Impossible Joy--The Good News for Lust and Sex Addicts and Other Sinners

Rating:
Summary: Victory over Temptation
Review: Having recently finished reading Impossible Joy, I feel compelled to respond to some of the statements made in the previous review.

First, Ron's premise that we addicts are "sinners" is completely consistent with the 12 step movement. Our illness compels us to perpetrate moral crimes. The fact that it is truly an illness explains why we can't stop on our own, but does not absolve us of the responsibility for, or consequence of our "sins". Ron's analysis of scripture clearly articulates how Jesus, the true "higher power," not only saved us from the ultimate consequence of our sins, but can also provide ongoing victory over all of our temptations, one temptation at a time.

The previous reviewer's assertion that the original 12 steps formulated by Alcoholics Anonymous doesn't have Jesus in it, is laughable. Bill Wilson based the steps on the spiritual principles of the Oxford Group, a nondenominational Christian movement founded by Frank Buchman, a Lutheran minister. It is true that Bill and Dr. Bob removed references to Christ, sin, the Holy Spirit, etc, from the 12 steps in order not to alienate alcoholics of other faiths, or no faith, because AA's primary goal was sobriety, not salvation. However, the Road of Happy Destiny, mapped out in these steps, leads directly to our savior. In Impossible Joy, Ron describes how Jesus, walking with us, can bear our temptations and help us live - not free from temptation, but free from the obsession of our particular weakness and the compulsion to act on our temptation.

Certainly people who reject God's laws and his son are forced to reject this book. Recovery from addiction requires admission of our powerlessness to do right, repentance, and absolute surrender to God (Steps 1 - 3). Impossible Joy is advanced recovery, a valuable resource for us addicts who want to move beyond sobriety to true recovery.

In fairness, since this book forces us to look at our powerlessness and our desperate need for God, it will not appeal to those who can't face the truth. In fact, it could cause them to resort to politically-correct-sounding attacks and name calling.

"No God, no peace. Know God, know peace."

Rating:
Summary: Unspeakably Grateful
Review: Hi, my name is Brian. I am a grateful recovering sexaholic. I am so unspeakable grateful for what I am reading in this book, that words fail me. Despite having been involved in 12-Step of several years, having worked the Steps diligently, I knew I was missing something. There was, for some reason, still a spiritual misconnection. Now, through this book, I am learning why. More importantly, I am discovering the Complete Solution. Thank you SO MUCH Ron, for having the courage to write this book, and the perseverance to get it published.

Rating:
Summary: What an amazing book...not quite
Review: Ron starts with the premise that sex addicts are "sinners". Sinners are generally defined as "wrong-doers". The 12 step movement in general is responsible for the now common view that addicts (of any type) are people with an illness rather than perpetrators of moral crimes.

The Impossible Joy takes a step backwards by talking about sinners. Ron also confuses religious spirituality with the spirituality of the 12 steps. Jesus isn't in the original 12 steps formulated by Alcoholics Anonymous and with good reason - it alienates people from other faiths.

The book is also essentially homophobic and bigotted, viewing homosexuality not as a valid sexuality but rather as a form of sexual addiction that can be cured.

This book will appeal to people in the bible belt with small minds, extreme right wing religious views, low intellect and high levels of emotional insecurity.

Rating:
Summary: The Hard and Real Truth
Review: There really are not adequate words to describe this book. I am a recovering Sexaholic and have been active in 12-Step fellowships, and this book has brought me to a new level of recovery. It has helped to point me to a new level of connection with my Savior, and has given me real hope for a life of joy. I could continue to gush for paragraphs, but I won't. Get the book, read it and learn for yourself. It is ADVANCED recovery, for an ADVANCED form of addiction, sexaholism. I know guys who have been able to maintain 15+ years of sobriety from alcohol who can't maintain a year of sobriety from lust because they can't, or won't apply this book to their lives. The solution to addiction, "slavery to sin," is simple in its description, a mere 270 some odd pages. It is however not simple to do, it takes diligence and the help of someone greater than yourself, a Savior. Until you find God, the real God, there is no hope for salvation from your powerlessness over the disease that will ultimately kill you, SIN.

I searched for help from religion, even Christianity, but Religion couldn't save me. I tried to do it on my own, I couldn't save me. I tried to get help from others, others couldn't save me. Only God, as described in this book, only Jesus could save me. This has been my experience, and whatever you believe, you can't disprove my experience, nor can you disprove the experience of Ron J.. He lays out not some theoretical formula for recovery, but rather what was "forced on him by the crucible" of his recovery. Whatever you believe, this works, and it works completely. Those who attempt to make 12-Step programs some secular attempt at hope consider this, some goverment agencies won't refer to 12-steps because they consider it a breech of seperation between church and state. And, Yes, the original name of AA was going to be "The James Gang," based on the book of James in the Bible, "The Big Big Book," but they wanted people to discover God from experience, not preaching. Discover him, I have, and you can too, and the saving power of his life, death, and resurection. Read with an open mind, try it and see if it doesn't work for you too.