> -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On
... > "Let us bring to all Americans who struggle with drug addiction this > message of hope: The miracle of recovery is possible, and it could be > you," Bush said in his State of the Union address. > > Many federally funded programs combine medical models with religious > faith, sometimes employing the 12-step program made famous by Alcoholics > Anonymous. But others are permeated with religion and eschew licensed > counselors altogether. And thus shut themselves off to a lot of people. Cindy and I are Christians, as most folks here know, quite active in our church, where she works as the school registrar. But when it came time not too long ago to find a rehab program for a close relative, we actually decided against a "Christian" program. It's all well and good to imagine that in the abstract, Christian drug rehab would be good. But when it comes down to the real deal, what the addict sees is that he's having sobriety *and* religion shoved down his throat. One at a time is enough! It's a huge step to become sober and it certainly is a spiritual journey. It's also a huge step to commit to a religion. We invite this relative to our church often, making sure that there aren't logistical obstacles. But just as we waited until he chose sobriety, we'll wait until he chooses Christianity. God knows what his schedule is, not us. It takes a lot more faith and humility to let someone in that situation make mistakes than to try to force them not to. But anybody who's had any success in rehab will tell you that nobody gets sober until they decide to do it for themselves. And the same is true of Christianity (which, come to think of it, may be a form of spiritual sobriety). When these things become obligations, rather than invitations, they lose much of their meaning. I think it's wrong to use rhetoric that suggests people *should* become sober or Christian. It's right to let them know what your own sobriety, your own faith, your own education, etc., has done for you. That's how AA works at its best -- it gives people a glimpse of another way to live, in hopes that they'll find it more attractive. Or, more crudely, a message along the lines of, "Yeah, rehab sucks, but it doesn't suck as bad as the life you were living -- lonely, homeless, jailed, etc." I certainly believe that our faith has helped Cindy and me to do more for our relatives with substance abuse problems. But that faith is probably most important in ways that aren't so obvious, such as having the faith to believe in them when common sense would dictate otherwise; and faith that we don't have to shoulder their problems ourselves, thus avoiding the traps of codependency. Nick (doing my part to tear down Christian stereotypes, I hope) _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
