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wayfarer wrote:
AAs can smoke, drink coffee and tea, have affairs (13th step), and pray to a doorknob, as long as they stay sober.Ahah! Now I see a good reason to switch. I knew the ARP was missing something.
I guess ARP is almost the pre-steps for some people. I can remember the first time a priesthood leader looked me in the face and said “it sounds like you have an addiction.” That alone was a huge step for me.
It was also a contrast to a different, ill-informed, p’hood leader who when I later discussed it with said “we need to stop telling people they have an addiction. It legitimises the sin and tells them it’s not their problem. They just have to stop it.”
As I’ve said before. ARP communications will (hopefully) be as much an education to the prejudiced mormon ‘anti-addict’ as to the actually TBM addict.
mackay11 wrote:SamBee wrote:Yes, it seems to work as well as AA etc. The one downside is that I don’t think the s’xual/p’graphic stuff doesn’t work, particularly in regard to homosexuality, which is a different issue. Otherwise, it works well for many people.
You’ve got a double negative in there so I wasn’t sure what you meant. Do you mean ARP doesn’t work for sexual addictions? Or that it does, but doesn’t for homosexuality.
‘Scuse the mistake!!! Well spotted.
I don’t think the church’s PASG and s’xual ARP stuff works from what I know about it. (Which is little. I don’t exactly hang around the women’s meetings. And the only person that I know who went to it actually told me herself.)
Quote:I’d be sad to hear if someone was sent to ARP for an “addiction” to being gay. That would suggest the leader didn’t understand addiction OR homosexuality.
Being gay is not an addiction.[/quote]
Not entirely sure here, because I’m trying to second guess things I don’t have direct experience of, but yes, I believe it is included in some places. The m’stb’tion can be too, as well as p’graphy.
My personal take on homosexuality, as I’ve said elsewhere is that I believe it serves no biological function. However, I do think it is often natural, and that people who lean that way should not be persecuted for it. Generally people round here, don’t mind it, so long as homosexual activity is not rubbed in their face. (Probably an inappropriate turn of phrase, but I hope you know what I mean) I am very uncomfortable with the church position on it, for various reasons. We should not hate people for things that they cannot help.
Quote:AAs can smoke, drink coffee and tea, have affairs (13th step), and pray to a doorknob, as long as they stay sober. (Now, I’m not saying that mature AAs do this, but you probably know what I mean).
Kind of… but I believbe that they make frequent reference to people being “cross addicted.” If you’re addicted to drink, you’re far more likely to become addicted to gambling etc.
SamBee wrote:
I don’t think the church’s PASG and s’xual ARP stuff works from what I know about it. (Which is little. I don’t exactly hang around the women’s meetings. And the only person that I know who went to it actually told me herself.)Quote:I’d be sad to hear if someone was sent to ARP for an “addiction” to being gay. That would suggest the leader didn’t understand addiction OR homosexuality.
Being gay is not an addiction.
Not entirely sure here, because I’m trying to second guess things I don’t have direct experience of, but yes, I believe it is included in some places. The m’stb’tion can be too, as well as p’graphy.
Not sure what PASG is?
ARP can certainly work for sexual addictions and other ‘mild’ addictions if the program is followed. Maybe even for heavier substance abuse – but I would guess AA is a better bet for the heavy addict. If it didn’t work for the individual then maybe she needs a different approach.
Looking at porn/masturbating/gambling/eating cakes/playing WoW/reading up on the baseball scores isn’t an addiction in and of itself (some aren’t even ‘sins’). But one person could get addicted to any of them while another could just enjoy those activities with no hint of addiction. The ARP helps the former and doesn’t pass judgement on either. It’s the addiction that’s being treated, not the sinner called to repentance.
Some people debate whether it’s possible to be addicted to doing something that is not an addictive substance. (E.g. Alcohol vs gambling) But the addict would beg to differ.
PASG is to do with p’rn and s’x ad’ctn. Don’t ask me what it stands for, search for PASG + LDS. Know very little about it to be honest with you.
(Sorry I type this way to prevent search engines picking up on all this.)
Quote:I would guess AA is a better bet for the heavy addict.
AA is great for people outside the group (although not all groups are equal). ARP lends the thing a more spiritual aspect. Folk in AA can be very hostile to spirituality, or anti-church.
Quote:Some people debate whether it’s possible to be addicted to doing something that is not an addictive substance. (E.g. Alcohol vs gambling) But the addict would beg to differ.
Gambling is worse for the bank account, since it keeps on increasing. Know of at least two local church members who have had very serious problems with it.
Yes and P definitely can be addictive. Some people spend a lot of time and money on it and download hundreds of pictures and spend a lot of money on it.
SamBee said: Quote:Folk in AA can be very hostile to spirituality, or anti-church.
My experience within AA is that they are very tolerant of spirituality in all its forms.
In the groups I attend, they represent every church & religion (or none).
For example, Jewish, Muslim, Atheist, every Christian denomination.
Regardless of their beliefs or church, they are open & accepting of everyone that comes to a meeting.
Personally, I find it refreshing to hear other’s views & opinions about religion & spirituality.
There was a period of time where I had a hard time with the spiritual part of the AA program.
We work the same program but develop on different levels over time.
For those that were more spiritual than me, I wanted what they had. I just had a difficult time getting to that level.
In many ways, I still do.
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