Christians in A.A.? Of course! And here's why

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Is A.A. Christian? - Cyber Recovery Social Network Forums - Alcohol and Drug Addiction Help/Support

cyberrecovery.net— Is A.A. Christian? A.A. With Dick B. More and more, people are Googling in the question: Is A.A. Christian. Is it? Some, including a few Christian writers who are anti-A.A., are quick to jump in and answer with a Bible verse or two, an admonition or three, and a condemnation or 20. Again: Is A.A. Christian? Why not start with facts before attempting to answer the question in any meaningful, useful, and helpful way! You might first ask, "What is A.A.?" ot "What A.A. literature--past or present--can shed light on the question?" or "Who is asking the question?" Is the questioner studying A.A., condemning A.A., trying to prove the affirmative, trying to argue the negative, contending that AAs will go to hell, stating that the Bible prohibits attending A.A., or stating flatly that A.A. is Christian or not Christian. And of what period in A.A.'s 75 years or so, is the questioner asking? You can start by finding out the major influences on A.A. historically. These are the YMCA, Christian evangelists like Dwight Moody and F.B. Meyer, the Salvation Army, the Gospel Rescue Missions including the one where one cofounder made his decision for Jesus Christ, and The Young People's Society of Christian Endeavor. One comprehensive, documented study can be found in Dick B., Dr. Bob of Alcoholics Anonymous (www.dickb.com/drbobofaa.shtml). Another is Dick B., The Conversion of Bill W. (www.dickb.com/conversion.shtml). Still another can be found in Dick B. Real Twelve Step Fellowship History (www.dickb.com/realhistory.shtml). You can move on to look at the Christian upbringing of A.A.'s cofounders Dr. Robert H. Smith and William G. Wilson. You will mostly have to look outside of A.A. for details. But the books above will be helpful. But two A.A. Conference-approved books can start you on your quest. One is DR. BOB and the Good Oldtimers (1980). Another is "Pass It On." And still another are the autobiography of Bill W. himself. Another, the biography of Bill's doctor, " Aug 22, 2011
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Some Thoughts About Christians and Non-Christians in an A.A. Group Today

I applaud the temperate way in which you discussed the article. I confess I cannot tell exactly what your position is. If you are favoring forgiveness as part of the Christian walk, I certainly agree. If you are favoring the broad highway of higher powers today, I wouldn't argue the point because I thought I made it clear that I am a Christian, a Bible student, a solid A.A. and I am most thankful for what A.A. did for me and what I was able to do for many in A.A. That has nothing to do with whether A.A. is or is not Christian. It isn't. But it certainly was, and a few psychoheretics are so violently anti-A.A. that they think they can drive, warn, threaten Christians out of A.A. by telling them the truth--A.A. isn't Christian. Their problem is that they just can't understand or swallow the overwhelming proof that A.A. sprang from Christian origins, was a Christian fellowship, and then changed. And I strongly believe Christians in A.A. need to know their origins, need to know the change, need to reject the higher power gods, and need to feel free to believe, talk, act, and walk like Christians IN A.A. If you are not in agreement that there is little value in the psychoheretics trying to claim that which is true - A.A. is not a Christian fellowship - then I would suggest that you missed my point: There are tens of thousands if not hundreds of thousands of Christians IN A.A. who are being vigorously and personally attacked because they belong to an A.A. whose broad membership is composed of many many Christians and many many who are not. I have no problem with those who are not. I have a great many problems with those who drive or attempt to drive Christians out of A.A. because they are keeping company with those who are not Christians. I'm one of those people who didn't conduct a litmus test as to the Christianity of my fellow Boy Scouts, fraternity brothers, law school colleagues, fellow lawyers, any judge, fellow Rotarians, fellow chamber of commerce friends, people I fished with, people I hunted with, people I played tennis with, people who were in the high school band, Army, and summer camps I attended. I was a Christian. I stayed a Christian. And I never left any of those outfits because someone else was not. In fact, I never asked or needed to ask - as far as I can remember at age 85. I'm just not one of those who thinks all Christians should crawl back into the catacombs and fear the Romans. I heartily concur in the value of fellowshipping with like-minded believers. There are not only biblical reasons for that view; there are practical reasons for praying, witnessing, fellowshipping, healing, worshipping, studying the Bible together - and much more. But whether A.A. is or is not a Christian fellowship wasn't and isn't ever an issue for me. Whether Christians can be in A.A. without intimidation, rebuke, and phony biblical arguments against their presence - that is an issue. And perhaps it's the major reason I wrote and keep writing about that along with the hundreds of other subjects I cover