How Sickening!

[GoldenGutters]

And they call themselves an AA group!

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18368218...sweek/from/ET/

[best]

May's story isn't unique. Now 16, she is one of hundreds of recovering alcoholics who are taking sides in a bitter, unprecedented dispute among Alcoholics Anonymous adherents that pits members of Midtown, who insist the organization has saved their lives and kept them sober, against angry former members, who charge it is a coercive, cultlike group that uses the trusted AA name to induce young alcoholics into a radical fringe movement that has little resemblance to traditional AA.

Some things can **** me off so much that my thoughts are no where near proper recovery.
Thank you GG for opening my eyes to what is out there.

[laurie6781]

I read the whole thing.......................I am so p****d off right now I will respond later.

Thank you GG for posting this.

Love and hugs,

[miss communicat]

That scares me.

[dgillz]

Good lord!

I have always heard the "AA is a cult" contingent, but this is the kind of thing they will glom on to and try to make all of us seem this way.

Thanks for posting this.

[Surlyredhead]

WOW!!!!

[Creekryder]

Pretty sad, but it's like a lot of things in our world now. Bad things happen but it should not be considered the norm.

[Hope]

That is horrible!

[lanie67]

That group sounds like a sex ring more than it does a recovery fellowship. I think it is a mistake for Alcoholics Anonymous to decline comment on this. AA has no opinion on outside issues, but this is not an outside issue. If people in this group are charged and prosecuted with things like statutory rape and assault on minors the accused with be "an AA group" or Midtown AA group.

[findingout]

What a disturbing article. I fear many people will chose to forget reading

"Her suspicions were confirmed when she left Midtown and began attending a different AA meeting. She was surprised—and relieved—to find that many of Midtown's common practices were exactly the opposite of what Alcoholics Anonymous literature teaches."

and relish (and embellish) the ugliness.

[Rusty Zipper]

WHAT!!! the F... this really blows...!!!

it certantly by far... is not the norm... isolated case, i hope and pray...

i hope the GSO gets wind of this...

hmm, maybe i smell some wind?


rz

[fraankie]

really sad


best
fraankie

[paulmh]

Makes me wonder - this must happen here and there. A powerful personality or two takes over the meetings in a town and runs them according to their own agenda and warped notions of "recovery". I hope lots of solid AAers from the surrounding areas descend upon these meetings and take them back!

[GlassPrisoner]

Exception, not the rule.

Still, it's sad to think some may not find sobriety because of this group.

[fraankie]

i think it's in one of the traditions
that some may not adhere to Aa prinicples
but
that they cannot be refused attendance
in the belief that AA may help
and
even so,
how much harm can they do?
it's a greater good type of thing
although, bill w. didn't have this in mind

i agree with paulmh
i've seen stuff here and there
and
as it says in how it works
"we are not saints"
relationships
dodging taxes
malicious gossip
guys sponsoring women
etc
oh, for a perfect world
but
then
there would be no AA


best
fraankie

[best]

If AA becomes so secular that they are allowing people to start cults in their name, it will become the last I ever tell someone to seek AA.

That group...per what the article says is a dangerous cult. The last few cults I remember of that nature, they and their members are all gone now.

i think it's in one of the traditions
that some may not adhere to Aa prinicples

Not adhering to the AA principles is not the same as out right criminal activity.

[Phinneas]

Originally Posted by findingout

What a disturbing article. I fear many people will chose to forget reading

"Her suspicions were confirmed when she left Midtown and began attending a different AA meeting. She was surprised—and relieved—to find that many of Midtown's common practices were exactly the opposite of what Alcoholics Anonymous literature teaches."

and relish (and embellish) the ugliness.

My thought exactly, Tony.

This "group" is NOT AA.

[fraankie]

"AA: cult or cure"
good book
examined the fundamentals of cults and Aa
determined AA is not a cult
but
of course,
things happen


best
fraankie

[Grasshopper]

not surprising,but is avoidable.Some folks ARE sicker than others,no matter what group they are in,be it AA,church,,etc,,etc.Today there is hugh emphises,on the sponsor.Do what the sponsor says,,ask your sponsor.So naturally this would encourage sick folks to follow what sick folks says to do.All this kind of stuff,,is,avoidable,when one reads the BB,and follows whats in there.And when you read the BB,you will know what directions from others to take or not to take.Whether they are following whats in our recovery program or not.....
her suspicions were confirmed...all one needs do as i have memtioned,is READ,the BB,themselves,and you will know what to follow and what not to.

[JEI2950]

I want to start by saying WOW!! this could really become dangerous if left as is , but ( and forgive my ignorance ) what can be done ? Can AA members elect someone to respond to this , because I think that would violate several principles that are the base of the whole organization of AA , We can't come out and issue a statement , can we ? I am very angry at the justification of their actions . and I am going to pray on it , hopefully the least they could do is change the name of the group to SFUAAN sick f**ks using AA name .

[lanie67]

I don't know, but it will be interesting to see what happens considering the girl who is coming forward in this article is just 16, now. I'm not clear on whether she was intimate with any men in that group but people could go to jail for a long time for this. I really wish AA would get out in front of this and comment before some tabloid spins this story as AA=the next Catholic Church or something...just as people don't refer to a specific diocese or priest when talking about that scandal, it's the whole org that got tainted. I personally have never experienced anything like this in any meeting and do not know of anyone who has ever experienced anything like this in any meeting and don't know of anyone who knows anyone who ever has, etc, etc and that includes NA as well. It's the first time I've ever heard of anything even near like this; there may have been bad actors in this or that meeting, not that I was aware of though, but not a whole group using the AA name to sexually exploit minors and other females. AA is such a beloved institution and I am really still p.o.'d about this after reading the article yesterday. I can hear the anti-AA naysayers saying 'see, just one more reason why AA is the devil'. Sigh.

[leviathon]

just goes to show you that sickness can corrupt anything ... wow, that's shocking and another thing for people to keep in mind... if things don't seem right, maybe they are not right.

Levi

[Tazman53]

Man that is messed up..... not sure what else to say except I wish they had altered the article a bit to spell out that this group is an abomination of what AA is really about much earlier in the article.

[BigSis]

But now this has been brought into the light.... do we really think it can survive?


If I was in town, and talking to other members - we would ALL be talking about not supporting those meetings, steering folks away from those meetings. Now the recovery counselors have this information and know not to steer others toward the group. Maybe a few "real" members could show up and request a tradition study, bring up and continue to point out places in the BB where they are not in concert with the meeting.

This article, while it denegrates AA as a whole (unfortunately) also does a service. I am glad to see it . Thank you, GG.