For many autistic young people, religious life is primarily intellectual—not social or emotional. At school I had no interest in religious education. I couldn't see how belief in God or a religious life could sustain people through daily existence, since God was not something I could see, hear, or touch. The religious arguments I read or heard meant nothing to me.
Everything changed when I discovered the work of G.K. Chesterton, an English journalist who wrote extensively in the early twentieth century about his Christian faith.
(…) The concept of the Trinity—a God who is a living, loving relationship—was something I could visualize and that made sense to me. I was also fascinated by the idea of God's incarnation, God revealing himself to the world in a tangible, human way through Jesus Christ. Yet it wasn't until I was 23 that I decided to take catechism classes. I wasn't interested in prayer as a guide for living, or in other people's experiences. I wanted answers to my questions. Fortunately, Chesterton answered all of them through his books. At Christmas 2002, I became a Christian.
Autism means I don't always understand what others think or feel in certain situations. For this reason, my moral values rest more on logical ideas that make sense to me—ideas I have reflected on deeply—than on the example of others. I know I must treat every person I meet with kindness and respect because I believe each one is unique and made in the image of God.
I don't go to church often because I feel uncomfortable in crowds. Though I do love church architecture—the complexity and beauty of it, and especially that sense of space above me when I look up at the ceiling. As a child, I loved listening to the psalms and hymns. My favorite was always the Ave Maria. The moment I heard it, I felt completely held and wrapped in music.
Some of my favorite stories come from the Bible—David and Goliath, for instance. Many of these stories use imaginative, symbolic language that lets me visualize the scenes, and that helps me understand the rest. I like many passages from Scripture, but the one I return to most is Paul's letter to the Corinthians on charity.
Daniel Tammet
(excerpt from his memoir "Born on a Blue Day") Ombres et Lumière n. 189