Have you ever evangelized at a 12-step group?

[Mirdath]

Of course just the mention of Christ in some meetings, I’ve seen people go balistic, for they seem think it is in the 12 and 12 that it is OK to talk about thier door knob god but Christianity is totally prohibited.- As Christians we are obilgated to share our faith, not just for the one hour at Mass on Sunday, but 24/7.

We shouldn’t push Christinity down people’s throat, but we cannot deny Christ either. Contramundum7, what do you think?

I can’t fault anyone for discussing his or her faith – specifically how it’s helped in the recovery process, as I know it does for many people. That’s perfectly fine: it’s germane to the topic of addiction and recovery, it lets people know how you’re dealing with it, and it might just prompt someone else to take a look. Nothing wrong with that.

Show up with a fistful of tracts, start going off on ‘my God is better than your God’, or get up and preach, and you’ll rightly get the boot.

 

[Nordar]

I think you are right and I also think some people here may have a perverted or misguidied idea what envanelizing is…:ehh: Just by living out your faith and giving credit to your higher power, “Jesus Chirst” isn’t forbidden. What is forbidden is the “group” pushing one religion over another, that is forbidden - that is as a “group”. Of course just the mention of Christ in some meetings, I’ve seen people go balistic, for they seem think it is in the 12 and 12 that it is OK to talk about thier door knob god but Christianity is totally prohibited.- As Christians we are obilgated to share our faith, not just for the one hour at Mass on Sunday, but 24/7.

We shouldn’t push Christinity down people’s throat, but we cannot deny Christ either. Contramundum7, what do you think?

What is a perverted and misguided idea of Evangelizing?

By living out your life and giving credit to your Higher Power (in my case God) is proven by my staying sober. So how Did I or anyone else in anyway say that was forbidden or how is that Evangelizing? That is what AA is all about. That happens to be what the 12 steps advocate.

No as a Christian you are Not obligated to share your faith 24/7 at an AA meeting. There are Athiests and Agnostics who attend AA meetings and they are not obligated to listen to Christians share their faith if they do not wish to. AA is not a religious or Christian organization it is for People who want to get and stay sober. If you want to Evangelize about your Christianity 24/7 then you belong somewhere else, not in the rooms of AA.

 

[Bennie_P]

You seem very familiar (your words and your writing style)…any relation to Bennie P?
.

Dearest Leslie, I have never advocated, direct evangelization at AA meetings. I don’t understand the purpose of this comment?
Love you, Bennie P

 

[Bennie_P]

What is a perverted and misguided idea of Evangelizing?

By living out your life and giving credit to your Higher Power (in my case God) is proven by my staying sober. So how Did I or anyone else in anyway say that was forbidden or how is that Evangelizing? That is what AA is all about. That happens to be what the 12 steps advocate.

No as a Christian you are Not obligated to share your faith 24/7 at an AA meeting. There are Athiests and Agnostics who attend AA meetings and they are not obligated to listen to Christians share their faith if they do not wish to. .

First I wasn’t responding to you, so I didn’t say you said anything. And I appoligize if you thought I did.

What do I mean by a misguiIded or perverted idea of envangalizing? Well it seems when one uses the word “envangelize”, that too many people think of someone getting up at the podium, pounding thier bible over people’s heads and shouting at them - that I considered a perverted idea of envangelizing.

And third when you share your faith by living your faith, and not denying your faith then that is Evangelizing.

AA is not a religious or Christian organization it is for People who want to get and stay sober. If you want to Evangelize about your Christianity 24/7 then you belong somewhere else, not in the rooms of AA

This I agree, that is why, I do not go to AA meetings.

 

[estesbob]

I can’t fault anyone for discussing his or her faith – specifically how it’s helped in the recovery process, as I know it does for many people. That’s perfectly fine: it’s germane to the topic of addiction and recovery, it lets people know how you’re dealing with it, and it might just prompt someone else to take a look. Nothing wrong with that.

Show up with a fistful of tracts, start going off on ‘my God is better than your God’, or get up and preach, and you’ll rightly get the boot.

Its all a matter of degree. Everyine shares their fatih in AA-even if they are an atheist. Where one would cross the line woud be if they shared their faith and added unless you have accepted Jesus Christ as your personal savior you will nt be saved, or something to that effect.

I came across this discussion via another thread and am quite supirsed this is even being dicsussed, In the last 22 years of s i have attended lilterally thousands of meetings and can recall only a couple of times where someone crossed the line-usually a very new member who’s sponsor had a quiet talk with them after the meeting.

 

[distracted]

What I’m saying is that using an AA/NA meeting as a platform to make converts is inappropriate, uncouth, contrary to the goals of the group, and otherwise generally dastardly. People do not go to those meetings to have preachers tell them to come to Jesus:

I don’t recall anyone saying they go to meetings to convert people. The only thing mentioned was sharing Experience, Strength and Hope, as 12 step members are supposed to… it seems to me you assume far too much…
Hmm… Assume… (*** - U - ME )…

proselytizing at a meeting is taking advantage of damaged people.

All human beings are damaged one way or the other…
I can’t speak for anyone else, but when i talk about Jesus at a 12 step mtg, i only talk about my “addiction” and other things the group focuses on, mentioning Jesus only when it seems like the “right” time. I have never been booted out, and as stated, if i was, that would cause me to have a very negative attitude toward AA… then i might (key word: might) discourage others from going because of my negative opinion… which would not serve AA or anyone else…

 

[Nordar]

I don’t recall anyone saying they go to meetings to convert people. The only thing mentioned was sharing Experience, Strength and Hope, as 12 step members are supposed to… it seems to me you assume far too much…
Hmm… Assume… (*** - U - ME )…

All human beings are damaged one way or the other…
I can’t speak for anyone else, but when i talk about Jesus at a 12 step mtg, i only talk about my “addiction” and other things the group focuses on, mentioning Jesus only when it seems like the “right” time. I have never been booted out, and as stated, if i was, that would cause me to have a very negative attitude toward AA… then i might (key word: might) discourage others from going because of my negative opinion… which would not serve AA or anyone else…

I really hate to burst your egotistical bubble there but AA has been around for a long time and is world wide… It is not about to disband and collapse because you may give some people negative opinions if you should be discouraged from evangelizing.

Nor do I believe that God would divert some drunks from the doors of AA on your say so!

 

[Mirdath]

I don’t recall anyone saying they go to meetings to convert people. The only thing mentioned was sharing Experience, Strength and Hope, as 12 step members are supposed to… it seems to me you assume far too much…
Hmm… Assume… (*** - U - ME )…

The OP was quite clear about considering it a ‘ministry’ and ‘telling ‘lost’ people about Jesus’. The thread is not titled ‘Have you ever said Jesus was your higher power at a 12-step group?’, it is ‘Have you ever evangelized…’. This is not merely sharing experiences and hopes.

 

[Jerusha]

I think there is a fine line between the two. It depends on how often the individual brings up their religion, and if it is in an appropriate context given what the previous speakers have said.