Alcoholics Anonymous group censured for Reciting the Lord’s Prayer
An Alcoholics Anonymous group In Somerset, England was recently censured for reciting the Lord’s Prayer at the start of its meetings, according to London’s Daily Mail. The group was told by A.A. leaders that it had become too Christian-focused and has therefore been removed from the organization’s online directory. A.A. administrators first raised concerns about the prayer at a meeting in Somerset.
The move didn’t sit well with John Palmer, the group’s treasurer, who correctly noted that Alcoholics Anonymous was founded by Christians, and that it adopted and popularized the Serenity Prayer. The Serenity Prayer has been recited at the end of A.A. meetings across the world for many years.
“It’s a ridiculous decision,” said Mr. Palmer. “They’ve removed us from the ‘Find a meeting’ section of the A.A. website which will prevent new members from finding us. In other words, we’re being shut down.”
The drive to be open to-- and inclusive and tolerant of-- all things except one’s own culture and religion is an anomaly peculiar to today’s Western nations. And it is rapidly leading to our downfall.
Who would wish to cancel something that gives hope and strength to a group of alcoholics? Who would rid an A.A. meeting of the Lord’s Prayer? Who would wish to keep those lost from being found?
Apparently, heads of the A.A. themselves.
Ironically, that’s enough to drive anyone to drink.
And now, some of them -- quite literally -- don’t have a prayer.