Tag: cults

12 steps, Activism, Domestic Violence and Abuse, Spirituality, Uncategorized

Do Twelve Step Meetings open doors to sexual predators?

Every now and then you run across a post that just opens up a new revelation for you, right? Well last night I read this and it immediately spoke to me. You may or may not agree with me on this post – and that is ok.  I am sharing my experiences and my thoughts here.

Here is the post that helped me see last night:
NO FEAR HERE

You see, in my past I have attended about 10+ years of 12 Step Meetings. I went to everything from Al-Anon, CODA, ACOA, AA, NA, and more looking for answers.  I did not know GOD then. And I bought into the lie – that I could just make one up.  That the “God of my understanding” was it.  There were even those who prayed to doorknobs and squirrels. Really. A room full of people looking for answers, and using a Blue Book instead of the Bible.  Yeah, I made up my own image of God ( my very own idol) and I refused the God of the Bible.  At that time in my life I memorized that Blue Book.  After all we read those 12 steps and 12 traditions at every meeting.  And we share old war stories. And we measure ourselves by what we do or don’t do – drink or don’t drink, drug or don’t drug, etc.  Wow, talk about deceived.  Talk about a form of Godliness and denying it’s power.

Anyway, let’s just take the 1st Step:

1. We admitted we were POWERLESS OVER _____, and that our lives had become unmanageable.

Ok, what does the Word of God say about this?

 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

(2 TIMOTHY 1:7 NKJV)

 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. (Romans 8:11 NKJV)

 

So, here is my dilemma:

In 12 step groups you are powerless and will never recover. You have no power.  The drink or the drug is your GOD. You measure yourself by that.  You believe you are sick forever.  And the thing that you want relief from has now become your GOD.  I worshiped my recovery.  I thought about it day and night, I went to multiple meetings, and I even defined myself with a ‘label’ when I attended.  I became my ‘disease’. My name is _____ and I am a __________. What a lie. Talk about being deceived.

vs

In the Body of Christ – you have the power of God in you, the same power that rose Jesus Christ from the dead, and you can be healed and made whole and well.  The power of the Holy Spirit resides in you.  Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord.  God gets to be God, and deliver you, and free you – from whatever.  It is not based on our works, what we do or don’t do, but on the Grace of God.  Our worth is not based on what we drink or eat or do. And we are not a disease.  We are children of the King. And we have POWER! We are not POWERLESS!

I have even read that these groups are cults.  Really. Wow, talk about a revelation.  Exploring more, I came across these two blogs.

EXPOSE AA AT http://www.expaa.org/

STOP 13 STEP IN AA at http://stop13stepinaa.wordpress.com/

Now I get it.  These meetings are court ordered for many criminals including sex offenders and pedophiles  I have been 13th stepped.  I have met some very, very sick people in 12 step groups. Like JM, who thought he was an expert in Al-Anon, was the leader in many groups, but was a Predator in disguise.  Had all the toys – the corvette, the plane, the house, made lots of money, yet drank himself to oblivion every night after a meeting.  He later was fired from his cushy job for keeping inappropriate photos at work.  He had guns in his closet and wasn’t afraid to use them.  He had photo album upon album of his S&M ‘hobby’ of demeaning and beating women – I saw them.  He thought he was fine and recovered.  And this is the person who led the meetings.  Yeah.  And I’m sure he is not the only sicko in charge. And no, I do not go to meetings anymore – too many psychos! Thank you Jesus, for truth and light.

From: http://www.orange-papers.org
Here are some of the articles I read:

The 13th Step – the film

A Documentary about sexual predatory behavior in AA and it’s culture. This is about changing laws at a Federal level around criminals being plea bargained into 12 step meetings. This film is about changing policy in AA and making AA safer with Workshops, Literature, Posters, Sexual harassment training at every level within its structure and warning the public of its current polices and who is really sitting in a meeting with the public at large and current AA members.

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