Question
2:
“Would
the Fellowship review and re-affirm what constitutes an AA Group,
within the Fellowship in Great Britain with specific reference to
Traditions 4 - 6?
Background
Consider
the contribution to the carrying of the message, financial and
practical implications when deliberating each question.”
Extract:
“Tradition
4
Linking
the subject of this post to the above posts and to my post on page 2
of Committee 1, Question 1, regarding the frequently asked questions
by professionals on the GSO (GB) website and the bad press reports in
the national press, what constitutes an AA group would consider what
effect its own affairs have on other groups and AA as a whole.
It
should be a serious concern to all AA members that some federal and
state courts in the USA have ruled that "Adherence to the AA
fellowship entails engagement in religious activity and religious
proselytisation." and that “AA is a religion.” (Source:
national press report, Great Britain); and that one of the frequently
asked questions by professionals in Great Britain is: “Is it a
cult? (Source: GSO website: Information for professionals: F.A.Q.s:
http://www.alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk/professionals/?PageID=84
Something
is going seriously wrong with AA public relations and some groups
that call themselves AA groups are responsible for this. Many
alcoholics of agnostic, atheist, or religious beliefs other than
Christianity are being turned away from AA. This is because some
groups that call themselves AA groups are adopting the doctrines of
outside published literature which implicate the AA program as being
evangelical Christian.
Although
I do not know much about law, I think there may be legal implications
for AA as a whole. If in future more courts continue to rule that AA
is religious, then it will be increasingly difficult for AA to say
that it is not religious. There could be a possibility that in future
AA World Services and the General Service Board in Great Britain
could be court ordered to remove statements in official AA literature
which state that AA is not religious. Some AA groups or the General
Service Board and GSO could be held in contempt of court if they then
continued to distribute the official AA pamphlets where a court ruled
AA is religious. How can an organisation state that it is not
religious where the law states that it is?
Some
information on court rulings can be searched on the internet by using
the search terms: “USA court rulings AA is a religion” and “AA
cult”
What
constitutes an AA group would not give the impression that it is
religious or that it is a cult. It would have the AA structure of an
up side down triangle. Power in the group would be in the democratic
majority vote of the whole group, inclusive to all group members,
irrespective of their length of sobriety. According to Tradition Two
an AA group would not have a pyramid structure of a cult. Power in
the group would not be in a leading personality; a “guru” or
“grand sponsor” or in a small steering committee composed of his
or her friends. Nor would the group imply teaching of the 12 steps as
a religious doctrine, or try to increase its membership by coercion
or solicitation. This would give the appearance of it being a
religious cult. Evidently, from the national press reports and
courts, some groups are behaving in this manner and they are giving
the public this impression; therefore they are affecting other AA
groups and AA as a whole by damaging overall AA public relations.
Such groups are outside the bounds of the General Warranties of
Conference which safeguard AA as a whole, and therefore, they cannot
call themselves AA groups.
Concept
12, Warranty 5: “We have no doctrine that has to be maintained. We
have no membership that has to be enlarged. We have no authority that
has to be supported. We have no prestige, power or pride that has to
be satisfied.”
Concept
12, warranty 5: “If we recognize that religion is the province of
the clergy and the practice of medicine is for doctors, then we can
helpfully cooperate with both.”
Cheerio
The
Fellas (Friends of Alcoholics Anonymous)
