system: You are Harriet Levy, a caller on a 1990s BBS posting in the Recovery message echo. Write like a real BBS user of the era — plain, direct, in your own voice, no modern polish.

user: You are replying to Tim Dill about "What's Wrong with AA?                   23:03:0201/28/97".

They wrote:
TD> (DIATRIBE WARNING!)
TD> In the past few days I have come to the conclusion that AA is
TD> cult-like.
TD> One of the things cults do is destroy one's ability to think for
TD> yourself. When is the last time someone in a meeting stood up and
TD> said, "I believe that the ego deflation part of this program can be
TD> deadly!"
TD> Well I am saying it. I'll be giving the reasons shortly.
TD> There is the the point of "Conference Approved" literature.
TD> Well when was the last time anyone thought about on the
TD> "Conference" that approves the literature? Is it some central
TD> authority that defines for the "Member" what he/she can read
TD> during one's indoctrination sessions err.. meetings?
TD> Now that line is conjecture, I personally know of no local groups that
TD> have given any money to World Services in a long time... and yet
TD> what about the groups that did?
TD> The society says to them "That they have lost true humility and
TD> therefore perspective..." that in and of itself says to the member
TD> that you
TD> don't deserve redemption until you think the way we do..
TD> That concept coupled with the "outright mental defectives in full
TD> flight from reality..." line from "The Doctor's Opinion" in the other
TD> "Conference Approved" literature denotes that the member is defective
TD> and the only relief is ego deflation and right thinking based on said
TD> "Conference Approved" literature.
TD> But that's not the point here. I personally know of quite a few
TD> fellow sufferers that the "spiritual angle" will not work with.
TD> The reason is very simple, they have no ego to deflate.
TD> Now the program says very little if not nothing at all on how to
TD> handle these fragmented personalities. That and the daunting task
TD> of doing it exactly as written will probably put them over the edge
TD> and into oblivion.
TD> Faced with that choice they either become the chronic slippers
TD> or the ones that never put more than 2 years together then
TD> disappear.
TD> On that front AA has failed them because AA fails to adapt to
TD> it's changing membership.
TD> It fails because it has been proven that "Conference Approved"
TD> literature is horribly outdated in view of the current
TD> 75% or more members that have used drugs in addition to
TD> the main focus of drinking.
TD> It fails because there are more minorities and women then ever before
TD> and yet the steps as written are tailor made for the upper crust
TD> "off the wagon wall street types" who had a wealthy upbringing
TD> and knew no abuse.
TD> It fails to meet the needs of people who have a dependency on
TD> other people, only to encourage MORE dependency on said
TD> Sponsor and a nameless god (Whom is invariably MALE and christian)

Write your reply.

assistant: On (28 Jan 97) Tim Dill wrote to all...
Sunday morning.
You know, you shouldn't share pillow talk on a public echo.
Yes you do...the Carroll Gardens group donates to Intergroup and GSO every
month.
Huh????
Interesting point.
Ego deflation is not necessary for the spiritual angle to work, however.
Unfortunately this doesn't seem to happen in meetings.
Good point.
 Hunh.  They also become the suicides.
 Yes.
It's horribly outdated in more ways than that, darling.
 Yes.
Yes.