“Newcomers
are approaching A.A. at the rate of tens of thousands yearly. They
represent almost every belief and attitude imaginable. We have
atheists and agnostics. We have people of nearly every race,
culture and religion. In A.A. we are supposed to be bound together in
the kinship of a common suffering. Consequently, the full individual
liberty to practice any creed or principle or therapy whatever
should be a first consideration for us all. Let us not, therefore,
pressure anyone with our individual or even our collective views. Let
us instead accord each other the respect and love that is due to
every human being as he tries to make his way toward the light. Let
us always try to be inclusive rather than exclusive; let us remember
that each alcoholic among us is a member of A.A., so long as he or
she so declares.”
—Bill
W. (A.A. Grapevine, July 1965)
“A
misconception about Alcoholics Anonymous is that it is a religious
organization. Since A.A. groups often rent space in churches,
attending an A.A. meeting in a church basement can reinforce that
impression, and the possibility of hearing a prayer at the end of a
meeting can further cement the idea for some.
Yet
A.A.’s pioneering members realized from the beginning that their
sole purpose was to help people gain sobriety, and they went to great
lengths to ensure the broadest membership among all who suffer from
alcoholism. A.A. is a Fellowship, a community of like-minded
sufferers who have found a way out of a hopeless condition.”
Comment:
Happy reading!
Cheers
The
Fellas (Friends
of Alcoholics Anonymous)
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