AA MINORITY REPORT 2017 (revised)

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Monday 16 February 2015

My way …. AND your way!


Extract from old aacultwatch forum:

You can do whatever spiritual practices you want my friend. Stand on your head and say the serenity prayer in Latin if it works for you. I'm serious!  I follow my own daily routine based upon my understanding of a Higher Power, the steps, and what is written in our Big Book. 

But what I don't have a right to do is to make stuff up and then make Fellowship and carrying the message of AA depend upon that.

For example - I personally don't write a gratitude list, BUT I do spend a few mins each day, at a certain fixed time, reflecting and meditating upon the Gifts of Life - the gifts of sobriety if you like. I find it very beneficial, a good spiritual exercise and a solid discipline. However I would not insist that newcomers, or others in AA, should do this exactly the way I do it. Nor make friendship, Fellowship or helping others depend on people doing things exactly my way. This is what is wrong with these Cults in AA, fellowship is made dependent and conditional on so many many "peripheral" things as you call it.  Worse, some of these peripheral things and "rules" clearly break the Traditions and contradict the conference approved literature.  

As I understand the program we each have a HP of our own understanding,  and our own understanding of spiritual expressions (see AA page 47).  That really does open the Gates wide to recovery for all, and customise the Program to each individual, according to their needs, experiences, circumstances and conscience.  We also have our conference approved literature for further clarity if we need it. Personally I rely mainly on the Big Book. I have never found it lacking in clarity.

It is not for me to tell others to kneel before their God.  I certainly don't, it would go against my conscience, my family upbringing, and my religious belief. Nor would it be right for me to set up a group within AA where everyone must become a reflection of one particular interpretation of the Program.  Wanting to micro-manage or control others, or trying to make them dependent upon, or "carbon copies" of oneself, are manifestations of the disease as I understand it and have experienced it.

Although I am a person of a particular and strong Faith, I have no problem with other faiths, or with atheists or agnostics in AA. They are following their path and trying to find Truth as they see it. If you read the Book "Varieties of Religious Experience" by William James, these possibilities are well discussed. Incidently the William James book is the only book mentioned in the Big Book for reference. And yet so many of our fellowship have not read it!! 

The wonderful thing about AA is that we are individuals. We share our experience strength and hope WITH each other (not AT each other) so that we may learn FROM each other. This does not happen with the Cult groups - especially for the puffed-up Old Timer entrenched there. He ends up just listening to reflections of himself, and, gradually, and sadly, becomes more and more narcissistic, dictatorial, intolerant and cut-off from the mainstream of AA. This is not only bad for him spiritually and mentally, it is also a tragic distortion of AA for the newcomer who, by mischance, should happen to venture there. I have been in AA for over 26 years now and have watched this happen. It nearly happened to me. But I have one helluva badass Higher Power and, I had a spiritual awakening !!”

Cheers

The Fellas (Friends of Alcoholics Anonymous)

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