Extract
from our forum: http://forums.delphiforums.com/aacultwatch
under
thread: “TLM in Alanon UK?”
“Hi ….....,
I
think you have it about right. It’s about money, power and
prestige; a perverting of AA’s simple program in order to make lots
of money, power and prestige. The leading lights of the Primary Purpose Group of AA Dallas, Chris Raymer, Myers Raymer and Cliff
Bishop have their fingers in the big business pies of book binding
and 12 step recovery treatment centers. (Cliff B. was sponsored by
Joe McQ who got rich by amalgamating his Recovery Dynamics treatment program with AA with his big book sponsorship
guide.) Then there’s Dick B. (a.k.a Richard G Burns J.D., Richard
Gordon Burns J.D.) with his Christians In Recovery Coalition and
training camp in Hawaii. There’s self appointed historian Mitchell
K, who seems be a friend of Dick B and who also appears to have
resentment against AA World Services for protecting AA copyrights.
(GSO in Germany took legal action a while ago after someone
distributed illicit copies of the big book. (Probably a mate of
Mitchell and Myers the Dallas book binder) The courts ordered the
books to be destroyed (rightly so, but Mitchell is a bit upset by it
all, see a website called gsowatch). Then there’s the publishing
arm of Hazelden treatment centers. There’s Wally P who’s on God’s
mission to spread the word about his Back to Basics Beginners Classes. Wayne B's Step'nahead Last Mile Foundation. And now what appears to be an alarming number of
smaller copy cat outfits that are set to cash in on AA; now they know
the lid is off our traditions. Underlying in the literature they
produce is a butchered AA history that makes no distinction between
the Oxford Groups and Early AA groups. Some of the treatment centres
are advertising a 12 step Oxford Group version of their program. So,
implicit within their message is an aggressive Oxford Group
evangelical Christianity. Since the underlying message of these
organisations appears to be the same, they combine to form what
amounts to a coalition of a rabidly aggressive 12 step
Christian/Oxford Group recovery cult. Because this is driven by
outside business to make profit, (Unlike AA) this explains the
pressure put on newcomers (unlike AA) to proliferate their "original"
O.G. brand of “the message” and why these newcomers rabidly
search out others to join their groups. Obviously, the more members
the cult brings in, the more there is in book sales and resultant
profit for the businesses people behind it all.
What is disturbing is the amount of power that they have gained in AA. AA has been judged to be a religion by courts in a number of USA states. This article by the rabid evangelist Dick B shows both his intent and his gloating of his success in achieving his aim. I think it is a massive public relations disaster for AA.
There is a web exclusive article on AA Grapevine in the Twelve Traditions topic called “Is AA a Religion?” which mentions the court rulings. http://www.aagrapevine.org/ (You have to subscribe to AA Grapevine to access the article)
Dick B’s ego appears to have finally inflated to the magnitude of God (as you understand it), for he now has a blog called “Dick B: THE “REAL” POWER BEHIND ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS” (Sadly at the moment, until the fellowship restores but one authority in AA, I think he might be right.) http://mauihistorian.blogspot.co.uk/2010/05/richard-gordon-burns-jd-cdaac.html
This is a link to his mercenary training camp “Freedom Ranch” in Hawaii, where he is Executive Director under his title of Richard Gordon Burns J.D. http://freedomranchmaui.org/
Richard
Burns J.D. Linkedin.com:
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/richard-burns-j-d-cdaac/13/521/196”
Cheers
The
Fellas (Friends
of Alcoholics Anonymous)
