Author Topic: The Oxford Group  (Read 14541 times)

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Offline cleveland

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The Oxford Group
« on: September 16, 2005, 11:14:00 AM »
Origins of AA, and The Seed...

"Although one can find parallels between AA and the Craigie Foundation, AA really owes its existence to the Oxford Movement, founded by Lutheran minister Nathan Buchman. Buchman, in response to what he believed to have been a personal mystical religious experience, started the First Century Christian Fellowship in 1921. The goal of this group was to establish a world culture based on what Buchman considered to be the beliefs and practices of the early Christian church. Buchman tended to see everything in the context of a battle between good and evil. His vision was messianic and he equated his work and goals with God. He believed that any philosophy or ideology, particularly Communism, which disagreed with his vision of a world-wide theocracy, was inspired by Satan. He established the Four Absolutes: absolute honesty, absolute purity, absolute unselfishness, and absolute love. He referred to himself as soul surgeon. New members of his group were expected to undergo rigorous self-examination, openly confess their sins and weaknesses, surrender themselves to God, and make restitution to anyone they had harmed in the past. Additionally, they were expected to promote the organization for no fee and fund raising was a key activity of members of the fellowship.

Buchman also promoted the Four Cs: confidence in Buchman the soul surgeon, confession of sins, conviction (or acknowledgement) of ones sins, conversion to the principles of the First Century Christian Fellowship, and continuance of practice of the Fellowship rules. Besides the Four Absolutes and the Four Cs, members were also encouraged to live by specific fellowship slogans, which included give news, not views, win your argument, lose your man, and J.E.S.U.S. just exactly suits us sinners. Buchmans explicitly stated goal was mass conversion that ultimately would lead to humanity being ruled by God-Control.

The First Century Christian Fellowship grew rapidly in the 1920s. Buchman targeted recruitment activities towards men of power and influence and towards college students. He fully expected his followers to adhere to his dictates totally and to accept the veracity of his mystical experiences without question. Not surprisingly, a considerable amount of negative publicity resulted from his methods of recruitment and his group was often called both a cult and Buchmanism.

In 1929, following a series of revivals he held in England, Buchman changed the name of his group to the Oxford Group and the organization continued to flourish under the new name. His hatred of communism allowed him to see fascism as a reasonable alternative and in 1936, he was quoted as saying I thank heaven for a man like Adolph Hitler, who built a front line of defense against the anti-Christ of Communism. Think what it would mean to the world if Hitler surrendered to the control of God? The world needs the dictatorship of the living spirit of God. Hitler is Christianitys defender against Communism. Although he later admitted that he had been duped by Hitler, he did not issue a retraction. Understandably, that interview did irreparable harm to the Oxford Movement and in 1939, Buchman again changed the name of his movement, this time calling it Moral Rearmament. The influence of Moral Rearmament peaked in the 1940s and its membership declined greatly following Buchmans death in 1961.

Although Buchmans movement faded from the public view, its message is very much with us in the form of Alcoholics Anonymous, founded by Mr. Bill Wilson and Dr. Robert Smith. Bill Wilson had been cured of alcoholism by a spiritual revelation he believed he had had while at a drying out clinic. The fact that this revelation may be caused by a combination of belladonna and other drugs given to him as part of the drying out process did not seem to have bothered him. Following this experience, he began a crusade to save other alcoholics through religion. While in Akron, Ohio in 1935, he feared that a relapse was imminent and asked an Akron Protestant minister for the name of someone he could talk to who had also been addicted to alcohol. He was given the name of Dr. Robert Smith. He and Smith met and held what many consider to be the first AA meeting. The two of them attempted to cure other alcoholics with such Oxford Group principles as confession, making amends and turning ones life over to God. They used Oxford Group principles because Dr. Smith was an active Oxford Group member and was using those same principles with his patients at an Akron hospital.

Wilson and Smith considered spiritual faith to be a cornerstone of sobriety and readily subscribed to Buchmans insistence that the individual alcoholic is powerless and must rely on divine intervention to maintain sobriety. It is worth pointing out that Dr. Smith, although a medical doctor and thus presumably well versed in scientific methodology, did not use scientific methods when treating hospitalized alcoholic patients. Rather, he relied strictly on the religious principles of the Oxford Group. Both he and Wilson remained active participants in Buchmans group until 1937.

The principles of AA were unquestionably taken from those of the Oxford Group. Frank Buchmans beliefs in human powerlessness, the necessity of confession of sin, the value of taking a moral inventory of oneself, the value of making amends to others, the necessity of carrying the message to others and redemption through turning ones life over to God were adopted wholesale by Bill Wilson. Wilson simply took those central Buchmanite principles and formatted them into the 12-Step program of recovery (Lemanski, 44).

In A History of Addiction and Recovery in the United States, Mr. Lemanski goes into considerable detail into the development of the addiction treatment industry in the United States and its overwhelming reliance on the 12 Step Model. Particularly, he discusses the 12-step inspired Minnesota Model of inpatient treatment and its absolute failure as a viable treatment method for addiction. Of course, the ultimate question is: Does AA really work? From the standpoint of 12-Step recovery, the scientific data is grim regarding its efficacy. In the 1990s, three meta-analyses of substance abuse treatment were done. These studies indicated that 1. Twelve-step treatment is, as a whole, ineffective; 2. The various components of 12-Step treatment are themselves ineffective; 3. Twelve-step (especially inpatient) treatment is among the most expensive types of treatment; 4. Several cognitive-behavioral treatments are effective. 5. These effective cognitive-behavioral treatments are all either low cost or very low cost. (Lemanski, 120). In other words, despite the fact that over 90% of substance abuse counselling treatment in the United States is based on the twelve-step model, it is not an effective treatment method for substance abuse and addiction.

Mr. Lemanski notes that the success rate for the AA model is about 5% (Lemanski, 102). He points out that many twelve-step recovery centers claim a success rate of 70% and higher but these claims are due to faulty research methodology. For instance, such centers routinely ignore people who drop out of the programs and the studies do not include former patients or clients that the programs have lost track of. Additionally, they use short term sobriety as the criteria for successful outcome  and they dont bother to use comparison or control groups. Despite the low success for AA model recovery, it continues to flourish. Ironically, despite AA being an abstinence model of treatment, Mr. Bill Wilson experimented later in life with mescaline in a futile attempt to re-experience the mystical state he had had while under the influence of the medically administered drugs given to him at the drying out clinic. Mr. Wilson remained addicted to cigarettes his entire adult life and died of emphysema in 1971.

(A somewhat different version of this review appeared in the January-February, 2002 edition of BASIS.)"

- From Bay Area Skeptics website

Walter
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Offline marshall

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« Reply #1 on: September 16, 2005, 12:40:00 PM »
Thanks Walter! That was very interesting.

----------
Mr. Wilson remained addicted to cigarettes his entire adult life and died of emphysema in 1971.
-----------------

Yeah. The single addiction most likely to kill you...and it's the one the Seed not only tolerated but subtly promoted. I have little doubt that I would never have kicked that habit if I'd stayed involved there.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »
Truth, being limitless, unconditioned, unapproachable by any path whatsoever, cannot be organized; nor should any organization be formed to lead or to coerce people along any particular path. You must climb towards the Truth. It cannot be \'stepped down\'

Offline JaLong

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« Reply #2 on: September 16, 2005, 01:00:00 PM »
Clevland,
Thank you for sharing this. Many of what you said about Bill is not found anywhere in any AA books or literature. Of course not, right? We who have been in AA knew the success rate was very low. All you needed to do was to hang around 1 group for awhile. I left after 5 yrs. Many, many went back out.
Thanks again for the info.
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Offline GregFL

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« Reply #3 on: September 16, 2005, 01:05:00 PM »
The success rate of the twelve step model according to AA's own internal documents is zero.  They have zero impact statistically on whether you will drink or not.

What they do provide is a support group if you CHOOSE to stop drinking, but hell, not everyone needs other people to tell them what is right or wrong.

Again, the remission rate of the general population of alcoholics that quit drinking is 95%...the remission rate of AA attendees is 95%.

This is hardly a starting point for creating a personality cult and then holding children against their will...

But again, for those that voluntarily sumbit themselves to this treatment and then profess it "Saved" them...whos to argue? Or more succintly..whats the point?  The bigger picture is how our society is shoving this treatment model down everyone's throat with zero evidence it evens works or even worse, using it as a pretense to imprison children that haven't been tried or convicted of anything.
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Offline Anonymous

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« Reply #4 on: September 16, 2005, 01:28:00 PM »
do people speak of Bill in a.a. like they would takl about art in group at seed at see they would mention his name in every rap. did they talk about the semblers in every rap at straight?
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Offline Anonymous

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« Reply #5 on: September 16, 2005, 01:34:00 PM »
I love it, you guys are great.
Non-addicts/alcoholics discussing what it takes to get clean/sober, and with self-assigned authority! What's next a forum where whites can discuss what it's like being black or the visioned can discuss how best to run your life if you're blind?
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Offline Antigen

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« Reply #6 on: September 16, 2005, 02:15:00 PM »
Now you just hold your horses, stepper! According to your own cult's criteria, I've been a hopeless addict since the age of 9 when I first took a hit off a joint. That's been over 30 years now. I should have been deadinsaneorinjail decades ago. Just how long does this shit take to start working, anyway?

"I predict, Sir, that you will die either by hanging or of some vile disease."
 "That all depends, sir, upon whether I embrace your principles or your mistress."
--Disraeli to Gladstone



_________________
Ginger Warbis ~ Antigen
Drug war POW
Seed Chicklett `71 - `80
Straight, Sarasota
   10/80 - 10/82
Apostate 10/82 -
Anonymity Anonymous
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »
"Don\'t let the past remind us of what we are not now."
~ Crosby Stills Nash & Young, Sweet Judy Blue Eyes

Offline Antigen

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« Reply #7 on: September 16, 2005, 02:23:00 PM »
Quote
On 2005-09-16 10:28:00, Anonymous wrote:

did they talk about the semblers in every rap at straight?


No, it was completely different. I think there was a concious effort by Straight founders to eliminate the cultive personality aspect of the program. They thought that was one of the essential elements that had made the Seed dangerous and abusive.

Personally, I heard the name Sembler in association w/ Drug Free America Foundation years after I got away from Straight and probably a year or more before I ever knew of any affiliation between the Semblers and Straight or the Seed.

I suppose that's a key factor in my continued outrage. Here I was engaging in discussion on drug policy w/ a bunch of happy (and some not so happy) hippies, thinking to myself "My God, where did these people come from? They sound just like Program robots." But, of course, I thought I was thinking it rhetorically and never said it out loud.

When I finally went looking for them, I found solid connections between the most lunatic drug policies and expansive, crazy statements and those very same individuals who brought us the Program (by any name). I was stunned. I honestly did like it better when I was just a little paranoid, but the world was more-or-less OK. And, ever since, almost every time I try to relay that information, some joker tells me to put a little more tin foil under my hat.

A bishop keeps on saying at the age of eighty what he was told to say at the age of eighteen.
--Oscar Wilde

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"Don\'t let the past remind us of what we are not now."
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Offline Ft. Lauderdale

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« Reply #8 on: September 16, 2005, 03:54:00 PM »
Marshall-
 In the last 10 or 15 years, no one smoked. Or maybe 1 out of 50, if even that.
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Offline cleveland

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« Reply #9 on: September 16, 2005, 04:08:00 PM »
What I think is so interesting about this is the fact that the Oxford Group recruited members based upon the testimony of a strong, charismatic leader who could 'cure' them - he called himself a 'soul surgeon' (the 'gift of awareness'?) He also advocated 'absolute' purity and group confession (an ideal no one is capable of reaching, plus the bond of shame and group cohesiveness). Members recruited other members and there was a lot of talk about love. There were also many slogans, and a mistrust of logical thought. I also think it's interesting that the founder flirted with Nazism (Hitler's 'Superman' and the Seed's 'homo superior'?)

It's no surprise to me that Buchman's group came to be considered a cult, and disappeared. But look what has been left behind!

Walter
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Offline marshall

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« Reply #10 on: September 16, 2005, 05:14:00 PM »
Really? That is amazing! That's the first I'd heard of that, so pardon my ignorance. How did that come about? Did Art finally manage to quit? Did someone finally realize the inconsistency  of all the talk about destroying ourselves, having no respect for ourselves (pre-seed) and continuing to slowly commit suicide via tobacco addiction? I read that Straight was anti-smoking and that at least seemed more consistent. Whatever the reason, that's good to hear. Hope you were one of the one's able to kick the habit.

It's funny...(well, not really)..but the 3 drugs I had the most trouble with in my life were all legal. I'm not even counting caffeine (sorry mormons). When I was about 14 I developed a chronic cough. The family doctor prescribed a powerful cough-medicine containing codeine. I quickly became addicted to it. Had to have it every a.m. before school. Loved the feeling and pretended to cough in order to get it. Strangely, the dependency scared me and I was slowly able to ween myself from it over several months. When I was 16 I started seeing a therapist (after a mega-dose of LSD). I was prescribed Valium for anxiety. (this was the early 70's and this was still common)  Even after all the list of druggie drugs I'd taken, valium seemed like the best thing since sliced bread. It gave me confidence and changed my personality to more outgoing and talkative. Again, I found myself taking it every day (the dr. specifically warned only to use it occasionally) before school. I remained dependent upon that until I was sent to prison. Cigarettes, codeine and valium...those were the hard one's to let go of...and none were (for me at the time) illegal.

These days I'm back to using a type of acid. Have to have it every day. Must be made from insects or something. They call it ant-acid. :silly:
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »
Truth, being limitless, unconditioned, unapproachable by any path whatsoever, cannot be organized; nor should any organization be formed to lead or to coerce people along any particular path. You must climb towards the Truth. It cannot be \'stepped down\'

Offline Antigen

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« Reply #11 on: September 16, 2005, 07:09:00 PM »
Look into meadowsweet. It's the only alternative to the antacid/prevacid regime that my dh takes that seems to keep working well for more than a month or two, has no known side effects and may actually encourage healthy regrowth of damaged stomach, duodenum and ileum tissue.


I give money for church organs in the hope the organ music will distract the congregation's attention from the rest of the service.
--Andrew Carnegie, Scottish-born American industrialist and philanthropist

« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »
"Don\'t let the past remind us of what we are not now."
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Offline GregFL

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« Reply #12 on: September 17, 2005, 02:58:00 AM »
Quote
On 2005-09-16 10:34:00, Anonymous wrote:

"I love it, you guys are great.

Non-addicts/alcoholics discussing what it takes to get clean/sober, and with self-assigned authority! What's next a forum where whites can discuss what it's like being black or the visioned can discuss how best to run your life if you're blind?"


This forum is replete with graduates/attendees of AA and AA type programs. Who better to discuss and explore the concepts?


You know "anon" you come across as bitter and confrontational to all that don't agree with you.

 Just where did you obtain those personality traits? Ever think of focusing a little of your hyper-critical analysis of others inward?

If so, I respectully suggest  starting with your anti-social propensity to lash out at people that don't share your beliefs.
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Offline Anonymous

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« Reply #13 on: September 17, 2005, 03:14:00 AM »
Quote
On 2005-09-16 11:15:00, Antigen wrote:

"Now you just hold your horses, stepper! According to your own cult's criteria, I've been a hopeless addict since the age of 9 when I first took a hit off a joint. That's been over 30 years now. I should have been deadinsaneorinjail decades ago. Just how long does this shit take to start working, anyway?



Well Ging if you continue along this destructive path, you may die at 80, thereby proving their point!

 :grin:

Gregfl
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Offline cleveland

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« Reply #14 on: September 19, 2005, 09:51:00 AM »
From "The Religious Roots of AA by Agent Orange:"

http://www.orange-papers.org/orange-religiousroots.html

"The truth is that a failed stock analyst and newly-sober alcoholic named William G. Wilson just sat down, in December of 1938, and wrote up twelve commandments for the new religious group that he and fellow alcoholic Doctor Robert Smith had started. Those commandments were simply a repackaged version of the practices of a cult religion that was popular at that time, something called "The Oxford Group", or "The Oxford Group Movement", a religious cult created by a deceitful fascist renegade Lutheran minister named Dr. Frank Nathan Daniel Buchman. The practices of the Oxford Group were:

1) Admission of personal defeat (You have been defeated by sin).

2) Taking of personal inventory. (List your sins.)

3) Confession of one's sins to another person.

4) Making restitution to those one has harmed.

5) Helping others selflessly.

6) Praying to God for the power to put these precepts into practice.

There was also one more very important requirement, not listed in these six practices, "Go recruit more members." (Actually, many believers would say, "It is so listed. It's Practice Five. Converting people to the right religious beliefs and 'principles', so that they can get into Heaven too, is definitely helping them. So working all day long to get new converts for the group is 'helping others selflessly.'")
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