Letter to the Editor 2/18

On Feb. 24 Pastor John Baker of Saddleback Church is scheduled to speak at Wednesday Chapel. He intends to promote an addiction treatment program he and Rick Warren developed based on “8 principles” of recovery. Unfortunately his “Celebrate Recovery” program has no scientific basis and its success rate is highly questionable. In fact Baker’s program is much more effective at increasing the number of churchgoers than it is as a treatment for addiction. Here is a brief summary of his “8 principles”:1. Realize I’m not God; I admit that I am powerless to control my tendency to do the wrong thing and my life is unmanageable. Many people have difficulty seeking medical help and exercising willpower over physical dependency but they are not “powerless.” Pastor Baker is promoting learned helplessness.2. Earnestly believe that God exists that I matter to him and that he has the power to help me recover. There is no evidence for the existence of an intervening god who cares about you. Medical professionals however do have the power to assist you in recovery. 3. Consciously choose to commit all my life and will to Christ’s care and control. It is not possible to abdicate control of your life and will to the supernatural. Further this principal demands a fervent life-long commitment to religion— specifically Christianity.4. Openly examine and confess my faults to God to myself and to someone I trust. How about seeking the advice of a medical doctor?5. Voluntarily submit to every change God wants to make in my life and humbly ask Him to remove my character defects. There is no evidence that a supernatural god can influence the function of your brain. You should not rely exclusively on God to “remove your defects.” 6. Evaluate all my relationships; offer forgiveness to those who have hurt me and make amends for harm I’ve done to others except when to do so would harm them or others. Finally a call for personal responsibility.7. Reserve a daily time with God for self-examination Bible readings and prayer in order to know God and His will for my life and to gain the power to follow His will. Many people don”t feel the presence of God and can become depressed and guilt-ridden about their inability to believe in God’s existence.8. Yield myself to God to be used to bring this Good News to others both by my example and by my words. SPREAD THE FAITH!!! Just like every other religion this one holds a clause to propagate its own numbers. I have enormous compassion and concern for people suffering from physical dependency. A dear friend of mine died partly because programs like this failed to render effective treatment. If you think you have an addiction I strongly encourage you to first seek advice from your licensed physician— not the religiously-motivated Pastor John Baker. Recent medical advances have produced new behavioral treatments and new medications which have proven to be far more effective than any religious regimen.Nick BergSeaver Alumnus 2001