Has Alcoholics Anonymous Lost its way?

HAS ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS LOST ITS WAY?



I have been a member of Alcoholics Anonymous for 28 years. AA has become a worldwide and an American Institution. Treatment centers throughout the United States tout the 12 steps and Christian Churches in the USA provide meeting places for Alcoholics Anonymous. It is not polite to criticize AA. But countless American depend on AA and its teachings, so it is legitimate to ask “Has AA lost its Way ? ” I say it has.

Its not that there is anything wrong with the 12 steps. AA’s founder, Bill Wilson, rightly said that the principles of the 12 steps came from the bible. Consider what one early AA member had to say years ago:

One morning, after a sleepless night worrying over what I could do to straighten myself out, I went to my room alone-took my Bible in hand and asked Him, the One Power, that I might open to a good place to read-and I read. "For I delight in the law of God after the inward man. But I see a different law in my members, warring against the law of my mind and bringing me into captivity under the law of sin which is in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me out of the body of this death?" That was enough for me-I started to understand. Here were the words of Paul a great teacher. What then if I had slipped? Now, I could understand. From that day years ago, I gave, still give and always will give time everyday to read the word of God and let Him do all the caring. Who am I to try to run myself or anyone else?*

Times have changed since then. All references to the Holy Bible have been taken out of the later editions of the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous, and not by accident. But that’s not all.

AA has a tradition which states:

“No AA group or member should ever, in such a way as to implicate AA, express any opinion on outside controversial issues”

Despite this fact, AA has taken a position of subtly and not so subtly endorsing homosexuality. There are many examples but one will suffice. Contrast that previous statement by an early AA with this statement by a modern AA:

In A.A. today, I know sober leather fans, transvestites, and members of every other sexual group there is. But the only important thing here is that we are all human beings, all alcoholics, and all in A.A. together.*

The sad fact is that the Gay Rights movement has infiltrated Alcoholics Anonymous and its literature. Being Gay is equated with being Jewish, Black, or Native American on the Alcoholics Anonymous World Services Website: http://www.alcoholics-anonymous.org/english/E_Pamphlets/P-13_d1.html

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think Gays and Lesbians out to be excluded from AA, but only told that sin is sin. Anything less is a disservice to everyone, and contrary to the will of the Creator whose blessing we all seek.



AA has lost its way, and should promptly admit its wrong.



*The Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous, First edition

**My name is Padric, and I'm and Alcoholic (gay)



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