Posted by MG on August 01, 2011 at 02:23:43
In Reply to: Re: my last response, MG posted by OT2 on July 31, 2011 at 20:35:59:
A few points which I will number to save time:
1) I too am not trying to diminish the success and/or success rate of Christian Bible-based !2 Step recovery programs. I'm not arguing with you trying to say that "secular" programs are the best and the only ones that are successful. I think the high success rate of Christian 12-Step programs is fantastic, and you are right that the percentage-wise success rate of AA today is way lower than it was in its early days when they were in the Oxford Group. It doesn't surprise me at all that the success rate for people going into a rehab which is Bible based is higher, even considerably higher.
2) Sorry about using the word "if", I didn't really mean to infer anything. (I've done it too when I've gotten into discussions with people here on the boards, but I think sometimes we do too much reading between the lines.)
3)If I said that some Christians in recovery don't experience complete and permanent freedom, I agree that would be wrong. But didn't I say the opposite ..."It's great for the many people who have recovered from addiction through religion and faith in becoming a new creature."
4)Maybe I myself personally am part of a 12 Step program. Maybe I've had a chance to travel and get to know fellow members from many nations, cultures and religions, atheists and agnostics too. I think that would give credence to my sweeping statement about the millions who respond to a 12-Step program that allows people to define God as being one of their "own understanding".
5)Those are really good excerpts from the book on Dr. Bob and how it was in the very early days of the beginnings of Alcoholics Anonymous. It was a very Christian recovery program, the first members were Oxford Group members too.
6)Google helped me find the book "What is the Oxford Group", Google is by far the search engine I use most. And I do like Wikipedia, sometimes is quite good.