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Robert Eckert's avatar

"The Big Book, the foundational text used by many, has a chapter about agnostics, suggesting that those who do not believe in God or are unsure of their belief in God are "handicapped by obstinacy, sensitiveness, and unreasoning prejudice,ā€ as well as "doomed to alcoholic death."" That is viciously slanderous. The chapter is called "WE AGNOSTICS" and emphasizes that you don't have to buy into anybody else's "God" especially not a concept of God that may have been beaten into you when you were young. What is necessary is to end a self-centered conception of your ego as the be-all and end-all of the universe.

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Mildred Downey Broxon's avatar

"Christian substance abuse" sounds like getting into the altar wine.

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bcb's avatar

I also known of (from people I trust) cases of people in positions of power saying atheists should be viewed as being at higher risk of suicide since we don't have the Bible to tell us that suicide is a sin.

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Superfluous Nip's avatar

AA is for quitters. - Red Skelton

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Kay Ducky's avatar

I would sue demanding a Poseidon-based recovery option, and force the state to fund one if none exist.

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bcb's avatar

I'd demand a Persephone-based recovery option, and every six months they have to completely tear it down and replace it with a different season-appropriate recovery system.

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Nemo's avatar

Trying to see if I can comment

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Avuncular Curmudgeon's avatar

SMART Recovery, has been recognized as an acceptable non-religious alternative applicable to all harmful addictive behaviors by the Ninth Circuit. Unfortunately, courts outside the Ninth Circuit are free to ignore the decision. This ruling is very good news for folks in that jurisdiction.

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š”…š”¢š”¢š”©š”·š”¢š”Ÿš”²š”Ÿš”Ÿš”ž's avatar

š˜šš˜¢š˜Ŗš˜Æš˜µ š˜”š˜¢š˜³š˜ŗā€™š˜“ Correctional Center? For real???

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Mexfiles's avatar

I've long thought the AA "Big Book" was the most influental badly written book in US history. On the one hand, it did revolutize the way substance abuse and other medical issues are handled... involving the patient in their own recovery. On the other hand, it's crappy 1920s advertising, and the writers were evangelical Christians. My understanding is that one of their early supporters was a nun working as a hospital administrator who'd been working with drunks for some time, and got them to tone down the overly-jesusy language to at least open it up to Jews and Catholics.

Maybe the Big Book needs a New Testament?

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Opalescent Riddles's avatar

"" the The Big Book... has a chapter about agnostics, suggesting that those who do not believe in God or are unsure of their belief in God are "handicapped by obstinacy, sensitiveness, and unreasoning prejudice,ā€ ""

Handicapped. Sure Jan. As opposed to taking willful pride in those traits whilst wielding them like a cudgel against any and all imagined enemies., which in my observation correlates far better with those who are quite "sure" of their belief.

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Mark's avatar

DoC will just cancel the whole parole program, probably. No parole for anyone!

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Bruce's avatar

"The fact that we haven’t worked to develop more varied programs is almost a sign of disrespect to people struggling with those issues."

It IS a sign that despite all their protestations and wailing to the contrary , Christians are the oppressors in this country not the oppressed.

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Lefty Wright's avatar

Wait until the Supreme Court rules these programs do not coerce people to be Christians and is only a minor, trivial inconvenience compared to spending the next 6 years in prison as a heretic.

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Runfastandwin's avatar

Almost? Au contraire...

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Ray Bluth's avatar

Religion always messes up everything. I guess there are people that need the "fear of god" to stay on the straight and narrow. Wonketeers know right from wrong and don't need sky daddy to set us straight.

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Ellie Alive In 25's avatar

Good. To require this has to be something dreamed up by those who think Lying For Jesus is meet and right so to do. Therefore, requiring someone to lie about their faith is also a Good Thing. No. Bad. Bad. Bad.

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