Court bans AA for being too religious
The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco ruled that the constitutional dividing line between church and state has been violated by sentencing a parolee to go to Alcoholics Anonymous or any other 12 Step program.
Alcoholics Anonymous, is one of the most trusted and respected programs for the treatment of alcoholism and addiction. The court ruling sited the references in AA and other 12 Step based programs that reference “God”.
The court referenced the 2nd Step where it states “a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity” and the 3rd Step which asks a person to “turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.”
Friday’s 3-0 ruling allows a Honolulu man to go to trial in a suit on behalf of his late father, Ricky Inouye, who was paroled from a drug sentence in November 2000.
Wonderland Center is huge advocate of the 12 Steps! We believe in the effectiveness and support the 12 Step groups provide to our community. At the same time, we understand the court’s opinion.
Our goal is to help addicts and alcoholics achieve recovery. Currently, 12 Step programs in conjunction with medical and psychological teatment provide the most effective treatment for our community of recovering addicts and alcoholics. Early recovery is very difficult and 12 Step programs are effective, abundant, available and free.
We know that many people do not like to participate in 12 Step programs. Therefore, at Wonderland Center we provide alternative programs based on medical and psychological treatments. We treat each client at Wonderland Center individually. Our goal is for every client to find their own recovery, health and happiness.