Stan, I do identify my experience with Jesus, and said "could be called" because there have been several variations of His name throughout history in different languages.
When I counsel alcoholics, I use the word God as their higher power, and tell them that the only way to get sober, and stay sober, is to believe in a higher power than them, or, the bottle they have worshipped for so many years. I consider that to be a reasonable way to cause them to believe something more powerful than themselves, and any thing else that may have affected their lives, which sent them down the wrong path. To hit these people with the bible is more than they can process in their muddled minds. Once they do believe in what AA calls a higher power, they can sober up, and determine their own beliefs. One of the reasons I argue with people like Brian, is because they try to force the biblical concept of the world down those peoples' throats. You just can't do that with a drunk, which I know from personal experience. No person can make another believe as they do. All that can be done, is to provide them with the information that is available to them so that they can make their own decisions. The "maps" in the bible, are of ancient thoughts, and beliefs. People in such distress need something that they can understand in current terms. What I have said does not concern me, because I have seen the method I use, which is not of my making, be successful in leading people, that think all is lost, out of the abyss, and on the road of healing. |
