Author defends Christians joining A.A.

The author of numerous books on A.A.’s alleged Christian origin continues to defend his position. The following is Dick B.’s response to ‘How A. A. turned our nation from Christ.’  (Scroll down to read article.)

“What a great day it will be when the authors of material like this awake to the fact that there are thousands and thousands of Christians in A.A. today; that early A.A. was a Christian fellowship; that its founders were Christians; that all members were required to believe in God and accept Christ; and that there was a documented 75% to 93% success rate. AND that there is no such thing as “A.A.” There is today a society of 2 million members worldwide, and that there is as much freedom to believe in God, accept Jesus as Lord, study the Word of God, and obey God’s will as there was in 1935. It is little short of ridiculous to think that 2 million very sick drunks, a few of whom recover today, can somehow tumble the rock.”

		My Response:
		I will rejoice when you repent for what you have done. You have convinced many that it is perfectly acceptable to join our Holy God with the idols in the pantheon. The fact that Christians are in A.A. does not somehow make it right, it makes us ignorant or willfully disobedient to the Word of God. The fact that you have the gall to still claim A.A.’s founders were Christians is astounding. No such thing as A.A.? The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled Alcoholics Anonymous a religious entity rather a spiritual one. The U.S. Supreme Court usually rules on issues, organizations etc. that ACTUALLY exist. Of course the Rock will never be tumbled. But the apostate church must rise. God’s people, sooner or later, will be taken to be with Him. False religions such as the 12 Steps, perhaps particulary the 12 Steps, will coagulate into the one world religion. The 12 Steps have gone far beyond the alcoholic population. A.A., having conquered the world of the alcoholic, has turned to every other area in society: Overeaters, shy people, coffee addicts…wherever the 12 Step religion could expand, it has. That is what religions do. I pointed out to you the A.A. cofounders’ delight in heretical material such as the Emmet Fox book–which denies Christ is Savior–years ago. You ignored that, and much else. Why are you so determined to convince Christians it is okay to fellowship with A.A.? May Christ help His people. It is telling that you do not address my article with Scripture. My article is based primarily on Scripture. You cannot do that because the Bible is so clear about never spirtually fellowshiping with non-believers.

How A.A. turned our nation from Christ

Let there be no strange god among you; nor shall you worship any false god. (Psalm 81:9)

“I am firmly convinced the longer a member’s years in A.A., the less important the nature of [God] becomes,” writes the author of ‘A member’s birds-eye view of Alcoholics Anonymous.’ This assertion, made decades ago, contains much truth.

But this has also proved true of our culture. The United States has been saturated with A.A. and other 12 Step groups for more than seven decades. As a direct result our respect, understanding, and desire for the Biblical God has faded.

In ‘The Fall of the Evangelical Nation,’ author Christine Wicker credits Alcoholics Anonymous with “hastening the fall of the evangelical church.” The author notes how A.A.  “slowly exposed people to the notion they could get [a god] without the dogma, the doctrine, and the outdated rules. Without the church, in fact.”

In other words, people could worship whatever form of “god” they imagine. The A.A. deity, the “higher power,” is a lot like a salad bar—people choose a little of this, a little of that. What is on the plate can always be added to, subtracted, or rearranged. But when “god” is so malleable, so is morality.

Since the 12 Steps, demonic in origin, have nothing to do with Christ, neither sin nor Biblical repentance is addressed. This , of course, is very appealing to the flesh. The Steps address “wrongs,” “making amends,” and “moral inventory,” but one inserts one’s own moral understanding alongside one’s own custom-made god.

Unrepentant homosexual Gene Robinson, an Episcopal Bishop, gave an intentionally Christ-less invocation at one of the Presidential inaugural events. A recovering alcoholic, Robinson prayed instead to A.A.’s higher power, the “god of our many understandings.”

The nature of the apostate Bishop’s prayer illustrates the profound theological shift that has taken place in America.  

According to a recent Barna survey, “By a three to one margin (71% to 26%) adults noted that they are personally more likely to develop their own set of religious beliefs than to accept a comprehensive set of beliefs taught by a particular church.” Incredibly, 61% of born again Christians also embraced this salad-bar approach. Obviously, many in the church today are not believers at all.  

The sorrows of those who have bartered after another god will be multiplied. (Psalm 16:4)

Let us acknowledge that A.A. has helped some people get sober. A smattering has even found Christ while attending Alcoholics Anonymous. Yet, this in itself has proved an effective decoy. It furthers the misconception that people should be encouraged into this all-gods religion because ultimately they will come to Christ. This rarely happens.

Throughout Scripture the Lord forbids spiritual fellowship with non-believers. He warned Solomon what would happen because of his heathen wives. (1 Kings 11); He approved of King Josiah’s agony over the false gods in the Temple. (2 Kings 22:8-23:24); He clearly commands us to be a separate people. (2 Corinthians 6:14-17) Belonging to the 12 Step religion, where all “gods” are seen as equal, is a grave insult to the Ancient of Days.

For great is the Lord and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the peoples are idols, But the Lord made the heavens. (Psalm 96:4-5)

Make no mistake—the success of A.A. is not in treatment effectiveness, which is limited, but in public relations and publicity. A.A. and other 12 Step groups have excelled not in bringing people to Jesus, but in weakening the Body of Christ, and steering the culture away from the God of the Bible.

America has accomplished much. We have guarded Israel. We have helped spread the gospel throughout many other lands. But now, the apostate church rises, with much of the coming one world religion in place in rudimentary form.

When is a smile a snarl? When are helping hands the talons of hell? When is spirituality a sibilant, serpentine kiss? Bishop Robinson’s inaugural invocation to the 12 Step god is a harbinger of what is to come—and, indeed, what is already here.

 

(First published at www.Christianworldviewnetwork.com) 

 

Note: Be encouraged. Our churches are full of people who have been delivered from bondage. The Lord will make a way for you. An excellent online ministry—a truly Biblical ministry—is Setting Captives Free. Check them out at www.settingcaptivesfree.com   

James De Young on ‘The Shack’

‘The Shack’ is reviewed and exposed by James De Young, a Western Seminary professor who knows the author personally. On Gospel Driven Blog. http://gospeldriven.wordpress.com/2009/01/15/guest-contributor-dr-james-deyoung-revisiting-the-shack-universal-reconciliation/

A blog to make you think, all opinions welcome

Want to check out a really interesting blog, full of surprises, Biblically backed arguments, and strong opinions?

http://www.thepropheticyears.com/wordpress/

Mingling With Pagans by Pastor Ken Silva

The blending of spiritual beliefs continues. What are we “emerging” into? http://apprising.org/2009/01/mingling-with-pagans/

Video of Gay Bishop’s Inaugural Prayer in A.A. language

Video of Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson’s A.A. flavored inaugural invocation at Lincoln Memorial. He addressed the “god of our many understandings,” language he said he learned while seeking 12 Step help for his alcoholism.

Robinson did this because he claimed he was appalled how aggressively Christian former inaugural invocations had been.

The 12 Step belief system continues to rise, helped not just by apostates like Robinson, but by deceived Christians who cling to their 12 Step idol. Soon this “higher power” will be the dominant theological view. False Christs such as that found in the novel ‘The Shack’ will easily fit into this malleable, serpentine belief system.

Below is a  link to a video of Robinson’s prayer. Come, Lord Jesus.

http://blog.christianitytoday.com/ctpolitics/2009/01/gay_bishop_kick.html

Spiritual Giant In the Land of the Wino

He’s seventy six, and his body is breaking down. Bad heart, arthritis, and more. Bodily functions are a challenge. He looks like what he is–a stocky, bald man shuffling slowly along.

That’s who he is physically. Spiritually, he is a giant. He has served Christ for sixty years. Many years ago when I lived on the street, drinking wine and beer and sleeping in the nooks and corners of the city, this man and his wife ministered to the homeless.

One day I was was drinking with twenty other street people. The Holy Spirit fell on me, and I knew I was supposed to go over to the church where this man and his wife lived.

I turned to Butch, the wino sitting next to me. “Butch,” I said, “the Holy Spirit wants me to go over to that church.”

Butch shrugged. “Then go.”

I walked the mile to the church. I was laying on the steps, crying, with my eyes closed. When I opened my eyes, there was this stumpy old man staring down at me. He was kind as Christ is kind.

I ended up living in this church with this man and his wife (who is now in heaven), and they showed me Christ’s love. They took me to a Bible study, which led, many years later, to meeting my wife.

This man doesn’t spend time watching ball games or television or reading editorials. He  serves, and he serves, and he serves. He is out here in Oregon visiting, and I don’t know if I will see him again.

He is a giant the Lord placed in many lives–a simple man, unpretentious, yet fierce in the service of his Lord.

The Lord is so kind.

Blessed are you who hunger now, for you shall be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh. (Luke 6: 21)