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Posts Tagged ‘slogans’

God—as I am learning to understand God

25 Aug

GOD:  A Few Definitions

– First Known Use:  before 12th century
– The supreme or ultimate reality:  as the Being perfect in power, wisdom, and goodness who is worshiped as creator and ruler of the universe.
– DEITY:  the rank or essential nature of a god; one exalted or revered as supremely good or powerful.
– Absolute Being, alien force, All Knowing, All Powerful, Allah, Almighty, Alpha and Omega, Beginning and End, Creator, Divine Being, Goddess, Father, Grandfather, Great Spirit, Guardian Spirit, Higher Power, Holy Spirit, incorporeal being, Infinite Spirit, Jehovah, King of Kings, Lord, Maker, demon, divinity, holiness, idol, Life and LOVE, master, not-of-this-earth, omnipotent, power, prime mover, providence, soul, spirit, spirit of the universe, supernatural being, Supreme Being, totem, tutelary, universal life force, world spirit.

A GOOD-LUCK CHARM?

A Good Luck Charm is “an object that protects a person from trouble.” It’s a game of chance; a gamble. Am I treating god as a good-luck charm?
– If I take God along with me as I go about my business—I’m treating God as my good-luck charm.
– If I ask Him each day to bless my projects and plans—I’m treating God as a magic genie.

A DESIGNER GOD …A “Do-It-Yourself Deity”?

There’s a lot of stuff tossed out in the fellowship and carried into meetings about ‘defining’ your own god—to make a list of what you WANT god to be. Sure, that’s the ticket, then It’s YOUR god, and nobody else’s.  This is SELF which means EGO!
These are the same people who tell you you’re TOO SICK to think for yourself–are saying that making up a god isn’t a big deal and apparently doesn’t need much consideration?

A widely-used MISQUOTE from the AA text is, “a god of my understanding.” This implies making up a god. This phrase is not in the Big Book. Nowhere in the AA textbook is it suggested to “make up our own god.”
Big Book cover–  Big Book, page 59: “…to the care of God, as we understood Him.”
–  Page 59: “Sought … to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, …”

This implies ‘however little we may understand Him at this point—today.’  It gives us the hope that as we practice conscious contact on a daily basis, and practice doing His will for us, that understanding will grow.
“Our own conception of God” also does not say that we just make something up. This phrase suggests that we let go of ‘our preconceived notions,’ our ‘touchiness,’ our ‘antagonism,’ and our close-mindedness about all spiritual things.
Big Book cover–  Big Book, page 568: “We can only be defeated by an attitude of intolerance or belligerent denial.” “Willingness, honesty, and open-mindedness are the essentials of recovery”
–  page 49: “We have learned that whatever the human frailties of various faiths may be, those faiths have given purpose and direction to millions.”

Our first recovery teachers discovered that THERE IS ONE WHO HAS ALL POWER

Big Book, page 59: “Without help it is too much for us. But there is One who has all power—that One is God. May you find him now!”

For a beginner who is trying to “grasp the flimsy reed,” the appropriate phrase to start with may be, “God as I DON’T understand Him.”

Step 12 and A Spiritual Awakening

By this time, “most of us think this awareness of a Power greater than ourselves is the essence of spiritual experience.” (page 568). This is the first part of our Awakening. Another is “we have RECOVERED, and have been given the power to help others.” (page 132)

GOD IS A LIMITLESS GOD

So how can anyone understand all there is to know about The ONE?
There are various names for God …many religious options and sacred writings to explore …countless paths to enlightenment …many ways to describe God.
But, eleven of our steps are about building a relationship with this God. The many pioneers of our program of recovery found out that alcoholics ‘of our type’ needed a spiritual solution and they recommended continued religious study of your choice.

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ETC, a recovered alcoholic in Oregon—relieved of the obsession but not cured of the allergy.

 
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Posted in Higher Powered, Step 12, Step 3

 

Honesty, Open-mindedness, Willingness

13 Jun

“Honesty, open-mindedness, & willingness is the HOW of the Program.”
This slogan is often used in meetings to inform newcomers that THIS is how the program works.

What does the Big Book/AA Program tell us?

The phrase doesn’t show up in the textbook as part of our suggested program. It shows up in the “Spiritual Experience” pages IN THE APPENDIX to further explain what spiritual experience means!

Big Book coverBB p.25:
“The great fact is just this, and nothing less: That we have had deep and effective spiritual experiences* which have revolutionized our whole attitude toward life, toward our fellows and toward God’s universe.”
* Fully explained—Appendix II. (footnote)
BB p.568(570), Appendix II, Spiritual Experience
“Most emphatically we wish to say that any alcoholic capable of honestly facing his problems in the light of our experience can recover, provided he does not close his mind to all spiritual concepts. He can only be defeated by an attitude of intolerance or belligerent denial. We find that no one need have difficulty with the spirituality of the program. Willingness, honesty and open mindedness are the essentials of (our spiritual) recovery. But these are indispensable.”

H.O.W. helps us get started on our own, personal spiritual journey; it is what we need to be able to grasp onto that flimsy reed—to climb onto that broad, roomy highway (where all spiritual beliefs are accepted):
–To honestly face our problems and deal with any touchiness (p 48) or intolerance we may have on the subject of spiritual things;
–To open our minds to the possibility that there IS one who has all power and cares about us;
–To be willing to investigate and explore spiritual options, so that we may begin the journey toward daily conscious contact with the Higher Power (as you understand God—today).

The actual HOW of the Program is the chapter, “HOW IT WORKS.”

The AA pioneers suggested THE TWELVE STEPS as our PROGRAM OF RECOVERY: These are HOW we become recovered — IF we voluntarily and completely follow THEIR path. Chapter Five describes the real ‘HOW’ of The Program.

BB Chapter 5, HOW IT WORKS
Big Book cover“RARELY HAVE we seen a person fail who has thoroughly followed our path. Those who do not recover are people who cannot or will not completely give themselves to this simple program, usually men and women who are constitutionally incapable of being honest with themselves. There are such unfortunates. They are not at fault; they seem to have been born that way. They are naturally incapable of grasping and developing a manner of living which demands rigorous honesty. Their chances are less than average. There are those, too, who suffer from grave emotional and mental disorders, but many of them do recover if they have the capacity to be honest.
…If you have decided you want what we have and are willing to go to any length to get it-then you are ready to take certain steps. At some of these we balked. We thought we could find an easier, softer way. But we could not. With all the earnestness at our command, we beg of you to be fearless and thorough from the very start. Some of us have tried to hold on to our old ideas and the result was nil until we let go absolutely. Remember that we deal with alcohol-cunning, baffling, powerful! Without help it is too much for us. But there is One who has all power-that One is God. May you find Him now! Half measures availed us nothing. We stood at the turning point. we asked His protection and care with complete abandon.
Here are the steps we took, which are suggested as a program of recovery:”

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ETC, a recovered (but not cured) alcoholic in Oregon

 
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Posted in HOW it works, Spirituality

 

A.A. Meetings & Groups

08 Apr

A.A. membership has become top-heavy with non-alcoholics looking for free “group therapy” sessions and companionship instead of only those who suffer from alcoholism.

BB pg 563, Tradition Five: “Each Alcoholics Anonymous group ought to be a spiritual entity having but one primary purpose—that of carrying its message to the alcoholic who still suffers.”

Do you hear any of these messages in meetings you attend?

  • Talk about what IT (instead of ‘what we were like’) was like—what I did not do—and what I hope all the sick, sober-only kids will think is cool!!“
  • Back when I was drinkin’…”
  • “All the steps and the big book are subjective and open to interpretation, so…”.
  • “There’s two schools of thought on that…”
  • “The big book is antiquated and not relevant for today’s alcoholic.”
  • “The steps are suggested so I can work them any way I want to and suggest my way in meetings.”
  • “Don’t say you’ll never drink again—you’ll jinx your sobriety.”

Bill Wilson, Grapevine, 1958: “Sobriety—freedom from alcohol—through the teaching and the practice of the Twelve Steps is the SOLE PURPOSE of an A.A. group.”

Any of these things going on in meetings?

  • People who are there just to drink coffee? Get a date? To please the spouse, boss, or courts.
  • A bunch of raunchy, derogatory jokes under the excuse that it’s okay because of ‘rule 62.’
  • A place to dump their mess instead of the message.
  • Detailed, boring drunk-a-logues.
  • People getting rid of their 5th step or other crap to make themselves feel better.
  • Meetings that have dissolved into ‘a what it means to me’ meeting (my program my way) by rehab graduates and Middle-of-the-Road solutionists.
  • A groupthink-type mentality and stating of meaningless phrases and clichés.
  • A lot of ‘pop-AA,’ a.k.a. ‘treatment center’ jargon and slogans are spread as ‘the message.’
  • Where people who read from the book and share about the life-saving nature of the 12-Step Program are ridiculed as ‘book thumpers’ or ‘AA Taliban,’ or ‘arrogant know-it-alls’?
  • People who confuse ‘carrying the message’ with being a good Samaritan?
  • They are fearful of damaging someone’s self-esteem and are trying to win friends and a ‘posse.’
  • A lot of hugs, lovey dovey and ‘don’t judge me’ talk, ‘just go to meetings you’ll be fine,’ ‘think positive,’ BS?
  • People who’s method of sponsorship is ‘take your time,’ ‘just call me before you drink,’ or ‘call me every morning and tell me your plans for the day.’
  • People polishing up their speeches in hopes of getting on the speaker circuit.
  • AAers who think it’s all about raffles, AA picnics, conventions, and having a good time?
  • Are there newcomers going to two and three meetings a day believing that the more meetings they make, the easier it will be to stay sober—then they drink anyway (duh!).
  • A lot of ‘outside issues’ discussed; i.e., medical views, scientific definitions, NA slogans, my sponsor’s opinion, etc.
  • Is everyone ‘recovering’ instead of ‘recovered’ (as the program tells us we become IF we do what THEY did and live by the spiritual principles).
  • And, have you ever left a meeting feeling like you need a meeting?

Going to meetings and sharing about your emotional condition is NOT carrying the message as given to us by the AA pioneers.

AA, as designed and intended, is a society and supportive means of upholding our PRIMARY PURPOSE. The newcomer who comes to us for help needs to hear the voice of experience and knowledge—not a rehab graduate’s concept of experience, strength, and hope. He has no experience, is un-treated, he is weak and hopeless, and he has a ‘monkey-mind’ until he recovers. He/she needs help to find (and build a relationship with) God—a power greater than themselves. This is the “fourth dimension of existence,” a life of joy and purpose in God’s will instead of self-will.

THE SOLUTION: Search out meetings where the Big Book is read, Truth is spoken and encouraged, and join them as you trudge the road to happy destiny. God “will show you how to create the fellowship you crave.” BB p 164.

for more related information:

  1. the original “Meeting Rhetoric VS The Big Book”on the articles page at Primary Purpose Groups in Dallas.
  2. an expanded version of Rhetoric VS Big Book on the downloads page at Rose City Recovery Connections
  3. Great observations about AA meetings by Danny S (RLRA): Meetings
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ETC—a recovered (but not cured) alcoholic in Oregon
 
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Posted in AA Meetings, non-alcoholics