by John Lanagan
Mama and Papa,
We are in America at last. The Lord has sent us into the strangest belief system. The men and women here seem impervious to the Gospel, but the Lord has given us great love for them.
This religion teaches that virtually anything can be defined as a god. During their meetings these people gather and pray in unity, but the “god” each individual prays to can be as varied and unique as particles of sand in our African desert. It is unsettling watching them join in the Lord’s Prayer, because most do not know Jesus, and therefore cannot know the Father.
This religion was founded here in America in the 1930s. It is a very American system of belief and worship. Very democratic, one might say. In this belief system, it is not important what one worships, only that one must worship something. In fact, initiates who come seeking help, but who have trouble inventing or envisioning a god, are often told they can worship a “doorknob,” or even the group itself to begin their spiritual journey…
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Hey, thanks for this! I have written much about the unbiblical nature of the 12-Step programs my book on eating disorder recovery, but this essay was a handy piece to link on my blog (http://redeemedfromthepit.blogspot.com/). This is my second blog – an outreach to Christian women suffering from eating disorders, and I discuss repentance more than anything else as ultimately all addictions are sin and therefore have spiritual solutions.
Many of my readers have had (or are receiving) a hodge-podge of secular psychology, group therapy, integrationist “Christian” counseling, and 12-step programs. This article is very timely, and extremely accurate. I hope God uses it to open somebody’s eyes.
Thanks again and Merry Christmas!
But Celebrate Recovery is a “Christ based” pagan religious expression that helps soooo many people get over their hangups!
How grateful I am to have come across this article. I was involved with AA for two years, which during which time I was lost… unregenerate… dead in my sins. Just before my second year in AA (my second year of sobriety), by God’s mercy and grace I became a believer, and was born again. Prior to this I was one of those in the meetings who hated when the name Jesus would be mentioned by someone. I had grown up hating all religion, and strongly, aggressively hating Christianity, Christian people, Jesus Christ, the Bible, churches, etc… It was the truth of God’s Word that finally convicted me, and God began using His Word, and other means, to soften my heart and to break me down. After my salvation on June 10th, 2007, I remained in AA until September of the same year. By God’s grace, I KNEW there was something wrong with being there. In my heart, I felt that those rooms were noxious, poisonous, and God impressed upon me through His Word His desire for me to flee from the Program. Am I ever glad He gave me a desire to be obedient to His Word! At my very last AA meeting God allowed me to speak. I just so happened to be one of two ‘main speakers’ to an assembly of ‘young people’ (myself, being 31 at the time). By God’s strength and love I boldly proclaimed my new found faith, and talked about the cross of my Savior. In front of at hundred people, I stepped down, and walked out, never to step foot in an AA meeting again.
God has deeply blessed me since then with a heart to reach the AA folks with the Truth. He has also blessed me with two more years of continual, perfect sobriety. By His grace, in all things that one might think could separate a child of God from the love of God, I am more than a conqueror (Rom. 8:36-37). I know that to the world, this program is beneficial. It does change people, unquestionably. BUT, this is purely temporary, and totally misleading. The change will give one temporary health and peace and restoration (to a certain degree – but infinitely weaker than the peace and regeneration which comes through Christ), but it has absolutely NO saving power whatsoever. It’s effects are temporal, and quasi-spiritual; a mockery of cross of Christ.
The most changed, ‘spiritual,’ humble, and generous AA member is as close to hell as he was when he was a gang banger, pimp and drug dealer. The most ‘enlightened,’ sober and wise AA member is no closer to God than when she was a pill-popping, sex-addicted, gambling, white-collar soccer mom. AA contains the worst of the worst, I believe, in terms of those who think that their good works will help earn their way to heaven, or to eternal life in paradise, or whatever they imagine. Partly because they are so inward-focused and deeply narcissistic and ignorant of the Truth that they think even having ‘recovered’ from their disease is works enough to merit God’s eternal blessings. And the largest part of this deception lies in the fact that their lives may be ten times better than what they were before, therefore, as ‘self-made’ and ‘spiritual’ people, they may have a harder time seeing the death-grip of their own self-sufficiency in light of the absolute antithesis to this program found in the Gospel. I know. I was one.
Sadly, but not surprisingly, many of the alcoholics and drug addicts I’ve met have been deeply hurt by ‘religion’; especially Catholicism. This pain fortifies the barrier they have against God by default (as totally depraved sinners), making it quite difficult for them to even broach the topic of Christianity without reverting to anger or bitterness. If you are a Christian, and you are in AA, and you are reading this, please prayerfully read Galatians 5:16-26. My 4 years of sobriety is coming this January 1st, and it is truly by the grace and power of our Lord Jesus Christ, my King and my Master, that I have been born again, that I am sober, and that I can even draw another breath. I hardly pay heed to this ‘sobriety’ anymore, and I no longer think of myself as having a ‘disease,’ because, as mentioned before, the Bible says we are more than conquerors.
Addiction is simply another grotesque, abominable manifestation of the fall of man. Jesus Christ is THE ONLY way to God, and to full recovery from these sins. He is also the only way to heal from all of the battle-field scars worn by those of us who abused our minds, bodies, souls and relationships through our addictions and utter selfishness. Do you want temporary relief followed by judgment and eternal separation from the one, true God — or do you want permanent relief from addiction, the ability to endure suffering gracefully, true council for your pain and sorrow, and ETERNAL life with God?
Ephesians 2:8-9 – “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
Aaron – Thanks so much for sharing your testimony. What a blessing to read and praise God for your salvation and boldness.
Wow!
Aaron, I also want to thank you for sharing your powerful testimony.
We can indeed count on the great promise we have in Christ.
Hebrews 6:13-20
13 “When God made his promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for him to swear by, he swore by himself, 14 saying, ‘I will surely bless you and give you many descendants.’ 15 And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised.
16 Men swear by someone greater than themselves, and the oath confirms what is said and puts an end to all argument.
17 Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. 18 God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope offered to us may be greatly encouraged.
19 We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, 20 where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.
Aaron,
Your testimony is powerful, to God be the glory! Thank you for sharing with us the amazing grace and mercy of a God who is powerful to save to the uttermost all who are brokenhearted.
We as a society have softened the blow of drunkenness by calling it ‘alcoholism’, we have labeled it as a disease. The bible calls it a sin, a drunkard will not enter the kingdom of heaven. All sin is bondage, we cannot break free following any man-made 12 step program. There is only one step needed, Jesus Christ.
I praise the Lord for what He’s done for you, may He continue to use you all for His glory.
Lyn
Amen to the article and thanks for the testimony Aaron.
Aaron,
What a testimony! Thank you for the encouragement. And thanks to the saints at DEFCON.
John
Aaron, thanks so much for sharing with us! You are right in what you say that, “The most changed, ’spiritual,’ humble, and generous AA member is as close to hell as he was when he was a gang banger, pimp and drug dealer. The most ‘enlightened,’ sober and wise AA member is no closer to God than when she was a pill-popping, sex-addicted, gambling, white-collar soccer mom.” The Bible is so clear on that because in the gospels it says that if a person gain the whole world and lose his own soul than what has it profited him? You have an amazing testimony and I pray the Lord will direct you in witnessing to those who are in that situation! What a blessing to hear that!
I would also like to say that I appreciate your testimony, Aaron. But for the grace of God we would all remain lost and dead in our trespasses and sins! Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved wretches like us!
Amen! God Almighty be praised. May God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ use us to magnify and bring glory to Himself.
unworthy1:
Thank you so much for posting this wonderful perspective on A.A.
Aaron:
Thank you for sharing your testimony of the true delivering power that is only found in Christ Jesus and His word alone.
David W.,
Praise be to God you were encouraged by what brother John Lanagan has written. He speaks out against the cult of AA continuously and gets a lot of flack over it. If you are interested, you may visit his website at http://www.mywordlikefire.wordpress.com
Blessings to you!
Lyn
It seems that when I am at my weariest, the Lord uses the saints of DEFCON to encourage me. Thank you.
John Lanagan
Thank you for writing this, it means a lot to me. I have struggled with an addiction for most of my life, so what you wrote here was very meaningful to me. Visit my blog if you’d like to read more. Thanks again for this web site – it is really well-done.