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06-11-2006, 06:46 PM
Very often, a newcomer is told, "Don't waste your time with the Big
Book. It was written back in the 1930's and has never been brought up to
date. We know so much more now." Of course, that type of statement is made
by a person or persons who have never bothered to put the Program of
Alcoholics Anonymous to the test as did the Authors of the Big Book nor those of us who
have accepted that challenge.
If we take a moment and look at what Alcoholics Anonymous is really
about, we will readily recognize that a particular problem, alcoholism is
what drove us to this Fellowship is search of a way to avoid death or
permanent insanity by drinking. And it would appear from some of the oldest
historical writings that alcoholism has been around since the early days of
mankind. In that great spiritual history book the Bible, King Solomon wrote
his observations of alcoholics in Proverbs 23. What he witnessed is no
different than the manner in which alcoholics react to alcohol today.
And the recovered members of Alcoholics Anonymous state that the God of
their understanding, that they found as the result of taking the Steps by
the Big Book, has proved to be the Solution to their alcoholism as well as
all their other problems. We can be quite certain that the God of our
understanding has not changed in recent years
So, since the Problem, Alcoholism, hasn't changed and the Solution, God
as we understood Him, hasn't changed, what is so new? And what method of
dealing with alcoholism has produced more recovered alcoholics than the
Twelve Step Program of Alcoholics Anonymous? There isn't anything that can
begin to touch the success of the Program of recovery as outlined in the
Basic Text for the Fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous.
Unfortunately, many who seek help for their alcoholism bet their life on
the Fellowship and meetings rather than the Program, i.e. the life giving
Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous protected by the life saving Twelve
Traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous. That has proved to be a fatal mistake
for hundreds of thousands of alcoholics. Rarely, if ever, do the alcoholics who apply
and live by the Program ever return to drinking. Very few of those who bet
their life on the Fellowship and meetings ever stay sober. And all the new
information that we now know only compounds the fatality rate of alcoholics
who seek shelter within the Fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous. An intimate
relationship with our Heavenly Father is our only hope for a happy and
purposeful sobriety. The real purpose of putting the Twelve Steps to work
in our lives is to fit ourselves to be of maximum service to God and the
people about us, not to impress folks with our wit, ideas, opinions,
philosophy and the nature of our issues in meetings.
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Book. It was written back in the 1930's and has never been brought up to
date. We know so much more now." Of course, that type of statement is made
by a person or persons who have never bothered to put the Program of
Alcoholics Anonymous to the test as did the Authors of the Big Book nor those of us who
have accepted that challenge.
If we take a moment and look at what Alcoholics Anonymous is really
about, we will readily recognize that a particular problem, alcoholism is
what drove us to this Fellowship is search of a way to avoid death or
permanent insanity by drinking. And it would appear from some of the oldest
historical writings that alcoholism has been around since the early days of
mankind. In that great spiritual history book the Bible, King Solomon wrote
his observations of alcoholics in Proverbs 23. What he witnessed is no
different than the manner in which alcoholics react to alcohol today.
And the recovered members of Alcoholics Anonymous state that the God of
their understanding, that they found as the result of taking the Steps by
the Big Book, has proved to be the Solution to their alcoholism as well as
all their other problems. We can be quite certain that the God of our
understanding has not changed in recent years
So, since the Problem, Alcoholism, hasn't changed and the Solution, God
as we understood Him, hasn't changed, what is so new? And what method of
dealing with alcoholism has produced more recovered alcoholics than the
Twelve Step Program of Alcoholics Anonymous? There isn't anything that can
begin to touch the success of the Program of recovery as outlined in the
Basic Text for the Fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous.
Unfortunately, many who seek help for their alcoholism bet their life on
the Fellowship and meetings rather than the Program, i.e. the life giving
Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous protected by the life saving Twelve
Traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous. That has proved to be a fatal mistake
for hundreds of thousands of alcoholics. Rarely, if ever, do the alcoholics who apply
and live by the Program ever return to drinking. Very few of those who bet
their life on the Fellowship and meetings ever stay sober. And all the new
information that we now know only compounds the fatality rate of alcoholics
who seek shelter within the Fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous. An intimate
relationship with our Heavenly Father is our only hope for a happy and
purposeful sobriety. The real purpose of putting the Twelve Steps to work
in our lives is to fit ourselves to be of maximum service to God and the
people about us, not to impress folks with our wit, ideas, opinions,
philosophy and the nature of our issues in meetings.
Received In Email