A New Website That Seems A.A., Bible, History, and Fact Friendly

I received a solicitation through an email today. It was about a new website RumRadio.org; it contained a request for my take; and below I have listed the letter and my response: Joseph: At your request, I looked at your email, your Rum Radio site, your thank you’s, and your article on the Mayflower. There’s lots to say, but I will just bite off a few chunks and put a few comments here and there on your site. First, let me say that I am all for any site like yours that is AA friendly, Bible friendly, History friendly, and – hopefully – fact friendly. Second, in this information age, with so many different outlets, it is very hard for any one person to reach very many people, to have an assured audience, and to have a media vehicle that will attract those who would be blessed by one’s effort. These include, of course, blogs, twitter, Facebook, social forums, article outlets, newsletters, Utube, and google itself. I have to tell you that I have used and still use them all except for Utube which will be up and running soon. I also speak at conferences and seminars, do radio shows, and have done TV. But the objective is always the same – will this material serve and glorify God, will it help those who want God’s help to realize how readily available it is for seekers, and will it help the drunk or addict who still suffers – as well as those affected by the malefactor’s deeds/ Third, you may or may not know that a number of detrimental sites have crept on the scene – some well financed, and some just providing venting for the disgruntled. That alone might not mean much except that they consider themselves justified in blocking others, in name-calling, in profane language, and in promoting their own brand of no-AA, no-12 Steps, no-Christianity, no-Christians who disagree with their views, no religion, no God, no Jesus Christ, no Bible, no church, and on and on. And if you consider early A.A., that was neither the case, nor the position that made early A.A. so successful and later, with Wilson’s promotion, worldwide in impact. And you correctly observe that the growth has stopped. The numbers are still the same, not increasing. The spinoff organizations like Celebrate Recovery are proliferating in number and attraction. The sites that lambaste A.A., God, and history are also growing. And the feeds from treatment centers and the military seem on a downward path as far as their interest in A.A. is concerned. Fourth, hopefully, this will make you more, rather than less, enthused about making your site and your articles temperate, open, factual, and documented. Finally, from what I can see, you are headed in a healthy direction: No profanity or vulgarity. No anti-God, anti-religion, anti-other sites and approaches. I do think you are a bit breezy in your recitals of history; and that is a problem in many presentations. People pass along opinions, in-the-rooms myths, speculative history, and stories that detour from the truth. My own objective, for twenty years, has first been to find the facts. Second, to see what facts others have found. Third, put a factual picture together. Fourth, DOCUMENT and cite precise evidentiary sources for the findings. Finally, to disseminate as widely as my own resources, age, and energy make possible. I am writing at your request and do not wish you to think I am writing as a critic or opponent or revisionist. I like what you are doing. And I wish there were many more approaches like yours. They are much needed. They should be reporting and promoting the original A.A. program, the successes it achieved, the changes that were made in 1939, the nonsense gods and self-made programs that followed, and the wide diversity of membership and views and approaches today – and yet still trumpeting for the importance of Almighty God. For He was and is mentioned in one way or another some 400 times even in today’s Fourth Edition – though certainly not in most of the other publications pouring out of GSO at flood stage. Don’t hesitate to phone me. Count me as a friend. And my best wishes for your success. And, if I drop a documented, factual article your way now and then, please welcome it as an attempt to serve. I will probably post or circulate this letter quite a bit which should help draw attention to the Rum Radio effort. God bless, Dick B. Author, 42 titles & over 500 articles on A.A. History Exec. Dir., International Christian Recovery Coalition Christian Recovery Resource Centers - Worldwide www.DickB.com DickB@DickB.com (808) 874-4876 PO Box 837, Kihei, HI 96753-0837 From: Gzepe [mailto:Gzepe@rumradio.org] Sent: Tuesday, April 12, 2011 12:35 PMTo: dickb@dickb.comSubject: Billy pilgrim at the Mayflower Hi Dick I have always enjoyed your work in AA and the fundamental insights you espouse. I have put together a Big Book sponsorship website some suggestions and understanding not all program members will agree, but as you know if you get 15 alcoholics in a room you will get 20 opinions. I had been doing some research on the Hotel May flower story and have found some discrepancies that I believe that I have been able to piece together certain facts commonly held . I wanted to get your take. I have found that there were 2000,000 people in AA in 1981 (GSO) and as of Jan 2010 2100,000 (GSO) ? Looks like a flat line to me . A loss of singleness of purpose ? and possibly sponsorship has been pushed too far and out of the back and/or squeezing God out the rooms so as not to offend anyone? Hey buddy can you spare some time ,and take a look see, your input would be invaluable. We have had 30,000 hits to date and 850 or so thank you notes from all over the world and not one negative other than it was too pedantic ,I had to look that up, too detailed. I am enclosing the thank you notes also . If you find value would you please help pass it on. Joseph