Conference questions not quite up to par! (contd)

37. 
"Is there any appetite to make some minor editorial changes to the Big Book and 12and12, partly to remove gender specific references which could nowadays be seen as off‐putting and sexist, and partly to update terminology or references which have become outdated and/or are unlikely to be understood by a modern British audience? The aim is emphatically NOT to change the substance of either book, but merely to make some minor changes to wording which will make our core literature more accessible and help ensure that AA's message continues to be carried effectively. Not a lot is required, but examples would include: 

1. Examples of irrelevance or outdated items, or vernacular unsuitability:
(i) Reference to “Alaska or Salerno beachhead” 12and12 p.40
(ii) “When all our score cards read zero” (what pastime does this refer to? – I have often wondered) 12and12 p.29
(iii) “Hen or egg…” 12and12 p.26
(iv) Electricity (“modern house”, “strange energy so few understand “etc.) 12and12 p 37‐38
(v) “…Einstein’s theory, nuclear physics…” 12and12 p36
2. Examples of religious rigidity:

(i) “… vice‐President of American Atheist Society…” 12and12 p,26
(ii) “ .. priest minister or rabbi…” Big Book p.87
3. Examples of unintentional sexism:
(i) “…we ask our wives or friends to join us…” Big Book p.87
(ii) “Better men than we…” big book p.8
(iii) The entire “mother and children vs. father” paragraphs of Big Book pp 124‐131 and beyond   

Terms of Reference No. 7 Alcoholics Anonymous Great Britain does not have copyright to these books.

Comment: Quick answer: no. Most members possess the wit to interpret the text and translate it from its past context to the present. And who's to decide which changes to make? Maybe get rid of the 'God' word altogether! After all this might seem outdated and irrelevant to the atheist/agnostic brigade! See how far that one runs! You can't please all of the people all of the time!

Cheers

The Fellas (Friends of Alcoholics Anonymous)

PS For AA Minority Report 2013 click here 

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