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Alcoholics Anonymous Unmasked
Alcoholics Anonymous Unmasked Some of our clergymen, court systems, hospitals, and other facilities recommend Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and related programs to the alcoholic and the hurting family. Even though AA is a highly visible and recognized organization, its history is not too well-known. Since many AA meetings are being held in churches, let's look at AA's roots. The co-founders of AA were William Wilson and Robert Smith, M.D., better known in AA circles as Bill W. and Dr. Bob. Both of these men were members of the Oxford Group (originally called First Century Christian Fellowship and later renamed Moral Rearmament), which was started by Frank Buchman. Although the Oxford Group's beliefs were based on the four absolutes of honesty, purity, unselfishness, and love, it became evident that they did not practice what they preached. From June 10, 1935 (the date given as the founding of AA), until the summer of 1939, AA went under the banner of the Oxford Group. When Dr. Bob and Bill W. finally left the Oxford Group and AA was on its own, they said that the parting "was very painful." Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age (New York: Harper & Brothers, 1957), p. 75. Even though the new AA group did make some minor changes, they did not really leave behind the principles and beliefs of the Oxford Group. AA claims it is not a religion, but it does encourage contact with a "God as you understand him" and a "Higher Power." This "Higher Power," AA explains, can be called "Allah, Confucius, Prime Cause, Divine Mind, or any other name." Alcoholics Anonymous (New York, New York: Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc., 1976, Third Edition), p. 503. See also Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, op. cit., p.267. Other AA literature mentions that the AA group is the Higher Power to many, especially the agnostics and atheists among them. For example, see: A Clergyman Asks about Alcoholics Anonymous (New York, New York: Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc., 1961), p. 11; 44 Questions and Answers about the A.A. Program of Recovery from Alcoholism (New York, New York: Works Publishing, Inc. [now known as Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.], 1952), p. 15; A Newcomer Asks... (New York, New York: Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc., 1981), p. 5; Alcoholics Anonymous, op. cit., p. 248; Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions (New York: Harper & Brothers, 1952), pp. 27-28, 110-111; etc. Step 12 reads: "Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics and to practice these principles in all our affairs." A Clergyman Asks about Alcoholics Anonymous, op. cit.,, p. 7. Although many Christians believe that this "spiritual awakening" refers to being born again or having a religious experience, this is simply not the case. First notice that Step 12 tells us that the "spiritual awakening" they are referring to has come about "as the result of these [12] steps," not through confession and repentance of one's sins. Many in AA claim to have had this "spiritual awakening" but their lives are no different (except for the drinking) than before this awakening, yet the Bible tells us that when we become a new creature in Christ Jesus "old things are passed away; behold, ALL things become new" (II Corinthians 5:17). How were the lives of Dr. Bob and Bill W. after they had their "spiritual awakening"? In AA's official biography there is mention that Dr. Bob was involved in seances. Pass It On: The Story of Bill Wilson and How the A.A. Message Reached the World (New York, New York: Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc., 1984), p. 275. Bill W. and Dr. Bob were also heavily involved in psychic phenomena. This same book (Pass It On) states: "Both [Bill and Dr. Bob] were drawn to spiritism and to extrasensory perception." Ibid., p. 156. As early as 1941 the Wilsons were conducting regular seances, and Bill was involved in necromancy (communication with the dead), channeling, spiritualism, and the use of the Ouija Board. Ibid., p. 278. At one point, at least six different entities spoke through Bill on one occasion. Ibid., pp. 276-277. Bill remarks: "Of course, this was a typical experience that our amateur circle had often had with those discarnates who seemed stuck in some sort of purgatorial state." Ibid., p. 276. In fact, - =`9 these session were referred to as "spook sessions" and one of the downstairs bedrooms was even dubbed as the "spook room." Ibid., p. 278. How does this relate to AA? In Pass It On we find what the correlation was to AA: "'...Bill and Dr. Bob....were working away at the spiritualism; it was not just a hobby. And it related to A.A....the thing was not at all divorced from A.A. It was very serious for everybody.'...Bill never did anything that was not in some way was (sic) connected with A.A. and with his own spiritual growth." Ibid., p. 280. Additionally, from a book by Nan Robertson, an endorser of AA, we find that Dr. Bob "relished a dirty joke," Nan Robertson, Getting Better: Inside Alcoholics Anonymous (New York, New York: William Morrow and Company, Inc., 1988), p. 36. and Bill was a heavy smoker, a womanizer (with many adulterous affairs right up to his death in 1971), and a user of LSD. Ibid., pp. 36, 40, 84, 85. One letter written by Bill in 1958 stated: "Throughout A.A., we find a large amount of psychic phenomena, nearly all of it spontaneous. Alcoholic after alcoholic tells me of such experiences....These psychic experiences have run nearly the full gamut of everything we see in the books. In addition to my original mystic experience, I've had a lot of such phenomenalism myself." Pass It On, op. cit., p. 374. These are just some of the "fruits" of AA's "spiritual awakening"! Another idea promoted through AA and other organizations is the theory that alcoholism is a disease. However, this decision was only reached in Powell v. Texas by a Supreme Court vote of 5 to 4. In other words, the conclusion to make alcoholism a disease had no medical or scientific basis, but was decided by a vote. Other diseases have not been dependent on such voting. Had the vote been 4 to 5 instead of 5 to 4, alcoholism would not "officially" be considered a disease. If alcoholism is a disease, it is the only disease that needs a license to propagate it, the only disease that is bottled and sold, the only disease that is spread by advertising, and the only disease without a germ or virus cause. What other disease is promoted and bragged up to the public? The television, billboards, and magazines carry ads portraying the "glories" of alcoholic beverages. If this is a dreaded disease, why are people trying to encourage it by promotional advertising? Have you ever seen an ad trying to convince you to contact cancer? Did you ever encounter a magazine ad announcing a sale on how to obtain tuberculosis? When was the last time you saw a commercial trying to influence you to buy measles or mumps? The truth of the matter is, alcoholism is not a disease. The Bible tells us that alcoholism is a sin, but it also provides a remedy for sin: "If we confess our sins [to God and not to some man or group], He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (I John 1:9). Jesus offers forgiveness for all the sins we have committed--not just alcoholism and not just for the alcoholic, for "ALL have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). Through placing our faith in Christ, we can have genuine and lasting hope and peace, not just a superficial help through some man-made "steps." We can cast our care upon Jesus, for He cares for us (I Peter 5:7). Jesus invites us: "Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28). "If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed" (John 8:36). --Dr. Cathy Burns