Looks like we continue to disagree on this. That isn't a problem for me. Your main points here seem to be 1) AA is a religion, and 2) Its origins are occult because Bill got some insights from beyond.
Yes, AA does have some characteristics of a religion, but so does the Democratic or Republican parties. Any organization with an ideology or overriding purpose has a consistent set of internal beliefs which it enforces on its members, and that's one of the primary characteristics of a religion. But I wonder if we should throw out the Dems because they disagree with God on things like abortion and same-sex marriage? :^)
The reference to Bill W channeling with St Boniface was new to me, so I looked it up on Google. I found two documents recounting his practices and calling them occult. I also found a document recounting his contacts with a Jesuit priest, Fr Ed Dowling,
exerpts here. In chap 11 (page 75-82), Fr Ed writes about Bill's descernments and whether his activities were of God. The middle of page 78 and top of page 79 relate Bill W's dealings with the Oxford Movement; his conclusions regarding Alcoholics' acceptance of that movements odd descernment practices rings very true in my experience. He also points out that the 12 Steps were derived from "The Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius", not from demons. There's a good deal more info about the 12 Steps in chap 9, pages 55-65, and some more info about the St Boniface conversations starting at page 59. Fr Ed did specifically advise Bill to beware and be sure that what St Boniface told him was good.
Fr Ed was convinced Bill's actions were Godly. And
St Boniface is definitely not a demon; he's recognized as having been a Saint by the Catholic Church, and an exceptionally Godly man.
This all makes good reading. And it mostly runs exactly opposite to the sources you've been using.
Me, I don't know if Bill W was a flaming demonist or not. I know some people are passionately against AA, and others (including me) are passionately for it. The scholarship is divided.
The fruits are good.
And at least one of your points, that the 12 Steps are unscriptural, is, I believe, untrue in at least
one specific example (I'd invite you to give some other specific examples which you believe are unscriptural).
I'm aware that you differ from me on contacts with the dead. If I understand you, ANY such contact is demonic; but I believe there have been many such contacts which were Godly. It depends of the purpose of the contact, IMV: Saul's contact with Samuel was demonic because he sought to evade God's will, but asking Mary, for instance, to pray to God for us is NOT. But you differ with me on that. I'm also aware that you don't consider the Catholic Church to be totally authoritative :^). That's OK too.
But, in my opinion, If St Boniface told Bill Godly things (and Fr Ed thought he did), then I'm not willing to throw AA out just because St Boniface had already died when he spoke.
The teachings are good and the fruits are good, IMHO.
(I would like to examine some specific AA teachings with you which you feel are particularly unscriptural).
In faith, Dave
Viva Texas
dave@christos.cjb.net, dpeirce@christian.net
”Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of
battle.