Flier
seen at meeting:
Our
correspondent (US) kindly included a quote from Bill W
(Responsibility Is Our Theme; The Language of the Heart, p 333; AA Grapevine July 1965)
"It
is an historical fact that practically all groupings of men and women
tend to become more dogmatic; their beliefs and practices harden and
sometimes freeze ... But dogma has its liabilities. Simply because we
have convictions that work well for us, it becomes very easy to
assume that we have all the truth. Whenever this brand of arrogance
develops, we are certain to become aggressive; we demand agreement
with us; we play God. This isn't good dogma; it's very bad dogma. It
could be especially destructive for us of AA to indulge in this sort
of thing. Newcomers are approaching AA 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 AA 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."
For
a development of this theme see White, W., and Kurtz, E. (2010). A message of tolerance and celebration: The portrayal of multiple
pathways of recovery in the writings of Alcoholics Anonymous
co-founder Bill Wilson
Cheers
The
Fellas (Friends of Alcoholics Anonymous)
PS
Our thanks to our correspondent
See
also:
