| |||||||
![]() |
| | LinkBack | Thread Tools | Display Modes |
| | #1 (permalink) |
| Psalm 118:24 |
Noticing a lot of threads about not being religious. That being said, does your group close with the Lord's prayer? We give the option of those who care to join in to say the Lord's prayer. Thoughts and comments??
__________________ LIFE IS GOD'S GIFT TO YOU WHAT YOU DO WITH YOUR LIFE IS YOUR GIFT TO GOD J - Jesus first O - Others next Y - Yourself last John 14:6 |
| | |
| | #2 (permalink) |
| Forum Leader Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Serene In Dixie
Posts: 34,835
|
How each group chooses it's format is a matter for that specific group as voted in their GC. My home group does close with the Lords Prayer and yes...says ..."For those who would.. please join our circle we'll close with the Lords Prayer. I have been next to members who did not say the words but stood quietly I've seen members continue to sit or leave This has been true in all 3 of my home groups D.C. Fl. and Ga. I'm not aware of any comments on their choice to not participate. ...I guess we're back to the never ending discussion...is AA religious or spiritual. By the time I started AA...I did not know or care what they used to help me get and stay sober. Last week...Mary...sober 34 years shared "I'd have painted my butt red and run down the street naked if thats what I had to do to quit" I totally agree...
__________________ ![]() Each Day Sober Is A Victory!! Joy In AA Recovery! ![]() Last edited by CarolD; 01-14-2009 at 01:03 PM. Reason: Typos |
| | |
| | #3 (permalink) |
| Psalm 118:24 |
Well, I see people's point of few for saying the Lord's Prayer at a conclusion if, we're not religious program!
__________________ LIFE IS GOD'S GIFT TO YOU WHAT YOU DO WITH YOUR LIFE IS YOUR GIFT TO GOD J - Jesus first O - Others next Y - Yourself last John 14:6 |
| | |
| | #4 (permalink) |
| Forum Leader Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Serene In Dixie
Posts: 34,835
|
What about the Serenity Prayer? It's my experience that it's used more often in meetings than the Lords Prayer. Then of course...in doing Step work some members use the Step prayers. I'm not aware of a specific organized religion that uses materials from other religions for their membership.
__________________ ![]() Each Day Sober Is A Victory!! Joy In AA Recovery! ![]() |
| | |
| | #5 (permalink) |
| Knucklehead Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Davenport, WA
Posts: 4,015
|
Something need not be organized nor specific to be religious in nature. The atheist & agnostic meeting I go to on Sundays closes with a few moments of silence. The daily noon meeting I sometimes attend closes with a prayer that I'm not familiar with.
__________________ Get in where you fit in. - Too $hort |
| | |
| | #6 (permalink) |
| Psalm 118:24 | I don't view the Sernity Prayer in association with any denomination. Do you? Looking at the preamble A.A. is not allied with any sect, denomination, politics, organization or institution. That's not true by saying the Lord's Prayer, as it is a Christian prayer
__________________ LIFE IS GOD'S GIFT TO YOU WHAT YOU DO WITH YOUR LIFE IS YOUR GIFT TO GOD J - Jesus first O - Others next Y - Yourself last John 14:6 |
| | |
| | #7 (permalink) |
| Forum Leader Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Serene In Dixie
Posts: 34,835
|
I'm no thologian but the Serenity Prayer we use was written by a German minister ...Luthuren I think. The Roman Catholic Church canonized St. Francis of Assisi who penned the "Make me a channel" ...often used by members in Step work. And Yes...I do think AA draws from different religions. And No...I don't mind any of them being used. ...I'm not going to their churches.I am attending a fellowship of recovery. Perhaps my opinions are swayed by the fact I've belonged to 3 different religious sects and none has harmed me. I've never been either agnostic or atheist. I quit my regular church attendance long ago perferring to be in AA on Sunday morning. So far...it's working well...
__________________ ![]() Each Day Sober Is A Victory!! Joy In AA Recovery! ![]() |
| | |
| | #8 (permalink) | |
| Psalm 118:24 | Quote:
same here
__________________ LIFE IS GOD'S GIFT TO YOU WHAT YOU DO WITH YOUR LIFE IS YOUR GIFT TO GOD J - Jesus first O - Others next Y - Yourself last John 14:6 | |
| | |
| | #9 (permalink) |
| Om, Aum, Ohm... |
I had a problem with the religious nature of the Lord's Prayer early on, until I read Emmet Fox. It was then that I could generalize the principles of the prayer and apply them to god as I understand god. Peace & Love, Sugah
__________________ ![]() There's a train leaving nightly called when all is said and done Keep me in your heart for awhile ~WZ ANS 01/29/86 - 08/04/08 |
| | |
| | #10 (permalink) |
| God's Kid Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: New Zealand
Posts: 1,561
|
There's a local group here who closes with the Lord's prayer. I say it if I go and personally I would have said any damn thing they wanted me to say when I got sober. I just wanted the pain to stop! So I've never had a problem with it. I have always thought the Serenity prayer is religous too because despite the fact that in recovery we only use the first part of it, the prayer (as a whole) goes on to talk about ' taking this sinful world as it is' and 'being happy with him in the next life' etc... I associate 'sin' and 'next life' with religon.
__________________ ....blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the children of God. |
| | |
| | #13 (permalink) | |
| Psalm 118:24 | Quote:
__________________ LIFE IS GOD'S GIFT TO YOU WHAT YOU DO WITH YOUR LIFE IS YOUR GIFT TO GOD J - Jesus first O - Others next Y - Yourself last John 14:6 | |
| | |
| | #14 (permalink) |
| Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Pugetopolis
Posts: 2,392
|
There a few things that bother me a hell of a lot more than saying a prayer. Such as the way we've ritualized our message. I don't have a problem with any prayer. What I do have a problem with is all the holding hands and chanting "Keep coming back cause it works and your worth it!" or something like that. Prayers end in amen. Or how about when we read the 9th Step promises, or as some call them "The 12 Promises," or the AA Promises?" At the end the reader reads "Are these extravagant promises?" And everyone else chants back in unison "We Think Not!" Geez, talk about dangling the carrot. We turn our program into something to "get." Another thing that gets to me is when we do say The Our Father, and the leader starts of with "Who keeps us sober..." or "Whose Father?" That offends some people I know. Hell it offends me more than any religious aspect of the prayer. Either respect the prayer or don't say it. You don't approach something holy in a frivilous manner. And one more thing: I have heard it said in meetings "I'm a recovering Catholic." I wonder if anyone has ever stopped to think how that might affect a newcomer or visitor who doesn't know that AA has no opinion on religion or any other outside issues. So some jackass spouting garbage like that gives them their first impression of AA by implying that AA has an opinion about the Catholic Church. Some members are actually devout practicing Catholics who love their Church. Jim |
| | |
| | #15 (permalink) |
| Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Righthere, Rightnow
Posts: 1,497
|
One thing that gets me about the “Lord’s Prayer” is that I think we say it wrong in AA. I believe the correct translation is “…thou leadeth us not into temptation,” not “lead us not into temptation.” The way we say it, it's as if we are asking God not to lead us there. What kind of God would lead us into temptation? Not mine. This is Chuck C’s point of view anyway (after doing his research), and which I whole heartedly agree with.
|
| | |
| | #16 (permalink) |
| Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: N.C.
Posts: 18,389
|
right on Barto,I don`t care what the crowd says,I say you lead us not into temptation,you deliver us from evil too. Jim mentioned the chanting after the prayer,I call it the chicken dance,and I don`t chicken dance.To me Amen means Amen,it don`t mean lets dance. Jim also mentioned the chanting after the promises.I don`t do that either.I have on several occasions,said loudly,probably or I think so.I have been called a troublemaker for that.It gets their attention sometimes.The sheeple hate for someone to interrupt their rituals. |
| | |
| | #17 (permalink) |
| Follow Directions! Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Fredericksburg, Va.
Posts: 9,745
|
You know as long as AA did not say I had to go to this church, synagouge, mosque, temple, etc...... I did not care and to be honest still do not care if a prayer is said before or after a meeting. I would be willing to bet money that if one went to an AA meeting in Turkey to a Turkish speaking meeting they say "Allah"!!!! Oh my GOD!!!!! If I hear the word ALLAH mentioned in an AA meeting does that mean I have to begin practicing the Islamic Faith? What about AA in Isreal? Do you think they close with the Lords Prayer? Boy I wonder what faith AA pushs in India???????? I mean there is only about 30-40 different faiths practiced there!!!!! You know I had a choice when I went to AA: 1. Find a Power greater then myself that I understood that would help me solve my problems. 2. Keep thinking I was all powerful like I had been doing for the prior 40 years and die from alcoholism! When I went to AA I wanted to get and stay sober, I did not give a rats patoot what type of prayer was said or not said before or after a meeting!!!! I was finished with finding every reason under the sun to not work the program of AA. When I decided to get and stay sober using AA, I did not join a church or practice any faith and not one single person in a meeting ever told me "You have to be a _______(insert name the faith) in order to stay sober!!!! The BB, my sponsor, the AA preamble, The 12 & 12, and the 12 Traditions all state explicitly that AA does not promote or support any sect or faith!!!!!! I did not want to die just because some folks decided to say some prayer from some faith I did not believe in!!!! It is part of the LOVE & TOLERANCE spoken of in the BB. I have taken an agnostic through the steps and he has over a year sober, I have held the hand of Jews, Athiest, & Agnostics as we all recited the Lords Prayer. Guess what? They were practicing the Love & Tolerance spoken of in the BB and they held my hand in a demonstration of the Unity of AA, not to indicate they were a Christian as we recited the Lords Prayer!
__________________ All BB quotes are from the First Edition of the BB Follow directions! Sobriety date 18 Sept. 2006 Sober today thanks to AA |
| | |
| | #18 (permalink) |
| Psalm 118:24 |
Now how accurate the Bill W. movie was, I recall them standing at the end of a meeting when, Bill W. was in California. Seems they didn't say the Lord's prayer in the movie but, did say keep coming back. Any one have a recall of how that, scene went in the movie?
__________________ LIFE IS GOD'S GIFT TO YOU WHAT YOU DO WITH YOUR LIFE IS YOUR GIFT TO GOD J - Jesus first O - Others next Y - Yourself last John 14:6 |
| | |
| | #19 (permalink) | |
| Member Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 1,694
| Quote:
Thank you Sugah. Me too btw - my home group closes with the prayer. I say it, have no problem with it. And I am not allied with any religion either. Emmet Fox's dissertation on the Lord's Prayer in the book Sermon on the Mount really breaks it down well. | |
| | |
| | #20 (permalink) | |
| Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Righthere, Rightnow
Posts: 1,497
| Quote:
| |
| | |
| | #21 (permalink) | |||
| Member Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 1,870
|
I am not religious in any sense of the word as we know it today. I do not believe in the Divinity of Jesus, but do subscribe to his teachings. I have no problem with any of the prayers associated with recovery. AA was founded by people who broke away from a Christian Group ( The Oxford Group) so it is only natural that some of the dogma would bleed over. Non-affiliation with religion has nothing to do with prayers being said ( IMHO). Here is an article about the serenity prayer: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/11/us/11prayer.html Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
Some of the holiest people to grace the earth with their presence. To refer to catholocism as something to recover from show great disrespect to the organization. I notice today that when I read Catholic literature I see it with a new set of eyes | |||
| | |
| | #22 (permalink) |
| Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: md
Posts: 3,002
|
I totally agree, Steve. I am a Catholic, and it really offends me when people say that. Why is it always OK to bash Catholicism? Imagine if someone were to say they were a recovering Christian or Jew or Baptist? I bet there would be something said to them. But people think they can say anything about Catholics. For me, Catholicism brought me to Christianity and I've always, even in times of active addiction, had a core faith that brought me back. I'm deeply grateful I was raised a Catholic. They do say the Lord's Prayer here whilst holding hands. I hate holding hands with anyone for some reason. I don't mind the prayer. Just me. I don't know why. KJ |
| | |
| | #23 (permalink) | |
| Member Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 1,870
| Quote:
| |
| | |
| | #24 (permalink) | |
| Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Righthere, Rightnow
Posts: 1,497
| Quote:
XA-Speakers - The lights are on! | |
| | |
![]() |
| Bookmarks |
| Currently Active Users Viewing this Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests) | |
| Thread Tools | |
| Display Modes | |
| |
| |
© 2011 Recovery Marketing Services, Inc. |
The SoberRecovery Forums are operated under an anonymous grant and is maintained by MyNew Technologies Development