By Chad Prigmore Jesus tells His followers in Matthew 22:37 that, "You shall love the Lord you God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." If we love the Lord that much then anything that insults Him or is contrary to His word and commands should repulse us. 1. Bill Wilson personally insulted Jesus Christ by claiming that he was "completing the works that Christ didn't finish" and he claimed himself to be "a reincarnation of Christ." (From a letter written in 1952 by Bill Wilson's Secretary, Henrietta Seiberling). 2. On page 58 of "Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions" a direct insult to and denial of the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins is made. The claim is made that, "Our moral inventory had persuaded us that all-round forgiveness was desirable, but it was only when we resolutely tackled Step Five that we inwardly knew we'd be able to receive forgiveness and give it, too."
3. At most AA or other 12 step meetings the Lord's prayer is recited aloud by the entire group. This is an insult to Jesus Christ because His holy prayer is recited by those in the room that deny Him and participate in a false religion (AA) that denies His divinity. It is also in direct defiance of the command to Jesus' followers to not be unequally yoked with unbelievers.
4. Jesus tells us in John 14:6, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
5. Once again Jesus is insulted by the book "Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions" when the doctrine of salvation by Grace Alone, through Faith Alone, in Christ Alone is completely denied on page 34 of that book which states, "Like all the remaining Steps, Step Three calls for affirmative action, for it is only by action that we can cut away the self-will which has always blocked the entry of God - or, if you like, a Higher Power - into our lives. Faith, to be sure, is necessary, but faith alone can avail nothing. We can have faith, yet keep God out of our lives. Therefore our problem now becomes just how and by what specific means shall we be able to let Him in? Step Three represents our first attempt to do this."
This is only a small sampling of hundreds if not thousands of the Christ denying insults and apostasy that permeate the AA 12 step program and it's accompanying literature. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. - 2 Timothy 3:16-17 by Debbie Dewart, M.A. AA ~ The Broad Road of AA "To us, the Realm of the Spirit is broad, roomy, all inclusive; never exclusive, or forbidding...." Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 46. Bible ~ The Narrow Road of Christ "Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it" (Matt 7:13-14). AA ~ Contempt for Sound Doctrine "Any number of alcoholics are bedeviled by the dire conviction that if they ever go near AA, they will be pressured to conform to some brand of faith or theology." As Bill Sees It, p. 201. Bible ~ Sound Doctrine "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine…" (2 Tim 4:3-4). AA ~ "God-as-you-understand-Him": Any Name "We suggest that you find a substitute for this destructive power, alcohol, and turn to a Higher Power, regardless of the name by which you may identify that power. We suggest that you turn your will and your life over to God, as you understand Him." The Clergy Ask About Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 9. Bible ~ Jesus Christ: No Other Name "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved" (Acts 4:12). AA ~ Powerlessness "We admitted we were powerless over alcohol, that our lives had become unmanageable" (Step 1). Bible ~ Power in Christ No believer can claim to be powerless: "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me" (Philip 4:13). AA ~ Spiritual Awakening "Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps…" (Step 12). Bible ~ Spiritually Dead in Sin Man is spiritually dead, not asleep. He needs resurrection, not awakening. "Even when we were dead in sins, [God] hath quickened us [made us alive] together with Christ" (Eph 2:5). AA ~ The "Big Book": AA’s "Bible" Portions of the "Big Book," Alcoholics Anonymous, are read "religiously" at every AA meeting, much like Scripture readings at Christian worship services. Bible ~ Sufficient for Life & Godliness "His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue" (2 Peter 1:3). AA ~ Leadership: "Trusted Servants" "Our leaders are but trusted servants. They do not govern" (Tradition 2). Bible ~ Leadership: Elders AA’s leaders and individual sponsors usurp the role God has ordained for church elders to shepherd and "feed the flock of God which is among you" (1 Peter 5:2). AA ~ The "Moral Inventory" Step 4 requires a "searching and fearless moral inventory," essentially a detailed catalogue of past sins to be "confessed" to some other person to whom such confession is not biblically due. Bible ~ No Condemnation As Christians, our sins are fully covered by the blood of Christ. We confess our sins, as appropriate, to God and to those actually sinned against. New believers are nowhere in Scripture required to make a detailed list of all past sins. "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus" (Rom 8:1). AA ~ "Birthdays" AA members celebrate annual "birthdays" based on the date of their last drink. They practice a "secular regeneration." Bible ~ Regeneration by the Holy Spirit Christians celebrate their new birth in Christ. AA ~ The Goal: Sobriety The goal of AA is abstinence from alcoholic beverages (sobriety). Other sins, such as sexual immorality, are commonly tolerated so long as the AA member isn’t drinking. Bible ~ The Goal: Sanctification "For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son" (Rom 8:29). AA ~ Fellowship/Unity: A Common Sin AA’s fellowship is built around the common sin of drunkenness. "Personal recovery depends upon AA unity" (Tradition 1). Bible ~ Fellowship/Unity: A Common Salvation "There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all" (Eph 4:4-6). AA ~ Carrying "the Message" "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" (Step 12). Bible ~ Christian Evangelism Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world" (Matt 28:19-20). AA ~ Incurable Disease AA’s literature is permeated with the dogma, taught faithfully to newcomers, that "once an alcoholic, always an alcoholic." There is no "cure" offered, only continual abstinence from all alcoholic beverages. Forgiven Sin "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God (1 Cor 6:9-11). ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Editor's note: Twelve-Step programs continue to grow in popularity both outside and inside the church. Many pastors and Christian leaders have bought into the idea that these originated from a Christian foundation. That shows how broad the term Christian has become-so broad as to include any deity "as you understand" him, her, or it and so wide as to include the occult, as well as the mentality of psychotherapeutic theories. In other words, most twelve-step programs are mixtures, rather than the pure doctrine and practice of Scripture. Our book 12 Steps to Destruction: Codependency Recovery Heresies contains valuable information regarding the unbiblical nature of the original Alcoholics Anonymous Twelve Steps and of the many programs built on these foundations. Debbie Dewart has given us permission to include her 13-page paper titled "A Response to the 12 Steps in a Christian Setting" with each order placed for 12 Steps to Destruction. (PAL V8N2 * March-April 2000) PsychoHeresy Awareness Ministries, 4137 Primavera Road, Santa Barbara, CA 93110 www.psychoheresy-aware.org By Chad Prigmore Let’s begin in God’s word and its warning to those in the sins of drunkenness or addiction. We read in Galatians 5:19-21, “Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God." Based on these scriptures, drunkenness (alcoholism) is a sin - not a disease as it is commonly referred to by the secular recovery industry. Those who are in sin will not inherit the kingdom of God. This also applies to drug addiction - sorcery is also included in this list of sins. The Greek word for sorcery is pharmakeia from which the word pharmaceutical derives. Sorcery refers to illicit drug use. According to the Bible, both alcoholism and addiction are sin - not disease. Those that are in sin are dead. Does that seem harsh? Again, what does God’s word say about it? The apostle Paul tells us in Ephesians 2:1-3, “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience-- among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind”. Notice that Paul writes in the past tense here, because he is writing to Christian believers who have been saved and set free from sin and death and raised up to life in Jesus Christ. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ--by grace you have been saved-- - Ephesians 2:4-5 So the question arises for many, “What about those who have achieved sobriety and given up drunkenness and drug addiction through Alcoholics Anonymous - are they still dead in sin?” The sad truth is that they most probably are because Alcoholics Anonymous is a false religion of idolatry which is also one of the sins listed in Galatians 5:19-20. In the program and throughout the books of Alcoholics Anonymous and Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions as well as other publications from AA, idolatry is put forth openly as the central focus for one’s faith in the heretical concept of a Higher Power - whoever and whatever that may be. And the biggest idol of all in the heresy of Alcoholics Anonymous is Alcoholics Anonymous and it’s Twelve Step program. Those drawn into its sinister grasp are brainwashed over time to believe that to leave the program will most certainly lead to death. The book Alcoholics Anonymous on page 44 claims, “To be doomed to an alcoholic death or to live on a spiritual basis are not always easy alternatives to face”. And the claim is made from a portion of chapter five on page 58 of the same book - which is read before every AA meeting that, “Those who do not recover are people who cannot or will not completely give themselves to this simple program, usually men and women who are constitutionally incapable of being honest with themselves”. To completely give one’s self to something is idolatry. Those in the sin of idolatry are dead. Alcoholics Anonymous is a slow parade of the walking dead, plodding along the same twelve steps year after year in a mindless day to day maintenance of sobriety. The walking dead of Alcoholics Anonymous lay their sins of alcoholism and addiction on the altar of Alcoholics Anonymous and continue walking dead and blind into the sinful destruction of idolatry chanting the same pathetic mantras to one another at each meeting of the dead; “Keep coming back - it works if you work it”, “One day at a time”, “Keep it simple”, “Easy does it”, etc, etc, etc... In Alcoholics Anonymous there is no truth, there is no salvation, there is no life, there is just death, idolatry and an obsession with sobriety. The blind sponsor leading the blind newcomer through twelve steps to eventual destruction. The good news is that there is one everlasting truth, there is eternal salvation, there is forgiveness for sin, there is life and joy and peace and glory and true happiness for all eternity - and it is only through one pure and glorious way. That way is through the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. - John 14:6 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. - Romans 5:6-8 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. - Colossians 3:1-2 Flee from the destructive heresy and idolatry of Alcoholics Anonymous and lift your eyes up to Jesus Christ. Never let anyone again tell you that you need anything other than Jesus Christ, His word, His grace, His glory. When you understand that you are dead in sin and how hopeless that is, and then you see your salvation in Jesus Christ and you see the life He wants to bless and fill you with to an abundance beyond what you could imagine - you will then gladly cast aside the dark pathetic trappings of this world. for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, - Romans 3:23-24 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. - 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 In 1 Corinthians 6:9 the apostle Paul mentions idolatry as a sin of the unrighteous. Not only does Alcoholics Anonymous promote and encourage idolatry through its concept of creating "your own conception of God", but the entire concept of recovery put forth by the modern recovery movement, and especially by programs like Alcoholics Anonymous and Celebrate Recovery is an idol itself to those who are drawn into it. One of the most glaring lies that begins closing the trap around the unwary alcoholic or addicted sinner is the idea that their alcoholism or addiction is a disease from which they will never fully recover, but will only be granted a "daily reprieve" from for as long as they "give themselves" to the program of recovery. But we see in 1 Corinthians 6:10 that "drunkards" (Alcoholism) is listed as a sin and therefore, is not a disease according to scripture. If AA were to present the truth that alcoholism is sin that can only be overcome by the blood of Jesus Christ it would nullify the need for its own twelve-step program. So instead, the AA program leads its adherents into the lie of the disease concept which begins the indoctrination into idolatry. The idol of recovery demands complete submission and the sacrificing of one's life upon it's Twelve Step altar. The book Alcoholics Anonymous on page 58 states, "Those who do not recover are people who cannot or will not completely give themselves to this simple program, usually men and women who are constitutionally incapable of being honest with themselves." The use of fear, accusations of being dishonest, and even threats of death through relapse by not submitting completely to the Alcoholics Anonymous program are common all through the literature of it's program and professed by it's "sponsors" to those they claim to be helping. The idol of recovery's victims are fooled into trading relief from their sin of addiction for the sin of idolatry in a life long worship of a false God in a false church known as the "Fellowship of the Program". If you have bowed and submitted to the idol of recovery, and committed your life to it's worship through programs like Alcoholics Anonymous - that is your choice. But if you profess to be a Christian who has been led into the recovery movement through a program like Celebrate Recovery which is simply the Twelve Steps of AA with some mostly erroneously applied Bible verses mixed in, are you not living in contradiction to the Christian gospel and commands of scripture? As 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 states, Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. Also, we are directly commanded in 1 Corinthians 10:14, Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. Relying on and living for a program in an effort to be in recovery - even if that program claims to be Christian is nothing more than idolatry. Those in Christ are told in scripture, And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength (Mark 12:30), looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God (Hebrews 12:2). We are to look faithfully to Jesus and to Him only for deliverance from every sinful desire and for every need we have. But "Christian Recovery" programs - especially Celebrate Recovery do not look to Jesus, but instead look to and point others to the false idol of recovery completely ignoring the commands of scripture - even going so far as to disregard the command of God in Deuteronomy 4:2 and actually printing their own Bible with the demonically inspired Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous and the Celebrate Recovery program written into it. You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God that I command you, - Deuteronomy 4:2 Celebrate Recovery, by mixing the worldly demonic teachings of Alcoholics Anonymous with the word of God in an effort to draw people into the idolatrous recovery movement, displays the dangerous heresy that the apostle Paul warns about in 1 Corinthians 10:21 which says, You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. Spend some time researching the demonic origins of Alcoholics Anonymous and the massive amount of heresy put forth in their books, Alcoholics Anonymous, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, as well as many others and it becomes glaringly clear that Celebrate Recovery is indeed a program which promotes the cup and table of demons with a Christian marketing angle. Romans 12:2 says, Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. We, as followers of Jesus Christ are not to be conformed to this world but instead to be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ (Romans 8:29). We are to be transformed by the renewing of our minds by seeking the Lord and by the prayerful study and meditating on of His word by the leading and working of the Holy Spirit. We are to discern what is of God's will and what is of this dark and fallen world by testing everything and holding it up to the light of scripture and seeking only what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. If you are a Christian who has been misled by the modern idol of recovery you must reject it and flee from it, understanding that in Christ is the only absolute truth and freedom from sin and you must abide only in Him. Reject and cast off the things of this world and seek to understand and grasp the awesome and merciful truth of 1 Corinthians 6:11: ...But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
If you are a Christian who was fooled and trapped in the false teachings of Twelve Step programs, I hope you will read and meditate on the words of this wonderful prayer. When I realized the truth of the Twelve Steps I was horrified that I had participated for so long in such heresy. I asked the Lord for forgiveness, turned from the path I was on and repented of the sin the Twelve Steps had led me into. Chad Prigmore Dear Lord,
I am so sorry for the way I'm wasting the precious life you gave me. Forgive me for living like a selfish three year old. Forgive me for any pride I take in my "wild times" war stories. Forgive me for believing in worldly labels like addict, alcoholic, and many others. Forgive me for portraying myself as sick and diseased. Let me see the reality of my state. I am not a victim. I am a sinner, and a law breaker. I am guilty for my crimes. Forgive me Lord for making a program my Messiah and savior instead of you. Forgive me Lord for putting The Big Book in front of or even alongside your awesome word. Forgive me for every recovery meeting I ever attended because a recovery meeting is all about ME! Forgive me for sitting in a room where you are horrifically referred to as a higher power. My heart aches that I described you in that way. Have mercy on me for holding hands and reciting the way you taught us to pray as a cheap means to a better life. Show me what that prayer really means! Forgive me for every sponsor I ever had and I pray that you would reveal truth in their hearts that they might also be saved. Lord, from this day forward I put my faith and trust in you. I repent, I am turning from my sin and wicked way of life and I desire to live a life that is pleasing to you. I believe Lord that you went to the cross and took my sins, my lawlessness with you and you suffered and drank down the cup of wrath that was mine. I believe I am saved through grace alone, in Christ alone. It is this grace that keeps me sober and changes my desires. I believe that your word is sufficient for my life. Father, thank you for the gift of your son. Holy Spirit, fill me and help me live the life I am called to. All praise and thanks to Jesus Christ my Lord who took me from death to life and from darkness to light. Amen!! - By Doug Hardy This book deals with the "Twelve Steps" and the "Twelve Traditions" of Alcoholics Anonymous. It presents an explicit view of the principles by which A.A. members recover and by which their Society functions. [pg 15] Alcoholics Anonymous Step 2: Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. The problem is not insanity. The problem is sin. By fooling someone into believing their condition is due to insanity they are freed from taking responsibility for their behavior. Labeling sin as insanity removes the guilt and shame that leads to true repentance and to the cross of Jesus Christ. A "higher power" cannot help anyone. The only way to overcome sin is by the blood of Jesus Christ and to refer to Jesus Christ as a "higher power" is to deny Him before men and to be ashamed of His name. The name of Jesus Christ is to be praised above all others - never to be referred to as a higher power. Step two is a perfect example of why AA and the Twelve Steps are heresy, an insult to Jesus Christ and have no place in any Christian environment. Romans 5:6, "For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly." Romans 3:23-25, "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by His grace as a gift through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by His blood, to be received by faith..." Shame on anyone who refers to the great I AM as a higher power. Alcoholics Anonymous Step 3: Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him. Page 34 of Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions: "Like all the remaining Steps, Step Three calls for affirmative action, for it is only by action that we can cut away the self-will which has always blocked the entry of God - or, if you like, a Higher Power - into our lives. Faith, to be sure, is necessary, but faith alone can avail nothing. We can have faith, yet keep God out of our lives. Therefore our problem now becomes just how and by what specific means shall we be able to let Him in? Step Three represents our first attempt to do this." Here again is one single statement that completely disqualifies the Twelve Steps from having any place in a Christian Church or gathering. While the entire statement above is anti-Christian, the two sentences in bold especially are in direct contradiction with the core belief of the Christian message - that we are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. Read those two sentences again and then read the following passages of scripture.
Can the third step of Alcoholics Anonymous be used in a Christian context? No. Can it be used if it is re-worded or if "as we understood Him" is removed? No. The dangerous apostasy of AA's step three is apparent in claiming that we can worship a God of our own understanding which eliminates the only true way to know God which is through the Holy Scriptures in which He reveals Himself to us. Step 3 also indicates that our will and lives can be turned over to God simply by a decision that we make based upon a false understanding of God. Christ is nowhere mentioned in the AA program which makes step three complete apostasy because Jesus tells us in John 14:6, ..."I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." By removing the words "as we understood Him" does in no way justify step three from a Christian perspective because something man made and actually demonically inspired (the AA program and the 12 steps) and not of God is being used to claim access to God. We are told in the scriptures who God is and that only through Jesus Christ can we be redeemed before God and we are not to give any credence to teachings outside of or contrary to God's word. The bible is very clear that Christians are to adhere only to the one true gospel. Paul writes in Ephesians 1:9, "As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed." Paul is very severe in his warning to the Ephesians. Anyone trying to justify AA and the 12 steps as being acceptable in a Christian context, and especially combining the apostasy of AA and the Twelve Steps with God's word should heed Paul's warning, "Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other." - Isaiah 45:22 Alcoholics Anonymous Step 5: Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs. Pages 56-57 of Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, "Most of us would declare that without a fearless admission of our defects to another human being we could not stay sober. It seems plain that the grace of God will not enter to expel our destructive obsessions until we are willing to try this." So instead of grace as a gift through faith in Jesus Christ, the Twelve Steps claim that grace is had through admitting our defects to another human being? Romans 3:23-25 says, "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith." Page 58 of Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, "Our moral inventory had persuaded us that all-round forgiveness was desirable, but it was only when we resolutely tackled Step Five that we inwardly knew we'd be able to receive forgiveness and give it, too."
Alcoholics Anonymous Step 6: Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character. Page 65 of Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, "If we ask, God will certainly forgive our derelictions. But in no case does He render us white as snow and keep us that way without our cooperation. That is something we are supposed to be willing to work toward ourselves. He asks only that we try as best we know how to make progress in the building of character." Step six is in direct contradiction to the Christian gospel. There is no forgiveness outside of Christ. By grace through faith in Christ we are washed as white as snow. There is nothing we can do on our own to be redeemed or forgiven. This excerpt from page 65 of Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions leaves no room for debate on whether or not the 12 steps are Christian in origin - this statement makes it clear that they are absolutely not.
Alcoholics Anonymous Step 11: Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out. ("As we understood Him" is underlined in Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions and italicized in the book Alcoholics Anonymous). Page 98 of Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, "There is a direct linkage among self-examination, meditation, and prayer. Taken separately, these practices can bring much relief and benefit. But when they are logically related and interwoven, the result is an unshakable foundation for life. Now and then we may be granted a glimpse of that ultimate reality which is God's kingdom. And we will be comforted and assured that our own destiny in that realm will be secure for so long as we try, however falteringly, to find and do the will of our own Creator." Here again is heresy. There is no salvation outside of Jesus Christ, our own works avail nothing, only faith in Christ can save us.
Alcoholics Anonymous and the Twelve Steps are a false teaching and in direct contradiction to the Gospel. It really comes down to either making a commitment to believing in, adhering to, and relying on Jesus Christ or rejecting Christ and following Alcoholics Anonymous and the Twelve Steps. The two cannot be combined. I recently received a couple of emails from a disciple of Alcoholics Anonymous claiming to be Christian, yet defending AA in spite of scriptural refutation exposing it's heresy. I hope this dialogue will prove beneficial for those engaged in exposing the heresy of Alcoholics Anonymous and the Twelve Steps. His original email text: people in aa or various 12 step groups do not follow bill Wilson....they use the 12 steps...which were written by the first 100 people ...not exclusively bill Wilson are based on SURRENDER TO GOD ...CONFESSION...RESTITUTION...PRAYER...HELPING OTHERS....there is no profit motive...no paid proffessionals....no Ouija boards at the meetings which I have attended for almost 30 years...I am ashamed to say that the honesty and love I have experienced has been more than any evangelical church has given me ....WHY DO YOU PERSECUTE ME/ My response: Hi xxxxxx, His response back: sir with all due respect....the epistle of james says that faith without works is dead....when I say I am an alcoholic I am saying I am a sinner who is never beyond temptation....interesting you are not opposed to using pharmaceuticals but refer to aa as satanic....the American medical association states that alcoholism is a disease...are you a doctor? the truth may be that the religious establishment may be jealous of aa na ca oa and the millions of people who have been helped.....aa is not a religion but does not oppose anyone from believing in the gospel....no theology .....your message of grace implies we don't have to do anything but believe but what about preach, baptize and make disciples ..is this works?.....the reason the churches let them rent space is because aa is self supporting and pays rent.....aa is not involved in politics and does not pander for money and donations.....maybe some churches could learn from that.....I believe there is a recovery reformation but it is the recovery movement that is reforming the church ..we are everywhere.....aa is not for everyone and does not oppose your religious beliefs. Lets not forget youre views on the gospel is your denominational teaching....youre posts sound like medieval inquisitions and are not the views of my Baptist denomination, nor the views of many prominent Christian leaders so who are you speaking for?? ive met many Christians with unresolved addiction issues in aa and have become better Christians after taking the steps. The concepts of one day at a time, amends, forgiveness are in the sermon on the mount but you only talk of grace .....aa also says but for the grace of God.....ive been in chuches and aa since 1988 and have never seen so much support for 12 groups as today......saved by Christ alone ....Christ is the Word and we are to obey His commandments....acts 5 38 should be considered and Gamaliels words have much wisdom for us. My final response: In what way does the Epistle of James refer to this issue? Our works are the fruit of our faith which is born of God's grace - but how would that justify the heresy of Alcoholics Anonymous? After being on the Matt Slick Live radio show for three days last week I was contacted by a few individuals trying to defend Celebrate Recovery. The following is my response to a man who leads Celebrate Recovery at his Church: Hi ****, While this may seem overly simplistic, the question that always comes to my mind when I witness so many professing Christians defending the program of Alcoholics Anonymous is, "In what way does participation in the Alcoholics Anonymous program which directly contradicts the gospel of Jesus Christ bring glory to God?" How can a "Christian" participate in a program that is idolatrous and blasphemes the Lord, and in any way honor the command of, "And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength"? So much of modern Christianity has become humanistically centered and so much of modern psychology and man centric thinking has been allowed to permeate the Christian Church that the gospel and Jesus Christ himself seem to have been moved to the back burner. I am confronted almost weekly by Christians - some even claiming to be Pastors or Ministers, bragging about their years of work in the field of recovery, who defend Alcoholics Anonymous and Twelve Step programs in spite of being presented with scriptural proof which makes clear the idolatry and apostasy these programs put forth. And after years of being in this battle only rarely have I witnessed one of these people repent and stand in defense of the gospel. Where has the simple Christian message gone? Why is genuine faith and trust in Jesus Christ and the sufficiency of scripture so nonchalantly cast aside while liberal Christianity (which is an oxymoron) locks arms with heresy in the name of recovery? The sword of God's Word cuts the heresy of Alocholics Anonymous and Twelve Step programs to ribbons, but so few seem willing to wield the sword. For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. - Hebrews 4:12 Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. -- Psalm 1:1-2 Who, in the name of Jesus will take a stand and refuse to compromise the Word of God? Who will proclaim the truth of the gospel in spite of the insults and hatred of this dark and messed up world and those worshiping the god of recovery? Who will call out the heresy of Alcoholics Anonymous and the Twelve Steps boldly and point people to the cross? Who will shine the light of scripture on the entire premise of the modern man centered recovery concept and proclaim salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone? "The most critical need of the Church at this moment is men,bold men, free men. The Church must seek, in prayer and much humility, the coming again of men made of the stuff of which prophets and martyrs are made." - A.W. Tozer
By Chad Prigmore The following is a brief fictional story based on a common reality. Our main character is a young man in his late twenties named Taylor. It's a cold dreary late Tuesday morning in a suburb south of Los Angeles and Taylor is just waking up from a fitful sleep. He opens his eyes and the light through the bedroom window of his condo is like a brick being pressed into his head. He sits up on the side of the bed for just a few seconds and then jumps up and nearly falls from dizziness as he stumbles into the bathroom, raises the toilet lid and throws up. This morning ritual has been a recurring episode in Taylor's life over the last couple of years. He's an alcoholic and a cocaine addict and the last year especially has gone from fun and wild parties with his friends to a rapidly growing panic that he's under the control of something he can no longer battle against. He's home in bed late on a Tuesday morning because he no longer works. He lost his job because he was undependable and then his girlfriend left a few months ago. Taylor's burden of depression, anxiety, and disgust because of what he has let himself become is near the point of breaking him. He never in his life considered suicide, but over recent months the idea of it regularly comes into his mind on mornings like this. As the memory of the previous night's depravity seeps into his foggy mind he drops to his knees on the bathroom floor and cries. A few hours later, after a failed attempt at trying to eat breakfast without getting sick again, Taylor is back in the bathroom trying to shave as his hands shake like those of a ninety-five-year-old man. As he stares at his once vibrant face in the mirror and notices the dark bags and sallow skin he decides he'll do something he swore he'd never do - he'll go to a church for help. After all, isn't that what churches are supposed to do? His friend Josh's mom nagged them for years about going to church. Taylor never had any desire or interest because it all just seemed like a big scam carried out on the weak and ignorant. But he was willing to try anything on a day like this. He'd go to the big church a couple of miles from his condo he always drove by. In fact, he remembers seeing lights on and cars there just about every evening so he'll go tonight and see if maybe they can help him. That evening as it continues to rain, Taylor drinks three beers to stop the relentless shaking, gets into his car and drives to the big church. As he comes up the street to the church it's just getting dark and the wet streets glisten with reflection from the car lights. The low clouds and drizzle add to his already despondent and dark mood. But as he nears the church he sees the front door is open a bit and a warm light streams out onto the sidewalk. He thinks to himself maybe the inviting aura of the light is a sign he might find the help he so badly needs. He pulls into the parking lot next to the church where twenty or so cars are parked. As Taylor walks up to the front door of the church he becomes extremely nervous. What are the people here going to think of him? These are church people - those shiny happy people who send those evangelist guys on TV all their money. Will they maybe just send him down the road because he's so messed up? But he continues toward the slightly open door and it's welcoming light and pulls the door open. Just as he does, a man coming out the door nearly runs him over. The man stops and asks Taylor if there's anything he can help him with and introduces himself as Pastor Doug. Taylor - to his own surprise, briefly explains to Pastor Doug that he's in a bad place because of drinking and drugs and is hoping that maybe the church could somehow help him but he'd never been there before. Pastor Doug explains they would love to help him and as a matter of fact, there is an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting starting in one of their meeting rooms in just a few minutes - God must have led him there! Pastor Doug tells Taylor that he doesn't go to the meetings but knows they help people suffering from alcoholism. He invites Taylor to church the next Sunday and then ushers him inside to the meeting room and introduces him to a man named Tony who runs the Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. Tony welcomes Taylor to the meeting and offers him a cup of coffee. The meeting is just getting ready to start so Tony goes to the podium at the front and Taylor finds a seat toward the back. As people begin sitting down around him many of them introduce themselves and seem eager to make him feel welcome. Just about everyone there seems to know everyone else. As the meeting begins, Taylor is surprised that a prayer called the "Serenity Prayer" is recited and it doesn't offend him. Then one of the men goes to the podium and reads something called a "Portion of Chapter Five" from a book they call "The Big Book." As Taylor listens to the man he becomes a bit intrigued by what he hears - especially something about "God as we understood Him". After the man finishes reading, Tony invites people up to share their stories and Taylor actually begins feeling a bit of hope because the people who speak seem to have been through some type of struggle with booze and drugs similar to his own. After the meeting, Tony asks Taylor if he can buy him a cup of coffee and they head out of the church and into the parking lot to Tony's car. They drive a short distance to a coffee shop and go inside. There are a couple guys from the Alcoholics Anonymous meeting there and Tony introduces them to Taylor. Over coffee, Tony tells Taylor his story and how he's stayed sober for five years and believes Alcoholics Anonymous saved his life. Taylor asks Tony if he goes to the church the meeting is at and Tony says no explaining that sobriety is not found in churches and that he was finally able to get sober because he came to believe in a god of his own understanding and did not need anything churches offer. They just hold meetings at churches because the rent is cheap and sometimes even free. They spend a couple hours talking and Taylor is excited and hopeful. He's astonished when Tony tells him that alcoholism is a disease and Taylor was only suffering from the effects of it. As Tony drops him off at his car he hands him a brand new "Big Book" and tells Taylor he should start reading it right away and invites him to a noon meeting the next day at another church a few miles away. Taylor thanks Tony for the book and agrees to meet him at the noon meeting. Now we fast forward the story. Taylor has now been sober for two years and Tony is his sponsor. Taylor has another job and a new girlfriend. He attends five AA meetings a week, prays to a god of his own understanding, asking him for sobriety each morning and thanking him for his sobriety every night. He lives one day at a time and understands that if he ever neglects his sobriety or walks away from Alcoholics Anonymous he'll probably die from his disease. He still attends the Tuesday evening meeting at the big church but has never been there for a church service. He's learned in AA that all he needs is his own higher power, a sponsor, and to completely give himself to the program of Alcoholics Anonymous and he will be assured of a place in the kingdom of his higher power. It's again a Tuesday evening - but a nice warm evening. We see Taylor leaving the Alcoholics Anonymous meeting at the big church and get into his car. As he pulls out of the driveway his cell phone rings and he looks down to pick it up off of the passenger seat, pulls into the street in front of a semi truck, the semi-truck slams into Taylor's car, crushing Taylor inside and he dies almost instantly. Taylor was suffering on a cold rainy evening two years ago. He went to a big church seeking help. He was introduced to Alcoholics Anonymous for the help he sought. Taylor died without ever hearing the gospel of Jesus Christ. The Devil is running rampant in an orgy of destroying souls in your own Church if it allows Alcoholics Anonymous to meet on its premises. Visit your local Alcoholics Anonymous website and you will see that a vast majority of meetings are held in Christian Churches. If you're not familiar with the false teachings of Alcoholics Anonymous please visit the Exposing Recovery page. Are you suffering from alcoholism or drug addiction? Please know that you are who Jesus came to deliver and save. If you need help please fill out the Contact form on this website. |
Chad Prigmore is Pastor and President of The Way R122 Ministry USA & Kenya.
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