[paulmh]

I'm a GSR and a Regional rep too. At my last regional meeting a few weekends ago the delegates to our national Conference were reporting back on the various committees they had attended. There was lots of talk as the meeting went on and on, lol. One person raised the issue of the "small, but noisy minority" of people who attend conference and spend their time criticising everyone else for not being AA enough. This conversation spilled over to after the end of the meeting. I did a lot of listening, didn't really offer much, but it seemed like the people they were talking about were very similar to the hardline people we have on SR. The ones who talk about "real" alcoholics, about meetings all being pretty crap nowadays, too many cliches and group therapy, not enough talk of "The Solution".

The consensus of the conversation at region was that these people - these "hardliners" - were harmful to AA as a whole. There are a lot of people at my region who have many hundreds of years sobriety between them, and much emotional sobriety too. They were all pretty much rueful and sad that some people within our fellowship take it upon themselves to become the blinkered guardians of our fellowships "spiritual" aspect, and become tremednously bigoted about what constitutes "recovery" for everyone else. One old chap said as we were parting "well, Bill always said that if AA was going to die out it would be AAers that killed it". He was obviously referring to these "hardliners".

My position on this is that I've met some people around AA - all men - who considered themselves to be real authorities on the BB and the programme contained therein, and they really weren't afraid to let other people know about what they saw as their failures to live up to the standards set for us. But what I've seen - almost invariably - has been angry, bitter, judgemental men who really didn't have what I want. At the same time their knowledge of the big book has been second to none, so I've often sought these men out and asked their advice about specific aspects of this programme. But I've essentially felt sorry for them that their recovery has stalled - sometimes for decades - at this "I'm right and you're wrong" stage.

I come on line today and - once again - I see someone criticise the rest of us for our lack of rigidity in meetings, for our poor recovery, for just giving the newcomer cliche and slogan.

When I see someone behave like this, I see a lack of emotional sobriety. I don't see recovery. I do not see something I want. Yet these people are making noise beyond their numbers, both here on SR and in AA as a whole. It seems to me that hardliners bring some good things with them - incredible focus, a commitment to study and work the programme, encyclopeadic knowledge.

So, that comment from my old timer - it'll be AAers who kill AA - what do we think? Will it be "weak", accomodating, emotional sobriety through growth and maturity, loving, nurturing, tolerant, "giving time, time" AA that'll destroy us? Or will it be "strong", self-important, self-righteous, angry, temper tantrum, childish, judgemental, "too smart for meetings" AA?

Bit of a leading question I know..