Posted on 01/04/2022 7:13:47 AM PST by SeekAndFind
An Alcoholics Anonymous group In Somerset, England was recently censured for reciting the Lord’s Prayer at the start of its meetings, according to London’s Daily Mail. The group was told by A.A. leaders that it had become too Christian-focused and has therefore been removed from the organization’s online directory. A.A. administrators first raised concerns about the prayer at a meeting in Somerset.
The move didn’t sit well with John Palmer, the group’s treasurer, who correctly noted that Alcoholics Anonymous was founded by Christians, and that it adopted and popularized the Serenity Prayer. The Serenity Prayer has been recited at the end of A.A. meetings across the world for many years.
“It’s a ridiculous decision,” said Mr. Palmer. “They’ve removed us from the ‘Find a meeting’ section of the A.A. website which will prevent new members from finding us. In other words, we’re being shut down.”
The drive to be open to-- and inclusive and tolerant of-- all things except one’s own culture and religion is an anomaly peculiar to today’s Western nations. And it is rapidly leading to our downfall.
Who would wish to cancel something that gives hope and strength to a group of alcoholics? Who would rid an A.A. meeting of the Lord’s Prayer? Who would wish to keep those lost from being found?
Apparently, heads of the A.A. themselves.
(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...
My personal desire to avoid whst I considered specious Christian talk kept me away from AA for a long time.
Then the day arrived, ten years ago, when I had no choice but to surrender.
Thank God I did!
My personal desire to avoid what I considered specious Christian talk kept me away from AA for a long time.
Then the day arrived, ten years ago, when I had no choice but to surrender.
Thank God I did!
We’ll lets not drink over it. 4/06/2001
Every AA meeting I have been to starts with a prayer, and ends with a prayer.
California Sober Groups
Amen brother
“Tolerance is a two-way street.”
“Not to our enemies on the Left. It’s a weapon to be used against us. And they’re using it pretty damned well.”
Very well stated - you’re exactly right. I can tolerate listening to liberals and let them shoot off at the mouth -— they are fully free to disagree. But as soon as my old liberal friends learn that I hold conservative opinions, they immediately cannot tolerate me and don’t want to have anything to do with me. It is shocking that all it takes is me saying just ONE statement to my liberal friends of 20 years, then suddenly we become enemies for life.
When I got sober in Santa Monica in 1991, there was no term for “California Sober.” We called it working our own program or doing it our own way. Something that never works.
“In the United Kingdom, The Queen’s title includes the words ‘Defender of the Faith’. This means Her Majesty has a specific role in both the Church of England and the Church of Scotland. As established Churches, they are recognised by law as the official Churches of England and Scotland, respectively. In both England and Scotland, the established Churches are subject to the regulation of law. The principle of religious toleration is fully recognised both for those of other creeds and for those without any religious beliefs. There are no established Churches in Northern Ireland nor in Wales. They were disestablished in 1869 in Northern Ireland and 1920 in Wales. There is no established Church in any Commonwealth country of which The Queen is monarch (i.e. a realm). In addition to playing a role in the Churches of England and Scotland, The Queen recognises and supports the various other faiths practised in the UK and Commonwealth.
The Church of England, and the monarch’s relation to it, was established through a series of Parliamentary Acts in the 1530s, which brought about the English Reformation. Henry VIII broke from the Roman Catholic Church by denying papal claims to ecclesiastical or any other jurisdiction, and by declaring himself rather than the Pope as Supreme Head of the Church in England. The Sovereign’s relationship to the Church of Scotland is different. Since 1707, the British Monarch has been required by the Treaty of Union to preserve the Church of Scotland, Scotland’s established Church. The Queen is therefore not the Supreme Governor of the Church of Scotland, but an ordinary member (from web)
The proper response to this is for other groups to defy the bleeding deacons that made this rule, and to all join in harmonious action, making sure their own groups all use the LP at least some times. We are an ornery bunch. We actually do care for others, that is our real purpose. As opposed to virtue signaling.
This issue is a misunderstanding of the guidelines of AA that call for acceptance of a “Higher Being”.
Getting sober is the most difficult and complicated thing anyone can do.
AA would have many fewer members if they felt they were in any way being herded into Christianity or any other particular religion.
The Lord’s Prayer appears in two of the four Gospels: Matthew (6:9-13) and Luke (11:2-4).
Members are certainly welcome to say that prayer or any other prayer or meditation privately. AA as a group has to stay non-denominational to succeed.
Members may accept the faith of others, God bless them. But it will be far more effective and long-lasting if any new beliefs are less pressured and spring from self inspection and discovery.
Aint that the truth
This is so ridiculous. I would guess that at least half of the AA meetings take place in churches. In my opinion AA has brilliantly steered clear of politics and religion over these many years.
Just awful. Sober two years this June thanks to God, family, AA, and a book.
Pray for them, who prey on us. They know not what they do.
Sounds like the UK simply doesn’t care about helping people end ‘the bottle’.
My sponsor, as well as others with some time, told us newcomers that a Higher Power doesn’t have to be God. Because many always questioned why God was everyone’s HP, we were told we could have a tree, a sunset, a planet, etc. as a HP and that’s fine.
The UK government is actively opposed to Christianity, and views Christianity as its enemy, as do most world governments, including that of the US.
Let me translate: Hey, we were founded as a Christian ministry to help addicts realize that only through their faith in God and communion with fellow believers could defeat their addiction! Stop praying since that offends the secular leadership!
Lord, Grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change; the Courage to change the things I can; and the Wisdom to know where to bury the bodies of those who would destroy us.
Clean and sober 16 hrs 14 mins
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.