The Tip of the A.A. Iceberg
What Happens When Someone Tells You What
You Can’t Do
Dick B.
Copyright 2012
Anonymous. All rights reserved
Scholar Robin Room wrote an article, a very small portion of
which states the followins
“(a) The group as self-governing, subject to no external
authority or
superstructure (Tradition 9). The discussion in Twelve Steps
and Twelve Traditions
emphasizes the distinction between "the spirit of
vested authority and the spirit of service" (p.
174). AA has an elaborate structure of service boards and
committees, elected directly or
indirectly by AA groups, but power is firmly defined as
lying at the base rather than in the
structure: "our leaders are but trusted servants; they
do not govern" (Tradition 2).
Accordingly, it is noted in Twelve Steps and Twelve
Traditions (pp. 173-4), a headquarters
communication to a group will be worded in the form of suggestions:
"Of course, you are at
perfect liberty to handle this matter any way you please.
But the majority experience in A.A.
does seem to suggest. . . .
“In practice, there are some forms of recognition or
non-recognition of AA groups.
Johnson (1987:427-431) reports that in Southern California
the local central office sends out
a delegate to observe procedures in a new group, "to
see that the group is not violating the
Traditions", before listing it in the area directory of
groups and meetings. Listing in the area
directory is an important means of recruitment of new
members, often by referral by others,
so that denial of a directory listing may affect the
continuation or growth of the group. But
there is nothing to stop an unlisted group continuing and
considering itself to be an AA group.
Certainly failure to participate in and support AA's service
structure does not hinder
recognition; about half the groups listed in the directory
for a northern California county fail
to participate in and support AA's general service
structure.”
He or she who plows straight into this iceberg without
notice may find great frustration and have unnecessary anxiety, hesitation, and
even fear. Not to mention, a sinking ship.
There are ample examples in my own experience over 26 years
and in the experience of hundreds of Christians in A.A. who have informed me
about the following: (1) A sponsor who tells you that if you read the Bible you
will get drunk. (2) You must not share in meetings about God or Jesus Christ.
(3) You must never read or quote from the Bible in a meeting. (4) You must never encourage someone to join you
in church or come to your Bible fellowship. (5) If you organize a meeting, you
cannot call it a Bible Study Group, a Big Book Bible-Study Group, or allow a
Bible or Christian materials to be displayed on any literature table. (6) You
will not be allowed by the Central or Intergroup office to be listed as an AA
group if you organize such a group. (7) You must fill out an application in
writing which is sent to New York for approval; and it will be rejected if you
indicate your group mentions God or the Bible or Jesus in its name or says it
will study any or all of these “religious materials or subjects.” And there are
a number of letters that have issued from A.A. Central Offices and from General
Services in New York that condemn any of the practices mentioned. (8) Your DCM
may inspect your meeting to see if it conforms to A.A. Traditions. (9) The “suits”
may appear and try to block your meeting.
This rigidity and inexcusable behavior happens. And it
sometimes causes AAs to cease a meeting, cease a practice, change a name, or
cower in fear of discovery.
We have published Stick
with the Winners! How to Conduct More Effective 12-Step Recovery Meetings Using
Conference-approved Literature. This guide, plus a series of 27 videos will
tell you where the icebergs are, what to do when you learn of one, and how to
avoid crashing your traveling ship into one. We cite ample A.A.
Conference-approved literature that will leave you confident that you can do
what the early AAs did. That you can do it today. And that is rude and erroneous for any A.A. leader, group, or office to
hinder what you do.
Early AAs read the Bible, quoted the Bible, and listened to
the Bible. They conducted “old fashioned prayer meetings.” They insisted that
members believe in God and that they accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and
Savior. They read all kinds of Christian literature and Christian devotionals,
and they quoted these and circulated these at meetings.
See Dick B., Dr. Bob
and His Library, 3rd ed; The
Books Early AAs Read for Spiritual Growth, 7th ed; The Good Book and The Big Book: A.A.’s Roots
in the Bible; The James Club and the Original A.A. Program’s Absolute
Essentials; Anne Smith’s Journal 1933-1939
See also DR. BOB and
the Good Oldtimers (NY: Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc., 1980)
Gloria Deo
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