Quote:
“Dear whoever
Someone in my group
pointed me in the direction of the posting on this page.... [http://aacultwatch.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/billy-kid-rides-range-or-hampton-wick.html].as
pasted below.
I am disturbed to see that
my homegroup Burnham Newcomers which I personally started 10 years
ago next week has managed to get mentioned on your site at the end of
this persons published email. Apparently it is now wrong to be
cheerful in AA without being labelled "happy clappy" and
therefore possibly a cult meeting. It is correct that we have an
American lady attend our meeting. Sometimes there are more than one.
Statistically this is to be expected in a large group. I have not
observed any excess happy clappiness from her or any others. I would
be the first one to pounce on anyone who developed an excessive grin.
So I'm curious as to the accusations made.
I'm the gsr for the
meeting and would personally welcome anyone to come along and see for
themselves. Please attend a group conscience if that helps.....we
have nothing to hide. It's just a normal bog standard meeting with a
20 min chair and then sharing back. The shares we get are varied but
tend to focus on step 1 as it is a newcomers group? Our last two
secretaries had a habit of swearing a lot, which most members seem to
find amusing. We do sobriety chips and also have coffee pots on the
table. Because its at 9am we serve croissants, muffins and fresh
fruit. The meeting attract 90+ people every week and is a good
healthy meeting. Last year it was the highest contributor to our
intergroup. We are not step nazis and we don't ram anything down
people's throats apart from the occasional soft bun. It's by
attraction and yes we are not a glum lot. Is that now a crime in AA?
A lot of people stay sober there and it is a lot of people's
homegroup.
I suppose I should be
pleased and honoured that the "AA police" are suspicious of
our happiness especially at such an hour of the day. However I do not
wish the meeting to be labelled by association. Although I share your
concerns about some dodgy groups and individuals in AA, I do not
agree with your methods. Two wrongs don't make a right in my opinion.
However I'm not emailing you to state my views on your website.
I can't remember where it
is in the Big Book but you know the bit that says "contempt
prior to investigation". Perhaps your anonymous buddy could do
some investigating first before spouting his/her big world wide web
mouth off!
If you would like to put
him in contact with me, you are welcome to pass him my email address.
It would be respectful of him to visit our meeting personally and
then withdraw his comments which he has placed in the public domain.
Yours in fellowship
…...”
(our edits)
Comment: Almost a sense
of humour but it kind of fizzled out at the end! But a number of
points! Firstly size isn't everything! The author seems to imply that
“90+ people every week” signifies a “good healthy meeting”
(cf. Nuremberg rallies which were also quite well attended.... but healthy?).
Also that the group was “the highest contributor to our intergroup”
(hubris perhaps? And what about that bit in the Just for Today card –
about doing somebody a good turn and not getting found out?). And
then we come to that old chestnut regularly rolled out by cult
members: “contempt prior to investigation”. Actually the quote's
quite easy to find (and remember). It's located at the end of
Appendix II Spiritual Experience:
“There is a principle
which is a bar against all information, which is proof against all
arguments and which cannot fail to keep a man in everlasting
ignorance – that principle is contempt prior to investigation”.
So studious are we in our
“investigation” that we have discovered the quote itself is
inaccurately attributed to Herbert Spencer (see here
for a detailed discussion on this). According to this exegesis the
substance of the quote derives from another by William Paley, (18th
century English Christian apologist, philosopher and utilitarian)
contained in his work “Evidences of Christianity”:
“II. The infidelity of
the Gentile world, and that more especially of men of rank and
learning in it, is resolvable into a principle which, in my
judgement, will account for the inefficacy of any argument or any
evidence whatever, viz. contempt prior to examination”
But we digress …..
Next we come to the vexed
issue of “croissants, muffins and fresh fruit” and even the odd
“bun” served with “coffee” and “sobriety chips” (?). We
refer our correspondent to the following:
Source: Alcoholics Anonymous in Your Community (AA Conference approved literature)
And then the reference to
“AA police” (another old chestnut). Why not? If it is the case
that we are supposed to be “responsible” then this surely implies
accountability. And why should not AA members hold other members (or
rather cult members) to account for their gross misconduct? We're
not talking about trivia here but matters of life and death. AA
members are literally dying because of the abusive conduct of the
cult operating within our midst. Think on that next time you're
chewing on your muffin and slurping down your second cup of coffee!
As for our methods we
refer you to the preceding paragraph. Doing nothing, looking the
other way, going into 'denial' doesn't work – and never did!
To cite another misquote:
“All
that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do
nothing. “ (attributed to Edmund Burke but see here)
Moreover there seems to be
an assumption behind the rather graceless invitation to our
“anonymous buddy” to visit this paragon of meetings that this
will necessarily result in the withdrawal of his comments! Jumping
the gun rather aren't we!
Finally it should be made
clear that any decision to post information on this website rests
finally with aacultwatch. And so the comments stand.....
Cheerio
The Fellas (Friends of
Alcoholics Anonymous)
PS We came across another
interesting quote cited in the same study “The Survival of a
Fitting Quotation - see above). From “Essay on Tolerance”
(Voltaire):
“Think for yourselves
and let others enjoy the privilege to do so too”
A concept cult members
might like to apply some “investigation” to themselves!
