SERIOUS STUFF

Warning: some people may find the following offensive. If you are religious or involved with NA or AA you may be one of those people. You are welcome to disagree but please don't complain in comments if you continue to read and are offended-you were warned :)

Here are some of the reasons I don't like any religion:

Members are made to feel, inferior, defective
Members are encouraged to serve the church above all else (family, work,friends etc)
Members are told there is only one true church, no other way is acceptable
Members are told how to live, including important life choices we should all be free to make for ourselves
Members gain respect in the church only by the amount of service they do e.g. It does not matter if they cure cancer, the person next to them teaches sunday school and is therefore a better person
The church actively seeks out weak and vulnerable people to become members

there are more I don't care to think of right now

But my point is...

THIS IS ALL THE SAME THINGS ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS OR NARCOTICS ANONYMOUS EXPECT!!

Fear not friends, I speak as a friend of a person with a substance abuse problem, not a direct victim. My biggest vices are Coke Zero and Chocolate :D

So my friend and I were talking and she was telling me all these things and I said "Gee, It sounds a lot like religion to me..."

And she said "I know! I've realised I've become Indoctrinated to them/by them and I have to get out but if I do what will I do about my problem???"

So we Googled it. And you know what? We aren't the only ones who think AA/NA is a lot like organised religion! There are sites and blog and services about it! AA Deconversion etc.

So she feels better because she has a solution and I feel MAD! Of all the sneaky, underhanded things! A religion in disguise!

I can't do much about it. But I can tell people. So if you ever have a friend going through the same thing, maybe you can pass on what we learnt.