THE TOWER OF BABEL - Around the year with Emmet Fox Page 242

The whole world was of one language and of one speak
(Genesis 11.1) 

The story of the tower of Babel is so simple, so concrete, and so clear, that if you only heard it once as a child you could never forget it.  It is, of course a parable.  The word Babel means confusion and this parable teaches that when you deny the omnipotence of God, and you do this when you give power to anything else, only confusion can follow.  To be guilty of that sin is really to have many gods and that was the characteristic fault of the heathen.  Those who knew the truth about God worshiped him and him alone and they received the protection and the inspiration that only the truth can give.  At times, however, many of those who had known the Truth, forgot it for a season, and inevitable things began to go wrong.

If you should be in difficulties of any kind, it is certain that you have been committing the sin of the heathen in some way; it may be that at some point you have seen the higher and deliberately chosen the lower.  Now, if you will turn back to God once more, and reaffirm your faith in Him, all will be well again.

 AA teaches that Alcoholism is a progressive, incurable and fatal disease.  The AA religion also claims that the alcoholic suffers from an allergy of the body and an obsession of the mind.  In today's reading, what strikes me, is is the power I have given to the AA religion and in doing so, how much I have limited the power of an omnipotent God.  No wonder I was confused.  Unfortunately I have decades of "AAbabel" running around in my head.  But like anything, God has the power to restore me to clarity of thought, and a healthy soul.  I keep coming back to AA's main object as stated in the Big Book. "The main object of this book is to help you find a power greater than yourself that will solve your problem for you".  I love this paragraph.  But I believe I took it out of context for many years.  I also believe that most people in AA mis-interpret this central theme.

Several days ago, I wrote that I was planning to tell several members of AA that after much thought, prayer and meditation, I believe God had revealed to me that I no longer needed AA meetings, or the program of AA and that God's grace was sufficient for me.  Well I have done that, actually to be fair I haven't put it in those exact terms.  I am embarrassed to admit I was afraid to do so.  So I took the chicken's way out and asked a couple of friends if they believed our friendship was in anyway tied to my involvement in the AA religion?  Sadly, one affirmed my fears and told me that it was.  The other failed to even answer my question about being friends once they heard that I was questioning the almighty teachings of Bill W.  I'd be lying if I said I wasn't hurt by their responses.  But after reflecting on it for awhile, I have moved from the resentful, judging feelings - like "who do you think you are" and "you hypocrites" to;  The path they are on now is no better or worse than the one I am on now.  They believe as strongly as I do that they are on the right path.  Honestly who am I to judge them.

My prayer:
Lord, I pray for everyone in AA's journey to you.  I pray that they would find peace and harmony in this world and relief from the bondage of self-loathing, fear and entrapment caused by alcoholic living.