The Useful Lie

by William L. Playfair, George Bryson

Examines the failure of the "recovery industry" and discusses a recovery program based on Christian and Biblical principles

Genres: Counselling

191 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 1991

Reviews

[John Barbour · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book asks the question of whether AA ( Alcoholics Anonymous) is 1. Biblical 2. scientific 3. a permanent solution to the problem. It is a good book to bring a person back to the Bible and sound science. The answer to all three questions is: No- it is not biblical; no - it is not scientific; and no- it does not provide a permanent solution to the problem (people are still considered recovering alcoholics until the day they die - there is no "new creation" and new identity as spoken of by our Lord and His apostles). All of this does fit well with the current drug culture, however, that provides maintenance of problems but no permanent solution ( or else there would be no return customers).

The last few chapters are a little disappointing in that they don't really deal with such practical questions as how to deal with children of believers who are alcoholics and/or problem drinkers ( drunks) and who profess to be Christians but may still not have a full revelation and so deceive themselves. Couple this with the general disarray in the churches on the subject and the fact that most do not provide that intimate, organic church that was originally intended. With these problems still rampant, it is hard to fathom any kind of church discipline having much effect. For example, if a person never felt like they were loved and a part of a Christian community - then how is excommunication going to help restore them? Answer- it won't. They will either be angry and bitter ( un-restored) and/or they will just go to another church that is more accepting of their views and lifestyle.

[Marty Lindstrom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Overall it was very good. It gave me a better insight into 12-step programs and a little about codependency. It provided a good biblical perspective of it all. I wouldn't say it is super thorough in how addicts can biblically be changed, but that could be another book.

[Honeybee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this book because I come from a long line of alcoholics, some of whom were familiar with Alcoholics Anonymous. I have always taken issue with the fact that AA and its affiliates not only require people to admit they have a problem, but require them to repeat that for the rest of their lives--thus assuming the identity of an alcoholic, without the hope of ever being anything different.

This author, William L. Playfair, is a Christian M.D. who has studied the AA model and found it wanting for another reason. He shows how the notion that the alcoholic has a disease that makes him/her helpless to resist consuming too much alcohol or drugs and that the best that he/she can do is to totally abstain and hang out with other people trying to do the same is NOT scientific or true at all. Moreover, what research has been done proves that the AA model is no more effective in preventing people from engaging in drug and alcohol abuse than not getting any "treatment" at all.

Not only that, but the disease notion is not biblical. While the Bible doesn't use the word, "alcoholic" or "addiction," it talks about drunkenness and sorcery and lists them as sin and "works of the flesh" that, if done habitually, can keep a person out of heaven (Galatians 5:19-21, 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, 1 Peter 4:1-3). Believers are commanded not to get drunk, but to be filled with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18). God would never command us to do something we are not able to, nor would He expect us to change our behavior if it wasn't possible or necessary to do so. We are told drunkenness and sorcery are something that the Holy Spirit can cleanse us from, if we repent and confess it as sin and allow the Holy Spirit to give us self-control, instead (Galatians 5:22-23, 1 Corinthians 9:11, 1 John 1:9, 1 Peter 4:7).

The problem is, if you don't recognize substance abuse as sin, you aren't going to repent of it. And if you think you have an incurable disease, then you aren't ever really going to get free of it. AA will just give you the self-defeating notion that "this is just the way I am," and you're never going to get past that.

Not only that, but people are being lied to and indoctrinated into a religion that effectually replaces the God of the Bible with a generic "higher power," or "god as you perceive him." More often than not, this 'higher power' tends to be the other AA attendees who have no more power over alcohol than he/she does! Some people have claimed that the founders of AA were Christians who built their program on Christian principles, but the book refutes that, as well. It is a false religion that is man-centered, self-serving and ultimately self-perpetuating. The author shows how it even trains its own evangelists to promote the AA religion! The Twelve Steps are not biblically based, but are humanistic in nature.

The author makes the point that you can't Christianize AA, because it's built on a foundation of lies. Then he offers a chapter of how believers ought to deal with the sin of substance abuse to bring people to true repentance and transformation, instead. The book begins and ends with realistic scenarios and illustrates how AA would deal with the addicts in each situation and how Christians should handle them instead.

I would have liked the author to deal with the identity issue more. It also would be nice for him to have recommended alternatives to AA. However, the book is older, so it's likely this information was not readily available at the time.

If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse and considering AA, please read this book before you turn to that organization or anything like it! It's not a hard book to read and will help you understand what to beware of in the "recovery" industry. The last thing you want is to turn to something that is going to have you more bound up than you were before!

[Reid · Rating 4 out of 5]

Playfair is a Christian and medical doctor. He critiques secular viewpoint of psychology and the 'science' about addiction.

The useful lie is that people with addictions, the 12 Step Approach, the Recovery movement and the culture in general have been sold a bill of goods: addictions are disease problems, not moral problems, addiction problems are medical problems not sin problems. Thus the treatment and programs don't address heart and sin problems with confession and repentance and buying into a new identity (I am an alcoholic, I am a gambler etc) and a non-biblical way to get better.

12 Steps logically opposes the Bible.

Since the book was published in 1991, it seems Playfair was ahead of his time.

The disease model industry has taken over our culture.

Good and worthwhile progression of his points in each chapter. This book is useful truth.

[Abbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book talked at length about how alcoholism is not a disease but rather a sin - the abuse of alcohol. It mostly walked through how Alcohol Anonymous is offering a false gospel, is not based on the Bible and is actually anti-Christianity.

In the end, the “biblical” solution to drunkenness present seemed to be “come to Jesus” and “just stop it.” I was hoping it would go deeper into heart motives/desires that need to be repented of etc, but it stayed pretty surface-level. I suppose that wasn’t the purpose of the book, but it left me wanting more!

[Thad Butterworth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This lines out very clearly some of the concerns with what has become the Recovery Industry. A great read for anyone who works with people in discipleship and/or mentorship.

[Greg Robotti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this for a class. Found it helpful in thinking through some of his points, did not really change my thinking, but brought clarity in some of the points.