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It seems to me that the trouble with AA is twofold:
One, they appeal to a "greater power" of some sort, which makes them a religious organization. This wouldn't be a problem, except that they're accepting government funding and endorsement as part of sentencing for convicts. This wouldn't be as much of a problem if there were alternatives, such as Rational Recovery.
Two, they tell addicts that they have no power over their addiction. This is plainly false. The addict may lose control of their actions temporarily, they may slip up on occasion, but that doesn't mean that individuals cannot chose whether to take that drink or otherwise act on their addiction. Telling people they have no control over how they behave is an easy excuse for them to justify all kinds of horrible actions. "It wasn't me, it was the alcohol."
One, they appeal to a "greater power" of some sort, which makes them a religious organization. This wouldn't be a problem, except that they're accepting government funding and endorsement as part of sentencing for convicts. This wouldn't be as much of a problem if there were alternatives, such as Rational Recovery.
Two, they tell addicts that they have no power over their addiction. This is plainly false. The addict may lose control of their actions temporarily, they may slip up on occasion, but that doesn't mean that individuals cannot chose whether to take that drink or otherwise act on their addiction. Telling people they have no control over how they behave is an easy excuse for them to justify all kinds of horrible actions. "It wasn't me, it was the alcohol."
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