Why do I have a personal bias against it?
That's just the way it seems to me.
Aren't I as capable as anyone else as making a decision based on the facts?
Sure but your decision is not a fact.
Proponents of the theory may say that there stance is logical, does that mean that they have a personal bias toward it?
Yes there is bias either way. Absolute belief or disbelief in something indicates bias.
There are many who are seeking financial compensation from vaccine manufacturers.
There's two sides to this. There are those wanting to sue these drug companies but these very companies are also looking after their own interests by dismissing these claims.
If you don't believe that the moon in made of cheese, is that a bias? You can absolutely disbelieve something that you feel has no credibility, does that make it a bias?
Not in the true sense of the word.
I knew you would respond with something like this. I didn't mean ridiculous examples like these. I meant absolute belief or disbelief in theories not myths or superstitions. The belief that the moon is made out of cheese hase been proven to be false so it is not a theory.
The absolute belief or disbelief in the theory of evolution is more of what I had in mind. There are those, some on this forum who absolutely believe it is the truth and creationists who vehemently deny it. Then there are those who don't believe absolutely either way and are open to new ideas and evidence. These are the unbiased people.
According to some mercury is 100% the cause of autism, and they believe that autism does not exist, does that mean that autism is a myth?
One specific group that calls autism itself a myth is generation rescue.
They feel that it has been proven beyond any doubt.
No it doesn't mean autism is a myth. It means they are biased in their beliefs. Again I'm not argueing either for or against the mercury theory. I just want to know the reasons behind all the bias on both sides.
Isn't this whole thing just another example of whipped-up hysteria by the mass media? I would certainly be sceptical of this new theory about what causes autism and still think it is a genetic condition more than anything else.
ASman, I'm sorry and think what I said might have come across the wrong way. What I meant was that this mercury business was whipped up hysteria and not that AS people were being treated badly.
Coming from Australia, I'm not aware of a lot of the things happening in the US and UK, but I'm certainly not saying that parents and AS people should be mistreated.
I'm just sceptical of the claims in the media that mercury causes AS. To the best of my knowledge, it is genetic but might certainly be worsened by poor environments. The toxic effects of ignorance and prejudice would be foremost amongst these.
I agree - some parents are too rigid in their expectations. Ironically, we Aspies are often told we are too rigid in our expectations. I must admit though, it really throws me out when things don't go the way they usually do. Usually, I can cope with one little change in routine, but if other changes happen too, it can soon get hard to handle.
I certainly got worse after having a severe attack of measles at age 5, but don't think it caused the Aspergers. It seemed to cause a change in my personality and I became much more timid and easily upset and this has carried on to the present day.
I heard about this awhile back and something i read recently caused me to recall it. There use to be a hype about Alzheimer's being causes by mercury poisoning too! The people who believed it said it was caused by mercury found in some dental fillings.
Guess what? Some of the people behind that theory are now the very same ones who now believe that autism is caused by mercury poisoning! :roll:
What will they blaim mercury on next? The common cold? Headaches? :roll:
"What will they blaim mercury on next? The common cold? Headaches?"
I heard it caused 'media hype'....must some new kind of illness... :wink:
So 'media hype' isn't genetic? Phew. Lets give the people surfering from 'media hype' a detoxifing treatment so they can be cured of this horrorably devasting disease, before it becomes an epidemic! :wink:
I believe mercury poisoning can be caused by thimerosal, if there is a sensitivity. So if a parent gives their child chelation therapy, they will be cured - hooray! The mercury poisoning has been "fixed." Congratulations all around.
I believe AS/autism is genetic. My 11yo son is aspie. I am aspie. My 69yo father is clearly aspie, though he probably never heard of the word. My grandmother, who died in 1985, was clearly aspie (I knew her very well for 22 years), and I know she never heard of it.
Can't blame thimerosal in this family.
I don't believe in the thimerosal theory because it defies logic and it doesn't explain very well why it seems to run familes, several older members in my family were never given any vaccines when they were young and still they have some highly characteristic AS traits.
However, should they present hard evidence which proves this theory instead of "media hyped anecdotal evidence" then I'm willing to re-evaluate my belief regarding this matter.