Is Alcholics Anonymous A Christian Means of Sanctification?
October 30, 2007 by LO
My name is Laurence, and I’m not an alcoholic, but I visited the Alcoholics Anonymous meeting at [removed for privacy] for the purpose of evaluating whether AA can be a helpful tool in a Christian minister’s toolbox. I had no prior experience with AA’s methods or teachings, and this was my first ever visit to an AA meeting.
The long and short of my evaluation is twofold: (1) on the basis of common grace AA can and does help people, whether Christian or not, to overcome alcohol addiction; (2) however, in its mixture of Christian beliefs with secular humanism, AA risks wrecking people’s spiritual lives by giving them a stronger and more dangerous addiction: Pelagianism. Accordingly, the AA methodology could be much improved by removing the quasi-Christian elements; for, no institution of man is capable of wielding the church’s spiritual Sword and Keys.
AA’s attempt to use quasi-Christian methodology is obvious: Christianity’s confession of faith (”Jesus is Lord”) is replaced with AA’s confession (”my name is ___, and I’m an alcoholic”); in place of the Bible is the Big Book; in place of the Triune God of Scripture is “the higher power as I understand it”; in place of Christian fellowship (including discipline, accountability, confession of sin, assurance of pardon) is anonymity and mutual affirmation through catharsis; salvation from God’s righteous wrath is replaced by salvation from alcohol’s controlling power; the covenant of grace (salvation sola fide, sola gratia, solus Christus, sola Scriptura) is replaced by a covenant of works (the steps/principles of success in the Big Book). Etc. Ironically, AA is a non-Christian attempt at Christianity.
In spite of my sharp dislike for AA’s blatant misuse, redefinition, etc., of Christian doctrines, I think that AA can still be helpful to people whether Christian or not. How? In spite of its conflation of Christianity’s special and common grace, AA’s work as an instrument of common grace remains beneficial to individuals and societies. Obviously, alcoholism is devastating and dangerous to people, families, children, cities, highways, etc. People who are addicted to alcohol need common grace help just as much as they need special grace. I cannot see any scriptural reason to deny common grace benefits (such as can be achieved by groups like AA) to both unbelievers and believers.
The latter, however, need the disciplines of special grace (i.e. proper relation of the struggling believer to the administration of Word, sacraments, and church discipline as applied in light of the person’s idolatry of alcoholism) than can be offered by AA. In a word, AA can make a wet man dry; but only the Gospel of Jesus Christ as proclaimed in His church can make a dead man live.
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Sir;
I suggest you attend more than one meeting to become a qualified critic of AA principles.
What you missed is that AA is niether for nor against any outside issues and their sole pupose is to help the Alcholic who still suffers.
AA promotes a higher power in order not to offend any that would chose a concept other than any secular religious proposal, simply, you are respected regardless of your spiritual condition. Your very assault vindicates that wisdom.
Respectfully,
Lloyd R Bennett
Recovering Drunk
Dear Lloyd,
Thank you for agreeing with me, and for proving my point: AA is wonderful; let’s just not call it Christian.
regards,
LO
Let’s distinguish between A.A. today and the A.A. program of 1935-1938. A.A. today is not Christian, but it certainly has thousands and thousands of Christians in the meetings, the fellowship, and the groups. Christians are not excluded from A.A. And they are free to belief in God, decide to accept Christ, study the Bible, pray, read Christian literature, and share what God has done for them. I’ve been doing it for over 22 years. So have thousands of others. Contrast this, however, with the fact that early A.A. was a Christian Fellowship. Belief in God and conversion to Christ were required. Bible study was stressed. And its weekly meetings were called old fashioned prayer meetings-resembling those of Christian Endeavor to which Dr. Bob belonged as a youngster in Vermont. Let’s also recognize that many are confused about what they can and can’t do and believe in today’s A.A. for the simple reason that they do not know its history. Thus many of the original members favored calling the Society The James Club because the Book of James, the Sermon on the Mount, and 1 Corinthians were considered absolutely essential to cure. Check out The Conversion of Bil W. http://www.dickb.com/conversion.shtml and also Dr. Bob of Alcoholics Anonymous http://DrBob.info. These will strengthen the backbone of Christians who sometimes feel out of place or initimidated in A.A. today. There’s room for everybody today; and there is no index of forbidden books.