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while I agree that his freedom of not being religious were violated by jailing him further for not joining a religiously based 12 step program. But the money that is now given to him is ridiculous. Unless he was almost murdered or seriously hurt in those extra 100 days of jail, there is no need for such an excessive monetary reward for this person. I personally would think that a financial compensation of between 10 and 20 thousand would have been more than enough.
That's BS. AA teaches you that you are powerless to your addiction and that you need the help of others (God). Instead they should teach you that you are in control of your own destiny, that you have complete control over your own actions and that in order to overcome your addictions you need to embrace your strengths.
AA is such a joke and so is the whole idea that you are powerless.
If you don't believe in God, you can't do that. The state shouldn't be able to force atheist's to participate in this program.
... At no point did he say that science can't do it. He said science surely has better treatment methods than AA. As someone who has tried AAA, AA, psychological counseling and medical treatment, I'd said that a one size fits all program simply doesn't work. Different minds need different approaches. I've met people who had no need for the religious part of AA, and yet went anyways because they enjoyed the communal aspect of it. Likewise, there are people like myself where counseling (psychological and religious) simply isn't enough and the mind needs to be occupied with other things (in my case, exercise and work). There are a third group of people who need scientific advances like methadone in conjunction with religious counseling. Overcoming addiction isn't a "let's try this and see if it works", it's a whole bunch of treatments put together to fit the individual in question.
So yes, he's right in so much as saying that people shouldn't only rely on non-scientific treatments. AAA is useless to a heroin/meth addict. Scientific treatments alone are useless for someone who drinks because of depression. In the end, it boils down to an inexact science of finding out what a person best responds to and how to benefit them using other treatments that are available.
I also think the higher power notion of 12 steps is nonsense. There is no higher power, there is only you and you alone can change this behavior. You can admit you have lost control and have to regain that control, not think of it as a higher power but a vice that needs reigning in.
Part of me says "screw this asshole for trying to suck the government dry, it's his damn fault that he's in jail to begin with."
The other part of me says "this **** needs to stop, we don't live in the Midieval Ages where you believe in God or get punished."
At the end of the day he shouldn't get **** because he shouldn't be selling drugs like the inferior human he is.
You obviously don't understand real addiction or the power of God.
The point is, there is something inside of you (God or whatever you want to call it) that is more powerful than anything that tries to destroy you.
FWIW he was getting punished well before any treatments or programs.
Basically, he's an inferior subhuman and he's getting what inferior subhumans deserve.
Your conscience, your moral compass, your inner voice.
I wouldn't conflate that with the concept of God however, because I believe that is all me. It is MY inner voice, conscience, and moral compass, not God's.
A side point but it's a common error worth pointing out.First off its not lengthening prison sentences, parole is a shortened sentence.
A side point but it's a common error worth pointing out.
Parole doesn't shorten a sentence. If someone gets a sentence of 12 years and is released on parole after 5 years in prison, he remains on parole for 7 years. That is still part of the sentence, which is why someone on parole can be recalled to prison if the break the conditions of their parole even if that falls short of being a criminal act in itself.
For the vast majority of prison sentences, the expectation is that the prisoner will be paroled at some point. If someone is given a "12 year custodial sentence with the possibility of parole after 5 years", the judge is expecting that prisoner will likely be released after 5 years. Very few convicted criminals will spend their entire sentence in prison. I doubt there is anything like the prison capacity for that to happen (which in itself should say something).Yes there are provisions but it does shorten their time in jail. While technically it doesnt reduce their sentence in reality they are in jail less than if they served the full sentence even if it is only a day.
yes to quote Hamilton he was “an atheist in religion and a fanatic in politics"
When you've lost your soul to addiction, who better to return it to you than God? Like you said, science can't do it.
Gods can at best offer a placebo effect. Since they're not real, they can't do anything substantial.
That's BS. AA teaches you that you are powerless to your addiction and that you need the help of others (God). Instead they should teach you that you are in control of your own destiny, that you have complete control over your own actions and that in order to overcome your addictions you need to embrace your strengths.
AA is such a joke and so is the whole idea that you are powerless.
That's BS. AA teaches you that you are powerless to your addiction and that you need the help of others (God). Instead they should teach you that you are in control of your own destiny, that you have complete control over your own actions and that in order to overcome your addictions you need to embrace your strengths.
AA is such a joke and so is the whole idea that you are powerless.
Most addicts attempt to quit using their willpower many times before going twelve step. Trying doesn't work for them, so it make sense to stop trying and to let an "outside force" (which may actually be another part of the brain) help. Part of the problem with trying is that it creates a feeling of shame when they slip, and avoiding that shameful feeling can be a motivation to use again.
Placebos work for many people in many situations.
12 step programs work 3% of the time. Thats not a very good batting average.
its non denominational you can even claim your "higher power" is mother earth, im sure there are a few atheist that would admit that the earth/nature/the universe/physics is a power greater than themselves
But the placebos of all kinds often have 'substantial' effects.
I was going to mention this earlier, but I accept the evidence that addiction is in part caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain and that a necessary step to long term recovery is fixing that imbalance so people feel more or less 'normal' when not using drugs. Time fixes some of these problems, but many unfortunate individuals deal with intense cravings years into recovery.
I followed a program to chemically 'fix' the imbalances and it worked beautifully for me. I mentioned this to my doctor and he (and others) suggested that my 'cure' was effective merely because of the placebo effect. My response was I don't know and actually don't care about anything other than it worked for me and eliminated cravings, depression, etc. The effect was and is absolutely 'real' to me!
I'm sure the same is true with belief in a Higher Power.
Part of me says "screw this asshole for trying to suck the government dry, it's his damn fault that he's in jail to begin with."
The other part of me says "this **** needs to stop, we don't live in the Midieval Ages where you believe in God or get punished."
At the end of the day he shouldn't get **** because he shouldn't be selling drugs like the inferior human he is.
There's a constant battle of good and evil, right and wrong, positive and negative going on inside every one of us. Call it what you want but, you better hope the good, right, positive power wins out.
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