The "Lord's Prayer" and A.A. Votes on it

The following is a response of mine to one of the many troubled folks who contact me and ask "what about the deletion of the Lord's Prayer by group conscience."

Craig: Thank you for your concern and for writing.

1. When I first came in over 25 years ago (maintaining continuous sobriety
from that day forward until now), not knowing what A.A. was or could enable me to do with God's help, I was delighted to hear and join in the
Lord's Prayer at the end of meetings.

2. As you observe, God is being moved out of the meetings--not because the
folks don't want Him but because the bleeding deacons are trying to destroy the A.A. that was in the beginning--a Christian Fellowship. That doesn't mean that it is or even could be a Christian Fellowship today. It does mean that it is or should be open to the principles and practices of anyone who believes in Almighty God--as the founders did! Then it's a question of what God wants, not what some individual would like to vote on.

3. The "group conscience" thing proceeds without God despite the talk about
"a loving God as He may express Himself in our group conscience." They don't pray because they don't believe. They don't ask Him because, if they
did, God would not "vote out" the Bible, would He? Better, they say, like my first grandsponsor naively said: "Let's let the finger move around the room and point." That kind of subjective nonsense can vote idolatry, "spirituality," and baloney into the fellowship anytime the "finger" points--in the view of the perpetrator.

4. The answer today involves several important truths whether we like them
or not: (a) A.A. is no longer a Christian fellowship, and that's not going
to change. (b) AAs are not learning about their Christian origins, history,
Founding, Christian fellowship, and its astonishing successes. (c) There are
still tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of Christian believers in A.A.,
And they don't let out a peep when someone tells them there is an "higher power"--whatever that is, or when some idiot tells them their higher power can be a rock, table, chair, light bulb, or Santa Claus. (d) The newcomers are sick, need intelligent help, and are being fed poisoned nonsense instead of the "fruit of the Spirit". (e) And if one believes in the devil, he will readily see where the idolatry and atheism and crafty New Age "spirituality" is coming from.

5. Is there a solution if you love A.A., as I do? Of course! It is to
learn what early A.A. was like, learn that you can apply its principles
and practices in your A.A. life today, do it, and pass it on to those
who want God's help and ask for it--going to any lengths to get it.

6. I strongly urge you to buy two of my important books, which you can
order on my main website: (a) "The Good Book and The Big Book: A.A.'s
Roots in the Bible" www.dickb.com/goodbook.shtml. (b) "The Dick B.
Christian Recovery Guide," 3rd ed., 2010, www.dickb.com/Christian-
Recov-Guide.shtml. And then to obtain from a meeting or Central
office the Co-Founders Pamphlet P-53. You can use it to show others
precisely what Bob and Bill were saying about A.A. in 1948. And
it's about God, Jesus, and the Bible. It is "General Service
Conference-approved" literature.

Keep those cards and letters coming! Thank you.


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