The above examples are just a few quotes from the literature used in the program of alcoholics anonymous of which the books alcoholics anonymous, twelve steps and twelve traditions are the most commonly used. Alcoholics anonymous as a cult scorecard, answers 41 to 50. An alternative title, the way out, had strong support from members, but a check of the library of congress showed twelve books with that title. I started to feel this way when last year i moved in with a roommate who insisted i needed aa, despite the fact that i literally have less then 1 drink a month. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. The fourth edition includes twentyfour new stories that provide contemporary sharing for newcomers seeking recovery from alcoholism in a. It feels like i am wasting time sitting in a room for 1 and a half hours. Sorting and rendering passages in the proprietary format of the 164 and more concordance does not in any way imply affiliation with or endorsement by either alcoholics. Alcoholics anonymous aa as it is generally known was started in the 1930s as a spinoff from the oxford group, a religious movement whose ideas were sometimes alleged to help chronic drinkers. Select from the options below for more information.
I think this even popped up earlier in links that people were posting in online discussions i was involved with. If youre familiar with the world of addiction recovery, then youre no doubt acquainted with alcoholics anonymousor aa as it is more commonly known. The distinction from regular cults is that it has no apparent head. When you consider these facts, all belief systems that are sought after have the ability to become cults and can be viewed as cults by certain people, the contention of alcoholics anonymous is not a cult is utterly false. The published works on effective treatments for alcoho. Denigration of competing sects, cults, religions, personal attacks on critics. I started to feel this way when last year i moved in with a roommate who insisted i needed aa, despite the fact that i literally have less then 1 drink. All things aa related big books, step working guides, meditations, medallions, posters and more. Aug 06, 2015 in inside perspective on aa members and how they treat people who do not agree with their methods of recovering from alcoholism. Its actually a christian missionary project that uses alcoholism as an incurable disease bullshit to bind you in vassalage to your deity and to encourage certain christian behavior.
Orange to go back and forth between the questions and the answers for alcoholics anonymous, click on the numbers of the questions and answers. Posted by 12 step cult religion exposed on december 9, 2014 in 12 step truth dangerous cult, aa murder, fanatical religious shitbags, truth regarding alcoholics anonymous finally. Nicknamed the big book by the early aa members for its thick paper and wide margins, the books history began in 1934 when bill wilson, an alcoholic stockbroker who had found sobriety. Its one of the 20th centurys most significant books and early copies are treasured by numerous collectors. But there are other people who picture alcoholics anonymous.
Alcoholics anonymous alcoholics anonymous bauman rare books. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Dec 09, 2014 posted by 12 step cult religion exposed on december 9, 2014 in 12 step truth dangerous cult, aa murder, fanatical religious shitbags, truth regarding alcoholics anonymous finally. Aa takes advantage of vulnerable people for the purpose of unsolicited religious indonctrination.
But there are also so many active factors that affect addiction and recovery, such as relapse, level of function, and resulting illnesses. When i think of cults, i picture the manson family. Cain a useful idea has turned into a religious movementand a hindrance to research, psychiatry, and to many alcoholics who need a different kind of help. This well researched, painstakingly documented book provides detailed information on the rightwing evangelical organization oxford group movement that gave birth. Cure in big book alcoholics anonymous, 12 steps and 12 traditions. Alcoholics anonymous, book by anonymous anonymous paperback. It quotes many studies to back up its claims that aa is useless at healing addiction, and that it is a damaging cult that is erroding away society. Daily reflections, a compilation of spiritual reflections contributed by members. This book should be the first for anyone who is skeptical of aa methods. A read is counted each time someone views a publication summary such as the title, abstract, and list of authors, clicks on a figure, or views or downloads the fulltext.
Founded in 1997, has become a leading book price comparison site. By charles bufe with an introduction by stanton peele tucson, arizona. Now, i am a christian, but i read this article about alcoholics anonymous and why some atheists think it is a cult, and i have to say i agree. Cult speak, groupthink, suppression of dissent, and enforced conformity in thinking. The main difference between aa and a real cult is that aa excludes no one, and nonadherence to dogma carries no punishment other than disapproval to various degrees from varying members of the community. Another cult comparison is aas tendency to discourage personal identity and the need to challenge traditional 12step thinking. Aa is a religious cult dressed up to look like a treatment for alcoholism. Cure in big book alcoholics anonymous, 12 steps and 12. Essentially, alexander and rollins measured aa against criteria developed by robert j. Alcoholics anonymous as a cult scorecard, answers 21 to 30. Charlie sheen turns on the cult and feels the wrath of. Charlie sheen turns on the cult the clean slate addiction site.
The 12 step program has helped countless people get and stay clean and sober. It questions the methods used by alcoholics anonymous such as the steps, and shows how aa grew from a fundamentalist religious organisation called the oxford group. I had to attend as part of some court action against me. Glancing through harvards community narratives publication, youll find personal aa stories that highlight the notion that, if you disagree with the steps, it somehow means you are in denial and destined to fail. Article in australian and new zealand journal of psychiatry 396. Alcoholics anonymous also known as the big book in recovery circles sets forth cornerstone concepts of recovery from alcoholism and tells the stories of men and women who have overcome the disease. Alcoholics anonymous great britain and english speaking continental europe. General service conferenceapproved literature reflects the group conscience of the fellowship of a. The dirty, dangerous, cult, is on bayview e in fort lauderdale, fl, spreading a false rumor, a narrative, that a cop is aa, and that some one crippled them, its fake,its false, no truth to it at all, they created there on trouble, they created their own troubles,they are disillusioned, corrupt, dishonest, and a good number of them, take pills, pills, pills and sell them, its a bad. Do you have a story as to why you left a 12 step program such as alcoholics anonymous, narcotics anonymous, alanon, alateen, cocaine anonymous, sexaholics anonymous, over eaters anonymous, neurotics anonymous, gamblers anonymous, adult children of alcoholics, heroin anonymous, crystal meth anonymous, clutterers anonymous, naranon, debtors anonymous, sex and love anonymous, workaholics anonymous. Cultspeak, groupthink, suppression of dissent, and enforced conformity in thinking. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Jul 05, 2017 the success rates of alcoholics anonymous are hard to come by, primarily because the program is supposed to be anonymous hence the title.
Alcoholics anonymous quotes by charles bufe goodreads. Bufe refrains from expounding his own pet theory of addiction and wisely fills the pages instead with a. Unquestionable dogma, sacred science, and infallible ideology. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading alcoholics anonymous. We left the title alcoholics anonymous in the copy that went to the printer. The result of this clandestine effort was a decisive study published in california sociologist, alcoholics anonymous. Free books and book excerpts including the complete the real aa and alcoholics anonymous. Lifton, whose 1961 work, thought reform and the psychology of totalism, is a classic work on thought reform or. I am just coming upto 24 years clean and i no longer need na in my life. Cult or cure with a description of a standard aa meetingdominated by a few people who tell their same, selfserving stories for the umpteenth time, the proceedings unfocussed and unhelpful, the. A guide to collecting alcoholics anonymous big book.
All aa members know the origins of the program from the oxford group. Criticism of aa or alcoholics anonymous is nothing new. Bufe the heretics handbook of quotations, see sharp pr. T he alcoholics anonymous big book is not just the most influential self help book ever published. Aa religion continues to impede progress for alcoholism. She kept telling me i needed spiritual healing and i thought no, i dont, i have all the. Rarely have we seen a person fail, who has thoroughly followed our path. I recently read the sober truth which is an excellent book by lance dodes. The original working manuscript is the missing link between bill wilsons first draft of alcoholics anonymous and the first edition.
And if youve had more than two or three aarelated conversations, its highly likely that someone compared aa to a cult in at least one of those discussions. With an active marketplace of over 175 million items, use the alibris advanced search page to find any item you are looking for through the advanced search, you can find items by searching specific terms such as title, artist, song title, genre, etc or you can narrow. In alcoholics anonymous, cult or cure, bufe gives us an intelligible analysis of the largest recovery group in the united states and perhaps the world. See sharp press, 1998 introduction to charles bufes aa. In the beginning they created alcoholics anonymous.
To discuss the mechanism of action, the efficacy and the safety of alcoholics anonymous aa in the treatment of alcoholism. Nov 17, 2014 alcoholics anonymous destroys self esteem. The 164 and more book, ebook, and web site are all concordances which display passages from the big book alcoholics anonymous, the twelve steps and twelve traditions, and the a. If you have been abused by aa or its sister programs, then please read this book, it will help to deprogram you back into the real world. The very first sentence in chapter 5 of the big book of alcoholics anonymous, describes it the best. Narcotics anonymous has turned into a cult, the opposite they believe your marginalize.
In inside perspective on aa members and how they treat people who do not agree with their methods of recovering from alcoholism. Alcoholics anonymous cult aa resembles a religious cult as a group which does not tolerate any kind of individuality or freedom of thought, aa exhibits characteristics of religious affiliations which have been called cults because of the emotional and cognitive harm they do to their members. Jul 06, 2009 is alcoholics anonymousnarcotics anonymous a cult. See all of the alcoholics anonymous book lots now available on one page. Give it a good read and then head toward one of many secular self help books that. Neither ragge nor bufe seems to have been aware of a very pertinent article written in 1984 by two astute californians, francesca alexander and michele rollins. For any christian involved in the aa program, its occultic origins should be of very grave concern. The story of how many thousands of men and women have recovered from alcoholism by anonymous, alcoholics and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Bufe concluded that aa is not a cult, though it does have dangerous cult like tendencies. On that day he was readmitted to towns hospital, sedated, and subjected to dr. The published works on effective treatments for alcoholism is brie. The evangelical church is at a crucial point in its history.
Its a cult in the sense that it manipulates you into believing you can. An examination of the cult aspects of alcoholics anonymous. Cain a useful idea has turned into a religious movementand a hindrance to research, psychiatry, and to many alcoholics who. He gives the reader an in depth history of the foundations of alcholics anonymous which are clearly religious in nature. There are many voices crying out for a dramatic change in the way evangelicals have traditionally viewed catholicism. The antiaa book that saved my butt after reading ken ragges the real aa behind the myth of 12 step recovery, i simply could not go back to meetings. A guide to collecting alcoholics anonymous big book passion for books. Cult or cure on december 11,1934, wilsons drinking came to a screeching halt. Thats just words that most people, about 9095%, blow off and roll. In the us, the antiaa lobby has been further fuelled by the recent publication of two books.
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