Advice for Witnessing to 12 Step Program/ Alcoholics Anonymous Members?

[Greg F]

My job has a lot of 12 step program and Alcoholics Anonymous members working in it.  The area in South Florida has a lot of Recovery houses, and the particular owner of the business I am at has hired a lot of good employees from programs that have had their friends apply.  The 12 step process requires acceptance of a "higher power" but leaves this undefined -- so the recovering addict in my experience is very open to spiritual conversations and has thought a lot about them.  The problem I run into is that the fellowship of recovering addicts is necessarily designed to be open to people of all faiths, and to those without a particular faith, so the very openness of it is a difficulty.  Basically, getting across the idea that there is one path to the Father runs against what they have been trained to do in their meetings, which is accept all faiths, essentially as equal, and that all faith as useful in the process of kicking addiction. It's a sort of theology of openess to all doctrine as equally true -- relativist.

So far I've found that directly presenting John 14:6 "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" is better than trying to show the "problems" with their particular spiritual understanding . . . just making clear there is a choice.  Beyond that, I've sort of punted, and given out a copy of C.S. Lewis' "Mere Christianity" in the hopes that it will reach them.

Another issue is the person who has been touched by God or the Holy Spirit personally, but does not connect this experience with Christ.  I do not discount this experience and think that the Holy Spirit often gives a non-believer the great "I AM" before the spirit moves to Christ and to the Church in their life. That was my experience.  However, in witnessing, what do you say to the person who has a personal experience with God but rejects that it is connected to Christ?

[islandboy]

Greg,
From what I have read and understand about the Alcoholics Anonymous Proram and it's 12 step program, it's tie in to all religions being equal is also one of the things making some find it hard to accept things that happen being attributed to God.  Some of the Episcopal Churches base teachings on Jungian Psychology, and use it in their healing missions, such as doing "Healing of Memories".  To understand this topic better go do a web search on Jungian Psychology. Then you will be able to read all about this topic in great detail. Then please return to this forum for comparisons  and  be sure to ask questions so that you will be aware of the dangers in that belief system.
This is a subject that all Christian should be aware of and defend the faith against.

"Link removed to prevent confusion for the lost."
Moderator

[Soldier4Christ]

That is one messed up web site. The teachings of self over God, the mixing of secular science as being compatible with the word of God, all half truths if any truth at all.

[Shammu]

The teachings of self over God

Brother you can blame that on Carl Jung.

Yes it is messed up, full of deciet, and half truths.  As we know satan presents a counterfeit promise, a half-truth that sounds believable. 

[Maryjane]

The 12 step program is not what any man or woman should base their spiritual life on for it is not from God...The 12 step program is like that of the temple with all the gods...Man trying to do on their own what only Christ can do...

[Greg F]

I spoke to my pastor about it, and he said that a "good news" approach might help; he recommended listening to my co-worker and identify the needs and hurts he is dealing with and then presenting a gospel passage that addresses it. Guilt, loneliness, emptyness, needs, fear of death were the common ones he said, and that he's found emptyness to be a common feeling among substance abusers, so he recommended reciting or showing Matthew 11:28. "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

[nChrist]

I spoke to my pastor about it, and he said that a "good news" approach might help; he recommended listening to my co-worker and identify the needs and hurts he is dealing with and then presenting a gospel passage that addresses it. Guilt, loneliness, emptyness, needs, fear of death were the common ones he said, and that he's found emptyness to be a common feeling among substance abusers, so he recommended reciting or showing Matthew 11:28. "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

AMEN GREG F!

JESUS CHRIST is the only answer for a suffering world. "Suffering" is really an insufficient word to describe substance abusers and those around them. "Torture" is more accurate. No man or system can come anywhere close to THE GREAT PHYSICIAN, JESUS CHRIST. I must also add that the treatment and cure is for the whole person, including the most important part - THE SOUL.

Love In Christ,
Tom

Revelation 3:20 NASB  'Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.

[islandboy]

I wanted to apologize for providing a link that you felt would be confusing to some. While the information at that site is incorrect my thinking was that if someone went to it from here, they would have a better understanding of what was wrong with that way of thinking, as they would return to ask questions.  The comments members made validated that fact.
 A great many Churches are using this type of Jungian psychology to lure people away from God's Truth. It is the same as technique used on the  Oprah Show program "The Secret".
I taught a lesson on discernment a few years ago. The Church was using Jungian tactics, which was unknown to most of  it's members. While some members were resistant to change, many members opened their eyes and starting to think about what was being taught and changed their lives back to Christ.
As we all teach our children the dangers that lurk in our world today, we must remember that people of any age if not fore- warned can fall into the same traps.
This web forum provides the Bible Truths that all Christians, as well as, non-Christians need to know.

[Soldier4Christ]

Hi islandboy,

No need to apologize, brother. We fully understand what you are saying and can agree that Christians need to be able to discern the truth from all the false leadings there are today. There are so many different cult teachings invading our churches today that in order to cover them all it would take a life time and a very large amount of space on the forum. I think that it would be space and time better spent to show what is the truth than it is to show all of the cults. Many of those cults are very subtle and are sometimes very hard to distinguish. This is the reason that we have the Bible and are told to stand on the teachings that Jesus has given us. If these things do not stand up against the Bible then they are indeed false.

[islandboy]

Thank you For your comment. I understand your point of view.
When I did the lesson on discernment I had a list of the various cults and there were over 400 and counting. Trying to expose cults is not where I was coming from with this. The churches I was speaking of are the  "used to be die-hard Christian Churches". This is what worried me the most. I was finding this psychology in some Methodist and Baptist, Episcopal and etc...congregations. The teaching is using scripture from the KJV, to support this different view point. I had over  fifteen hundred research material papers in my computer, where I looked at the data from both sides.  It is a tricky piece of work crafted to make it appear like the real deal.
One interesting thing I discovered after reading the bio of Sigmund Freud was he based his psychology on the Bible. Where-as Carl Jung, based his whole concept of psychology on self.