Alcoholics Anonymous, Christ, and Recovery



Posted: Tuesday, November 10, 2009

by
Dick B.

It's a tough road these days for the Christian leaders, scholars, and afflicted dealing with the recovery community. They are pelted with critics who claim Alcoholics Anonymous is a cult, is "not of the Lord," is psychoheresy, and is the product of spiritualism.

What these folks need is a very clear, accurate, report on where A.A. came from, what its Original program was, and why it succeeded.

As long as Christians and those in need of God's help are diverted from what they want--God's help--it is easier and easier for anti-A.A. writers to paint any and every N.A., A.A., Christian in recovery, and Christian recover leader as a participant in a cult, as having dubious Christian understanding, as being led by a group of spiritualists, and as a believer in light bulbs, higher powers, and false gods.

People in recovery come in hurting. If they hear absurd talk of A.A.'s emerging from a Nazi cult, a spiritualist nut, an auto-writing effort, they will spend more of their time and confused minds pondering what kind of an outfit they have associated with.

I don't think it is amiss to make some simple points for those who have become afflicted with alcoholism and addiction, who have found them selves in unbelievable self-destructive problems, and who hurt so badly they just want love--the love of God.

This they will have a chance of seeking if they learn that A.A. sprang from Christian origins, that it was originally a Christian fellowship, and that reliance on the power of God through Christ is what produced the original documented 75% to 93% success rate. They also need to recognize that the fellowship as a whole today--in fact, the entire recovery community--are permeated with people of all religious beliefs and often of no belief whatever.

AAs today can learn their Christian roots if they wish. They can seek God if they wish. They can accept Christ if they wish. And they don't have to buy into nonsense gods and higher powers that are rocks if they don't want to.
Richard G. Burns, J.D., uses the pen name Dick B.; he is a writer, historian, retired attorney, Bible student, CDAAC, and recovered AA. He has published 39 titles on the biblical roots and Christian Fellowship of early A.A.

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