Fundamentalists Anonymous:

Twelve Steps to Sanity

by Lee Adams Young

All who have chosen to walk away from biblical fundamentalism are welcome to join Fundamentalists Anonymous, and to consider embracing the following Twelve Steps:

1. I realize that I had turned control of my mind over to another person or group, who had assumed power over my thinking.

2. That person or group persuaded me of the inerrancy of the Bible, in spite of its many internal contradictions.

3. I became addicted to the Bible as the supreme focus of my faith, in spite of the commandment that God should come first.

4. I admit to God, to myself and to another person the shortcomings of my belief in the unbelievable.

5. I have made an inventory of my false claims about the Bible.

6. I have made a list of those whom I led into confusion about the Bible.

7. I am willing to make amends to all those whom I may have led astray.

8. I realize that I have the inner power to restore sanity to my life and to search Scripture for the truth.

9. I will reach out to friends who can help me clarify my thinking about the Bible, God and Jesus.

10. I confess that only with God's help can my mind grasp the truth.

11. I will seek through prayer and meditation to improve my conscious contact with God, praying for knowledge of God's will for me and the power to carry that out.

12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these twelve steps, I will offer these steps to other former biblical fundamentalists.

These 12 steps are adapted from those of Alchoholics Anonymous.

These Web pages are not intended to lure anyone away from his or her faith. If you are a biblical fundamentalist, comfortable with your belief in the Bible and with those who help you read it, please take no offense here.