We
quote:
“Fellas:
In
response to the recent post (Friday November 22) about my previous post: Thank you
for your comments and your points of view. While I think we have
plenty of overlap in our points of view, please allow me an
opportunity to express further my thoughts on CMA’s, the cults and
their roles in this matter.
My comment
“Watering Down” is an easy one to clarify. Closed meetings (yes
CLOSED meetings) in my area are currently averaging 40-50% attendance
by parties that are court ordered or ordered by some other outside
entity. Strictly from a mathematical perspective this would be
indicative of a “watering down”. I do believe that the existing
members response to this phenomena resulted in a cultural watering
down as well. Neither of these statements mean I desire a “pure”
AA of Olde Tymes that has gone astray. Truth be told, I desire an AA
that follows its own Traditions. An AA where I can attend a “closed
meeting” with a minimal threat of there being parties that did not
share my desire to stay sober and help others to achieve sobriety. An
AA that takes the responsibility of my anonymity seriously.
However, I
do believe that the actions of groups in my area have provided “cult”
groups with a steady stream of new members. Not the CMA’s, who I
don’t believe to be at all vulnerable but from AA members who are
reacting to their meetings being changed and influenced by outside
agencies. These local groups were no longer exclusively inhabited by
people who met the simple requirement of a desire to stop drinking.
While it was a simple requirement, it was still an important one. One
the whole fellowship was based upon. I agree with you that some group
members erroneously assume that a mythical AA of Olde Tymes had gone
astray. Then the Cults offer them an option of a more structured AA.
That offer has the illusion of eliminating the issue of parties in
attendance who do not have a desire to stop drinking and all the
problems that tends to bring.
All of the
Cult Groups mentioned in this blog (Primary Purpose, Joe and Charlie,
Back to Basics, etc.) have taken off in our area since the numbers of
CMA’s have reached epidemic proportions. It is an age old process
where parties react to things being out of control by exercising more
control. The Cults promise to provide more structure by controlling
how people share, by how they do the steps and by controlling what
meetings they go to.
I believe
that the CMA’s being sentenced to AA have aborted the original
non-cult AA process. This was an AA that was not dogmatic but more
based in; if you want what we have you will be ready to take certain
suggestions. That there is a lot of latitude in our twelve steps and
that we do not need to enforce anything. John Barleycorn is our
enforcer. Perhaps even more powerful, take what you can use and leave
the rest. True attraction and not promotion. AA isn’t for everyone
and you may need some other method of staying sober. You decide if
you need help and if ours is the solution for you. This has been
aborted by the influence of outside entities. Entities who say you
will go to AA meetings until we say so and if you don’t you will be
sent to jail. By the way, once you get out of jail you will go back
to the same meetings you had rejected.
So I agree
that the Cults uses the phrase “watering down” to promote their
brand of AA but I also believe that AA abandoning its Traditions and
its original non-cult process has provided the cults with all the
ammunition they need to profit from the phrase.”
We
would be interested to hear from other AA members with regard to
their own experience and/or observations of the CMA ('chit') system
(good or bad). We can be contacted at our email address here.
Confidentiality assured
Cheers
The
Fellas (Friends of Alcoholics Anonymous)
PS
Our thanks to this member for their contribution to the debate
