# When self-help books have a religious flavour.. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 14, 2014, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-self-help-books-have-a-religious-flavour/688463 "2014-05-14T20:22:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![shiftless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9c0ed/32.png) [@shiftless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shiftless)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2014, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-self-help-books-have-a-religious-flavour/688463/21 "2014-09-05T14:55:14Z")
I’ve wondered the same thing as the OP. There are racks of self help books at the grocery store and, based on the titles, most of them are Christian type. That got me wondering. I think most of those books are extensions of normal Christian ministering. Part of the job of preachers is to counsel their flock. They also have to write and deliver sermons. So I’m sure quite a few think to themsleves, “I should write this stuff down.” Besides the fact that they have so much source material to work with - they can basically offer any advice, find a biblical passage that fits and build a whole chapter out of that. ---
**Author:** ![gracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8e7dd6/32.png) [@gracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gracer)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2014, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-self-help-books-have-a-religious-flavour/688463/22 "2014-09-05T17:52:42Z")
> [@Maastricht](#): > > I wished Amazon would have a feature where such books wouldn’t turn up in my search results. Hey **Maastricht** , don’t you live near [the most stunningly beautiful bookshop in the world](http://inhabitat.com/gorgeous-church-renovated-into-modern-bookstore/selexyz-domincan-church-maastricht/?extend=1)? Let me help you: stop using Amazon! I know, I know, I should write self-help books for people with book shopping troubles. 😃 (But yeah, I do get your point. I really try not to use Amazon too much.) ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2014, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-self-help-books-have-a-religious-flavour/688463/23 "2014-09-05T22:13:03Z")
> [@Claverhouse](#): > > Rather than censoring undesirable religion from self-help books — since the pro-religious ( or pro-communist or pro-anything ) authors have the precise right to write whatever they choose to make a buck, there is an opportunity here for pro-atheist authors to seize back the night and provide anti- or non- religious alternatives for a no doubt huge rationalist market. . . . ‘ **Suicide Is Meaningless, But You’re Gonna Get There Anyway, So Why Not ?** ’ Thank you for providing one of the best examples yet seen of true Christian love and caring. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2014, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-self-help-books-have-a-religious-flavour/688463/24 "2014-09-06T01:58:19Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > Some ultra-fundamentalist man had written about how female orgasm wasn’t in God’s plan, [. . .] Well, that certainly blows the Intelligent Design Theory out of the water, doesn’t it. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2014, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-self-help-books-have-a-religious-flavour/688463/25 "2014-09-06T19:29:14Z")
A formerly alcoholic friend of mine tried out AA and was simply turned off by the religiosity, by the “give yourself over to a higher power” and so on that he quit after one or two meetings. He was cured at a dryout retreat that he spent a month at. And 30 years later, he drinks but very moderately. It wasn’t Christian, but it was overtly religious (he claimed). ---
**Author:** ![GusNSpot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gusnspot/32/436_2.png) [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2014, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-self-help-books-have-a-religious-flavour/688463/26 "2014-09-07T01:29:03Z")
> [@Hari\_Seldon](#): > > A formerly alcoholic friend of mine tried out AA and was simply turned off by the religiosity, by the “give yourself over to a higher power” and so on that he quit after one or two meetings. He was cured at a dryout retreat that he spent a month at. And 30 years later, he drinks but very moderately. It wasn’t Christian, but it was overtly religious (he claimed). I was surprised that this post took so long to pop up in a thread like this. Your friend was not and is apparently not very observant. One or two meetings. Bawahahahzah He spent a month at a dry out place… Bawahahashsa X42 Are you sure he was an alcoholic? You made the diagnoses, he did, a judge did or a doctor did or??? Glad he got sober and can drink now. Kind of proof he was not an alcoholic in the first place but no matter, good for him. Now??? What was the necessity to bring AA up because only the truly uninformed still think it is religious based? Was your data point of one not very good instance do anything but feed your personal agenda? Atheist can’t get sober in AA? AA acts as a religion by insisting you believe in something you don’t want to? If you answer yes to either of theses two last questions, Then I respectively ask that you not tell anyone who is truly an alcoholic that they should avoid AA because they are not religious and AA is a religion. And you are 100% wrong IMO … 🆒 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-self-help-books-have-a-religious-flavour/688463.md?page=1)