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Yteep
One of the earlier threads, an author brought up the secular anti-cult revolt. I did some researching and I found that the passage quoted was taken from "The Urantia Book", a book for humans supposedly channeled from aliens!

When I had first became aware of this subject, I thought that there were normal people who seriously believe secularism is a threat, but now I see that it's just the invention of another wacko religious group.

Check out "The Urantia Book -- Part IV. The Life And Teachings Of
Jesus" at [www.theoquest.com]

The Urantia Book Forward
In the minds of the mortals of Urantia -- that being the name of your world -- there exists great confusion respecting the meaning of such terms as God, divinity, and deity. Human beings are still more confused and uncertain about the relationships of the divine personalities designated by these numerous appellations. Because of this conceptual poverty associated with so much ideational confusion, I have been directed to formulate this introductory statement in explanation of the meanings which should be attached to certain word symbols as they may be hereinafter used in those papers which the Orvonton corps of truth revealers have been authorized to translate into the English language of Urantia.

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andychee
I quit drinking by faith but not in AA, and my church does'nt beleive in aliens ether.
In AA they attack you if you don't beleive on God, and if you do they say you're wrong about God.
I'll stick with the real Jesus, not some alien from another planet, thank you very much.

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James G
In order to determine whether an organisation is a cult or a so-called support group, one of the most important things to consider are the barriers to exit. AA sells itself as a fellowship of men and women that help each other stay sober but that is not strictly true. Only one of the steps mentions alcohol, however 6 of them mention or refer to God. AA tells us that this can be a God of our understanding, but regardless of what you may call your Higher Power, it is irrelevant because essentially what matters is that your Higher Power tells you to go to AA and do the Steps. AA won’t tell you what your Higher Power must be but it will make sure it tells you what your Higher Power wants. Once you accept that you are powerless in Step One, and you have handed your will and your life over to the care of God in Step Three, free will no longer exists. You cannot graduate from AA – in step 10 you are told you have to repeat the Steps 1 – 9 daily, and in Step 12 you are told to carry the message, or recruit more members to AA. AA is a rehash of the Oxford Group, which believed the individual was powerless full stop. Its leader, Frank Buchman, wanted to see a fascist dictator running the world in the way he believed God saw fit. AA also holds its co-founder, Bill Wilson, as an infallible guru, which would be in keeping with the vast majority of cults. (It is also interesting to note that Scientology also has its own ‘recovery’ program called Narconon.)

If AA did not instil the belief in newcomers that it has the only solution to the problem of alcoholism or addiction, then that would go someway to dispel these concerns. However, due to its Traditions, change cannot happen and the program is seen as flawless which is backed up by the slogan, ‘The program knows everything, you know nothing.’ Going back to the barriers to exit point, if AA tells people it is the only way and you have to go to meetings and work the steps for the rest of your life, where is the choice? [i:82c3ef745c]In the 12 Steps and 12 Traditions [/i:82c3ef745c]Bill Wilson even goes so far as to say:

[i:82c3ef745c]“Unless each A.A. member follows to the best of his ability our suggested Twelve Steps to recovery, he almost certainly signs his own death warrant. His drunkenness and dissolution are not penalties inflicted by people in authority; they result from his personal disobedience to spiritual principles.”[/i:82c3ef745c] (Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, Bill Wilson, page 174.)

I think that speaks for itself – do it our way or die… may as well put a gun to someone’s head. Anyone who goes to AA will either go there, or be sent there, to deal with their drinking problems, but they will soon find themselves embroiled in a program of conversion designed to get the newcomer to believe in Bill Wilson’s and Frank Buchman’s way of life.

Kind regards,

J a m e s G
Founder of Blamedenial.co.uk