How Great Thou Art: interfaith reflections: Addiction


	"How Great Thou Art" Reflections and Readings Addiction [ Addiction - UCS ] [ Alcoholics Anonymous ] [ Elvis on Addiction ]


	Addiction United Communities of Spirit Addiction to liquor, drugs, or gambling is a cause of people's downfall in every society. These so-called victimless crimes render man's spirit blind to the light of God and deaf to the promptings of his conscience. Addictions typically lead to antisocial behavior, destroy families, and promote criminal acts. Despite contemporary medical models of addiction which regard it as a disease, the world's religions generally affirm that people are responsible for their own actions and should be taught to steer clear of addictions. Interfaith passages at: origin.org/ucs/ws/theme065.cfm


	Alcoholics Anonymous According to Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), alcohol addiction is a medical issue. While most people can take one or two glasses of alcohol and then stop, there are many unfortunate people who cannot stop after the first drink. This is caused by chemical changes to the brain. AA adopts a spiritual approach in dealing with this that has helped a lot of people. There are no barriers of religion or denomination. Web site: Alcoholics Anonymous World Services


	Elvis on addiction [Because Elvis suffered from insomnia, nightmares and sleepwalking, he regularly took sleeping pills to get to sleep and stimulants to wake up.] "Elvis was fighting his addiction to sleeping pills and then stimulants to wake up after them. He said "It is not one day at a time, it is one hour at a time and you work up to the big one - making it through the lonely hours of night" (his was daylight sleeping) "and getting past the thoughts and memories that have shaped your lilfe so long they own you." He said, "Only God owns you, and he gives to each of his children freedom to be; all we have to do is use our gifts and talents and we all have them." He said, "I wake up each day believing that I will make this day perfect one hour at a time. I start by praying for guidance to choose my way, and I keep temptation as far from me as I can. I no longer have them where I can get them; I have to ask or wait and I can do that one step at a time with God's help and my own conviction and knowledge that only I can make the choice to live or to die. Each day I choose to live." So [those of you with addiction problems] choose to live - one hour at a time and as he said, that builds courage and strength of will. Admitting you have the problems makes the problem smaller and more manageable. It's the first step - after that each one is easier. Life can be worth it if we allow our selves the freedom of enjoying it. Source: Wanda June Hill, reproduced with permission.