Warped lives of blameless children

So what does the book say about Alcoholism or being an alcoholic? Is it a disease? An allergy? An illness? A choice?

"An illness of this sort- and we have come to believe it an illness- involves those about us in a way no other human sickness can. If a person has cancer all are sorry for him and no one is angry or hurt. But not so with the alcoholic illness, for with it there goes annihilation of all the things worth while in life. It brings misunderstanding, fierce resentment, financial insecurity, disgusted friends and employers, warped lives of blameless children, sad wives and parents- anyone can increase the list."

Who cares? If you've got it, shame on you, right? If you're affected by one who has it, then shame on them, right?

This is easy to do when you consider alcoholism to be a choice. If you want to scapegoat the alcoholic, just call it a choice. Simple. Oh, but do us a favor; don't develop yet another "treatment" method that you're gonna make a bunch of money on... or we're gonna start scapegoating you! How do you like that, doctor? Shrink? Preacherman? Bent anti-AAer?

Is A.A. effective article by Dick B.

Ok, I've read through the thing and I have 3 disagreements with your article;

1. Alcoholics vs addicts. Another topic for another day. *
2. The use of the word "cured". I'll go as far as "recovered", but not cured. The day I can drink a glass and a half of bourbon, I'll consider myself cured.
3. At this point, I've got a hold of this deal regardless of the way it was back in 35', 37', 39', etc. I'm very greatful for the work Bill W. did and the work and leadership that Dr Bob provided, but I don't think you have to be a Christian to get this deal. There may not be so many alcoholic Jews, but what about them? Did they have their own fellowship? What about many of the other religions. They were all converted to Christianity?

I think good step work with a healthy group or one heck of a sponsor that uses the A.A. book and the 12 Traditions Long Form would solve all of the 3 issues I've listed above.

I may or may not be Christian, but I think that has no bearing on the work I do in A.A.
I certainly was not much of a Christian prior to getting sober in A.A., and I think you could say the same for Bill.

Did Jesus the Carpenter decide to start loving alcoholics that sobered up in A.A. or did they start to get their ass's in shape so they could be in a position to ask for help in the first place?

I don't care anymore what people say about A.A., about it's recovery rate, its status as a religion/not-religion, cult, not-cult. It works for me and that's enough.

If you want to do A.A., get in. If you don't, that's fine. Then please don't go to any A.A. meetings. Get busy starting some Secular meetings, some Life Ring meetings, some S.M.A.R.T. meetings, some Rational Recovery meetings, etc. Give the treatment centers some options and stop 8!#ching that A.A. is forcing judges, doctors, therapist, counselors, psychiatrists, psychologists, etc. to send their clients to A.A. Give them another option and do it by starting your own damned meetings.

Quit blaming A.A. for the world's problems, get off your asses and do something about it.

That's what I think.

* OK, it's another day. Anybody can be an addict. Do drugs for long enough and you'll become an addict. This includes coffee and tobacco. Anybody can also become a non-addict. Stop poppin' smack in your arm for long enough and you'll no longer be an addict.

You can't drink yourself into being an alcoholic. You'll either become an alcoholic or you won't be. But once you become an alcoholic, there's no going back.

Alcoholism and drug addiction are different.