Beyond AA

"aa won't ...........keep you from going to hell.............nor is it a ticket to heaven............but it will...........keep u sober long enough.........for you to make up your mind...............which way you want to go! "--From the AA Canada.com website


Ive always said there is some value to AA, It is true that some people get sober. However, most fair minded people would acknowledge that being sober is not the same as being right with God.
And some of AA's teachings are good. Why wouldnt they be? They were lifted directly out of the Bible.

However modern AA has problems also. Does any fair minded person think that the early religious promoters of AA would endorse gay AA meetings? Most Christians denominations still consider it sin (except the apostate ones) . An organization which is accepting and condoning of such wicked behavior has serious problems. Decency prevents me from even describing the vile things that homosexuals do to one another (golden showers,scat, etc).

Of course some people will never change. They are wicked to the core. It enough for them not to drink. They have no desire to abandon their promiscuity,adultery, resentment, lust, anger and pride. Sad to say, AA's founder, Bill Wilson, was such a man, despite the generous praise so often heaped upon him.

So what is the sincere AA, longing for a right relationship with God, to do?. Perhaps he is greatful to AA for the good it has done him. That is fitting and proper. However, one can be grateful to an organization without extending uncritical acceptance to all it does or everything it teaches.

The best course of action is to view AA as part of your spiritual journey, a sort of spiritual kindergarten. Acknowledge the good you may have derived but dont let that stunt your spiritual growth!

There are still some good Christian Churches and spiritual organazitions out there. Seek them out. There are also many (the majority actually) which are far from the teachings of Christ and the Scripture. It takes diligence to find the good ones. Dont throw the baby out with the bathwater! Seek out a good Church just the way you sought out a good AA meeting, or a good bag of dope. Seperate the good stuff from the bunk.

In fact, the AA Big Book advises just such a thing:

"Not all of us join religious bodies, but most of us favor such memberships"
P.28 of the Big Book (the statement was true when the Big Book was written, although I dont its true of modern AA's)

In another place:

"Be quick to see where religious people are right. Make use of what they offer" P87 of the Big Book. (But how many AA's take that advice to heart?)

Prize the truth above all things. Especially the truth about yourself. Dont resent what you see. Be grateful to God for his unmerited mercy.And may God bless you on your journey.