Tuesday, March 20, 2007

Canada prof surprised by 12-step religious content

Prof. Larry Moran in the Department of Biochemistry at the University of Toronto (photo) wrote in his blog that he read the articles about Alcoholics Anonymous in the March issue of Readers Digest (Canada) and then read the text of the twelve steps, and was "surprised at how religious AA must be. They must think that most alcoholics are Christians." This led to a lively exchange of comments, which see.

5 comments:

Patrick said...

The 12 Steps Down To Hell

I imagine 12 Step recovery programs are a slow slide into the jaws of Satan. I was involved with this evil “satanic cult” [AA] for over 30 years but was saved through the power of Jesus Christ. He directed me to a therapist who was into “real” recovery, not the mind destroying, soul destroying, cult, which is AA. I have met two Steppers recently & I imagine they are completely devoid of any emotion or insight. I feel pain because both these men are decent human beings but AA has destroyed their individuality & they have no idea how to relate apart from expounding AA propaganda. I imagine Hell to be a continuous flow of AA meetings without any light at the end of the tunnel because one never recovers'. I beg you people who are in 12 Step programs, to get out before it is too late.

How does one recover when one is handing one’s power over to AA. The 12 Steps were written out of Wilson’s head, he certainly didn’t get his guidance from the Bible. I imagine he was an agent of Satan & he & Smith’s “cult religion” has filled millions of Steppers with their anti - Christ propaganda.

Step Three of AA is "Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood him." While many in the Oxford Group placed their faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, there was much leeway given. Shoemaker, a leader of the Oxford Group, says, "The true meaning of faith is self-surrender to God." He further explains:
Surrender to whatever you know about Him, or believe must be the truth about Him. Surrender to Him, if necessary, in total ignorance of Him. Far more important that you touch Him than that you understand Him at first. Put yourself in His hands. Whatever He is, as William James said, He is more ideal than we are. Make the leap. Give yourself to Him.
Aside from capitalizing the "H," which Christians do to refer to the God of the Bible, "Him" could refer to any god of one’s own making [bedpan].

Can you see what is happening to you? Ask Jesus to take control of your lives, read the Bible & instead of 12 Step groups, go to Church. Burn your Big Book or use it as toilet paper. Can you see the difference: With The 12 Steps, you never recover but with John 3:16 you are guaranteed Eternal Salvation. The “ball is in your court”
Peace Be With You
Patrick
PS: I am a recovered alcoholic with over 22 years of sobriety.

Anonymous said...

XCLNT, Patrick!

So according to your written opinion it now all boils down to a battle-of-the-Gods... Satan versus God (I presume you refer to the Judeo-Christian definition of God).

But, if your scriptures state that God has all power, than exactly how much power will that leave for Satan?

Probably a proper rule of thumb is this:
I you're looking for a religion; go to church, if you're looking for sobriety try S.O.S. (or other secular recovery-initiative).
If you're looking for sobriety and don't mind constant referring to God AND if you're willing to (be lead to) believe that your addiction has ANYTHING to do with (lack of) religion, you give AA a try.

But perhaps it's best to not have anyone have you under their remote control. 'cause what again was the REAL purpose of organised religion???

Anonymous said...

I looked up the word cult recently and the meaning went something like this: "a body of people who are obliged to worship/deify a particular personality or idea." That, for me, sums up most religions, Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, Muslim, Buddhism and others, etc. Personally I struggle to see how it sums up the movement that started in 1935 in the USA and has helped millions of alcoholics to remain sober for years. Those millions of ex-alcoholics dont even all believe in the same thing, unlike if you walk into a church, mosque, synagogue or temple. If you ask several of those millions of ex-alcoholics how come they are sober today - they will all have immensely differing opinions and views unlike the religions of the world. If you ask the congregation of a church, synagogue, temple or mosque how their religion works - they insist that you follow and believe in their figurehead and will basically say the same thing. So it beats me how anyone can call Alcoholics Anonymous a cult and yet refuse to see the cult(ism) in all religions of the world and their deviations!

AB said...

Hi

Any program that makes use of Supernatural Beings, Powers or Doorknobs is religious and not just spiritual.

AA can say it is Spiritual but it can not say that is all it is and it it can not say that it is not religious.

The Foundations (primary texts) of AA even go further by often attacking the Character of the non-believer.

Anonymous said...

I went to AA for ten years, left for two years and then recently returned for about 2 months thinking there may be somthing there for me.

The dogma of AA systematically stripped me of my ability to see anything in life in a context other than the one continually preached and reinforced by the indoctinated members. (Indoctrinated members are anyone who's stayed there long enough to absorb the beliefs, often unconsciously)

AA is very insidious and intitially very subtle, people do not know what they are in for until they are dependant on the place because they are so terrorfied of drinking or dying or going crazy since they are not "on the program". (ie don't conform to the system)

I went into AA when I was 25 and this is the time when most people are doing the groundwork to establish themselves in life. Ie moving career wise or marrying and having children, buying property, studying etc. I now am 10 years behind in these areas and possibly 10 years behind in other developmental stages in life.

Basically I was told that none of this other stuff mattered just the carrots offered by the cult- sobriety, serenity, freedom (ironically).

Having left for 2 years has helped me get some common sense back. My recent return just made me see all the more clearly how many are brainwashed and unfortunately deluded in different degrees.

If anyone notices a discrepancy between what is promised and what actually occurs they are shamed and told they are not working the steps and are sick. If they see discrepancies in others of the same nature they are told they were damaged before they got there....etc etc

Wow what a muckpool of psychological disturbance.

If you weren't disturbed before you went to AA, you will be if you stay too long and lose yourself in it.