We
quote:
“I
wanted to alert the fellowship of a new cult meeting in Essex, set up
with the help of the great John (10970 days) C from Chelmsford.
Its
a "big book study meeting" Sunday night, 20:00, Military
Road, Colchester.
The
following applies:- members of the group stating that other meetings
in Colchester are sick. If members are being sponsored by any other
means than a 12 week book study, they are putting the sponsees at
risk or "killing them"
Members
of the group "scout" other groups for newcomers. You are
asked only to share on the passage read. if you have anything else to
say then leave it until after the meeting. It it closely linked to a
big book study group on a Wednesday night (started up to clash with
an established 12 step meeting). This is invitation only, "chosen"
attendees are asked to contribute to the study. All other AA
literature, "living sober/12*12" is discredited. The
Wednesday night book study group is not recognised by intergroup.
Most
worryingly, same sex sponsorship is not discouraged.”
Comment:
Of course AA members can set up any enterprise they want including
study groups. What is questionable however is the message being
carried by these groups – and of course the presumption that this
is in any way 'superior' to that carried by AA generally! Moreover
we would be fascinated to know by what extraordinary feat of insight
they are able to claim that any alternative necessarily lends itself
to the early demise of AA members (a viewpoint which is directly (and
also implicitly) contradicted within the Big Book itself). Surely
these God-like individuals must be endowed with quite outstanding
faculties of foresight and percipience! Do tell!
Cheers
The
Fellas (Friends of Alcoholics Anonymous)
PS
Our usual thanks to our AA correspondent
PPS
To all the Big Book 'experts' out there! Do at least read the tome in
question from time to time! You never know …. you might learn
something!
