselves to others only proves how little we know.

I’m not going to jump from the frying pan of analyzing myself into the fire of someone else analyzing me. I hope I’ve been on the heat of God’s flames long enough to finally evaporate sufficiently to end a long-time bad habit.

¹In a “Christianized” country like America where bibles, the internet, radio, television, telephone, and printed media abound as resources for those who seek how to become saved, the Christian’s business is to be ready to give an answer to those who seek the gospel. In the regions of the world where the the gospel has not yet been preached (i.e., heard or known about), Christians are to spread the word. When it comes to a place where either could be the case (as is the world wide web), Christians should both preach the word and be ready to give an answer to those who genuinely seek God. Giving an answer doesn’t mean arguing. It means guiding others to Christ. God draws His elect towards Him. Those who aren’t attracted to what Christians have online don’t have to read it, but they also have no right to deny others from reading it who may want to.

A Christian’s business is to be working on ‘fixing’ his internal sins. Those are the hidden abominations. Examples are: envy, deceit, backbiting, coveting, maliciousness, fornication, pride, gossiping, implacability, breaking promises, being spiteful, unmerciful, etc.

Potential Life Altering Accident

  • Posted on January 18, 2010

Late in the afternoon of last Saturday on the 16th, something happened to me physically that was an accident. I’ve been under more than my usual amount of stress and was suffering back into severe insomnia. That combination causes me to be functioning without thinking what I’m doing. All that I’m willing to say about the details of this incident, which I pray to God that the consequences will not be permanent and that the pain will go away, is that it’s related to a very dangerous chemical.

It’s something that would naturally upset anyone’s emotions if it were to happen to them. In my case, a thing like this can create a challenge for me to be able to focus with both eyes open on things. Plus, it can destroy my confidence in what I’m doing, especially in situations where I’m being social with another person (since that’s probably the area of my life I have the least amount of confidence to begin with). I thought it wouldn’t be a problem that could also affect what I do online when writing a post for my blog because of not having to hear a person’s voice, see someone, or correspond if I’m not up to it. I was wrong about that.

Yesterday I impulsively wrote a post thinking that it would help to relieve some of my anxiety that’s been built to a meltdown point.¹ What I learned instead is that it actually added to my tension. That’s why I removed it before I went to bed last night. I figured I could put it back after having some sleep.² I woke up this morning with a new insight from my caring and understanding daughter (who I trust because of her comforting and secure faith in God) lovingly gave to me last night.

I created this blog almost two years ago on the 24th of a January. What has been happening without my realizing it as time has gone by is how wrong it is to believe that using a blog is always a reliable form of therapy. I won’t discriminate blogging in this regard. The same thing can just as well happen with knitting, art, music, exercise, etc. when God loses His rightful place. I recently said to an Aspie friend of mine, “If we seek from others what only God alone can give, that is lust and it works like, ‘I must have this at once, I cannot wait for God’s time, God is too indifferent.’” That statement about lust can be equally true when said, “If we seek from activities what only God alone can give, that is lust and it works like, ‘I must have this at once, I cannot wait for God’s time, God is too indifferent.’”

I am too exhausted now to know what else to say and need time to recover from my injury. A wonderful comfort is knowing Romans 8:28, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”  I’m also going back to 1 Corinthians 2:2 and being thankful for God’s never ending perfect love.

¹Meltdowns are a common risk among Asperger individuals that can have a snowball effect if not taken care of properly.

²At this time, I don’t know if I will put the post entitled, “Mean it but not mean…” back in place or not.

Those Who Have It Don’t Get It

  • Posted on October 7, 2008

Those who have more money (usually the white-collar workers) or someone else’s money to spend (e.g., government controlled health insurance), don’t seem to know how some of us on the other side think.

I’m not complaining about having less money to spend than others or about not having man’s health insurance (God’s plan isn’t corrupted). I am actually quite thankful for my lot in life. The Prayer of Agur¹ might not be popular, but what can you expect when there are more fools than wise men?

I’m reading Michael John Carley’s book Asperger’s from the Inside Out. Like most books, it needs to be read cautiously. I can understand why he says what he does. Most Aspies would think and feel like he does, but not all do. I won’t get into every part of his book where I deviate, but I will bring up one statement though. It bugs me whenever I see subjective claims being expressed as objective ones. Here is an example:

I agree, support groups can create good feelings. I don’t agree with Carley’s blanket statement (on page 54) that Aspies need individualized therapy. Aspies can want this and maybe non-Christian Aspies do need it, but he should not speak for me. God only knows what I need and He always faithfully reveals it to me. When other agents enforce upon me what it is they think I need, they create problems in my life and then leave me to clean up the mess.

Whenever people corral others into their penned opinion, they can cause problems for those who are of a different herd. What makes this especially upsetting is the problem behind who gets to decide who are the appropriate therapists.² Yes, people get to choose their therapists, doctors, dentists, etc. (usually, but not always!). But… politics get the upper hand behind the scene. [Look at how the government's schools deal with issues they won't admit being unable to handle.] Laws get made like the Senate bill 6527-B, which directs the Commissioner of Heath to establish best practice protocols for the early screening of children for autism spectrum disorders (this was passed on July 27, 2008). I don’t know about anybody else, but to me, I see a lot of loop-holes here and vagueness that opens the door wide for people (who love money) to use people. Add to that potential chaos, misdiagnoses and hastily prescribed meds.³ What if it can be proven later that Aspergers does not belong on the Autism Spectrum and Aspie children are forced into the same treatment mold as Autie children?…then what? The repercussions could be enormous.

I can see that those (e.g., psychologist) who have it (i.e., money) don’t get it (comprehend) when you try to tell them you can’t afford to pay them what they are asking for. Usually they want $100 an hour, but they may settle for $40 instead if they think they’re not going to get the amount they’d like. That’s fine, but what isn’t okay is to assume that $40 a week (how many weeks is enough?) wouldn’t be missed from the ‘grocery’ money. Only the people living in the household know if $40/wk would be cutting into the entrée rather than desserts. It’s not for someone else to decide.

I know some (maybe all?) of what I’ve said here will be taken the wrong way, but I can’t do anything about that. To whoever may be upset by my words, I don’t mean to step on your toes. However, keep in mind I have just as many toes as any other person and they have feelings too.

¹Proverbs 30:7-9,
“Two things have I required of thee; deny me them not before I die:
Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me:
Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the LORD? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.”

²Those who know the blessings learned in Psalm 1:1→ “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly.” ← would not find appropriate therapy in humanistic psychology for their life… useful information yes, therapy no.

³Long-term effects will reveal mistakes when the pharmaceutical industry doesn’t want to.

Problem Solving

  • Posted on April 25, 2008

Before I might possibly give the wrong impression of Tony Attwood’s book, “The Complete Guide to Asperger’s Syndrome,” I need to point out that this book is so far one of the best ones available for explaining Asperger’s. I don’t expect anything as complex as Asperger’s to be able to be explained perfectly, but what should be achieved is doing so without creating more confusion.

I’m going to address the section Problem Solving in Chapter 9 that explains about the cognitive abilities of Asperger’s people. He is quite accurate in saying that, “Adults with Asperger’s syndrome may be famous (or notorious) for being an iconoclast and rejecting popular beliefs and conventional wisdom.” He suggests that teachers encourage AS children “to consider conventional strategies first.”

What Mr. Attwood said next is what causes confusion: “It is important to encourage flexibility in thinking and this can start at an early age.” I get the idea of what he is thinking, but when he goes on with his suggestions as to what games to play with AS children, he begins to contradict what he is saying. There is absolutely NO need for an adult to play the game of “What else could it be?” with an AS child. Aspies have excellent creative and imaginative powers. They make the best inventors!

An AS child (just like an AS adult) will be misjudged as being close-minded in regards to new ideas. That’s only an illusion. AS people usually ’see’ conventional strategies immediately. The difference is that Aspies often times ‘know’ there is a better way to solve problems. Novel problem solving should be encouraged — always! Being close-minded is what happens AFTER the mind has been opened to suggestions. The problem is that the time period of being open-minded can be so brief and invisible that others don’t even know that the conventional strategies have already come and gone through the AS mind. In fact, I would bet that even many Aspies don’t even realize it since it’s so automatic.

The whole problem with books is that they tend to neglect the workable solutions. Teachers and parents may want AS children (and AS adults) to do things in a conventional fashion that typical children (and NT adults) follow. It makes sense when schools are like assembly line factory institutions for traditional education methods, BUT it makes NO sense for AS students!

The potential that AS students have cannot even begin to be tapped into in an environment that’s geared for neurotypical learners. The mentality behind NTs in charge is to force AS people to change as much as possible to fit into the ways that the rest of the world operates. AS students need much more than a ’special ed’ classroom. Aspies need their own school systems. Ideally the best place for most Aspies to learn presently is at home; to be taught by their parents — NOT by any government funded agency!

The experts love to say Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is the most comprehensive and most effective intervention for young children. That claim may be true according to their subjective, relative, and opinionated statement. BUT that doesn’t necessarily make it true in the objective, absolute, and factual reality. Basically ABA is like dog training in that good behavior is rewarded while bad behavior is “corrected.” To me, I don’t see this method of therapy being any different than brainwashing techniques that cults use. I know I sound harsh, but I have good reason to feel as I do, especially knowing what I now know.

For adults, the experts have created Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT). This is a step above ABA in that at least CBT respects the thought process involved behind behavior. Even though CBT is based on the idea that our thoughts cause our feelings and behaviors (rather than external things, like people, situations, and events), the potential for ‘mind control’ still remains. The outcome for both types of therapy totally depend on both the coach and the trainee.

I am ever so thankful I never allowed myself to get trapped too long by any psychologist and that I learned to educate myself in this area. I know without any doubt that I could never be as content as I am today if I had compromised my standards by giving in to what the experts thought was best for me. I never did think any psychologist or psychiatrist displayed enough logic to match my own when it comes to psychological behavior. I always knew it was time for me to exit while possible whenever I’d notice irritation starting to crop up from my, “If that’s so, then how come . . . ?” questions. I will even go so far as to say that it happens way too many times when a person gets more insane by going to mental health.

There are some good psychologist out there, but the more disordered you’re conned into thinking you are, the more likely you’re going to be vulnerable to becoming messed up by the authoritarian text-book psych docs in the long run.

The best solution for solving any problem is always the same → think for yourself and do NOT let someone else think for you!

Medicine Matters

  • Posted on March 14, 2008

Comment by lastcrazyhorn submitted on March 28, 2008:

Medicine primarily helps treat the comorbid symptoms like concentration and anxiety issues. The rest, you can get help for via various therapists. A lot of Aspies have speech problems, periodically speaking too fast, too slow, too loud, mumbling, stuttering, etc. Occupational and Physical therapists help with the bad coordination and lack of body awareness. Music and art therapists help primarily with the emotional and social aspects; however, they also do some speech and physical therapy via music.

I’m on anti-anxiety meds and they have virtually changed my life. However, meds haven’t been tested on kids that young; so I’m always a little anxious when parents start doing meds on younger kids; ESPECIALLY if they start mixing psychotropic drugs. Those haven’t been tested together and sometimes result in really strange things.

My reply I commented with on that same day:

I have no doubt meds change a person’s life. If people didn’t notice any positive return from taking them, the pharmaceutical industry would not be doing so great.

The reason I said meds are very dangerous was because I was thinking about how subtle and slow the other effects come about. The younger the person is, the more vulnerable he will be (in more ways than one). When I’m talking about observing people on drugs, I’m talking about long periods of time — as in decades.

I’ve learned a lot from one psychopharmacologist who is absolutely brilliant in his field, but unless a person ’stumbles’ upon such a character, you’re most likely not going to sample such different insights.

Maybe I wouldn’t be such a anti-med person if I wasn’t as familiar with the way that people think who are in this business. Not everyone in it is ‘bad.’ Most do want to do good. But the way they’re going about it is crazy and irresponsible! Just look at all the advertisements lawyers dole out for their services as they wait for the aftermath.

The biggest factor why I stay far away from what comes out of pharmaceutical labs is something I will not mention here. Besides that, there is no way for me to explain it to others without them first reaching a certain level of another type of awareness. It’s not my responsibility to explain and it’s not even something I have the power to do.

I’m just thankful that everyone can still have a choice to do what they want. I don’t want ‘meds’ and I can’t help but feel bad for children who are not given a choice. When society has no problem with murdering unborn children, I’m sure most have no problem with using children for experiments either.

When it’s a known fact there is absolutely no other alternative, then yes . . . there is a time and purpose for every drug. The user should have the last say so, but not the abuser.

Working or Playing?

  • Posted on January 30, 2008

People who judge faster than they think are not going to be able to see how the way I use my blog makes my life more productive and efficient. My blog is neither work nor play. For me, it is a tool. Just like there is an endless variety of tools, so too the kind of blogs people create.

Learning as much as I can to make a blog serve my purpose in an ideal manner was work. Work is activity directed toward making or doing something. I had a goal to achieve. If I didn’t have a goal with a valid reason (of which I’m the only one qualified to judge between what’s a valid reason versus an excuse) for what I do and how I do it, then that would be different.

To judge someone’s way of being without having lived that person’s life, makes one a fool. For fools who think this blog was created for play and by playing, allow me to fine-tune your misguided thoughts. Recreation would be what comes to your minds. Recreation is an activity that refreshes and recreates; an activity that renews your health and spirits by enjoyment and relaxation; something that diverts or amuses or stimulates.

Consider this for an example: People go to school to learn how to use what’s out there in the world for the purpose of finding some activity that will enrich their lives. Is this educational process play? Can the end result provide some benefits that enable recreational activity periodically?

Granted, I know most people have trouble to understand how a blog like mine improves its author’s life. Their first thought is, “What a waste of time, and for what?” Then the next thing which comes to their mind is, “Why not keep things simple, especially when life is complicated enough today?” Almost always the same question comes back to me, “Why don’t you just use e-mail like everybody else?!?”

How long will it take for people to learn I’m not like everybody else?!? I can’t even explain myself in such a way that others are able to understand. It’s like a tomato in a garden trying to explain something to a lobster in the ocean, except that I look like a human being as much as anyone else does. Maybe if I physically looked as different from the human race as my neurological operating system of my brain is, then I wouldn’t be faced with so many irritating situations?

That being said, I must clarify I’m as human as anyone else when it comes to the nature God gave us all. I can empathize like others do, but probably in a different way that ends up causing people to misjudge me. In some ways and situations, with certain people, there may not even be any noticeable difference between how I am compared to others.

So, what’s the bottom line? My blog tool is like a mental chiropractor for me. It keeps me adjusted and in good health while living in the type of world we’ve got. How in God’s creation can a highly-complex thinker function in an environment that prefers to keep things simple? They learn to create bridges such as this blog is for me.

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