Facebook Comment by Dick Answering “What
Are the Four Absolutes”
Dick B.
© 2013 Anonymous. All rights reserved
Absolute Honesty,
Absolute Purity, Absolute Unselfishness, and Absolute Love.
These were phrases
that began with Robert E. Speer's book, The
Principles of Jesus. They were first called the four "Standards."
Many Oxford Group people also called them standards.
In any event,
Professor Henry B. Wright wrote a book elaborating on the many parts of the
Bible that supported these “absolute” principles—honesty, purity,
unselfishness, and love. And he called them "absolute" standards.
Standards on which Jesus did not compromise.
Oxford Group Founder
Dr. Frank Buchman was much influenced by Speer and Wright, and passed along to
Oxford Groupers those four "Absolutes." They were absolute standards
taught by Jesus as a target for those
who would be like him. Or so Dr. Speer taught in his book. They were targets to
shoot for, not principles commanded by A First Century Christian Fellowship
(the Oxford Group) or by early A.A.
But in A.A.
Conference-approved Pamphlet P-53, Dr. Bob stated in his last major address to
AAs that he felt these were "yardsticks" by which one should measure
his behavior. Anne Smith (Dr. Bob's wife) referred to them repeatedly in her
journal--frequently urging that we test our conduct by the standards. www.dickb.com/annesm.shtml.
Actually some like
Rev. Shoemaker used them as the four parts of what later became Step 4 in A.A.
-- writing down where you had fallen short of the teachings of Jesus in your
life, because of "sin."
And you can see more
in my Oxford Group book www.dickb.com/Oxford.sthml,
and in the extended remarks of Dr. Bob in "The Co-Founders" pamphlet.
For more
information, contact dickb@dickb.com
Gloria Deo
No comments:
Post a Comment