Don S

Thanks, Tristan,
Some of the topics I've thought about, in addition to the views of abstinence, include (but are not limited to):
--the different views of addiction (disease, compulsive behavior, etc.-mackat's post is a good example); specific definitions of alcoholic/alcoholism.
--the role of spirituality and/or religion
--scientific basis
--jargon and core principles
--key practices and implementation: how you do it
--the role of meetings and support groups
--use of medication and acceptance of medical recovery practices
--organizational structure

To the extent that history of an organization can tell us something about it, some info about the founders or those providing the philosophical basis might be of interest.

There are a couple of obvious problems, but they can be resolved. The selection of quoted material may not satisfy some folks; the obvious solution is to find better quotes and add them as replies. The more the better! For example, when I quoted from the Big Book of AA, I may not have understood the different ways people interpret that program. But on a forum board those limitations are somewhat self-correcting.

And there may be a tendency to want to start debating the merits of each program with respect to one characteristic. An excellent thing to do...in a new thread.

If there are things you want to know about different programs, let us know. They might be great topics for a new thread.

Welcome to SR, and thanks for posting!
Don S