Considering my avatar says "Thumper" above it - I will share. FWIW - I put that title more tongue in cheek than anything else based on a few threads that were running about a year ago, it has stayed ever since.
The term thumper can give an impression of telling others what they should do. I don't feel I ever have that right, I only try to share what I have done and do - when that can be tied back to the book, I share the relevant passage.
Thank God my sponsor is a BB thumper - when I say that I mean this: We sat down and went through the book - everything I did (inventory, sharing inventory, praying, ammends, daily meditation and prayer) came directly from that book. It took away the sense that I was blindly following what another person felt was best for me and made me feel "If AA took it's name from a book, and the book gives directions on how to recover from alcoholism - I am glad to say I am doing AA 'by the book'." When I have something to take to my sponsor (maybe I am having a problem that I take to him for his input), almost invariably we will look in the book to see what action it says to take (pray, write, talk, turn my thoughts). The book simplified everything for me because I can't argue with it - it doesn't care if I agree or not....
Love and tolerance as a code - even for thumpers. Right? I didn't know what love and tolerance meant until I had made some direct ammends, I thought I knew - but I really didn't. Right around that same page it also says that we are not 'servile or scraping', and 'that as God's people we stand on our feet; we don't crawl before anyone'.
On another note - I have also had to learn to share the message of AA without the book. Sometimes folks have an aversion to it, just as others do with the word God. Do I have a real experience to share from the 12 steps? Do I know what AA means when it says "real alcoholic"? Can I take someone through step 1 and 2 without referring to the book? .. Yes.
Good or bad? I don't know - I am in no position to define anyone as such and membership or lack of membership of AA is not part of the primary purpose of Alcoholics Anonymous - frankly, anyone can call themselves a member and that is fine with me. I have yet to witness anyone being kicked out of a group - but I have witnessed people being shunned, disregarded to the point they just leave AA and still spend a lot of their time getting closer to God by working with drunks.
I was a member for years without any results - once I got involved in the REQUIREMENTS to recover, my world changed. I found those requirments in black and white in the book. I am glad someone pointed out that there is a difference between being a member of AA and recovery from alcoholism.
I honestly think some of the other stuff I hear in meetings is a lot more dangerous than the guy who constantly refers to the book. "Keep coming back", "Don't drink no matter what" {btw - as an alcoholic I WILL drink no matter what} ,"Don't leave 5 minutes before the miracle"{as if one day a light is just gonna turn on because I sat in enough meetings}, "Let us love you until you can love yourself" {as if loving myself will remove my alcoholism} and the dreaded "meeting makers make it" {not in my experience}.
BB refernences taken from Alcoholics Anonymous first ed.