Stephen J. Bedard > Quotes

“One of the most important truths about autism is that if you have met one person with autism, you have met one person with autism. Autism is a spectrum and people are at different points along that spectrum. If you know what to look for, it is clear that I have autism.               One”
― Stephen J. Bedard, The Autistic Pastor

“One of the things that was different was that I could not do anything in half-measures. If I was interested in something, I completely embraced it. For example, at some point I became interested in all things army. It probably started by watching war movies with my father.”
― Stephen J. Bedard, The Autistic Pastor

“I always felt that there was something different about me but I did not know what it was. I was socially awkward, friendship was difficult and I was envious of the way other people were able to interact.               For”
― Stephen J. Bedard, The Autistic Pastor

“After all, aren’t autistic people supposed to lack empathy? This is a common mistake. My children, who are both on the severe end of the spectrum, do not lack empathy. If anything, they are particularly sensitive to other people’s emotions. People with autism do have empathy, they sometimes just show it in different ways.               The fact is that I care about the people that I pastor. It is emotionally difficult when I lead funerals for people I have been in relationship with. I rejoice with people in good times and mourn with people in difficult times.               So”
― Stephen J. Bedard, The Autistic Pastor

“My strategy from the beginning was to operate in the area of my strengths and to look for ways to make up for my weaknesses. I think this is good for people of any career and for those with autism or those who are neuro-typical.               An”
― Stephen J. Bedard, The Autistic Pastor

“I have attempted to live our marriage according to rules. When Amanda tells me something, I file that away as a new rule to be followed. The problem is that her comments are not meant as rules but as expressions of how she is feeling at the moment. To me, it looked like the rules kept changing. To Amanda, relationships are not about rules. At first, I thought this was just a male-female thing, but after a while I was not so sure.               There”
― Stephen J. Bedard, The Autistic Pastor

“My doubts began with questions about heaven. Was there really a heaven? What would heaven look like for disembodied spirits without eyes? Would we know one another without brains and the memories that are contained within them? I found that the entire concept of heaven was too abstract and I was not able to comprehend it as a rational concept.”
― Stephen J. Bedard, The Autistic Pastor

“I was so different from other guys that there were not a lot of opportunities for me to date anyway. I thought I might be single for the rest of my life, but was later blessed to marry a wonderful woman who accepts me the way I am.  ”
― Stephen J. Bedard, The Autistic Pastor

“The first was reading the Bible for the first time. I always assumed that the Bible was only read at church. I never thought to pick up a Bible and just read it at home. The second part of my journey was some dramatic answers to prayer.”
― Stephen J. Bedard, The Autistic Pastor

“I do what I can and that is listen. As a person with autism, I don’t just pretend to listen. I really do care about what is happening in their life. I may not have all the answers but they may find that just voicing their situation helps. And of course, I always have the best resource, and that is prayer.               Does”
― Stephen J. Bedard, The Autistic Pastor