First of all, Einstein and Darwin were never evaluated for Aspergers, so whoever is projecting this data (and yes, I have seen it too) is doing so from pure speculation. Without an evaluation, this "diagnosis" is an assumption. Please give respect to these historical figures by disclosing that the next time you share this information.
Secondly, no. You have no romantic feelings for him and it is not your fault if he feels rejected. What's going to happen after a few months, hmm? You're going to have to tell him at some point that you are not interested in him and if you date him then you will hurt him even more because now he is convinced that you have feelings for him only to be told, after months of this belief, that you don't. He would take that much harder.
Tell your friend that you refuse to play games with him. He needs to learn how to deal with rejection and it is his responsibility to learn such skills. Dating him and then leaving him out of "sympathy" would be completely counter-intuitive to your cause.
It's called logic, and if your friend can't accept basic logic then I think that having a lonely autistic friend will be the least of her problems soon enough.
Secondly, no. You have no romantic feelings for him and it is not your fault if he feels rejected. What's going to happen after a few months, hmm? You're going to have to tell him at some point that you are not interested in him and if you date him then you will hurt him even more because now he is convinced that you have feelings for him only to be told, after months of this belief, that you don't. He would take that much harder.
Tell your friend that you refuse to play games with him. He needs to learn how to deal with rejection and it is his responsibility to learn such skills. Dating him and then leaving him out of "sympathy" would be completely counter-intuitive to your cause.
It's called logic, and if your friend can't accept basic logic then I think that having a lonely autistic friend will be the least of her problems soon enough.