Extract:
“I
have no doubt that David C was the author of the sexual conduct section, and the recommended reading list, and indeed
much of the rest of the document as well. It is in his distinctive
cold mechanical style and has his "spiritual fingerprints"
all over it. The entire document is called "Companion to the Big
Book" and was given to me some years ago now by a young woman
who was greatly distressed at having been given this document at the
Kingston Hill meeting ( now Hampton Wick [Friday]). She shared at my
home group and was in tears about it. I asked her to give me the
document, which she did the following week. The entire document runs
into nearly 60 pages, only 2 of which I scanned and posted to you.
This young lady, who has since left AA, told me that John B was most
annoyed at her when she threatened to send it to GSO in York. ….....
Until I saw your website I really didn’t pay all that much
attention to the document, I read through it briefly …..... and
then put it away. It was sitting on my book shelf largely ignored for
years!
Here
is a quote from the AA beginners website discussing Step 12, It is
also found word for word in the document "Companion to the Big
Book"
“We
have also come across other ways of testing whether our behaviour is
right. Perhaps they might be helpful to you: If we are faced with a
choice, it is often easier to say what is not God's will. For
example, it cannot be God's will that we do anything dishonest,
impure, selfish or unloving (these were the guides used by a lot of
the early AAs).”
Now
this idea is taken from a book by Wally P called Back to
Basics........ It was supposedly the practice of the early Oxford
Group members to "discern" the "will of God" by
applying the Four Absolutes to any idea or inspiration one had
"received" during morning meditation and "quiet time"
[Note:
the Four Absolutes themselves are supposedly derived from a book by
Dr R Speer: “The Principles of Jesus”. The Four Absolutes. See also: What did A.A. learn from the Oxford Group and why did they leave them?]
Of
course, all this stuff about what the Oxford Group did, and applying
the Four Absolutes etc, arrogantly assumes that you believe in the
same Higher Power - the same God - as Bill W and the founders; and
indeed the same God as David C and his collaborator. Unfortunately
for them I don't. I have a Higher Power of my own understanding who
doesn't send cryptic messages via "quiet time" which need
to be tested by applying Four Absolutes, and then have to be further
endorsed and verified by an approved sponsor …...... Real awkward
customer I am!”
(our
edits)
Cheers
The
Fellas (Friends of Alcoholics Anonymous)
PS
Our usual thanks to this contributor
